All the Presidents Men is a true story based on the Washingtons Post writers Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward investigation into the Watergate Scandal during President Nixons term. This film describes one of the most important investigations is our countries history. Bernstein and Woodward turn from writers to investigators overnight, despite constantly getting turned down by their boss.
One of the first things I noticed in the film was how the sound affected the movie. I thought that the sound made a huge contribution to the film and made it much more mysterious than it already was. Eventhough the film is older, I adapted to this film much easier for some reason than I did to films in the past. I think it was because the cast was so good in the film. Robert Redford and Dusitn Hoffman do a great job the film.
This film also changed my view on the government a little bit. I realized that so much goes on that it is hard to keep up with in the Government. And with the CIA and all the special intelligence, it is almost impossible to know what is going on in every division. It is unbelievable that a security guard sort of started this whole investigation, and that two young writers, cracked the case. It is just really hard to trust the government and what they are doing, because I feel like they spend all day just trying to please the media and people of the country by just telling us what we want to hear.
Overall this was a great film. I really enjoy true stories., and especially a story like this that is a little educational on our countries history at the same time.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The Cider House Rules
The Cider House Rules is a great film that points out many different issues in society. From abortion, to affairs and even an influence of war makes this movie really makes the viewer think about issues that face our society today. All of this combined with a all star cast makes this film great. I was very excited to see this film because of the cast that starred in the film. I think this makes a huge impact on the viewer, as I personally had positive thinking about the movie right away.
The biggest issue that I believe impacts this movie is abortion. My personal view on abortion was actually changed a bit because of this film. With my Catholic background, I was very ani-abortion. I thought it was just terrible that someone would even think of having an abortion. Im not saying the film totally changed my view, but it has definately made me think about it a little more. Is it fair for a child to grow up their whole life with their parents regretting them? Not wanting them? Growing up in an orphanage with no parental figure because there parents didnt "care or love" them. It's definately not the kids in the orphanage's fault that their parents didnt want them. And then things happen in the world like when Mr. Rose impregnates his own daughter. Should she have to have that baby? Does that baby deserve to grow up knowing that his father is also his grandfather? There are so many different viewpoints on abortion that get brought up in this film.
The issue of adoption and foster parents also struck me in this film. I know of people that struggle to have children that would be the best parents in the world. And there are terrible parents that have 5, 6 or 7 children that they cant take care of an love. It's just really sad to see the orphanage in the film with all those kids that dont have good homes to live in. Not many of those kids do find a good home, for example Homer goes through a couple foster parents, and one couple actually beat him.
The issue of War also was slipped into this film. It made me wonder how many army spouses have affairs while their so called love one is gone just like Candy did with Homer. I never really thought of this happening as one would have to be heartless to do so. But im sure that in our own War, this issue has happened many times.
I think that this film was so great because of the fact that it includes many contreversial issues that still lie within our society today. I was very pleased and interested in this film.
The biggest issue that I believe impacts this movie is abortion. My personal view on abortion was actually changed a bit because of this film. With my Catholic background, I was very ani-abortion. I thought it was just terrible that someone would even think of having an abortion. Im not saying the film totally changed my view, but it has definately made me think about it a little more. Is it fair for a child to grow up their whole life with their parents regretting them? Not wanting them? Growing up in an orphanage with no parental figure because there parents didnt "care or love" them. It's definately not the kids in the orphanage's fault that their parents didnt want them. And then things happen in the world like when Mr. Rose impregnates his own daughter. Should she have to have that baby? Does that baby deserve to grow up knowing that his father is also his grandfather? There are so many different viewpoints on abortion that get brought up in this film.
The issue of adoption and foster parents also struck me in this film. I know of people that struggle to have children that would be the best parents in the world. And there are terrible parents that have 5, 6 or 7 children that they cant take care of an love. It's just really sad to see the orphanage in the film with all those kids that dont have good homes to live in. Not many of those kids do find a good home, for example Homer goes through a couple foster parents, and one couple actually beat him.
The issue of War also was slipped into this film. It made me wonder how many army spouses have affairs while their so called love one is gone just like Candy did with Homer. I never really thought of this happening as one would have to be heartless to do so. But im sure that in our own War, this issue has happened many times.
I think that this film was so great because of the fact that it includes many contreversial issues that still lie within our society today. I was very pleased and interested in this film.
Monday, September 19, 2011
The Graduate
The Graduate was a different film for me to get used too. Im not sure why, but it is just really hard for me to get into and appreciate older films. Maybe my expectations are just so high in a film and its production. However, with all of this aside, this film was actually a very good film. Im not much of a love story guy, but I actually was interested in this film.
Like I mentioned earlier, the production of the film was quite different than I am used to. I could definately tell how the sound effects played a huge role in the film. There was alot of what the book calls "dead soundtrack" in this film. Quite often I found myself wondering if the volume was up on my TV. But I soon realized that the silence made me think more about the film and the little things tied into it.
Another thing I noticed was the soundtrack. The soundtrack was very good in the film and was used differently at certain times. One example is when Ben runs out of gas on the way to the chapel to try and stop the wedding. The music starts of fast and slows down and goes completely mute when he did eventually run out of gas in his car. These different transitions made the film much better.
After reading the chapter I also noticed how color effects alot of scenes. The movie( since it was produced in 1967) wasnt very clear. This made a huge perception change to the viewer.
Overall the film was very good and very well put together.
SJP
Like I mentioned earlier, the production of the film was quite different than I am used to. I could definately tell how the sound effects played a huge role in the film. There was alot of what the book calls "dead soundtrack" in this film. Quite often I found myself wondering if the volume was up on my TV. But I soon realized that the silence made me think more about the film and the little things tied into it.
Another thing I noticed was the soundtrack. The soundtrack was very good in the film and was used differently at certain times. One example is when Ben runs out of gas on the way to the chapel to try and stop the wedding. The music starts of fast and slows down and goes completely mute when he did eventually run out of gas in his car. These different transitions made the film much better.
After reading the chapter I also noticed how color effects alot of scenes. The movie( since it was produced in 1967) wasnt very clear. This made a huge perception change to the viewer.
Overall the film was very good and very well put together.
SJP
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is a sequel and continuation of "Batman Begins" film that was released a couple years before this one. The film is absolutely amazing. The Dark Knight is probably in my top 5 for favorite movies. The cast of actors, sound effects and storyline make this film one of the greatest movies of all time.
The cast in this movie is definately an all star lineup. Christian Bale and Heath Ledger both do an unbelievable job acting in this film. Heath Ledger did just an amazing job playing the joker. I know that his role in the film was a major reason why it was such a great and succesful movie.
One of the things I really noticed after watching it again and reading the chapter, was the sound effects in the film. I never realized how many different aspects of sound there is in different movies. One thing I noticed was how well the film sounded on a home tv. I absolutely hate not seeing films like this not in a theatre setting. The movie theatre adds so much to the film in the sense of sound. For example, I dont think that Tranksformers sounds very well on a home tv, and this different ruins the whole experience and view of the film. In my mind sound accounts for half of the movie. It can almost make or break a film in my mind. I also noticed some of the "dead tracks" in the film. How the director used silence to perceive different viewpoints. I also noticed how the level of sound in the film varied. Batmans voice was never loud, as if he was a soft-cool loving hero character that he plays. However the Jokers voice was always loud and distinct. Just hearing the Jokers voice mad him seem like the bad criminal that he was.
I also noticed that the film used a darker gloomy color that made the different scenes what they were. Now obviously most of the best scenes were at night so it was dark anyways. But before reading the book I would have never realized the different blues and grays added in to make the scene special.
After watching the film again, and reading the chapter, I realized alot of things that I never realized before when watching films like this. Overall, this movie is an A+++ film and will always be one of the greatest films ever.
SJP
The cast in this movie is definately an all star lineup. Christian Bale and Heath Ledger both do an unbelievable job acting in this film. Heath Ledger did just an amazing job playing the joker. I know that his role in the film was a major reason why it was such a great and succesful movie.
One of the things I really noticed after watching it again and reading the chapter, was the sound effects in the film. I never realized how many different aspects of sound there is in different movies. One thing I noticed was how well the film sounded on a home tv. I absolutely hate not seeing films like this not in a theatre setting. The movie theatre adds so much to the film in the sense of sound. For example, I dont think that Tranksformers sounds very well on a home tv, and this different ruins the whole experience and view of the film. In my mind sound accounts for half of the movie. It can almost make or break a film in my mind. I also noticed some of the "dead tracks" in the film. How the director used silence to perceive different viewpoints. I also noticed how the level of sound in the film varied. Batmans voice was never loud, as if he was a soft-cool loving hero character that he plays. However the Jokers voice was always loud and distinct. Just hearing the Jokers voice mad him seem like the bad criminal that he was.
I also noticed that the film used a darker gloomy color that made the different scenes what they were. Now obviously most of the best scenes were at night so it was dark anyways. But before reading the book I would have never realized the different blues and grays added in to make the scene special.
After watching the film again, and reading the chapter, I realized alot of things that I never realized before when watching films like this. Overall, this movie is an A+++ film and will always be one of the greatest films ever.
SJP
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Amelie
The move Amelie was very different from the films I am used to watching. I have never seen a foreign film like this and also have never watched a film that was in a different language. I thought that the subtitles would be a major detrement to the movie. However I realized that the subtitles just made me focus more on other aspects of the film, like the imagery, camera angles, what characters were wearing and different parts of the film. I also had a hard time keeping up with the subtitles, but as the film went on it wasnt much of a problem at all. Basically, the subtitles made me realize what all goes into a film, it just made me focus so much more on the film.
One of the things I noticed was the different camera angles that go into a film. I didnt quite realize hoe a different camera angle can change the viewers hole perspective. I suppose that this type of work is in most films, but like I mentioned before the subtitles just made all of this much more obvious. Many different camera differences caught my eye in the movie. The point of views, for example zooming in or focusing on a specific character.
Another major thing I noticed about the film was the imagery that was presented. Since I am not from Paris, I dont exactly know where or what everything looks like. I think that it as important that the director put all these different shots in to make me feel like I have almost been there before.
Overall the film wasnt that bad, at first I dreaded watching the film because of the subtitles, but they actually made me focus more on the finer aspects of the film.
SJP
One of the things I noticed was the different camera angles that go into a film. I didnt quite realize hoe a different camera angle can change the viewers hole perspective. I suppose that this type of work is in most films, but like I mentioned before the subtitles just made all of this much more obvious. Many different camera differences caught my eye in the movie. The point of views, for example zooming in or focusing on a specific character.
Another major thing I noticed about the film was the imagery that was presented. Since I am not from Paris, I dont exactly know where or what everything looks like. I think that it as important that the director put all these different shots in to make me feel like I have almost been there before.
Overall the film wasnt that bad, at first I dreaded watching the film because of the subtitles, but they actually made me focus more on the finer aspects of the film.
SJP
Memento
After watching the film Momento I was very confused. However, this confusion left me stunned and puzzled. I have never seen a film that was presented in the way that this movie was. It took me a while to understand what was happening in the movie. The way that it was presented made me constantly into the film and made me constantly thinking. The director did a fantastic job with this film!
One of the first things I noticed was the black and white in the film. At first I thought they were flashbacks like most films. However the directors of the films made this movie a little different. The color in the movie was in reverse chronological order. When the film turned to black and white the film was in chronological order. This differentiation made the film very unique. The film was a great movie without this, but the way that the order of events were displayed just made the movie that much better.
One of the other things I noticed was the lighting in the movie. It was very low-key lighting, this effect made every scene special and made it seem very gloomy. The film had that criminal sort of feel, and the lighting even created more to that effect.
The sequence that things happened in was truly amazing. I was contanstly trying to think what was happening next, however I also found myself hitting pause and rewinding to try and find out what was really going on. The director of this film really had a sharp pencil in order to make it all make sense in the end. The director also does a great job of this with the characters. My brain as constantly going from Jimmy to Teddy to Dodd trying to decipher what was happenning in the film.
Overall, the movie was great and the order that the events were presented was very unusual.
SJP
One of the first things I noticed was the black and white in the film. At first I thought they were flashbacks like most films. However the directors of the films made this movie a little different. The color in the movie was in reverse chronological order. When the film turned to black and white the film was in chronological order. This differentiation made the film very unique. The film was a great movie without this, but the way that the order of events were displayed just made the movie that much better.
One of the other things I noticed was the lighting in the movie. It was very low-key lighting, this effect made every scene special and made it seem very gloomy. The film had that criminal sort of feel, and the lighting even created more to that effect.
The sequence that things happened in was truly amazing. I was contanstly trying to think what was happening next, however I also found myself hitting pause and rewinding to try and find out what was really going on. The director of this film really had a sharp pencil in order to make it all make sense in the end. The director also does a great job of this with the characters. My brain as constantly going from Jimmy to Teddy to Dodd trying to decipher what was happenning in the film.
Overall, the movie was great and the order that the events were presented was very unusual.
SJP
Sunday, September 4, 2011
The Kings Speech
Before viewing the Kings Speech, I was influenced negatively by others that the film wasn’t very interesting. So going into the film, I wasn’t very excited to watch it, which makes a huge influence on my view of the film. Although the film was made just recently, it was very slow and not upbeat like most modern movies. I guess I do need to realize that it was made to be like times in the 1930’s, which is hard for me to relate too. With all this aside, I still need to observe the film and pick the movie apart.
As our book reads, the best way to analyze a film is too pick it apart in different parts. I’ll start with the story. Other than my personal views on the film, I can’t argue that the movie didn’t have the elements of a good story. Since this film is based on a true story, it is obviously therefor credible and was both simple and complex. The title also very significant, The Kings Speech. Anyone could therefor guess what the movie was about. A king giving a speech. The only title that would make it more obvious would be “The Kings Stuttering Speech”.
In the film, King George VI, is definitely a developing character. Through his struggles and problems with speaking, he definitely develops as the film goes on and in the end makes a friend in Logue, and makes a very important speech without stuttering.
Overall my personal view on the film wasn’t very good. I just wasn’t very intrigued by the film. I guess maybe since there was no action or much suspense at all in the film. I think that my bias of the film also hurt my analysis a lot. It’s just really hard to get into a film you’re not interested in.
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