So I watched Pan’s Labyrinth again today.
This is actually one of my favorite movies. I find the balance between a dark, twisted fairytale and a straightforward yet amazingly cruel reality to be pretty much perfect, and all of the actors are just perfect. Captain Vidal in particular is perfectly executed, right down to the way his boots and gloves squeak with a polished leather noise. Talk about a villain. The creatures, particularly Pan himself and the Pale Man, are frightening and magical all at once. I love the way Pan’s age is presented, with half of his body resembling an old, friendly tree…he even creaks! And the Pale Man…well, we all love him, right? The eyes-in-the-hands thing isn’t new, but it’s awesome here, and that drooping skin helps make him utterly disgusting and vile. And lastly, the score. You know the main theme? The lullaby, you know the one. I love it.
Secrets and Lies
Yes, I know…another film post. “Secrets and Lies” this time. I just finished watching the film a couple hours ago now in my Contemporary British Film class. We also watched other great movies like “Trainspotting,” “The Crying Game,” “Brassed Off,” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.”
“Secrets and Lies” in particular is now one of my favorite films from the course, and I suggest that anyone who hasn’t seen it give it a try. It’s oddly paced and organized, and deeply emotional. It’s really a wholly original film in many aspects. In particular, the character of Maurice is perfect, as is the actor who portrayed him. Equally wonderful is the flighty personality of Cynthia. But the film’s best aspect is its portrayal of a family torn apart by secrets and lies. I can’t imagine a better way to portray such a disjointed, painful relationship.
Ah man, I shot Marvin in the face.
I never get sick of this scene from “Pulp Fiction,” which is one of my favorite movies ever. No, I don’t care that everyone says that. I genuinely mean it when I say that I love the hell out of that movie.
Morning: pudding and Shakespeare in Love
So I’ve just gotten up a few minutes ago, gotten dressed, eaten some chocolate pudding and sat down to finish my nearly-done paper on the film “Shakespeare in Love.” I’m not normally the kind of person that heartily enjoys a romantic comedy, but this one is certainly better than most, deserving of more attention. It’s got a more interesting concept which is better planned, and better executed. There’s no reason, after all, to not like a story about Shakespeare, right? Throw in the concept of making his love form a parallel with his most famous play, Romeo and Juliet, and…it just works. You find yourself drawing comparisons between the doings Will and Viola and the doings of Romeo and Juliet, with certain scenes and quotes lifted right out of the play all over the place…and at the same time, Will is writing the play, and a wonderful depiction of the play put on stage is a large portion of the film’s climax. It just all ties together marvelously, riding at a smooth pace that’s as easily digestible as it is likable. And major kudos to the unexpected greatness of Judi Dench’s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I.
So yeah, if you haven’t seen it, watch it sometime. I can’t call it one of my favorite movies ever, but it’s at least one of my favorite comedies. And of course, we all know how dry the comedy film industry is (this film even makes that point). Why? It’s a mystery.
There is only one 2009 movie I’m looking forward to
And that movie is “Inglorious Basterds.” It’s the newest movie directed by Quentin Tarantino, the man who brought us brilliant films like “Pulp Fiction,” “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill.”
It’s said by Tarantino to be a “spaghetti-western but with World War II iconography.” That description alone is enough to make me want to see it. That and the fact that Samuel L. Jackson will be the one narrating it. That should be interesting.
