Reviews
Review: A Single Man
Based on the novel by Chris Isherwood, A Single Man is the kind of film that could be watched with the sound off, because it is indeed visually spectacular. The kind of beauty that is almost exclusively reserved for upper-end designer ads, which is obviously no coincidence being by the mighty Tom Ford. (Did anyone see just how good he looked at the Brits? Is he even a real person?? ) Everyone and everything is seeped in sepia-toned gorgeousness but the colours flare in accordance with 
Colin-Firth’s suicidal–gay-LA-professor’s (phew) recognition of beauty; an apparent consequence of his decree that this day is to be his last. Now, a lot of people are calling out ASM on the old ‘style over substance’ cliché but I’d heartily disagree. There is much substance plus well-timed, unexpected humour. If there was a criticism, perhaps ASM is so visually stunning it’s kind of distracting. Like a really beautiful person trying to tell you something but you kind of get caught up just looking at them. So, yes Mr Ford, your film is too beautiful.Just like the book cover itself.
Even the film poster is a 10!
Just drowning in asthetics here people… so please Mr Ford, can we have some more?
Beijos! (Sasha)
Film Review: Precious
Everyone meet Precious. Precious is fat. Precious is ‘black’ black. Precious lives in abject poverty. She is gets raped by her father. She is abused by her mother. She eats pig’s feet. She has a Down’s baby. She’s pregnant again. She’s only 16. Boys kick her. She has to perform oral sex on mother. She gives birth. Now her mother is trying to kill her. And her baby. Now she’s homeless. Now her father is dead. He died of AIDS. Now Precious has HIV. She’s going to die. Perhaps her baby has HIV? Now Precious is homeless. With a baby. And with HIV. And she’s going to die.
But s’all good cos she goes to a cool school where everyone is cool and good looking and there’s a really beautiful lesbian teacher who loves Precious and all her classmates are cool and suddenly, instantly, inexplicably they are all her best friend and go see her in hospital where Lenny Kravitz is her nurse and he’s cool too they have parties and she hooks up Lenny with some chick and they laugh and Precious has new clothes even though she penniless but that don’t matter cos that’s just one of a million plot-holes and she’s writing the pain away ‘Dead Poets’ style and Mariah Carey is smirking and Oprah is smiling and everything’s gonna be cool…
Y’know what I mean??
Beijos! (Sasha)
Review: A Single Man
Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautifuuuuul, beautiful, beautiful, beautifulbeautifulbeautiful. This is soooooooooooooooo going to be my birfday night out film (released the day after, so that will do nicely). A SINGLE MAN is the film debut of Tom Ford. As in Tom “Ye Savoiur of Gucci” Ford, as in he of advertising most provocative and now cinematic visions most extraordinary. This trailer is one of only two have ever managed to give me the bumps (this and Requiem), which oddly, features little spoken script and in a similat tennent makes time of the essense. 
A Single Man Based on the book by Christopher Isherwood, and is a day in the life a suicidal gay literature professor in ultra sexually repressed 1962 Los Angeles, struggling to come to terms with the death of his lover. Colin Firth and Julianna Moore take the leads; the latter, asside from being a damn incredble actress, once again proves herself the ultimate clothes horse for all that gorgeous, gorgeous vintage sixties couture… got to LOVE her! As expected this is one seriously styled film with every screen inch given the most meticulous attention you’d expect from someone like Ford… such is his keeness to express his superior taste. Many argue this is the films downfall. Stuff and Nonsense, but I’m no good at forming opinions and think its looks f**king lush liiiike… just check out 53~57secs of the trailer… JUST CHECK IT! That eye cotact, Nosssssa! But what is about Julianne Moore always ending up with fruits?
Anyhoo, here’s Bob Modello’s brilliantly articulate review, whch is why I suppose he’s a critic…
“Ford — makes, as you might expect, a stylish filmmaking debut with A Single Man. He’s visualized Isherwood’s story so elegantly — with a designer’s eye— that for a time it seems he might actually be making the film too stylish. Sleek ’60s threads, a house out of Architectural Digest, a billboard for Hitchcock’s Psycho backing an encounter with a prostitute who looks like a model — the picture-making is so tightly art-directed it initially feels a little airless. But the beige-on-gray visuals glow with warmer colors when emotions flare, and you realize that this first-time director has decided to make style strategic. George is a man who manages his feelings, and visualizing him in such pristine terms lets Ford highlight the tiniest of gestures: the finessing George does to navigate a can’t-ask-can’t-tell world; the veiled ’60s hints and glances that would never even register today; and the glimmers of hope that flare unexpectedly at the edges of despair.”
Beijos (Sasha)
Review - Santiago (2007)
Santiago (2007)Director : Joao Moreira Salles
(I’ll provide a transcript for this opening dialogue as soon as possible people!)
Ok, as Santiago is the cinematic equivalent of bi-polar and Im feeling apporopraitely blue, I thought now is a good a time as any to review it. So join me Captain Whimsical as we hop aboard the good ship Melancholly and sail off into the Ocean of Tears. (??) Seriously - its not that bad but there is something about this documentary which does knock the wind out of your sails. Its like film-faux-pas -
› Continue reading
