★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Showing posts with label thora birch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thora birch. Show all posts
Monday, 21 October 2013
Ghost World (2001) - Terry Zwigoff
Does Thora Birch still exist? I haven't seen her in things since the 90s that I can think of. If she's dead or something I'll regret that comment, whilst Scarlett Johansson has gone from strength to strength. All the main stars in this film are good in it, especially Steve Buscemi. Nobody plays lovable loser quite like Steve Buscemi. His role in Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Quentin Tarantino, obviously makes us think of him as a bad tough guy, but there are so many layers in his acting ability, that any film with him in, is dragged immediately upmarket. I just found myself feeling so bad for him in this film, but it's an enjoyable cringe.
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
American Beauty (1999) - Sam Mendes
Doing Film Studies as a degree, at a well respected university in North West England, there are certain assumptions: 1) you watch film in spare time, as well as in class, 2) you know your stuff on films, 3) you won't get a job at the end of it. Other than the third one (hopefully), these rules are true for me, which makes me wonder why I have not seen this stupendous piece of American cinema before.
The film, starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening and Thora Birch as an average American family; as all families have, they have some troubles, but these troubles become more prominent, when the father of the family, played by Spacey, winning an Oscar for his troubles, develops an infatuation with his daughter's best friend, played by Mena Suvari, in a role the opposite of her most remembered performance as Heather in American Pie (1999) - Paul Weitz (you know, the semi-attractive choir girl that Oz gets with.) So yeah, a good cast, expertly headed by Spacey, and I think this film is proof that a good casting director, in this case, Debra Zane, can make or break a film.
The appearance of the petals are a great piece of prop work, that give them so much significance, that I know viewers will remember the film whenever they see any kind of romantic flower-y stuff.
Bad points would be the character of the creepy filmer dude's romance. I don't get what makes him attractive. He is just creepy. That part was a bit too unrealistic to me, but in the end it didn't matter, as it was negated by all the positive points I could find in the film.
Watching it, finally, made me understand certain jokes from pop culture: ones that I remembered from Family Guy and Not Another Teen Movie (2001) - Joel Gallen as well, which is nice.
The film, starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening and Thora Birch as an average American family; as all families have, they have some troubles, but these troubles become more prominent, when the father of the family, played by Spacey, winning an Oscar for his troubles, develops an infatuation with his daughter's best friend, played by Mena Suvari, in a role the opposite of her most remembered performance as Heather in American Pie (1999) - Paul Weitz (you know, the semi-attractive choir girl that Oz gets with.) So yeah, a good cast, expertly headed by Spacey, and I think this film is proof that a good casting director, in this case, Debra Zane, can make or break a film.
The appearance of the petals are a great piece of prop work, that give them so much significance, that I know viewers will remember the film whenever they see any kind of romantic flower-y stuff.
Bad points would be the character of the creepy filmer dude's romance. I don't get what makes him attractive. He is just creepy. That part was a bit too unrealistic to me, but in the end it didn't matter, as it was negated by all the positive points I could find in the film.
Watching it, finally, made me understand certain jokes from pop culture: ones that I remembered from Family Guy and Not Another Teen Movie (2001) - Joel Gallen as well, which is nice.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
PS This is my first five starrer. Yay!
Labels:
american beauty,
american pie,
annette bening,
debra zane,
england,
family guy,
film studies,
joel gallon,
kevin spacey,
mena suvari,
not another teen movie,
paul weitz,
sam mendes,
thora birch
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