Hi guys! I had the cool experience today where I got to interview screenwriter Melissa Leilani and find out what it is like to write a script. She was the main writer for a film I loved in 2015 called Freetown.
Freetown is a faith-based film but one that is approachable to anyone. It tells the story of a man who must smuggle 6 missionaries out of Liberia during their brutal civil war. Things are tense and Brother Abubakar is a man of practical faith mixed with a healthy dose of skepticism. It makes him a very compelling character.
What I really appreciated about Freetown is that it told a compelling story and let the messsaging take care of itself. Unlike many faith based films (that I still find some value in) I didn’t feel it was preachy or forcing a message upon me. In fact, my friend Yusuf who is Muslim liked the film as much as I did.
Here are both of our reviews:
I think you might find it interesting to watch the film and then listen to the interview about her experience. However, I also think it will be interesting if you are just interested in screenwriting or writing in general. We do get off topic a few times (we have very similar movie and theater taste!). She has a theater background so her transition from playwright to screenwriter was very interesting to me.
Anyway, this is only the 3rd interview I have done, so if you have any feedback that would be great. I hope you enjoy it.
It’s funny I went to the theater tonight and scores of people were coming out of Deadpool with smiles on their faces. I’m sure they had a great time and that’s awesome. I instead went to see 45 Years and I was alone in the theater and came out literally sobbing. Quite the contrast! But I wager to say in 10 years my experience will be the more memorable one. Suffice it to say, I have a new entry in my Best Movies of 2015.
45 Years is a very simple movie. It tells the story of a week in the life of a couple before they celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary. On day 1 Geoff, the husband, played by Tom Courtenay, gets a letter in German informing him that the body of the love of his youth has been found and he can come and claim it.
Kate, the wife, played brilliantly by Charlotte Rampling, is aware of the relationship but is surprised when the news is so impactful upon her husband. She starts to wonder if there was a side to this old relationship she never knew about? Has her husband of 45 years been honest with her? Was she the 2nd choice over his true love? All of these questions are asked by Kate as the days unwind.
I think what made this movie so particularly moving for me is Kate reminds me so much of my beloved Grandmother. She is one of my best friends but in the last 2 years her health has not been well and it is difficult for her to talk on the phone. This has made talking to her quite difficult since we live in different states. Watching this movie made me realize how much I miss my Grandma.
Even Charlotte Rampling’s look and disposition reminds me of my Grandma. I loved the way she had her life ordered and was a bright light to all in her circle. When she finds out her husband hasn’t been completely honest with her the devastation is so palatable. You can see it in Rampling’s whole body not just her face. I wanted to give her a hug.
If it hadn’t been so late I would have called my Grandma right after and told her I loved her. I’m going to do it tomorrow. That’s the kind of emotion this movie evoked in me. I was literally sobbing. I just love my Grandma so much.
I know what it feels like for people you love to come out of nowhere with news and to have to absorb it as best you can, so I related to that storyline as well. I related to having to come to grips when you thought the person you loved was one way and turns out to be another. There is nothing harder than that in my opinion.
Some will probably find this boring. It’s kind of like Boyhood in the way it is just about a week in the life of this couple. Some people don’t like that kind of movie. Some may not like the somewhat ambiguous ending, but I thought it was pure truth. It may be the best movie I’ve ever seen about marriage. That’s not hyperbole. It’s really how I felt.
Tom Courtenay is also wonderful in the role. You want to hate him for the dishonesty and the pain he is causing Kate but you can also see why he left the past in the past. It felt authentic and real to the way such a man would behave. We all know older men like Geoff.
I’m not saying don’t see Deadpool. Go see it. Have some laughs if the content is your thing, but make time in your schedule to see a film that something to say about life. Make time to see 45 Years. It was a stunning film and I’m so glad Charlotte Rampling was nominated for best actress. She is much better than either Cate Blanchett in Carol or Brie Larsen in Room.
The rest of the supporting cast is wonderful and gives the entire experience a lived in feel. It seems like a real group of friends, a real community that surrounds Geoff and Kate.
Props to director Andrew Haigh for his tremendous achievement. I loved this movie and I encourage all of you to see it.
As far as content it is rated R but it is a pretty mild R. There are a few F words and one mild scene of sensuality between the couple.
So I was going to review the anime classic Ghost in the Shell for my February Blindspot pick but I started it and it had too much nudity for me to be comfortable with. So, as a replacement I decided to watch the Disney sci-fi classic Tron.
The Blindspot project is where we watch and review a classic film we have never seen before. I had never seen Tron before tonight but had heard how great it was from many people. Now that I’ve seen it I can see why they like it so much. It’s a thoroughly unique, creative, entertaining sci-fi film.
Tron was made in 1982 and it’s pretty amazing when you think of the visuals involved. Just as a point of comparison, Pixar made their first short, The Adventures of Andre and Wally B in 1984, and that is about a minute and a half. This is a whole movie made 2 years earlier heaped full of visual effects both real and computerized. It’s incredible to watch and you can’t help but wonder ‘how did they do that?’
The story in Tron can be very confusing so it is perhaps better to just enjoy the visual experience, but I will try to summarize it. Basically Jeff Bridges plays Flynn a computer programmer who designs a video game but his boss played by David Warner stole the credit and passed the coding off as his work.
In an attempt to hack into the computer system and change the coding Flynn gets sucked into the computer itself. When he arrives in the computer world, he finds a system of subjugation where the MCP (Master Control Program) manipulates the programs and gets them to deny their belief in the Users (or humans playing the game).
As a User himself Flynn has the ability to use energy and change things for the programs. He and a program named Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) and Yori (Cindy Morgan) work to destroy the MCP before it destroys all the Programs.
Through destroying the MCP, Flynn the Programs can begin to communicate with their Users, Flynn is sent back and he is given the credit for his designs.
It is kind of convoluted but I didn’t care. I was able to keep track and found it creative and different. I see so much that feels the same that it is refreshing to watch something like Tron that is so out there. Kind of like Blade Runner, it is nice sometimes to watch a movie that is a little hard to figure out- that makes you think.
All the performances are good. I particularly liked Jeff Bridges who I thought was very attractive in the role! What a great smile! He was a great ambassador to this world and you felt like you were learning about it along with him.
I also liked Cindy Morgan, Bruce Boxleitner and David Warner. They are all good and elevate the material. This is not like Jupiter Ascending where the visuals apologize for terrible acting. They all do a good job.
The score by electronic musician Wendy Carlos is also a real standout. It merges synthesizer sounds with classic orchestra. I particularly liked the final number that uses a pipe organ. There are also 2 songs from Journey, which is kind of cool.
Tron won’t be for everyone. I am sure there are people who will think it is boring. It is kind of confusing but just go with it, just enjoy it. Some of the visuals look a little dated but it all works within the world of the movie and is consistent in its approach so that did not bother me. I really thought it was a cool sci-fi film and something different and unique.
I only have a few minutes because I am so exhausted but I saw Disney’s new live action offering The Finest Hours tonight and it is fine (forgive the pun). It’s not terrible but not great. The casting is mostly good except the girlfriend played by Holiday Grainger annoyed me. Chris Pine and Casey Affleck are very good. Some of the special effects work. Others you can see the green screen and look very cheesy. It’s a sappy inspirational true story. If you like that kind of thing you will enjoy the movie.
Here is my youtube review.
I think kids will be kind of bored and there are some definite tense moments that might be overwhelming for them. Otherwise if you’ve got a free evening you could do worse. Again, not great, not terrible. Right in the middle.
So I don’t have time to do a written review here for the new YA adaptation, The 5th Wave. But I did post a review on my youtube channel and I had a little bit of fun with it so I’d love if you’d check it out. Thanks!
You could say the film was not my cup of tea…
Any of you see it? What did you think?
PS. I have some fun things happening this weekend involving The Sundance Film Festival and will try to keep you updated. Plus, it’s my 35th birthday (yes, I’m old…). 🙂
Yesterday I had the chance to go to an early screening for The Revenant directed by Alejandro Inarritu and it is a tricky film to review. Inarritu directed last years Birdman, which I happen to think is one of the most overrated films of recent years. To me The Revenant is a huge step up from that film but your enjoyment of the film will entirely depend on the type of movie you like to watch. So I have come up with some questions so you can decide whether to see the Revenant or not.
1 Do you require likable characters that show humanity to others?
If yes than The Revenant isn’t for you. In a 156 minute film there is exactly 3 brief moments of humanity- 1. the bond between Hugh Glass and his son, 2. a Native American man who rescues Glass, tends to wounds and makes a shelter. 3. Domhnall Gleason’s Captain Henry is a good, honorable man who trusts people. All 3 moments don’t end well so they aren’t exactly motivating or encouraging in any way.
Every other character in the film is a complete beast and the film is unapologetically dismal and gloomy. Tom Hardy’s Fitzgerald is a complete monster. He only cares about himself and his own survival. It’s certainly not the Western hero we used to get from likes of John Wayne. That’s for sure! This movie makes Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven look like a birthday party.
2. Do you value striking cinematography particularly of the cold outdoors?
If yes than The Revenant is for you. The cinematography in the film by Emmanuel Lubezki is unbelievable. Filmed with all natural light the grayness of the cold Montana scenery is magnificent and deadening at the same time. The water is unbelievable- especially one scene where Glass gets thrown down a rapids in the bitter cold.
I still can’t believe how they got some of the shots. The story of the brutal filming is near-legend with narrow windows of time with the right lighting to get every take. They had to move to Argentina eventually because Canada started to warm up!
3. Can you handle gory realistic violence?
If yes than you may find The Revenant exhilarating. I don’t so a fair amount was tough for me to watch. I closed my eyes a couple of times. However, it was so immersive and new that I did find it compelling. I had prepared myself for the violence so that helped but even then it was brutal. You could say I pushed myself way out of my comfort zone for this one but it’s good to do that every now and then.
Much has been said about the bear attack, which is long and shocking. You watch and wonder ‘how the heck did they do that?’. I really have no idea! I know they used a combination of a real bear and cg but it was flawless. As a film fan I love moments in movies I can’t figure out!
Oddly enough the more violent parts I felt were the Indian warfare. It is relentless in showing person after person get speared with an Indian’s arrow- sometimes through the head, other times completely through the body. I’ve never seen violence quite like that before, and I’m not going to deny it impacted me. There’s also so much of it. It goes from the first till the final frame and never gives a moment to breath.
4. Do you need a fast paced film?
If yes than the Revenant probably isn’t for you. At 156 minutes it is a slow drip and not that varied in what it is depicting. We go from Glass getting attacked, getting abandoned, moving around on the ground, finding food, hiding from Indians, stealing a horse, building fires, etc. Basically surviving day after day. It makes The Martian feel like a joy ride! There really isn’t one moment of levity or break from the horrors of the West.
5. Is acting more important to you than characters?
What I mean by this question is Leonardo DiCaprio’s character doesn’t have much to him. There are a few sequences where he dreams of his wife and a better life but we hardly hear him talk. He is surviving and it is the elements that have all the character and personality.
That said, it is a tremendous performance and DiCaprio gives it his all and it is hard to not admire that. The same is true for all the other roles. Tom Hardy is great. Domhnall Gleason is great. Will Poulter is fantastic as Jim Bridger. But their characters are pretty basic. So performances great, characters one note.
So if you want to see great actors pour their heart into roles than see The Revenant.
6. Do you want to see something new and different?
Some people like seeing what we already know and recognize. I am certainly one of those people. I enjoyed traditional reboots such as The Peanuts Movie, Star Wars, Cinderella etc this year but there is something to be said for a film like The Revenant which feels so entirely new and different.
If you can appreciate film as an art and are craving to see an advancement of that art than you must support films like The Revenant. If you don’t than Hollywood will learn from this year that all that gets people in the seats is the same old, same old.
I love that traditional stuff but love the new stuff where they are trying, experimenting and taking risks. I will give directors like Inarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki a bit of a longer leash than normal because it is so bold and daring. Just the night shots around the fire I was stunned by. How did they do that using no artificial light? Amazing.
I realize I didn’t talk much about the movie in those questions but it’s such a simple story there isn’t that much to talk about. Hugh Glass gets mauled by a bear and left by his fellow pelt hunters to die. The movie is about his survival.
The music by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto and Bryce Dessner was also amazing. It somehow added to the cold with the constant breathing heard in the background.
Here’s the trailer to give you more of an idea.
It’s a really hard film to grade because I can see hating it and loving it. Parts of me felt both ways.
Overall Grade- B
Content Grade- F (I can’t overstate how gory and brutal this movie it is. Not for the faint of heart).
Typically after I see a movie people will rightly wonder ‘did you like the movie?’ and usually it’s easy to give a yes or no answer. However, sometimes a movie forces me to go on for paragraphs about how I responded. The answer isn’t simple particularly when there were such strong elements and the things I didn’t like I’m honestly not sure how much weight to give them. I guess you could say my response is nuanced and complicated. Room (not The Room!) is such a film.
Room is based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, which was in turn inspired by the true story of Elisabeh Fritzl who was held captive by her father in a room for 24 years! I have read the book and for 2/3rds of it I was transfixed. It is told from the perspective of the 5 year old little boy who only knows the room he and his mother are held captive in. But the final 1/3 when they are adjusting to life outside Room to me didn’t quite work as the responses of the boy felt overly precocious. I missed seeing more of how Ma, the woman, was adjusting. Still definitely worth reading but that was my response.
So then what about the movie? Well, first of all, it was a very odd screening experience. We got right up to the climax of the movie when little Jack is escaping and the emergency alert went on and we had to evacuate the theater! Talk about leading you to the edge and leaving you hanging! I’ve only had that happen one other time to me when I took my brother to see Avatar of all things. But it was a weird experience because during the break I realized how involved with the film I had gotten. Despite having read the book and knowing how it would all turn out my heart was racing and I felt a little flushed. It was weird because I don’t think I’ve ever had a chance to stop a film and analyze my physical reactions during the climax. I’m usually too involved in said climax to notice.
Anyway, we got watching again and I had calmed down a bit and the climax continued. It was very good. Extremely gripping but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some of the same problems with the final 3rd of the movie that I had with the book. What works in seeing a child’s understanding of Room feels simplistic when dealing with the horrors Ma has gone through. I wish both book and movie had switched (despite how much I hate that technique) narrators and focused on the adult not the child in recovery. It’s still good. Don’t get me wrong. I just didn’t think it was perfect as some reviewers have claimed.
In some ways this movie and book remind me a little bit of The Help. It’s way more somber than The Help but I think both books/movies portray a very difficult time in as rosy glasses as possible. F or instance, it seems hard to believe that the predator Old Nick wouldn’t have ever seen or hurt Jack over all those years. Similarly in The Help it is not realistic that a black woman at that time period could do what Minnie does without being killed by Klansmen. But I loved The Help because of the strong characters and Room also has very strong characters.
I feel like this review is coming across negative but that’s not my intention. I just have this jumbled feelings about this movie/book. The acting by Brie Larson as Ma was tremendous. She is trying so hard to save her child but at the same time is literally beaten down every night. It’s like she is putting on a performance every day of her life.
The world she is able to create for her son in Room and the way she explains TV feels authentic and it is very moving. Jacob Tremblay is outstanding as little Jack with anger, naivety, fear, whimsy that I bought every time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is nominated for best supporting actor and it would be deserved.
It’s also a film that looks beautiful and was directed well by Lenny Abrahamson. As I mentioned I was completely engrossed in the Room section and the climax to the point of a physical reaction. I also thought the scenes after Room were better than the book, even if I wish it had more of Ma’s perspective instead of Jack.
When I came out of the film I was upset- still tearing up as I made my way to the car. I said to myself ‘that was a great movie and I never want to see it again’. I posted on twitter that ‘rewatchability is not the be all end all in what makes a good movie’. Schindler’s List is an easy example or Amistad, The Color Purple, among others that were gut wrenching and painful, great films but I never want to experience that again.
Recently this fall I saw Spotlight and that was sobering and devastating in many ways but I felt inspired by it. I would totally watch that movie again. Room is about a woman who does all she can to create a world for her son, a world of beauty and light but in Room and even to an extent post-rescue she isn’t given much light back in return. It’s just so devastating.
Maybe part of it is to know that it is all based on the Fritzl case which is Holocaust level of horror? I don’t know.
I know this is a very jumbled review but that’s honestly how I felt about the movie- jumbled. The acting is amazing. I love what Ma sacrifices to create a world for her son. Brie Larson is someone I don’t know very well and she is just phenomenal as is Jacob Tremblay (and Joan Allen as her mother is good. I liked some changes they made in her character from the book but the addition of a new husband I thought was unneeded).
You see things like Elizabeth Smart and watch a movie like Room and it gives you hope that even in the worse of circumstances the human heart can find a reason to keep going. That is perhaps the greatest thing Lenny Abrahamson has done with this film.
On the downside I do think some of the plot elements feel a little unrealistic which is jarring given the realism of the piece. I also wish I got more of Ma’s perspective then Jack’s outside of Room.
All and all, it is definitely worth seeing and experiencing. I think it is good that not every film is tidy and easy to decide on. I may see it again some day and think my little reservations are silly or they may bother me more. I’m not sure. I was thinking about waiting to post this review so I could ponder it even more, but decided with Star Wars coming at the end of the week I better do it now.
As far as content there was a group of women near me who hated the film because it was sad. This response baffles me. Did they think the story of the woman kidnapped with her child in one room would be a pick-me-up? Do people not do any research at all before seeing a movie? I understand people don’t want spoilers but literally a 2 sentence synopsis of the film should let you know it is going to be a tough, sobering movie.
But this is an R rating mostly for tone and topic (obviously) because all the rape and abuse is only heard not seen (very chillingly so). Then we just see the aftermath and devastation. There is some language but not much but it is definitely a film for adults only because of the mature topics!
So that’s my jumbled up, confused thoughts on Room. It is a very good film but it is also a tough watch I wish had done a few little things differently. Definitely go see it but just know what you are getting yourself into and bring tissues!
Real quick wanted to post my youtube review of Ron Howard’s new film In the Heart of the Sea. It’s kind of a Moby Dick origin stor and that could have been cool.
Needless to say, I didn’t really care for the film.
Got the chance to see the movie Brooklyn tonight and it is a very sweet, lovely movie that I highly recommend each of you check out. In a way it kind of reminded me of Boyhood in the way both films are about the life of a character. There is no strange plot or huge climax. It’s just about a person and the choices they have to make. I love movies like that.
If you are an Oscar watcher put Saoirse Ronan as a near lock for a best actress nom and possibly Nick Hornby for adapted screenplay. Ronan plays Ellis Lacey, a young girl from Ireland in 1952 with no prospects either relationship or career-wise. Her sister see’s this and figures out a way for Ellis to go to America and work there.
The beginning of the film we get the voyage over to America where Ellis gets seasick and gets some advice from her bunkmate on the ship. Then she struggles with homesickness and fitting into this strange place called America. Luckily she is quickly surrounded by lots of supporting characters that all felt pretty well-rounded and not just the stock jerk, slut, loud-mouthed caricatures you often get in these types of movies.
First, there are all the girls at the boarding house where Ellis lives.
I particularly liked all the scenes at the dinner table where they gossip, and are caddy in rather likable ways. It felt like real girls who would actually talk that way. They are jealous and funny and sweet all at the same time. They even teach Ellis how to eat spaghetti before she meets Tony’s family. After being delightful in Paddington, Julie Walters is great as Mrs Kehoe who runs the boarding house and scolds the girls for their unholy chatter at the dinner table.
I also loved Jim Broadbent as Father Flood, a priest who takes responsibility for Ellis, makes sure she isn’t homesick, and gets her started in school.
Jessica Pare is also in the film from Mad Men as Ellis’ manager at a department store. She’s great. The whole cast is great.
All of this is completely lovely but then it is made even more so when she meets a young Italian man named Tony played by Emory Cohen. He reminded me of a young Marlon Brando and I thought him and Ronan had terrific chemistry. This is helped by Nick Hornby’s script- an author who is good at writing romantic dialogue in films such as Fever Pitch and About a Boy.
I was impressed with how simple it was. They are just talking a lot of the time, meeting Tony’s loud Italian family, talking about his love for the Dodgers, drinking coffee etc. It feels like a real courtship of the 1950s.
Then something happens back home that forces Ellis to go back to Ireland. There she feels like home and is tempted by Domhall Gleeson’s’ Jim and her Mother to stay. She must decide where home is and where her loyalty lies.
I like that Jim and Ireland isn’t a bad choice. He’s a good guy and she’d probably have a good life there but it isn’t the chemistry she has with Tony. This leads to a tension of what ‘right’ choice is she going to make. Most of the time in these films it is so obvious who she is going to pick but not here.
Expect to see Brooklyn on your costume and hair/makeup ballots come Oscar time. Everything in this movie looks perfect. It’s all shot through cepia tones and you’d think Brooklyn and Ireland are still in 1952 for how real it looks. Ellis Island and the boat and everything looks so great. I loved all of Ellis’ 1950’s dresses and her ‘bathing costume’.
The music is also completely lovely by Michael Brook. There’s jazzy elements in New York sections and Irish inspired sections throughout. I’m not sure what the song is that a man at a homeless shelter sings but it is beautiful. This is a soundtrack and score I would consider purchasing I liked it so much.
Movies like Brooklyn are also a good reminder of the great immigrant heritage our country is founded upon. I won’t get too political but my best friend is the daughter of immigrants to this country and my brother is married to a woman with a greencard so it feels close to home. Immigrants make our country better. They’ve proven it time and time again.
So there you go. If you like movies about nice people living their lives then you will like Brooklyn. Take a break from the billion stupid action movies and spy movies and watch something sweet and simple.
It does have a few swears, sensuality and some seasickness on the boat is pretty gross.
