12 Years A Slave (2013), directed by Steve McQueen, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor (Solomon), Michael Fassbender (Epps), Lupita Nyong’o (Patsey) and a whole host of other big names, tells the story of a musician and free man kidnapped into slavery.
The first time I watched this film many years ago, I was very moved by the storyline, and thought it was a fantastic, beautiful portrayal of a horrific time. The characters were 3D and had their own arcs, only improved by the amazing talent of the cast. I was particularly interested in the different classes and statuses of the black characters which is something that I haven’t seen explored in other films about slavery.
I wish I could say more about this masterpiece, but the honest truth of it is that it’s all been said before. It’s been out for coming up to 7 years now, and has been praised to the heavens and back in the time.
I would most definitely recommend this film to anyone who hasn’t seen it. It’s a beautiful piece and an important story.
The Hustle (2019), directed by Chris Addison, starring Rebel Wilson (Penny) and Anne Hathaway (Josephine) tells the comedic story of an amateur con-artist pairing up with a professional.
Comedy is one of my least favourite genres, but somehow it’s more bearable when Rebel Wilson is involved. I know, I know, many people aren’t too fond of her; but I do find her endearing and like her personality even if some of her jokes don’t land. She has a particular style, unfortunately rooted in slapstick humour, but I can appreciate it.
Not being familiar with comedy, and not being its target audience, there’s not much I can say analytically in terms of the composition of the film. I think it follows a pretty standard arc, with the ‘funny’ plot twist near the end. Nothing too deep, nothing too genius, but also nothing too bad.
I’d probably recommend this film if my friends and I were scrolling past it on Netflix, mindlessly searching for something to watch; but not proactively.
(This film was watched on 05/01/20 – I’m getting really behind with my write-ups!)
Shattered Glass (2003) tells the story of a young reporter working for a prestigious magazine whose pieces are revealed to be mostly fictitious. It’s based on the true story of Stephen Glass and his scandal with The New Republic. Directed by Billy Ray and starring Hayden Christensen.
I, being a massive fan of Hayden Christensen, love this film by default. Perhaps I’m too kind on it, but I do believe that it is a fascinating story told in an interesting way. That being said, I found it a disappointment in comparison to some of Christensen’s other works.
One of the best aspects of this film is how they managed to weave the facts and authentic details in with a compelling dramatic story. We get very much charmed by the unique personality of Stephen Glass, and over the duration of the film, these little quirks take a more sinister feeling – in my mind, in any case. And reading up about friend’s accounts about what happened has really shone a light on the adherence to truth in this movie, in that Stephen Glass is really that charmingly quirky person. Yet they didn’t have to sacrifice any story in doing so. I think that balance is hard to get when dealing with stories based upon real people, particularly those so closely resembling the person and painting a negative picture of them.
I also absolutely adore how Chuck is logically the hero in this story, as he is the one who exposes the wrongdoings of Stephen; yet at the end of the film, I’m still sympathetic to Stephen. There’s still a part of me taken in by the young weirdo and wishes for his fortune and feels for his pain. And judging by the accounts, the real person has this effect on many people.
However, and perhaps this says more about me than the movie itself, I found it quite dull. I’m not one to chase highly entertaining things – not a fan of big explosions and massive dramatic shows, but I do believe there was something lacking here. I think it boils down to polarity shifts and tension. The film, for Stephen, starts in a place of relative comfort before he’s confronted with an unfamiliar situation. It’s then that his journey starts going downhill and this happens very gradually. He’s slowly let down from his pedestal. Right up until the last scene when the audience is faced with the stark reality of everything, when Stephen stops lying. As the film is trying to conceal the truth and have it slowly unravel, there’s not much put in place for building tension and hope, which keeps things quite flat.
Overall, I have enjoyed this film enough to watch it quite a few times, and would hesitantly recommend to a friend dependent upon whether or not they like the slower stories.
Marriage Story (2019) is a Netflix film directed by Noah Baumbach, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. It tells the story of a couple going through a divorce but trying to maintain their family.
This film was recommended to me a while ago by a close friend who is also studying filmmaking, and I’m ashamed that it took me so long to watch it but knew it would be a fantastic film to start off my year-long challenge.
It’s beautiful, the acting is phenomenal, and the story is really quite something special. My personal favourite aspect was the way the scenes were edited together, which caught my eye at the beginning of the film – each scene seamlessly flowed together and kept me very much engaged. And the tonal shift when they’re revealed to be in couples counselling to prepare for their divorce hits just the right spot for me. Baumbach set up the story in such a brilliant way, and it would’ve been nice if he had maintained some elements of that throughout the film, too. Alas, it was mainly the beginning that was so stylised.
I’m a big fan of the structure of the story, too. It’s almost as if the two main characters ended exactly where they had started, but in a cathartic way. They were where they needed to be at the beginning but lost sight of that in the middle, before making it back to that at the end. There was a part of me that has gotten so used to stories like this ending in a huge romantic getting-back-together bit that was a little disappointed (maybe because I’m overly invested in Adam Driver’s character), but I ultimately think it was the best decision to end it like it did. The characters are able to stay a family, to keep their love for another, but separate. I think that’s an important message to share.
I’ve never had to deal with any of the themes brought up in the film – never even had a big, feisty breakup. But the realism portrayed in this film is one of its greatest assets. I was able to understand and empathise with each of the characters in a really great way. They weren’t portrayed as anything more than the humans they were. I think this aspect may be the reason why so many people are perking up to this film… There does seem to be a favouring of realistic, authentic portrayals.
What I personally didn’t enjoy about Marriage Story was how ‘theatre’ it felt at times to me. Great long monologues, a heavy reliance upon the acting to tell the visual story, and, of course, the incorporation of the scenes with dancing, acting, and singing. I zoned out most during the scene where Charlie (Adam Driver) performs his song – it took up too much time, and didn’t reveal enough about the plot or move the story enough for me. Though it was very pretty, and I know my friend would’ve thoroughly enjoyed these little moments.
Overall, I think it’s a very nice film, but I probably wouldn’t see it again, just because there’s not ‘enough’ in it to warrant a re-watch. Though I would recommend to others!
365 Films 