Farewell address

Alas, this assignment has come to a close.

What have I learned, you ask?

1. My future does not lie in the realm of blogging. I consider the creation of these thirteen posts among the greatest challenges of my life.

2. I should probably not become a movie critic, at least not without some heavy medication. I agonize over every single phrase. By my calculations, it takes me roughly 2 days to produce 250 words.

3. Mr. Williams = best teacher ever. He is a beacon of wisdom and intelligence, a guiding light, forever inspiring the journalist in all of us.

Coming soon

Two of the summer movies I am most excited for:

Name colon object comma place based on semicolon period.

Invasion of the Big, Scary, Long Film Titles- New York Times

I find coming up with titles extremely difficult (for examples, see this blog).

I had noticed the recent onslaught of long titles, particularly for sequels, that forgo the number system (i.e. Ironman 2) and instead include a title, followed by a colon, followed by a plot description. Evidently, Brooks Barnes read my mind- this article takes a look at the rising trend.

Great Expectations

Sects and the City- New York Times

A clever and interesting article from an often unseen perspective. Still, it's hard to imagine he could have expected anything different. Sex and the City is made for glamour, not realism.

Live fish

Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank follows 15-year-old Mia (Katie Jarvis), a product of British housing projects and a torrent of fury and confusion (within the first few minutes of the film she gets in roughly five fights, both verbal and physical). The main plot thread involves a dangerous relationship with her trashy mom's (Kierston Wareing) new boyfriend (Michael Fassbender).

The premise might seem like one that has been explored to death--how many times have we seen angsty, impoverished youth struggle to find themselves? But Arnold's knack for gritty realism makes her film stand out.

Jarvis' performance is nothing short of incredible, and beyond impressive given that she is not a professional actor. Discovered in a subway station having a screaming fight with her boyfriend, her Mia is messy and uncalculated. Her lack of acting experience seems, in this case, to be her greatest strength, for she conveys all of Mia's twisting emotions with the veracity of living it.

The fact that none of the actors are well-known (the most recognizable being Fassbender, after his role in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds) makes Fish Tank all the more credible. The same movie with famous faces would have been ridiculous; instead, their relative anonymity helps solidify its authenticity.

To top it all off, Arnold gave the script to her actors in pieces, so that, while filming, none of them would know what was in store for their characters. Though not a common practice, this seems an obvious recipe for success in this genre. A bunch of people who don't know what's coming next... sounds a whole lot like real life, doesn't it?

Mother and Child

“Motherhood should be… something simpler than that,” says a mother of her daughter’s complicated adoption negotiations in Rodrigo Garcia’s Mother and Child. The heart of the film, in fact, lies in motherhood’s complexity, adoptive or otherwise. Garcia delivers a highly emotional and resonant story without ever crossing the line to melodramatics.

Set in Los Angeles, the film unfolds in three intertwining strands. Karen (Annette Bening) is bitterly unhappy and haunted by the daughter she gave up for adoption after giving birth to her at age 14. That child has evidently grown into 37-year-old Elizabeth (Naomi Watts), a cold, ambitious lawyer who confines herself to a life of isolation. Lucy (Kerry Washington) is trying to adopt a baby and facing the difficulties that come along with what she describes as a horribly unnatural path to motherhood.

Though the plotline of interconnected lives may be all too familiar, the remarkable depth and complexity of the characters gives Mother and Child a unique, and heart wrenching, edge. Garcia, whose past work includes Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her and Nine Lives, has an aptitude for portrayals of genuine and multi-layered female protagonists. He makes the audience truly care about these women and their fates. Their disappointment is yours, too.

Bening delivers the standout performance in a role that spans a tremendous range of emotions. Her character is constantly evolving, and she hits every note from humor to despair.

In the end, Mother and Child proves to be as profound as the bond its title suggests.

Someone didn't hear the secret

TONY Review: The Secret In Their Eyes (El secreto de sus ojos)

Earth-shattering? Not entirely. But Juan José Campanella's The Secret In Their Eyes is far from worthy of kiddie pool comparisons.

The movie, most often labeled as a thriller/romance achieves success not only in those genres, but also weaves comedic dialogue with mystery, drama, and a little bit of politics. Contrasting elements of romanticism and reality blend and collaborate beautifully.

Campanella's talents as a writer-director are evident from his script and striking cinematography, both of which merit award show accolades.

Keith Uhlich is most off-base his description of the characters as shallow. Far from it. Every one is imparted with complexity and credibility. Moving performances from Ricardo Darin and Soledad Villamil are a driving force.

The film's greatest strength is that it, much like the murder haunting its protagonists, is bound to remain on people's minds long after it's over.