miss_flowers Reviews

Easy Rider (1969)

We all need to see this.

[10/10 · 10 December 2012]

While I'm probably supposed to talk mostly about the technical elements of this movie, I think that they really go hand-in-hand with the plot and the overall themes of the movie. The whole point of Easy Rider is rebellion against everything, against what the older generation tells the younger generation to do and against class i s m and superiority based on whether members of a community hold you in higher esteem than someone else. This movie rebels in the first couple of minutes, and for the rest of the movie, with repeated scenes depicting casual drug use, sex, anti-establishment monologues and POV shots of people seeing as though they are high. The editing, especially, makes the movie, as it makes the iconic scene where they all drop acid in a cemetery and trip for 20 minutes. The movie is all about rebellion, and it rebels in every way it possibly can. It exposes societal issues in every way it can, with bright, clear lighting and straightforward camera angles and tracking shots. It makes the rebellion real.

The Graduate (1967)

Fantastic

[9/10 · 10 December 2012]

While I have my issues with The Graduate technically, it's definitely not to say it's not iconic and awesome in its' own right. The use of lighting is really incredible in this film, and really speaks to the time that it was made. Though everyone was pretty much ignoring the Hays code at this time, they still cut out the lights to avoid depicting anything beyond a single kiss between the two main characters, even though there wouldn't have been anyone to stop them if they had done that, and they would have just gotten a harsher rating. Moving on, the angles for certain shots were great, and there was very dramatic lighting a lot in the beginning. I especially liked the POV shots (one of the very earliest I'd seen) during the birthday party scene. There seem to be a lot of shots from very far away, which work very well when the main character is traveling or when he is driving or looking for his girlfriend in a sea of people on a college campus. The upwards-and-downwards angles during the final scene in the church were really great. Great plot, great movie. 9/10 would see again.

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Terrible

[1/10 · 10 December 2012]

Do the Right Thing is one of, if not THE worst movie I have ever watched, both technically and in terms of subject matter. While I understand the significance of what happened in the movie and the fact that acts like the ones depicted are real and should NOT be overlooked, I hardly think that the decisions made in its production were appropriate, nor did it adequately address racial, social and generational issues. There are no redeeming qualities in the movie or in it's characters, who were poorly realized and apathetic at best. I honestly think the entire thing is an overly glorified, class i s t piece of excrement that attempts to make a racial issue out of the fact that humanity is just disgusting. It forces you to take sides in a situation where everyone is wrong, to turn a petty fight into an issue of skin color, and I absolutely hate it. Moving on to technical issues, the awful, again, pretty much drowns out any good. A drunk toddler could have done better. Half the time, it's blown out with harsh lighting and yellow filters,and the other half is full of tracking shots that look like the cameraman was trying to stalk real people through the streets of Brooklyn. Don't waste your time.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Great message.

[8/10 · 10 December 2012]

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is so-so in my opinion, at least if you only look at the technical elements and not the plot. Everything seems entirely straightforward, with no particularly interesting camera angles or fancy lighting schemes or interesting moments of sound that went on for an extended period of time or seemed as though they were planned, as far as I can remember. I think what makes the movie so interesting is that it is so normal in every way, that it speaks to the turmoil that ripples though the plot. The main characters, an interracial couple, are the epitome of a normal couple that is happy and in love, but chaos and confusion and upset is all around them in very much the same way. What makes it so interesting is that the plot and technical elements mirror each other. Great messages that really hit home, having a mother who went through very much the same thing in the early '70s. Really touching, would watch again and recommend.

Psycho (1960)

Awesome

[9/10 · 10 December 2012]

Psycho is one of Those Movies that you always hear about but rarely manage to sit down and see for one reason or another. I'm honestly thrilled that I took the time to do that for my cinema class, because I've discovered yet another incredible movie I probably never would have watched any other way. It's a perfect example of a late code film that's trying to deal with mature subject matter. I find the use of cuts and editing and lighting to keep a murder mystery to Code really fascinating to watch, and I have, over and over again. While at times the movie has a certain "underexposed" feel (very dark, that is to say), that hardly detracts from the plot. In fact, it adds to it. You really feel the imposing darkness at night, the dim lighting of the house above the Bates hotel, and the brightness of day. Also, the use of sound is really interesting not with the voices or the various background noises, but the score itself, especially in the iconic "Shower scene". Truly a must-see.

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Amazing

[9/10 · 10 December 2012]

Singing in the Rain has got to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I'm 20 years old, and my mother raised me on the songs, but I had never seen the movie itself until I took a cinema class in college, and boy, was I missing out. The music and sound were incredible, as well as the tracking shots. It all has a kind of staged feel which I felt fit very well with the plot of the movie, since most of it DID take place on the stage. And, we have the introduction of dancing and musical numbers, which are always a great thing to throw in. Keeping in the trend of having the viewer feel like the people they are viewing, everything was lit very well, which is reminiscent of the stage lights that they had to stand under. Furthermore, the viewer is introduced to the type of problems that they might face if they were in show business during the transition from silent to sound: Worrying about one's voice, etc. I really think it's an incredible movie that doesn't get near enough attention.

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Not my favorite

[4/10 · 10 December 2012]

I had to watch Mildred Pierce for a Cinema class that I'm taking, and I'm sorry to say that it wasn't my favorite. While I do like Film Noir and very much enjoyed the new style of direction (especially the very dark lighting), I found it pretty dramatic and not all that interesting a film. I think that it could have been a lot better. Nevertheless the cinematography was technically pretty good, and setting aside the plot elements that made it pretty unbearable for me it had an element of realism that was very nice and very mysterious. I felt like I was playing clue. Perhaps not what I went to a Cinema class to do, but somewhat enjoyable, either way.

Citizen Kane (1941)

Great

[8/10 · 10 December 2012]

Citizen Kane is yet another classic that one spends entirely too much time hearing about and entirely too little time actually sitting and watching, which I think is incredibly unfortunate, as the movie is absolutely brilliant both plot-wise and in technical terms. It is well lit at the appropriate times, but not without the occasional blown out or 'underexposed' shot to demonstrate certain circumstances like being in a dimly lit library or being outside. The lighting is actually very interesting to watch in this movie due to Welles' tendency towards very dramatic lighting schemes. The editing, also, works very well, with clips 'layered' over top of each other to show the passing of time and other such things. The sound is very clear, as it had a trend of being in the very early days of sound where you could hear every noise, from a pillow being fluffed to a room being torn apart. All in all a fabulous movie that I would watch again and again.

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

so-so

[6/10 · 16 October 2012]

The Maltese Falcon, right off the bat, has very interesting technical elements. It has great compositions in its shots, it seems very balanced and clean, which is very different from many of the older movies I have seen before. Everything in the movie seems remarkably composed and tidy. The transitions between scenes are noticeable but not so noticeable that they become jarring and the editing seems well done. The long shots that they did--especially the very first one on the phone--is really interesting and feels new. It also has some amazing photographic moments, notably the scene between Mister Spade and the widow where the light is shining through the blinds onto the wall The acting and character seem so-so to me, though I believe a lot of the reason I have decided that I dislike it is not because of the quality of the acting itself and more that I was not very interested in the movie itself. Over all so-so, but great technically.

Stagecoach (1939)

Great

[7/10 · 16 October 2012]

I had to watch Stagecoach for a class I am taking in college, and it was one of the few in which I liked the acting/plot and the technical elements equally. The plot is very interesting, which is saying a lot because I'm normally not all that interested in westerns. I find the characters very likable--interestingly enough, I think that Dallas and Ringo, the two criminals, are actually the most round and likable characters. Technically the movie has many interesting elements, including a lot of shots of the horses/coach riding through the desert, which I always find really great because I like seeing a lot of scenery. It sets the mood wonderfully and really helps to make everything feel authentic. I also liked the shots inside the coach itself just because they really illustrate that cramped feeling you get when traveling a very long distance with many other people very well. In my opinion, that feeling alone makes the movie great. The idea that it can really make you FEEL something is just incredible, especially for a movie in a genre I usually quite dislike.

My Man Godfrey (1936)

Fantastic

[8/10 · 15 October 2012]

My Man Godfrey was something that I didn't initially expect to like, but I was very quickly proved wrong and I almost immediately fell in love with it. Obviously, William Powell's performance as Godfrey stole the show. He portrayed Godfrey's character magnificently and without his amazing interaction with the other actors/characters the movie wouldn't be half of what it was. Technically, the movie was very good for its time. Notable moments are the times when characters are ascending the stairs in the Bullock house, the way the camera rises to keep track of the characters while they move seems really innovative and interesting, and it's the earliest example of this type of camera movement that I have seen. All in all the movie is just great, just as romantic as it is comedic. Definitely a must see.

Frankenstein (1931)

Somewhat Disappointing.

[7/10 · 15 October 2012]

Frankenstein has got to be one of my favourite books of all time, so when I found out that I would have to watch the movie for a class, I was overjoyed. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed when watching the actual movie. While the film is good technically, with a very mobile camera, great balance and compositions and fair editing; as well as great actors (Even I will admit that Boris Karloff played the Frankenstein monster marvelously well), and very interesting character (Which, in my opinion, makes up for the so-so plot), it deviates so far from the original plot of the book that I was soured to the whole film. A great movie by itself, but it pales in comparison with the book, obviously. One really amazing technical/cinema graphic element that I will note is the long shot of the little girl's father walking into town with her body. Truly outstanding, if only for the technical elements

Casablanca (1942)

Incredible!

[10/10 · 15 October 2012]

I watched Casablanca for a class, and, while I initially thought that I wouldn't care for it, I find myself being able to confidently say that it's actually one of my favorite movies, not just from the class but also in general. In terms of acting character and plot the movie is just superb, the best performance being, obviously, from Humphrey Bogart. Technically, the movie is one of the best that I've seen from that period of time. The camera is EXTREMELY mobile, especially in Rick's Café, moving between the tables and sweeping the expanse of the dining room. The sweeps of the streets were incredible, and the shots seemed to be getting longer, which was nice to see. The most notable thing, technically, was the sweep of the airport as Ilsa and Laszlo's plane takes off. Overall an amazing movie, something I would definitely recommend both for the storyline and for the technical elements.

Nothing Sacred (1937)

so-so

[5/10 · 15 October 2012]

Nothing Sacred was a requirement for a class I am taking, and I have to say that it was not my favorite right of the bat. It just wasn't very interesting to me. However, that isn't to say that the film wasn't technically good. It had great cinematography and photography, and the camera-work was improving drastically from earlier movies. Nothing Sacred also has very diverse sets/filming locations and pretty good actors. The editing was done very well, especially for a late thirties film, and it dealt with surprisingly interesting subject matter in that Hazel talked about killing herself several times/attempted to fake her death. I thought the undertones of corruption/lying/suicide/addiction were actually a lot more interesting than the typical screwball comedy overtones. Overall, a very TECHNICALLY good film, but I wouldn't recommend it for fun.

Scarface (1932)

Amazing

[10/10 · 19 September 2012]

Scarface is probably the film that really made Paul Muni one of my favorite actors. While you might expect someone playing the lead in a gangster film to be tough and intense (Not that his character ISN'T either of those things necessarily, but that's not the while of his character), Muni's character was more goofy and fun and almost childish at times in the beginning, something that brought real attention to the way his character changed throughout the film. Though Muni has a bit of an over-dramatized style of acting, I don't think that came through as much in this film, which really helped the film become a lot more realistic (though there were still a lot of more over-dramatized scenes, something that is obviously unavoidable when working with people who had previously worked in silent films, where you HAD to be over-dramatized). The message of the film is just amazing and the sets are getting a lot more believable, and also the costumes are getting much more complex.

Truly an amazing movie. I absolutely loved it. I'd rather watch this than the '83 version any day.

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

AMAZING ending!

[10/10 · 19 September 2012]

I think I have previously stated on this site that 'Sunrise' is one of my favorite films, and I think that i need to revise that: I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is undoubtedly THE favorite, the best I have seen come out of the '30s, the best I have seen in general. Paul Muni is truly an amazing actor who really brings his character to life and makes real the awful things that he's going through. The plot itself is just simply amazing, something I definitely wouldn't expect to come out of the '30s. It's just so complex and real, dealing with real corruption in the government, the penal system and the judiciary system. Obviously I don't know exactly what things were like at that time, but it seems like it was incredibly realistic on almost all levels (excluding the over-dramatized acting, which I feel is left over from the silent movie era when everything HAD to be over-dramatized) and is really a generally heartbreaking story. The sound quality is great and the cinematography is excellent, of course, with no more of the shakiness and much more mobility than the movies of the '10s and '20s brought. Overall just an excellent film, ESPECIALLY the ending!

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Brilliant

[7/10 · 12 September 2012]

First off I'd like to say that the cinematography in Sherlock Jr is amazing for its time. There are hardly any jumps and the camera is relatively steady. The editing and effects are amazing for the time, and I found myself amazed by the little stunts that Buster Keaton did throughout the film. In terms of the story itself, Sherlock Jr has many interesting concepts. It seemed to me that Keaton's character's life was intentionally made somewhat dull and boring so that the action sequences when he slipped into a dream/the movie he was screening (Another brilliant scene, perfectly set to the sound track of the film) would seem even more thrilling. The 'love story' seemed to be more of an overarching plot that sandwiched the real story and provided an interesting beginning and a happy ending. In the scene where Keaton's character entered the movie, the music controlled the scene rather than the other way around. Sherlock Jr. Just puts forth amazingly innovative ideas for the time and is really a joy to watch.

Sunrise (1927)

Truly amazing, truly heartbreaking.

[10/10 · 11 September 2012]

My overall impression of "Sunrise" is that it's an absolutely amazing movie. One of the best films I have seen by far, and the best silent film I have seen. In terms of both cinematography and storyline, the movie is just unbelievably groundbreaking. The camera is extremely mobile and it doesn't shake as much as I have seen in other early films. The editing is very good, and the film itself doesn't seem as jumpy as other silent movies I have seen.

Moving on to story, I found myself enthralled from the very first moments of the film. The actors were amazing, though obviously some exaggeration comes with it since it is a silent film (I will say that it's far less than others I have seen, though). The film has quite a fast pace to it, which kept my interest piqued, though I probably would have watched it even if it had been moving tediously slow, because the story itself was simply amazing. Sunrise is just an incredibly accurate portrayal of domestic abuse at its most subtle. The kind of abuse that you might see in no place and every place; that you might hear anywhere, at any time. The man is never outright physically violent with his wife, and yet their relationship meets almost every requirement of an abusive relationship. The cycle of abuse (In which abuse occurs, then reconciliation comes with apologies, denial and gifts, a calm period in which the abuse is ignored as though it never happened and promises are made, and tension-building, in which the tension once again begins to rise and the abuser begins to get angry and jealous, leading to more abuse.) is very subtle, but not so much that it would not be recognizable to anyone who knew what to look for. It was honestly, completely heartbreaking to watch All in all, a perfect portrait of socially accepted abuse in the '20s

As a parting note I would like to add that while it may not have been the intention of the filmmakers to portray an abusive relationship, that is nonetheless what they have created. If unintentional, Sunrise is stunningly accurate on the attitudes towards relationships and abuse at the time of the movie. The husband commits atrocious acts and becomes significantly more attractive almost immediately afterwards, and maintains this appearance for the rest of the film. The wife becomes beautiful only after she accepts her role as the victim of his abuse and is nearly killed 'by accident'. The movie accurately depicts virtually every one of the defining characteristics of an abusive relationship. The husband is a violent sociopath. Sunrise is still an amazing movie, in terms of plot, acting and cinematography. But if you think it's a love story, you need to go watch it again.