Tokyo Glow

In 50 words or less, what was the film about?

The short film captured the "walk" sign coming to life and taking a stroll in Tokyo. It followed him through the busy, bright streets and ended just as the female "walk "sign was about to come to life.

What was more important/ memorable/ significant? The plot or the characters? Why?

The characters are more memorable here because there really isn't much plot.The protagonist is quite lovable and his journey is beautiful and well made. 

What did you take away from the film?

It just kind of made me think about how quickly time flies with the time lapse film. The bustling city made me realize how small I was. 

Two Men Critique

In 50 words or less, what was the film about?

The film is about a man watching two men running by him and imagining the reason for why they are running. 

What was more important/ memorable/ significant? The plot or the characters? Why?

I think that the hypothetical plots laid out by the protagonist are important here. The stories he describes in the voice over show the  flexibility of the human mind.

What did you take away from the film?

It just kind of made me think about how important imagination is and how strange life and the predicaments you get yourself into can be. 

Glory at Sea Critique

Provide a brief description

The movie was about a community's response to hurricane Katrina. The people built a boat and sailed out to see filled with home and ended up sinking right above where their loved ones have perished.

What is the overall tone or mood?

The overall tone is melancholy with a sliver of hope. On one hand they are eventually reunited with their loved ones, but in the worst possible way.

How does the dialogue influence the film?

The words of the Preacher really add to the desperate tone of the movie. How they're trapped and there's nothing they can do. It's all in Fate's hands; it's all part of a plan. The protagonist who initiated the boat building doesn't say much the whole movie, but when he yells at everyone to "Get up!" at the end it added a feeling of hope. The voice over of the little girl made everything seem calmer than it actually was. People dying everywhere and her voice still seemed normal.

How does cinematography effect the film?

I like how there was always sort of a guiding light. The sun, fire, fireworks, and lamps all seemed like beacons of hope.

What scene or part of the scene do you like best? Why?

I liked the scene where they were all putting their most prized possessions on the boat with them and the voice over said that those things were lucky to the people. Everyone was helping and everyone was smiling. I liked it just because it really makes you think about what matters to you. Like that guy who couldn't let go of his car.

What is your opinion of the film?

I liked it. It's not one of my favorites. It made me sad at points but I'm just not satisfied with this particular interpretation of the afterlife. I didn't want to see their limbs moving.

New Boy Critique

1     1) Provide a brief description of the film.

      This film is about an African immigrant boy's first day at an Irish school. He gets picked on at his new school and     he daydreams about his experiences at school in Africa. At the end, he ends up ok with new friends. 

       2) What is the overall tone or mood of the film?

      It's definitely heartwarming. There are some dark undertones, like the murder of the father, but it the end things seem to be looking up for the main character. I'd say heartwarming is a good word for it. Kind of a mix of tears and smiles. 

       3) How does the dialog influence the film?

      The dialogue in the film really adds a sense of purity and innocence, but also mixes in some racial tension and bullying. The little pigtailed girl and the overall interaction between the kids and the teacher is very innocent. Then we get the little bullies and trouble makers and their mean comments blackening the overall docile environment of the classroom. The repetition of the phrase, "You're dead" foreshadows future conflict. In the end the dialogue of the little girl with the teacher and the laughter of the three boys completely changes the mood of the film and makes it much more light hearted. 

       4) In what ways does the cinematography affect the film?

      At the beginning, we could see a bit of the boys head with him looking at a classroom filled with blurry white faces. We can from the start see the sharp contrast of his skin to theirs. From then on we see a transition from what he sees, to the camera being focused on the boy. This lets us really feel and experience along with him. 

       5) What scene or part of a scene do you like the best? Why?

      My favorite scene was the last one, when the three boys were standing outside the classroom, waiting to get in trouble and hating eachother. Then this little girl ends up badmouthing the teacher and after laughing about it together the animosity between the group of boys lessens. It's extremely cute.

       6) What is your opinion of the film?

      I really liked it. It definitely still hits close to home when I watch classroom scenes in movies. This film was especially gladdening. It left a little smile on my face. 

10 Minutes Critique

       1) Provide a brief description of the film.

       The film follows a Japanese tourist and a Bosnian boy over a span of 10 minutes. The tourist is waiting for his photographs to be developed in sunshiny Rome and the boy is retrieving water for his family when the enemy attacks, killing his parents. The tourist's film is developed in the same amount of time as it takes for the boy to lose his family. 

       2) What is the overall tone or mood of the film?

       It overall has a very melancholy tone. The whole time you kind of know something bad is going to happen to this little boy. The setting is dark and dirty and there are guns and soldiers. At the end it's definitely a tearjerker, watching the boy walk into the house with his parents bleeding profusely and the baby crying in the backgroud. 

       3) How does the dialog influence the film?

      The dialogue throughout most of the movie is very calm and casual. The tourist interacting with the shopkeeper and the boy interacting with his family, then neighbors and friends. It all seems strangly calm even amidst war and then at the very end the dialogue becomes panicked and loud and urgent. This contributed to the very gruesome tone of the final scene. 

       4) In what ways does the cinematography affect the film?

      Other than the switch from the tourist to the boy, It was all one shot following the boy. It really made it seem like a veritable journey. It felt almost like you were there walking with him. I also liked the switched from darkness to light. 

       5) What scene or part of a scene do you like the best? Why?

      I think my favorite part was the film was the close up on the clocks at the end. It really added to the severity of the situation with a sharp contrast between the lives of the boy and the tourist. 

       6) What is your opinion of the film?

      I loved it. I think the concept was great. I felt all of the raw emotion of the war scene so much more when it was shown alongside the tourist calmly waiting for his photos in beautiful Rome.  

What I hope to accomplish

I really want to learn how to make movies in here. Words cannot describe how much I love film. I spend way too much time watching movies. I always thought I should try to make my own.

I'm inspired by dark comedies and Independent films. My goal is to make a sort of dark comedy. Probably something about high school because high school movies are my favorite. I'm good at writing, well I think I am anyways. I could write a great screenplay I think at some point. I would need actors and a high school setting I guess.

First Class Post

Heathers is my absolute favorite High School movie. Although I like my fair share of 80s high school flicks (e.g. Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire... I just like the Brat Pack what can I say), Heathers is in a strange way more realistic for me. It's something about the way the characters interact with each other. It's so disturbing and so real. And like they said, the only place that so many social types can live together in peace is in heaven. There could be no truer statement in my point of view.

American Beauty is definitely one of my favorites. If anything it's tied with Heathers. I love that at the end all these people wanted to kill the dad. It's like a sick puppet show playing with fate (Being John Malkovich reference inserted here). Chances are he would have died even if the wife hadn't shot him. I loved the character Ricky. He was so creepy and perfect, truthfully a lot like the lead male character in Heathers (maybe I have a type? Billie the kid types..) Anyways I love the darkness of this movie. The interactions with the kids and their families. My favorite is the scenes with the dad's fantasies of the teenage girl... and then you find out that she's just a scared virgin.

Lost and Delirious is one of my favorite same sex love stories (that and Little Ashes of course, Robert Pattinson plays a mean Salvador Dali, so much so that I almost forgave him for being a sparkly vampire). It's a great Girls at Boarding School type of story. The repetition of the reference to Lady Macbeth's speech ("unsex me here...") adds a feeling of determination and strength. Also I loved what the character Paulie said to Mary. I can't remember the exact quote but it was something along the lines of, I'm not in love with a girl, I'm in love with Tori. Paulie loves Tori, we're not lesbians (I swear it was way more poetic in the movie). I cry at the end every single time (I won't spoil it just in case).