One film connoiseur, so many films.

Hey to the reader,

For as long as I can remember, I've always had a strange fascination with cinema and film. It's so strange that something you know isn't real, can appeal to you on so many levels. As a form of media, it assaults your senses. Everytime you rewatch a film, or even a TV programme, you notice something different. Like how the music might accentuate the way a character is thinking or feeling, or the beauty of that landscape; shot from that exact angle.

As an aspiring actor, I have been drawn to films that would not normally interest me. I now watch films, not necessarily just for entertainment, but to see why the actor recieved the Oscar, or even why they didn't. Pictures such as Jurassic Park and other action films that thrilled me as a young child, I now see through different eyes. I notice that the acting in it may be close to painful, yet I can still see why I did enjoy the film as a whole.
Now I'm going to give some reviews of films that you may not have heard of, but I heartily recommend that you watch. Whilst you may not feel the same way I did about them, I'd appreciate it if you just gave them a chance, watch them with no expectations from what you might already know.
Lost in Translation
Starring: Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson
Brief plot rundown: A movie star with a sense of emptiness, and a neglected newlywed meet up as strangers in Tokyo and form an unlikely bond. (Thanks to IMDB.com for all these plot outlines)

Initial Thoughts: Before watching this film, I had heard brilliant things about it. Almost nothing but brilliance. Which of course, led to suspicion. This film wasn't a blockbuster, it had no action as such, no special effects of any kind. So why was it so popular in this day and age? It's not a traditional romance, it's not a rom-com. So I questioned it. But then I started watching the film.

You are eased in with some nice little jokes, Bill Murray-Bob Hoskins in the film-portrays his silent frustration at the height of the shower head, and the difficulty of communication with a bossy photographer. We soon meet Scarlett Johansson in her role as Charlotte. Today, Scarlett is considered a woman of stunning beauty, who no man would pass up a night with. However, in this film, her beauty is much more subtle and delicate. She shows us a master of her craft beyond her years. And we soon realise, that the despite obvious differences, and a shared smile in a lift, Bob and Charlotte are not so different after all.
As we follow them through their journey of discovery, we see some beautiful cinematography that throws you into an awe-inspiring view of Tokyo. Bob and Charlotte's time together is limited, the viewer sees the dilemma, and we all begin to wonder whether both the lost souls can find themselves in time.

The end result is a film that can mean many different things to many different people. It all depends upon who you are, and what time you watch it in your life. The tagline for this film is 'Everyone wants to be found.' I think if you watch this film, you may find yourself as well.

The Truman Show
Starring: Jim Carrey
Brief plot rundown: An insurance salesman/adjuster discovers his entire life is actually a TV show.

Initial Thoughts: As with Lost in Translation, I had heard many a great thing about this film. With Jim Carrey in the starring role, I expected nothing short of excellence. In short, this film blew my expectations out of the water.

In our world of today, reality TV has become what some might call a phenomenon. No longer must we be bored with actors who don't really feel. We can instead watch real people, real emotions, reality itself. This is, in essence, what The Truman Show is about. Truman Burbank has the perfect life, a nice wife, good friends, and no real problems, or does he? As a viewer, we are enthralled by Truman's inner torments, and he slowly begins to figure out what his life actually is. Flashbacks show slow reveals of a woman that he can never be in love with. We forget that Carrey is usually a comic actor in one of his best dramatic performances to date.

This film really gets you thinking, could we live like this? Could anyone? The frustration from Truman's character is rooted firmly, because we are just the viewers of his life, only we can see the bigger picture. We become truly engrossed, wanting to know what happens to this one man, fighting against the forces of a fully artificial world. The film ends on a questionable note, we are not sure to be happy or sad for Truman. It is a question that is left to you, the viewer, and everyone will probably come up with a different answer than they would have at the beginning of the Truman Show.

Spirited Away
Starring:Rumi Hiragi(voice), Miyu Irino (voice)-As this is a japanese animation film, the voice actors will have obviously changed for the English dub.
Brief plot outline: In the middle of her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and monsters; where humans are changed into animals; and a bathhouse for these creatures.

Initial Thoughts: I have been a fan of lots of animation over the years, with countless amounts of Disney videos and DVDs filling up the shelves. I had also been intrigued by the world of Anime. With programes such as Digimon and Pokémon pioneering a new and different art style. This film is probably Anime's breakthrough. Hayao Miyazaki (director) has been hailed as the new Walt Disney, although his provocative and enchanting stories have an edge that stop the cutesy image of most animation stereotypes in it's tracks. When I ripped this DVD out of it's casing and began watching, I was full of both excitement and bewilderment.

Drop what you are thinking right now, rid your mind of questions, and enter a world like nothing you've ever seen. This film puts you back inside a child's mind, you stop thinking 'Why is this happening to this person?' you are just filled with amazement. The quality of the art is stunning, it gets to a point where you wonder-'how is this hand drawn?'. This wonder fades quickly, as you are too engulfed by the brilliance of the story and sense of awe. Dragons, demons, witches, spirits, talking frogs! You name it, it's probably in this film. As well as being a masterpiece film, you come away with one thought, you will never underestimate animation again.

I have read some people complaining about the changes made from the original Japanese version. I can see why they do complain, but why quibble. It is of amazement to me that we are even watching this type of film in our own homes now. I consider it a privelage that companies like Disney saw the bigger picture, and were wise enough to release this film.

I hope that these reviews have opened your eyes, and wised you up a bit about what you might be missing out on. I apologise if these reviews haven't been that good, I'd be happy for any constructive criticism. With the current weather, I can see that some might struggle to stay inside and watch a film. But hopefully when that rainy day does come, you'll have a film sitting on your shelf that can scare, entertain, inform, and touch you in a way you never thought possible.

Yours, a film fulled,
JoeMI6