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Flashback: The Force of Life in American Beauty

I watched American Beauty for the first time yesterday and let's just say I'm seeing red everywhere. Now, red is definitely a symbol in the film. And although red is used many times in the film to symbolize many things like danger, violence, passion, lust, the screenwriter Alan Ball generally uses it to signify a life force for the characters. And this life force initiates a transformation among them.

The cinematography and mise en scene is vividly compelling, and I can tell I'd have to watch the film another good 50 times to truly catch all the meanings, depths, and symbolism in the film. And even then, that may not be enough. With that said, what truly makes the film what it is, is the writing. Along with winning 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this film also has the award for best Screenplay. Which leads me to my next point.

Screenwriter Alan Ball's own moment with a plastic bag inspired this scene. 

Movie Moment: A plastic bag dancing in the wind. Ricky shows Jane the video he shot of a bag drifting in the wind. It appears as if it's dancing. Moving by it's own will.

Ricky: "It was one of those days when it's a minute away from snowing and there's this electricity in the air, you can almost hear it. Right? And this bag was just dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. That's the day I realized that there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly benevolent force that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever...it helps me remember... Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.

The juxtaposition of the bag and Ricky's dialogue is a haunting experience. It pulls you in, captivating you. In that moment, it's as if Ricky is revealing a secret. But not just any secret solely bound to the film and it's characters. He reminds us of the simplicity, the beauty of simplicity, and the beauty of life. It's as if as we are looking right into the eye of our life force, whatever it may be. True monumental moments in film exist when they can connect with us on a deeper metaphysical level. And this moment does just that.

What was your American Beauty movie moment?

(p.s. happy belated birthday to American Beauty's Annette Bening who turned 55 yesterday)

A Little Quote from Robert Redford

As humans, storytelling has been a part of us for so long, we don't even know when the first story was told. Stories are the driving forces of our world. They propel us forward. These stories are what we call life.

Sharing stories has the remarkable ability to teach. Through the stories of others, we learn more about ourselves. We learn about the world we live in. Storytelling is a powerful tool. And so, storytellers have a great responsibility.

Stories broaden our minds. They transport us into the lives of people we always wished or never thought to be a part of. They give us perspective.

Stories engage, provoke, inspire. The true power of a story lies in it's capacity to affect us. Stories can inspire us, provoke meaning into our own lives. They can enlighten us.

Stories connect us. What are we but a massive collection of stories? We connect through our similarities and we connect through our differences. Stories are universal. They can bridge cultural, linguistic and age divides. Storytelling has the exceptional ability to unite.

Stories, no matter what medium they are told through, hold many powers. And I thank Robert Redford for reminding us this.

New Trailer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's "Don Jon"

Witty, clever, charming. 
I guess you can call it somewhat of a self-portrait of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (Which does make sense seeing that it's his directorial debut on a feature film.)

Don Jon explores what human relationships mean in modern society. Specifically, how real life relationships can be paralyzed by the fantasies and ideals we find in porn and romantic movies. 

As a JGL fan, I'm excited to see what he has to deliver as a new writer/director.

What do you think of the new trailer?

Flashback: Leonardo Dicaprio Flying Blind in The Aviator

Martin Scorsese directing Leonardo Dicaprio in The Aviator (2004)

Doing a little googling this weekend, I happened upon Leonardo Dicaprio's list of awards and nominations. He's got 63 nominations, 24 of those are awards in his pocket (yet none of them are an Oscar...yet). Now, I've seen quite a few Leo films thus far, so it surprised me when I noticed a film I've never seen. And more importantly, a film Dicaprio has won a Golden Globe for. The Aviator, a biopic directed by Martin Scorcese depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career. Scorsese + Dicaprio = I was sure this film would be good.

Leonardo Dicaprio as Howard Hughes in The Aviator

Movie Moment: The projector room scene (aka the "Come in with the Milk" scene). This scene truly is exemplary of Scorcese as an artist. Particularly, I was captivated by the shots where Hughes' body seem to transform into a screen or canvas as the projected images of his film "Hell's Angels" blanket him. Planes shoot across his body, as if his skin were the sky. In this moment, the self-destructing Hughes becomes one with the madness of the crashing planes. Both are flying blind. The imagery of this moment demonstrates just how infinite the layers of storytelling can be. And how film can go from art to masterpiece.  

Did you have a movie moment during The Aviator?







4 Cannes 2013 Films To Look Forward To

(1) Emma Watson continues to spread her wings and take on unique roles. The Bling Ring, which opened the "Un Certain Regard" category yesterday at the Cannes Film Festival, explores the interesting and prevalent topic of Los Angeles and celebrity influence on American culture. 

(2) On top of being the lead actor, he's both the director and screenwriter. James Franco translates paper to screen in the psychological gritty drama As I Lay Dying.

(3) Nicolas Winding Refn teams up again with Ryan Gosling in their new collaboration Only God Forgives. The look of the film had me hooked from the get go. Shot only at night, the glaring red monochromatic lighting has a similarity to the thrilling neon-lit quality of their previous collaboration Drive (2011).

(4) I'm no Coen Brother expert (have only seen Fargo and No Country For Old Men), but I'm used the usual hard-edged and grisly style typically found in a Coen Brothers film. However this quiet and grim trailer still has the charming Coen Brother humour I like. Inside Llewyn Davis follows a week in the life of musician Llewyn Davis, as he navigates New York's music scene, and his own personal demons, during the winter of 1961. 

Which Cannes film are you looking forward to?

Click here for all the trailers of Cannes selection 2013

The Great Nick Carraway

Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby

A great film for me is one that stays with you long after watching it. I can strongly say that about The Great Gatsby. If this film wasn't one giant movie moment for me then I don't know what would be. However, with that said, one thing that truly stood out for me was Nick Carraway. As the narrator of the story, I felt Fitzgerald's voice and truths weaving through him.

Movie Moment: The party scene with Nick, Tom and Myrtle. Drunk Nick, dazed and hazy, stands by the window looking out into the night. The shot shows a sort of tableau of life occurring through the windows of the neighbouring apartment: different stories and lives happening in each one of them. As if each person, each life in their window was an element in a painting, and only all of them could tell the complete story. Now, I remember Nick describing this; his window as just another story, just another life occurring amongst the thousand of lives appearing before him. How did his window appear to another? I wish I can remember exactly what the quote was (I guess I'll have to wait for the DVD) when Nick describes a sense of being and observing himself simultaneously. For a reason in that moment, I felt a deep understanding of what Nick/Fitzgerald meant. And how, really, we are all our own stories, alone and together.


What was your Great Gatsby Movie Moment?

If I can just take a moment...

I've decided to start this blog because I have this one problem: I love film so much I have trouble explaining why I love it. What I came up with, after some thought process, are the two reasons as follows. One is the idea of voyeurism. Film can transport you to places, outside of your world and norms, and put you into the shoes of impossible people; People's lives you've always wished or never thought to be a part of. And that leads to my second point. They teach us. And not in the obvious way either. Film to me is like a chest of secrets, and they can sometimes be unlocked through little movie moments. These moments can be anything, and different for everyone. But to me, they are moments that speak to us greatly. Because in the midst of the moment, we realize something about ourselves. These little moments are the reasons why I love film.

This blog is to celebrate these moments. And in the process of doing so I hope to grow as a writer and film lover.