Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(11/17/13 5:00pm)
The day that Paramount announced the postponement of Martin Scorsese’s next big film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughney, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” they released a second trailer. As one of the most anticipated films of the year and an Oscar contender, this film tells the story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), a successful Long Island stockbroker, who later becomes convicted and imprisoned for laundering money and securities fraud on Wall Street. This film will be released on December 25, 2013.
(11/16/13 11:32pm)
What would happen if you learned on your 21st birthday that you had the gift of time travel in order to revisit and possibly change any moment in your life? In his latest film, “About Time,” writer/director Richard Curtis brings us another romantic comedy classic starring Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson. “About Time” tells the story of what happens when Tim (Gleeson) learns he has this gift. Despite the fact that he decides to utilize this power to acquire a girlfriend, over time he learns that life is not about fixing your mistakes to get exactly what you want, but rather about living the only life you have to live.
Set in London, from the moment Tim and Mary (McAdams) first meet at a restaurant where diners eat in pitch-black darkness, there is a clear spark between the two. As they leave, they walk out together, meet one another face to face. It’s almost as if we can already see love hidden behind their eyes. McAdams’ and Gleeson’s chemistry is killer. As Mary slowly walks away in the other direction, we see one of those classic moments where the girl begins walking away in the middle of the street at midnight and stops to look back at the boy before continuing on her way. After realizing that he had another commitment that night, Tim goes back in time; therefore, the whole evening had never happened. After this moment, Tim tries to recreate their “first encounter” several times until he finally “meets” her again, and it’s all happily ever after from there.
Throughout the film, we glimpse Tim and Mary’s relationship growth, which is especially illustrated through montages. At one point we see them at a London subway station trying to catch their respective trains, yet they run back to one another for a final kiss, leaving Tim to miss his train. Furthermore, Ozon tactfully places Arvo Part’s“Spiegal I’m Siegal” in several compelling moments that serve as a constant reminder of this couple’s passionate love. Remarkably, the soundtrack only added more power to the film.
In addition, there are several lighthearted moments where we can sympathize with Tim and are happy that he has this power to go back in time. One of these moments occurs when the dreaded and unexpected time comes to “meet the parents.”
Overall, this was an unbelievable film. Richard Curtis successfully captures and raises questions of life and love, leaving a mark on his audience.
Grade: A
Rating and Run Time: R, 123 minutes
See if You Liked: “The Time Traveler’s Wife”
(11/03/13 5:00pm)
The release of a new trailer for “Neighbors,” Seth Rogen’s upcoming comedy that’s sure to be a hit, gives us a glimpse of what life turns into for a couple with a newborn baby when a fraternity moves in next door. “Neighbors,” which has Rogen teamed up with “40-Year-Old Virgin” writers Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien along with “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” director Nicholas Stoller, will be released May 9, 2014.
(10/24/13 3:00pm)
After “The Great Gatsby” came out last year, I found myself frequently associating the words “young” and “beautiful” with Lana Del Rey’s renowned single in addition to Gatsby and Daisy’s love story. When I sat down in the theater to watch François Ozon’s “Young and Beautiful” (“Jeune et Jolie”), I was finally able to look past the song to see and understand Isabelle’s (Marine Vacth) compelling and artfully-told coming-of-age story during her time of exploration and independence.
All in French with English subtitles included, this film is divided into four different time periods over the course of a year. It features Isabelle, a girl who starts as an innocent, fair-colored sixteen-year-old with brown hair and a soft smile; however, after losing her virginity to her summer fling (Lucas Prisor), Isabelle returns to Paris and begins working as a prostitute. Her family later learns about her prostitution, and conflict drives division within her home. Her mother (Geraldine Pailhas) drags Isabelle to a therapist while her brother (Fantin Ravat) is left with his stepfather (Frederic Pierrot) as he tries navigating his way through puberty.
Despite this tension, it is clear that Isabelle’s family has a close-knit dynamic. There’s a lighthearted pleasure in their family meals while they poke fun at one another and freely speak their minds. Isabelle even feels comfortable enough to tell her brother that she has lost her virginity by simply saying, “It’s done.” Their unity is pretty clear. However, Ozon may take the portrayal of a close family a step too far when we see Isabelle run into her stepfather after getting back into the house one night; she finds him naked from head to toe by the stairs, showing complete and total indifference.
Amidst Isabelle’s provocative journey, Ozon brings French culture to life on the screen, right in the middle of Paris, the beautiful and historical city of love. Each chapter of Isabelle’s year ends with music from the 1960s and 70s French pop-star, Franciose Hardy, in addition to subtle pieces of French café music that appear throughout the film. Ozon also captures a powerful moment at Pont de l’Archevêché on a cloudy and overcast day. It is at the love-lock bridge, and Isabelle is seen there intimately kissing a boy as she toys with the possibility of a true romantic affair.
All in all, “Young and Beautiful” is a great film. Even though it is difficult to relate to a girl who turns to prostitution at the age of sixteen, Vacth’s compelling performance draws you in. In addition, Ozon’s dialogue and aesthetics capture and elicit the many questions that are raised when a young, innocent girl reaches the time in her life where she begins her transition into adulthood and has to start making choices for herself.
Grade: A-
Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 95 minutes
See if You Liked: "In Bloom"