The Hudsucker Proxy

First of all I would like to say that I think the use of the word "proxy" in the title is absolute genius. I believe that for any kind of film, to have something/anything that has meaning for the makers of the film, makes the film that much greater in my eyes. The Coen brothers are definitely the underdogs in the filmmaking world, but the thing is that they know it but they still go out and make the films that they want to make. I commend them, it takes a lot of guts, and obviously, money. I don't think there is any right or wrong answer to whether or not the Coen brothers are taking creative risks, but for me I do believe that they took a risk with this film. First of all this movie was one of their early ones so they put this out there with their name on it, and it failed in the box office. Even with all of the bad press and reviews they were still able to go and make more films such as The Big Lebowski and eventually Burn After Reading. I think that these brothers know who they are and what they want to do and they aren't going to let anyone stand in their way and I love that about them and their films.

The Big Lebowski

This film was definitely one of a kind. I don't think I have ever seen a movie like this one. In all honesty it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. The music was catchy, the actors were actually good, and there were times where I literally laughed out loud. The Coen brothers certainly did take a risk with this film, but I give them credit. They finally got to do something that they wanted to and even though it didn't do particularly well in the box office, people still talk about this movie today. The reason why I think that the movie is a "cult classic" is because of the diversity of the characters and how well they meshed together, the dream sequences included in the film, and like stated before, the soundtrack. The dream sequences are what kept me the most interested. They were just so odd that I couldn't wait for the next one. All in all I was surprised by this film. I was expecting something like a Judd Apatow movie but that wasn't what this was. It was very different but, also good at times.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a very iconic film, play, and book. It has been around ever since I can remember and will probably still be around when my children get to school age. To make a book into a play is one thing, but to make a play and a book into a movie would be very difficult I assume. There would have to be a screen writer that has a lot of experience because he or she would have to cut the playwright down quite a bit to fit it on film, and of course there would have to be an abundance of research that would need to be put into what can be cut out and what needs to stay in. I think the actor's in the film did a great job at researching their roles. I believe whole-heartedly that to do a good job in the film world, you need to be able to put the time in to get your characters point across. For the actors to have sat in on a psychiatric ward was probably one of the best research methods they could have done. For them they can see how the patients acted and responded to different stimuli. There is also an argument that they could have copied one or two of the patients, but I still think that it was a great research method for each of the actors.

Rio Bravo

Rio Bravo is definitely a film that I will not forget. The acting for one thing caught me off guard because it was so good. Dean Martin really blew me away in every single one of his scenes. The western genre definitely does have a stereotype placed on it. There is always the good guy and the bad guy and they are pinpointed out from the beginning. This film did that but in a more subtle way I believe. I guess it was more subtle because this is an older movie and subtlety is the only thing they have. The part that I loved the most was when the two men finally get together for their "duel." The most I remember and think about when I think of westerns is how they meet in the saloon and look at each other for a long period of time until one of the men finally pulls out their gun. I was pleased to see that this film did not do that. This film was one of the great ones and it will remain one of my favorites.

Mon Oncle

This film was one of the most interesting films that I have ever seen. Not only does the director go into such great detail but he also made his own sounds for everyday occurrences. The one that sticks out in my mind was how it sounded more like a shot being fired for when they open and closed the car door. I think that it is very admirable that the director obviously took a lot of time and dedication to be able to go into such great detail. Every move was deliberated exactly how he wanted and I am sure that if it wasn't right, he had the actors do it over and over again. There was one scene where the woman was at the market getting vegetables and there was just a way about how she went about picking up the vegetables that kept you interested. That is another thing, if there wasn't all the detail I think this film would be rather boring to watch. I do think that at times the detail kind of got in the way but in the end it definitely made for an interesting watch.

Exit Through The Gift Shop

I don't know what to believe about this film. In some ways I think that it was all a hoax but in other ways I think it could be completely truthful. I wasn't aware that Banksy had a history of being a prankster, but with that knowledge it still doesn't sway my opinion. I just think that this was too big of a project for it to all be a joke. They said that they spent years working on it, why would anyone spend so much time on a project if it is only a joke? There is the factor that Banksy is so adamant about keeping his identity a secret, so why would he be okay with someone following him around and filming him? There are just so many questions that will go unanswered I suppose. The documentary was very interesting but it made me angry with how cocky and over-bearing MBW became. He was nothing before he started following around these artists and then he basically became bigger than all the artists he filmed. The only reason he became so big was because of what Banksy said about him, it just ticked me off with how annoying he became because at the beginning I did want to like him. By the end of the film my whole attitude towards him changed.

When Harry Met Sally

 

I feel that When Harry Met Sally is one of the most different romantic comedies that has been made. I mean it definitely does follow a lot of the cliches but it starts out with a change. I mean sure there have been many romantic comedies that have started with the two people disliking each other and then falling madly and deeply in love but this film was not that exact case. I love how the writer made the audience fall in love with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal as friends. The friendship is what made this film, and it is rare to actually see two people fall into that kind of relationship. Normally there are two characters that already have an established friendship and we are just supposed to believe they have been friends forever. The thing that made me love this movie is that even though they did end up falling in love in the end, their friendship was the main thing about the film. I think that this movie will be a favorite of many to come for many years to come. It has that different factor that will keep it as an artistic movie for a very long time. Not only are there just the two main characters but they also have the testimonials from other couples that keep the film very interesting. It will definitely stay as a favorite for many years.

Thin Red Line

Thin Red Line was a very interesting movie for me. I thought that it was a very well directed and acted film, but like you said there was no plot. I found myself waiting for the climax of the film to happen. I was rather disappointed when it never came but I do have to say that I do respect Mallick's out of context way of making a film. Obviously he didn't go with the normal way of making a film and if you ask me that takes a lot of courage. There were an enormous amount of A-List actors but there didn't seem to be a lead character. All of them were kind of in the same boat. This was also a different way of directing a film. Normally you know right off hand, when the movie starts, who is the lead character and this makes you fall in love with the actor in the film and you find yourself rooting for them. In this film I had no feelings for any of the actors. I wasn't able to connect to any certain character because there wasn't enough character build. All in all though I do believe that Mallick did get his point across, in a very different way, but it was still a great film!

Pan's Labyrinth

I believe that the writer/ director chose to use both the real life event along with the fantasy to make the fantasy that much more real. It takes a lot to make a fake world seem real. By using actual events, like the director did, it makes us, the audience, believe more in the fantasy. Not only do we believe more but we also want so much for that "fake" world to be a reality. I do think that in some cases movies that are based solely on fantasy get too wrapped up in that world, and steer so far away from reality that it gets really hard to believe in the end. I feel like in every movie there is always a factor of obedience and disobedience. There is a always a question of should I or shouldn't I? It is the existential question. The main point of disobedience that I saw was when Ophelia ate some grapes when she was told not to, but then of course she was given another chance, which always seems to happen in movies, no matter where they come from. To me this movie wasn't my favorite but it was very interesting to watch.

Robocop

This film was one that I didn't particularly enjoy. I thought the violence was a little over the top and there was too much gore for me to handle, though at times I did laugh. I believe that the violence was somewhere in the middle between realistic and fun. The only thing about this film that I took seriously was when robocop realized who his killers were in the gas station. He was very emotional, and I honestly felt sad for him. Other than that scene, it was all a little too gruesome for me. There was one part where a man was shot in the hand and there was blood just spurting out, which to me was very real violence at the beginning, but then after watching it for a second it became fun violence. I believe that this movie was one that could have gone without going over the top with the blood and gore. I understand the premise of the film but there are times when I just don't get why directors, writers, and producers push the violence to a whole other level. They could have made it a lot classier, which would have appealed to a whole different audience. A lot more girls would have gotten into it and it could have made a much bigger revenue. But tat is just my thought on the subject, basically there was way too much violence!