Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench
I’ve been meaning to see this film for a while and upon seeing it, I’m quite delighted. I know that period pieces are not for everyone - especially the sweeping tragic romances of the Bronte sisters, but I love them. There’s really nothing like sweeping shots of rolling hills drenched in torrential downpours one minute and sparkling in the sunshine the next mixed in with a melodramatic story about a man and a woman in love held by social obligation and the dictations of others keeping them apart to quench the hopeless romantic in me.
The short short version of the story focuses around Jane Eyre, a discarded relative of a wealthy family who ends up at an abusive girl’s school and then ends up as a governess to a young girl in the care of one Edward Fairfax Rochester. Jane and Edward fall in love, but she discovers that Edward is already married to a madwoman and because she feels betrayed and refuses to be with a man already married, she runs away, discovers she has money and shares it with some friends and when a potential suitor comes her way, she realizes Edward is the only man for her and returns to him.
What really makes this film work is the cast - Wasikowska and Fassbender, aside from giving excellent performances, have great chemistry. The storyline has been whittled arguably too much, but both actors fill in the blanks very well.
My only complaint about the film has to do with the “ghost story.” No one knows about Rochester’s wife and as a result, though we ultimately discover who she is, her actions - setting fire in Rochester’s bedroom or lurking around the house are played down, when if they had been played up, would add to the tension and the looming presence that represents Jane and Edward’s doom.
I enjoyed the film and thought that the performances were great. It’s a very simple film - short and sweet.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard
Where to start? First things first, I have never read the books and I have never seen the original Swedish version. My review of this film is based solely on the film itself without the outside influence. I am a huge David Fincher fan and after his masterpiece of a film with The Social Network last year, I have been waiting patiently for this one.
I must say that when I left the theatre I felt quite unsatisfied. The film is oddly shaped and oddly structured, but I’ll get back to that in a paragraph or two.
Let’s begin with the good. By now, I’m sure we’ve all read the rave reviews about Rooney Mara’s performance - her transformation from object of affection for Jesse Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg to institutionalized, tattooed computer hacker. I agree with them all. Mara’s Lisbeth Salander is intruiguing, strong, and…funny! Amidst the brutality and gloominess of the film, I was surprised to find myself and a lot of the audience chuckling at Lisbeth’s one liners. Mara’s intensity and commitment to her character is powerful and magnetic.
The remainder of the cast, are just that - the remainder. Daniel Craig is always intense and well cast for this part, but he is not the heart of this story and his character evokes little sympathy and quickly becomes a secondary character.
I have read several reviews referencing other Fincher films and the obvious go-to is Se7en. Equally gruesome and violent, it is the relationship that develops between our two leads that carries us through to the film’s climax and denouement. All the technique, innovative shots, fabulous score can’t cover the fact that Salander’s character steals the show so completely that when the crime is solved and the true villain revealed - you kind of don’t really care.
To sum it all up, Fincher’s efforts - and it is clear the film was painstakingly assembled - are overshadowed by his female lead - the only real fascinating part.
I’ve come to enjoy watching a film without knowing anything about it. When I was invited to a screening for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, all I knew was that the title was fairly intriguing and the advertisements were of a boy with blue eyes in a winter cap.
In retrospect, perhaps this would have been a good movie to at least read a synopsis. Though I was not in New York during 9/11, I have lived here for almost 9 years and the connection and emotion is very powerful and affecting regardless of one’s personal experience with this particular event.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close focuses on the Schell Family whose patriarch,Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks), is killed in one of the towers. His son, Oskar Schell, is a highly intelligent, though socially awkward (it is implied he might have asberger’s syndrome) who relied heavily on the company of his father to help him overcome his fears. When his father is killed, both Oskar and his mother, Linda (Sandra Bullock), are trapped in their own misery attempting to face his death.
The performances are sweet, sincere and well-directed. Tom Hanks’ performance is simple with no frills. Sandra Bullock really does a beautiful job expressing the despair of losing not only a husband, but the linchpin that tied her to her child. The film has several paths it’s trying to take and as a result, we have a very poorly structured piece that is completely hinged on the emotional impact of the subject matter. It is definitely an emotional roller coaster and there were many tears shed from me as well as other audience members I could hear sniffling. However, tears aside, the film is too much and needs more of a focus. As a fellow film-goer noted, the film could had ended at many points.
It’s not a surprise that the director of The Hours, Billy Elliot and The Reader now has this film to add to his Oscar quality films. You can even see certain themes and relationships reflected in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, however, something in this film is lacking. Perhaps it is that the story is so clearly rooted in reality - moments such as Linda speaking to Thomas while he is in the building - that the fantastical elements, such as Oskar’s perfectly crafted maps and notebooks - don’t quite fit together. Bottomline, it is a tear jerker. Bring tissues. The film has wonderful and touching moments with excellent performances and that is what takes you to the end.
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pierce
I’m not going to lie, amidst all the Oscar hype, I was rooting for The Social Network to snag a couple big awards, but I will admit that The King’s Speech was not a bad consolation for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the film. I thought that it was beautiful shot, the script was very articulate and the performances were spot on.
Where to begin and when to stop? Hm. First off. It doesn’t really get any better than Firth and Rush. Mr. Firth is one of my favorite actors - one of the chameleons that you don’t realize is playing the role until you recount back and say…OH YEAH! (English Patient and Shakespeare in Love?) The relationship between King George VI and Lionel Logue is a tale as old as the bible - crossing social boundaries and discovering something more. Firth and Rush really are able to capture what that must have been like - it’s a flash of something that feels so genuine. Two men with their own families, responsibilities and failures recognizing how remarkable they are as they get to know the another. Corny, I know, but it really is touching.
I also really adored Guy Pierce playing King Edward VIII - you know, the King who gave up his throne to marry the American divorcee - we definitely studied it in college. For some reason, what was so romantic at the time is definitely portrayed very differently by the writers and actors.
I do have to give a shout out to the cinematography and production design. Oddly patterned wall paper and medium shots with the subject bottom right rather than center with nothing else but negative space. It kept things interesting.
When I read the synopsis of the film I was a little weary. I was thinking, um, My Fair Lady with a man is not going to be very fun and I was also wondering how much of a story could, in fact, be told. I was short sighted and was proven wrong. The script is beautifully written with characters that are as exciting and flawed as anyone regardless of whether they are royalty or not.
This film was a piece long in the making and the result was a film that really speaks to the human spirit and overcoming obstacles in life dressed up in a 1937 period piece that might not seem so appealing, but it is totally worth it.
