(Movie) Comedy for Cynics....a look at the Royal Tenenbaums

This recommendation comes from Jessica (meetmeinmontavk.tumblr.com)

I remember seeing the beginning of this movie when I was younger. It was late at night and I could recall that everyone in the movie was sad and eccentric.

At the time, I went to bed.

Now, many years later, I've watched it again. I'm older, somewhat wiser and have a stronger grasp on the quality of film.

So even though I was reviewing it, did I once again want to enter the embrace of my mattress instead of watching this film?

Let's review!!!

Story/Dialogue: The Tenenbaums are a family of eccentric geniuses with an estranged father and a mother immersed in her work. Each of the kids Chas, Margot and Richie are experiencing post success funks. Carrying their personal hurts and quirks, they move back into their childhood home to reassess their lives. On top of this, their dad comes back into their lives with the intent of being a part of it and trying to be a real father.

What's interesting about this story is how the family is well rounded and dysfunctional they are as characters. A Bob's Burgers before there was a Bob's Burgers, if you will. Each of them has a different relationship with their father and seeing it develop over the movie is fascinating to watch.

The dialogue is poignant, yet humorous, which is often how I'd imagine most people would feel if they have Christmas with their families.

There are a lot of moments where you find yourself laughing in the same way you'd laugh at a good memory you have of a friend you're no longer friends with.

In terms of story, it's well written and I enjoy the characters in all their crazy eccentric glory. Even the Narrator, whom I'd normally dislike just because narration in a visual movie would frustrate me, actually enhanced the quality of the film, which was a nice change.

Cinematography: One of the things that most surprised me most (and as this is the second Wes Anderson film I've watched,) is the fascination with symmetry that Mr. Anderson (HAH!) has. Everything is in the centre of each third and a lot of shots include characters stood in the three separate parts of the frame.
Each image is ordered and has this odd filter that feels like you're watching a Beatles documentary from the 60's.
There are some fantastic shots, especially the tracking shots of Richie's bird, Mordecai, that appeal to me.


Audio: A lot of the tracks that feature in this film are acoustic, including a variation of the Beatles', "Hey Jude." Music in Wes Anderson films tend to be acoustic and, for want of a better phrase, "fluffy." It actually both contrasts and enhances the film as a whole, which I found surprising.
The sound department is to be commended, as its work in the audio layering is well done and feels natural. Each of the characters say their lines clearly and concisely, even when they're being quiet.

Audibly, the film was pleasant to listen to.

Overall: The film hits this spot in your chest that makes you want to cry to the point where you're not sure whether or not you find something funny or sad.

The story is cohesive and set in chapters, so it's easy to follow. Each of the characters are quirky, yet likeable and more importantly, redeemable.

Cinematically, we see the sets in bright or pastel colours that contrast with the dark woods and the frames being incredibly orderly to the point where the cameraman might have OCD (Or CDO, if you need all the letters in the right order.)

Audibly, we have tracks from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, amongst various other acoustic soundbites.

Overall, the movie is pleasant and you leave the film feeling satisfied, not as though you have closure, but as best as you probably could get.

I'm going to give this film 5 stars.

Thus ends this review!

(Comic) Unlikely friends...a look at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers Vol. 1

The Guardians of the Galaxy and Iron Man team up?

Oh hell yes. 

As a part of the new Marvel Now relaunch, all of the series have new stories so that the current audience don't have to read through a library's worth of comics to know the lore. 

In this first volume, Peter Quill, better known as Star Lord, has been ordered by his father, the King of Spartax to stay away from Earth with the threat of arrest. 

Quill, whose backstory we see at the beginning, ignores his father's orders after the Badoon attack Earth.

What's strange about this story is that it abruptly switches to moments in which Quill is trying to get the band back together. Frankly, this is kind of jarring for someone who is only establishing themselves in comics.

The dialogue is funny with each of the characters bringing their own kind of humour to the table. Introducing Iron Man into GotG, he learns the Groot can only speak three words and trying to interact with Drax is....tricky, to say the least. 

The art style, though it changes depending on what part of the backstory occurs, is beautifully detailed and if it were animated, the angles in the panels look dynamic and create an action packed scene that blend well with the humour. 

I liked seeing Stark interact with the GotG and he seems to fit in quite well, though I often wonder how he charges his suit in space.

In the end, while the story was interesting, the fact it was as jumbled as it was left me feeling confused. I had no knowledge of the lore prior to reading (except for the movie,) so it was a bit tricky to make heads and tails of it. The art style changing kind of threw me off as well. 

Also, what's with the page breaks saying, "please turn to next page?" what's with this hand holding garbage?!

With this in mind, I've decided to give this comic 4 stars. 

(Movie) You're waiting for a train....a look at Snowpiercer

This review was requested by Sara Cooper. Thanks Sara! 

This was one of the first movies I watched before I started getting involved with Film School.

Released in America a year after its initial release due to the company owning the license requesting editing to the film with the director denying that, Snowpiercer is one of those films that captures your attention. What is not commonly known is that is an adaptation from a French graphic novel titled, "Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette."

Without further ado, let's review.

This review shall contain no spoilers.

Story/Dialogue: Set in a distant future where the world has suffered nuclear winter, the remnant's of the world's population lives on a train known as the Snowpiercer. It's a capitalist society, where the further down the train cars you go, the more terrible things get.

Enter Curtis, a slave who seeks to revolt by reaching the front of the train with his ragtag group of followers.

As the movie progresses, you see how different the rest of the train cars are.

What's more, there's a lot of secrets hidden on this train. Ones you never expect to witness.

The dialogue isn't over the top, but some scenes felt a little forced. I can't say which ones as it contains spoilers, however.

The film has a way of making you invested in these characters and rooting for them, which is something that most films struggle with these days. (Ala Age of Ultron.)

Not knowing it was an adaptation prior to this review, I would have said it's one of the better original stories I'd witnessed.

Cinematography: Oh man, the set pieces on this film are insane! They make it look as though they're shooting in tight quarters and it feels as though the stakes are high, especially in moments like the New Year scene.

One of the best things about the editing in this is that there is actually a reason for all the choppy cuts during action scenes. It's chaos with loads of people fighting in tight quarters.


Audio: Oddly, this audio makes me think a lot of Bioshock. With that said, it wasn't overly memorable. The dubbing, especially for the Korean, was fantastic.


Overall: Snowpiercer is one of those diamonds in the rough. The cast give a great performance, though the ending left me with loads of questions. The setting integrated beauty and a visceral disgusting element that struck me as horrifying and fascinating.

I give this movie 5 stars.

(Movie) Tapped out...a look at Half Nelson

This movie was recommended by Jessica (meetmeinmontavk.tumblr.com)

I was discussing Blue Valentine with Jessica last week and she suggested that I take a look at this film, as it was the movie that showed Ryan Gosling's true acting potential. 

I'm inclined to agree. 

But, how does it rate?

Let's review! 

Story/Dialogue: Half Nelson follows Dan Dunne, a history teacher using an unusual method of teaching called didactics. Teaching a class of African American kids, he's well liked amongst the students and teachers, but the Principal is not a fan as they are of different teaching styles. 

He's also a cocaine addict. 

When Drey, one of his students finds him in the bathroom stoned, she helps him and they establish an unlikely friendship. 

Drey is a teenage girl with a single mum who works and a brother in prison for dealing drugs. His former employer, Frank (Portrayed by Anthony Mackie) tries to recruit her into the business, while Dan tries to mentor her and be her friend as well as her teacher.

The main theme of Half Nelson is change and the collision of opposites. Throughout the film, we see this theme reinforced. What's more, the film's rewatchability shows that this film can be analysed over and over so you can see the many examples of the theme being portrayed. (I'll cover those in the next section.)

The dialogue is easy to understand, though not everything is straight forward in the speech. Like, you're not going to have someone who asks for help straight up, they need to beat around the bush. To admit your deepest fear is the turning point.

While I don't want to give away spoilers, I also would like to point out that his addiction is never resolved. However, I don't think this would be the same movie if it had been resolved. This is about current conflict in the self and the world around the characters, not the resolution of said conflict.

Cinematography: Most of the scenes are shot handheld, which gives us an intimate atmosphere to what we witness. We're less of an audience and more of a bystander that is mostly ignored.

There are instances of dolly use, such as when Dan is going for a morning run, but it's not used often.

As you watch, you'll notice that the theme of change and conflict of opposing forces is shown visually throughout the film. This includes:

- Skin colour

- Age
- Class
- Profession

- Mentors

- Relationships

This occurs both internally and externally and it's all shown on screen.

Audio: Though not overly memorable, the music is the kind of tracks you would hear on the street. It feels natural. It's not as though you'd hear Hans Zimmer or John Williams at a restaurant or on a street corner, but this score and library audio combination feels right at home on the streets of NY.

The sound department did a fantastic job in making sure that the atmos tracks were well layered and didn't conflict with any of the dialogue.

Overall: While I'm not a big fan of the white saviour trope in films (See Elysium and such movies like that,) I did enjoy how immersive this film was. I felt that rather than simply watching it, I was a part of it. 

Ryan Gosling really stood out in this role and felt real somehow. In the other movies I've seen, he's often been disconnected from the film or has been Ryan Gosling pretending to be someone else. In this film, he was Dan Dunne. 

I loved Drey as a character. She's smart, sassy, but she's also prone to making mistakes, which only made me like her more. She's organic and her development as a character is really interesting to watch.

Overall, I give this movie 5 stars. 

(Book) Viking Shenanigans...a look at Sons of Odin Book 2: A Flame Put Out.

The Vikings are at it again!

Erin S. Riley's look at a young woman in a world of harsh, yet beautiful people from a harsh, yet beautiful land continues.

Selia is adjusting to life as the wife of a Hersir. She finds comfort in her routine, but when her husband Alrik leaves to go a-viking, everything goes downhill from there.

One of the things I loved about this book is how it never lets up. You have babies being born, people dying, dangerous characters being introduced, babies born out of wedlock, the true purpose for a-viking amongst many other things.

Ms. Riley does not hold back with her descriptions of births or deaths and it's something that's I've always appreciated. No matter how gruesome or uncomfortable a scene may be, it's always detailed and spelled out in a way that it can't be misinterpreted. 

Selia has been filled out more as a character, which is not always something that people can do well when it comes to sequels. At the end of the day, the question is whether or not the love of your husband or your children takes priority. 

I like how Alrik's daughter, Ingrid has taken a more prominent role and has developed as more than just a starry eyed brat. 

It's hard to like a lot of the male characters, but while I'm on this topic, I like the subtle indication of a homosexual viking. It's not something that authors often consider actively and nor is it done tactfully. In this case, however, Ms. Riley does just that.

Erin S. Riley has taken her writing skills and put them to the grindstone, showing a brutal edge of love's rounded corners. This is a book everyone should read if you want a fantastic, rollicking read full of romance and violence.

I'm going to give this review 5 stars. 

Author's note: The reason this review is so short is so that you don't receive any spoilers. Spoilers suck. 

Thus ends this review!

Update: You can buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Flame-Put-Sons-Odin-Book-ebook/dp/B0143JNIKW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1445467086&sr=8-2&keywords=Odin%27s+shadow

(Comic) Devil's Advocate....a look at Marvel's Civil War

This review was recommended by James Bridges. 

With all the hype that the Civil War movie is gaining, it made a lot of  sense to have a look at the original source material from which the movie is derived. 

After a massive screw up involving teenage superheroes and an explosion that killed a lot of people, the U.S Government has put forward a bill so that superheroes would be registered, trained and paid. Kind of like a super powered police force. 

This bill, which is then passed, divides the superhero community. 

On the one hand, you have Tony Stark, the Iron Man, suggesting that people register because it's not only good business, it's also very practical. Superheroes would have accountability and be trained to use their powers in a manner that would minimise collateral damage. 

Captain America, on the other hand, believes that by registering, they give up their greatest weapon. Their anonymity. Not only this, but then they'd have a boss in the U.S government and Cap is all too familiar with how they use superheroes. As he says, "If we register, they'll start telling us who the villains are."

These two sides argue, prepare traps and prison and fight it out with people trading sides in between.

Not only does this comic feature heavy hitters like Cap, Iron Man, Yellow Jacket and Doctor Strange, but as it encompasses the entire superhero community, you've also got the X-Men to consider. Every one has a say in the matter.

The story is cohesive and self contained. You know enough about the characters that even if you haven't read comics before, you could still follow the storyline. It's a simple plot, with massive and complex consequences. With that said, I would recommend reading some comics to get backgrounds on some of the lesser known superheroes.

Having only just started reading comics myself, I wasn't overly invested in the characters they killed off, because I hadn't heard of them.

So before you read this storyline, I'd advise reading other comics in the same universe, so you can get a feel for the characters. 

I think the only thing that really bugged me is the fact that one of the key characters they killed off was a person of colour. What's more, I didn't know all that much about him, which is why I advised reading comics prior to this storyline.

The art style is colourful, yet gritty. Heroes in upbeat brightly coloured costumes are contrasted by dark and grungy scenery. Men are drawn with strong square jaws and large shoulders and women are drawn slender, yet well muscled. While unrealistic for two of the many genders, this is comic history and we look back on what was in order to build from that. 

All in all, it was a fascinating read and often makes me wonder what I would do in those situations. Would I take a side? Or would I be like the X-Men and Doctor Strange and sit it out all together?

What would you do?

This comic warrants 4 and a half stars.

Thus ends this review.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments. 

I'll see you all next week, when I tackle the Guardians of the Galaxy! 

Please leave me some comic recommendations if you have any and I'll see you all soon!  

(Movie) Death Race...a look at The Last Cab to Darwin

This review was requested by Daniel Rath of Headland Creative Media (http://bit.ly/1KpUelk)

When I asked Daniel if he had any recommendations (I have been taking requests for comics, books and movies, in case you hadn't noticed. :P) he suggested this movie without a second thought.

Still in theatres in Australia, I went and saw it this Sunday just gone with the Iron Matriarch, (I wrote a post about her on my tumblr, which you can see if you get the chance.)

I'll be the first to say that I'm not a big fan of Aussie films. I'm told on a regular basis that all we have to offer is cop dramas and Aussie comedy that most of the world just doesn't get. You only need to look at the American version of Kath and Kim for that one.

This aside, I was skeptical as I entered the theatre. 

So, did it fall short? Or did it exceed expectations?

Let's review!

Story/Dialogue: Michael Caton plays Rex McCrea, a taxi driver from Broken Hill, NSW who is dying of cancer. He hears on the radio about a Doctor in the Northern Territory (Over 3000kms or 1864 miles) who has recently had a bill passed to make euthanasia possible for those patients who are in need to die with dignity.

There are other aspects to this plot, such as characters he meets and befriends and the places he goes. For spoiler's sake, I'll avoid talking about it.

The characters in this film are incredibly likeable. Rex is a loner with a razor wit and the companions he meets along the way are delightful. Their arcs are equally as important as Rex's as they reflect the other aspects of experiencing life.

One of the things I loved was how they portrayed the Koori bloke in this film. His character arc was emotionally satisfying and you found yourself grinning along with him.

Loveable rogue types, dude. Problematic favourites. 

My favourite character though is simply delightful and you can't help but fall in love with her. She's got a lot of guts and heart and it adds an element of dialogue to an unspoken storyline. She calls it like it is and I love her character so much for that.

The dialogue of this film is witty and carries an air of unapologetic blokiness about it. It fits the typical 'Laid back Aussie vibe' that most foreigners seem to think we have, yet has these undertones of intelligence that shows the characters are saying more than they're letting on.

Cinematography: This movie absolutely shone in the cinematic department. You had landmarks in the film that were iconic. This includes Alice Springs, Darwin, Broken Hill and the Devil's Marbles. I loved the time lapse shots showing night falling and the transition of the day. 

The visual symbolism was beautiful and should be kept and eye out for. See if you can figure out the significance of the tree of dead feral cats. Landmark? Or Symbol? 

Framing was creative, yet not all that innovative. Nothing really had me asking, "How did they get that shot?" But it was incredibly pleasant to watch in terms of soft pushes and slow camera movements. 

Visually, it was a feast for the eyes and it was a great way to show Australia's best sides. We are more than just the Gold Coast, Bondi and various deserts. 

Audio: While the tracks were pleasant to listen to, with lots of guitar work that didn't make it sound like the Tamworth Country Music Festival, it wasn't overly memorable. It reminds you of a bloke who lives out at Broken Hill. Hard working and in this case, taken for granted and under-appreciated.

Overall: The Last Cab to Darwin should be considered an iconic movie and as far as I'm concerned, sets the bar for Australian film in 2015. 

Forget your Australias, forget that atrocious looking Blinky Bill reboot (I'd be happy to review it, if only so I can smite the bugger,) this film is honest, deep and intense. I found myself holding my breath in certain instances and was invested from the moment Rex started dancing in his house at the beginning of the film.

The Last Cab to Darwin warrants a Ravensmark (picture pending,) reserved only for media of the highest caliber. I haven't seen a drama like it and I think it'll be a long time before I see a drama like it again. 

Thus ends this review.

I hope you enjoyed this review as much as I enjoyed watching it. Please, if you can, share this on facebook and retweet it on twitter. Support this amazing film.

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Thanks again, guys! I'll see you again on friday for Civil War! :D