To see or not to see…that is the question?

This Valentine’s day and many people will choose a quiet night with a movie after a candle light meal. However, what movie to choose is always a difficult one, so here is my guide to a few movies you should try and ones you should definitely stay away from.

Ones to go for.

UP

Possibly the biggest tearjerker Pixar has produced so far, Up follows the adventure of OAP Carl as he goes on a dangerous expedition with his house and a lot of balloons. As well as being beautifully animated and hilariously funny, ‘Up’ is deeply moving. If your date does not cry within the first ten minutes then they are soulless and should be broken up with immediately (ok, that might be a bit extreme, but the point still stands). This film gives a loving portrayal of a successful relationship without over doing it on the schmaltz.

Slumdog Millionaire

Danny Boyle’s awards-show-stealing film that follows a slum boy through the hardships of rural India may not seem like the best date film, but it certainly pushes the right emotional buttons. It has scenes of great joy and great tragedy, great beauty and great horror, but there is always the constant love between the two leading characters Jamal (Dev Patel) and Latika (Freido Pinto). This love is Jamal’s motivation for everything he does and that is what makes the film the perfect one to watch cuddled up on the sofa together, but be prepared to both laugh and cry.

Ones to avoid

Date Night

Don’t let the title fool you; this film is not one for the first date DVD night in. Following a middle-aged (sorry, Tina) couple as they try and put some spark back into their love life doesn’t fill you with romantic feelings so much as dread as to what you and the person next to you will eventually turn into. The film is surprisingly funny despite the lukewarm reviews and Tina Fey and Steve Carell are likable enough to pull off the leading roles. But if I have to be shot at to have a ‘happy and content’ marriage I think I would rather be single.

500 Days of Summer

This film is very much an anti-romcom indie flick. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as the central couple the film chronicles their 500-day relationship and how it quickly grows and slowly falls apart. The film is shown non-linearly with good moments shot right beside sad moments. It is disheartening to witness the guy get the girl of his dreams only to realise they are not in fact compatible. There is nothing that kills the mood faster than being shown on screen a relationship go through all the right hoops, including that couple trip to Ikea, only to not work out.

Faces to watch out for in 2011

Here are a few of the names you should look for on movie posters in 2011. None of them are unknowns, but all have a good line up of films planned for 2011 that shows why they are big Hollywood stars.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is certainly being adaptive this year. At the start she will play a ballerina on the edge  in the Oscar worthy and critically acclaimed ‘Black Swan’ and then she will delve into different roles for different audiences. She becomes Ashton Kutcher’s love interest  in chick-flick ‘No Strings Attached’, an astrophysicist in Marvel’s comic film ‘Thor’ and finally the warrior princess in male directed fantasy comedy ‘Your Highness’. None of these roles seem to be similar, so Portman will finally be showing her acting diversity and hopefully proving to Hollywood that she can be box office gold.

 

Steven Speilberg

When Steven Spielberg releases two films in a year you can guarantee a few things: there will be a happy ending; one film will be heavy while the other is light; and he will push the boundaries of filmmaking.

In 2011 Spielberg will release ‘War Horse’, a film adaptation of the emotional child’s story of a horse in World War 1, and ‘The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn’ in which he will create an entire 3D film using Avatar motion-capture technology. Both films will have an impact this year.

 

Matt Damon

One male actor to look out for this year is Matt Damon who is hitting 2011 with no less than five film releases.  Damon is known for being picky with roles but to his credit as he often chooses meaty, interesting ones. He will narrate a documentary ‘Inside Man’, which is about the financial crisis, play a reluctant psychic in the new Eastwood film ‘Hereafter’, a cowboy with a lisp in the Cohen brother’s ‘True Grit’, a politician in thriller ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ and then to round it all off a scientist in star studded ‘Contagion’. Now that’s a workload to rival Oxford!

 

It’s All About The Ambience!

I like to believe I am a regular cinema goer, (I even have the Cineworld membership card to prove it!) yet I always feel that there is something lacking at your average High Street Cinema.  Would I be betraying my Middle-Class routes if I said that I thought it was:  ambience. It’s no longer an event to just go and see a film, but is simply a smaller part of the entire evening’s plan. In your average High Street Cinema, the seats are hard and too close together, the floor is sticky and the audience is too loud; all this doesn’t add up to a pleasant viewing experience. This week I went all over London to investigate alternative cinemas that offer a new, and possibly better, way to watch movies on the big screen. My search took me to Angel, Soho and Deptford

First I went to ‘Screen On The Green’ (http://www.everymancinema.com/cinemas/filmlisting.asp?cn=1&ci=5&ln=1&pi=1896), which is a trendy little venue in Angel. Here they do films like I imagine they were always meant to be shown.  The cinema only has one screen that is thankfully not packed to the rafters with seats. This results in there being fewer people watching which creates a sense of exclusivity and importance. The room itself is beautifully decorated to look more like a theatre than another Cineworld or Odeon. At ‘Screen On The Green’ there are also 2 bars: my golden rule is that any cinema that has a bar is instantly a good place to go as it means fewer kids and teenagers. Also you can have something stronger than a Pepsi Colato enjoy the film with. On top of all this what really makes ‘Screen On The Green’ an exceptional place to watch a film is the chairs. They are big, soft and comfortable, more like ones you find in a living room than in a cinema. Each one can recline and comes with its own footrest and table for the drinks. There are even sofas for couples at the back.  Having seats like these allow you to truly relax and feel comfortable which makes all the difference when watching a film. The screen also has a high turnover rate with new things showing every week. It means that you will never have seen everything that ‘Screen On The Green’ has to offer, but also that you shouldn’t hang about: what you want to see may not be around for very long. All this certainly adds atmosphere to a Friday night film, but it also comes at a cost with each adult ticket costing £10 and the concession ones only slightly cheaper at £7.50. Not to mention the prices at the bar! However, for a special and memorable movie experience there is little better than this Angel venue and I thoroughly recommend everyone to go and see it.

The night after ‘Screen On The Green’ I went to a full-blown movie experience with the Jameson Cult Film Club (http://jamesoncultfilmclub.com). The company believes that atmosphere is everything when watching a movie and so they put it on themselves to show cult films in an environment that will that will fully draw in each watcher. This goes on all around the country with all sorts of films, such as ‘Carrie’ in Liverpool or  ‘Aliens’ in Manchester and on Thursday night I went to a three-storey car park in London’s Soho to watch Martin Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver’. The setting of the screen was perfect; there is nothing like watching a dark New York City drama surrounded on all sides by concrete walls. To increase the New York feel there was a yellow cab in the middle of the car park and surrounding it were hookers, jazz musicians and street hustlers.

All this helped make each member of the audience feel as if we were in fact in the downtown streets of the Big Apple itself. It was fantastic to watch a film surrounded by like-minded fans that didn’t talk constantly, but simply watched the film and enjoyed their free glass of Jameson’s whisky with their hot dog.  The fact all this was free was also an added bonus.  The price combined with the effort put in means each screening is very popular so queues are sadly inevitable; I was quite far back and got there 45 minutes before the doors opened.

It’s also a rather lengthy process; the doors didn’t open till 7:15, the film didn’t start until everyone was seated an hour or so later and lasted over two hours: don’t expect to be out before 10.30.. Also since the event is free it is all done on a budget and the seats are far from comfortable.  Yet regardless of these slight criticisms the ‘Jameson Cult Film Club’ was a great experience and all avid film fans should try and go at least once.

The final night of ‘research’ took me to north London and ‘The Deptford Project’ (http://www.thedeptfordproject.com). Here I found a used train carriage being used as a café, a shed dedicated to Elvis that acted as a loo, and a ‘silent’ outdoor cinema.

Upon arrival I was given a pair of headphones in true ‘silent disco’ style, which had music on one channel and the film on the other. But that was not all the audience was given; along with the headphones everyone had props and a sheet of instructions on when to use them. Like the ‘Jameson Cult Film Club’ the ‘Deptford Project’ wanted to drag audiences out of their seats and into the film. This worked extremely well and it was great to see everyone react when they needed to.

As with ‘Screen On The Green’ the tickets are slightly more than you would pay at a chain cinema, but you get a lot more for your money. The films are shown on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the movie season, with each night having a different film and each trio having a different theme, such as 80s or cult. As with the other two screenings, I highly enjoyed myself and urge others to try ‘The Deptford Projects’ out, but be warned the show will go on in any weather so dress appropriately or bring someone to cuddle up to

Clearly there is more than one way to watch a film on the silver screen. All three venues made the films come alive to me and greatly improved my cinematic experience. I would challenge people not to assume that their local Vue is the best place to go and experience films; from new releases to cult classics, films can be experienced in a wide variety of venues.  Most of them do come with a slight mark-up, but what would the world be like if were no alternatives to the High Street in which to experience cinema?  I would encourage readers to treat themselves occasionally and shell out on a pricier experience from time to time: trust me, you won’t regret it.

How To Make A Classic…Psycho-drama-The Taxi Driver Tangent

Martin Scorsese’s psycho thriller ‘Taxi Driver’ received four academy award nominations, including one for best movie, but why is a film about an unstable veteran turned taxi driver such a success? Why did it inspire John Hinckley, Jr to try and assassinate President Regan in 1981?  The answer lies at the feet of two men: Robert De Niro and his excellent character Travis Bickle, and Scorsese himself with his excellent directing.

Never before or since has there been a protagonist like De Niro’s Travis Bickle. After not being able to sleep at night  Bickle starts taking graveyard taxi shifts to cope with his insomnia. It is during his taxi work that Bickle shows us the darker side of human nature. From the extracts from his diary that he narrates we see Travis’ darker feelings as he points out what he calls ‘the scum of New York’;  prostitutes, murders and drug dealers, all of which disgust and frustrate him. His observations about these people are surprisingly perceptive for someone so unstable and illuminate what many of us choose to ignore around us. What is strange (and yet compelling) about Travis is that even though he despises the petty crime he does not interfere with it since he sees it as part of life. When a customer in the back of his taxi tells Travis he plans to shoot his wife and her lover Travis does nothing to stop him or help his wife, but instead simply drives away.  This disconnection is quite terrifying, but not nearly as terrifying as when Travis tries to help which always seems to end in violence and blood.  Through this creepy behaviour he does command respect and even manages to get interest from Cybill Shepherd’s Betsy who works for a senator and Jodie Foster’s Iris who is a 12-year-old hooker he wishes to save. All these aspects create a fascinating character that is impossible not to watch to see what he does or thinks of next.

Along with De Niro’s great character Scorsese also puts his own mark on this classic psycho-drama. He puts a great sound track in the film that conveys a huge volume of emotion in every scene. The chilling soundtrack was written by ‘Psycho’ composer Bernard Herrmann and was his last project before he died. Every time the terrifying signature song was played my blood went cold, and if you don’t believe me just take a listen the it down below. Scorsese, since he is a great director, tried to make all the characters as real as possible. This is no ‘Pretty Woman’; these prostitutes are young, scared and abused while being a taxi driver is not made to look like a glamorous profession. There is nothing attractive about the fact that Travis must wipe vomit and semen off the back seat of his cab every night. By including this realism the audience are hit a lot harder and given a better understanding of what Travis is seeing when he goes out to work each night.

Overall the film expertly delves into the psychology and mind of its complex lead character. Both Scorsese and De Niro take the audience into Travis’ mind and don’t sugar coat the horrors we find in it. This journey is unforgettable and is what makes ‘Taxi Driver’ one of the best psycho-dramas ever made.

How To Make A Classic…Family Film- The Disney Equation

Walt Disney has made some of the most known and best-loved family films of all time. Success to them is a formula that works every time. Every classic Disney movie has several key aspects that make the movie a classic; they need an unoriginal story, adult themes and an amazing soundtrack.

The idea of using an unoriginal story seems a bit backward, but looking at all the Disney classics many, if not all, are based on old children’s books and fairytales: Aladdin, Hercules, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland are just a few, but the list goes on ad infinitum. These stories work for Disney because they are timeless tales that are known to work. If these stories have survived decades (often centuries) of publishing then they can survive a Disney make over. As anyone will know, the success of Disney franchises tends to wane when the House of Mouse releases the sequels and prequels they develop themselves.

On top of the classic story a Disney family film will include adult content. Some of the most memorable scenes from Disney are also the most harrowing; the death of Bambi’s mother and of Simba’s father defines both films. These scenes work because they don’t treat the child watchers like idiots. Not only do these scenes leave a lasting impression on the children, but they also bring in the parents who can enjoy the film as well. But there is a limit. Bad deeds done to the protagonist are fine, since the protagonist can overcome them; bad deeds done by the protagonist cannot be so easily justified. In the Hans Christen Anderson version of the ‘The Little Mermaid’ the mermaid must murder the prince’s wife in order to remain human. She decides not to, but instead drowns herself in the ocean. Suitable content for a children’s film? I think not: Disney wisely decided to leave this story direction out. The final essential part of a Disney family film is of course the music.

All classic family films must have a great soundtrack that is so catchy that you will remember it years later merely seconds into the song. It is these catchy tunes and wonderful lyrics that have families coming back time and time again. The music and the happy ending.

This formula which Walt Disney first equated almost a century ago has been shown to child after child for generations. And how successful it has been!

PC Power

There is no question of the fact that hand drawn animation has made classic films. Childhood movies (think Bambi, or Snow White) will forever bee crucial to cinema. Now, however, the new way of telling stories is CGI.

You can’t talk about CGI without mentioning the big studios, Pixar, and Dreamworks, who have made a fortune out of the new technology. Pixar’s Up opened with a staggering $64 million, $44 million more than Disney’s recent hand-drawn release The Princess and the Frog. Admittedly high box office figures don’t make a good film, otherwise every Harry Potter would have won an Oscar and The Hurt Locker would be at the bottom of the bargain bin. CGI, however, unarguably has the power to drag you into the film itself. The worlds that CGI achieves have more depth, texture and richness than anything drawn with pencil and paper. The beautiful coral of Finding Nemo and Puss’ fur in Shrek make CGI films feel more real to the audience. CGI animation also gives each character more expression and life than their drawn counterparts. The character that most epitomizes this is Pixar’s Wall.E; the mute metallic robot is one of the most expressive, adorable characters in animation – all done through a computer. It is true CGI films can be nothing more than cash cows, as films like A Shark’s Tale make explicitly obvious. However, what movie genre doesn’t have a few embarrassments that were better off on the drawing board?

CGI will also evolve as films continue to evolve. The animation will improve, the techniques will improve and, if Pixar are anything to go by, the stories will improve. Its existing stunning properties coupled with a limitless potential to be better is why I will always champion CGI over and above hand drawn animation.