2011 Movies - Another Earth

Another Earth

On the night of the discovery of a duplicate planet in the solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.

I'm blasting back to December 2011 today, because I thought I should really comment on this movie. It was a sci-fi drama... kind of. It's hard to categorise, but I can honestly say no film got to me as much as this one did last year. It was the last original film I saw in 2011 and even now I can't stop thinking about how I want to watch it again.

Basically, it tells the story of a young girl. She's smart and set on going to some great school in America, she has her whole life ahead of her, until she accidentally fucks everything up. She drink drives. She's listening to a radio station break some news on another planet visible in the night sky that has signs of life - so, like you would, she looks up to see if she can see it. But, it's not the best idea, drunk or otherwise, and she accidentally ploughs into a family in a car, killing the woman and child but leaving the husband in a coma.

Off she goes to jail, and when she comes out 5 or so years later she's a changed person. No longer being able to start a fantastic life she becomes somewhat of a hermit. All in this time people are investigating this new world that is getting continuously closer to Earth.

The guy who was in a coma is now awake and he, too, has become a shell of his former self - the story centres on her attempt to apologise for wrecking his life, but she can't go through with it and so accidentally becomes a cleaner in his house. They befriend each other - he, because he needs someone to talk to, and she because she wants to help him, but can't. They cling to each other and the relationship starts to take on an unexpected life of it's own.

In the meantime people are trying to contact this other planet, which is an exact duplicate of Earth - when they do make contact they decide to send some people over there, and hold a competition for civilians to go, because, well, why the hell not?

The girl enters and wins, and then decides to tell this man who she really is. And then all hell breaks loose for  everyone involved.

I've tried to write this with as little spoiler-ness as possible, so to describe the end all I can say is, this, much like Shame, is one that leaves you wanting more. You don't really know what the ending could mean, as there are many ways to interpret the events.

With a stunning soundtrack and a haunting storyline this film could be one of the greatest sci-fi dramas I have ever seen. 

Final Verdict:

2012 Movies - The Artist

The Artist

Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

What can I say? The Artist... after so much hype... I enjoyed it. Quite a bit, actually. The film truly is silent - so don't do as the ill-informed and ask for your money back because you "didn't know". It's black and white, and instead of dialogue it's title cards with the lines on. But this isn't every time the characters speak.

Let's start from the top. The story is, luckily, easy to follow. A silent film star, who is quite cocky and famous for what he does is all of a sudden out of favour when the production company want to start making 'talkies' instead. This isn't his niche, and unwilling to change he stands by his genre but with terrible consequences on his life. Simultaneously, a woman launches her career and surpasses his fame, eventually making the films he refuses to make himself. 

Their relationship is what carries the film, because they, at first, flirt and it's apparent they have feelings for one another, but as he career explodes and his fizzles out it all goes quite wrong for them, in many ways.

Like I say, the story is good because you can keep up, the dog, who belongs to the main protagonist, steals the show every shot he's in. You've probably seen or heard of him already though because everyone seems to have fallen in love with him - the new 'eddy' (oh, come on, Fraiser reference... anybody). 

When the characters talk you feel quite clever being able to figure out what they are saying without the use of title cards (which are used sparingly), but I couldn't help but feel confused in parts - as though maybe I should have been able to tell what was being said, but I didn't... was that just me?

Overall, I actually really enjoyed it, yet it did drag a bit, but the ending more than made up for it. I loved the ending. 

Final verdict:

2012 Movies - Shame

Shame

In New York City, Brandon's carefully cultivated private life -- which allows him to indulge his sexual addiction -- is disrupted when his sister Sissy arrives unannounced for an indefinite stay.

Hmm, the synopsis of this one doesn't really reveal too much about it, mind you, there isn't much to reveal. This was one of those 'glimpses' into the world of one man and his sexual appetite. And it is a big appetite... in more ways than one.

If you don't like full frontals from either men or women, I'd look away for 30% of the film. It's one of those ones where you look, but you're very aware you're in a room with 30 strangers, and as I sit on the back row I tend to look around to see how other people are reacting (guilty pleasure!), well, I had to make sure there weren't any perverts enjoying it too much!

I didn't like this film when I was watching it. The shots are too long, it seems. As though the camera has just been left 'on' and you're sat watching someone's dull life. But it kind of works at the same time. After all the sex and violence, and watching a man destroy himself with his own obsessions, I actually came out of the cinema with a lot of appreciation for it. 

I liked that it wasn't a full story, it really was a look into the life of a sex-aholic. It ended with so many unanswered questions about why he was the way he was, what was with his relationship with his sister, what the hell was he going to do about it all, that I couldn't stop thinking about it. I still can't to be honest. 

All in all I like films that leave me with something to think about. I read it today in one of my uni books, it was a quote from a story and it went:

"...nothing is so distasteful to me as when, in a story or a novel, the stage on which the imaginary world has been in action is swept so clean by the historic broom that not the smallest grain or particle of dust is left on it; when you go home so completely sated and satisfied that you have not the faintest desire left to have another peep behind the curtain..."

It's very apt, of many films, but especially this one. 

Final rating:

2012 Movies - War Horse

So this year I'm going to keep better track of the movies I'm watching. I go to the cinema a lot and if I'm not at the cinema I'm watching DVD's so I need to start writing more about them, though I won't be writing long posts, just short snippets about thoughts etc. This is the first post for 2012!

WAR HORSE:

Young Albert enlists to service in WWI after his beloved horse, Joey, is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on.

So, this synopsis basically sums it up quite well. I was a little wary, going into this film, because I don't like soppy, emotional family films. This is definitely one of those, though I wouldn't truly class it as 'family', as I, for one, think war films aren't kid friendly. I certainly don't like them... mind you, you get what it says on the tin so I suppose if you know before hand that you're going to be seeing scenes of war I guess it's ok?

Basic thoughts on the film were that it was heart wrenching. I love horses and anything with horses makes me want to weep like a pathetic woman. I hide my tears though, I will not be made to look weak! hah.
The story was ok, if not a LOT predictable. The war was horrible but there were some saving graces in it - a German and an Englishman helping each other out was bitter-sweet. But overall it was long. It felt like a long film. And my overall feeling was kind of:

"That horse was a user."

We had to fill in questionnaire's for the production company afterwards and I will tell them what I tell you... or vice versa - Wouldn't watch it again, wouldn't buy the DVD. It was ok for a one off viewing but not my cup of tea.

Watch this if you like: animals, stories about animals and their human friends, war, 'epic' drama's minus the 'epic', big blockbuster movies.

My rating: