Cabin in the Woods Review

Lady Vengeance Review

Having seen Oldboy and Thirst prior to watching this film, I have grown to tremendously respect Chan-wook Park as an artist. Although his films are ultra-violent, they are also very poetic. Not just in the sense of the storyline or the plot (though this is poetic too), but also in the imagery and colors used. In this particular film, the color red can be found to exemplify this. Although there's an ample amount of blood in this film, it's not why red is important. The color can be found in many shots, but most importantly in the bright colors of Geum-Ja Lee's makeup. It's important to note (and is also spoken of in the film) that before Lee's time in prison, she did not dress in such a manner. The red used to decorate her face and sometimes ensemble is used to portray just how different she became after this ordeal, and how it transformed her life and personality entirely. Which is a subtle but impressive and artistic technique used by Park.

Aside from the colors and imagery, Chan-wook Park also offers a few bits of shocking and sadly true social commentary. What stuck with me the most in this entire film wasn't the devastating home movies the killer made, or even when the parents decided vengeance against the man who killed their children, but instead a scene that happend in the first few minutes. It was when the narrator was explaining the events that led to Lee's imprisonment, and there were mock-news videos playing. It was only a few seconds long, but haunted me the rest of the film, because I knew it was true. The cameraman for the news station was following Lee, and in an effort of describing her to the public, was speaking of the way she dressed. After this happened a few seconds later another man from a presumably different news outlet describes that the way Lee is dressed is now becoming the hottest thing in fashion, and that every girl wants to look like her. This floored me. We sadly live in a society where celebrity worship is the norm, and has even extended to those accused of murder. There are people out there that look up to murderers, and that terrifies me. I suppose this terrifies Park too.

4/5

The Fantastic Vision of Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo Del Toro is a filmmaker known to audiences and harcore fans alike for his truly visionary character and set designs, and beautiful (not clunky) use of effects. This talent is in top form in "Pans Labyrinth".

This film is a beautiful fairytale, but one that is certainly for adults. At first glance a fairytale thats main protagonist is a young woman who learns she is actually a princess may seem like it's for the kids, but this is no "Snow White". The subject matter of this film is undisputedly dark, and at times core-shakingly violent. This realistic look at violence is the antithesis of the beautiful fantasy world also displayed in the film, working off of each other as only an ingenious filmmaker such as Del Toro could provide.  In this he (Del Toro) has made a shockingly true film, showing reality as a violent and devastatingly unfair place, while portraying the reality of the fantastical world a place of sheer beauty and wonder. This is the nature of life, we create these other worlds as an escape from our own. Whether it be how Christians imagine heaven, Buddhists' nirvana, or a minimum wage worker's daydreams of wealth, Guillermo Del Toro has created another reality in this film that might best them all. The sheer amount of detail put into this world is awe-inspiring, and should set the bar when making a fantasy film. That's right Peter Jackson, take notes. As well as the overall design of this entirely new world, the design of this new worlds characters (and the concept art that didn't even make into the film) are beautiful.

Del Toro has shown the world that he has an immaculate eye for detail in design in his other films, but this is far and away his best work. Even the wonderful designs he put into his "Hellboy" film adaptations look miniscule in comparison. All hail Guillermo Del Toro, modern king of film fantasy.

5/5

(P.S. The trailer for his film coming out next year hasn't premiered as of yet, but it's about giant robots fighting giant monsters. Coming from the guy who has proved himself with work such as this, this film cound redefine the word "epic". This film is due to hit next summer, and is titled "Pacific Rim".

EXTRA CREDIT: "The Master" Is Masterful, But Not Quite A Masterpiece

As a disclaimer to saying the film isn't a masterpiece, it's certainly a minor masterpiece. This is to say that certain aspects of the film and its making are certainly aesthetically perfect, but there are factors that alienate it from being a true masterpiece of film. To start with the great:

In a world where the annual Oscar ceremony held no bias, and truly awarded the BEST of the year, P.T. Anderson would without question win for directing. (Along with Phoenix and Hoffman for acting, but more on that in a bit) With his past films, Anderson has proved that he is one of todays most skillful directors. But with this particular film, he has proven that he very well may be the best. Most directors leave no gap unfilled, and give no credit to the audience. These other directors form a narrative that leave the viewers in an almost comatosed state, forcing no real thought to go through their heads throughout the viewing experience. Not Anderson. In "The Master" he provides a naturally thought-provoking film, that leaves no room for not paying full attention, and will leave the viewer questioning scenes minutes, hours maybe even days after viewing. Along with the powerful and thoughtful nature of his direction, his camera work and scenery are stunningly beautiful and emotionally powerful.

Along with flawless direction, damn near every performance in the entire film is also flawless. But most specifically, the role played by Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix delivers the performance most actors only dream about, absorbing the character so completely the fact you're watching a film can at moments be forgotten. Phillip Seymour Hoffman works stunningly with Phoenix, delivering perhaps not his best performance, but certainly his strongest since his role in "Capote". The entire cast draws off the energy from these two leads, and achieves one of the greatest acted films of recent memory.

The direction and acting certainly qualify this film for best of the year, but there are certain factors that (somewhat) diminish this possible status. This diminishing factor isn't exactly in the screenplay, but rather the characters. Although powerfully acted, there's not a likable character in the whole film. This very possibly may have been done purposefully, to play off of the Scientology-esque plot, but it often results in an opaque viewing experience. At certain moments in the film you find yourself asking "Why?", but other times asking "Why bother?"

All in all, this is a film for those who love film. You couldnt ask for better direction, acting, etc. from a film, and although at points it may be a hard film to watch, it's certainly a rewarding one.

4.5/5


(Edit: When first reviewing this film I altogether forgot to mention another flawless apsect of this film; the score. It's truly wonderful, and creates a powerfully daunting atmosphere)

Top Ten (Well, 25)

When posed with the task of creating a top ten, I quickly realized I couldnt leave it at just that. I undertstand the top ten are the only ones to be counted, but being a huge fan of film, I had to expand.

1. Halloween
This has been my all time favorite film since my first viewing of it, in the sixth grade. Horror is my favorite genre, but it's not exactly known for it's aesthetics. It's usually about the body count, the scares, and the gore. But Halloween is a powerfully made horror film that is the grandfather of the modern slasher.
(Had I gone to create a top hundred films, They Live, The Fog and The Thing would also be included from this director)
2. American History X
3. Fight Club
(In case of a top hundred, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Zodiac, The Social Network, and Se7en would be included from this director)
4. Inglourious Basterds
For most, Pulp Fiction is their top Tarantino pick. But the writing in a film is typically my favorite aspect, and I can't think of a better written film
5. The Dark Knight
I believe this is the first superhero film to completely transcend the genre. Every aspect of the production of this film is flawless, and has one of the best performances of all time, of course attributed to Heath Ledger.
(In a top hundred, Inception, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight Rises, The Prestige, and Memento would be included from this director)
6. Pulp Fiction
7. The Royal Tenenbaums
(In my top hundred, Moonrise Kingdom and Rushmore would be included from this director)
8. Eraserhead
(In case of a top hundred, Mullholand Drive, and Blue Velvet would also be included from this director)
9. The Departed
(In a hundred, Hugo and Goodfellas would be included from this director)
10. Boogie Nights
(In case of a top hundred, There Will be Blood, Punch Drunk Love, and Hard Eight would be included from this director (also The Master, coming out later this month, looks incredible))
11. Hausu
12. Scream
13. The Big Lebowski
(I felt strange not including a film by the Coen Brothers in my top ten, but it was close(In a top hundred Barton Fink, Millers Crossing, Oh Brother Where art Thou? and Burn After Reading would be including from these directors))
14. Synechdoche, New York
(Kauffman is an incredible writer, and in a top hundred, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, and Adaptation would be included)
15. Night of the Hunter
16. The Shining
(It was close between this and A Clockwork Orange)
17. Evil Dead
18. Funny People
19. Night of the Living Dead
20. Cabin in the Woods
21. Videodrome
22. Raging Bull
23. Drive
24. A History of Violence
25. No Country for Old Men


Note: This is MY top ten. Can I pose an argument that The Royal Tenenbaums is a better film than The Godfather II? Or that Halloween is better aesthetically than Citizen Kane? The answer is, no. But these are the films that personally lead me to inspiration. While I do love both the forementioned films, they  (and numerous others similar) didn't make my list, because for me personally, these other films speak much more clearly to me.

The Wonders and Flaws of V for Vendetta

Though Moore himself doesn't pay much mind to film adaptations of his work since the disastrous League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I do. Moore, in my opinion, ranks as one of the best writers of the graphic novel of all time. So I'm always interested to see how other artists translate his work to the big screen. And in this case I have to disagree with the writer, I think they did a really good job. Notice I said really good, not great. The Wachowskis did however do the original work great justice, adapting the plot to fit modern (although set in the too near future) times. The work put into the screenplay alone and how they updated it earns this film a spot on my dvd shelf. But it's not something I necessarily find myself eager to watch too often, because the film does have more than it's fair share of flaws. It's not the acting, which is superb. The (usually) great Natalie Portman puts it all on the table in her role, even her hair. Showing immense dedication to her role, as she (usually) does. (Though great, her performance in this is still no Black Swan) Hugo Weaving and John Hurt also more than stand out in their supporting roles. Though The Wachowskis have had some flops in their directing days (See Speed Racer), I feel if they had been the ones behind the camera this would have the potential to stand amongst the greatest film adaptations of all time. Sadly, this is not the case. Instead they handed the reigns to the man who served as second unit director on most of their films, I'm only to guess to give the guy a break. In this reviewers opinion, all of the flaws in this film stem from the directing. I'm not intentially trying to put down Mr. McTeigue, but he has yet to show that he has the talent to be a lone director. (His films after V have been pretty awful, including Ninja Assassin and The Raven) When this film came out it was seemingly the only thing people I knew could talk about, so I was very anxious to see it. Once I finally got the chance I was amazed at the social commentary found in the plot, finding myself surprisingly agreeing with V's planned terrorism. But I was confused as to why I didn't love it like everyone else, most of the major components in the film are compelling and thought-provoking, and I did really enjoy it. Upon multiple views I finally ascertained just why I didn't love it, as I above stated, the direction. Not being a director and having no real sense of urgency to become one, it's hard to state what I find wrong with the direction. The only thing that comes to mind is that maybe McTeigue just doesn't have the chops for it, to me, his style seems very amateurish. That being said a film is much more than just the direction. Acting, Writing, and many other factors also come in to play, and luckily, these other factors are what make this a film worth watching. And watching again. Maybe just not after that.

4/5