I am a big fan of Mary Poppins (1964) - Robert Stevenson (and Disney in general), so watching how it was made was a real treat for me. I also spotted a couple of shout outs to the original film, for example, the carousel music is the same as when they are on a carousel in the original. It's little things like that, that show how much care and research has gone into the making of this film. It's a simple film, and is simple to follow, but it is beautifully done. It isn't weighed down with unnecessary back story, like why P. L. Travers moved from Australia to England, it just tells the story at hand, and it may seem silly to say, but it ends at the end: at the premiere, where it should. I don't think that's a spoiler: the film gets made, everyone knows that.
Emma Thompson, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, J. B. Novak and Paul Giamatti are all perfect in their roles, but obviously Tom Hanks plays the hardest, one of the most iconic real life figures of modern times: Walt Disney. As someone who never got to meet Disney, I can't tell whether he did him justice, but from my point of view, he was just the right amount of fun loving blended with charismatic he could be.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Showing posts with label jason schwartzman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jason schwartzman. Show all posts
Monday, 11 November 2013
Thursday, 24 January 2013
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - Wes Anderson
I think I said, when reviewing Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom (2012), that this was one of my favourite films of all time.
I rewatched it with my girlfriend as she hadn't seen it, and forgot to mention how much Hotel Chevalier (2007), which is the short prologue film, also helps the narrative in Darjeeling, just explaining more about Jason Schwartzman's character in the film, and the way in which he "makes up" stories, which all the other characters take to mean him. It also explains Natalie Portman's cameo a lot more.
I like the way Anderson is clearly a nice guy as well, as he manages to make certain actors come back to help him with other films, in this film particularly Bill Murray as the man who misses the train at the beginning. perhaps if Adrien Brody swapped places with him, we'd have witnessed a whole different film. I wish I was part of Wes Anderson's inner sanctum of cast and crew. Oh, one can dream.
I really enjoy this film, time and time again, watching it, and think Rita to be one of the saddest film creations ever imagined in film. She strives to escape her life on board the train, and Jack offers her the chance, but she knows she never will. Amara Karan, who plays Rita, was grossly underused when she was in St Trinian's (2007) - Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson, and I think she is an actress to watch out for in future films.
I rewatched it with my girlfriend as she hadn't seen it, and forgot to mention how much Hotel Chevalier (2007), which is the short prologue film, also helps the narrative in Darjeeling, just explaining more about Jason Schwartzman's character in the film, and the way in which he "makes up" stories, which all the other characters take to mean him. It also explains Natalie Portman's cameo a lot more.
I like the way Anderson is clearly a nice guy as well, as he manages to make certain actors come back to help him with other films, in this film particularly Bill Murray as the man who misses the train at the beginning. perhaps if Adrien Brody swapped places with him, we'd have witnessed a whole different film. I wish I was part of Wes Anderson's inner sanctum of cast and crew. Oh, one can dream.
I really enjoy this film, time and time again, watching it, and think Rita to be one of the saddest film creations ever imagined in film. She strives to escape her life on board the train, and Jack offers her the chance, but she knows she never will. Amara Karan, who plays Rita, was grossly underused when she was in St Trinian's (2007) - Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson, and I think she is an actress to watch out for in future films.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Friday, 18 January 2013
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - Wes Anderson
I'm a big fan of Wes Anderson. I have seen most of his films, and own them on DVD. I was genuinely gutted when this one wasn't released to mainstream cinema. I had no way of getting to the ones that were showing it, so I was really happy when I got it for my birthday yesterday from my girlfriend. (NB It was my birthday yesterday, by the way.)
It was amazing. It is perhaps my second favourite Wes Anderson film, after Darjeeling Limited (2007). The only problem I had, was the lack of Owen Wilson. It doesn't feel like a Wes Anderson film without him in it. Even the Jason Schwartzman part seemed more like a cameo, than a full part. Oh well, it was still a brilliant film, and the kids will hopefully go on to become big stars, or at least Anderson collaborators. I read rumours on the internet that Anderson was already considering a sequel with the Sam character going to war in Vietnam, as he was the appropriate age, but whether that comes off or not is a different story. I think that'd be the first Wes Anderson sequel and war film.
It was amazing. It is perhaps my second favourite Wes Anderson film, after Darjeeling Limited (2007). The only problem I had, was the lack of Owen Wilson. It doesn't feel like a Wes Anderson film without him in it. Even the Jason Schwartzman part seemed more like a cameo, than a full part. Oh well, it was still a brilliant film, and the kids will hopefully go on to become big stars, or at least Anderson collaborators. I read rumours on the internet that Anderson was already considering a sequel with the Sam character going to war in Vietnam, as he was the appropriate age, but whether that comes off or not is a different story. I think that'd be the first Wes Anderson sequel and war film.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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