Brave - Another Disney and PIXAR Masterpiece

The Tag Line got me from the beginning, the moment I saw this trailer I knew I needed to see this movie "Brave - Change your Fate".

I guess this is the time I confess that I am a SLAVE to PIXAR Films, I own every one I have ever seen. I am obsessed with the poignant yet amusing beautifully written stories. The themes generally have overriding messages of bravery, love, family, happiness and grief - such adult content, packaged into animation. Over and above the fact that they are so beautifully animated and directed, they make me wish I could animate.  (Plus there's all those "grown up" jokes that the kids don't get).

My wonderful boyfriend knew that I was desperate to see this movie - have been super keen ever since I saw the trailer months ago, and he found me a preview on Sunday. (Greenstone Cinema has the worst Concession Store EVER, they perpetually make you late for the movie, there's just not enough staff for the volume of people...)

The film was as good as anticipated, even if the main narrative came as a bit of a surprise. the humour, the animation, the music and direction were all superb, but above and beyond that I felt inspired by the main character. Yes folks, I, an adult, was inspired by an animated character in a children's film.

The plot follows Merida, a 10th Century Scottish lass, born into the highborn position of first (and only) born Princess to the King and Queen of four Scottish Clans. Merida, is a heroine of great power and prowess. Pixar and Disney made a bold leap from the traditional, beautiful female characters, and created a strong heroine, a big flowing bush of wild red heir, freckles, a clear distaste of all things proper as well as a lust for making her own destiny. Merida breaks all the conventions of a typical Disney Princess and is a great forward step in creating independent women. (goooo Disney, kick patriarchy in the butt!). Merida does not just want to find love and marry, Merida wants to become an independent strong woman, and can certainly look after herself.

Merida and her Bow, something a Princess should not have

Look at that hair... Certainly not a demure little princess!

Merida doesn't like to keep quiet, she has an opinion. She doesn't like to wear dresses and parade herself...

Look at that face

Merida has a VOICE, and will use it, even in front of men (GASP).

Above all, Merida is willing to change her fate, create her own destiny and break the conventions of society (apparently - according to some internet critics makes her gay - sheesh... Then I've been gay for years, best call all those ex boyfriends).

Merida, the First Born will compete for her own hand in marriage (note her ripped dress - dresses and corsets are too tight for archers)

In order to create her own destiny, Merida follows these Blue Ethereal Creatures called Whisps:

will-O'-the-whisp - According to English folklore appear to travelers at night  - also known as fairy fire, they lead travelers off the beaten path.

Who show people their fate, she is taken to this fabulously quirky witch (thanks Joy... Blush) who INSISTS she's just a wood carver:

Such a great character, such an awesome answering machine - the audience wants more of her!

 And then things spiral out of control....

But Merida is strong... And she has her trusty steed and her mischievousness little triplet brothers to help her through hardship:

I think the horse made me like the movie more... He was so real and Brave and Merida even mucked out his stable... Not princess like at all....

These three were so cute, made the movie very cute and funny

The film also focuses on the issues of mother daughter relationships, and the communication difficulty that occurs with these. this is the catalyst of the film, and actually becomes an integral theme, overriding the themes of adventure and folklore. Love is lost when wills are involved (and I don't mean the paper ones):

Lastly, Brave teaches kids about living their own destiny, and the powerful bond of family. A lovely movie, full of laughter, bravery, passion and a stunning sound track to boot (apparently this is the first movie on Pixar's new animation system and is the first movie to use the Dolby Atmos Sound Format - and it shows). A must see... especially if you are a strong woman... It will give you goosies. But be prepared to suspend your disbelief for an hour and a half (some of the story is a little radical).

I loved it. A 9 out of 10 ringlet rating from Di... (Have big hair or go home).

Here's the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UrmeSqcUyA&feature=fvwrel

Beautiful

You'll understand once you've seen the film 

Go Merida... Look at those boys' faces! 

Possibly one of my favorite shots of the film

End...

Imagine a World without Art

So, there's nothing like blowing my own horn... Or rather blowing my own horn about my Friends... My friends Nicole Ackermann and Dean Barrett made a fabulous and thought provoking little advert/segment of film imagining the world without art.

The snippet is used to promote Assemblage in Newtown Johannesburg. Assemblage promotes young artists in Johannesburg and gives them a place to exhibit their works.

The little film.advert/snippet/PSA is awesome, shot beautifully, flawless editing and great sound. Check it out:

"Assemblage opened the Newtown Artist Run Centre and Studios (NewARC), in Johannesburg in April 2012. The NewARC offers studio spaces and support facilities for visual artists and creatives. 'Make Art Happen' is a fundraising initiative to keep the NewARC studios open for a year. Please go to www.makearthappen.co.za to donate anything as small as R100 and spread the word!

www.assemblage.co.za
www.newarcstudios.co.za

Featured Artists: Louise Ross, Minenkulu Ngoyi, Isaac Zavale, Anthea Pokroy
Camera and Editing: Dean Barrett
Music: Dean Barrett
Camera and Direction: Nicole Ackermann
Special thanks to Ministry of Illusion "

Imagine a World without Art

Rock of Ages

Cast of Champions, Music of Legends, Costumes of Glory, Cinematography of Angels, Script of Marshmallow I convinced my boyfriend and his manly friend to go and see Rock of Ages last night. We are all die hard metal fans and I thought, shew, the music will be EPIC. The film boasts music from the Rock Gods like Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Joan Jet (my hero), Extreme, Guns n Roses, Poison, Twisted Sister and more. I also has a FABULOUS cast, Tom Cruise (who looks INCREDIBLE), Alec Baldwin, Russel Brand (my favourite), Catherine Zeta Jones etc. I had also seen these pictures on the Web: It HAS to be good right? Well.... I nearly had heart failure at 2 minutes in when the main female lead Sherrie Christine (Julianne Hough) breaks into song in a bus, and the bus driver joins in... and then the rest of the bus. Oh crap... When they said musical they meant singing your feelings with the hobo and the whole of the supermarket dancing in tune right? Not musical as in heavy metal rocking my socks off and hard core performances?? Oops.... (Insert Dianne's heart sinking as she looks at the two men next to her)... The movie improved after that (I think after the shock wore off) and we rambled and rocked our way through a predictable and weak story line. The basic story (insert lack of imagination here): Pretty, blond small town girl (Sherrie) leaves dead end small town (Tulsa Oklahoma) in a homely dress (that one would imagine being worn to bake home made apple pie for grandma on the porch) with nothing but $17 and some records to go seek fame and fortune (her choir mistress said she could rock). She causes Havoc equivalent to the Zombie Apocalypse in reverse in a bus by making them all burst into song, lands in LA, gets mugged (her light suitcase gets taken with all her records? No clothes in Tulsa?) and she meets heart-throb Drew Boley (Diago Boneta) who gets her a job at her a job, and a date, and some leg over (all in about ummm.... 4 minutes?).  Drew and Sherrie are in love and are both wannabe singers, they wait tables and work the Bar at the Bourbon Room, run by shaggy haired, pouting Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) and flouncing, mullet sporting "partner" Lonny Barnett (Russel Brand). The Bourbon Room is on the Strip of Vegas - Famous for setting rockers off into the abyss of fame and fortune, an is introduced by a group of conservative middle class housewives boycotting the club with placards saying: Rockers Burn in Hell, and Metal is the Devil (Not much has changed).  Anyway, the club is struggling, Rock n Roll and love keeps it going (although it is always packed in every scene), the two managers can't fathom the nasty taxes and there are hairs in the olives. To add insult to injury the philandering up and coming (ahem) mayor and his uptight, conservative (secretly rock fetishistic) wife Patricia (Patsy) Whitmore want to clean up the strip in order to get more financial backing and they create a frenzy of conservative protesters, nuns included, to close down the club (rock is the devil, not the strip club, prostitutes, or drug dealers on the strip). One of the best lines of the movie was: Rock n Roll made my child eat my neighbour's horses face. Anyway, enter Tom Cruise's character, Stacee Jaxx, and eccentric rock n roller, who seems to have a Benjamin L Willard (Martin Sheen) from "Apocalypse Now" persona and paranoia as well as an accompanying sound track, way of speaking toting a well dressed, well trained monkey (called Hey Man). Stacee Jaxx is a rock heart throb (who makes women everywhere faint), trying to go solo from his band Arsenal, Stacee is coming to play at the club, to help rejuvenate it (and pay for those pesky taxes).  Anyway, good ol small time Sherrie is uber excited, the warm up band pulls out, so Drew's band gets to play (which is a big thing in a failing club). Anyway, some words of foreboding is said about the spotlight making Drew a pig and thus forgetting about Sherrie. As Drew is alighting the stage he sees Sherrie running out of Stacee Jaxx's room adjusting her shirt as he is adjusting his crotch after a fling with uptight Rolling Stone reporter Constance Sack (Malin Akerman) and of course assumes that Sherrie has had an affair with Jaxx. Drew is amazing on stage, beaks up with Sherrie (who quits), gets an offer from Stacey Jaxx's good for nothing agent Paul Gill (Paul Giamatti), and he quits.  Drew signs contracts and sells his soul, the record companies want a boy band, he dresses like a clown and becomes one of the Zzzzz Gueyzzzz on his moped and Sherrie becomes a stripper (with Mary J Blige) after a nervous breakdown in 4 days of rain (kinda a Greece revival here). Anyway, the agent steals the Bourbon Rooms Money, offers a come back and a break for Drew (the rockers hate the Boy Band image and attempt to Lynch him, but Sherrie saves the day with a light rock song he wrote for her), the uptight conservative Mayors wife is revealed as a rock slut in the end and Sherrie and Drew get back together, dress up like Metal Red Indians to perform with Jaxx (feathers and a very high legged all in one turquoise body suit). Stacee Jaxx returns to Arsenal and knocks up the reporter and they all perform to a giant stadium and are famously rocking ever after.  Good points about the film: 1) The Cinematography was designed fabulously. There are multiple shots and sequences that are shot and edited to perfection. Many rock battles and song duets filmed in different places that fit together like gems sparkling in the sun!  2) The Rock n Roll Soundtrack ROCKED, so metal, so brutal. All the lyrics were sung by the relevant actors, that needs a hat tip. (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a387720/rock-of-ages-soundtrack-preview-listen.html) 3) Tom Cruise was beyond EPIC, his performance was amazing, and for a 50 something year old creepy Scientologist, he was very very convincing and looks incredible to boot. Catherine Zeta Jones, beautiful as usual. 4) Sherri and Drew, (Hough and Beneta) were fresh new faces and very very good and a PLEASURE to look at and watch. 5) The Hair and Costumes were incredible, made me want to be born in the 80s. 6) The lighting was fabulous, so rock n roll, so moody, so beautiful. 7) Russel Brand and Alec Baldwin had such great chemistry (so good, they even had to be gay in the end), their humor carried the film. 8) Great pole dancing. 9) Some awesome montages of sound, light and song. 10) Use of music from Digetic to Extra Digetic and vise verse. Also using real life things such as shoes etc to make music was great. Negative points: 1) The script... Made of brittle cliches and bold assumptions.  2) The Dialogue was weak and lacking. 3) The musical bubble gummy-ness of the beginning was a bit of a shock to the rock n roll audience. (it was used cleverly in juxtaposition to the gritty life style later in the film which redeemed it slightly) 4) The outcome of all of the characters was too nicely wrapped up... and Other characters were forgotten. Overall, in my humble opinion, the actors and the wow factor carried the film, I will buy it for my collection for the music, cine and the lighting. If you like Musicals, this kicks Burlesque's ass, almost as good as Moulin Rouge and Chicago.

Snow White and the Huntsman

Shew... let's just start by saying: what a film... Such a great film that I saw it twice on the big screen and will certainly buy it for my collection. And between you and me I think I am a little obsessed by the beauty of this film.

I don't need to give anyone a synopsis on the story line, unless you were born in the Jungles of Borneo without any contact to the outside world as you were raised by wolves, you will know the Basic Story. All you need to know (because Disney wasn't clear) is the Snow White (Kristen Stewart) was born the Princess of Tabor, daughter to King Magnus (Noah Huntly) and Queen Elanor (Liberty Ross), she had hair as black as night, skin as fair as snow and lips as red as blood (life is all about the details). Queen Elanor died (of some unmentionable disease - probably Syphilis knowing the Royals) and King Magnus was left widowed and heart broken, and as any normal man would do hopped up and married the first captured prisoner of a weird fantastical non-human army after ummmm... a month (give or take). This damsel in distress turned out to be the mighty, beautiful but oh so whitchy Ravenna - AKA man hater and kingdom thief after one too many break ups and one night stands - (Charlize Theron). Ravenna kills the King after a very disturbing monologue while he is trying to do his thang in the marriage chamber. She then proceeds to take over the kingdom, imprisoning Snow White in the highest tower of the tallest spire and ridding the Kingdom of all things furry, pretty and young. Ravenna has an obsession with age and beauty as this is the key to her magic, and she is over 100 years old, so her with her AMAZING mirror constantly scour the land for "fairest of them all". Then one day, the dreaded mirror tells Ravenna that Snow White is the fairest of them all (obviously, even though she is in rags and hasn't bathed for years), and if Ravenna has her heart she will never need to suck the life out of poor defenseless girls. So Ravenna sends her creepy, Willard hair styled, Loci persona brother to go and get Snow White, and low and behold, Snow White manages to escape. Cue the shiny white horse waiting for her and into the forest, where she meets the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) as well as a band of Merry Dwarves, some scarred Lesbians, AWESOME fairies (depicted differently from pop culture) and the great forest deer (which looks like it came to this set directly from the Anime Film Princess Mononoke) the appearance of said deer obviously means she is life to the Kingdom. Cue Ravenna, poison apple and being kissed by the yummy Huntsman, which translates into war, kick ass girlie armor and the death of Ravenna and the crowning of Snow White holding a blossom. The End. A little different from the fairy tail, but oh so lovely.


Now I am not an expert or a Film Critic, I have a 4 year degree in Film and Theater Directing, however no one has ever paid me to write anything about a film, as a matter of fact, for four years I paid people to read my ramblings about film! So, since being paid for something is an international measure of success, I can safely say that I am in the negative standing, but nonetheless, here is my opinion of the film:


First off, let's discuss the dark take on Snow White, the Fairy Tale we all knew and loved as children, taken by Disney and molded into the Patriarchal vision of the fairy princess... Well this film was not this:

or this:

Or any of this:

Instead we followed the dark Fairy Tale, one of the Brothers Grimm, through the dark and treacherous world all set in a fantastic brooding landscape:

The motif of light and dark, which literally translates into the battle of good and evil was shown clearly through the exquisite lighting, as well as the costume (which we will tackle later), the lighting kicks animated Snow Whites poofy marshmallow world to the curb:

Now for my favourite part... Cinematography - I think this is what made the film for me, it was INCREDIBLE. At university I had ambitions of being a DOP (Director of Photography) as I really enjoy that side of the film making process. The cinematography of this film drew you in from the very first moment, the long rambling shots juxtaposed with tight close ups really created a fabulous visual landscape and tantalized the eyes. Some of my favourite shots (and obviously the bathing in milk shot - Heaven):

And of course the costumes (which Charlize definitely got the better deal), and is that the tree of Gondor on Snow White's shield?:

Then the Special Effects... Wowee.... It would seem that Pixomodo who did most - if not all the SFX - also do all the SFX for Game of Thrones, so you KNOW they're going to be epic.

First we had the Shadow Army, made of spikey black obsidian glass, evil as HELL:

Designed to shatter outwards:

Then we had Mirror Mirror, and boy did this antagonist look INCREDIBLE, a human form in a sheet of shimmering , flowing, organic gold:

Then we had the magic forest and the Princess Mononoke Deer (which turned into a flock of Birds to escape):

Then we had the AMAZING fairies, so different to Tinkerbell and True Blood Fairies, so fantastical and original, so in touch with nature that they are naked, furry and can morph in and out of other animals:

We even had a troll under a bridge:

And a little bit of action:

The constant and all consuming pursuit of youth, fear of aging combined with the constant terror of death is around every corner. This is a great and timeless comment on society, especially the one we live in today. Unfortunately there are no pictures of Charlize ageing and firming up again after a good dose of young girls heart, but this was incredible. A lecturer once said that a good actor/actress is one that is not afraid of looking ugly as well as beautiful on screen, and both these actresses could do just that.

And if you thought that Charlize and Ms. Stewart were the only two people in the film, here is the Huntsman, the Dwarves and the others:

Overall, an amazing film. Some complained about Charlize's slow delivery, which I thought was very well directed, others said that the film was merely SFX and no storyline, clearly, I did not think so. Overall I thought it was a masterpiece of cinematography and SFX, combined with a fresh, new and dark take on the Grimm's Brothers tale with kick ass posters:

End...