filmsfilmsfilms

I've been to the cinema a few times these last couple of weeks. Each film has been interesting and thought-provoking but each in their different way.

Syriana
Having not seen Traffic, I was unsure what to expect from this Stephen Gandry film, and to be honest i got what i expected. It wasn't so much a film as an informative documentary on the oil industry in the Middle East and how much America wants to control it, with a bit of a plot thrown in for good measure. It was extremely well shot, some of the scenes were spectacular, and the cast was great, George Clooney and Chris Cooper were superb, but it asked alot of questions and didn't answer any of them, which was confusin, and they even thought the addition of a suicide bomber was a good idea. hmmmmm!!!!!

V For Vendetta
I'd read the graphinc novel a few month before in excitment at what i thought would be an engaging, thoughtful and informative movie. Oh I was disappointed!!! From what had be an underground, inspiration, anarchistic novel came a visually spectacular, action packed but dull and watered down film. I wish Hollywood hadn't got its hands on it. I can see why Alan Moore, the graphic novel's original writer, demanded his name be struck off the credits as the movie stays as close to the novel as I do to someone whos just shat themselves. There were some bits I appreciated, like Stephen Rea's Inspector Finch, Stephen Fry's Deitrich, the blowing up of Parliament and the line " People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people."
And also Natalie Portman looked amazing the whole way through the film, even with shaved head.
The plot and ideals of the film get mixed up at points and the whole direction of the film is a bit wayward but it still is quite entertaining.

Good Night, And Good Luck
Another Clooney film and another political lecture but this time about American television and its courage of news. The film is set in the 1950s, in the news broadcasting department of the television network, CBS. The central character is Edward R. Murrow, played brilliantly by David Straithairn, who publicly opposes the views of the senator of Winconsin, Joesph McCarthy, who believes that Communists have infiltrated the government and the media. Backed by his team, Murrow stands up and brings down the Senator, exposing him as a fear monger. The film is expertly shot, even using the same type of lens as were used to the 50s to give a image lacking in depth but focusing perfectly on the character in shot. The cast was superb, in particular Straithairn's Murrow, who got his mannerisms down perfectly, Clooney's Friendly and Downey Jr.'s Wershba. It really highlighted the amount of fear-mongering that goes on in today's society, be it in the government or in the media, and i'm pretty sure it happens more often across the pond than over here.

I'd also like to comment on the new film by Donnie Darko director, Richard Kelly. I was a huge fan of DD and got very excited last night when reading about his next feature Southland Tales. Everyone involved is keeping it hush hush so the plot's quite a mystery but tit already has four official websites to its name(here, here,here and here), which haven't got much on them at the moment but will expand in the near future, and three graphic novels, out in around May-time, to lead us up to the plot of the film. I love how much detail Mr. Kelly goes into for each film, its amazing.

To accompany this blog, here's a few tunes about movies:
Cursive - After The Movies

Actually couldn't find anymore in my collection about films so heres some from soundtracks:
Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode
Damien Rice - The Blower's Daughter
The Shins - New Slang
Weezer - You Gave Your Love To Me Softly
Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer

Little quiz, who can name the films each of those songs are in? Who knows i might even give a prize to the winner. I'll make it clear, its the films i'm thinking of, not random films with those songs in.