antovolk

Still no Interstellar OS #s?

If you allow me to "interrupt your regularly scheduled pile of horse manure"...kind of a follow up to my review. Been thinking about this film past 48 hours and it has grown on me a bit. I didn't hate it, I liked it but not nearly as much as the first two and before any Nolanite-level HG fan jumps in, that's taking all the "muh universal significance themes characterisation" into account. I’m not a fan of a LOT of fans going on about people who criticise the movie for being a drag and too slow to get through responding with “oh you don’t get and appreciate all the themes, significance, the characterisation, all you’re looking for is popcorn action yadda yadda yadda”. Slow paced, dark and action deprived films don’t have to be boring or a slog or chore to get through.p ad I’ve seen many examples of that. MJ1 thematically is rich and compelling and I appreciated it wholeheartedly. But did surprisingly a lot of the time (60% or so) felt unnecessarily dragged and a slog. Funnily enough, it’s in the bits and scenes that were adapted without any changes from the book, aside from one or two exceptions. The bits that were changed from the book or added to the book? Those were the strongest parts of the film. Now unfortunately the issue here is that to make the film (emphasis on the wold film) better, you’ll have to make changes to the source material that will be seen as radical, including, yes, taking away bits. The film either adds or changes, but never takes away from the source and I’m not sure that’s a good thing because it’s exactly the bits that weren’t changed from source that were weak in my opinion. Going to the split – yes there is a feeling of incompleteness unfortunately but it’s not as bad as I thought, but it’s still there. As a standalone piece at the moment it doesn’t quite work for me, and yes making changes I talked about above would have made it better as a standalone too. After thinking about the film for past couple of days though, that lack of completeness isn’t the main reason why I’m unhappy about this split. If Francis had to make it into one 160 minute film, then he would have had to make more radical changes to the source material, and with the film we have now he clearly showed that all the changes he made are for the better, especially and at least in filmic terms. Yes those changes may have caused for a less faithful adaptation, but it would have made it better as a FILM, not only because it’d feel complete and be able to stand on its own, but also because (at least the first half because I hope MJ2 is back to CF levels of brilliance) it’d be more cinematically compelling even with the dark themes, tone, pace characterisation you name it – Francis would nail it had he been given the chance and if he didn’t want to not cause an uprising amongst the book fans. TL;DR - Francis and Alan Edward Bell - 160 minute combined cut PLEASE

Full review: It’s great to see franchise films go “Into Darkness” and tackle themes that are more relevant to society today - propaganda, surveillance, militarisation of the state. Like Star Trek Into Darkness and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Mockingjay - Part 1 touches on the concept really well with its broad thematic strokes, especially thanks to how these themes were covered in the source novel. The whole “meta” feeling of the propos is definitely something that I really really enjoyed. Thematically the film is very compelling, maybe even more than the first two installments, but unfortunately it’s not as compelling cinematically. One thing’s for sure about this film, fans will absolutely love it because it’s every bit as faithful to the novel as everyone expects it to be. The nuances are there, so is the thematic material. The additions and very few changes to the source novel, and even the way the much debated split was handled are extremely welcomed. However even the best and most faithful adaptations don’t make compelling cinema, and unfortunately unlike The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, this faithfulness to the source novel is to the detriment of the film as a piece of cinema. A faithful adaptation of a story with issues is going to have these same issues. It’s definitely a slog to get through. Not to say slow paced films are bad (personal example: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) but too little actually takes place in the so-to-say “A-plot” of the film for even the slower pace to be appreciated. The bits director Francis Lawrence and his team added to the novel to expand the scope outside the main setting of District 13 and the main point of view of Katniss Everdeen were actually the best parts of the film, and these changes/additions especially benefitted the bookends of the film that take place within the main point of view and the final act which was a really great crosscut between the two perspectives. The stretching of the middle chunk of the main plot of the film to fill up the rest of the runtime really made this film feel like a bit of a chore to get through, but there are a couple individual set pieces of the main plot that are also great. It is with these individual moments and set pieces, additions and changes that director Francis Lawrence shines, and he did the best he could with the rest of the film given the material he had to work with. Visually and in terms of settings, especially District 13, the film is definitely impressive. James Newton Howard’s score does 60% of the time just reuse pieces from his Catching Fire score, but the original material towards the end of the film was a welcome and chilling evolution of the themes, and The Hanging Tree is a very understated but chilling performance that is one of few great bits of the film too. Will be interesting to see if it’s out forward for award consideration, which I believe it should be. The main thing that pulls the film up to some extent is the cast and the acting from several key players - Jennifer Lawrence, working with what the story has her do which is unfortunately underwhelming (a complaint with both the first half of book and the film, N.B. I purposefully did not revisit the book to try stay fresh in regards to how the story goes and how it is on screen), does what it asks of her convincingly and incredibly well. The real standouts were Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the gravitas and the attitude they brought to their roles was very welcome even in the most mundane moments. And I have to single out also Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks who both were a breath of fresh air in this film. Unfortunately the rest of the cast is underused due to the story and the script despite great potential - especially Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Wright and Donald Sutherland who shone in their roles in the previous films. This applies to some of the new cast too especially Natalie Dormer and Mahershala Ali who are just there for plot’s sake mostly. Liam Hemsworth as Gale does get a more expanded role and it is appreciated closer to the end of the film, but for the rest of the time the expanded role is servicing the love triangle aspect and using that as basis and motivation for his character (which book fans are probably mega happy about). Hopefully all members of the cast will get a much much better chance to shine in Part 2, especially those who didn’t get the chance this time around. Overall, the film, likely by design because of the split, is essentially an overstretched first half, and if one was tasked with making a 160-170 minute cut of the two films, there are definitely bits that could be cut and trimmed to make this first half just that much less of a slog to get through, but this may mean losing bits of the story and characterisation that a lot of book fans will see as crucial - personally if it benefitsMockingjay as a film, then I’m all for it. And unfortunately the efforts to make this installment stand on its own with the changes and additions to the book’s story, in the overall sense aren’t that effective as a whole due to the issues of the book that are transferred to the by the faithful adaptation (although it can be said to be less faithful than the first two films, but it’s still too faithful to be a compelling film). I was hopeful before seeing the film that it can overcome issues posted by the split and the book, unfortunately, especially the latter, is all highlighted when the story is presented as a film. Hopefully Part 2 will be a massive improvement and maybe this film will look better back-to-back/alongside the second part. But as a standalone piece of cinema? I’m afraid that’s a no. Nonetheless, it’s sure to rake up massive box office (although I wonder with the critical reception how the “legs” will fare, especially outside the YA demographic), fans who loved the book will love the film all the same, fans who hate the book will hate it even more, and the more general audience…hard to say. Unfortunately the biggest disappointment of the year for me, but best of luck for next year. Ultimately, Mockingjay - Part 1 is a good film, with a few great bits; but cinematically it doesn’t reach the high bar set by its predecessors due to the weaknesses of the source material and to some extent but less than I anticipated, the split. To the cast and crew, as Effie would say in Catching Fire, “you deserved so much better”. 6/10

Gah, the critics were right. Annoyingly, it's a slog to get through. More passive than active. There are some individual bits (and the last act) that are great, and thematically (the propaganda stuff, I loved how meta they went with that) it's great, but not cinematically. Weakest of the 3 definitely, the cast (especially PSH, Julianne and Jen, Josh was super chilling too) saved this. Script is SUPER stretched, this is a way way overlong and dragged out first half with some bits (and those were the best bits) added for world expansion and to try make more standalone. One thing, fans are eating this up for sheer faithfulness, which was essentially (along with the stretch and split) the downfall. And The Hanging Tree must be submitted by LGF for awards consideration, seriously. 6/10 My disappointment of the year, hope Part 2 is MUCH better, Francis showed with CF he can nail this. Full review coming in a bit... 100% agreed

Most beautiful film of 2014, seriously. Do not go in with pre conceptions of what a Nolan take on sci-fi should be, do not go in expecting an Inception style mindblower actiony tense experience - this is much more graceful, it's rushed at times but it takes its time, it's not big and bold in action but big and bold in ideas. It is definitely a bit too sudden and uneven towards the start but as it goes on it stops...rocking up and down so much. It feels a bit more like an indie because of the more personal scale of things. And I will agree with the critics that the third act is definitely too sentimental for the mind blowingness it tries to do and I think this is the only thing I did not like about the film - I still went with it and enjoyed it. But where this lacks with tone and story, it makes up for it in the experience and technical department. Technically, it hits perfect marks, from the visuals (if not Nolan's magnum opus, this is IMAX's magnum opus - my jaw dropped at some of the shots and visuals - I really really liked the documentary approach and the IMAX sequences really really fit well - not as a gimmick but an integral part of the film) to the score (although definitely mixed too loud relative to the dialogue at times) which is very different and I really liked it and much more understated than in your face (LOVED the piano bits, those were my favourites) - actually that's what I'd say about the film - it is on the whole very understated, especially the scenes away from Earth. (Paul Franklin had a really really interesting intro to the showing - essentially an extended PowerPoint version of that featurette on the black hole - going from the initial visualisations to developing the final version seen on screen, with some really cool process videos, and some other bits that they have discovered after completing VFX on the film. The first of the two papers on the black hole - the astrophysics one - goes out on Monday by the way). Acting wise, McConaughey was really really fantastic with what he was given, Foy was an absolute standout, and so was Irwin as TARS, he was absolutely fantastic - Hathaway, Bentley, Caine were all not going beyond what you'd normally expect from them, and not disappointing. A lot of the post-launch Earth cast (Chastain, Affleck, Grace) did underwhelm a bit though IMO but not too much. Damon was pretty good actually, a bit too sudden on the transition to his necessary evil but by the end he was great. Once again, understated. A few more spoilery points under the tag (sorry I know I can do no spoiler tags but I just tend to separate spoiler and non spoiler bits just in case) Not sure if I got all my thoughts down but anyway. This is not a perfect film, but it's a really really great one. I did hope for it to become my outright favourite of the year but it will have to share that spot with Gone Girl ;P But the main thing is this film is experience-driven and not as much story driven, and as a cinema experience this is absolutely fantastic, this may be one of if not the best ever for me - and if there's one film you have to see in an IMAX theatre and a proper 15/70mm IMAX, it's this. As an experience, this may just be even better than Avatar, may be the best this century. 9/10 Well done to everyone involved and I can't wait to see it again.

I wonder why nobody ever looks at those investor conference calls etc...very useful when IMAX etc. are publicly traded. http://seekingalpha.com/article/2489405-imaxs-imax-ceo-rich-gelfond-presents-at-goldman-sachs-communacopia-conference-transcript?part=single (that was I think before HvH was announced as DP, I bet they got him as he knows his way round those big-ass cameras) Mockingjay P2's DEFINITELY gonna get shafted between this and Star Wars also from all this info we have right now re: HvH as DP and Gelfond's comments, we can say that Bond 24 will be shot with IMAX cameras. Gelfond said (6 days before HvH report) that it's gonna be either filmed in IMAX or formatted for IMAX like Skyfall. Now then with the HvH report we get that tidbit that Bond 24 will be shot on film not digital, and for the formatted for IMAX thing you need to shoot on digital (or just on super 35 with spherical, not anamorphic, lenses then crop down. Hence - BRING ON THE IMAX RELEASE!

Bond 24 filmed in IMAX, anyone? Now Mockingjay 2 definitely's gonna get bummed out again...

Just came back from seeing it at the BFI IMAX in London. Some first impressions and thoughts while I still can get them down.Really really great - best franchise film of the year. Both the Lawrences were great, Jen with her gripping acting as Katniss and Francis with his direction and improved visual style. On par if not better than the first; Mockingjay will be great if the fantastic first half of this is anything to go by. Great supporting cast as well, especially Katniss's allies and entourage and of course Philip Seymour Hoffman and Snow. Really faithful to the book as well which I liked (more on that under spoiler cut)The Games themselves were good...don't know why but I preferred the ones in the first film. IMAX was really something as well, bits of the IMAX cinematography, framing especially, irked me though, and 50 minutes of full frame uninterrupted 15/70mm IMAX is 50 minutes of full frame uninterrupted 15/70mm IMAX, damn impressive. But the non-arena IMAX-framed (were they even filmed with IMAX cameras?) shots...left me slightly confused. Guess they didn't want to go down the Nolan route for aspect ratio changes every 7th shot or something. Wonder how they'll do the Blu-ray. But this NEEDS to be seen in 70mm, not digital IMAX, real shame that Lionsgate/IMAX didn't make it as big a thing as it should have been...only 30 odd prints going around and for a sec I was afraid they were gonna show a digital copy.(list of theaters showing 15/70mm version at http://avindustries.co.uk/cfimax)Music - really enjoyed James Newton Howard's score, loved Katniss' theme, and he did seem to take a cue (pardon the pun) from Zimmer in one bit... Oh, and the music from the start of the final trailer appears twice, in case you wanted to know, rest of that was a custom mix of JNH's score or something. And a nice non-JNH theme from the first film makes an (uncredited) double appearance...And now for the spoilery stuff...(more like random points)1. While the ending was identical to the book, I never realised how much it screamed SEQUE-oh wait-MOCKINGJAY-BAIT. Everything on from Katniss' "SONOFABITCH" and especially the final shot was fantastic regardless.2. That ending again, too abrupt/rushed?/time jumps. Maybe done to reflect Katniss' POV?3. Funny bits (you know which ones) were funny. And the reaping was surprisingly amusing...for a few.4. Favourite scene: Quarter Quell announcement.5. Arena crumbling was great, ended too abruptly though6. Oh Ceasar and your little fanfare...all these segments were great.especially the interviews.7. Cinna's death scene and that first IMAX shot..that was something.,really got me.So that's that so far! 8/10 from me