Strangely enough, the only time Holly Golightly has something like a breakfast at Tiffany's is at the start of the movie where the title card is rolling. I also couldn't help but notice that all the credits were placed in the beginning of the movie. There is just a 'The End' when the movie finishes.
Yesterday was the first time I saw this movie; it was actually the first time I saw anything with Audrey Hepburn in it. Yes, I know, I post movie reviews here, and I haven't seen the essentials. But whatever, I enjoyed this movie. Like I mentioned before, there is something about older movies - about them being a time capsule of culture but also about the way people made films.
There is something about New York City and the movies. It is like the feel of the city hasn't changed over the years. Look at the empty landscape in some of the scenic shots in the movie, and you don't think it's been more than fifty years since the movie was made. What does change is the fashions and the cars. I mean the cars in those times. They were bulky, but you can see their charm through the chrome details and the excessive curves in them. And the smoking, everybody smokes in this movie, and they smoke everywhere, and they use matches. Damn, and there were only landline telephones back then, they had a character on their own. Hell, they even made phone dialing pins!
The audience may find a little problem with the stereotypical portrayal of people of a different race. I am referring to Mr Yunioshi - a Japanese man portrayed by a white actor. It is such a cartoon it might as well be just racist. Sure, it might be, but it didn't bother me. Mr Yunioshi is a character that's meant to deal with Miss Golightly's stunts. Besides he is not the only one behaving based on his race - the only difference is that he gets a lot more screen time. Take Jose, the rich man from Brazil for example, quite Latin wouldn't you say? Pretty much all the supporting cast acts as their type-cast roll.
But the biggest impact I felt from this movie came from Paul Varjak when he says to Holly that she is now pretty much his, that she belongs to him - almost as his property; and he does say it this way repeatedly.
Now, I don't recall any romantic movies of recent times using that approach or anything near that posessive. Paul Varjak is portrayed to be a very kind man, and he said it because that is the way people used to talk in those days, and it worked - maybe it is something that is applicable to today --
If you're a fan of romantic comedies, Breakfast at Tiffany's is worth the watch. The love story in this one is what gets you. It is like not many others - they do not need a romantic montage for them to fall in love.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Instructions Not Included [No se aceptan devoluciones] (2013) - Movie Review
First, let me get this out of the way: Julie, the mother of the child is a cunt. Sure she comes around at the end, but only after repeated attempts to get her to change; and more than change it was like her giving up -- enough of that, I think I've done enough woman bashing in my reviews. Besides, she is only around to get the plot moving.
This movie I loved. As with most movies, this one is a product of the culture from where it comes from. With the better international movies; you aren't just seeing the different clothing style; the different landscapes; the language - with their accents and their mannerisms; seeing different races. You see a different school of filmmaking through the shot selections as well as in the editing. There is a different type of a story even - and that's what I loved about this movie. Sure, it was made in Mexico, and you know its a Mexican movie, but the movie itself is about the story of a father and his little girl.
What this movie does excellent is its take on its theme: life and death. In fact, my favorite scenes are, near the end, when Valentin goes back to his home, to the restaurant by the beach. After he finds out his father had died, his friend talks to him; not sure about its effectiveness as consolation, but I couldn't help but laugh - reminiscent of Cantinflas. There is also one more monologue while the credits are playing, after the first song.
I really enjoyed the way this movie takes its time in introducing the story and our main character. I first thought this was going to be a slap-stick movie about a womanizing guy and his funny gags with a baby. But then it turns out to be something much more likable, and much more sweet. It felt as though was watching two different movies - in a very good way, what delivery.
One of the things that stood out to me was that. Yes, we see this progress of him being a party boy to being a dad, but people still think of him being this irresponsible, overly-spoiling parent - only to show the kind of heart that this man really has
This movie I loved. As with most movies, this one is a product of the culture from where it comes from. With the better international movies; you aren't just seeing the different clothing style; the different landscapes; the language - with their accents and their mannerisms; seeing different races. You see a different school of filmmaking through the shot selections as well as in the editing. There is a different type of a story even - and that's what I loved about this movie. Sure, it was made in Mexico, and you know its a Mexican movie, but the movie itself is about the story of a father and his little girl.
What this movie does excellent is its take on its theme: life and death. In fact, my favorite scenes are, near the end, when Valentin goes back to his home, to the restaurant by the beach. After he finds out his father had died, his friend talks to him; not sure about its effectiveness as consolation, but I couldn't help but laugh - reminiscent of Cantinflas. There is also one more monologue while the credits are playing, after the first song.
I really enjoyed the way this movie takes its time in introducing the story and our main character. I first thought this was going to be a slap-stick movie about a womanizing guy and his funny gags with a baby. But then it turns out to be something much more likable, and much more sweet. It felt as though was watching two different movies - in a very good way, what delivery.
One of the things that stood out to me was that. Yes, we see this progress of him being a party boy to being a dad, but people still think of him being this irresponsible, overly-spoiling parent - only to show the kind of heart that this man really has
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie (2014) - Movie Reviews
Link to the movie: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/avgn
The movie came was made available yesterday on the link above. The Nerd said he would be making the movie available in more sites as soon as he figures out some kinks.
AVGN is an independent movie from one of the most important YouTube personalities of all time. He is one of the first to mix videogame reviews with his own brand of comedy - there is nothing like his angry shit, piss, diarrhea, and vomit loaded rants to describe a shitty game - hell, his first reviews were made before there was YouTube. People could argue the Nerd is the one responsible for the rise of so many comedic reviewers on the internet. But enough of sucking James Rolfe's cock; time to review the movie:
Now, it is very hard to review this movie without being biased. I get the Nerd's humor, he is one of my inspirations. I get what this movie is about; I've followed the progress of this movie since he announced it, so I know the effort that went behind it. I am a fan after all. So yes, I liked it, and yes I would recommend watching it if you're a fan, but as a regular movie watcher... well, that's at your own discretion.
It is a movie that was funded by the fans, and it was made for the fans - so there is some fan worship, particularly in the beginning, and near the end. It is deliberately a B type movie. So he quality of everything in this movie: the acting, effects, photography, and editding is there to give the movie its own tone. The movie uses references that only the fans would understand, but there are a lot more jokes that the general public can be in on. You can tell that from the brainstorming, to the script writing, fund raising, pre-production, and the production (the Nerd seemed to have been suffering during the post-production stage) this movie was made to give the audience a great piece of entertainment. It is a tribute to the subculture those who become nearly obsessed about things that the general public isn't into. It is a movie for nerds like me.
If I were to give this movie a bleak review I could say that this movie is just a very long internet episode with this character, and that the humor is a little too unrefined and childish. There are points in the movie that get very slow, particularly in the first hour. And the biggest problem is that you have to understand that the movie is about a nerdy video game reviewer for you to fully appreciate the movie.
Where this movie excels is in its re-watchability. There are so many jokes thrown into every minute that you are bound to miss a couple on a first watch. This is the type of movie that you can just have it play in the background, or you can just tune into the middle of a scene and just watch; it is that ridiculous. What is undeniable is the love that has gone into every single scene. I think that is something any movie watcher can seriously appreciate. This being a low-budget first-time feature length movie, James Rolfe could have chosen to make a character-based movie that would be polished but with little effects; or he could have cut out some scenes. But no, he had to go all out. In this particular dream sequence: the first scene is him being stuck in this video game world; the next scene he gets attacked by some alien plant that was clearly a massive puppet; and then he is at a funfair -which is only used for this sequence - where he gets attacked by zombies.
The humor isn't just all loud shit-references or the bombastic characters in the movie. My favorite joke comes from the editing, and it is a very small one. There is a scene where there are five asian people witnessing their city being terrorized by a monster (they are supposed to be Japanese). As they turn around to flee - the camera switches angle - and we see five different faces; like I wouldn't notice. It was quite clever.
The movie came was made available yesterday on the link above. The Nerd said he would be making the movie available in more sites as soon as he figures out some kinks.
AVGN is an independent movie from one of the most important YouTube personalities of all time. He is one of the first to mix videogame reviews with his own brand of comedy - there is nothing like his angry shit, piss, diarrhea, and vomit loaded rants to describe a shitty game - hell, his first reviews were made before there was YouTube. People could argue the Nerd is the one responsible for the rise of so many comedic reviewers on the internet. But enough of sucking James Rolfe's cock; time to review the movie:
Now, it is very hard to review this movie without being biased. I get the Nerd's humor, he is one of my inspirations. I get what this movie is about; I've followed the progress of this movie since he announced it, so I know the effort that went behind it. I am a fan after all. So yes, I liked it, and yes I would recommend watching it if you're a fan, but as a regular movie watcher... well, that's at your own discretion.
It is a movie that was funded by the fans, and it was made for the fans - so there is some fan worship, particularly in the beginning, and near the end. It is deliberately a B type movie. So he quality of everything in this movie: the acting, effects, photography, and editding is there to give the movie its own tone. The movie uses references that only the fans would understand, but there are a lot more jokes that the general public can be in on. You can tell that from the brainstorming, to the script writing, fund raising, pre-production, and the production (the Nerd seemed to have been suffering during the post-production stage) this movie was made to give the audience a great piece of entertainment. It is a tribute to the subculture those who become nearly obsessed about things that the general public isn't into. It is a movie for nerds like me.
If I were to give this movie a bleak review I could say that this movie is just a very long internet episode with this character, and that the humor is a little too unrefined and childish. There are points in the movie that get very slow, particularly in the first hour. And the biggest problem is that you have to understand that the movie is about a nerdy video game reviewer for you to fully appreciate the movie.
Where this movie excels is in its re-watchability. There are so many jokes thrown into every minute that you are bound to miss a couple on a first watch. This is the type of movie that you can just have it play in the background, or you can just tune into the middle of a scene and just watch; it is that ridiculous. What is undeniable is the love that has gone into every single scene. I think that is something any movie watcher can seriously appreciate. This being a low-budget first-time feature length movie, James Rolfe could have chosen to make a character-based movie that would be polished but with little effects; or he could have cut out some scenes. But no, he had to go all out. In this particular dream sequence: the first scene is him being stuck in this video game world; the next scene he gets attacked by some alien plant that was clearly a massive puppet; and then he is at a funfair -which is only used for this sequence - where he gets attacked by zombies.
The humor isn't just all loud shit-references or the bombastic characters in the movie. My favorite joke comes from the editing, and it is a very small one. There is a scene where there are five asian people witnessing their city being terrorized by a monster (they are supposed to be Japanese). As they turn around to flee - the camera switches angle - and we see five different faces; like I wouldn't notice. It was quite clever.
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