The Devil Wears Prada

            The Devil Wears Prada is an entertaining movie. It revolves around two main characters Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. This movie is designed to entertain. It is the classic story of a girl that wants to make it and tries too hard. She takes it all for the team and sacrifices her personal life for the magazine. In the end she earns the respect from the boss and is given a glowing recommendation. The classic hard work prevails is nothing new. Most of the reviews of the movie make it seem shallow, yet entertaining.

           

            The movie revolves around the conflict of the two main characters. Meryl commands attention when she is on the scene. She gives little emotion to any of the performance. But, we notice that this is a personality trait that has served her well in her chosen career. Streep’s performance is perfect with even the smallest facial expressions will determine the outcome. She did an enormous job with the role. Anne did a great job as the dolt. But, she demonstrates that with hard work and perseverance you can accomplish a lot. She sacrifices her relationships with her friends and family to succeed. The overall lesson is shown at the end of the movie where she walks away from Meryl when she is needed. She learns that the fashion world was not what she wanted in her life, because she wanted a life!

            I think this film tries to make a small social statement. It shows the extreme nature of the fashion industry. Many critics relate the Runway magazine to Vogue. The film is a personification of when people are consumed by their jobs and stuff. Fashion at this level is normally unattainable. It trickles down and comes to all of us. The performance of Streep shows the cold nature of the business. After Anne’s character leaves Streep, we see a weight lifted off of her shoulders and she starts to see life in a different light. We also are shown how the actions of Streep affect her personal life. With being consumed by work she ends in a divorce and worries what the papers will say about her. We are given a slight glimpse into the caring side of her when she talks about how the papers will not be fair to her daughters.

            I used rottentomatoes.com to look up some of the reviewers. I found many that liked and didn’t like the movie. I was actually surprised when I saw the 75% rating overall. One of the negative reviews caught my eye. Claudia Puig of USA Today gave it a rotten score. She basically liked only Meryl Streep’s character. Her review revolves around making despairing remarks against every other actor. She even goes as far as to say that too much time is spent on Anne’s character. She mainly has an issue with the watering down of Streep’s character from the book. Some of the other reviewers only liked it for its entertainment value. Many of them like that it was a movie that was entertaining in the wake of another Pirate, X-Men, and other big blockbuster movies.

            The Devil Wears Prada is an interesting movie. It makes the statement of what can happen when work is taken too far. It could even be considered a Cinderella story when she goes from geeky writer to full-on fashion persona. The story and movie itself it primarily intended for entertainment. The time of the release gave women everywhere a reprieve from the action movies of the summer. The critics were mostly kind to the movie. Meryl and Anne’s performances swayed more than one of them to recommend the movie. They mostly realize that the movie itself is pretty average in most respects. Once again though, it was a good movie against the rest of the big ones of the summer.

Crash

            The first thing I noticed when watching this movie was the blatant racism. Racism was obviously the main theme of the movie. It is interesting to note that in the very beginning, one of the characters uses the name of the title to describe the loneliness of the world right now. I think the director was trying to make a statement on how prejudice and racism lead to a lonely life. Each of the characters was by themselves even when they were interacting together. Crash showed an evolution in the characters to see that others can be good.

           

            Crash teaches a lesson through the interaction of the characters. Each of the main characters interacts with one another on some level. Every one of them displays racist attitudes and actions. The whole point of the film was to show that everyone can get along when we see past ourselves. To me, this film takes a humanistic approach to the problem. The entire film revolves around teaching that racism is not right. For instance, after the police harass the black woman and man, the police officer is the one who saves her from the car. This might seem like irony, but I think it is deeper in that it shows that she could overcome her fear and emotions of him when she had to. The other officer was the only person in the show who did not display obvious signs of racism. But, he was the only one who ultimately shot and killed another person because he was black.

           

            Irony was used in this movie. One of the black characters constantly dished on anyone who wasn’t black. He even dished on their black waitress in the restaurant. In the movie however, it was a fellow black man who beat him on the street. But, this beating and subsequent ride in the car showed him a better way and led him to free the Asians trapped instead of selling them. More irony was shown with the police officer and the medical assistant. He used racial epitaphs during a phone conversation with her. Later he went in and had to sit down and she denied him his claim because he was being racist. It was also interesting that in the end she was hit by another car setting off yet again a chain of events like the rest of the movie

            Music and lighting were used to heighten the effects of the movie. The use of racial and cursing language led us to see the amount of hatred there was going around. One of the most powerful scenes to me even went out of focus to show the emotions that were running rampant. The officer just pulled the lady from the car and she starts to cry into his chest. The color and focus go off slightly to emote the feeling of helplessness from not only her but him as well. The picture snaps into focus when the paramedics show up, but the expression on the officer’s face tells us he will no longer be so racist.

           

            Crash was an excellent movie. I don’t live in California, but I hope that racism isn’t as bad as it is portrayed in the movie. The main theme was to address the issue of racism and show that even people who were extremely racist can come together and get along. Each of the characters learns a lesson and we feel that they will never be the same again. There was a crashing of the different lives that led to this change. The director shows us that no matter our heritage, we can come together because we are all the same when and where it counts.

Walk the Line

            Walk the Line is an exceptional movie. Based on the book written by Johnny Cash, the movie follows his life with great detail. The music is of the utmost importance. Johnny touched the lives of many people with his music and the movie does a good job of portraying it. Sounds are used to enhance the movie and accompany the music. The two main actors are Joaquin Pheonix and Reese Witherspoon. They both employ different but effective methods to portray their characters.

Music

            Since Walk the Line is about a musician, music is a very important function. We hear Johnny change his tone and words throughout the film. The start of the film shows Johnny’s music reaching a wide audience; even in prison he is famous. The repeating sounds of the song in the beginning built a sense of the drama that is to come. The film uses music to characterize the actors. When Johnny starts looking for the record label, he is playing mostly religious music. He learns soon that it won’t work. With the movement trough the movie, the music evolves with the character. The relationship between him and June is shown to mean more when they start duets. Music was an important part of the movie that leads the characters trough their lives and the film.

Actors

            The two main actors in this film are Joaquin Pheonix and Reese Witherspoon. Joaquin was known to be a natural. In an interview with Reese, she said that he just came out and sang. This leads me to believe that he was more of an inside actor. He became the person and was able to just be him and act like the real Johnny without acting. Reese was the opposite. She had to take time to learn the songs and practice. She worked from the outside and analyzed the part to learn it. This movie made both the actors practice dramatic acting. The movie centers of the relationships between Johnny and June. Joaquin is also more of an impersonator in his acting. He takes on the role and becomes completely submerged, making it seem natural. Reese on the other hand is more of a personality actor and you can see some of her other roles in her part as June

Sounds

            The sounds in Walk the Line often are overlooked by the music. Sounds of the guitar were used to transition between scenes. A good example of this was between the motel and the stage they use a guitar to transition between the scenes. The sound of Johnny’s thumb on the saw in the beginning of the show takes us back to a different place. The ringing of Johnny’s ears when he goes down from an overdose makes us feel his pain. After Johnny is clean, we are treated to the nature sounds. This helps us see he is clean and in a more natural state. The sounds used in the film heighten the experience, especially when accompanied by the powerful musical score.

            Walk the Line is an excellent film. It is told in the words of the man himself since it is a direct interpretation of the book penned by himself. The music in the movie was one of the most powerful parts. It is the movement and evolution of the music that takes us on the journey. The music is accompanied by the different sounds. Sound is used to transition us from scene to scene and also highlight parts of the movie. The actors Joaquin and Reese do a good job of portraying the characters. Even with the different methods the actors use to portray their characters, we find ourselves entertained and involved in their story.

The Dark Knight

            The Dark Knight is the newest installment to the Batman franchise. It follows Batman Begins and show a distinctly different feeling. The use of color through the movie shows the difference between the two movies. We are treated to the new look of a clean and vibrant city. Of course, the Joker gives us a splash of color that entertains. Music is treated with respect and given a large role. It is used to accentuate the different parts of the movie. I am going to discuss the different parts of the movie while focusing of the director, music, and color.

Music

The Dark Knight utilizes music to influence the emotions of the moviegoer. At the end of the movie the music takes a dramatic change. After talking with Gordon, the music makes me feel like Batman is becoming better. He takes on the risk of being blamed for death and destruction. The music starts out slow and builds into a full-blown melody with hard hitting drums. It heightens the sense of sacrifice. This is a stark contrast to the beginning of the film. The music here is simple and clean, this directs the viewer to follow what is happening between the different robbers. When the scenes change, there is a high note that gives us a sense of movement in the film. There is a constant ticking noise in the background that also gives us a feeling of movement. Whenever there is talking between the robbers, the music dies down so we can continue to watch the interactions.

Director

            Chris Nolan directed both the Dark Knight and Batman Begins. He is known for his fast-paced and exciting films. But, I also find that he develops the characters throughout. He is actually very new director. He has been credited with 10 films, two of which were on your list for this week, Memento was the other film. He is known to do things like show parts from the ending of his films and introduce characters with their hands. Nolan seems to direct films that grey the line between good and evil. With the Dark Knight we have a vigilante that is waging war against the mob. Batman is doing good deeds, but he is also breaking the law constantly. In Memento, the main actor is unable to remember what has happened, so he is unable to approach situations with full knowledge and therefore cannot be held to a normal good and evil standard. Nolan is known for his inventive and complicated films. He has also revived a dead franchise with the Batman movies and is going after Superman next.

Color

            The Dark Knight is known to be a dark movie. There are lots of dark scenes in the movie. The Joker however, brings a splash of color to the movie. With the green hair, white and red face, and the purple suit he is always in color. Even the string he uses in the beginning of the film is multi-colored. The dress of the Joker shows his disdain for the normal and is even offensive to most of the other characters. But, it also shows that he acts and thinks different and that is a key part of his character. Even the city is shown to be different. Batman Begins shows us a dark and sinister city. It mirrors the feeling of corruption. In the Dark Knight there is a more colorful and vibrant city. There are more shots in the full-on daylight. This displays that the city is becoming more clean and under law and order.

            The Dark Knight is one of my favorite films. It follows the feeling and tone established by Batman Begins. This is a new and fresh outlook on the series, and is long overdue. The director is known for his exciting and interesting films. He uses the characters to show that there is a grey line between good and evil. Sound and music give the movie a dramatic tone that amplifies the viewer’s experience. The splashes of color throughout the film highlight the Joker and the city. I believe the Dark Knight is Chris Nolan’s greatest achievement so far. I am looking forward to what he is going to do with the Superman revival.

Sin City

            Sin City is a film that stood out to me. It’s primarily three different people’s stories and they all end up connected. It is based on a graphic comic written by Frank Miller. It is shot primarily in black and white while utilizing color for certain effects. The film uses several different camera angles along with different effects.

Film Choice

            Sin City is shot almost entirely in black and white. The movie also uses smooth-grain film to give it a very sharp picture. I thought it was interesting because you would think of black and white to be grainier. Certain parts of the movie contain color. Blood is shown as bright red. One of the characters is shown in a puke yellow color. The eyes of certain characters are shown in their color to heighten the effect. The film used color to give more dramatic effect to certain times. When one of the characters is chopping up another, blood is being thrown around and is a stark difference to the black and white film. Even the use of white is seen when one of the characters is covered in bandages after a fight with the police.

Camera Angles

            This film, like others, uses different camera angles. In the end of the movie, you are looking down on the mobsters from the roof tops. This shows us that the mobsters are smaller than the women on the roofs and are likely to be the victims.  There are a few examples of low angle shots through the film to give us a sense of a dominating presence in the room. Jessica Alba’s character is shown from the perspective of the audience when she starts her dance on the stage. 

Effects

            Sin City is full of different effects. There is a scene where you are focused on a character’s face and then the focus of the camera changes to a person in the background. When one character jumps out of a window we are caught looking up at him with a sense of movement due only to the building in the background rushing past. Movement is also achieved by the fixed placement of a camera on a car and the outside world rushing past. You know that it is not real, but I believe that was the point of the scene. A character whose ambitions and motives are evil is portrayed in darkness with only half of his face illuminated.

            This movie is a good example of several different types of effects. The lighting, focus, and feeling of movement is exemplary. With being shot in black and white with a smooth-grain film, it gives us a feeling of being in a different world and time. The splashes of color that make it onto the screen that draws our attention to certain objects, characters, or events. Sin City was a great film that was able to maintain its ties to the graphic novel.