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The West Wing (1999)
The Most Intellectual, Technically Sound Visual Fictional Narrative EVER
Any living, comprehending human brain can absolutely discern from the very first episode that The West Wing is the most ambitious, complex, and layered visual fictional narrative ever produced.
Depicting the structure of a major institution (a hospital, a courthouse, a military base) is a daunting task for a fictional writer who has not spent an ample amount of time in such a place. Between the strict procedure, rankings of personnel, rules, and other tedious, yet important details to the workings of a large institution can drive a person attempting to learn these things insane. Just look at the real-life rules/procedure for Congress when they are in session. It's mind-boggling how many little details must be followed. Hence, this is why the idea of tackling and succeeding in such a massive idea of creating a drama about the highest powers of the US is what makes The West Wing, by and far, the smartest and most innovative show to ever grace the screen.
Acclaimed screenwriters such as Robert Towne or Coppola could never emulate what Sorkin creates (few good men .. social network .. the newsroom). The technicalities involved in his writing, one would imagine, must involve a tremendous amount of research. But research can only provide so much ... how does a writer integrate a Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, or other overlooked staffing positions into a story that is entertaining and brilliant? At the same time, how do you bring these characters together at a constant rate while not breaking procedure? Although we may never know if The West Wing accurately follows procedure (like when a character abruptly leaves the White House to take care of something, as if his or her departure would actually be allowed in real life), many former White House staffers have said the majority of the show is accurate in it's portrayal.
If I had an interview with Sorkin or another writer for the show (that hasn't worked in politics), I would probe them endlessly about the amount of research they did and how they knew when to mention organizations like the NRA (national rifles association) or the CDC (center for disease control), or bringing up committees like the House Budget Committee, Intelligence Committee, etc. I would question them about how they knew when to integrate these subjects and why they did so.
The above paragraph is essentially why I love watching the show and regard it as the most complex and layered visual fictional narrative of all time. It may sound mundane and needless, but small details like mentioning the Census Bereau are what makes this show the most intelligent ever produced.
But just because it's the most intelligent, certainly does not make it the best. I would recommend Breaking Bad over The West Wing any day of the week because when it comes down to it, a viewer wants to be able to relate to the core of the human conscious: emotion and timeless needs like family, love, friendship, and success. However, if someone asked me what show to watch if they wanted to gain knowledge, smarts, and insight, I would put The West Wing above all.
People who slight the show for slanting towards the left are ignorant fools considering the show is about a liberal administration (duh). People who slight the show for being too episodic with scattered story lines and no continuing arc, while justifiable, may not understand the intent of the writers in creating a series that touched base on an array of issues. That's what makes the show incredibly complex .. it deals with the US Census .. gun control .. presidential debates .. foreign policies ... personal matters like Seaborn's affinity for women .. squabbles with members of Congress ... nuclear threat ... etc. etc. etc. ... simply put .. this show, in it's entire complexity, is positively INSANE.
It is a true gem and will never be replicated (just look at the new release 1600 Penn. ... what a joke).
Breaking Bad (2008)
Amazing Demonstration of Low Budget Filmmaking
To all you independent filmmakers out there:
Take a look how this show is filmed. It is so simple yet gripping. There are no moving camera shots for the most part and the camera is always on a steady cam. No dollies involved and they use simple angles and very few close ups.
Shows like this inspire me to thinking that I can actually make something similar. As far as the writing, it is top notch and very layered. The writers pay off all their plot devices and set up them equally as good. I also like how they dwell on certain scenes for 4-5 minutes at a time. It creates a certain realism that emulates real life. As far as the content, it is captivating in a sick way, similar to Pulp Fiction and other black crime comedies.
My favorite part about this show is Aaron Paul and his madness. The show truly captures the up and down spiral of dealing drugs or doing them. There will always be downfalls and people going to jail or dying around you. One minute you have thousands, then the next you're left broke and have nothing. Some of the best moments are when Walter and AP are frantically disposing or moving drug money/paraphernalia. I love how they always hide sixty grand under the kitchen sink or in their vents.
A must see and definitely one of the best shows of the last decade.
Hugo (2011)
Snooze Fest ... ZzzZZzzZzZzz
Wowzer !! Sorry Scorcese, you finally let me down in a huge(o) way. This film was a complete snooze fest from about 5 minutes in all the way to the anticlimactic ending.
Where do I start? Well, lets just say that the movie doesn't make anything clear. It does not have any exposition dialog informing us what Hugo's mission and desire is. We are shown flashbacks of a soon to be dead father and a mechanical robot, and somehow are supposed to relate the two together and care about them. Somehow this mechanical robot is deeply rooted in Hugo and his father's life, yet we are never told why this is.
What this movie was missing was a cliché, but desperately needed narration (voiceover) by Hugo himself. Throughout the entire movie, I could care less about Hugo's struggle to fix the mechanical robot. There was nothing at stake .. so what if Hugo fails at his mission to fix the robot? Am I really supposed to cry about this failure? What Hugo should have been trying to do was get himself out of the terrible, homeless, and impoverished life that he was living. Instead, the whole notion of using time as a symbol, was overwhelming the story. In nearly every frame, there is a picture of a clock, or a ticking sound, and quite frankly, it gets annoying quick.
Yes, the visuals are absolutely stunning and the environment Scorcese creates it's breathtaking, reminiscent to Scorcese's Gangs of New York, where every extra or character is dressed perfectly with the set or time period they were in. Other then that? Ehh ... there is no heart, depth, or emotion rooted in the story. Maybe it was the actor, Asa Butterfield, who simply couldn't command screen presence or likability or endearing qualities to him. But usually, even an actor cannot completely tarnish an entire film with such great potential to it.
There are some redeeming qualities to this picture, but as a whole, the film comes off as flat, forced and melodramatic. It is hollow and tries to be dramatic, but fails to deliver the goods due to bad storytelling and screen writing.
Scorcese tried to salvage what he could, and capitalize on what little greatness there is in the visuals and setting, but in the end, Hugo will be remembered as having an insane amount of potential that never lived up to the billing.
Blockbusters (2005)
Excellent
This film was envisioned by two Los Angeles Film Students, who came to LA from somewhere in the Midwest, with a load of cash in their bank accounts and a dream to create an outstanding short film. Originally, they wanted to create a unique motion picture, entirely written from their owns minds, using original ideas and concepts. After they had experimented with their own ideas, they decided to drop it all together and create 'Blockbusters', a cornball comedy that throws back to the great movie age of the 80's that brought us films like Batman, Superman, and various other classics including Back to the Future.
What they created turned out to be something beautiful. The production quality is unlike any other student film you will ever come across, mainly because they spent thousands upon thousands to make it. There are so many tiny references to classic movies that really bring you back in time. It is definitely not the greatest student film of all time, being that all the ideas are ripped from other writers. What they did broke many copyright laws, but, since they never released 'Blockbusters' for profit, there was no way anyone could sue them for their work. This movie was an act of a selfless group of individuals, sacrificing hard earned money with no intention of earning a penny back.
That being said, it may be hard to give the respect that is due to these filmmakers. But I, for one, completely enjoyed the film to the fullest extent. The music (also ripped from the classic films) syncs perfectly with the presentation of each classic reference as we skate through them in the course of fifteen minutes.
And, the greatest part of it all?
You can view the film right here on this link, courtesy of The Los Angeles Film School:
la film.edu/flash/index.HTML?degree=film
Click on the student films icon and you will find it in the selection box to the right.
Enjoy.
Real Steel (2011)
A Mindblowing Experience with Depth and Heart ...
This movie was so well crafted that I felt compelled to write a review even though I NEVER write reviews ...
First off, let me tip my cap to the screenwriters of this movie. YES -- the idea is not original and has been kicked around a few times in the past century. But, let me tell you this .. NEVER have I seen an action/sci-fi movie with this much heart and emotional depth to it. As a hardened male ... even I had to hold back tears at times during the film. The screenwriters developed the relationships between the characters so well that as a viewer you will deeply care about all of the main characters ... and that INCLUDES the robot.
With an 80 million dollar budget, you can expect top notch visual effects and expert direction. The movie easily succeeds on those levels, but it doesn't try to bog you down with excessive special effects and action. The robot boxing is simply the backdrop to an underdog story and the relationship between Jackman and his estranged son. That is where the story really grabs your emotions ... especially if you can relate to the sorrow of a dysfunctional family .. especially if you can relate to always being considered less then great by those around you ... if you've always been overshadowed by someone greater or have never lived up to your full potential ... as an individual in a world filled with 6 billion++ .. the reality is that most of us ARE underdogs wishing for one day to be great .... that's why this film hits hard on an emotional level despite being an action/sci-fi. I wanted Jackman and his son to succeed so desperately bad that I almost forgot it was a movie and that it was all fiction.
When art imitates life to the point where it can bring you to tears .. that's when you know the art is great.
Overall, the acting, direction, story, and visuals were all expertly crafted ... making 'Real Steel' one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time.
YET ---- of all those who worked on this project ... I must say that I give the most praise to the screenwriters (who never get enough credit in Hollywood). They put on a screen writing CLINIC throughout the course of this film. Anyone who has ever studied fiction would agree with me and be able to realize why the writing is so great.
In a word, this movie is pure GOLD and it will be nominated for more then one Oscar. 100% guaranteed.
Hancock (2008)
Hancock .. more like Handjob
For what was supposed to be a mega blockbuster hit turned out to be a poorly written script with an A-list cast frivolously attempting to bolster the film. Another example that you can put the biggest names on the screen but with no script it fails.
I will say that Will Smith dishes out a brilliant performance as the neglected superhero who distastefully annoys the American public with his reckless acts of drunken destruction. He does a great job of making you care for his character but the plot is so aimless there is almost no suspense involved therefore rendering all of the characters useless. It's as if the writers had to cough up an idiotic draft for the studio and the producers we're just as moronic to accept it. Honestly who would've approved of that mindless twist that they throw at the audience as if we're supposed to go along with it? At this point I was about to yack on my friend sitting next to me.
This movie is a prime exemplification of an egotistical Hollywood holstering too much money and power with little talent to deliver the goods. I walked into Hancock expecting an epic adventure that would satiate my entertainment needs, but I ended up strolling home wishing I had given myself a Handjob instead.
If you enjoy flying humans bashing through skyscrapers with unlimited force then this might be for you. However if you teeth for plot and cling to suspense, then you may consider passing on this one.