Cloverfield; A monster tale

Though I was apprehensive at first, I became very excited about this film. In the end, it did break alot of movie conventions and redefined the concept of how a big monster movie can be made, but it got bogged down where classic monster movies excel. I would say, in the end, I was disappointed by Cloverfield. It is going to be difficult discussing this movie without giving away too much.
Hits:
Opening- This movie began by throwing the audience off the route movie track. It was interesting and intriguing, while still developing the plot.
Monster- Though its origin can be thought out, at least in part, this monster was terrifying, but still believable. I could see this monster walking out of the sea, or sky, and I'd be terrified, but first I'd think, "Dang it, are you telling me no one saw this coming!"
Multiple Attack Patterns- This movie did to monster movies what House of 1,000 Corpses did to slasher films, it kept inventing new ways for passer byes to get hurt. It would have been awesome to see more of the varied attacks instead of focusing so much on the huge lumbering beast.
Military Might- So many films make the military the stone wall that must be overcome. Here, I feel that the military operated in a much more human pattern, wanting to help in what ever way help might be defined.
Camera Motivation- The cinematographer was able to find reasons to shoot a certain angle of an event where the camera move didn't feel forced to move there and told more about the experience of being there that a picture would be able.
Misses:
Film Style- Although innovative, painful at times. The angles and vantage points the hand-held field allowed gave this film an edge over the classics, but ultimately was nearly if not definitely painful to watch.
Acting- The acting in this movie can be compared to the acting found in Saw I. Many may not feel this way, but to me it was distracting and stilted.
Emotional Connection- If a monster is attacking a city, and I know the characters' relationships, I'm good to go for the film. I don't need to see long passages of characters being upset or crying; it gives me no new insight, as my imagination has already compensated and created the grief they feel, and it slows down the motion of the piece, the monster's aren't attacking.
Plot Holes- There are several items in the story which seem to not quite follow the logic of the established guidelines. First off, a monster can destroy Manhattan, but, presumably, cannot cross the water. A rain of small monsters can fall from the big monster, but there are only a handful running in the city. Etc.
Up-Close shot of the Monster's Face- Through the entire movie, the filmmakers were able to avoid directly showing the monster, though it was seen from enough angles to know what it looked like. Then, in the end, there is a close-up of a face that looks like the most simple cross between the things from I am Legend and the Shriekers from Tremors III.

Cloverfield was over-hyped and the production staff spent too much time trying to recreate a genre and ignoring what informed the genre in the first place. I feel that Cloverfield will do to monster films what 28 Days did to zombie films, so for that reason I am very excited about the next crop of monster movies, but what would really excite me would be the entirety of Cloverfield being about a fifteen to thirty minute intro to another film which focused on the aftermath. This film would begin when the monster retreated or died, but now Manhattan is flooded with little monsters, and zombies/exploding people. This way Cloverfield could truly finish the what it started by opening the door to so many attack patterns.
*Additionally*The picture I have posted for this film came from a fan posting on The unofficial Cloverfield Blog

I'm Not There

I'm Not There a.k.a Cate Blanchett plays a drunk/drugged Bob Dylan with other famous actors delivering the odd line and a black boy. This movie reminds me of every reason I want to be a huge celebrity and how much it sucks to have to not be the main event. This movie would have been much better had it been truncated about thirty minutes. I didn't understand the chronology of the film nor did I understand the intended effect on the audience. I do however understand that, if I was 45 or 50, had idolized Bob Dylan as a developing artist, and was slightly pretentious, I would have eaten this film up like some people do Mama Mia. Looking at photos from the film and listening to Bob Dylan as I write this, I get more excited about the possibility of the film than I ever did during the film. None of this is to say that I didn't like the film, there were parts which I did enjoy and I heard several new Bob Dylan songs and renditions that I will listen to for several years to come. Overall, a descent film; better if you are a big Dylan fan or see with a big Dylan fan.
Hits:
The Actors- Each of the actors, except possibly Marcus Franklin, did an amazing job. I'm going to mention my two favorites in greater detail, but they each did a great job.
Cate Blanchett- Although her part of the film had very little arc, Cate Blanchett created an interesting character. Once I got past the fact that it was her, I was able to forget is was cross gender casting, but more than that, or aside from that, she was intreging to watch made great choices.
Christian Bale- A small part with, again, no arc, but Christian Bale was able to create a very interesting character as well. His character choices hindered him, at times, caused him to be locked away from the audience with a difficulty opening up.
Wardrobe- Within the movie there is a scene that takes places in a town where all the citizens are dressed for Halloween. The costumes used in this segment were amazing, especially on child dressed as a tumble weed.
Editing- There were a handful of times throughout the film in which a sound was begun at the end of one scene and then would transform into something else in the next scene or objects would blur to reveal another object. It's a kind of editing that takes more creativity and I enjoy.
Jesus Scene-Despite the entire rest of the film, there is one amazing scene in which Dylan and Allen Ginsberg yell at a statue of Jesus on a Cross. It's short, but says more than is in the text. I wish all scene could be as versatile and yet brief as this scene.
Misses:
Story- What exactly did I watch. Although well acted, I'm not sure what the meaning or plot was. It's an artsy film, where I can create reasons for what happened, but I have no idea what it was supposed to be.
Forced Music-There were several points in this film in which I felt the writer forcing a scene into the script or adding lines into a scene in order to make a certain Dylan song relevant to be played in the scene.
Gender- Cate Blanchett is referred to as both a man and a woman. Make a choice.
Like I mentioned earlier, if I was a bigger Dylan fan or if I went with a big Dylan fan I would have understood and appreciated this film more. I also wish the film hadn't been hyped up to me before I saw it. It's a nice artsy indy film, end of story.

Into the Wild

To begin; I read the book before seeing the movie, so I lacked the anticipation and unknown expectation while watching the film that someone who doesn't know the story might feel. I put off seeing this film because, reading the book, I was off-put by the character of Chris/Supertramp. I will say, although I still don't love Supertramp, the film painted a softer picture of the person than I had read in the book. However, much of this softening can be attributed to less emphasis on those characteristic which are unattractive.
It is hard to comment on this because I left with such a luke-warm feeling about the film as a whole; there were parts of interest and parts of thought, but very few parts of personal/emotional connection. It is worth seeing this film for some of the cinematography and to have the challenges and goals of one's personal life questioned.
Hits
Story- While I don't like the main character and don't agree with most of his choices, for someone to chase their dreams/demons at the cost of their own life and in opposition to the standard/normal way of getting through life, it calls into question the essence of society. Movies with a question for the audience are always worth seeing and thinking about.
Emile Hirsch- While his acting didn't blow me away. He put his body through alot to make this picture. There is one story that when the crew went to shoot the rapids scene they drove past the class 3 rapids he had been prepared and trained to film and stopped at class 5 which he was told they would film him shooting without any dry-runs.
Misses
Character Development- I didn't hate Supertramp, but I didn't really care for anyone in the movie. I felt I was watching dominos fall; interesting to watch, but ultimately a non-spiritual event.

*Additionally* Vince Vaughn is no longer an actor. He has become a personality who is funny, likable, and charming no matter what the role. I cannot see him ever playing Norman Bates again.

On Daniel Day-Lewis

Following my viewing of There Will Be Blood , I was sitting at work and Gangs of New York came on the television. Thus began my research on Daniel Day-Lewis. I still have several movies to see in which he stars, but I'm listing listing below those I have seen and my reaction to them.
I will list them in the order in which I saw them, since seeing There Will Be Blood .
Gangs of New York:
This movie is great. When I first saw it, when I was a senior in High School, I thought it was too drawn out and unfocused. However, Since I have matured, I appreciate the creation of this new world and the time it takes to live in this world. There are very few films in which the director and writer take time, instead of ramming the story down a persons throat before they have a chance to leave. Daniel Day-Lewis branches out in this film and separates himself from any other role I have seen him portray; he portrays both great fear and loneliness while hunted by anger and resentment. There is a direct correlation between Bill the Butcher and Daniel Plainview, there are differences in the character, but watching Gangs a person can see a line from which Daniel Plainview grew.
The Ballad of Jack and Rose:
Although on first watch this film came off as disjointed and more of an authors mouthpiece than a story, it has stayed with me. I find this as a result from most films that try and capture life with very little story or intense plot device. There is always something itchy about watching people being wrung through emotional situations which I can relate directly too. In comparison to all the other films I've seen with Daniel Day-Lewis, in this film he doesn't seem to be acting or putting on a character. That is not to say he comes off as over-acting or consciously acting in the other films, but there is something much more subdued and revealing about this character. I feel that this is the movie to watch in order to see him move about space encountering obstacles as a normal person, not a person facing any outward aggression or obstacles. This is not a great film, but it has moments of humanity that stay with me and might resonate in everyone.

NoteI first watched this film because Paul Dano was in this with Daniel Day-Lewis and, I've heard, this is the reason he was given the opportunity to replace one of the leads in There Will Be Blood when the actor playing the part backed out.
The Boxer:
There Will Be Blood is the first movie I saw knowing Daniel Day-Lewis as an established actor. Although I had seen him in Gangs before, I hadn't known him as someone worth watching. Though I had only seen one film featuring him at the time, I knew Daniel Day-Lewis had done My Left Foot and shortly afterwards found out he was in In the Name of the Father; the first of which he won the Oscar, the ladder he got nominated for the Oscar. Both of these films were directed by Jim Sheridan, he also directed The Boxer.
This film is worth watching commercial free. It's a very Irish tale about a very Irish topic, which the director states 'Americans don't get'. It feels confused, a small real life tale trapped in an action/political film. This is not confused though if the viewer understands that, in Belfast during the dates of the film, real life was part action/political film.
As for his part, Daniel Day-Lewis spent years in training for this part. In my opinion, he took an interesting take on the character. He stated that, before he took the part, he had to try boxing to see if he loved the sport, and if he didn't love the sport he shouldn't tell the story. This is interesting to me because, were it I who had been offered the part, I probably would have looked to see if I liked the travel of the character before I accepted the part. There is one scene which should not be missed. Danny Flynn (Day-Lewis) is approached by his love interest and asked to leave. The writing of this scene is great for a part which poses that the two lovers are doing nothing wrong and won't let others believe they are. Excellent. The acting is great because Day-Lewis almost underplays the scene. It could be a very angry scene, but the suppression/control of the anger is more human. I know alot more people who think than do yell. I really enjoyed seeing Day-Lewis let the scene progress rather than explode.
A Room with a View:
Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis is in this film as well; though I might not have noticed had I not had fore knowledge. This is another film in which Daniel Day-Lewis becomes a completely different character, with its own mannerisms and personality quirks. I watched this movie because I was told it was Helena Bonham-Carter's best work. It's very old, 1985, and she is good in it, but I think she has grown along with her craft. The high point I take away for this film is much like what I took away from The Boxer. I watched these back to back. There is a scene in which Lucy (Bonham-Carter) decides to break her engagement with Cecil (Day-Lewis), thought it was later pointed out to me that much of this can be attributed to the script, Day-Lewis again underplays this scene. Some might attempt a cry or some kind of show of sadness, it almost feels like Day-Lewis expects his audience to identify the emotion without any sign from the actor. Like, "We all know it hurts to have someone you love tell you they don't love you; I'm not in a place to cry, what good would it do anyway; so lets get on with it and feel this together." I like understatement, it works if the rest of the story is strong enough that the viewer is attached to and believes in the character.

Re-post of Top Past Reviews

I moved some of my favorite movie reviews to this new blog extension just in case people missed them they can look over them here. The reviews themselves may or may not be great, but the films are definitely worth checking out.

Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia poster
Originally uploaded by bobbychristian

I was told upon arriving in Los Angeles that Lawrence of Arabia is one of the best films of all time, but must be seen for the first time on the big screen. Two years later, I collide with the film on a big screen at the Egyptian Theatre
Before I start talking about the movie, I want to say that the Egyptian Theatre is definitely worth checking out at least once; the people that work there are polite (not in a forced corporate way, but like really polite caring people) the atmosphere, while I can't quite put a finger on why, is mystical (it feels like the golden age of Hollywood just left the seat you sit in).
Now for the movie, I didn't feel the time, but, since facts are facts, it is long, very long. The epic scale of the movie wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be except that it was real life action, which I had to keep reminding myself.
Highlights:
Actors in Black Face: I don't particularly believe black face acting to be racist, but, since most people do, it was cool to see a flashback to old Hollywood.
The Script: While I was watching the film I was surprised by several of the character choices. I don't believe the writing was trying to be different, but it was written in a different atmosphere and different time. The choice that stuck out the most was when Lawrence's original guide through the desert was shot by Sherif Ali. Following the shooting Sherif Ali offered his friendship to Lawrence who turned it down saying "none of my friends are murderers."
Drags
Peter O'Toole: O'Toole did a fantastic job conveying this complex character. That said, there is a quote, "if O'Toole was any prettier the movie would be called Florence of Arabia." That is completely true. He as a ton of 'pretty' shoots in the film. Which brings me to point two.
Make-up: It was a different time, but sometimes the make-up was a little much. This does not contradict my blackface comment.

Overall, the movie is great. The story was so much more complex than I had expected or imagined. Maybe I'm just growing up, but alot of the older epic films I watched in my life have a simple plot which good guys and bad guys and not too much gray area, but this was different. This was one of the few films where I feel a great complication in the character, and I knew Lawrence and O'Toole were struggling to define who they are. There was alot of complex plot to the movie as well, but having such a clear character complication made the movie so much more real. Additionally, I think it's important to state that making the movie more real in this manner didn't take away from the fantasy or the fantastic nature of the story, somehow it strengthened it.

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood
Originally uploaded by bobbychristian

This is not the greatest movie of all time, but it is really really good. There are a lot of reasons go see this film, but leaving, despite all else, I knew I had seen something fresh and new. It's odd to say a movie can be fresh and new because, like all other films, it's a period, almost three hours, of people talking, living, etc in a frame, but thinking over the film it stuck out as having a different, unique approach to all these standards; there were long periods of silence, without seeming to be silent, a fantastic score, risky committed acting, very little blood, and fantastic cinematography.
HITS
Daniel Day-Lewis There's a reason this man can retire to become a cobbler in Italy for five years and still be an A-list actor. He breathed unique delivery into each scene he was in as well as seeming incorporating everything happening in the world of the film at that time. He took chances and made bold choices, he stood out.
Score There was a notable underscore because the backing music was a character all by itself. It, like the rest of the film, took chances. It was jarring and experimental, but fit and involving.
Silence I didn't know if this would classify as directing or script, but since both belong to P.T. Anderson, and this is his film, I'm giving the silence it's own category. This film took time. It wasn't rushed it arrived when it was needed. I think this speaks to its somewhat limited release, it expects to be wanted; it doesn't try and rush an audience in and out with a good aftertaste.
Misses
Paul Dano It isn't completely fair to blame Dano for his problems, he was brought in because the previous actor couldn't work opposite Daniel Day-Lewis and he was opposite Daniel Day-Lewis. BUT, he didn't have the depth that was needed in certain scenes. Several times the counterpoint between Daniel Plainview, Day-Lewis, and Eli Sunday, Dano, seemed more like a ox battling a fly, almost comic. This was a great script, but a very challenging script and I think the scenes that worked the least are both the actor and the directors fault.
Abundance of Short Scene The longer scene gave time to let the colors the actors and director were working with spread out and evolve. The short scene sometimes seemed locked in, mechanical. There were still interesting, but they stood in such a contrast to the scene where the actors could stretch out they seemed harder, more alloted that organic.

Thinking back over possible misses, I keep coming to the end of the film and every time and blown away by the take Daniel Day-Lewis took on the final line. In a place where it could have all fallen apart, it was bolted together by relying on the innovation that flowed through the whole movie.
I liked this movie, I've only seen it once, but I will probably enjoy it more and more as I re-watch it.
One piece of advice, don't read the script before you go see it.

NEW Blog Extension

Hello everyone-
This is a new blog extension to my Craft and Conscience Blog; if you haven't checked that blog out yet, give it a look. On the craftandconscience blog I host music, videos, etc that I have worked on or created.
As for this blog, I'm hosting only movie reviews here. I had them hosted on my other blog, but readers were having trouble finding my work through all the reviews, so I'm moving them here to clear it all up.
Check back often, since I don't know when I'll be watching movies I can't promise posts everyday or every other day, but I will promise a few new posts each week.