No Country For Old Men Film Analysis - Kye

 Tonight I watched No Country For Old Men, which is directed by the Coen Brothers.  This is honestly one of the most stupid, boring and pointless films I've ever seen. That image literally describes how I felt at the end of the film. This a typical pretentious art house film that claims to have some sort of philosophical message. It even won best pictures at the oscars. Absolute madness. There are so many things wrong with the film. First of all, the protagonist dies off screen in the most underwhelming way possible. Secondly, the character development was so so bad. I didn't feel or understand any of the characters motives. I thought Josh Brolin's character was just a horrible person that treated his wife like garbage. The only thing that was good about this film was the antagonist who is played by Javier Bardem. He is really really scary. A scary antagonist is essential to make a good thriller. You need strong characters that you relate with, which this film didn't have. Also the film had some pretty tense scenes, because the antagonist was genuinely scary. Why was Tommy Lee Jones in this movie!? He literally served no purpose to the plot. I have deeply lost faith in the Coen brothers, but their next movie does look pretty solid.  

Film Rating - 4/10

12 Years a Slave Film Analysis - Maryam

Another heart-felt movie I watched for the second time was 12 years a slave. This film is about a young black man who gets married  and 'is born free'. However once his freedom is stolen from him he becomes a young black man fighting for his life and his freedom back. This film was written by Mr. John Ridley.

Disregarding slavery,the use of mise-en-scene is very significant as it is shown very clearly in the film what time period that it is set in. Also the scars that are shown in the film are very realistic and emphasise pain and discomfort to the audience. Foley sound is also used quite a lot in the film to emphasise the slaves whilst walking long distances,seeing as they are itinerant workers as well as slaves. Overall, i would most definitely recommend this film.

Lucy Film Analysis - Maryam

Over the weekend I watched a variety of different movies and 'Lucy' happened to be one of them. The plot as a whole is very interesting however in my opinion I feel that the ending could have been much stronger as it was a gradual build up through out the movie. However I still recommend this movie.

The use of mise-en-scene [props,costume,setting] is key in this film. This is because it makes the film stand out and brings it together as a whole. Cinematography was also most effective in the scene whereby the protagonist brutally batters one of the 'lookouts'. This is effective mainly because we as an audience are able to visualise the beat down from both angles/sides. Also there were close ups, extreme close ups,long shots and short shots,this made the audience able to identify emotion from both characters and pick up on what was happening. I.e when she uses the chair to hit the man. 

Drive Film Analysis - Kye

 Tonight I watched Drive, which is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. This film has many elements that I really liked. The synth soundtrack and whole setting have the film a 80's feel. During the opening scene, the camera films from inside the car, so it puts you in the shoes of the driver, and it feels unique as it isn't like Fast and Furious for example. I liked what Ryan Gosling's character was wearing because it looked very retro, and also it has a symbolic meaning to it, which fit into the film's story. In this film mise-en-scene was very important because there were so many aspects of the protagonist that stood out. 

Layer Cake Film Analysis - Kye

 Tonight, I watched Layer Cake, which is directed by Matthew Vaughn. Many people say that this film got Daniel Craig the James Bond role. There is a scene where he resembles a classic James Bond a lot. 

 My favourite scene in this movie was when Craig's associate beats up a man in a cafe. This scene is really well directed. Duran Duran's Ordinary World plays over it, changing from non-diegetic to diegetic and become disjunct in the cafe scenes. The scene also cuts from POV shots to steady shots. These all achieve a very nauseous, chaotic look. 
 This film has a lot and I mean a lot of match cuts and jump cut shots. 

Southpaw Film Analysis - Jack

Last week I watched South Paw, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and I loved it. I enjoy movies to do with sports and someone who is trying to achieve a goal in their life, in this film becoming World Champion. Lots of film critics say that the film is very clichéd but I disagree. I disagree because this has a different aura about it as it brings his personal life into it when his wife dies, which really brings out the inner emotions that he is feeling and allows him to strive for his greatness in the boxing world once again. This film also brings about getting revenge on the ones who he blames for his wife's death, and so adds a bitterness to the storyline. My favourite thing about the film was how close we were able to come to the main character and really understand what he is going through.
 The film has some interesting cinematography. During the fight scenes, the director would show the point of view of the protagonist dodging and receiving punches. This puts the viewers in the protagonists shoes, which is very effective. 

Film Rating 7.5/10  

End of Watch Film Analysis - Kye

 Tonight, I watched End of Watch, which is directed by David Ayer. I really liked this movie. This movie is filmed in a documentary style. Different types of cameras are used such as the POV camera's attached to the protagonists, the camcorder that Jake Gyllenhaal's character holds and the police camera that is attached to the police car. I really like found footage films, one of my favourite found footage films is Project X. It allows you to do natural things with the camera, which gives the film an unplanned, documented feel. 
 At the start of the film, there is a locked down shot.  A locked down shot is a shot where the camera is fixed in one position while the action continues off-screen. It shows that life is messy and can not be contained by a camera. I really really like this shot, if I ever become a director and I will, I will use this shot a lot. It will be my signature shot. For our coursework, I actually have something in mind that uses a locked down shot.