Breath (2017)

Simon Baker directs and co-stars in this coming of age surf movie set in 1970's Australia. An inspiring yet relatable story of finding a passion, throwing yourself entirely into it and grappling with the frustration and growth that comes with it.

The cinematography is beautiful, wide and meditative at times, dark, dirty and nightmarish at other times. This film immerses you and forces you to sit with the love/hate relationship a lot of humans have with the ocean. While this film is definitely a drama, I found myself writhing in unease during some of the ocean scenes, especially the incredible shots captured below crashing waves.

This felt like on of the first movies recently where my attention was taken by it the entire time. The characters were fleshed out, I found myself reveling in victories as if they were my own.

I'm very excited to see what Simon Baker does from here. He brought his own experience to this film and it added a layer of realism and grit to a film that could've dissolved into just another bro-y Australian surf movie.

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Title: The Conjuring 2

Release Date: June 10, 2016

Director: James Wan

Writer: Carey and Chad Hayes, ...

Starring: Vera Farmigan, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe

Genre: Horror

TLDR; If you love paranormal/haunted house/religious horror, cockney accents, genuinely frightening nighttime creatures and children acting creepy this is the movie for you(and go watch it even if you don't because it's a well made film).

James Wan does it AGAIN! Okay, I'm biased on the Wan brand of horror because: 1. Films like Saw and Dead Silence hit me at my prime "coming into horror" age, and I have a lot of nostalgia and love for his aesthetic and 2. It touches on aspects of horror and fear that really, really scare me. Also sound design is always on point.

Okay, so now that I've prefaced my undying love for Wan, let's talk about this movie. I'll try and avoid spoilers for my butt hurt movie lovers out there.

Costume design and makeup were incredible. This Conjuring takes place in the 70's in England and they have the styles down to a tee. Not only that but the set was incredible. Wan cuts 0 corners when it come to this shit. People think Wes Anderson has an attention to detail, but this film (and most of Wan's films) not only focuses on making the scenery feel real and lived in, but making it INCREDIBLY atmospheric and frightening as well. There are also these beautiful easter eggs throughout the movie that you will miss if you aren't taking the whole scene in.

Another aspect of scene setting that Wan has a huge success in is the historical accuracy of these re-tellings of notorious ghost stories(Amityville haunting and the Enfield poltergeist). There is so much time and effort making the details that they choose to recreate completely accurate to the original story. I say "details they choose" because there is a lot of expanding on the 'true story' aspect. The details I'm speaking to now are the look of the sets (especially the girl's room, love it). Also, special effects are well done and minimal, and there is even a little clay-mation esque creature thrown in there).

The story is strong and I think Wan has learned from failures in earlier films to eliminate a lot of potential plot holes but keeping the story more bare bones and instead relying on actors performances and really great jump scares. I think what makes Wan's films important to the current climate of horror films is that he is creating original and genuinely scary images and moments while still referencing classic horror that came before. His soundtracks are a huge testament to the effectiveness of simple sound manipulation creating very authentic and haunting atmospheres. Beautiful and grating on the nerves, like early early Nosferatu horror meets The Exorcist. Ugh, i love it.

Okay speaking of that, the last thing I'll talk about is the acting. Which was on point. These films must have very patient and careful casting directors because the child actors in all the Wan films are incredible. And they are usually fresh faces, which is so awesome to see because Hollywood usually finds one "horror kid" and uses them over and over again(i.e. daughter from silent hill). The children were great. I was most convinced by them throughout the film. Their fear felt very real. The adults were good too, I only kind of appreciate the repetition of actors in Wan's work(I understand it's a sequel and they have to use the same characters), my reservations have to do with the suspension of disbelief so that is more a personal gripe.

Advantageous (2015)

Title: Advantageous

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Director: Jennifer Phang

Writer: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang

Starring: Jacqueline Kim, Smantha Kim, James Urbaniak

Genre: Sci-fi, Drama

Wow, I'm really not one for films that sort of lean towards the touchy-feely family bonds bullshit, but this film did it so well. Characters were well developed and believable, story was methodical and smooth, and the sci-fi aspect was tasteful but hella effective. I'm not gonna say I was surprised by how much I liked it, but I am glad that I just went ahead and watched this with no forewarning or review reading or hype. This is a remarkable film from two remarkable people/women. 

I'll start with the editing and cinematography because, by George, it was spectacular. It was soooo clean. Like I feel like I don't need to take a shower level clean. The color correcting got a little crazy at times, but I'm just writing that because I have to say something bad. This film wasn't afraid to play with depth of focus, especially in the outside shots, and it made the entire thing seem even more cinematic. Also, it was edited by both Phang and Sean Gillane. Gillane worked as an editor on Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) and this film has the same attention to detail when it comes to human emotion that Beasts did, so, good on you Sean if you helped to create that. 

Oh yes yes lets talk about the acting. I will say the Gwen 2.0 didn't do anything for me but maybe that was purposeful? Creating an android sort of effect. But besides that, the chemistry between different characters was beautiful. Ugh, Jacqueline Kim is a dream. A fucking powerhouse. She is so nuanced and delightful while also having the powerful, stern air to her. And that way her and Samantha Kim(who was INCREDIBLE! this is her first feature film and I'm excited to see more from her) played off each other. So good. I was fucking moved by these mother-daughter scenes. Like tears welling up. 

Creating an entire universe is key in making a successful sci-fi film and this film did it seamlessly. From wardrobe to telephone numbers to holographs, they created an atmosphere that was accessible but foreign. Perfect. 

Just a really great film that is both family friendly without crossing over into that hallmark territory. Strong writing, beautiful imagery and subtle effects make this film a must see(now streaming on netflix, kiddies!!).

Feminist Filmmaker Corner:

Won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance: 

Collaborative Vision - "We are honoring two individuals for their unique collaborative vision. Two women that between them wrote, starred and co-edited a beautiful parable about a mother's love, sacrifice and society's worship of youth."

Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

               

Title: Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

Release Date: November 1st, 1985

Director: Jack Sholder

Writer: David Chaskin, Wes Craven (characters)

Starring: Kim Myers, Mark Patton, Robert Englund

Genre: Horror, (comedy?)

Sometimes referred to as the "gayest Nightmare movie of the series", this second film featuring our beloved child murdering Fred Krueger has a bit more to offer than just laughs. Beautiful lighting design and thoughtful (though mostly hokey) special effects make this shitty film shine at moments.
                I love the entire design of this film. Right of the bat, it opens with an elaborate nightmare sequence that features a bus with teens inside teetering precariously on a rock formation above a dark abyss in the earth(all matte painting and special effects me thinks). My explanation doesn't make sense or do the scene justice. The colors are amazing and they remain throughout the film. Set decoration is both painful and wonderful, perfectly capturing that sitcom level production that directors like Wes Craven are famous for. The lighting signals dream-scapes perfectly, a reoccurring and incredibly successful effect they use all through the series.
              Story and writing are obviously shit. C'mon. There are so many plot holes and nonsensical moments that you just have to let the logic of it sort of go wayside and just let the experience wash over you. Plus, it makes it a lot of fun to watch and just laugh at the ridiculous one liners and horrible acting. Just brilliant. Keep an eye out for the incredible dance/room cleaning montage. Eisenstein would be so proud.
              Let's also spend a quick second talking about that fucking wardrobe. So, so, so beautiful! The pool party scene is a dream. The bathing suits and beachy cover ups are to die for. Specifically pay close attention to the main love interest's, Lisa's, outfits, makeup and jewelry. I included a sketch below of how her earrings made me feel(very very very good). Just a great job all around on capturing the bourgeois 80's suburban swagger.
                This film is just a really fun time. It's also a male (victim) lead in a horror film which is something that this genre usually shy's away from. Beautiful visuals, some funny Freddy dialogue, incredible lighting, and amazing '80s prop, makeup and costumes makes this film a super must see for any horror/comedy/high school movie fans. Just be sure to watch the first one before so you know how awesome the series actually started.

Scream (1996)

Title: Scream

Release Date: December 20th, 1996

Director: Wes Craven

Writer: Kevin Williamson

Starring: Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Courteney Cox 

Genre: Horror, Mystery, (comedy?)

                Ahhhh, quintessential commentary on teen horror. Gotta love it. Few people have told me that they outright hate the first Scream (the other few are a different story), and I feel like it sits in a well deserved spot in modern horror films. Between social commentary, cliche but perfect score, and cheeky but referential writing, I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

When I first saw this film, it was after I saw the "Scary Movie" parodying it, so I had a hard time distinguishing what was a joke and what was 'serious'. I watched this film a few more times, not really watching, just being told it was "smart", and loosely following along with the points they were making. So, here I am, finally watching it with all the horror knowledge I've collected and honestly, I have a new found respect for it. Also I really want a banana smoothie right now.  

                    The casting was awesome. Matthew Lillard who plays Stuart is such an underused actor, probably because of his iconic stoner voice, but honestly he was incredible in that final act. That is an actor who isn't afraid of trying out some weird stuff. Same with Skeet Ulrich, but he has a little more of a subdued, Keanu Reeves sensibility. I got a very try hard vibe with the Sidney Prescott character but then I realized that is so perfect for the role of a high school girl who just lost her mom and is in a strange sexual frustration filled relationship. I thought that uncomfortable chemistry Billy and Sidney had was so perfect. 

                    Of course costume and makeup were on point. I'm very biased considering I think some of the greatest casual looks came out of the late nineties and early two-thousands film. Like honestly though. Watch it and just focus on wardrobe. Very powerful.

I'm having a hard time talking about it because I just super enjoy this film while I also think that it is pretty transparent(in a good way). It's not even one of my top 10, but Scream is an easy film to watch if you aren't super invested in horror film theory, and it's a really fun film to watch if you are obsessed or even just interested in film and horror tropes.

                 10 outta 10, I will always recommend this movie because it is both accessible and thought provoking, breaks down some walls(while also being playful and smart) and is visually really nice. Also, bonus tip, if you enjoy this film, give Cabin in the Woods a spin, that is another great horror commentary film!

The Gift (2015)

Title: The Gift

Release Date: August 7th, 2015

Director: Joel Edgerton

Writer: Joel Edgerton

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Jason Bateman, Joel Edgerton

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

This is going to be a short one because, honestly, this movie left me with an overwhelming "eh" feeling. Not that everything was bad, or even that any of it was out-right terrible, but overall it was just sort of- there.

       Alright, casting was great. Off the bat, there was awesome chemistry between characters, and they had these really great side characters that didn't overpower but were memorable. I also loved seeing Jason Bateman bring comedy into thriller and play a character that was outside of his usual lovable guy next door type cast. 
          Cinematography was great. They had a great voyeuristic theme going on, paired with the location (a one-story 'mid-century' west coast home with huge plate glass windows, like, everywhere), made for some amazing POV shots and created a vulnerability that really heightened the tension within the plot.
           Writing and directing were pretty consistent, very naturalistic. I felt the whole movie was made a little scarier just because it had that "you totally know people like that" vibe. Also it was a one man show from Joel Edgerton, who wrote, directed and starred as the weirdo-Gordo/creepy guy. I'm just now realizing that he did it all and for some reason that is changing my attitude a little bit. 
            Still, even if it is impressive that he pulled a real "auteur" move, it comes off as a very safe movie. It was playing with some great themes and unique characters, and even touched on some ideas surrounding marital problems and suburban relations that recent film hasn't yet dived into, but the entire film was still very white bread-warm milk to me. Even these taboos they were getting into, like intense high-school bullying and prescription drug abuse, came off as safe to me. Also, some story and plot points were just extraneous and felt tacked on. I would've like to have seen more time put into specific ideas of story lines instead of just immediately branching off into another random detail, then subsequently dropping that one as well. I felt like a lot was untied when I left, but I didn't car enough about any character to really give a shit.
           It was good, watchable, had decent character development, beautiful shots, and featured some story saving plot twists(the only thing that kept my a little bit wine drunk mind awake). It has a unique, formula bending story and is definitively worth a watch, but I don't know if it deserves the hype it's getting(rotten tomatoes=93%). If you love domestic squabbles and 'skeleton in the closet' story lines, give it a watch. 

(possible spoilers) 
Feminist's corner: Great development of Hall's character, as the designer/occasional pill abusing woman, grieving for the miscarried child. She is a dynamic and thought out character with her own goals and was able to exist as a actual person while also serving as a tool to tell more about the two males in the story. Cool!

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Title: Mad Max: Fury Road

Release Date: May 15th, 2015

Director: George Miller

Writer: George Miller+

Starring: Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy, Hugh Keays-Byrne

Genre: Action, Sci-fi

I feel like I have a lot of contradicting opinions about this film, so there will be a tldr; at the end if you don't feel like reading a rant.

          First off, I'll start with continuity of entire film as it sits within the Mad Max series. I'm not a huge, die hard Mad Max fan, but I did enjoy the first few just because they made great stylistic choices and created really funky, gross, never-before scene characters. I loved the creation of an entire universe that the audience can get completely immersed in. In that, they did an excellent job at Fury road, creating new lingo and short hand which was the strongest part of the dialogue. The art direction was amazing. I'm glad I saw this film twice because I found myself caught up in trying to make sense of character relationships and story the first time (why I walked out unimpressed) and the second time I was able to rest the supremely analytical side of my brain and just enjoy the visuals and details within them. What really stood out to me was makeup, costume, and car design.
          The makeup was brilliant. It wore off as it would realistically and was reapplied within the story (Furiosa using oil from steering wheel to create forehead paint). The scars on all the warboys were amazing and consistent. I was keeping an eye out, trying to spy any cracks, but they were always looking good. The "natural" makeup on the breeders was surprisingly great, they weren't afraid to make these girls look (strategically) ugly. I appreciated that. Finally the hair was perfect. Beards were realistically dirtied and dreaded and the women's hair was perfect reflections of 'class' and personality. And that chrome spray! So shiny! So chrome! That was an excellent visual cue and contrast within a very gritty world. Just the all around rust, metal, leather, and clay/sand color scheme left me drooling.
           Costumes were amazing as well. The attention to detail was unmatched. Jackets were worn in, belts were cracked, and dresses ripped. I thought the breeders all white-cream-beige color scheme was a little played out at first, but after some consideration, the choice was a smart one. It helped me better understand the extent of the symbolic nature of the breeders(wow how poignant) and really pushed these traditional ideas of purity. And honestly, at first I was annoyed by the white gauze, water covered, drapery because it was coming off as some played out Sports Illustrated shit, but the more it sits with me the more I see it as a statement on cliches then it actually playing into them... hopefully.
             The cars were great. Really post apocalyptic and greasy. One thing that really stuck out to me was the pieces constantly flying off. A lot of times films will act like cars aren't made of separate parts and when there is a collision nothing falls off. But Fury Road played into within the story, shrapnel flying off and interacting with people, places, and things. Shrapnel and Charlie Theron had competing screen time. It was great.
              Things that took me out of it? Shitty writing. Just shit. Sometimes they said these great poignant things just to be ruined by a stupid one liner that bombs in the theater. Ugh. Just bad. Also some of the forced interactions between characters. Max and Furiosa go from 0 to 100 (I did appreciate that they didn't make it romantic because, y'know, different sexes can in fact be "just friends"), it's a bit jarring when they are suddenly buddy buddy after being so not about each other. But that's nit picky because the real problem was complete lack of character development. I think they got distracted by the filling a ratio thing with female "character development" but ended up not committing and creating half-assed characters all around. In my opinion the most dynamic character was the creepy doctor. And he was only on screen for like 4 minutes total. I think static characters are great and useful in a story, but we had all that and more with Immortan Joe and his clan. Don't over do it guys. The forced love story between the Red Head breeder and the Warboy was unbearable, unnecessary, and uncomfortable. It was so tacked on to create more of an attachment with the Warboy character. It was obvious this was written by people who were still stuck in 1979. Those one liners don't cut it anymore. But a saving grace was the silence that Max existed in. I super enjoyed that. I think the dialogue he did have could've been stronger(especially in the final act *grunts*) but great nonetheless.
        Yay! Technical stuff, effects, and sound! There were some very important factors that I think they laxed on a bit. The sound was very actiony, I'll give them that. Explosion, explosion, smash, fire. Cool. But don't overpower dialogue people. A lot of thoughtful little banter was made indistinguishable by loud effects sounds. Maybe that's what they were going for? A sense of actually being on Fury Road? Eh, we could still use some context via words. Score was great though. I found the strapped in guitar player funny at first then sort of obnoxious then funny again then waste of air time. I loved what he brought musically but you don't need to show him like 8 times throughout. He loses his shock/kitsch factor very quickly.
         Effects and scenery were amazing. The sand storm was very well done. The first time I watched it I could not handle those PTSD flashbacks with the young girl, but by the second time I found them very fitting and a great visual way to tell more about Max, without all the sappy, lifetime movie dreamy gaussian blur flashbacks. The effects they used to create these were obvious but I think it added to Max's instability. I also thoroughly enjoyed the CGI beetle and lizard eating. Very good source of protein and distinguishing factor between people existing within the film and modern audience.
The filming style was, well, very blockbuster, but they did a great job in small places like the truck cab and the interior on the prison Max is in during the opening scenes. Also the road shots weren't as nauseating as I thought they would be, and, I love the little peaceful driving shots they included. Gave the audience time to take a breath. I could ramble on, and even get into the feminist theory aspect of this film, but I feel like this is a good wrapping up point for what I'm doing here.

TLDR; Great action film, makes interesting points about gender and social class that this genre sometimes is afraid to touch. Aesthetically incredible, the attention to detail within the costumes, makeup, and props exeeds the actual story. Writting is dated but sufficient to make sense of the plot. Character relationships are forced and sometimes unbelievable, and there is little to no substantial character development. Great music and decent effects that fit the physical scenery. Very loud and bright, don't watch if your very sensitive to migraines or are looking for a dialogue driven film. All in all, definitely worth a watch. 

Love, Shannon