In the not-too-distant future, Theodore Twombley is an endearingly awkward office worker, still suffering the effects of his marriage breakup. An early adopter of a new operating system for his devices, he soon falls in love with Her - his personal Artificial Intelligence, which has named itself Samantha.
The concept may seem at first glance to walk a fine line between intriguing and off-putting - but it is brilliantly well executed in this examination of relationships, loyalty, and love between friends, confidants and lovers. From Spike Jonze's offbeat but somehow perfectly real script, to the careful, beautiful production design, Her is original to the nth degree.
By turns joyously funny, gauzily romantic and achingly lonely, the stellar performances and barely-there camera take us directly into the the heart of the story, in a world complete down to the last detail.
A meditation on communication and humanity in an advanced technological world, Her is a strange mixture of isolation and melancholic humour, yet it not only works, but somehow leaves you filled with hope for the future. A modern masterpiece.
Also featuring a future-Earth, themes of isolation and re-growth, and an unexpected but wonderful AI romance, is WALL-E, the tale of a broken Earth's deserted robot caretaker meeting an inter-galactic probe. If you haven't seen this breathtakingly beautiful, Oscar-winning animation, hie you to your nearest on-/offline video store!
Thursday, 27 February 2014
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Meek's Cutoff (2010)
Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Written by Jonathan Raymond
Stephen Meek is guiding three couples across wild, untamed and unmapped Oregon in 1845, the earliest days of westward expansion. When we meet them, the disillusioned settlers are wondering whether Meek is lost, or if he lied to them in claiming his alternative route, Meek's Cutoff, would be more direct and safer from Indian attack than the valleys of the Oregon Trail.
Deliberately joining the wagons in the midst of their journey and leaving before they arrive at any destination, this isn't some Hollywood story of triumphant pioneers overcoming hardship. Instead, Meek's Cutoff is a slow examination of trust and betrayal in people on the edge of reason, trapped in an inhospitable, alien landscape, filled with fear and doubtful as to whether they'll survive.
I imagine this was a film to have seen in the cinema, where the big screen and enforced stillness would have aided the subtle, low contrast, lingering shots and creeping feeling of isolation - despite the chosen 4:3 aspect ratio no longer being considered truly cinematic by most audiences. Unfortunately in this case, translation to a smaller screen meant a loss of detail and immediacy, and for me, a tendency to fall out of the film too easily.
In a way, Meek's Cutoff is a brilliant behind the scenes B-roll of pioneer journeys - a realistic portrayal of the privations undergone on the incomprehensibly arduous wagon trains, but as a contemplative look at complex human emotions and loyalties, I felt a little under-directed, a little lost. It's entirely possible that was the point.
Also based on a true story, Into the Wild examines a completely different pioneer spirit: an American college graduate in the early 1990s who removed himself from society and disappeared into the wilds of Alaska. His attempt to throw off modern societal constructs and live his own way are thought-provoking, the film (reviewed on this blog here,) is beautifully made, and still haunts me.
Written by Jonathan Raymond
Stephen Meek is guiding three couples across wild, untamed and unmapped Oregon in 1845, the earliest days of westward expansion. When we meet them, the disillusioned settlers are wondering whether Meek is lost, or if he lied to them in claiming his alternative route, Meek's Cutoff, would be more direct and safer from Indian attack than the valleys of the Oregon Trail.
Deliberately joining the wagons in the midst of their journey and leaving before they arrive at any destination, this isn't some Hollywood story of triumphant pioneers overcoming hardship. Instead, Meek's Cutoff is a slow examination of trust and betrayal in people on the edge of reason, trapped in an inhospitable, alien landscape, filled with fear and doubtful as to whether they'll survive.
I imagine this was a film to have seen in the cinema, where the big screen and enforced stillness would have aided the subtle, low contrast, lingering shots and creeping feeling of isolation - despite the chosen 4:3 aspect ratio no longer being considered truly cinematic by most audiences. Unfortunately in this case, translation to a smaller screen meant a loss of detail and immediacy, and for me, a tendency to fall out of the film too easily.
In a way, Meek's Cutoff is a brilliant behind the scenes B-roll of pioneer journeys - a realistic portrayal of the privations undergone on the incomprehensibly arduous wagon trains, but as a contemplative look at complex human emotions and loyalties, I felt a little under-directed, a little lost. It's entirely possible that was the point.
Also based on a true story, Into the Wild examines a completely different pioneer spirit: an American college graduate in the early 1990s who removed himself from society and disappeared into the wilds of Alaska. His attempt to throw off modern societal constructs and live his own way are thought-provoking, the film (reviewed on this blog here,) is beautifully made, and still haunts me.
Tuesday, 25 February 2014
12 Years a Slave
What can one say about 12 Years A Slave, that the title and reviews have not already said? This is a disturbing representation of twelve years in the life of Solomon Northup, a free African American ripped from his comfortable life by slavers, and sold into bondage in the deep south.
Of course, it's a film everyone should see, but it's not a pleasant experience, perhaps because it is so utterly raw. As depicted here, Solomon is not a hero. It's possible he became one, later, in the years he spent campaigning for the abolition of slavery, involved in the underground railroad, and authoring the book which became the basis of the film - but in these twelve years, he's at first attempting to explain, and then merely to survive. Of course he is, otherwise he would have been killed, and his story would never have been told.
The most powerful force in the film is the utter helplessness of Solomon's situation. He's a strong, independent man, used to the friendship of his neighbours and the ability to make his own decisions. He's not meant to be there - but no one will hear him, and even if they did, how can he justify his identity making him more deserving than his fellow slaves? His moral quandaries and natural spirit result in an horrific sequence which neatly juxtaposes daily atrocities with daily life.
Finally, an end comes - again made more powerful by how extremely pared back it is: there's no outcry, no procession, and as we find out in the end titles, no prosecution - a conclusion which jarrs with our notion of what is due to Solomon, and a brave choice, in keeping with the difficult tone of the film.
Praise has been heaped on 12 Years a Slave, and its many wins during awards season have attested to the reaction it provokes, but it's almost impossible to deconstruct whether that's due to the artistry of the film, or the issues it so well presents. Inflamed opinions make it somewhat dangerous even to try, but I do agree it is essential viewing.
Everyone should feel guilty, watching this film. Not for collusion in the oppression of Solomon Northup in Louisiana nearly two hundred years ago, but because this still happens. There are human beings being exploited around the world today, their lives made a misery for profit they will never share in: and all of us are still walking past, with our heads down, to avoid becoming targets ourselves.
I can't think of another film like 12 Years A Slave. There simply isn't one - this is no Lincoln, or Django Unchained. I am sure the reasons there are not more American films about slavery are myriad, and all of them contentious. However, should you wish something to compare with 12 Years A Slave, try The Pianist, which delves in to the dire situation of a young Polish musician caught in the Holocaust, and provides a bleak examination of what it means to beat the odds, and what it costs to survive.
Of course, it's a film everyone should see, but it's not a pleasant experience, perhaps because it is so utterly raw. As depicted here, Solomon is not a hero. It's possible he became one, later, in the years he spent campaigning for the abolition of slavery, involved in the underground railroad, and authoring the book which became the basis of the film - but in these twelve years, he's at first attempting to explain, and then merely to survive. Of course he is, otherwise he would have been killed, and his story would never have been told.
The most powerful force in the film is the utter helplessness of Solomon's situation. He's a strong, independent man, used to the friendship of his neighbours and the ability to make his own decisions. He's not meant to be there - but no one will hear him, and even if they did, how can he justify his identity making him more deserving than his fellow slaves? His moral quandaries and natural spirit result in an horrific sequence which neatly juxtaposes daily atrocities with daily life.
Finally, an end comes - again made more powerful by how extremely pared back it is: there's no outcry, no procession, and as we find out in the end titles, no prosecution - a conclusion which jarrs with our notion of what is due to Solomon, and a brave choice, in keeping with the difficult tone of the film.
Praise has been heaped on 12 Years a Slave, and its many wins during awards season have attested to the reaction it provokes, but it's almost impossible to deconstruct whether that's due to the artistry of the film, or the issues it so well presents. Inflamed opinions make it somewhat dangerous even to try, but I do agree it is essential viewing.
Everyone should feel guilty, watching this film. Not for collusion in the oppression of Solomon Northup in Louisiana nearly two hundred years ago, but because this still happens. There are human beings being exploited around the world today, their lives made a misery for profit they will never share in: and all of us are still walking past, with our heads down, to avoid becoming targets ourselves.
I can't think of another film like 12 Years A Slave. There simply isn't one - this is no Lincoln, or Django Unchained. I am sure the reasons there are not more American films about slavery are myriad, and all of them contentious. However, should you wish something to compare with 12 Years A Slave, try The Pianist, which delves in to the dire situation of a young Polish musician caught in the Holocaust, and provides a bleak examination of what it means to beat the odds, and what it costs to survive.
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