Archive For February 5, 2018

Not So Ordinary

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When you listen to Sissy Spacek read Stephen King’s Carrie, you can’t help noticing that her narrative voice is very different from the whimpering title character that she played in Brian DePalma’s film version. It is very pleasing to the ear. Spacek speaks with authority and gets to play all the parts this time around….

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All That Homage: La La Land

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Damien Chazelle’s La La Land doesn’t really take place in the city of Los Angeles. The story is set in the mythic Hollywood of cinephiles and hopeless romantics. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are likeable and give the impression that anyone can sing and dance, but the real star of the movie is the city.  …

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Squiggle! Squiggle! Splat! Splat!

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The Citizen Kane structure worked for me. As did the cast of Vincent Van Gogh characters brought to life by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman in Loving Vincent. The establishing shots, locations recognizable to any Van Gogh fan, were perfect, but when scenes were played out, I sometimes wished the actors weren’t so obscured by brush strokes. There…

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The Rites to Remain Silent

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The Artist (2011) and Hugo (2011) are fictional depictions of important moments in film history. In the case of Hugo, the characters are based on real people, but the story telling is on such a grand scale that the truth is buried deep beneath the surface. The Artist is a good imitation of a silent film even when the characters are verge…

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What Makes Jasmine So Blue?

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  Inspired by Tennessee William’s Blanche DuBois, but much better kept, Jasmine may not be at the end of her rope. Perhaps, like Ingmar Bergman, who provided a sequel to Scenes From a Marriage, Woody Allen will revisit Jasmine at some future date.   As Hal’s trophy wife, Jasmine thrives. Giving parties, supporting causes, and lunching…

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