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josephinecarvill
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Verdens verste menneske (2021)
This film has simultaneously uplifted and destroyed me. Wow.
The Worst Person in the World is flawless? Emotions are inconceivable. Life is inconceivable.
This film captures love (and life) so poignantly. Julie (Renate Reinsve) aimlessly wonders through her early 30s with no visceral trajectory in mind. Impossible decisions shape her path as she searches for... an idea, a connection, something, anything.
Trier builds interpersonal tensions wonderfully; the almost palpable chemistry portrayed by Julie and Eivind, conflicted with the comfortability and tenderness of Julie and Aksel's relationship. Everything is felt: nervous excitement for Julie's infidelity, an overwhelming devastation for her ex partner succumbing to cancer, a melancholy satisfaction for her eventual appeasement... This film explores the notion of inevitably, along with the idea of questioning every action you make, hopelessly wondering if you will regret it.
Julie is an individual who is yearning. She is insatiable. Her objective is constantly clouded by her desire to exist in a life she thinks she wants rather than accepting the present.
Trier is able to so eloquently capture these achingly beautiful moments. I have not had a film affect me this much before.
I love and I hate The Worst Person in the World.
The Last Duel (2021)
Oh the vanity of man.
What a film.
"It's about me! Ignore my wife who was raped. I am the centre of attention. MY honour is at risk. Never mind what she has gone through. HER rape has deeply wounded ME!"
Bloody incredible film. A timeless subject dealt with superbly.
The blind stupidity of the male gaze.
V for Vendetta (2005)
Remember remember, V for Vendetta...
This film is so much more than a comic book film related to Guy Fawkes. Its intricacies regarding politics, morality, sense of self and what it wholly represents; liberation.
V for Vendetta shares a relationship with anarchy, shown through V's belief in the absence of government. The film depicts a corrupt and totalitarian government in which V aims to destroy.
The symbolism behind the mask is one of utmost genius! V strives for anarchy and freedom and therefore a disbelief in hierarchy. The mask is a perfect representation of this as it implies unity. As the identity of V is never revealed, we understand that the identity is not of importance, the sole importance is the message behind the mask - and the message the mask seeks to tell...
We are also invited to observe Evey and V's ever-blossoming relationship, with V's eventual admission of his love for her. It seems strange to fall in love with an onscreen couple where one partner remains masked and unknown, but the way their relationship is built upon yearns for me to have a complete adoration for their deeply personable and honest chemistry.
It matters not what is behind the mask, V's identity lies within his actions.
Every year I watch this film and every year I love it a little more.
Remember remember V for Vendetta...
"Evey, please. There is a face beneath this mask but it's not me. I'm no more that face than I am the muscles beneath it or the bones beneath them." - V
"He was Edmond Dantés... and he was my father. And my mother... my brother... my friend. He was you... and me. He was all of us." - Evey.
Beneath the Harvest Sky (2013)
A unique and moving story
The ending could not have been more perfect.
It really brought together the whole story; a circular structure that will leave you undoubtedly moved.
I really enjoyed this film... Such a unique story that's explores an interesting and often overlooked way of life; the potato harvesting industry in Maine.
It was unlike anything I had seen before, aided by fanatic performances from all of the cast! Everything felt very real.
It was interesting to discover that the talented writers and directors - Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly - come from a documentary background!
This was definitely incited into the film, with the extremely raw elements of realism. Beautifully written and shot too!
I highly recommend this film. It's something out of the ordinary yet it has a deep sense of sorrow and empathy that we can indeed all relate to.
Kudos to everyone involved! Great film.
Treacle Jr. (2010)
My new favourite film...
What a fantastic film. Treacle Jr is quite unlike any film I have seen! Hats off to Jamie Thraves and to the incredible cast for creating a real gem.
Despite such an evident contrast between the two lead actors, the realism portrayed by both Aidan Gillen and Tom Fisher is unmatched.
Firstly, you have Aidan's character of Aidan (perfectly suited), who is a kind, unknowingly funny, child-like adult whose mind seems to always be in overdrive. Despite having almost nothing, his character remains wonderfully optimistic.
Then we have Tom's character of Tom (very fitting); a sullen and inhibited man whose views are seemingly pessimistic.
Such a stark contrast between the pair makes for a very unlikely friendship... but as the film goes on, the audience realise that the impact they have on one another's lives is exactly what each needs in order to move on with their own lives; their desires are also incomparably different.
Aidan's acting was mesmerising; absolutely flawless. There was such a helpless naivety about his character that really intrigued me. A man who has such an optimistic view on a world that's so unkind to him.... His joy in such little things and his willingness to prevail. Yet there is an underlying sadness that comes with his character; the harsh truth that his dreams are very much but a dream.
It made me overwhelmingly sad as the audience realise this, and Tom realises this, but he does not... Or perhaps he does realise, nevertheless his hope shines through. Either way, this aspect of Aidan's character made the ending so much more bittersweet.
I was smiling yet balling my eyes out at the same time.
Tom was also fantastic. His character was played so well that I'd forgotten the pair were actors. I really felt like I was watching a man who was constantly on the verge of breaking point. Both characters' endings left me feeling fulfilled yet empty... perhaps if you've seen it, you'll understand. If not, watch it!
Kudos to the two tremendously captivating performances and massive kudos to Jamie Thraves for creating such a beautifully moving film. I was sent on a real rollercoaster of emotions.
Not to mention, the film certainly follows its element of "black comedy" with its extremely funny moments in particularly dark, tense scenes.
This might just be my new favourite film.
Also, as I'm writing this in 2020, Aidan's character has taught me to cherish the positives. I aspire to have optimism and joy for the little things in life.
This film is one of them.
Blackout (2008)
Elevating ;)
I'll be honest, I don't think this deserves a 10 but I wanted to add a little bit of spice to the mix.
I watched this film for Aidan Gillen but actually rather enjoyed it. I think I was more disappointed that the ending was "happy" rather than actually being disappointed by the film as a whole. I was hoping for something darker to aid the plot prior to the finale, since the film explored a lot of pretty morbid themes (especially with Aidan's character).
However, I can understand the reasoning for the female character to be the one to get out alive.
Overall, it was a decent flick! I liked the way it was shot and the tint used was visually pleasing.
Furthermore, the acting was top notch all round. Considering the entire film (more or less) took place in an elevator, time seemed to go very quickly as the film was well-paced, with edgy camera movements and cutaway scenes to support this.
Do I recommend it? Yes! Give it a go. If you liked Devil, you might like this.
Trouble with Sex (2005)
Littlefinger is sexy
Other than the fact that all the background actors were literal planks (especially the character of Ivan), I actually enjoyed this film. The score was somewhat tedious after a while but pretty nonetheless.
I think I heard the same guitar tune so much that I failed to acknowledge any background misc whatsoever. Another notable sound feature was the overlay of moans during intimate scenes, which was... interesting to say the least.
However, in terms of the actual film, Aidan Gillen and Renée Wilson had a great onscreen chemistry and there were some very sweet and tender moments! Perhaps if there was more dialogue between the pair, the film could have taken a more heartfelt turn; building a more three dimensional character complex for the both of them.
I only found this film recently and picked it up because I think Gillen is a fantastic actor.
Needless to say, it was actually quite a little treat.
Oh, and Aidan Gillen is adorable.
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)
An insult to the comics
I tried to enjoy this film, I really did... but I was just inconceivably frustrated throughout. As an avid DC fan, I was extremely disappointed with pretty much the entire film.
1. The characters.
Black Mask doesn't even come close to the badass villain he is in the comics- a mass murderer who wears a mask carved from his own father's coffin... not some club owner who wears glitter gloves. Seems like a knockoff Suicide Squad Joker to me! No offence to Ewan McGregor- He's just not the man for the job.
Generally, the characters are poorly constructed with little to no development or arcs. Although, the screenwriting can be held to account for this. I was also incredibly annoyed that they killed off the Joker at the start. Personally, I enjoyed the relationship between the Joker and Harley in Suicide Squad and felt as though they could have progressed that aspect more rather than destroy him with little to no real reason. A backstory behind their twisted love story perhaps ???
2. The writing.
Did the writers even read the comics ??
Honestly, I still couldn't give you a simple plot summary because the story is so directionless and Harley's narrative segments are just cringeworthy.
The film seems to emphasise "men are bad" throughout, despite the whole story being based upon the fact that Harley no longer has Mr J to protect her...
I'm all for girl power but personally, as a woman, when it's THIS repetitive, it gets boring.
3. Action.
Perhaps the film's only redeeming quality... the action sequences. They look good and that's about it but hey! I'm struggling to find pros here.
Some people may say "oooh but the comic characters are meant to be interpreted differently so it's okay if they're not the same as the originals". I agree with this but not if it's a shoddy script with utterly atrocious character creations.
Someone referred to Tim Burton's Batman when I argued that this film is an insult to DC... a comparison between the two clearly shows their minimal understanding of a good DC film.
4. I could write so much more but I don't want to waste much more time on this train wreck.
Even the soundtrack is tawdry.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
Blue Car (2002)
Blue Car gets a Gold Star
What a fantastic film. I felt compelled to leave a review after reading such mixed opinions...
Firstly, I always support independent films so I was delighted to finally watch this ! The acting was remarkable... David Strathairn as a disheveled yet seemingly charming English teacher, and Agnes Bruckner as a wholly damaged student whom we feel deeply sorry for. Meg (Bruckner) takes comfort in her English teacher, perhaps because she sees him as a father figure, replacing the void of her own father who walked out on her (blue car). Meanwhile Auster (Strathairn) takes a callous path. What starts out as a shared connection over the loss of a loved one, turns out to be nothing but malice and lies. The object of Auster's desire was always discernible. Yet at first, we are invited to empathise with Auster since he seems to have a profound understanding of Meg's sorrow. Through his actions of 'kindness' , Meg's initial perception of Auster has obvious connotations of love and longing. As an audience, we are therefore invited to sympathise with the romantic abstraction of Meg and Auster since both parties appear to help one another. However, the audience's perception is altered by Meg's gradual discovery of Auster's lies and the underlying truth of his spoken false promises; the novel for example, and also his despicable ulterior motives- "Blue Car, Gold Star..."
The characters were portrayed so wonderfully, it was as though they weren't even acting. Thus hats off to the incredibly talented actors and actresses (Bruckner and Strathairn in particular) for creating an honest coming of age, aided by marvellous screenwriting.
& Kudos to Karen Moncrieff for making such a brilliant film.
Breathe In (2013)
It's in the eyes...
Breathe in... wow.
Often in films, eye contact is the most sincere way to portray affection between two characters. This film MASTERED that skill. Throughout "Breathe in", a purposeful lack of eye contact was just as powerful as a locked gaze.
This film was most certainly not what I expected. The cliché story of an uninspired teacher falling in love with a younger girl... It's been tediously repeated. However, this film felt so utterly unique.
I was captivated from start to finish. There was a constant sense of tension, yet with no strident actions to aid it. There were many scenes with near to no dialogue between Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones, nonetheless an imprudent desire was evident. Their performances were just so eloquently honest.
This film not only looked beautiful, it sounded beautiful too. With one of the film's focal points being music - Sophie (Felicity Jones) as a somewhat piano prodigy and Guy Pearce as an acclaimed cello player- the soundtrack aided the film superbly. Simple and delicate yet powerful enough to tear at my heartstrings.
Perhaps it's shameful that I was rooting for the impossible to happen although I knew it was not morally right. The connection between Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones was overwhelming. A mere touch spoke a thousand words.
I was in sheds of tears by the end of this film. I felt compelled to watch it immediately after since I did not want it to conclude. "Breathe in" is a film that I know will sit with me for a long time...
And not to mention how clever the ending was... my god.
Please watch this film. I really can't recommend it enough!
Joker (2019)
Phoenix is phenomenal
As an avid DC fan, I have been waiting so long to see this film and last night, I finally did. After all the hype, I was sceptical as to whether or not it would actually meet its potential.
It's safe to say that it scored well above and beyond anything I imagined.
Joaquin Phoenix is phenomenal. His acting feels very raw; such a troubled character who's played so beautifully. Whilst you will always get the comparative question of "who's better? Ledger or Phoenix?" I argue that the two explore completely different stages in the Joker's life and thus are utterly incomparable. Phoenix's performance did not feel like a performance, more-so an observation into the life of a man who I truly felt devastatingly sorry for. His actions of violence seemed like the right thing to do and I almost agreed with the murderous actions he inflicted. Marvel, eat your heart out. You've met your match!