Cast: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, Penelope Ann Miller, James Cromwell
Before I begin my review…..
Let’s put it this way, anyone who saw The Artist before the Academy Awards this year knew it was going to win the big one.
I certainly did.
The Artist reminds me why I love movies. I love those trips to the cinema where you are completely engulfed by a beautiful film. It takes over you and causes an emotional reaction. I was in tears at the end of The Artist just from the impact of how amazingly beautiful the film is. The film reminds us that true beauty doesn’t always come in the use of colour or in the words, but in the way the actors tell a story just by the expressions on their face. This in itself is a tribute to not just the actors, but also to director and screenwriter, Michel Hazanavicius for getting optimal results out of his vision for the film.
The film deserves every Academy Award it won on the 26th of February and I will always remember it as one of the great joys I experienced this year.
Review
The Artist proves that you don’t need dialogue, colour or special effects to make a truly beautiful film.
What makes The Artist such an amazing film is that it takes us back to the basics of cinema, yet it takes with it the things we have learnt in the meantime about what makes a truly wonderful and memorable film. The result is incredibly simple, yet incredibly complex and Michel Hazanavicius has given us something that we can truly marvel at.
George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is the superstar of cinema in 1927. However, his superstar status is under threat with the arrival of talkies. He refuses to take part in this new fad believing he can make a great film without people hearing his voice. Unknown to him at the time, he actually helps talking cinema’s newest star, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) in her rise to fame, which directly affects his demise. George does not realise the power of the talkies until his star starts fading rapidly.
The way in which The Artist is made is pure brilliance. It is almost a film within a film. The story is a very real tale about what many silent actors back when sound was introduced into their profession had to go through. George Valentin does tend to mirror the life of Douglas Fairbanks in many ways, as Fairbanks was the action hero of silent film and his star faded with the arrival of talkies. He didn’t have quite as much of a fall as Valentin in the film, but there are remnants of the great Fairbanks throughout the film. Not to mention there is a slight similarity in looks there too.
On the other hand, the film is made with the techniques that one would see in a silent film. The over the top movements and facial expressions which the actors give and obviously the use of a film long musical score and appearance of the written word on screen in the place of dialogue every so often are all features of silent films from the 1920’s.
Silent film may not seem too exciting to some people these days, but The Artist is one of those truly amazing silent films where you will soon forget that you are not actually hearing anything coming out of the actor’s mouths. You can hear it all, spoken dialogue or not.
The film completely flows from beginning to end, with each scene contributing in a worthwhile way towards the greater picture. There is a lot of fun to be had with The Artist, it is filled with old Hollywood glamour which we can only dream about these days. The costumes are stunning and the recreation of this period in Hollywood is visually stunning.
Jean Dujardin is just perfect as George Valentin. He is completely likable and he is everything a star from the time period the film is set in should be, as well as leaving no doubt that he also belongs in 2011. He is so expressive in each of his facial expressions and is everything a lead character should be. The audience roots for him all through the film and longs for him to come out of his dark stage and be the star they know he is.
Berenice Bejo is also the perfect old Hollywood starlet. She is all class and she lights up the screen whenever she appears. Her emotions are evident through all her facial expressions and she is an absolute delight.
And of course, who can go past Uggie the Jack Russell terrier? A wonderful performance by an animal actor with such purity!
The Artist reminds us where we have come from and how we must never forget the glory of cinema then, but also that cinema’s glory days are still in progress with beautiful films such as this.
If only we could see such beautiful smiles and happy faces as we see in The Artist in everyday life.
Cast: Max Thieriot, Laurence LeBoeuf, Demian Bichir, Juliette Lewis, Thomas Dekker
Once in a while, a film comes along which is evidently made with an avalanche of passion and is truly a joy to watch as a result of this. Foreverland is one of these rare films.
Currently making its way around the film festival circuit in North America, Foreverland is intriguing, compelling and takes you on a journey filled with emotion through the eyes of a unsung hero.
Will Rankin (Max Thieriot) is not your typical twenty-one year old, he has cystic fibrosis. Will lives every day looking into a bleak future where all he can see is death, which is amplified by watching those who have gone through the same thing die around him. When one particular friend, Bobby (Thomas Dekker) passes away, his sister, Hannah (Laurence LeBoeuf) visits Will with her brother’s last wish. With that, Will and Hannah embark on a road trip of discovery to a healing shrine in Baja, Mexico. Will’s first trip away from home brings discovery and the realisation that death isn’t all that awaits him.
Foreverland is captivating from the beginning to end. Not only is it entertaining, but also informative. It deals with a disease that is not spoken about in great detail in the media, especially in film. The film gives the audience a renewed admiration for the victims and survivors of cystic fibrosis and their families, who feel the impact of the disease almost as much as the sufferers. Director, Max McGuire has bought his own experiences and that of those around him to the film to build a highly realistic and accurate picture of what life is like for those affected by cystic fibrosis.
The journey of the Will and Hannah down the Pacific Coast Highway is particularly memorable. McGuire captures the beauty that America has to offer and shows that you don’t need a Hollywood blockbuster budget in order to capture true beauty on screen. His choice of locations along the way put parts of America into focus one would not normally pick as highlights of a road trip, but they fit perfectly into the film.
Max Thieriot is the perfect choice for the lead of Will. His performance leaves nothing to be desired as he puts his all into his portrayal of a young man who goes on a journey of self-discovery, while still feeling restrained by his condition. He is believable and a heroic in his role.
Laurence LeBoeuf gives a wonderful portrayal of a beautiful character who is strong, yet fragile from what she has seen and endured through her brother. LeBoeuf is extremely likable in her role and very real. Demian Bichir, Academy Award nominee for A Better Life, is an absolute treat to watch, as is Juliette Lewis.
Foreverland is one of a kind. The type of film you want to see every time you walk into a cinema. The type of film that keeps you entertained and pulls at your heart strings, but at the same time doesn’t let you get lost in misery by letting you see how beautiful life is.
8.5/10
Foreverland premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on the 12th of January and screened to two sold out performances. Following our viewing of Foreverland, Movie Critical was lucky enough to be able to interview director, Max McGuire.
Hi Max! Thankyou so much for agreeing to answer some questions about your movie, Foreverland. Congratulations on making such a beautiful film! These must be very exciting times for you with Foreverland making its way around the film festival circuit, especially with two sold out showings at the Palm Springs Film Festival! What’s next for the film?
Hi Nicki! Thanks for the opportunity to talk to you! I'm glad you enjoyed the movie. It truly is a passion project, and it's so flattering to see it being so well received.
After Palm Springs, Foreverland is screening at the Victoria Film Festival back in Canada on February 5, where Matt Frewer who plays Mr Steadman, and I will be in attendance. I'm very, very excited to attend that festival as we shot a large part of the movie on Vancouver Island, where the festival is taking place.
Also we're currently exploring and entertaining American distribution deals at the moment, we're trying to figure out how best to get the film out to as many people as we can!
Where did the inspiration for Foreverland come from?
I myself, like Will the lead character have Cystic Fibrosis (CF). So naturally it's infused with many personal elements.
The story itself stemmed from a few darkly serendipitous occurrences. I grew up with a group of peers with CF, back in 2005 the last remaining survivor of my sister and I's “generation” passed away (one of my two sisters has CF as well). I then had an appointment where my lung function test over time showed I was dropping, for a brief moment I wondered if it was the beginning of the end – turns out I just needed to work a little harder, but I was left with some darkly comedic ideas about planning my own funeral. This was eventually massaged into the Steadman funeral home scenes by Shawn Riopelle my co-writer!
How much research was involved in the initial stages?
As I mentioned above, most of our CF information and relative research were mined from my lifetime of living with the illness. Between my life in and out of hospitals as a child, my parents experiences raising my sister and I, and my lifetime of dealing with our medical team, we were well equipped to tell this story.
I also have a sister who doesn’t have CF, we wanted to address the idea that an illness doesn't only affect the sick child, as the whole family's existence is controlled by the health regimen of the one with CF.Regular hospital visits instead of playing with your friends, physiotherapy treatments that control the TV remote control, family trips planned around insurance and accessibility of care... Everything, so in our story Hannah truly understands Will, she's been there, done that, and doesn't accept his cop out attitude that nothing matters.
Rather than be strictly informative about Cystic Fibrosis, my writer Shawn and I wanted to explore what it's like to have a mid life crisis at 21, and the effects of learning to hope and the consequences that come with it.
How long did it take you to film Foreverland? Was the process gruelling, or fulfilling?
We had 22 days of actual principal photography, but the film took 6 years to make from conception. So many highs and lows along the road, ultimately ending in the high of watching the film with extremely gracious audiences at film festivals, and eventually the general public. It's very fulfilling to watch people laugh and sometimes even cry at scenes or sequences that were once just ideas Shawn and I talked about in my parent’s basement. Every day on set was truly inspirational, to wake up early arrive to work and see so many people already working to help make my vision a reality is quite a trip, and responsibility I didn't take lightly.
What would you like audiences to take away from Foreverland?
If people are entertained I'm happy, if they feel touched by the story I'm ecstatic, if they feel inspired to try to squeeze more out of their life, I'm humbled - there's not much more one could ask for when they try to tell a story that means something to them.
What has been the highlight of your journey with Foreverland so far?
Every milestone was a highlight worthy of a celebratory family dinner, sometimes prematurely (false starts are big time bummers).
Getting green lit for production, and our world premiere both stand out, so far.
I'm truly impressed and ecstatic every time we get a chance to show the movie, we've been lucky that we've been so well received at all of our screenings. Seeing people line up forour picture is surreal every time, especially considering at one point I thought was going to make it on credit again.
This is only your second film. How was making Foreverland different from making Crossing The Wake?
I'd venture to call Foreverland my first feature with a budget, though Crossing the Wake was an awesome learning experience, it was really my version of film school. It was shot over 9 days on a credit card, it sold somewhere in Eastern Europe... The biggest difference in making Foreverland was having a budget that enabled us to secure essential elements like a super talented crew, fantastic locations,pedigreed actors (like our Oscar nominees Juliette Lewis and Demian Bichir and Max Thieriot and Laurence Leboeuf), and more days of shooting. Not to mention catering was way better when you had amazing cooks taking care of your dietary needs every day.
The extra money also came with some restrictions such as the inability to improvise a day if the opportunity arose, for instance, packing up and moving locations with 40 people in tow is not that easy! Or the fact that dozens of people were on email chains associated with creative elements, whereas on a five person nine day shoot, you do what you want... There's a lot more compromising when you start to play with other people's credit cards.
Have you started to think about your next film after Foreverland?
I'm currently in LA promoting Foreverland at festivals and abroad (thank you!), as I take meetings with agencies and managers in search of the right team that'll help me find my next project. I humbly announce here that I'd happily settle for something betweenAmerican Beauty and Swingers... haha. For now I'm just trying my best to enjoy the ride that is Foreverland!
Any chance of bringing Foreverland to Australia as of yet? Would love to see the film released here!
We have a small but strong contingent of CF supporters in Australia, we'd love to show the movie there! Hopefully our international sales agent can make it happen, I'd love to come check it out, as I also have some family there, who'd love to see it!
Thank you to both Michelle Czernin Von Chudenitz-Morzin and Jessica Kill of Popular Press Media Group (PPMG) and to Max McGuire for the opportunity for Movie Critical to be part of Foreverland’s journey.
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Jude Law
Before I begin my review….
Hugo to me was like having that “Hallelujah” moment where you finally see the light.
I smiled, I cried and I was devastated when it was over! This was very much a “me” movie in that it contained so many things which I love such as the city of Paris, history, film, books, originality and a director by the name of Martin Scorsese.
I have to admit, until Hugo I didn’t know much about George Melies, besides that he was the creator of the early film, A Trip To The Moon. When Hugo first speaks of his father telling him about the film he saw where the rocket hit the moon right in the eye, I immediately saw that infamous image from the film in my mind.
However, of course I had to wonder how much of Hugo is actually based on fact. Not that it really mattered because it made a great story anyway, but it was still intriguing. So I did my research and came up with the answer that everything we see in Hugo about Melies’ professional life is true, but his personal life not so much. I can’t really say too much on this topic without giving away too much about the film.
I am really looking forward to reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Oh, there is another thing which makes this film complete for me, a Selznick involved! Brian Selznick’s grandfather was the first cousin of none other than David O. Selznick, the producer of many a film in the golden years of Hollywood and was most well known for producing the epic Gone With The Wind.
Review
It is not often a film likeHugo is brought to our cinema screens.
Martin Scorsese has taken a chance with this film which is completely different to any other film he has ever made, and has proved that he really can do anything. Hugo is a beautiful film with a fantasy feel to it, yet the characters are so real and real human emotions are dealt with.
Hugo tells the story of recently orphaned Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), who lives a quiet life in a train station in Paris in the 1930’s and looks after the clocks there. He feels like the only link he still has to his father (Jude Law) is the automaton which Hugo is trying to fix. His world starts to shift and he is taken on a great adventure when he starts to work for the train station’s unhappy toy maker, George Melies (Ben Kingsley) and meets his god-daughter, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz). He and Isabelle set out to solve a mystery that will change all their lives forever.
Hugo is beautiful from the very beginning. It is visually stunning from the opening scene, where the inside of a clock turns into a shot of 1930’s Paris. The visuals make you feel as though you are watching a pretty, fantasy film, but there is nothing to support the notion of this being a fantasy film. Every scene is beautiful in its own way and the recreation of Paris in the early 1900’s is spellbinding.
The film is for people of all ages. On the surface, Hugo comes across as a children’s film with the protagonist being a child. Yet, there is so much in the film that will keep people of all ages entertained right up until the end.
It is incredibly hard to fault this film. Scorsese has taken such a risk with bringing the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick to the screen considering his past resume of films. Hugo is unlike anything he has ever done before and it is truly a triumph for him. The film is so tight and perfectly directed. Everything is done to perfection and every little piece of the film is a masterpiece.
Asa Butterfield is absolutely superb as Hugo. He is heart-breaking as the orphan who clearly just wants to know where he is going and just misses his father. There is very little in the film of Jude Law, who plays Hugo’s father, and with such a small role, it is unusual to feel the connection between two characters when they appear on screen for so little time together. However, you actually feel more chemistry between Hugo and his father after his father dies. This is a credit to the young Butterfield. He is wonderful.
Ben Kingsley is also perfect in the role of George Melies. He is the absolute perfect choice for the role, and not just because the resemblance is startling between the two. You really feel Melies’ pain of the past and he is, like Butterfield, heart-breaking. Helen McCrory is also wonderful as Melies’ wife, as she gives an emotionally charged performance and is so likable, even when she isn’t supposed to be.
Sacha Baron Cohen is also very good in Hugo as the station’s inspector. He is very funny, but in a different way than we are used to. He is charmingly funny and at times you can really see the dramatic actor behind all the comedy. Chloe Grace Moretz is also very good, but her role isn’t as emotionally charged as her co-stars.
Hugo is the type of film that does not come around very often and is a complete joy to behold. An absolute masterpiece.
