Pride and Prejudice Film Review

 1)Provide a description of the film. Discuss the plot and characters and how they influenced the film. Was the plot line or character development more important? Why?
This film is based off of the classic novel by Jane Austen. It follows the lives of the Bennet Family (specifically Elizabeth), a middle class family in England and their woes involving marriage. Mrs. Bennet is eager to see her 5 daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Lydia, Kitty, and Mary, get married. When the very eligible bachelor Mr. Bingley and his best friend Mr. Darcy show up, it changes the dynamic of their lives. Mr. Bingley falls for Jane, and Mr. Darcy is, at first, a terribly rude and burdensome presence. However, as the Bennet family experiences woes like the irritating Mr. Collins and deceptive Mr. Wickham, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love and end up getting married. In this film, as true to the book, the character development drive the film. Much of the story focuses not on the woes of the Bennets, but the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy and how they grow from hating each other to falling in love with each other. They are both very emotionally deep characters, and the movie captured that.
2) Think critically about how the film was shot, directed, use of lighting, etc. What do you think was effective in the making of the film? What took away or could have been done differently to enhance the film?
 The film was shot very traditionally. Nothing with the lighting really stood out to me, however, the use of camera angles and editing helped enhance the film. For example, during the scene with the ball, the way the director cut different scenes with the spinning of people, close ups of their faces, and the entire room really added a necessary element of chaos that helped describe the situation further. I also really liked the scene where Elizabeth is on the swing and spinning and then sees a person and stops. The camera angle made it feel as if you were spinning as well. To enhance the film, the director could have played with the lighting a little bit more to capture the mood of each scene.
3) What is you overall opinion of the film? Would you recommend it? Why/why not?
My overall opinion of the film is that it was really well executed. The director did a really good job of staying true to the book, which can be a difficult task. The slight changes only enhanced the plot or added necessary character development that otherwise wouldn't have been captured. Also, it was cast really well, and Keira Knightly made an excellent Elizabeth Bennet. I would recommend it, especially to those who have read it because it captures the wonderful aspects of Jane Austen's novel, and it is a great story of love and first impressions.

Good Will Hunting

1) Describe the film.

This film is about a Boston janitor, Will Hunting, who, despite his rough lifestyle is incredibly gifted and brilliant. While working at MIT, he solves a proof in no time that took two years for all of the MIT professors to solve. An MIT professor, Gerald Lambeau, discovers him working at this problem to much success and decides to take him under his wing so the world can make use of his brilliance. He sends Will to meet with psychologist Sean Maguire to help him deal with his inner demons. The film follows this journey of Will, Lambeau, Sean, Will's friends and Will's girlfriend Skylar as he tries to make sense of the impact he could have on the world.

2) What did you notice about the writing in the film?

The writing of this film does an excellent job of making it both humorous and serious. There are many funny parts, but then it quickly and seamlessly transitions into the more serious aspects. The funny parts are really creative and quirky, and the serious parts are touching and raw, which is emphasized by the dialog written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

3) What was a favorite line from the film? Why?

My favorite lines from the film are first when Sean says, "Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself. " I thought that that was really well said and very true. Second I loved the whole set of dialog when Sean is talking to Will at the park about how he knows so much but hasn't really experienced a lot. That part was really moving.

4) This film won an Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay). Do you think it deserved this award? Why or Why not?

I think that this film deserved the Academy Award for best original screenplay because Matt Damon and Ben Affleck really did a fantastic job developing the plot and characters through the words while simultaneously creating a really touching movie. It had the perfect amount of humor and seriousness that made it very enjoyable.

Contemporary Silent Films

1. What differences do you see in traditional silent films and films of today?

The biggest difference that I noticed was the quality of the films today. Because of technology, filmmakers now have more options for the different directions they can take. For example, Nuit Blanche was super slowed down, and Momentos had a slight color to it instead of black and white.

2. Which do you prefer?

I enjoyed both silent film types for different reasons, however, I think I prefer the temporary films because of the different directions the filmmakers were able to take. Plus, I found them more relatable and enjoyable because it's more what I'm used to.

3. How will you use these differences in your own work?

I am really looking forward to playing with speed in my silent film and deciding whether it would be more effective to slow it down or speed it up. I also want to use the older trend of having the screens with words on it.

The Artist Review

1. This film follows George Valentin as his career as a silent movie actor deteriorates as talkies become more popular, and the rise of Peppy Miller’s career, which he was somewhat responsible for. As their lives go in different directions, they still stay connected. Valetin becomes desperate and loses all of his money, having no other companions except his dog, and Peppy Miller becomes more and more popular and happy. However, she still worries about him and they end of reuniting after George almost commits suicide.
2. The story is driven by the characters in my opinion since Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo were such fantastic actors. They were so animated and full of life that the plot became secondary since the characters and relationships between the characters was so strong.
3. The cinematography was very appropriate for the film. My favorite part was how the medium mocked the medium used in the 1920s by being black and white and silent. Then towards the end when Valentin is in a “talkie,” they have sound. Additionally, I really liked how when he was spending all of his money creating his own silent film, the scene of the ripping checks was transparent over the making of the movie because it added a neat effect of time going by.
4. My favorite scene was the end of the movie when George and Peppy were filming their dancing movie. I really like happy endings, so watching everything fall into place made me happy! I liked how after the music stopped, you could hear them breathing but not talking. It was an interesting choice to never have the characters speak which I thought worked out really well to enhance the film. I especially liked all of the clapboards in the beginning because it was a cute touch!
5. I really enjoyed watching the silent film, much to my surprise. I thought that I would be bored, but the actors vivaciousness and spirit really made the movie come to life. It was fun watching a movie without dialogue because I could really focus on the actors and how they expressed themselves without any words. In normal movies, you can lose yourself easily in the dialogue and not appreciate the acting skills, but in silent movies you can really appreciate the skills.
6. I would most definitely encourage someone to see The Artist!! I thought that it was SO good and fun to watch, especially since I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s so drastically different from the other movies of this time, which lends itself towards a very enjoyable and neat viewing experience! Plus, it’s great plot that’s well executed.

George Melies

1) What did you notice/learn about Melies' style?

Melies' style is very quirky. Since he was a magician, he played a lot with the new techniques he discovered to create a very odd and surreal feel. He liked to add and take away things and people within a frame, like with the people in The One Man Band.
2) Were there consistent elements in his films? What were they?

There was definitely consistency between the films with the whole strange, kind of confusing idea with items and people changing into different things and people disappearing and whatnot. In every single one of his films that we watched, he played with the idea of hectic confusion and people and things popping up out of nowhere.
3) Did you enjoy his films? Which ones? Why?

I did enjoy his films, especially The One Man Band. This one was my favorite because I thought it was really quirky and entertaining the idea of it, and his special effects worked really well for it. Also, the kind of choppy speed worked well with the idea and enhanced it.
4) What will you take away with you from watching these films?

From watching these films, I will take away with how you can do so much work and make something really great out of so little. Instead of relying on dialogue, color, and crazy special effects, you can really utilize simple tricks and concepts to create something great.

Casino Royale Movie Review

1) Provide a description of the film. Discuss the plot and characters and how they influenced the film. Was the plot line or character development more important? Why?

This James Bond movie with Daniel Craig is the first movie after Bond gets his 007 and follows him as he tries to take down Le Chiffre, a terrorist banker during a poker game in Montenegro. Le Chiffre lost all his organization's money, and is trying to win it back with a high stakes poker game. Bond follows him to this game with Vesper Lynd, a woman sent to keep an eye on him. Bond ends up winning the game (after almost losing it and almost dying) and falling in love with Vesper. However, it turns out that Vesper was working on the other side secretly and takes the money. Bond discovers this and tries to figure out if she was actually being dishonest but Vesper ends up committing suicide. The character development was more important in this film because no matter what crime or action Bond is involved in, it always goes back to James Bond. Additionally, his character development with Vesper is a large part of the film.
2) Think critically about how the film was shot, directed, use of lighting, etc. What do you think was effective in the making of the film? What took away or could have been done differently to enhance the film?

I really liked the way the film was shot. For example, in one scene when Bond is almost killed because he is poisoned, the camera was all shaky and close to his face which really added to the chaos of the scene. It was decisions like this with the shooting that really enhanced the film. I also really enjoyed the music. The song used in the opening credits was used throughout the rest of the movie (instrumental) and it nicely connected everything together. One thing that could have enhanced the movie would have been if they hadn't rushed the end so much. I felt as if a lot of really important things happened super quickly.
3) What is you overall opinion of the film? Would you recommend it? Why/why not?

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I usually don't like action movies, but this one wasn't boring and was really well done. I thought that Daniel Craig makes a really good Bond, and that the overall plot line was interesting and different. I would recommend it to others because it's a lot a fun to watch and is really well done.

1) Describe your film

For my film, I tried to capture the idea of freedom, starting out with being trapped and eventually being liberated. I started out with the locked doorknobs to capture the opposite of freedom, and then went to Emma running to capture freedom.
2) What was the mood you were going for?

I was going for freedom, but started out with the idea of trapped to elevate the idea of freedom
3) Do you think you were effective in representing the mood? Why/How?

I think that I was effective in representing the mood because when I think of freedom, I think of running, open space with no boundaries (like the sky), and open doors. By capturing these sorts of images, I was able to portray the feeling of being liberated and free.
4) How did the use of sound or music influence the film?

I used the music to help influence the film because whenever I hear Sweet Disposition by the Temper Trap it makes me feel free and happy, which is what I was going for. I didn't want any other sound except for music because I wanted the focus to be on the images and ideas speak for themselves rather than having the dialogue influence the ideas.
5) Would you do anything different?

I would have probably added more scenes of freedom and tried to have the music line up better with the scenes in the film.
6) What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of the speeding of the doorknob shots before the black screen because I'm not very creative and was very happy that I thought of that.

Spirited Away Film Review

1) Provide a description of the film. Discuss the plot and characters and how they influenced the film. Was the plot line or character development more important? Why?

Spirited Away, directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki is an animated film about a young Japanese girl, Chihiro, who stumbles upon a world of spirits and their bath house. Being the only human in this spirit world, she goes on a mission to rescue her parents. Along the way of fighting off evil spirits, like Yubaba and No Face, working in the bath house and for Kamajii, and eventually saving her parents, she develops friends along the way like Haku and Lin. For this particular film, I think that the plot line is what made the film more interesting, and therefore more important. The plot was super developed and had many creative twists and events that it kept the viewer engaged the entire time. Even though Chihiro’s progression as a character was important, the progression of the plot is what makes this film so successful.

2) Think critically about how the film was shot, directed, use of lighting, etc. What do you think was effective in the making of the film? What took away or could have been done differently to enhance the film?

I think that the choice to animate this film was very smart. By creating these outrageous spirits that have the ability to do the most unbelievable things, animation helps make the whole situation more dreamlike, which matches the film. If the film was acted out with actors, it would have been a lot different because it would have had to have a lot of special effects, and probably would not have been executed as well as the animation. Also, the music enhances and sound effects helped enhance the film because it added to the suspense and action.

3) What is your overall opinion of the film? Would you recommend it? Why/why not?

I absolutely love this movie. I saw it for the first time after it came out when I was younger, and think it is just a really neat film. I’m a fan other Miyazaki’s other movies because he has such an ability for creating such intricate fantasy worlds. Just watching the movie transports the viewer into this crazy world, and it’s really fun to be able to go there. Because of this, I would recommend this movie o others because it’s a really neat and fantastic movie. There are very few movies like it that I’ve seen before, so I think it’s definitely worth watching.

Short Films part 2

Two Men
1. This film was centered around the idea of a running person. We see a man sitting by a fence, and another man runs by. The man sitting goes into all of the reasons why you should never stop a running person because you don’t know your story.
2.I think that the characters were more important because what they had to say is what drove the film. The most important aspect was the narration, which came from the characters. It was less about the fact that a man was running and more about what they thought about the guy running. Part of what made this film so interesting is that you didn’t know the plot, and the reasons behind the running, which enhanced what the message behind it.
3. From this film, I took away the idea that you never know what’s going on in another person’s head. You can never assume what kind of situation they’re in, because there are so many different possibilities that might always be left a question mark.

Tokyo Glow

1. This film follows the journey of the white glowing man on the walk sign as he travels through Tokyo to find his light up glowing woman. As he travels through Tokyo slowly, everything else around him including cars and people is sped up, until he finally finds his lady friend.

2. In this film, the plot was more important because it's more about the idea that there is a person behind the walk sign than the person himself. What made the film special was the creative idea and following him through the busy lit up city, and not so much the walking guy himself.

3. From this film, I was able to really appreciate the cinematography that went behind it, as well as such a creative concept. I really liked how how everything was sped up except for the glow man because it gave the film a really cool feel. Also, the idea for it was super creative and really unique.

Short Films

1) 10 minutes

1) Provide a brief description of the film.

In this short film, it starts out with a Japanese tourist traveling around Rome looking for a place to develop his photos. He finds a place that does it in 10 minutes, so he drops off his film and looks at the time. It then goes to a Bosnia, where we see a poor family interact. They send the little boy out to do errands and as he does his errands, he is suddenly surrounded by violence and gun shots. He runs back to his apartment, to find that his parents have been killed. The film then goes back to the Japanese tourist who has waited the appropriate time to get his film. It shows how the 10 minutes for the tourist were safe and uneventful, but the 10 minutes for the family changed their lives.

2) What is the overall tone or mood of the film?

The overall tone or mood for this film is very sad. Watching a poor family struggle and eventually die in just 10 minutes leaves the viewer feeling upset and taken aback. Also, juxtaposing the tourist and everyone else have no idea what's going on makes the viewer feel almost guilty that we can be so unaware of all of the unrest and sadness in the rest of the world.

3) How does the dialog influence the film?

I liked how the dialog was in a different language with subtitles because it helped distance the viewer from the family even more so. It separates them from the viewer so that it makes the situation more drastic because even though its so nearby, it seems so foreign.

4) In what ways does the cinematography affect the film?

I think that following the young boy in just one shot definitely enhanced the movie because it made the situation seem more organic and in the moment as if we were following him and in the scene with him. Also, I thought that it was interesting how the scenes with the tourist were brightly light and had vivid colors, whereas the scene in Bosnia was very grey and dark, which definitely parallels the two life styles.

5) What scene or part of a scene do you like the best? Why?

My favorite part would have to be the scene where the little boy is running through town to get to his final destination. The fact that is was all one shot was very powerful to me, and it felt so real and almost like it was a documentary.

6) What is your opinion of the film?

I thought that this film was very powerful. I love the concept, especially how it plays with time. It gave me a whole new perspective on poverty and life, and how everything can change for some people in 10 minutes. Also, I think the film was done very well and I really enjoyed the cinematography.

New boy

1) Provide a brief description of the film.

This film follows a young boy, Joseph as an African immigrant in an Irish school. We watch him as he is introduced to the class and see the classes reactions. Two boys pick on him, and he deals with how to appropriately react. As we watch, we flashback to his school in Africa, and we see his teacher get taken away with a gun. When he is in the school yard, he is targeted and it reminds him of his teacher getting shot. He and the other boys get in a fight, and the teacher yells at them. However, the young boys bond over one of the other nerdy girls in the class, the and the film ends with the hope that they will be friends.

2) What is the overall tone or mood of the film?

The mood starts off sad and lonely. We see Joseph having to deal with not only feeling outcasted, but leaving behind a really good school setting where he was happy and thriving. It's hard to watch without feeling lonely or outcasted yourself because the story line in the beginning is sad. However, towards the end it starts to look up because he and the other young boys bond. The tone then becomes hopeful and relieved because Joseph begins to make friends, and he becomes happier.

3) How does the dialog influence the film?

The dialog influences the film because it helps tell the story. Without the dialog, it would be unclear what was going on, like the boys teasing him or the class reacting strongly to his race. Also, the dialog helps as a contrast the two cultures that he is exposed to because he goes from his African teacher to his Irish-accented teacher. However, the dialog really does drive the plot and tone because most of the emotions portrayed need to the dialog to make sense, whereas 10 Minutes, while the dialog helped, wasn't necessary to get the overall mood of the film.

4) In what ways does the cinematography affect the film?

The cinematography affects the film for the better because it adds dimension and makes it interesting. For example, it was really effective how it switched back from scenes of the 2 classrooms because it helped contrast them. Also, the lighting was very bright and cheery, which made the whole entire situation feel as if it was a flashback or kind of dreamlike. Also, I liked how in the scene in the school yard how the director focused in on the wall instead of Joseph's face at first because it paralleled the idea that there is a wall between Joseph and the other students.

5) What scene or part of a scene do you like the best? Why?

My favorite part of the film was the scene in the African classroom when all of the students were present. Seeing Joseph so lively and engaged in the classroom was really powerful, since the only exposure to him before was him sad in the Irish classroom

6) What is your opinion of the film?

I really enjoyed this film. Out of the three films, it was the most relatable for me since I was new this year. I had to deal with similar things, so all of the emotions that he was going through I felt as well. I also really like happy endings, so when he ended up having friends I enjoyed it even more.

Glory At Sea
provide a brief description of the film
This film shows one interpretation about life after Hurricane Katrina. Narrated by a young girl that had died, it shows how people in the community banded together to find some sort of happiness after the storm. Together, a group of eclectic individuals create a boat that they sail in order to find their loved ones whom they had lost in the storm. Some of the individuals included the reverend, the man who washed up, the little boy, the older woman, the dad, and many others.
what is the overall tone or mood of the film?
Even though the subject of the film is sad, the overall mood is more hopeful. These individuals have lost their families and friends, yet they find some happiness and joy in the small community they create. They find some happiness in all of the terrible sadness that engulfs their lives, and in the end, they end up back with their loved ones.
how does the dialog influence the film?
The dialog between the characters is minimal, so it doesn’t really influence this film all that much, except that one they do speak to one another it seems very important. However, one does influence the film more so is the narration by the young girl who had died. Having her voice tell the story of these individuals with so much wisdom is very powerful.
In what ways does the cinematography affect the film?
The music I thought was the most important cinematography aspect of the film. It really controlled the mood, and was reflective of the emotions and mood. I also thought that the lighting really helped develop the mood as well. It was interesting how it changed with the plot of the movie, like how in the beginning it was very light and dreamlike underwater, and then at the end it was darker.
What scene or part of the scene do you like the best? why?
My favorite scene was the last one, where the people reunited with their loved ones. I thought that it was so moving, especially since I’ve never been in that situation. Their loved ones died, and they were willing to sacrifice themselves to be with them.
What is your opinion of the film?
I enjoyed this film a lot. I liked how it took a different perspective on Hurricane Katrina, and showed a more positive and happy side to the disaster, being that it brought people together. I felt engaged the entire time while watching it, and thought that the storyline to it was cool and interesting.

First Post

My first favorite movie is Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I love the idea of it, the characters, and the overall feeling. Matthew Broderick I think was perfect for the role and made Ferris Buller an icon. Additionally, super funny and I really like comedies. Because of this, another one of my favorite movies is Zoolander. Although it's kind of silly, I think it's absolutely hysterical and Ben Stiller is really funny. I't's one of those super quotable movies where the one-liners are very memorable. Finally, Another one of my favorite movies is (500) Days of Summer. I love how creatively it plays with the concept of time, and the soundtrack to it is fantastic. Also, I love Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel and thought they worked well together. The way they incorporated the cartoon element in that one scene with Joseph Gordon Levitt was really creative and cool.

In film studies, I hope to learn how to make well done movies because whenever I've had to make movies for class they have always been really poorly done. Also, I think that it will be interesting to learn about all of the little things that go into making movies since I don't really know how movies are made.

I'm not really sure what kind of movies that I'm trying to make. I'm more interested in the artsy aspect of movies instead of the dialog films, so maybe something more visually based. This appeals to me because I think for shorter films you can really focus in on the decisions made like lighting and music. In order to do this, I would like to focus in on all of the fine tuning to create something that I like.