I actually went to the cinema to see this, having discovered that I'm actually a student and they pay less for stuff. I went during the day, to see what is the fuss about matinee shows; there were about 10 other people there, every person on their own and sitting far apart. I wondered if this was an ironic reflection of the film itself, 'Shame', or if this was the norm for daytime cinema-ing. I was of a different sex, and of a lower age group and probable IQ score, to everyone around me and so decided it might be appropriate to crunch my pop corn during the trailors.
Steve McQueen's "Shame" is a film based in New York, about 30 something Brandon and his insatiable addiction to sex. The film begins with a sequence of his encounters: prostitutes, one night stands, porn, masturbation, flirting with strangers, more masturbation, more porn and more prostitutes. The film is set in a cold harsh light and each scene is bold and fearless. There is a lot of nudity and sex - it is not an erotic film however - it is ugly and detached and totally loveless.
Through-out this beautifully raw and brutally honest film, Brandon - in an Oscar worthy, brilliant performance by Michael Fassbender - is continually seeking ways to get himself off. The scenes are shocking and at times hard to watch, this is not a film for everyone, however it is a stunning portrayal of how damaging sexual addiction can be to a person's life, a person's soul, a person's state of mind. Brandon is able to get kicks easily. His boss and friend desperately and awkwardly tries to chat women up, but fails; Brandon effortlessly picks up the conquest and ravishes her in a quiet street before heading home. There is a great scene at the start of the film where he flirts at a distance with a young woman on the subway. Suggestive body language and coy glances suggest she wants his attention, we expect him to pursue and he does - the girl on the subway however is merely enjoying the moment and in a sudden rush of reality, remembers she is married and tries to communicate this with him. He fails to understand and chases her anyway. This is where he falls short in life - Brandon only thinks about sex - he has no desire for commitment or consequence and this scene offers us a small glimpse into his dark empty soul. Later on in the film however he is back on the same subway and flirting with the same girl. This time she flirts with more confidence. It's in this scene when Brandon realises that he is not alone in his sexual torment - she wants to flirt despite her previous fright and the fact she is married, she wants to take it a step further with each encounter. Would Brandon eventually be able to seduce her? We are led to believe so; we can share Brandon's sad realisation and disappointment. The acting in this film is top class, Fassbender is at the top of his game.
Brandon's life is interrupted by Cissy, his troubled sister who turns to him for a place to stay. Throughout every scene with the siblings there are incredibly intimate moments between the two, he discovers her in the shower and they have a full conversation whilst she stands unashamedly naked; she invites herself into his bed for warmth and snuggles into him; his angry confrontation whilst naked after she discovers him masturbating in the bathroom. It is an odd relationship; I find it somewhat devastating that a brother and sister can be so close and open with one another physically but so cold and resentful emotionally.
Casey Mulligan plays the character of Cissy with a beautiful innocence. She is a lost soul; one who craves attention and protection from people around her. Her performance of "New York, New York" is stunning and mesmerising, indeed making Brandon cry (one of only two scenes we see a real emotion from him). We hear her begging a nameless ex over the phone; she sleeps with Brandon's previously mentioned (and also married - this film makes it clear that there is no one who isn't under the dominion of sex) boss and then constantly harasses him afterwards. In a blatant cry for help, she attempts suicide after it becomes clear that Brandon - the one person she thought she should be able to rely on - can't and won't help her. Waking up with him at her side she mutters "Shit dad"; as if it explains everything. Cissy is desperate to escape this world whereas Brandon has become a slave to it. He finds a connection with a work mate but after a successful date, finds that he can't perform sexually with her. He can't because sex has become so meaningless to him, that to have sex with someone he might care for is impossible. Perhaps this mirrors his relationship with his sister. How can he care about someone when his life is so empty and loveless. He tells her to leave his apartment and his life, that she is a burden to him. This of course devastates her and she begs Brandon to turn to her for mutual help: "If I left I would never hear from you again. Don't you think that's sad? You're my brother." Brandon is a prisoner to his addiction. He needs his next hit and doesn't care where he gets it from. He even visits a gay club to find fellatio.
Throughout the events in the film, Brandon is constantly aware of how pathetic a situation he has found himself in. Completely free from passion or emotion, he lives for the physical gratifications of sex. Nothing stimulates him mentally or emotionally, and we and indeed Brandon himself, come to this conclusion. In a build up to the gutting attempted suicide scene, Brandon creates some entertainment for himself by coming on strongly to a woman in a bar, a woman who is clearly with a boyfriend. He gropes her and talks dirty to her, she appears to enjoy it. When confronted by her boyfriend he is rude and crass and this leads to him being beaten up. A physical stimulation once again, it is all he seems to be able to enjoy.
An accident on the subway brings home the realisation that Cissy really needs him and he rushes home to find and save her. Upon finding her he calls for an ambulance then runs away. He runs to the riverside for comfort - a place he visits regularly when in need of introspection - and breaks down. Perhaps this might be a new dawn for Brandon, the usual film maker would use this as an obvious climax to change the fate of their character but for Brandon it is just a blip. The film ends with him and his two hired prostitutes, a scene which certainly for me, is more ugly and more uncomfortable to watch then any of the other scenes in the film. It marks the end of the film but not the end of Brandon's problems; they are escalating and we are left with futile feelings of despair that he won't ever really change.
McQueen has done something amazing here. This film is undoubtedly not for the average movie goer and incredibly difficult to take. But he has created a piece of cinema so honest and audacious in it's content, it's cinematography (there is a midnight jogging session scene which absolutely blew me away), it's acting performances - honestly, this better win something - it's confidence and it's vulnerability. I have not seen McQueen's previous Fassbender film 'Hunger' yet but if 'Shame' is anything to go by, I can almost taste it.
Monday 23 January 2012
Monday 29 August 2011
Fish Tank
I don't quite know how she does it but Andrea Arnold really has got filming a sex scene down to a fine art. "Red Road" is my favourite film and contains what I consider to surely be one of the most erotic pieces of cinema. There is nothing less sexy about watching an overly excited Man grunt and thrust on top of a helpless and easily "pleased" Woman. Yeah right. Real sex is what Arnold wants us to see and in Red Road, and indeed "Fish Tank", that's exactly what she gives us. Primitive lust and raw human need and want.
Right from the first scene in Fish Tank when we meet Mia we can feel the frustration radiating from her as she dances, alone and looking down on the world from the abandoned high-rise flat she finds sanctuary in. Constantly looking for ways to exert herself; ways to vent her anger and need for excitement in her mundane existence; Mia finds herself in fights with her friends, in compromising situations (in one scene she fights 4 young men for her safety after trying to free a seemingly mistreated horse) and in constant animosity with her family. At first it is difficult to understand why Mia would create such situations for herself but as the film progresses it becomes clear that her life really doesn't offer her much to be thankful for. A disregarding, vulnerable mother who treats her kids like they are just in the way has helped Mia build an emotional fortress around herself. She can't feel love or passion from the people around her, only finding it within herself when she starts to dance. I noticed that any time she does dance, it's always alone. A private passion she can explore only when she can let the walls come down.
Meeting Connor, Mia - and indeed we, the audience - is instantly thrown a lifeline as he strolls, topless and charming, into the kitchen to make his notch on the bedpost/Mia's mother some morning after tea. Mia is instantly captivated and finds herself almost speechless. Through out the film we watch as Mia watches him, sometimes he knows, other times he is unaware. The first instance of any physical sexual chemistry between Connor and Mia happens when he carries her through to her bed, Mia pretending to be asleep. He lays her down and undresses her; a highly intimate moment between the two. We know, and the two characters both know, that it is stimulating for both of them, not only that but, it's likely not the last time they will get close. We all know that Mia is too young at 15 but this doesn't retract the attraction. It is irrelevant. During this scene, all we can hear is breathing. Intense and sexually charged breathing. Lustful and wanting. Just like many later scenes; where he carries her injured out of a lake, where Connor sees Mia watching him and her mother have sex.
Mia's story unfolds as she decides to audition for a dance job. She borrows Connors camcorder and he encourages her to go for her dream. She shows him her unfinished routine, he gives her money and yet more encouragement. She sends the tape off and waits for a reply. The pivotal scene in the film, where Mia and Connor are alone in the living room, late at night, the drunken mother put to bed, she shows him her routine for the audition the next day. Lighting, alcohol, chemistry, it all comes together as their desires finally collide into each other and they share a fiery and engaging moment of passion. It's all about the sex scenes in Arnold's films. And as i say, she really knows how to work them.
From this moment, as reality comes crashing down and Connor realises what he has done, the film develops pretty quickly. He leaves the next morning, Mia follows him and discovers he actually has a family, she then kidnaps his daughter and nearly drowns her. It's not clear why Mia does this, especially as she returns the girl home later that night. She just wants his attention and in the form of a slap and him walking out of her life for good, that's exactly what she gets. The audition does not go to plan either and Mia walks out to "California Dreaming" (a song Mia chose due to it being Connors favourite), after realising that the "dance" job she was after is really a stripping job. Then she decides to walk out of her old life as well and runs away with her boyfriend, a character quite insignificant in comparison, leaving her little sister behind, telling her "I hate you"; the closest thing we see to a bond the sisters share; indeed a bond Mia shares with anyone. This fragile moment comes directly after Mia dances with both her sister and her mother in the living room, the only way she can say goodbye and express her love for her family - or indeed anyone - is through dancing.
"That was bang out of order" says Connor. "No it weren't" says Mia. I definitely agree with her.
Right from the first scene in Fish Tank when we meet Mia we can feel the frustration radiating from her as she dances, alone and looking down on the world from the abandoned high-rise flat she finds sanctuary in. Constantly looking for ways to exert herself; ways to vent her anger and need for excitement in her mundane existence; Mia finds herself in fights with her friends, in compromising situations (in one scene she fights 4 young men for her safety after trying to free a seemingly mistreated horse) and in constant animosity with her family. At first it is difficult to understand why Mia would create such situations for herself but as the film progresses it becomes clear that her life really doesn't offer her much to be thankful for. A disregarding, vulnerable mother who treats her kids like they are just in the way has helped Mia build an emotional fortress around herself. She can't feel love or passion from the people around her, only finding it within herself when she starts to dance. I noticed that any time she does dance, it's always alone. A private passion she can explore only when she can let the walls come down.
Meeting Connor, Mia - and indeed we, the audience - is instantly thrown a lifeline as he strolls, topless and charming, into the kitchen to make his notch on the bedpost/Mia's mother some morning after tea. Mia is instantly captivated and finds herself almost speechless. Through out the film we watch as Mia watches him, sometimes he knows, other times he is unaware. The first instance of any physical sexual chemistry between Connor and Mia happens when he carries her through to her bed, Mia pretending to be asleep. He lays her down and undresses her; a highly intimate moment between the two. We know, and the two characters both know, that it is stimulating for both of them, not only that but, it's likely not the last time they will get close. We all know that Mia is too young at 15 but this doesn't retract the attraction. It is irrelevant. During this scene, all we can hear is breathing. Intense and sexually charged breathing. Lustful and wanting. Just like many later scenes; where he carries her injured out of a lake, where Connor sees Mia watching him and her mother have sex.
Mia's story unfolds as she decides to audition for a dance job. She borrows Connors camcorder and he encourages her to go for her dream. She shows him her unfinished routine, he gives her money and yet more encouragement. She sends the tape off and waits for a reply. The pivotal scene in the film, where Mia and Connor are alone in the living room, late at night, the drunken mother put to bed, she shows him her routine for the audition the next day. Lighting, alcohol, chemistry, it all comes together as their desires finally collide into each other and they share a fiery and engaging moment of passion. It's all about the sex scenes in Arnold's films. And as i say, she really knows how to work them.
From this moment, as reality comes crashing down and Connor realises what he has done, the film develops pretty quickly. He leaves the next morning, Mia follows him and discovers he actually has a family, she then kidnaps his daughter and nearly drowns her. It's not clear why Mia does this, especially as she returns the girl home later that night. She just wants his attention and in the form of a slap and him walking out of her life for good, that's exactly what she gets. The audition does not go to plan either and Mia walks out to "California Dreaming" (a song Mia chose due to it being Connors favourite), after realising that the "dance" job she was after is really a stripping job. Then she decides to walk out of her old life as well and runs away with her boyfriend, a character quite insignificant in comparison, leaving her little sister behind, telling her "I hate you"; the closest thing we see to a bond the sisters share; indeed a bond Mia shares with anyone. This fragile moment comes directly after Mia dances with both her sister and her mother in the living room, the only way she can say goodbye and express her love for her family - or indeed anyone - is through dancing.
"That was bang out of order" says Connor. "No it weren't" says Mia. I definitely agree with her.
Thursday 5 May 2011
Does anyone read this?
Ok, yes I am crap. Nae posts for ages. I have watched a whole bunch of different genres recently that I cant quite decide which ones to write about. So I'll do them all in one sentence each.
Limitless. The nausea-inducing camera work conveying the mind racing effects of the drug NZT which gives Bradley Cooper's starving artist character Eddie the power to use his entire brain resulting in his taking over of the stock market, almost makes it unwatchable but not quite; a no bad film with a realistically improbable but not impossible script.
Neds. "Boys! This is the lion enclosure, get back in the car!"; "We're no touchin' yer lions mate" Brutal and traumatising story of John McGill and his imminent fall from promising student into hooliganism; a magnificent film that should be watched by anyone who, like me, enjoys all Peter Mullan's work and also anyone who hasn't heard of him or seen any of his films.
Scream 4. Ridiculous and stupid, the perfect sequel to the Scream Trilogy entertains in all departments; blood, gore, sex, humour, and Dewey; although the end was basically crap.
Arthur. I dont care what anyone says about Russell Brand, I think he is funny, and if you enjoy the type of funny he is, then you should watch this film because it is funny and delightful and thats about all it needed.
Thor. I went to see this reluctantly, this type of film does not immediately appeal to me but I sat through it and I'm glad I did; it's super epic and super fun and who does't like a bit of Natalie Portman?
Right. I have a new flat and new job. I.E. I may have more movie time. Who knows.
Limitless. The nausea-inducing camera work conveying the mind racing effects of the drug NZT which gives Bradley Cooper's starving artist character Eddie the power to use his entire brain resulting in his taking over of the stock market, almost makes it unwatchable but not quite; a no bad film with a realistically improbable but not impossible script.
Neds. "Boys! This is the lion enclosure, get back in the car!"; "We're no touchin' yer lions mate" Brutal and traumatising story of John McGill and his imminent fall from promising student into hooliganism; a magnificent film that should be watched by anyone who, like me, enjoys all Peter Mullan's work and also anyone who hasn't heard of him or seen any of his films.
Scream 4. Ridiculous and stupid, the perfect sequel to the Scream Trilogy entertains in all departments; blood, gore, sex, humour, and Dewey; although the end was basically crap.
Arthur. I dont care what anyone says about Russell Brand, I think he is funny, and if you enjoy the type of funny he is, then you should watch this film because it is funny and delightful and thats about all it needed.
Thor. I went to see this reluctantly, this type of film does not immediately appeal to me but I sat through it and I'm glad I did; it's super epic and super fun and who does't like a bit of Natalie Portman?
Right. I have a new flat and new job. I.E. I may have more movie time. Who knows.
Sunday 3 April 2011
Blue Valentine
I suck at self-discipline. I'm supposed to watch and write about a new film each week and I totally haven't. Oh well.
So anyway, I watched Blue Valentine, after missing it in the cinema (I also suck at being social and normal and stuff), on DVD. I had wanted to see it for quite some time, I always get excited about films about pain and suffering. A simple story really, if you can call it a story. There weren't any real pivotal scenes or major events, just the devastating and harsh reality of a failing relationship, drawn out, sporadically jumping from year to year, from early exciting encounters to awkward confrontations in the later years.
Michelle Williams is excellent as Cindy, a bored, trapped, free spirit; too kind to make herself happy, too resenting to make her husband happy. It didn't ever really occur to me that Cindy might ever really love her husband Dean, played by Ryan Gosling, an actor who played his role so well, that I actually found a bit of contempt for him as well. It's not that Dean was a bad person, in fact, he remained faithful and loving to his distant and cold wife throughout the relationship, enduring more rejection that I can bare to remember. However, it's not really enough to love a person is it? Cindy finds herself confined to a life of boredom, humiliation and crushing belittling from the alcoholic Dean, who is determined to find out what's going on inside her head. It's hard to put blame on either of them for the decline of their marriage.
After a chance meeting at the care home where Cindy visits her grandmother, and where Dean helps move the belongings of a new lodger into his new home (This is a lovely scene where he helps make the room into a home for the poor old man who has been brought out of his home to live there, a brilliant example of Dean's romantic, caring side) they begin dating and form a very sweet romance together. This happens shortly after Cindy is betrayed by a lecturer at her university, where from she hopes to graduate. Impregnated by the vile Bobby, she turns to Dean to support her abort the baby. Queue one of the most painfully sad scenes I can recall watching in any film, ever, as Cindy is prepped for the abortion. Shot in a cold and clinical light, with no hint of sympathy towards Cindy, we are talked through the surgery involved as the doctor proceeds with his tools, ready to invade a distraught and vulnerable Cindy. It is, quite frankly, devastating.
Cindy decides to keep the baby and she and Dean raise the child together. The film jumps back and forth throughout their relationship, perhaps suggesting the bipolar nature of their feelings toward each other. One minute they are dancing in the street, the next they are forcing a spark back into their dire state of a marriage by visiting a motel for the night. A scene where Cindy offers Dean her body, perhaps hoping that this will be enough to keep him at arms length, perhaps genuinely wanting to connect with him, mirrors another scene where Dean is badly beaten by Bobby in an attempt to scare him away from the newly pregnant Cindy. Both scenes hurt and devastate Dean, both scenes don't scratch the surface of Cindy. I couldn't help but wish better for him.
The climactic end to the film finishes the film off well. A humiliating argument at Cindy's place of work results in her losing her job and ultimately the end of the road for the relationship. They go to collect their daughter from her parents house, a great scene which, for me, summed up Cindy's inability to form a deep relationship. Casting her ill father aside, it is clear that his and her mother's unhappy life together have formed a basis on which Cindy has unwittingly built her own perceptions of life. As the child cries and begs her dad to return, Dean walks away from his world, into a street party including fire works and small children playing in the street. For me this symbolises relief, solace, the sorry state they found themselves in coming to an end. Now it is over, they can finally enjoy and celebrate life the way it should be.
I cried a lot at this film. A lot. I could go on about how it taught me about relationships, personal and otherwise, but really it didn't teach me anything I didn't already know. It simply told a beautifully tragic story about love and life and everything that makes it. We each hold our own views on the subject of love, this film only reinforced some of mine; that no amount of love is ever good enough if it is not wanted, that you can only be loved by someone if you truly love yourself, that love conquers all, I could go on.
So aye, its a bloody good film, go watch it.
So anyway, I watched Blue Valentine, after missing it in the cinema (I also suck at being social and normal and stuff), on DVD. I had wanted to see it for quite some time, I always get excited about films about pain and suffering. A simple story really, if you can call it a story. There weren't any real pivotal scenes or major events, just the devastating and harsh reality of a failing relationship, drawn out, sporadically jumping from year to year, from early exciting encounters to awkward confrontations in the later years.
Michelle Williams is excellent as Cindy, a bored, trapped, free spirit; too kind to make herself happy, too resenting to make her husband happy. It didn't ever really occur to me that Cindy might ever really love her husband Dean, played by Ryan Gosling, an actor who played his role so well, that I actually found a bit of contempt for him as well. It's not that Dean was a bad person, in fact, he remained faithful and loving to his distant and cold wife throughout the relationship, enduring more rejection that I can bare to remember. However, it's not really enough to love a person is it? Cindy finds herself confined to a life of boredom, humiliation and crushing belittling from the alcoholic Dean, who is determined to find out what's going on inside her head. It's hard to put blame on either of them for the decline of their marriage.
After a chance meeting at the care home where Cindy visits her grandmother, and where Dean helps move the belongings of a new lodger into his new home (This is a lovely scene where he helps make the room into a home for the poor old man who has been brought out of his home to live there, a brilliant example of Dean's romantic, caring side) they begin dating and form a very sweet romance together. This happens shortly after Cindy is betrayed by a lecturer at her university, where from she hopes to graduate. Impregnated by the vile Bobby, she turns to Dean to support her abort the baby. Queue one of the most painfully sad scenes I can recall watching in any film, ever, as Cindy is prepped for the abortion. Shot in a cold and clinical light, with no hint of sympathy towards Cindy, we are talked through the surgery involved as the doctor proceeds with his tools, ready to invade a distraught and vulnerable Cindy. It is, quite frankly, devastating.
Cindy decides to keep the baby and she and Dean raise the child together. The film jumps back and forth throughout their relationship, perhaps suggesting the bipolar nature of their feelings toward each other. One minute they are dancing in the street, the next they are forcing a spark back into their dire state of a marriage by visiting a motel for the night. A scene where Cindy offers Dean her body, perhaps hoping that this will be enough to keep him at arms length, perhaps genuinely wanting to connect with him, mirrors another scene where Dean is badly beaten by Bobby in an attempt to scare him away from the newly pregnant Cindy. Both scenes hurt and devastate Dean, both scenes don't scratch the surface of Cindy. I couldn't help but wish better for him.
The climactic end to the film finishes the film off well. A humiliating argument at Cindy's place of work results in her losing her job and ultimately the end of the road for the relationship. They go to collect their daughter from her parents house, a great scene which, for me, summed up Cindy's inability to form a deep relationship. Casting her ill father aside, it is clear that his and her mother's unhappy life together have formed a basis on which Cindy has unwittingly built her own perceptions of life. As the child cries and begs her dad to return, Dean walks away from his world, into a street party including fire works and small children playing in the street. For me this symbolises relief, solace, the sorry state they found themselves in coming to an end. Now it is over, they can finally enjoy and celebrate life the way it should be.
I cried a lot at this film. A lot. I could go on about how it taught me about relationships, personal and otherwise, but really it didn't teach me anything I didn't already know. It simply told a beautifully tragic story about love and life and everything that makes it. We each hold our own views on the subject of love, this film only reinforced some of mine; that no amount of love is ever good enough if it is not wanted, that you can only be loved by someone if you truly love yourself, that love conquers all, I could go on.
So aye, its a bloody good film, go watch it.
Tuesday 1 February 2011
"Don't lose it Aron, Don't lose it" 127 Hours
Possibly my most favourite movie moment so far? Ever? Maybe. It sent chills down my spine. Not movie-goer 'ooh this'll be a good 'un' chills but real, 'I am actually afraid of what this pivotal point in the story will inevitably lead to' chills. Obviously the incomprehensibly harrowing act of hacking ones arm off provided the necessary gore factor to make it possibly unwatchable, but for me, this was not what struck me as the main horror on offer.
No. It was all about the mind. Upon the realisation that he wasn't getting out of this one easily, he immediately took out his camcorder and started documenting his ordeal. And why would he do this? One for the archives? Or just the haunting wariness that it might be necessary to provide some sort of story or relic to what may become of him? Aron, played ridiculously well by the immensely talented James Franco, knows from the very beginning what could lie ahead. As someone who faced danger with a seemingly careless audacity up to this point in his life, he is well aware of how fragile he is. The ubiquitous scene which pans out from his tiny entrapment to the vast planes of the canyons that surround him is stunning but also terrifying, almost jocundly telling the audience 'mate, you've no chance!'
The film is shot very well, and with great emphasis on the claustrophobic setting, we are invited into the crevice to live out Aron's mental torment. We can grimace every time he reaches for that blade. In our hearts we know that we would never be that type of person but actually, I found myself thinking, why not? How can anyone really know? I found myself going over and over in my mind that one particular scene where he gives up on the knife and uses his finger and, slowly at first, he starts tearing away using his bare hand.
And every time I think of 127 Hours I go to a new part of the film which I remember with gut-wrenching pangs of empathy: the scene where he watches the tape of himself swimming with the girls he met previously, closing his eyes and desperately trying to distract himself with thoughts of arousal; his disturbingly rational conclusion of how far his water supply will go; the moment of pure primeval instinct when he wakes up, realising he is not dead and firmly deciding to survive; and then, the achingly beautiful scene where he kneels before his saviours, knowing that he can surrender, he can let someone else do the rescuing, and falls momentarily asleep. A stunning scene which I absolutely adored; just how far our bodies can take us, what we can live though, only to almost completely shut down in a moment of relief. There are so may points in this film like these which make it the gem that it is, all showing explicit human emotions: fear, terror, desperation, vulnerability, I could go on.
It is this type of film which makes me glad to be doing this. I may not have cried outwardly but this story really got inside my head, it will remain there for a long time. I will watch this film again and maybe even again. James Franco and Danny Boyle made me fall in love with this story, with the art of film-making and the art of acting. I want to be able to watch it with fresh eyes, I only hope that in the future of film there can be another one of these. I only hope it doesn't cost someone his arm....
No. It was all about the mind. Upon the realisation that he wasn't getting out of this one easily, he immediately took out his camcorder and started documenting his ordeal. And why would he do this? One for the archives? Or just the haunting wariness that it might be necessary to provide some sort of story or relic to what may become of him? Aron, played ridiculously well by the immensely talented James Franco, knows from the very beginning what could lie ahead. As someone who faced danger with a seemingly careless audacity up to this point in his life, he is well aware of how fragile he is. The ubiquitous scene which pans out from his tiny entrapment to the vast planes of the canyons that surround him is stunning but also terrifying, almost jocundly telling the audience 'mate, you've no chance!'
The film is shot very well, and with great emphasis on the claustrophobic setting, we are invited into the crevice to live out Aron's mental torment. We can grimace every time he reaches for that blade. In our hearts we know that we would never be that type of person but actually, I found myself thinking, why not? How can anyone really know? I found myself going over and over in my mind that one particular scene where he gives up on the knife and uses his finger and, slowly at first, he starts tearing away using his bare hand.
And every time I think of 127 Hours I go to a new part of the film which I remember with gut-wrenching pangs of empathy: the scene where he watches the tape of himself swimming with the girls he met previously, closing his eyes and desperately trying to distract himself with thoughts of arousal; his disturbingly rational conclusion of how far his water supply will go; the moment of pure primeval instinct when he wakes up, realising he is not dead and firmly deciding to survive; and then, the achingly beautiful scene where he kneels before his saviours, knowing that he can surrender, he can let someone else do the rescuing, and falls momentarily asleep. A stunning scene which I absolutely adored; just how far our bodies can take us, what we can live though, only to almost completely shut down in a moment of relief. There are so may points in this film like these which make it the gem that it is, all showing explicit human emotions: fear, terror, desperation, vulnerability, I could go on.
It is this type of film which makes me glad to be doing this. I may not have cried outwardly but this story really got inside my head, it will remain there for a long time. I will watch this film again and maybe even again. James Franco and Danny Boyle made me fall in love with this story, with the art of film-making and the art of acting. I want to be able to watch it with fresh eyes, I only hope that in the future of film there can be another one of these. I only hope it doesn't cost someone his arm....
Monday 3 January 2011
Talkin' 'bout a resolution.
Rather than make some half arsed attempt at a resolution which I wont keep, due to having the willpower of a stereotypical weak person standing near some proverbial good stuff, I have decided to try and educate myself slightly, ever so slightly, by watching and reviewing some films. I might not make it past February since my attention span is down there somewhere with yon willpower, but hey, it will keep me amused for the time being.
So for the first week in January I was convinced to watch The Star Wars Trilogy (something which I have managed to avoid my whole life by basing my circle of friends around who would least likely make me watch it). I'm not a fan of Sci-Fi, I have never been able to get into it and it just doesn't ever appeal to me to give it a chance. So, why on Earth (chortle) would I choose to watch not one, but THREE Star Wars films? In one day??
In short, it wasn't my idea but I was feeling nonchalant (can I tick off 'Use Big Words' yet?) and decided to trust a friend's recommendation. And besides, sci-fi or not, if these films are so popular, then chances are I might actually enjoy them. So we started off with Episode IV: A New Hope, followed quickly by V: Empire Strikes Back and VI: Return of the Jedi. The first thing that struck me about these films was how little robotic and 'scifi-y' they were. The landscaping and scenery is quite remarkable given that I was expecting space ships and aliens. The characters were warm and likeble, while the plethora of odd creatures and beings were endearing and engrossing. Some just gross.
I took an immediate liking to Princess Leia, I found her fearlessness and integrity very attractive, not to mention the fact that I now fully understand the obsession with the gold bikini. I liked the fact that she never seemed fazed by anything. I don't think for a second that it was a reasonable or believable characteristic but then again this is a film which employs large blobs to rule small communities of weirder blobs. For me, Han Solo seemed the obvious choice for the Hero role, almost outshining Luke Skywalker into insignificance. He got the best lines, the best action scenes and the best wardrobe, not to mention the love interest sub-plot.
I don't really have much more to say about the films; the obvious theme of religion played on my mind as we were watching but I decided not to think too much about this. I enjoyed watching the films and considered them to be light entertainment, I did not want to taint them with talk of holy spirits and so on. I rate The Star Wars Trilogy as three sturdily good, entertaining films, granted I will probably never watch them again, but can honestly say that they were much better than I anticipated. Sci-Fi is not so bad. I wont be so quick to judge a book by its lightsaber again soon.
So for the first week in January I was convinced to watch The Star Wars Trilogy (something which I have managed to avoid my whole life by basing my circle of friends around who would least likely make me watch it). I'm not a fan of Sci-Fi, I have never been able to get into it and it just doesn't ever appeal to me to give it a chance. So, why on Earth (chortle) would I choose to watch not one, but THREE Star Wars films? In one day??
In short, it wasn't my idea but I was feeling nonchalant (can I tick off 'Use Big Words' yet?) and decided to trust a friend's recommendation. And besides, sci-fi or not, if these films are so popular, then chances are I might actually enjoy them. So we started off with Episode IV: A New Hope, followed quickly by V: Empire Strikes Back and VI: Return of the Jedi. The first thing that struck me about these films was how little robotic and 'scifi-y' they were. The landscaping and scenery is quite remarkable given that I was expecting space ships and aliens. The characters were warm and likeble, while the plethora of odd creatures and beings were endearing and engrossing. Some just gross.
I took an immediate liking to Princess Leia, I found her fearlessness and integrity very attractive, not to mention the fact that I now fully understand the obsession with the gold bikini. I liked the fact that she never seemed fazed by anything. I don't think for a second that it was a reasonable or believable characteristic but then again this is a film which employs large blobs to rule small communities of weirder blobs. For me, Han Solo seemed the obvious choice for the Hero role, almost outshining Luke Skywalker into insignificance. He got the best lines, the best action scenes and the best wardrobe, not to mention the love interest sub-plot.
I don't really have much more to say about the films; the obvious theme of religion played on my mind as we were watching but I decided not to think too much about this. I enjoyed watching the films and considered them to be light entertainment, I did not want to taint them with talk of holy spirits and so on. I rate The Star Wars Trilogy as three sturdily good, entertaining films, granted I will probably never watch them again, but can honestly say that they were much better than I anticipated. Sci-Fi is not so bad. I wont be so quick to judge a book by its lightsaber again soon.
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