Germany & Expressionism

17th March 2010

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Weine - a German film


this film was expressionistic and experimental. the film takes us on a journey to tell a story of a mad-man as he tells it to a friend through flashbacks. the film is moody and shocking.

it was very dramatic and intentionally a stretch from realism. the high contrasts of light and shadow, the surreal settings, the sharp angles in the sets, and the distorted camera angles help tell a twisted tale taking us into a world that is not ours and represent madness, chaos and psychosis.

a lot of the story was told through the actors expressions and their eyes conveyed their thoughts, emotions and their state of mind. the twist in the story at the end was very clever and not something that was common in its time. although this film may not be so popular these days as it is a silent film, it should still stands as a prototype for the "Horror" genre.

the style of this film reminds me of NOSFERATU - the original Dracula movie (1922) which i loved so much as a child.

Metropolis

Fritz Lang - a German film

this early futuristic/sci fi film is set in a make-belief world conceived by a mans idea and built by "man-machines". the film to me reflects the Communism movement in this futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners.

the entire film is very well choreographed and the story is told visually without the need to rely on titles. i did find it quiet hard to watch the female lead as i found her to be very annoying and hard to watch at times. but her acting ability and her facial expressions were good and need to be given credit.

the compositing and visual effects in this film were beyond their time and should still be appreciated today. the cinematography and stunts in this movie must also be admired especially in the scene where the machine blows up and transformers into an ancient relic as well as the scene of the transformation of the machine into human form.

this movie is a must see for anyone studying animation and visual effects and should be appreciated for the efforts and achievements despite the lack of technology for such effects back in its day.

Final thought on the Sydney Traveling Film Festival

17th March 2010


overall i really enjoyed the film festival. it exposed me to films i really enjoyed that i would not normally go and see for myself. i think the festival was well organized and we are lucky to have such a fantastic event right here in wagga wagga

Sydney Traveling Film Festival

The French Kissers
Director Riad Sattouf - a French film

this movie is a major hit for me!!! hahaa i loved every moment. the whole thing was like a french version of "American Pie" gone wrong. a great insight to a teenagers life and the angst of puberty and sexual awakening.

the story was great and the actors portrayed their characters beautifully. touching on those embarasing issues that face teenages all over the world in a clever and humorous way thats in your face. the character of the mother was one of my favorites and reminds me a lot of my own mum. she added an extra touch of funny to a very funny movie! loved it from start to end!!!!

Sydney Traveling Film Festival

Broken Embraces
Director Pedro Almodovar - a Spanish film

what a moving film! this is a masterpiece.

i have never really been one for movies with subtitles but this one is a must see. Penelope Cruz is really in her element playing the lead as Lena. a touching film beautifully made with an extraordinary story. this movie allowed me to connect with Lena and feel her emotions on her journey. the cinematography and the editing was perfect. the story was easy to follow and allowed the viewer to connect and empathize with the characters.

i look forward to seeing more from this director as this film has opened up a whole new world of cinema to me that is unlike anything i have seen before. Broken Embraces is definitely five stars!!!

Sydney Traveling Film Festival

The Topp Twins
Director Leanne Pooley - a New Zealand film

i LOVeeeed this documentary style film!!!! what a treat this was to watch. the biggest surprise to me was how on earth have i not heard of these two before?! great thanks to the Sydney Traveling Film Festival for bringing such a great film to Wagga Wagga. This was a great story of friendship, success, strength, courage, standing up for ones rights, comedy and music. i would recommend this film to anyone and will be on the lookout for the Topp Twins on dvd to buy for the family this christmas.

Sydney Traveling Film Festival

Remember My Name
Director Kasimir Burgess - an Australian short film

not a fan of this what so ever. nothing original in this documentary style short film. throughout the entire 12 mins there was this whole build up to what the group of "extremists" may be up to, hinting at violence, animal rights and human sacrifice but ending in a silly dance in the middle of Bourke St. this to me was uninspiring, unoriginal and just plain dumb!!!

Sydney Traveling Film Festival

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Director Rebecca Miller - a USA film


I LOVeeeed this film!!! it was quirky and fun while dealing with some serious issues. the humor in this film was not ur traditional humor but quiet dry which worked very well. there were classic lines that had the whole theatre in stitches with some very cheeky lines. i was captivated by the story and by the lives of these people. the cast in this film was extraordinary with Alan Arkin, Keanu Reeves and Julianne Moore which really made the movie for me. i didnt want it to end, i wanted to continue the journey!

Sydney Traveling Film Festival - Opening Night

My Tehran for Sale
Director Granaz Moussavi - an Australian/Iranian film

This was a powerful film with a story that needed to be told about a generation looking for freedom. it gives an insight to a life and culture that is so far from my own. in saying that i found the film hard to follow and felt it to be quiet confusing with the constant cutting and changing of location and time. the story telling style here is very similar to that of "Slum dog Millionaire" which is one of my favorite movies and a major box office hit. i can understand why the director would chose to tell her story this way but i felt i was lost in the story line and found it very hard to follow. the movie was confrontational and left me to reflect on my own life and the freedom i have to be who i want to be and all the opportunities this country has to offer its people.

Review missing

D. W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation

Unfortunately this is a film that i did not get to see therefore i wont be writing a review on it as yet.

The first of many movie reviews...

Trip to the Moon (1902)

This was a quirk early silent short film that had me laughing all the way through. it was very clever with a great story that was told in an interesting way where a group of men travel to the moon in a capsule that is shot from a giant cannon. The men are then captured by "moon men", escape, and return to earth. This film was made by master artist and film pioneer Georges Melies and it is no wonder as to why it is considered to be a classic by many. Anyone studying the arts, TV or animation should see this!!!


Great Train Robbery (1903)

I have to say i did not enjoy this short film at all. the acting was terrible and the plot was hopeless - not much more i can say about it. But to be fair from a historical perspective, it's good example of the use of film editing as it wasn't common to tell multiple stories simultaneously which this film manages to do.