Coens back on form!
Following the slightly below average, well awful The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty, Joel and Ethan Coen have magnificently returned to form with what is a dark, poignant, heart-pounding and downright great film about a man who finds $2 million cash left over from a drug deal gone awry and his cat and mouse running and hiding from the hired gun sent after him to retrieve the money, all the while being narrated over by local Sheriff Tommy Lee Jones.
The film opens on an empty, desolate West Texas landscape stretching out at every angle, accompanied by the soft age worn words of Tommy Lee Jones as Sheriff Bell. What ensues is a fast paced drama revolving deeply around the themes of chance and fate, most superbly depicted in an unforgettable scene in which hired hitman Chigurh (Javier Bardem) terrorizes a petrol station attendant with fast talking and a coin toss that could determine whether he lives or dies. A stand-out feature in this picture is that of the minimal music. This picture is dominated by the sound of silence or the wind beating on the back of Llewelyn Moss' (Josh Brolin) neck. This illustrates the emptiness in which our lead actors have been enveloped, resonating off the screen also. It illustrates a picture of helplessness in this vast nothingness, this goes hand in hand with the theme of fate that is strewn throughout the film. The film is full of action, suspense and some great drmatic scenes, all acted superbly by what is an Oscar worthy cast.
The Coen brothers have here done what they do best and torn to shreads the conventions of the motion picture story arc, making some strong decisions with regards to how and what takes place in the final act. There are many occurences that go startling against the grain of Hollywood cinema, by the end our three main characters are still to share the screen, an element that works perfectly for this film. The ending will no doubt be hotly debated over the coming weeks, i shan't reveal any more than i have as it truely is a masterful piece of cinema and one that must not go unseen. The Coens have constructed an incredible picture in which the audience is engrossed from the beginning and held awfully tight until the end, an ending that finishes with a whimper rather than a bang, a whimper that works perfectly.
10/10
Monday, 28 January 2008
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Opening 5 minutes of Shoot'Em Up regarding Sound!
Online Videos by Veoh.com
The film begins with background music fitting of a spaghetti western. This shows the lead actor who accompanies the music to be the type of man common in these sort of films, a disgruntled, loner who happens to be a hero. This music introduces us to his character. Following this Clive Owen begins to eat a carrot with loud crunching sounds of the carrot, this seems to add a comic feel to the piece and as it is the opening it is informing them that this film does not take itself too seriously. Following this a screaming woman walks past holding her pregnant body. Aside from this sound there is no sound at all, there is no diagetic or non diagetic sounds as even the background music has died out. This gives the viewer as sense that there is absolutely no one around, no police, civilians or any signs of normality. NOT FINISHED YET
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
essay
Matt Gray
'Discuss the extent to which media industries must introduce new ideas in order to compete.'
It is widely accepted that industries need to produce new ideas in order compete as the market is constantly evolving. The general public is constantly demanding faster and better technology to meet their everyday demands. These demands often follow with trends in popular culture for example the iphones inclusion of Youtube on their new iphone. This new age in technology often goes by the moniker of being a wireless and mobile age therefore frontrunners like Apple are striving to make the best wireless products to capitalize on the blossoming market. This pressure on companies to innovate and produce something new that links in with modern life is a recurring theme, one that Apple is happy to burden themselves with more so than any other company, religiously following the idea of ‘innovation’. This pursuit of innovation may lead to dominance and greater revenue but in the long term the effects of constant innovation could be costly.
For example Apple CEO Steve Jobs presented the Macbook Air at his recent keynote presentation. Its key selling point is that it is incredibly thin. This is seen as a revolutionary achievement by Apple. Steve Jobs charismatic presentation of it builds it up more than it should be. Although the Macbook Air is incredibly slim line this is not innovation in the true sense of the word as it has major setbacks. It’s innovation results in compromise of features, to the consumer this not noticeable due to Apples incredible marketing campaign portraying it as a young, fashionable and better company as well as it’s stance in popular culture thanks to the ipod. The ipod cemented Apple as a huge company in the media industry. The ipod being a major success meant that Apple was officially the main brand again in terms of new media; it meant that Apple could ‘do no wrong’. This allows Apple to present products that are perhaps not as innovative as they let on and still they will sell incredibly well because of the name Apple has made for itself. The main problems with the Macbook Air are that it has no CD drive, in striving for slimness Apple have left out a major feature. It also has no wireless broadband access, for a product that’s thinness means more mobility, what use is it without wireless access. They are also using the equivalent of an 80GB ipod hard drive as a system drive and the fact that it only has one USB port amongst others. The Macbook Air compromises too much in order to be thin. This is a major example of how media industries can take over a market due to the success of new ideas, and then capitalize further down the line by having the reputation as innovators.
The way in which the world looks on technology now is that it all should become mobile. It has become more about easy access and anywhere access than within the home access. This yearning for better technology causes media industries to produce more and more products to cater to these needs. Apples iphone is a perfect example of the way in which new media is headed. The iphone encapsulates all aspects of the daily technology use of the average person by convergence of as many aspects of modern life into one product. For the iphone this is essentially a phone, an ipod and the internet although this can be split into several sub categories. The ipod part of the iphone works as an ipod normally does with the added ease of a touch screen system enabling easy navigating through libraries of music. It works in the same way that an ipod does meaning that it synchs with your computer in the same manner as the classic ipod, this helps to bring ipod users across to the iphone as it continues with the same method of use for ease of use. The iphones internet program is Safari and is the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device. It works with a wi-fi connection allowing people living predominantly in urban areas to find wi-fi hotspots so that they can use these devices, as they are predominantly aimed at people living in urban areas as the core base of the smart phone market is in an office related environment. The Iphone also contains smaller applications to satisfy general needs. These are called widgets and they provide helpful information like stock markets and weather. They are accessed through wi-fi connections like the internet connection for the same reasons, ease of use etc. It also provides a helpful link to youtube for browsing of videos. An added bonus to the iphone is the inclusion of a completely button free handset. The features of the iphone are all utilized through touch. This is seen as a very innovative and ‘fun’ idea but the fact is that it will have its drawbacks. A larger screen is more prone to breaking as well as becoming scratched and or damaged by use. Although these are strong reasons against the iphones touch theme it helps the iphone to sell as it has become more interactive to the user. The reason that the iphone sells as well as it has is that it has done what has been talked about for some time. It has combined the phone, mp3 player and internet access into one device rather than people having to carry around two or three separate devices. Although other smart phones could boast similar credentials Apples success stems from the ipod. This landmark piece of technology allowed for Apple to garner a reputation as a stylish and in fashion brand so that when the iphone comes out it would sell immensely. This newfound status thanks to the emergence of the ipod allowed Apple to sell 4 million handsets in the first 200 days of release, which averages out at 20,000 per day. Apples status as a predominant brand in popular culture along with the idea of convergence of several products into one allow for larger sales.
Apple is not entirely guilty of needless innovation as they have produced some startlingly clever new ideas, one of which being their movie rentals option on itunes. This was due to their idea of buying movies not doing as well as they had hoped opting for this method instead. This is a clever move for Apple as it is highly likely that they will dominate the rentals market spelling disaster for companies like Blockbuster. Apple are hoping to do with movie rentals what they did with itunes. This is one of Apples innovations that seems to work well and will most likely be successful as the age of downloadable media has taken over. It goes hand in hand with Apples other ventures i.e. Apple TV, a risk on Apples part with regards to affordability to the general consumer.
To an extent it is important for companies to innovate as they can produce high quality products i.e. Apples ipod this in turn can lead the way into new unrealized technology and innovation and boost sales and reputations of companies. It can generate a lot of revenue because if their products are popular people will continue to buy them regardless of how much they differ from previous models. This can be a problem as too much innovation could result in compromise and lower quality products built around gimmicks.
'Discuss the extent to which media industries must introduce new ideas in order to compete.'
It is widely accepted that industries need to produce new ideas in order compete as the market is constantly evolving. The general public is constantly demanding faster and better technology to meet their everyday demands. These demands often follow with trends in popular culture for example the iphones inclusion of Youtube on their new iphone. This new age in technology often goes by the moniker of being a wireless and mobile age therefore frontrunners like Apple are striving to make the best wireless products to capitalize on the blossoming market. This pressure on companies to innovate and produce something new that links in with modern life is a recurring theme, one that Apple is happy to burden themselves with more so than any other company, religiously following the idea of ‘innovation’. This pursuit of innovation may lead to dominance and greater revenue but in the long term the effects of constant innovation could be costly.
For example Apple CEO Steve Jobs presented the Macbook Air at his recent keynote presentation. Its key selling point is that it is incredibly thin. This is seen as a revolutionary achievement by Apple. Steve Jobs charismatic presentation of it builds it up more than it should be. Although the Macbook Air is incredibly slim line this is not innovation in the true sense of the word as it has major setbacks. It’s innovation results in compromise of features, to the consumer this not noticeable due to Apples incredible marketing campaign portraying it as a young, fashionable and better company as well as it’s stance in popular culture thanks to the ipod. The ipod cemented Apple as a huge company in the media industry. The ipod being a major success meant that Apple was officially the main brand again in terms of new media; it meant that Apple could ‘do no wrong’. This allows Apple to present products that are perhaps not as innovative as they let on and still they will sell incredibly well because of the name Apple has made for itself. The main problems with the Macbook Air are that it has no CD drive, in striving for slimness Apple have left out a major feature. It also has no wireless broadband access, for a product that’s thinness means more mobility, what use is it without wireless access. They are also using the equivalent of an 80GB ipod hard drive as a system drive and the fact that it only has one USB port amongst others. The Macbook Air compromises too much in order to be thin. This is a major example of how media industries can take over a market due to the success of new ideas, and then capitalize further down the line by having the reputation as innovators.
The way in which the world looks on technology now is that it all should become mobile. It has become more about easy access and anywhere access than within the home access. This yearning for better technology causes media industries to produce more and more products to cater to these needs. Apples iphone is a perfect example of the way in which new media is headed. The iphone encapsulates all aspects of the daily technology use of the average person by convergence of as many aspects of modern life into one product. For the iphone this is essentially a phone, an ipod and the internet although this can be split into several sub categories. The ipod part of the iphone works as an ipod normally does with the added ease of a touch screen system enabling easy navigating through libraries of music. It works in the same way that an ipod does meaning that it synchs with your computer in the same manner as the classic ipod, this helps to bring ipod users across to the iphone as it continues with the same method of use for ease of use. The iphones internet program is Safari and is the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device. It works with a wi-fi connection allowing people living predominantly in urban areas to find wi-fi hotspots so that they can use these devices, as they are predominantly aimed at people living in urban areas as the core base of the smart phone market is in an office related environment. The Iphone also contains smaller applications to satisfy general needs. These are called widgets and they provide helpful information like stock markets and weather. They are accessed through wi-fi connections like the internet connection for the same reasons, ease of use etc. It also provides a helpful link to youtube for browsing of videos. An added bonus to the iphone is the inclusion of a completely button free handset. The features of the iphone are all utilized through touch. This is seen as a very innovative and ‘fun’ idea but the fact is that it will have its drawbacks. A larger screen is more prone to breaking as well as becoming scratched and or damaged by use. Although these are strong reasons against the iphones touch theme it helps the iphone to sell as it has become more interactive to the user. The reason that the iphone sells as well as it has is that it has done what has been talked about for some time. It has combined the phone, mp3 player and internet access into one device rather than people having to carry around two or three separate devices. Although other smart phones could boast similar credentials Apples success stems from the ipod. This landmark piece of technology allowed for Apple to garner a reputation as a stylish and in fashion brand so that when the iphone comes out it would sell immensely. This newfound status thanks to the emergence of the ipod allowed Apple to sell 4 million handsets in the first 200 days of release, which averages out at 20,000 per day. Apples status as a predominant brand in popular culture along with the idea of convergence of several products into one allow for larger sales.
Apple is not entirely guilty of needless innovation as they have produced some startlingly clever new ideas, one of which being their movie rentals option on itunes. This was due to their idea of buying movies not doing as well as they had hoped opting for this method instead. This is a clever move for Apple as it is highly likely that they will dominate the rentals market spelling disaster for companies like Blockbuster. Apple are hoping to do with movie rentals what they did with itunes. This is one of Apples innovations that seems to work well and will most likely be successful as the age of downloadable media has taken over. It goes hand in hand with Apples other ventures i.e. Apple TV, a risk on Apples part with regards to affordability to the general consumer.
To an extent it is important for companies to innovate as they can produce high quality products i.e. Apples ipod this in turn can lead the way into new unrealized technology and innovation and boost sales and reputations of companies. It can generate a lot of revenue because if their products are popular people will continue to buy them regardless of how much they differ from previous models. This can be a problem as too much innovation could result in compromise and lower quality products built around gimmicks.
Sunday, 20 January 2008
macWorld 08
MacWorld 2008: Steve Jobs Keynote
January 15, 2008 - Each January, Apple likes to show off. More specifically, Steve Jobs likes to show off. His Macworld keynote is typically the place where the tech giant unveils new products and services, such as last January's CES-deflating iPhone announcement. This January was no different, with Jobs taking the stage to reveal an impressive suite of new products and improved feature sets for its current line-up.
This morning's keynote is split into four sections, each dedicated to a different product, from the new backup device Time Capsule to the iTunes movie rental service, which now streams HD films directly to your TV via the new Apple TV. And, as always, there is Jobs' little surprises, which he typically refers to as "One more thing..."
However, he left off his trademark this morning and instead let the fourth product speak for itself.
MacBook Air.
Time Capsule
The first announcement for Macworld is Time Capsule, a hardware companion for the Time Machine module of the Leopard operating system, which has been adopted by almost 20-percent of OS X users. Time Machine allows users to back up their data -- Time Capsule is the destination for that back-up data. The device features an Airport Extreme base station and a hard drive allowing for wireless back-ups of any Apple computer in your home, such as your iMac downstairs and the MacBook you use in the living room.
The Time Capsule looks a lot like the Airport Extreme Base Station. It comes to two packages: 500GB and 1TB. Apple is pricing the Time Capsule "aggressively" because it wants to encourage people to save their data, such as photos and music. Time Capsule ships in February. The 500GB model is $299. The 1TB model is $499.
iPhone
To say the iPhone has been a tremendous success for Apple is an understatement. To underscore Jobs' point, he brings up a pie chart showing that in under just a single year, Apple can captured just under 20-percent of the Smartphone market. (RIM, the Blackberry people, leads with 39-percent.) Apple has sold over four million iPhones since launch last summer, which averages out to approximately 20,000 handsets per day.
Apple has made much ado about the impending software development kit coming online in February that will allow developers to create native applications for the iPhone. However, today Apple is introducing some new features for the iPhone, such as maps with location. You can now see precisely where you are and chart directions to a desired location. Since the iPhone does not have GPS, partners Google and Skyhook instead triangulate Wi-Fi signals using over 23 million Wi-Fi hotspots.
In addition to maps, iPhone users can now start customizing their handsets with Webclips that take them straight to their favorite web pages. (IGN.com, maybe?) You can also create nine different screens to host new content and links.
Other additions: You can now view multiple text messages. Multimedia upgrades include lyrics for music and chapters for movies.
Since the iTouch is modeled after the iPhone, these new features are migrating to the newest iPod. Every new iPod Touch will come with mail, maps, stocks, and weather applications. Existing iPod Touch owners that want this new content must pay a $20 upgrade fee.
iTunes
Movie rentals through iTunes are officially a reality today via a free software update. Apple has sold seven million movies to date, but it thinks the new rental service is, according to Jobs, "a better way to deliver movie content through iTunes." Apple has signed up huge partners for the rental service, including: Warner Bros., Universal, Sony, Fox, Paramount, and Miramax. These studios will fill in a back catalog of titles -- up to one thousand by the end of February. Library titles will rent for $2.99 while new titles, which will launch shortly after their DVD release, will cost $3.99. Examples: "Live Free or Die Hard" is $3.99 while "The Matrix" is only $2.99.
Renters can begin their movie approximately thirty seconds after starting the download. There are a few rules to the rental service: You have 30 days to start watching the movie. Once playback begins, you have only 24 hours to finish it.
Rented movies can be watched on Macs, PCs, the iPhone and current iPod models. Movies can be transferred from one destination to another during rental period. Jobs uses the example of starting a movie at home and finishing it via an iPod on a flight.
Apple TV Take 2 is also introduced. This upgrade addresses many concerns about the original Apple TV and works with the new rental service. Here's the biggest news: HD content. Using the new Apple TV, you can rent both HD (720p) and DVD quality movies complete with 5.1 Dolby surround. This effectively turns your TV into a rental destination, slicing out middlemen like Blockbuster. HD movies will cost $4.99. The new interface for Apple TV uses a smart menu system to make finding content easy, such as cataloging the movie library by genre or typing in a title to search for it.
The new Apple TV also supports YouTube, audio and video podcasts, photos via your dot-Mac account and Flickr. The new Apple TV, which launches in two weeks, debuts at $229. The original Apple TV will get a software upgrade.
MacBook Air
This was it: "The world's thinnest notebook."
MacBook Air is the third entry in the popular MacBook line-up, and it's a response to the current crop of ultralight notebooks, such as the Sony TZ. The Air is even smaller than that, with the thinnest part at no more 0.16". That is thin. And to prove it, the Air fits inside a manilla envelope. It weighs no more than three pounds.
The Air is thin, but Apple is not skimming off features: 13.3" screen, built-in iSight, 80GB 1.8-inch standard HDD or 64GB solid-state HDD, and either a 1.6Ghz or 1.8Ghz Core 2 Duo processor. The track pad support multi-touch and geatures, so you can manipulate data not entirely unlike the iPhone. (Pinching to shrink photos, etc.) Total wireless support and Bluetooth functionality. Full-sized, back-lit keyboard. 2GB of onboard memory comes standard, too. The expected battery life is five hours with regular usage -- email, web, etc.
What is missing is an optical drive, but the Air has solutions. You can buy a separate USB Superdrive for $99. However, you can also use a new feature called Remote Disc that lets the Air access the optical drives of any neighboring Macs or PCs.
The base model of the Air will retail for $1799 and starts shipping in only two weeks with pre-orders accepted today. The base model comes with the 1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB memory, 80GB hard drive with option of the 64GB drive, and 802.11n wireless support. The higher end model of the MacBook Air will feature the 64GB solid-state HDD and the 1.8Ghz Core 2 Duo for an additional $1,300.
The MacBook Air reveal concluded Jobs' Macworld keynote, as Jobs turned the stage over to musician Randy Newman. Look for more updates from Macworld all week on IGN.
'Discuss the extent to which media industries must introduce new ideas in order to compete.'
January 15, 2008 - Each January, Apple likes to show off. More specifically, Steve Jobs likes to show off. His Macworld keynote is typically the place where the tech giant unveils new products and services, such as last January's CES-deflating iPhone announcement. This January was no different, with Jobs taking the stage to reveal an impressive suite of new products and improved feature sets for its current line-up.
This morning's keynote is split into four sections, each dedicated to a different product, from the new backup device Time Capsule to the iTunes movie rental service, which now streams HD films directly to your TV via the new Apple TV. And, as always, there is Jobs' little surprises, which he typically refers to as "One more thing..."
However, he left off his trademark this morning and instead let the fourth product speak for itself.
MacBook Air.
Time Capsule
The first announcement for Macworld is Time Capsule, a hardware companion for the Time Machine module of the Leopard operating system, which has been adopted by almost 20-percent of OS X users. Time Machine allows users to back up their data -- Time Capsule is the destination for that back-up data. The device features an Airport Extreme base station and a hard drive allowing for wireless back-ups of any Apple computer in your home, such as your iMac downstairs and the MacBook you use in the living room.
The Time Capsule looks a lot like the Airport Extreme Base Station. It comes to two packages: 500GB and 1TB. Apple is pricing the Time Capsule "aggressively" because it wants to encourage people to save their data, such as photos and music. Time Capsule ships in February. The 500GB model is $299. The 1TB model is $499.
iPhone
To say the iPhone has been a tremendous success for Apple is an understatement. To underscore Jobs' point, he brings up a pie chart showing that in under just a single year, Apple can captured just under 20-percent of the Smartphone market. (RIM, the Blackberry people, leads with 39-percent.) Apple has sold over four million iPhones since launch last summer, which averages out to approximately 20,000 handsets per day.
Apple has made much ado about the impending software development kit coming online in February that will allow developers to create native applications for the iPhone. However, today Apple is introducing some new features for the iPhone, such as maps with location. You can now see precisely where you are and chart directions to a desired location. Since the iPhone does not have GPS, partners Google and Skyhook instead triangulate Wi-Fi signals using over 23 million Wi-Fi hotspots.
In addition to maps, iPhone users can now start customizing their handsets with Webclips that take them straight to their favorite web pages. (IGN.com, maybe?) You can also create nine different screens to host new content and links.
Other additions: You can now view multiple text messages. Multimedia upgrades include lyrics for music and chapters for movies.
Since the iTouch is modeled after the iPhone, these new features are migrating to the newest iPod. Every new iPod Touch will come with mail, maps, stocks, and weather applications. Existing iPod Touch owners that want this new content must pay a $20 upgrade fee.
iTunes
Movie rentals through iTunes are officially a reality today via a free software update. Apple has sold seven million movies to date, but it thinks the new rental service is, according to Jobs, "a better way to deliver movie content through iTunes." Apple has signed up huge partners for the rental service, including: Warner Bros., Universal, Sony, Fox, Paramount, and Miramax. These studios will fill in a back catalog of titles -- up to one thousand by the end of February. Library titles will rent for $2.99 while new titles, which will launch shortly after their DVD release, will cost $3.99. Examples: "Live Free or Die Hard" is $3.99 while "The Matrix" is only $2.99.
Renters can begin their movie approximately thirty seconds after starting the download. There are a few rules to the rental service: You have 30 days to start watching the movie. Once playback begins, you have only 24 hours to finish it.
Rented movies can be watched on Macs, PCs, the iPhone and current iPod models. Movies can be transferred from one destination to another during rental period. Jobs uses the example of starting a movie at home and finishing it via an iPod on a flight.
Apple TV Take 2 is also introduced. This upgrade addresses many concerns about the original Apple TV and works with the new rental service. Here's the biggest news: HD content. Using the new Apple TV, you can rent both HD (720p) and DVD quality movies complete with 5.1 Dolby surround. This effectively turns your TV into a rental destination, slicing out middlemen like Blockbuster. HD movies will cost $4.99. The new interface for Apple TV uses a smart menu system to make finding content easy, such as cataloging the movie library by genre or typing in a title to search for it.
The new Apple TV also supports YouTube, audio and video podcasts, photos via your dot-Mac account and Flickr. The new Apple TV, which launches in two weeks, debuts at $229. The original Apple TV will get a software upgrade.
MacBook Air
This was it: "The world's thinnest notebook."
MacBook Air is the third entry in the popular MacBook line-up, and it's a response to the current crop of ultralight notebooks, such as the Sony TZ. The Air is even smaller than that, with the thinnest part at no more 0.16". That is thin. And to prove it, the Air fits inside a manilla envelope. It weighs no more than three pounds.
The Air is thin, but Apple is not skimming off features: 13.3" screen, built-in iSight, 80GB 1.8-inch standard HDD or 64GB solid-state HDD, and either a 1.6Ghz or 1.8Ghz Core 2 Duo processor. The track pad support multi-touch and geatures, so you can manipulate data not entirely unlike the iPhone. (Pinching to shrink photos, etc.) Total wireless support and Bluetooth functionality. Full-sized, back-lit keyboard. 2GB of onboard memory comes standard, too. The expected battery life is five hours with regular usage -- email, web, etc.
What is missing is an optical drive, but the Air has solutions. You can buy a separate USB Superdrive for $99. However, you can also use a new feature called Remote Disc that lets the Air access the optical drives of any neighboring Macs or PCs.
The base model of the Air will retail for $1799 and starts shipping in only two weeks with pre-orders accepted today. The base model comes with the 1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB memory, 80GB hard drive with option of the 64GB drive, and 802.11n wireless support. The higher end model of the MacBook Air will feature the 64GB solid-state HDD and the 1.8Ghz Core 2 Duo for an additional $1,300.
The MacBook Air reveal concluded Jobs' Macworld keynote, as Jobs turned the stage over to musician Randy Newman. Look for more updates from Macworld all week on IGN.
'Discuss the extent to which media industries must introduce new ideas in order to compete.'
Monday, 14 January 2008
Requests
I will update with new movies as much as possible, if you have specific requests post them here thanks.
Matt
Matt
Juno
Released: February 1
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason
Bateman, Jennifer Garner, J.K. Simmons,
Allison Janney, Olivia Thirbly
Written by: Diablo Cody
The Story: Juno [Page] has sex in a chair with her friend Bleeker [Cera] and discovers she is pregnant as a result. Rather than have the abortion, Juno sets
about finding the ideal parents for the baby-to-be, and finds the nice, well-to-do Lorings [Bateman and Garner].
Verdict:
Juno is a resounding success combining great performances, charm and most importantly simplicity to make what is an incredibly entertaining film. Juno succeeds
where other Independant comedies went wrong (not pointing any fingers....Little Miss Sunshine) - as the film is made up of very strong characters. Within the first half an hour you will know and enjoy seeing every member of this cast on screen with not a bad performance in sight. Ellen Page is absolutely fantastic as the strong minded free spirit Juno, making the most of the brilliantly written snappy one liners. Michael Cera puts in another great performance as boyfriend Bleeker but i can't help but feel that it is very similar to his performance in Superbad. Apart from the outstanding Page there are two brilliant performances from Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner as Mark and Vanessa the would be adoptive parents. Garner plays the overly nervous and fragile wife of Bateman who somewhat strangely is fantastic as Mark who throughout the movie slowly starts to realise that maybe he is not ready for this, Bateman restrains himself from playing this character comically and it works wonders.It is also nice to note that it follows in the footsteps of comedies like Judd Apatows Knocked Up and Superbad as it takes a very simple plot and does not try anything too ambitious which works entirely in its favour.Diablo Cody [Former Stripper] has produced what is one of the most interesting, funny and downright brilliant scripts of this past year in film. Juno turns the conventions of the teen movie on it's head to the point where the lines are blurred and the only thing that is for certain is that this is one outstanding picture.
Feel free to watch it and give me feedback in the comments section.
Got a JUNO link for you:
http://video.supernovatube.com/play.php?viewkey=a3e988c2af215d4e544d
Matt Gray
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
