The Black Balloon

The Black Balloon

Is about a young teenager Thomas who's taking a life guarding or swimming course (the one thing I wasn't to sure of throughout the film was whether he went to a swim academy or school), while living with his father who works in a army base hence why they constantly have to keep moving and his Mother played by one of my favourite actresses Toni Collete. His brother charlie has autism and the film is mostly surrounding the struggles Thomas has living with his unconventional family members and how he's constantly helping out his mother and being distracted by Charlie. Throughout the film you can see how incredibly frustrating it is for Thomas as Charlie overshadows him constantly and making it hard for him to do anything. His mother is expecting a third child which makes everything even more complicated. Whilst he's going about his daily struggles he meets a fellow girl in his swim practise and they instantly click. Gemma Ward the famous model plays the young girl and gives an surprisingly brilliant performance her mannerisms and body language were incredible and you really believed her innocence and heart warningly friendly attitude towards every situation. As Thomas and Jackie's (ward) feelings become stronger towards each other she begins interacting more with his brother Charlie and gets on well with him.

One night just throws Thomas over the edge on his sixteenth birthday Charlie begins acting inappropriately at the dinner table and embarrasses him extremely in front of Jackie and he has a violent outburst smashing items in the house and then Charlie reacts and becomes violent towards him also. The films ending is a little bit underwhelming because it just cuts kind of abruptly but is still pretty satisfying because Charlie and Thomas mend their relationship and give a terrific performance in Charlies school play together. The cast was just brilliant and would love to see more films by Rhy Wakefields especially now because he's doing more American films and Gemma Ward also. Toni Collete is one of my favourite actresses and I love that she is so down to earth and still does independent films, and the fact she does films that usually concern dysfunctional relationships and families like 'About a Boys', 'Muriels Wedding', 'Mental', and many others. I would give this film a 9 out of ten I thought it was brilliant and the humour was very British and incredibly hilarious at times but also very saddening. Its a shame not many people will ever have access to the film or even heard of it because it is so amazing and beautifully shot, especially one scene where Thomas and Jackie are seen from above a lamppost looking down having a heart warming conversation.

Havoc 2005

Havoc Starr's Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordin Levitt (briefly and Bijou Phillips (who I adore) of 'Bully'. The film surrounds the topic of cultural appropriation and how how the rich kids of Los Angeles, Hathaway in particularly and her friends try to imitate the Hispanic culture and street gangs. The rich upper class teenagers seek to join these people and wish to imitate their culture embarrassing themselves and getting into serious trouble and dangerous situations. It was a while ago since I watched this film but remember clearly that Hathaway's character Allison uses her sexuality and money to buy herself into these groups and clearly is unaware that they are using her and disgusted by her behaviour. The film ends with what you believe to be a romantic relationship between Allison and Hector ends up with Allison betraying her friend Emily, and her being raped by multiple men its a horrific scene and very hard to watch in fact I skipped the scene. The film is really mind openly scary at how the other half live and coming from a completely different place to where the film is set.
Its hard to believe their are people like Hathways character that exist. I really did like the film it was really intense but at time could make you cringe and laugh and some of the characters embarrassing behaviour especially Mike Vogel's character. The film had a Larry Clark touch about it and overall was a interesting film.

'Hide Your Smiling Faces'

'Hide Your Smiling Faces'

Ive been wanting to see this film for a couple of years now since it was first released. Between 2012-2014 there were many films surrounding two boys and there friendship and the troubles they face a couple being this film 'The Selfish Giant' and 'Mud'. I really enjoyed all of these films especially because the characters are very dynamic and have stories to tell. This film was directed by Daniel Patrick Carbone.  I believe the film is based around the encounters he had growing up with his friends. The film is very rural and some of the shots are magnificent the location is brilliant and most of the film is shot outside in nature or in derelict houses or places. The coming of age story is mainly about two brothers who experience death for the first time and how it effects them spending the majority of their time exploring their natural environment. 

The cinematography was on point and really made you feel less like an onlooker and more like living within the scenes. The colour scheme was again so amazing.  I've noticed some of my many favourite films are set in the more rural, country parts of the U.S as their architecture and land is very beautiful and the films being similar to  Terrence Malick films like 'The Tree of Life'. The film to me seemed similarly shot like a documentary or part documentary perhaps because of the sylvan setting. I really liked the film Id give it a six or seven out of ten just because the lack of dialogue could get slightly boring at times. The casting was really strong many of the actors being very young and talented. I noticed that the main characters did resemble somewhat of River Phoenixes' character in 'Stand By me' just like the boy in 'Mud' also. 

The main actor I'm specifically referring to being Nathan Varson who gave a tough performance, which makes me look forward to his upcoming project the short film 'Bandito' which was first released in 2014 I believe.

Hounddog 2007

Hounddog 2007

Starring Dakota fanning as Lewellan the main character. 'Hounddog' is saddened tale of a young girl who's father is barely there brought up by her grandmother played by Piper Laurie. Her father bares her small gifts every now and then and brings in most of the families income her mother is know longer around and her fathers girlfriend 'Robin Wright' guides her the way sometimes until she vanishes for a while. Her father comes home for the weekend and is struck by lightening and then most of the time is in a delirious, vegetable like state.

 Lewellan looks after him as much as she can but is all to much for her. Lewellan not only has to look after her father but a neighbour hood bully who is charming at first knows her love for Elvis. I believe it is set in the sixties and her father brought her one gift home one night an Elvis vinyl. She non stops performs 'Hounddog' for people to the best of her ability. When Elvis is announced to be touring to her home town the charming bully takes advantage of the situation. He manipulates Lewellan's best friend Buddy to meet inside a dark abandoned barn and he will give her tickets to see Elvis. He continuously asks her for favours which get more threatening and disturbing as the scene goes on at first she had to perform the song and then without her dress on and then told her to remove her under garments she didn't feel comfortable then he threatened her and began sexually abusing her.

After that she feels ashamed and goes home and becomes an introvert for a while until her father wanders of one day. The film is very sad and a young Dakota fanning was brilliantly realist portrayal of a young brave girl. The cast was really small and the location setting was beautiful and reminded me similar to that of 'The PaperBoy'. The colour palette as you an tell from many of my posts are what attracts me to the film but this film was just beautifully set and the colours were stunning.

Mall

Mall- 2014

Mall is distort depiction of a group of individuals a pervert, a selfish business women some doped up teenagers and a meth head psychopath. Directed by the turntable's, DJ and sampler for the American rock band Linkin Park and featured many of their songs. All the characters are going about their weekend routine whether its smoking pot going to the mall to perv or shopping. All of their lives are then disrupted by Mal a cracked up psychopath about to go on a shooting spree in the Mall. Mal is played by James Frecheville an up and coming actor who is extremely talented. I first watched him in 'Adore', 'The first time' and 'The Drop'. I look forward to seeing him in 'The Standford prison experiment' too.

I really like Mal as a character he is hilariously vile, grossly disturbing and very violent. If you like dark humour certain parts of this film will have you in stitches. I was in tears watching one scene set in a gas station and Mal is extremely degrading and rude to the check out girl but for some reason the disturbingly hilarious insults he threw at her were extremely funny. Cameron Monaghan known for 'Shamless' USA is the main character id say as he narrates most of the film. He is zoned out most of the time and looks terrifyingly run down.  The crooked tale of these individuals all seem to add up in the end with all little stories linking with each other. I took a huge liking to how fast paced the film was and the way it was shot almost like you was a spectator inside a video game. The characters were all very spontaneous and clueless in their all individual ways unaware of what was actually going on. It was a really fresh idea and cast and I thought it was darkly funny at times and enjoyable to watch as it was so insanely exhilarating at times.

'The Paperboy'- Appreciation post

'The Paperboy' recommendation/appreciation post

'The Paperboy' has an impressive cast Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Zac Efron, Matthew Mcconaughey, David Oyelowo, Macy Gray are a few stars to name. The story line incredible impressive, you can find out for your self and great dialogue. Although the story line is great and I really loved the film. The costume, set interior and location setting of sunny side swinging sixties Florida. Its pretty aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Perhaps it is all above but as per usual colour palettes and cinematography really make a film for me and it really did help make this film a little more satisfying.

The characters are very developed. Kidman plays the stock type of a white trash, blonde bimbo with manipulation skills and strong personality and also an interesting wall filled with letters she has written to men in Vietnam at the time, deciding which one is her special one. Matthew Mcconaughey an investigator returning to his home town and his English sidekick David Oyelowo his some what Dr.Watson to his Sherlock. Zac Efron the paperboy, once a high school champion swimmer (which comes in very handy at the end). And John Cusack the psychopath which he has played too many times, and disturbingly well.

The film revolves around a murder and ends with a far to many too.  There are way to many obscene crushes in this film and awkward scenes but also some very funny ones to such as the famous hyped up jellyfish scene where Nicole kidman has to urinate on Efron, but with all these light hearted scenes becomes some very dark ones also and very surprising endings to certain characters.

This isn't a review just another segment I would like to introduce to my blog every now and then just a little appreciation post on a film and a little reason why I like it and recommend.