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LABORing a bit. . .
Despite sleeping in a bit too late (I was out until noon today), I did complete the movie reviews for both LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and THE ILLUSIONIST. They aren't all that bad, but I think they can improve a lot. I'll take them into class tomorrow and see the reception. But what about your reception? Well, folks, here you go. Enjoy:
INDIE MOVIE MARATHON - By Justin Gott
The Summer movie season is one that is filled with explosions, car chases, and millions of dollars (spent, that is). However, it is also true that there are often some powerful and poignant films hidden among the brush of popcorn flicks. Two films in theatres now, both recently distributed widely after having very successful limited runs, truly define both of those descriptive terms.
Little Miss Sunshine, directed by music video directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris from a script by first-time screenwriter Michael Arndt, is a classic look at the dysfunctional family, but it is done in such a way, that it becomes more effective than your average film. From the opening montage, which introduces us to each of the main characters (including Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, and Steve Carell), we know that Sunshine is going to be special. The story follows the Hoover family, a struggling, middle-class family from Albuquerque, New Mexico, as they take a road trip to California. We know this family. We belong to this family. A family dinner with the Hoover’s includes fast-food fried chicken, homemade salad, and Sprite from a two-liter. Oh yeah, and everyone has a different-looking plastic cup. Sound familiar?
Young Olive (Abigail Breslin, the young girl who began her acting career in M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs) is an average-looking girl who has dreams of winning the Miss America Pageant. Circumstances arise that allow her to be admitted into the Little Miss Sunshine pageant, and the entire family tags along for the journey. These six people grow together in ways that they never would have seen coming, and it’s the way that the characters change that inspires us to want to change as well. The script, which is quite brilliant, calls for many different emotions from all of the actors, and it’s the performances that make this film memorable.
Steve Carell, certainly one of Hollywood’s up-and-coming stars, gives an incredibly powerful performance as Frank, a homosexual man who has just failed at committing suicide. His transformation from the moment we meet him (pathetically staring out a hospital window after having his life “saved”) is not only refreshing, but it’s believable because of Carell’s restrained performance. Also remarkable is Paul Dano, a young actor best known for his supporting role in the comedy The Girl Next Door, as Dwayne, the troubled teenager who has gone on a nine-month-long “vow of silence”. Dwayne is quite possibly the most normal of the group, if you can even say normal at all.
But that’s the point! The lives of average, ho-hum Americans are not normal. They are dramatic. They are funny. They are important. And so is Little Miss Sunshine, the best film, so far, of 2006. (Grade: A)
The Illusionist, masterfully written and directed by newcomer Neil Burger, is a beautiful film that asks its audience to just come along for the ride that the film provides. A twisting and turning drama, the film stars Edward Norton as Eisenheim the Illusionist, a simple man who has lived a magical life. The opening scenes that introduce us to then-called Edward’s childhood in Vienna are powerful thanks to the young actors’ performances. We see that Edward, an austere peasant, has found a love for magic as well as a young aristocratic girl named Sophie. Their love grows until one violent night when Sophie is taken away, by her parents’ authority, and Edward is left to go travel the world, which he does quickly and suddenly.
It’s when Eisenheim returns to Vienna that the film really picks up, thanks to the Oscar-worthy performance by the great Edward Norton. There has been much acclaim already about this performance, but for me, I was expecting it. Norton is one of Hollywood’s finest actors (see: Fight Club, American History X, Primal Fear) and he proves it here. His quiet, yet powerful Eisenheim is a character that is memorable and haunting. His power (supernatural?) is remarkable, but it’s how he presents himself that makes Eisenheim such a great character. His nemesis in the film, the Crown Prince Leopold (played in a delightfully evil manner by Rufus Sewell), sends Chief Inspector Uhl (acted slyly and brilliantly by the “that guy” of the century, Paul Giamatti) into the realms of Eisenheim to shut him down, or at least learn about his secrets. Throw in the fact that Sophie just happens to have grown into the woman who the Crown Prince plans on marrying, and you have an intriguing relationship triangle. The film goes deep into the workings of police investigation, performing illusionism, and the fact that, in all situations, that love conquers all. Without revealing anything about the ending (which is stunning and, ultimately, jaw-dropping), I will say that the tagline for the film is absolutely fitting: “Nothing is as it seems”. That is very true, indeed. However, the one thing that is as it seems is that The Illusionist is a fantastic film that anyone can enjoy. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. (Grade: A)
So what did you think. . .
Thanks,
Journalistic Justin
3 comments:
Great reviews...was interested in hearing what you thought about Little Ms. Sunshine because I have been wanting to see that movie. Glad you approve, now im excited!
Take care,
George
Honeycomb...
The reviews were great...I thought some of your word choices were perfect and I liked how you included some brief history for each of the main actors. I couldn't help noticing some details, however, that kept your writing from being as smooth and "grammatically correct" as it could be. Take these suggestions for what they are...I don't want to "cramp your style" :).
First, some words of advice from C. S. Lewis, in regards to his transcribing his radio talk shows:
"In my talks I had therefore used all the contractions and colloquialisms I ordinarily use in conversation. In the printed version I reproduced this, putting "don't" and "we've" for do not and we have. And wherever, in the talks, I had made the importance of a word clear by the emphasis of my voice, I printed it in italics. I am now inclined to think that this was a mistake--an undesirable hybrid between the art of speaking and the art of writing. A talker ought to use variations of voice for emphasis because his medium naturally lends itself to that method: but a writer ought not to use italics for the same purpose. He has his own, different, means of bringing out the key words and ought to use them."
Let's play a game and see how many contractions you can find in your reviews...I count seven. They sound great if you're reading the article out loud or picturing someone saying them in conversation, but you tended to use them more as the reviews progressed. It's better not to use them. I aslo found a couple of italics for emphasis, as C. S. Lewis had described. "Belong" in the second paragraph. As a reader, I could tell that sentence is already emphasized without you needing to italicize it. The short series of sentences around it does that for you. And in the second to last sentence of the last paragraph, "is".
On to other things. You use commas very generously, which broke the fluency of your writing in a couple of places. In the second paragraph, opening sentence, you don't need a comma after "but it is done in such a way..." because you have used "that" right after the comma. If you take out "that", use the comma, but "that" is sufficient to continue the sentence without an extra comma, and without the extra comma the sentence doesn't feel so long. There is another sentence at the end of the sixth paragraph, "Their love grows until one violent night when Sophie is taken away, by her parents’ authority, and Edward is left to go travel the world, which he does quickly and suddenly." You don't need one before "...by her parent's authority, ..." Double check other places you used commas and see if they are really necessary.
Towards the end of the reviews, several "I's" crept in. These are fine for your online journal, but if this is published, it needs to be out of the first person. ...The I's I'm talking about are in the last paragraph, second sentence, "There has been much acclaim already about this performance, but for me, I was expecting it." This sentence might be smoother if you say something like, "There has already been much acclaim about this performance, as is expected" or start the sentence as "As expected, there has already been..." This way you can show that you anticipated it being good without mentioning yourself directly. Again in the last paragraph, "Without revealing anything about the ending (which is stunning and, ultimately, jaw-dropping), I will say that the tagline for the film is absolutely fitting: “Nothing is as it seems”. " You can omit "I will say that..." and the sentence will still be strong. It sounds more confident if you go straight to "the tagline is" and not "I'm considering coming to a conclusion that the tagline might possibly be..", which is what "I will say" suggests.
A couple of last suggestions:
In the third paragraph: Instead of "The script, which is quite brilliant,...", try "The brilliant script..." This way the extra commas will be gone and the sentence will be more direct and fluent.
In the fourth paragraph: I've never known anyone who has "gone on" a vow of silence. You can "take" vows of silence but not "go on" them. Maybe "...taken a vow of silence that lasted for..."
In the sixth paragraph: Great opening line by the way... Instead of "...thanks to the young actors’ performances." I think performances shouldn't be plural...but I don't know.
In the last paragraph: "The film goes deep into the workings of police investigation, performing illusionism, and the fact that, in all situations, that love conquers all." This is one of those too-many-commas sentences and you've used "that" before and after your set of unnecessary commas. To me, this reads smoother, "The film goes deep into the workings of police investigation, performing illusionism, and the fact that in all situations love conquers all."
Other than what I suggested I found your writing to be interesting and well formatted, with good word choices in each paragraph. I hope this helps. Love you :)
well i dont have anything long to say... but i really enjoyed little miss sunshine.. i thought it was a great movie.. and youre review hit it perfectly...
i love reading your reviews... keep them comin! lol
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