Thursday, March 24, 2011

How To Enclose A Shower



Over the years, and for many years, I thought that film had no women as before. And I think the woman who sparked the thought in me was Elizabeth Taylor. Seeing her in Ivanhoe, Quo Vadis in (was named Lygia, but Deborah Kerr took the paper and she only made a small cameo) in Cleopatra, in all these historical and adventure films that we saw earlier in TV and we've lost Always seek unless hard on video libraries, libraries or pay channels, I fell in love with her. In his presence, his look, his voice (which was not theirs, of course). Love as only a kid can be a movie star, but love the end of the day. Then the woman rose (or was I who brought up?) And moved to embody something different, more disturbing, more sensual. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Suddenly, Last Summer showed the same Elizabeth Taylor as always, that had become forever in Cleopatra, there was his eyes to tell, but it was another. The same woman, but quite another (or was I who had changed?).

And both had changed, that years later I found myself watching an Elizabeth Taylor almost adolescent the bride's father . People remember this movie for being one of the unforgettable, wonderful, unique and never complete couples between Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn and it turns out there she was, beautiful and adorable. As in many other films was less than that I would have liked. And I was fortunate to arrive on time to pay a movie ticket to see Elizabeth Taylor on the big screen, albeit in somewhat lower, almost unworthy of her, her last film, The Flintstones . But she was. And his worst moments could never erase the Elizabeth Taylor that I have in my head, my memory and my heart. Which is dressed in white, which shows sensuality, sexuality, character and energy, I just had to bare his soul and not your body to get what he wanted. The one fight with Paul Newman. That makes me believe that what happens on screen is real. That was Elizabeth Taylor. That will always be Elizabeth Taylor. Susan Hayward Damn, that you took that would have been his first Oscar, even then win two.

Now some say that Elizabeth Taylor was not as good an actress as many other legends of his generation, it was just a movie star who had so many Hollywood golden. Now with his death, many have chosen to remember his last film made 17 years ago and its existence for many women is limited to that of lost causes (and many laudable) to that of the scandals, the diseases or dangerous liaisons. For me it has shut down a star, even a star, but one that never cease to shine, because that was Liz, a star. And no, the word has a derogatory meaning for me, never will be. Will never be less star actress. Never cease to be a woman who fascinated me many years ago, one that first taught me that beauty is something eternal, that as much as some want to delete is captured in a frame that you can play as many times as desired by the end of time. Liz was one of the first women who taught me what being a movie star. And no, there are no women as before on the screen, of course not.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Ok To Take Tylenol While 38 Weeks

Liz 'Sucker Punch' cocktail Martian unclassifiable ...

Get into a shaker with five young, beautiful and sexy actresses. Add a story strange, of those who have a history within history, playing with reality and fiction. Conjúguese with a festival of special effects and the disappearance of the camera and the real scenario as a filming location. Mix with how to conduct more colorful, and cumulative levels pintoriesca imaginable. And it would shake well as Zack Snyder, director 300 , Watchmen and Ga'Hoole. The legend of the Guardians . What goes? A Martian cocktail, strange and unclassifiable called Sucker Punch . And, eye, because that does not mean it's bad at all. But it is a film so unusual, so different in their everyday life, so extreme in public areas, it is difficult to define whether it has seen a show in any way revolutionary, an entertaining film that will delight of the geeks or chaos where there is no catch. At least rule out the latter possibility, so that evil can not be the bottom line.

After a brief introduction to voice-overs, Sucker Punch begins with a spectacular and overwhelming silent sequence. Overwhelming in the visual and sound (the whole film is full of very lively versions of songs, some of them well known). It no doubt recognizes the style of Snyder, who made 300 innovative piece of action cinema in the U.S. and did pass the daunting and impossible task of adapting Watchmen to the movies. It is not unreasonable to say that this sequence, and an unusual splendid assembly rate is the best of the film, although some visual findings seem taken from their previous work. And that's the risk that arises Snyder from the beginning, repeated. Is a director who charge so much ink on the visual effect in the slow motions, in turns the camera impossible. With Sucker Punch is not a repeat, is that it takes that obsession to an extreme further away from the canons classics. But, and here's the surprise, does not produce the usual action movie dizziness. His choreography (and why they work their slow motions) can continue.

In the preface, Snyder introduces us to the character of the function (you sure?), A 20 year old with no name (a soda Emily Browning) who ends up locked in a mental hospital by her stepfather after the death of his mother and murder of her little sister, you will be charged to murder her. In the hospital is where the mix between reality and fiction, because there she recreates the power of your imagination a different world, an escape, an escape. And that world, in turn, has another recess imagination within the mind of the girl, now dubbed Baby Doll (doll in Castilian). In the hospital befriend other four girls, their names such as in fiction costumes created for her: Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish, perhaps the most complete of the five as an actress), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens, perhaps the most popular High School Musical ) and Amber ( Jaime Chung). There are five recognizable faces in small roles before but none as popular enough to trigger the budget with their salaries.

300 If fetishism was one hundred percent male, here it is female, and is exploited in every possible way, from the costumes to the planning of the scenes. The fact is that they are the main attraction of the film if one approaches it from the perspective more adolescent. Sexy girls, weapons of all kinds, special effects, impossible creatures and a fantasy story. The dream of every geek teenager. How do you convince other audiences that this film is more than that? Perhaps considering that this film can play a key role in understanding, in the future, how did the transition between real and virtual scenarios. Certainly there are films that have used more green screen and special effects Sucker Punch. But this film gives a sense of change and progress. What it offers is the disappearance not only of the stage and sets, but the camera understood as the final limit of what the director wants to grasp. Is a constant challenge to the traditional way of shooting, is overwhelming and undisturbed continuous rotation of the camera, supported by the slowdown of the images and the convenience of the group of leading ladies with their role in this festival visual. To

package in history, Snyder draws on Scott Glenn (who after years gone already seen in Secretariat and W. ; is great news his return) for the role of guidance in this kind of adventure game film, Carla Gugino (Sin City and Watchmen ), Oscar Isaac (an interesting side increasingly seen of Lies , Robin Hood or Agora) and in a brief role Jon Hamm (star of Mad Men that after The Town still looking side to enable it to jump to the movies). They bear the double (or triple) the film's narrative structure devised by Snyder, who writes in his first original script (some say it is based very loosely on Alice in Wonderland , Lewis Carrol, but providing a touch excessive and uncontrolled wild action.) The script, if anything, surprises more than expected. Falls much pace after the prologue, but quickly back to offer a frenetic second hour. In its last section offers a few surprises as preventing preivisible catolog. In fact, if something is not Sucker Punch is predictable, although its development is repetititvo sometime. "Contradiction? No doubt. But it works.

Sucker Punch is a Martian. Do not expect a serious movie, formal or feet on the ground. Is just the opposite of that approach. We are looking to reach the viewer through a visual delirium unclassifiable, which fit babes with big cleavage and miniskirts through the trenches of any battle of the First World War, samurai swords to meet a dragon and impossible-looking androids who want to blow up a futuristic city, all anchored in a dramatic story that is realistic dye that gives beginning of the film. With just a handful of films and about to take over the Superman films regfreso the hand of a script and production of Christopher Nolan (can be two opposite approaches a priori as yours? I have curious to see what results from their Union ...), Zack Snyder is making a hole as a renovator of fantasy action and an innovator in the use of the camera to create wrappers virtual. And besides, Sucker Punch entertains. In case you had not been clear.

Monday, March 14, 2011

White Leather Sofa Cleaning

entertaining 'The Rite' too close and too far from 'The Exorcist'

When they made the definitive film on a subject, it is difficult to be original to address it again. Exorcist is just a short film. It is a bible, a travel guide, an instruction manual on how to make a film that speaks of demonic possession. And so it is impossible to improve it. Or better, say unlikely, we will one day find a surprise. The rite is too close to what had Exorcist, and is not ashamed of these similarities. In contrast, almost take them with humor. But at the same time, is too far from what led to the legendary film by William Friedkin. Horror films have long ceased to cause terror and The rite is demonstrated. Not scary, and perhaps even intended, knowing that gender has more paths derived graphics and tanned stomachs. In any case, it is an interesting story about faith. Perhaps too predictable and low risk with the material at hand, but at least entertaining and well played almost always.

The rite does not conceal the least, but try it with a lineup that gives you everything the weight of the project to Anthony Hopkins. But his character, Lucas Trevant father is not the protagonist of the film. Yes it is Michael Kovack Colin O'Donoghue (an almost debutant film actor who has worked in television and is limited to being correct), a young man who flees his future as a mortician with his father getting a cure. But has no faith, or at least not enough, he decides to quit before you start. To avoid this, his superiors sent him to Rome to do in the course of Vatican exorcist. His doubts were the attempt to resolve an unorthodox priest, Father Lucas. The priest protagonist of The Exorcist also came to a trance with the devil devoid of faith. If there was his mother the heart of its troubles, here is the father. At the center of attention is a possessed girl, you'll only have a few more years and is a pregnant teenager. There are similarities. When the young trainee priest surprised to see the first person possessed, Father Lucas asked if he expected to see heads turning and pea puree. The authors of The rite which loses in comparison.

Once lost the battle of originality, the tactics of the film to engage the viewer passes by the charisma of Anthony Hopkins. Perhaps it is surprising that the film take so long to start for him, because up to half an hour the nearly two hard the film is not seen on screen. Hopkins is a renowned actor and category (qualities not always agree on a single artist), and gives the film a break, depth and interest that may not have with another actor. In the final scene walks the delicate boundary of overacting and does not always successful, but in general has a more than interesting and nuanced. If charisma is the thing, until it comes out it is just the charisma of the performers who parade across the screen that holds the tension of the story in his lengthy introduction. Rutger Hauer has that charisma, and I had since recovered Christopher Nolan Batman Begins . As Toby Jones (Truman Capote's splendid Infamous and one of the star of the wonderful Fog). And Ciaran Hinds (Munich appeared in , Steven Spielberg).

But that charisma does not seem to have Mikael Hafstrom, director of the film. Specialized ("box?), Probably forever, in the horror genre (after a failed East thriller set in the 40's, Shanghai ) does not offer many innovative solutions. Abuses of focus and blur as his only alternative to plan what happens on the screen and used, not always with success, many flashes in the form of flashbacks. The performance, overall, is too contrived. And that perhaps would have given better results if he had raised a horror movie full of scares tricky (as it was the right What Lies Beneath , this ghost story starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer). But that's just what The rite is not. Your bet is (except at specific moments in which, by chance and against what seems fun, bet on the path marked by The Exorcist ) of the psychological thriller, the discussion of faith, the need for beliefs. That wager, which works reasonably well for 90 minutes, lost in the climax Finally, a climx whose choice is difficult to understand and whose development is very predictable.

The rite is a film built on a more or less correct, up and down narrative offset by good performances and seek to hide behind women's presence and journalistic debate (both personified by the actress Alice Braga, Predators , Blindly, I Am Legend ). Although loaded with ingenuity, the best moments of the film go through the doubts in the faith of its protagonist. Delving into the center of the main character nuance, Rite could have taken much more advantage of its raw material, have scored actual distances with respect to its venerable reference and have reached the level of terror when one leaves the theater to which all should aspire genre film. However, it is still another example of this theater of possessions and exorcisms which seems to have become strong in recent years. A star with Anthony Hopkins. Nor is small, if you look with benevolence that require this type of film.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

What Does The Jelly Bracelets Look Like

'Morning Glory', laughter and charisma

is clear that the film should be seen when you have to see. Because it is the only way to understand that Morning Glory has left me very dissappointed. You look carefully and is not a great movie. You do not have a good script, very predictable and smelling fried. It's a look too kindly on a kind of journalism to me, not really excites me. But sympathy and produce laughter overflows. That's the most unexpected of course, but is that a long time since I laughed so much with a movie. Do not go thinking that is the most hilarious comedy of the story, but it has its points. And those points are rooted in the charism off their protagonists. Because Harrison Ford has finally found a role that is a perfect fit after years of trifles in which did not fit (with the intermission of returning to Indiana Jones, of course) and it shows a talented Rachel McAdams innate comedy. The rest is nothing special, but it's a nice tape. Go ahead

a warning: this is not a romantic comedy. There is a romance, of course, because that is a must in a movie made in Hollywood, but that is not what it offers Morning Glory. Its protagonist is the young woman delivered stereotyped and completely to his work is a challenge that all will be against them but which will make it impossible to exit gracefully. Seen a very cliché. And very friendly environment have also seen the television that portrays the film. Friendly because it does not attempt any criticism on what counts. There is an analysis of television current or on the morning news shows varieties. Morning Glory nothing more than what it is, a nice little film with charismatic actors. Search more deeply is to experience a huge disappointment in viewing. But if it looks like it is, a light comedy, perfectly fulfills its mission of entertaining.

And as the film itself offers plenty of non-scratching, the merit of that empathy is undoubtedly aroused his actors. Morning glory begins with a conversation (is very Machiavellian draw a parallel, downward course with the wonderful beginning of The network ?) In which seeks to establish the personality of the protagonist, Becky Fuller, a woman who is less than thirty lives completely surrendered to her work as producer of a local radio program. For that reason, is unable to have a normal love life. It is also a woman who talks a lot and that does not dominate the social uses to change its behavior. The portrait sounds appealing, but Roger Mitchell (Notting Hill director ) suddenly change course. That soon workaholic is also room for sentiment and is labia soon buried by the overwhelming presence of Mike Pomeroy, a journalist with the prestige and grumpy to start working.

words, the film begins with trap. Quye what we see in the first scene is not reflected later. The Becky of that initial conversation does not end being the same person shown in the rest of the film. Forgiven this inconsistency, Rachel McAdams shows a talent for comedy kind, which together with its versatility ( Sherlock Holmes, Beyond time, of Play ) makes it a name and a face attractive for all types of film. Here comes out victorious despite being surrounded by big names. Or, rather, precisely because of that. Because there's chemistry in their (somewhat limited) scenes with Jeff Goldblum and, above all, with Harrison Ford. In fact, it is the joint appearance of McAdams and Ford which shoots the film. His are the best scenes, even when they are not flat but sharing sequence. Diane Keaton, much duller than you might expect, it sometimes seems overrun beyond its catalytic role, but there it works (see pique Online Keaton and Ford to a first McAdams gaping behind the scenes then raging in front of them.)

Morning glory is one of the many films that offer nothing complacent and bold visions of a professional world in particular. They are the excuse to meet very different characters and see what happens. Is a key film is widely used, very trite, but it works when the casting is right. Here it is, and why the film ends up working. Without a trace too deep in the viewer, but a hundred minutes of entertainment offering sincere, well filmed, well together musically and, above all, very well played. A perfect movie to watch when you need to forget the world and smile.