Second watch - up to 5*. Effectively a perfect film in terms of its technical composition: the score, cinematography, acting, writing, and direction are all flawless. But that’s to be expected of this film, and something that I found true if my first viewing.
So what pulls it over the edge? Partly it has to be my greater understanding of film as an art form, as well as extended knowledge on American history thanks to a particularly enlightening module on…
Wow, what a step-up from Hard Eight. Boogie Nights thrives in almost all aspects, with Anderson using his camera as an enabler to view the world close-up, utilising long tracking shots to immerse us in the cultural boom. The characters form a fantastic dynamic, and PTA harnesses them together magnificently. He’s working with a lot of components here, but they merge in an wondrously coherent manner. The scenes move quickly, bursting with vivacious energy, and Anderson finds great strength in…
Extended edition. Luc Besson’s Léon is a slick, well-crafted crime thriller, with fantastic performances from Natalie Portman in her debut and Gary Oldman as the hyper-exagerrated, corrupt DEA madman. The plot is fascinating and the concept is executed really well; Besson doesn’t dwell on one element for too long and uses the pacing to allow the tender moments to breathe, whilst also allowing the plot to quickly progress in scenes such as the training montage. The relationship between Léon and…
Perhaps the most nuanced portrayal of love ever put to screen. Linklater’s fleeting camera and length dialogue makes for an absorbing experience. Its notably shorter runtime than Sunrise only plays to its advantage; the exchanges never fall flat, and the final 20 minutes in Céline’s flat is one of the best-constructed finales to a film ever. This is both heart-wrenching and joyous simultaneously, and I can’t thank Linklater, Delpy, and Hawke for making these films enough.
There are singular moments, plotted deftly in the opening act of Interstellar, that mean nothing at the time; merely a motion or an action that can be disregarded straight afterwards. But they’re not completely forgotten.
Chris Nolan throws us into a world with no context. It’s Kubrickian-esque: he presents us with a scenario and we just have to accept everything that is shown to us. It’s like a shadow. He conceals information - letting us ponder on its meaning, speculating its place…
Villeneuve‘s exposition dump is a sight to behold, with gorgeous imagery, an astounding score, and brilliant visual effects. The storyline is certainly slow (and bare), but it’s clearly the foundation of something greater - the infrastructure for what could be some of the best sci-fi filmmaking ever. Villeneuve, it’s in your hands from here: I believe in the vision and I’m ready for greatness.
