Volver

Volver, directed by Pedro Almodovar

Volver is a Spanish film made in 2006, starring Penelope Cruz and having not watched many foreign films I was keen to go and see this movie at Aberystwyth students union. I had no previous idea of what this film was about and whether it would maintain my interest.

The film centres around the female protagonist Raimunada played by Penelope Cruz, it starts off establishing her lifestyle whereby she has a husband and daughter but the audience can tell that the relationship with her husband is an unhappy one. This family eventually breaks apart when the father tries to abuse the daughter who in self defence stabs her father and kills him. This leaves Raimunada to pick up the pieces and what is astonishing about this film is that even though it is in subtitles, I was excited and tensed to read them and watch the film, as I was immediately hooked. Penelope Cruz is amazing as the widower and single parent who has to keep his death from everyone and look her after her little girl whilst also maintaining her beautiful presence on screen.

There is not only this narrative but another which is a quite complex and almost thriller hybrid involving Raimunda's mother. Raimunada and her sister Sole lost their parents in a fire years ago, however Sole is revisited by her supposed dead mother unearthing family scandal and dark pasts leaving twists and turns for the audience. While family secrets are taking their toll, Penelope Cruz has got to get her life back together and in order to do this she opens a restaurant and makes a remarkable success. There is plenty of dark comedy (the fact that the dead husband is in the freezer at the back of the restaurant) coupled with dark and serious moments, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats.

This is a definite must see and a brilliant edition to Spanish cinema led by the talent of the beautiful and superbly acted Penelope Cruz.

The Departed

The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese

The Departed was released in 2006 and recently came to Aberyswyth students union in early 2007. I was highly anticpating this film, firstly because it has been nominated for the best picture oscar at the 2007 academy awards, and secondly it is directed by Martin Scorsese. Having watched Gangs of New York, I was immediately transfixed on Martin Scorsese`s directing and the intense portrayal of Leonardo DiCaprio's and Daniel Day Lewis`s `army`s`. So with The Departed, I was expecting something special and when the titles rolled, there was the introduction of Jack Nicholson's character, so i was immediately introduced to one of the protagonists. It was in such a way that gripped me as it is learnt that he is a robber, and the title montage opens with him carrying out his job, and the way he empowered the action shots immediately hooked me into another Martin Scorsese masterpiece. At the end of the action montage, Jack Nicholson comes across a young boy who he takes under his wing and this is where the complex, clever plot begins.


As the boy grows up, he turns into Matt Damon and his character enrols within the police force in order to infiltrate and report back to Jack Nicholson of any attempts by the police to stake him out. There is the binary opposition on the other side of the law as Harvey Keitel and Mark Walhberg get Leonardo DiCaprio to pose as a criminal within Jack Nicholson's gang. Coupled with high action, quick editing, a mix of low, medium and high angled shots juxtaposed with high intense music, the audience is drawn into a world of dodgy dealings and enigma which immediately hooked me.


The assembled cast is excellent and I was particularly amazed by Mark Walhberg's role because his previous parts had included Planet of the Apes (2001)and The Italian Job (2003) which did not really stretch his acting ability. But in this film his acting is in complete overhaul as he is one of the main contenders that commands the screen. His character does not trust Leonardo DiCaprio and relishes in winding people up and making peoples lives a misery. His portrayal is superb and it is a refreshing outlook on his acting ability.

Apart from Mark Walhberg, Jack Nicholson was a major surprise, he is a reliable and dependable actor and I have felt that his previous films have been just that, such as Anger Management and Somethings Gotta Give both made in 2003. But with this film he is on exceptional top form, firmly setting him as an established actor helping to carry the new and upcoming talents of Mark Walhberg, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. With Leonardo DiCaprio he has gone from strength to strength, and his high powered performance has allowed me to respect him even more as an actor rather than a star.

So to sum up, if you want to see a high action, clever plot, twist and turn movie with cool acting, a sophisticated edge, and to top it all off a now oscar winning director (finally) for this film, then this movie is for you.

Rocky Balboa

Rocky Balboa, directed by Sylvester Stallone,

Rocky, directed by Sylvester Stallone

I am a big fan of the Rocky films and I was so looking forward to seeing one come to the big screen at the commodore cinema in Aberystwyth in early 2006. The same narrative technqiues go straight back to the first one which was orginally intended by Sylvester Stallone, because with the first, it was about himself and his background. The original had the inevitable deeper and more inspired meaning to his character and obstacles.

So here we have the recent addition to the franchise and the plot centres around the aftermath of Adrian's death, Rocky owns and works in a restaurant which in the first intance makes us believe he is happy and content with telling the customers stories of his boxing days. Apart from Rocky other established characters are focused upon such as his brother in law Pauli who is still a grumpy and depressing character. Rocky's son has grown up and works as a businessman for a successful company but at the beginning of the movie Rocky and his son's relationship is strained. His son is embarrassed, hating the fact that Rocky steals his limelight and taking away his individuality. As these parallel stories evolve at the beginning of the film, we have the event that shifts into disequilibrium, and the chain of events that follow whereby at the end we see Rocky back in the ring for a final fight against Mason `The Line' Dixon.


The reason for the confrontation, is that there is a virtual boxing game involving opponents from different eras, and the recent showdown was between Rocky and the new and upcoming boxing talent of Mason Dixon. The result showed that Rocky would win and this may be the pivotal moment that gets the narrative flowing. However, even before that, the audience begins to see his inner demons start to seep through and the urge to get back in the ring. With his inner demons and in connecting that to the end of the movie, you see its purpose. The inner ideological meaning is that Rocky was not fighting to prove his status as a boxer, he was fighting for Adrian who died of stomach cancer. When he was in the ring and punching his opponent Mason, he was getting rid of the hurt from losing her, releasing his aggression and attacking the cancer face on. What had hurt Adrian he could not prevent and the only place to release his heartache was in the ring.


So as the audience goes through Rocky's journey, there is tension between him and his son, Pauli loses his job and Rocky himself forges a relationship with the young Marie who appeared in the first film. Suddenly these characters are thrown together forging the team that to enable him to go up against his opponent. Within the final fight, the same action, quick cut and zoom techniques around the boxing ring does justice to the Rocky franchise and creates the ultimate fight adrenaline that is not so easily accomplished in other boxing films. With Rocky you are on his side and watching your hero get hurt gets the blood racing, this goes into an overload when you see him fight back, when he gets knocked down it teaches us to get straight back up because if you just lay there, you would be lost forever.


With Sylvester Stallone's new Rocky film the audience is with him every step of the way and when the music plays at the beginning you have yet again entered into his world. At the end of the film there is a nicely ended resolution giving us as an audience a brilliant and final chapter.

The Pursuit Of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness, directed by Gabriele Muccino

With prior knowledge that Will Smith's role in this movie had been nominated for best actor in the 2007 Oscars, I was expecting a decent performance. However instead, I got an amazing performance, having watched it at the Commodore cinema in Aberystwyth.

The plot centres around Chris Gardner (Will Smith) in 1981, who has a wife played by Thandie Newton and A child (played by the adorable Jaden Smith, Will Smith's son). The opening montage immediately allows the audience to connect with his character and lifestyle, as we see him trying to sell bone marrow detection machinery, a business venture that is going wrong. There is then a flashback of them moving into their new home, when their lives were ‘happy’ and before his job as a salesperson became unsuccessful. The resulting action in the present day is now financial pressure upon the family and his wife having to juggle between jobs.

The atmosphere finally reaches breaking point and Thandie Newtons character moves to New York to hopefully get a steady and reliable job, leaving Chris to look after his son. What makes this film seem unique, is that even though there should be intended sympathy for the female protagonist, the actual sympathy is with Will Smith's character. The removal of the female protagonist then paves the way for the male protagonist's emotional journey, about a father who when he was younger did exceptionally well in school but worried about stretching further and being discouraged. But as the situation reaches breaking point, his inner anxieties will have to be cast aside in order to fight for his son and their very future, and about how far you would go in order to survive and be 'happy`.

This is by far, one of Will Smith's greatest films, an emotional, heart wrenching portrayal of a man against the odds and working, grinding, testing the boundaries in order to become someone. He is trying to beat off competition in the hope of getting a job as a stockbroker whereby he has to use his people skills, wits and willingness to achieve this. His ultimate goal and passion is to be happy with his son, but there is a deep and moralistic undertone. the fact that what’s staring straight at him in the face is his son, so can it be argued that his son is happiness in itself.

Both Will Smith and his son portray a brilliant partnership, their relationship with each other off screen helps on screen, as they both have a great chemistry with decent acting and charging the tone of the piece, to get the audience connecting with their characters. All in all, an amazing performance by Will Smith, and to see the trailer click on play below and click on the link above to take you to IMDB.

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil wears Prada, directed by David Frankel

The Devil wears Prada was made in 2006, starring Anne Hathaway, and as I'm a girly girl (most of the time), I was psyched up to see it being shown at aber union on monday 5th February at 8pm. Myself and a friend arrived 5 minutes before it was due to start and on entering found the entire room was completely full, so we sat at the front on the floor.

As the titles rolled, the montage introduced the heroine (Anne Hathaway) on her journey around the `big city` (New York) and coupled with non diegetic music of `suddenly i see` by KT Tunstall, sets the airy woman on a mission, immediately hooking me into this fantasy world. The plot is based around Andy (Anne Hathaway), a wannabee journalist, who decided not to pursue a career in law. Her only real hope is a job interview for Runway, a leading fashion magazine headed by the tough, mean Miranda played by Meryl Streep. Andy is immediately stereotyped and discriminated against by Emily, mirandas first assistant, and her even bigger obstacle is to impress miranda.

As the film progresses, Andy begins to realise that to become serious and survive within the fashion industry she will have to change her image; the way she acts, dresses and speaks as well as her outlook on fashion. She eventually accomplishes this but it is still not enough for Miranda and when Andy gets chosen to go to Paris, she has an even bigger challenge to impress. With her career on the highs, Andrea's love life is strained, losing her boyfriend and contact with friends as well as transforming into an entirely different person. She has an epiphany and realises that the person she is turning into and will inevitable become is Miranda.

The basic iconography for this film is symbols of the fashion industry, and at first glance it can be viewed as another girls film, but in looking beneath the surface, themes and meanings seep through. A womans ambition within an industry will mean choosing between her career or love as well as being pressured into becoming someone she is not, inevitably affecting the rest of your life. What makes this film believeable is the talents of Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, both unique in their artistic differences but when brought together on the big screen, complimenting one another. Anne Hathaway's magical pressence on screen, as shown in the Princess Diaries, draws you in and connects with her character. With the support from the flawless talent of Meryl Streep, known for her serious roles (The Hours), this provides a balance on screen of the new and upcoming talent with the already establised talent.

This film was certainly not a let down and for you to see a quick taster of what I mean, click on play to view the trailer below, and enjoy! In addition click on the link above to take you to IMDB.

Isolation

Isolation, made in 2005, directed by Billy O`Brian

In Aberystwyth, the majority of you will have heard of the recent Abertoir film festival that took place in the arts centre, Halloween weekend of 2006. On the first day we had a mystery screening and as I sat comfortably in my seat, the title `Isolation` came up. Its premise is experimentation going seriously wrong on a rural Irish farm.

I was lost for the first 30 minutes as it focused on the concept of `attack of the cows` but suddenly the underlying ideological purpose of the movie eventually started to seep through (finally). As best as I can describe, the plot centres around the ethics of cell manipulation and experimentation on animals, focusing on out of control parasites growing inside a calf that is inside a cow, don`t ask!

Once you get past the silly plot, it actually turns into a damn good movie and the special effects are very impressive for a low budget British film which in a sense reminded me of `The Descent`. There is some pretty decent camera work used (handheld camera does maximise the tone of the piece in terms of unpredictability) and also the quick cut editing is visually impressive. There are a few jumpy moments that add to the tension and suspense i.e. a parasite slowly making its way under the bed covers. However I was very, very annoyed when one segment focused on a woman on an operating table, where she has died from a parasite, leaving a huge hole through her stomach. It reminded me of alien, and the actual growth of the parasite was reminiscent of `The Thing`. The film uses intertextuality to the extreme and took away its originality (even if the plot was unrealistic).

In terms of characters, the main protagonist Dan (played by John Lynch: Sliding Doors) is brilliant as the lonely considerate farmer but Essie Davies who played Orla was terrible. There was no reason for her character (who was a vet) to be in the script, the only memorable thing she did was at the beginning when she stuck her hand up the cows arse to check whether the calf was ok. However, I did like the other female protagonist Ruth Negga who played Mary. A typical convention of a woman seemingly innocent at the start who then has to toughen up to beat the `big bad` at the end which reminded me of Ripley in a sense. Relating back to originality, it even stole from The Omen which was another reason I was annoyed at the borrowing of generic conventions from other films which I believe is what let this film down.

However, I would recommend this movie if you want harmless gory fun and as previously mentioned, for a low budget British film, this is definitely one to watch in terms of appreciating the input of effort by the filmmakers.

And if you want to see the trailer, click on play below, also click on the link above to take you to IMDB.