Bank Holiday Films « Daniel Nisbet

Bank Holiday Films

5
May0

This Bank Holiday we watched:

Vicky Christina Barcelona

Woody Allen’s latest, well when I say latest latest one I know about – he’s already done one since. This one featured well at the Oscars, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Penélope Cruz, who was awesome in it. She’s often great when in films in her mother tongue.. Before we started we had a bit of a discussion about Woody Allen himself, does the marriage thing mean that his films can’t be enjoyed? I’m not so sure so I’ll take each film as it comes.
This one for me though was so so. The characters never feel real, or live in a real world. Money is of no consequence, nor time but only morals. The photography however is beautiful it just milks the “we’re artists” bit too much, “I bought this house from an artist friend of mine”.
I dunno really.

have now worked out what it was that bugged me in the film, it was the completely unnecessary voiceover. Where was the character that was doing it? Why were they explaining the things I can see before my eyes?

Gran Torino

When Clint Eastwood directs a film usually you know it’s going to be a little preachy and he’ll star in it, and growl some. Well now he’s said this will be the last one he’s going to be in and it was a great one to bow out on. Wasn’t sure at first whether it would turn out to be good but I got pulled into the story and the characters and was laughing at Walt Kowalski’s fight against the world changing around him.
From his awful family to a neighbourhood changing beyond recognition and how he became friends with the family next door. I really liked this film. I want to be able to say it’s a warm film but I can’t. It’s just one man’s solution to the problems he sees around him. There were some wonderful performances as well, in particular the two kids from next door, Sue and Thao played by Ahney Her and Bee Vang who had not appeared in anything else before.