The 2001 French flick Amelie features Audrey Tautou as the main character Amelie. Amelie is a young girl that has had a very troubling life. She lost her mother as a child and her dad never showed affection to her. She goes through life day after day without any sense of meaning or direction. It’s like nothing really excites her and it seems she feels nothing. Then one day she decides to help all the people in her life. With every smile from their faces, she starts to feel again. Happiness starts to become the bright part of her every day. The more she helps others, the more she begins to help herself. It’s like karma looked at what she was doing and granted her the opportunity to become happy. It took a little convincing from her old friend, but she realized what she had to do before it was too late.
This movie has one main and very powerful program objective. It shows how happy we can become when we make others happy. Amelie was nothing at the beginning of the movie, but a weird girl that did things that many people get institutionalized for. Then she made the choice to help others with their problems and lives. Once she started, she just couldn’t stop. It was the best thing that could have ever happened to her and the people around her. That’s all we need to do in life. When we help others, we really help ourselves and what really could be better. As Amelie showed us, after we help others sooner or later, karma will help us to a little happiness.
From a personal point, the only part of this movie that I actually enjoyed was how it used really creative images and the surprise ending. I am not a fan of all the crazy sex scenes and stuff like that, but I love ending that I could not predict. Sure, it always is a happy ending in every movie, but how it gets there makes the movie good or bad. Then this movie shows us a kind of subjective point of view, by showing us Amelie’s view point and her emotional struggle. As bad as this movie’s acting is, the camera work to show Amelie’s life story was pretty impressive. I think that was the only reason that Amélie won best film at the European Film Awards, four César Awards (including Best Film and Best Director), two BAFTA Awards (including Best Original Screenplay), and was nominated for five Academy Awards.
Finally, when I started to watch this film, I honestly thought that this movie was going to be terrible and that’s not because of the subtitles. It just had a weird and awkward start, but then it really surprised me. I didn’t except it to be as good as it was. They really should have had better actors in it and less sex scenes, but other than that it was pretty good. I really enjoyed how well it was organized and how well the story line was followed. It is a movie that most can watch and then try to be more helpful to others like Amelie.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The bucket list
How important is the set or location to the overall effect of the film?
It was really important that most of this movie was filmed in a hospital. It showed how sick these two individuals really are and how friendships can start from the weirdest places, but just in time.
Why do you think this film is shot on this set or at this location? (many movies have one central set and other minor ones. Focus on the main set. If there are many locations, choose one or two of those locations and focus on them.)
I believe that this film is shot in a hospital to show how someplace so depressing can really become something so great to some people. Movie shows the hospital as a symbol where friends can meet even under bad circumstances instead of just where people lose their lives. If it weren’t for this hospital these two guys would have never become friends and would have never done the crazy things that they did.
What is the art director trying to tell you with the costumes chosen for the characters?
The costumes of the two friends really show how different they both are. One is an average man who works to live and the other one is a really rich man who lives to work. When they were in the hospital, both wore hospital gowns to show that they were equal in life.
Is the lighting for the film appropriate? Why/why not? Is it harsh and direct or is it soft and diffused (or somewhere in the middle)? Explain the lighting.
I feel that the lighting in this movie was done really well. It really brought out the good and happy moments. Then put a sad emphasis on the dark moments in which life was being lost. The movie had parts where the lighting was harsh and a little too much, but it was hardly noticeable. It also had its parts where the lighting could have been a little more. For example, I felt the lighting could have been more when they were in the lodge at the bottom of the mountain. I think it would have put more of an importance on that scene.
What is the director trying to tell you with the style of lighting chosen?
The director is trying to tell us about the mood of the movie. With darker moments of the movie, he is showing the hard times both men had to face. Then he would lighten the scene to show that no matter what problem there was, the two men would get through it and find the light when there is little left. The lighting was really well coordinated with the moods of the movie.
What colors are prominent? Why? What message is being sent?
At first, the colors were plain and boring, like the white of the hospital. It showed how dull the life was for the men in the hospital. Then once they started taking trips all around the world and doing crazy things, the colors started to brighten up and become more lively. When the men started to get sick and lose their lives, the colors went back to being depressing and sad, but finally ended with the bright colors and sights from the top of the mountain to show the brightness of the lives of both men to each other.
It was really important that most of this movie was filmed in a hospital. It showed how sick these two individuals really are and how friendships can start from the weirdest places, but just in time.
Why do you think this film is shot on this set or at this location? (many movies have one central set and other minor ones. Focus on the main set. If there are many locations, choose one or two of those locations and focus on them.)
I believe that this film is shot in a hospital to show how someplace so depressing can really become something so great to some people. Movie shows the hospital as a symbol where friends can meet even under bad circumstances instead of just where people lose their lives. If it weren’t for this hospital these two guys would have never become friends and would have never done the crazy things that they did.
What is the art director trying to tell you with the costumes chosen for the characters?
The costumes of the two friends really show how different they both are. One is an average man who works to live and the other one is a really rich man who lives to work. When they were in the hospital, both wore hospital gowns to show that they were equal in life.
Is the lighting for the film appropriate? Why/why not? Is it harsh and direct or is it soft and diffused (or somewhere in the middle)? Explain the lighting.
I feel that the lighting in this movie was done really well. It really brought out the good and happy moments. Then put a sad emphasis on the dark moments in which life was being lost. The movie had parts where the lighting was harsh and a little too much, but it was hardly noticeable. It also had its parts where the lighting could have been a little more. For example, I felt the lighting could have been more when they were in the lodge at the bottom of the mountain. I think it would have put more of an importance on that scene.
What is the director trying to tell you with the style of lighting chosen?
The director is trying to tell us about the mood of the movie. With darker moments of the movie, he is showing the hard times both men had to face. Then he would lighten the scene to show that no matter what problem there was, the two men would get through it and find the light when there is little left. The lighting was really well coordinated with the moods of the movie.
What colors are prominent? Why? What message is being sent?
At first, the colors were plain and boring, like the white of the hospital. It showed how dull the life was for the men in the hospital. Then once they started taking trips all around the world and doing crazy things, the colors started to brighten up and become more lively. When the men started to get sick and lose their lives, the colors went back to being depressing and sad, but finally ended with the bright colors and sights from the top of the mountain to show the brightness of the lives of both men to each other.
The Sixth Sense
How important is the set or location to the overall effect of the film?
For this movie, the set it uses gives the audience the creepy feel, which really brings out the dead people that the kids can see.
Why do you think this film is shot on this set or at this location? (many movies have one central set and other minor ones. Focus on the main set. If there are many locations, choose one or two of those locations and focus on them.)
One main set that I feel is really important is the church set. The reason why I believe this is because it is like the church is the kid’s safe zone and the only place that has seen as much death as he has. The film uses this set as a symbol of god’s work. The kid is doing god’s work by helping these ghosts find peace.
What is the art director trying to tell you with the costumes chosen for the characters?
The art director is trying to tell us about how serious the movie is. If you notice, the kid never really wears kid clothing about cartoons or anything. His clothes are very serious and so are Bruce Willis’s clothes. The clothes of the ghost are used to emphasize their age. For example, the little girl’s clothes shows how young she really is and the clothes of some of the older ghosts show how old they are and when they could have died.
Is the lighting for the film appropriate? Why/why not? Is it harsh and direct or is it soft and diffused (or somewhere in the middle)? Explain the lighting.
I think the lighting in this film was really good. The darkness really gave us a creepy and scary feeling, which is exactly why we watch horror movies. I believe that it is more somewhere is the middle of harsh and soft and direct and diffused. It wasn’t like the lighting was the center of attention, but it was just enough there to help set a good mood for ghosts and unexpected things.
What is the director trying to tell you with the style of lighting chosen?
The director is trying to tell us with the lighting that this movie is a scary movie. He wants us to feel the cold chill of the spirits of dead people. With this type of lighting, it gives a good look at what the kid sees. At points, all he sees is darkness and evil, and then he finds the light when he figures out that he can help these spirits.
What colors are prominent? Why? What message is being sent?
The main color in this movie is definitely black. There is a lot of black in every scene. This is because black is a pretty dead color. It is the symbol of death and darkness. All the black adds to the mood of the movie and makes the movie seem more dark and mysterious.
For this movie, the set it uses gives the audience the creepy feel, which really brings out the dead people that the kids can see.
Why do you think this film is shot on this set or at this location? (many movies have one central set and other minor ones. Focus on the main set. If there are many locations, choose one or two of those locations and focus on them.)
One main set that I feel is really important is the church set. The reason why I believe this is because it is like the church is the kid’s safe zone and the only place that has seen as much death as he has. The film uses this set as a symbol of god’s work. The kid is doing god’s work by helping these ghosts find peace.
What is the art director trying to tell you with the costumes chosen for the characters?
The art director is trying to tell us about how serious the movie is. If you notice, the kid never really wears kid clothing about cartoons or anything. His clothes are very serious and so are Bruce Willis’s clothes. The clothes of the ghost are used to emphasize their age. For example, the little girl’s clothes shows how young she really is and the clothes of some of the older ghosts show how old they are and when they could have died.
Is the lighting for the film appropriate? Why/why not? Is it harsh and direct or is it soft and diffused (or somewhere in the middle)? Explain the lighting.
I think the lighting in this film was really good. The darkness really gave us a creepy and scary feeling, which is exactly why we watch horror movies. I believe that it is more somewhere is the middle of harsh and soft and direct and diffused. It wasn’t like the lighting was the center of attention, but it was just enough there to help set a good mood for ghosts and unexpected things.
What is the director trying to tell you with the style of lighting chosen?
The director is trying to tell us with the lighting that this movie is a scary movie. He wants us to feel the cold chill of the spirits of dead people. With this type of lighting, it gives a good look at what the kid sees. At points, all he sees is darkness and evil, and then he finds the light when he figures out that he can help these spirits.
What colors are prominent? Why? What message is being sent?
The main color in this movie is definitely black. There is a lot of black in every scene. This is because black is a pretty dead color. It is the symbol of death and darkness. All the black adds to the mood of the movie and makes the movie seem more dark and mysterious.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Good Will Hunting
“Good Will Hunting”, is a1997 Hollywood hit that starred its writers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It is all centered around a severely troubled boy genius named Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, who had a terrible life growing up. As an abused orphan, all he knew was violence, pain and suffering and he probably thought that he was doomed to live his entire life with only these things. His friend Chuckie, played by Ben Affleck, was the brother that he never had and always had his back. Will’s life gets all turned around when his talents are discovered by a professor at the university where he was a janitor. The professor introduces him to a psychiatrist, played by Robin Williams, that changes Will’s whole perspective on life and ultimately becomes his best friend.
What makes this a good story is that right away in the movie, it grabs a hold of your interest and it does really good job with handling emotional material with restrain. The characters are so unique and conflicted that you always want to know more. It just draws you into the story and some people can probably relate to most of the characters and their conflicts. You could relate your tough childhood to the problems that Will faces, but there is more then just the main character. You could relate to Chuckie, a good guy who hates to see his friend waste his life away or Sean Maguire, a man that learns a lot himself while helping this troubled kid.
This movie is one that we all wish was true. It is probably not going to be something that everybody is going to witness, but we still wish that maybe someday it will come true in our lives. We might not be the boy genius, but we could be the person that helps someone else exploit their talents instead of throwing them away. Everyday we could be that person that sits down and talks to our friends in trouble or a random stranger having a bad day. People need others to believe in them, before they realize they have something special. The title tells it all. This kid is smart, but he is not good until Sean and Professor Gerald believe in him. Then he became the smart and good guy that he wasn’t ever taught to be.
From a personal aspect, I absolutely loved the story and plot of this movie, but I just did not like the movie itself. Sure it had its funny parts and sad parts, but I just could not get past some things. For example, I was not particularly impressed with the way they chose to portray everyone in it. Everyone in the movie was foul mouthed jerk to the other. Sure it magnifies the conflicts and tensions of the movie, but is it necessary. The f-word was probably the most popular word in the movie. Others might like that, but I am not that kind of person.
Since the library would not let me see the articles about the movie, I am going to close on Jack Garner’s comment about the movie. He said “Young Will Hunting is very, very bright; a genius actually. But he’s also bursting with confusion and rage, triggered by an abusive childhood and an adolescence of low expectations. Will can reason like mad, but he’s usually too mad to reason.” This quote is not only the life story for Will, but to so many others. These people have such great talents, but no guidance in their life to help them us it. This is something that everyone can help another with. Instead of cutting people down all the time, say or do something supportive to help others rather then hinder them. Be the light house to their lost boats, like Sean was to Will.
What makes this a good story is that right away in the movie, it grabs a hold of your interest and it does really good job with handling emotional material with restrain. The characters are so unique and conflicted that you always want to know more. It just draws you into the story and some people can probably relate to most of the characters and their conflicts. You could relate your tough childhood to the problems that Will faces, but there is more then just the main character. You could relate to Chuckie, a good guy who hates to see his friend waste his life away or Sean Maguire, a man that learns a lot himself while helping this troubled kid.
This movie is one that we all wish was true. It is probably not going to be something that everybody is going to witness, but we still wish that maybe someday it will come true in our lives. We might not be the boy genius, but we could be the person that helps someone else exploit their talents instead of throwing them away. Everyday we could be that person that sits down and talks to our friends in trouble or a random stranger having a bad day. People need others to believe in them, before they realize they have something special. The title tells it all. This kid is smart, but he is not good until Sean and Professor Gerald believe in him. Then he became the smart and good guy that he wasn’t ever taught to be.
From a personal aspect, I absolutely loved the story and plot of this movie, but I just did not like the movie itself. Sure it had its funny parts and sad parts, but I just could not get past some things. For example, I was not particularly impressed with the way they chose to portray everyone in it. Everyone in the movie was foul mouthed jerk to the other. Sure it magnifies the conflicts and tensions of the movie, but is it necessary. The f-word was probably the most popular word in the movie. Others might like that, but I am not that kind of person.
Since the library would not let me see the articles about the movie, I am going to close on Jack Garner’s comment about the movie. He said “Young Will Hunting is very, very bright; a genius actually. But he’s also bursting with confusion and rage, triggered by an abusive childhood and an adolescence of low expectations. Will can reason like mad, but he’s usually too mad to reason.” This quote is not only the life story for Will, but to so many others. These people have such great talents, but no guidance in their life to help them us it. This is something that everyone can help another with. Instead of cutting people down all the time, say or do something supportive to help others rather then hinder them. Be the light house to their lost boats, like Sean was to Will.
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