Officially sick

Hard candy is an expression in Internet slang used to define a young teenager like the main character of this film. Directed by David Slade and written by Brian Nelson, Hard Candy is a different film from what we are used to see.

>> Hayley is a fourteen-year-old girl who meets Jeff, a photographer of 32, chatting on the Internet. When they meet in a café and they decide to go to the photographer’s house he thinks that he has the situation under control, but everything changes when Hayley prepares some screwdrivers to drink. Then the sweet little girl turns into the hunter and the mature Jeff into the prey. He has dark secrets that he wants to keep hidden, but Hayley has just one objective: find the evidences and take revenge.<<

The script keeps you in tension the whole hour and a half, giving the viewer the perfect amount of information all through the plot, so you are never sure of who the guilty is. Nevertheless, you can sometimes feel a little bit uncomfortable with some parts of the story, especially if you are of the male gender.

It is surprising to discover that it only takes two characters to tell this story, with only a few brief additional actors, and to see both actors Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson supporting the dramatic weight of the film without problems. One of the most remarkable things of this production is the interpretation of Ellen Page (Hayley), who recorded this film at the age of 18 when the character is supposed to be 14. Watching her with that sweet, angelical face act as the executioner of Jeff’s punishment can be very stunning, but she makes it, above all, really believable. After Juno and Inception, this promising actress has excelled herself and conquered the critic and the public (and yes, she has conquered me too).

But let’s speak a little bit about the plot. This psychological story creates feeling of fear, distress and fascination as well. This is not a Sunday afternoon film to waste away the time. This is a story about child abuse and it is necessary to stop and think a little bit about what you are seeing.

The main theme of the film leads us to something closer to us: the Internet and how unprotected our privacy is. This tool seems to give us a window to see the whole world just by sitting in a chair and also allows us to share our information with any other person.The dangerous thing is that you never know how much of what you are receiving is true or not. Hayley brings this up to Jeff by asking why he meets people and flirts on the net, in such an impersonal way, if he doesn’t need it. “It’s safe”, he says. Of course, you could be the person you always dreamed to be and no one would notice the swindle, but then you migth be unpleasantly surprised, like these characters.

Now, jumping to the technical field, the music is almost non-existing: just a few notes to add some tension in specific moments, but in fact, you don’t really notice that absence. The opening credits are particularly boring, but I would highlight some of the camera movements that make us feel as if we were watching a video, which is quite original.

This combination of effects, added to the subject matter, moves the film away from the commercial cinema and sets up a full-length feature film not recommended for all the public. However, if you like stories that leave a mark on you, Hard Candy is your film.

Here I leave the best quote for me:

Hayley: - Just because a girl knows how to imitate a woman, does not mean she’s ready to do what a woman does.

Road to Perdition

I cannot say that I like this film because I am not a fan of gangster films, but I can admire what I have seen. Here I leave my personal point of view and… be aware, some details of the plot are revealed!!

Directed by Sam Mendes, Road to Perdition is based on the graphic novel of Max Allan Collins, adapted by Danny Self for the big screen and released in 2002.

>> Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) lives in Chicago with his family and works for John Rooney (Paul Newman), a suburban mob who took care of him when he was a little boy. But Connor Rooney (Daniel Craig), John’s son, is jealous of Michael’s relationship with his father.

All the stability of Sullivan’s life disappears when his eldest son, Michael Jr (Tyler Hoechlin), accidentally discovers his father’s job: hired assassin. This fact causes the assassination of Sullivan’s wife and his youngest son and leads him to a spiral of revenge. Now he has just one objective: survive to kill Connor and John Rooney. <<

This film is supposed to be a gangster film, but it looks more like a Greek tragedy, one of those stories where at the end of the movie absolutely everybody gets killed and violence is present almost every moment. Although the script is well constructed, the plot is very obvious. Being able to guess the characters’ fate even at the beginning of the film plays down the excitement a little bit.

Indeed, the key of the story is the relationship between fathers and sons:

“Sons are put on this earth to trouble their parents”, says John Rooney to Sullivan.

On one hand, John Rooney considers Sullivan as a son, he took care of him when he was an orphan and helped him when he needed it. But John’s real son, Connor, is not precisely a model of behaviour and feels jealous of the treatment that Sullivan receives. That feeling triggers the plot and it makes John choose between his emotions and his own blood.

On the other hand, equally important is the relationship between Michael Jr and his father, which is developed during the film. Starting with admiration, he feels disappointed when he discovers his real father’s job and also guilty of his family’s destiny. Gradually, he will understand his father and love, pain, fear and revenge will finally unite them.

This film has an incredible cast, including Paul Newman’s last appearance on the big screen before dying of cancer. The choice of cast was one of the best decisions of the producers. I would like to highlight the interpretation of both Jude Law playing the role of a psychotic photographer and murderer and Tyler Hoechlin as the little 12-year-old Michael.

Michael Sullivan Sr. is a flawed man, a hired assassin, but he is also shown as a human, a religious father and protector who just wants his son not to follow the same way he chose. It is difficult to imagine Tom Hanks as the bad guy after so many films that he played the opposite role. Maybe this is the reason why we automatically feel empathy with his character.

In addition, the photography of every picture transports us to the environment of the Great Depression, where the story is developed, and a persistent rain accompanies us during almost the whole 1h 40 minutes that the film lasts.

It is interesting to comment that the title of the film plays with the double meaning of “perdition”, referred to the fate of the characters and to the village that appears in the final minutes.

In conclusion, this is a story about human relationships and violence that will catch you with its lively speed despite its predictability.

Just believe it's possible

Is it possible to combine an incredible world of fantasy with such a realistic story that could be yours and have success? Yes, Tim Burton did it, and the result is called Big Fish.

“Telling the story of my father’s life is impossible to separate de fact from the fiction, the man from the myth”.

After these lines you must have noticed that I have enjoyed the film, and I will try to explain you my reasons. But first of all, I should give you some objective information about the film, a screen version of the novel “Big Fish” which was released in 2003 and was a box office hit, earning $122 million worldwide.

The plot revolves around a men, Edward Bloom, who loves telling incredible stories about his own life, and his son, Will, who tries to understand his father and just wants to discover the hidden truth about his real father’s life.

Most of us know Tim Burton because of films like Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Mars Attack or The Planet of the Apes, and we are used to his extravagant style. But it is a great surprise to discover that he is able to present a really touching story and, the most incredible for me, in such a realistic way. His own father died two years before starting to record this film and this was like a therapy for him, he left a part of himself on it, something very personal, and you realize when you watch the film. He shows both stances:

Edward (Albert Finney / Ewan McGregor) is the central character and he is so charming that everybody (even the audience) loves him, and through his experiences we meet a men full of determination and ready to change the world. He is an enterprising man, and we all like brave people like him (because we want to be brave too). That is why he is connected with the viewer.

On the other hand, we can also see the son’s point of view, who just wants to hear a normal story about his father, the real one. During the film he realize that these stories that he did not want to hear were the truth that he was expecting, just a little bit decorated with a touch of magic, what in fact is the reflect of his father’s personality: he wanted to remember his life as something marvellous, a life to be proud of and living after death on that memory.

And this is the key of the film and why it is so moving: everybody has a father and knows how it feels like when you do not understand him or he does not understand you. The story invites us to believe that we can live our life as we want and, if things do not happen as we want, we just need imagination.

To summarize, I really recommend you this film because it has excited me and it has made me think, cry and laugh. What else can you ask for?

Best things about the film: The main actors are great, but Steve Buscemi as the poet from Spectre is really amusing, and also Danny DeVito as the circus ringmaster. Good photography, incredible soundtrack even better script.

Warning: if you do not like fantasy cinema you might not enjoy this film (at least not as much as I did).

I would like to write some memorable quotes, but there are so many that I have chosen a funny one:

“Amos Calloway: Tell me, Karl, have you ever heard the term "involuntary servitude"?
Karl: No.
Amos Calloway: "Unconscionable contract"?
Karl: Uh, nope.
Amos Calloway: Great!”

Hello everybody!

This blog has been made expressly for my English class and throughout this year I will post here some film reviews. I’m not a good critic but I’ll do my best and try to be entertaining.

Enjoy!

For the first time

One, two, three, GO!