Atonement (2007)

The story takes place in the 1930s and during the first years of the Second World War. The wealthy Tallis family live their somewhat dull lives on their countryside estate. One day the 13 years old younger daughter, with rather vivid imagination, witnesses a string of events that she thinks she understands and makes accusations, which has serious consequences and changes the whole family's life forever. 

It is difficult to write about this film as I haven't decided fully what my opinion about it is. Its way of telling the story is interesting. At the beginning we see the events through the eyes of Birony, the younger daughter and the way she interprets them. Then suddenly there is a jump back in time (a small one) and we see what actually happened. In the first part of the film these jumps are pretty frequent. I liked this and, if you think of it, there aren't many more options to tell such a story. 

The use of music was interesting as well. I don't remember if there were scenes with actual music in them (it doesn't mean that there weren't, of course), only that strange rapid clicking sound that made those scenes even heavier than those with complete silence. The role of music in movies is usually quite different, it serves to make the events lighter, and well, easier to cope with, so to say, for the viewer. The effect here was pretty much the opposite, I guess it was intentional. 

I think this lack of music might have had something to do with it, but I found some scenes a bit boring and too life-like. If that makes sense. All in all, it wasn't a bad movie, I think it is worth a watch, but don't expect anything happy, bright and sunshiny.

Movies of the Summer

I was thinking and I could recall a few films that I watched during the summer. So I'll just list them here with a few words long opinion.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

This film was, well, curious. 

The actual story that is narrated by Benjamin is embedded into a frame story that takes place in 2004, in New Orleans during the time when Hurricane Katrina is coming towards the city. A dying mother asks her daughter to read her from a diary. This diary is that of Benjamin Button's and this is how his story is told. I don't really want to write anything else or go into details why his story is curious because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Other than being interesting the movie was quite long. It's more than two and a half hours. I wasn't bored of it, though. As I mentioned, it is narrated by the title character. I like movies that are narrated, it makes them a bit more real, I guess. This narrator is also a really wise man, so it's like there are a strings of truths said there but in the simplest way possible. He's not trying to be smart or anything, it is just the way he sees the world.

One thing that I don't really understand is the frame story. Why did it have to take place during the hurricane? I can only think of it serving to reflect the inner conflicts of the daughter and the mother during they read/listen to the story, but even then I don't think it was necessary. In my opinion it didn't really add to the story. As for me, it would have had the same effect even if it had taken place on a bright and sunny day. I might miss something, though.

Nevertheless, I very much liked this film. If you have three hours and don't have problems with essentially sad stories, then this is your movie.

Men in Black 3 (2012)

I liked the first two movies a lot so needless to say I was excited to see the third one.

In the story, fourteen years passed by since we last saw the special agents, just like in real life. Or was it fourteen? Anyway, quite a long time. J and K are partners again, which is kind of confusing, since, if I remember well, the second movie ended with K retiring. 

This confusing detail aside, the film was totally exciting. It starts with an alien prisoner, arrested by Agent K a long time ago, escaping from the special jail built for such criminals on the moon.  He travels back in time to change the future (that is, the present) and that's when Agent J has to travel back too, to save the world. Because, yeah, it's not less than the whole planet in danger, again.

As I already said, the movie is totally exciting, full of twists and turns and unexpected events. Just like the first two were. I at least was not smart enough to see the last twist coming. I thought I knew what would happen, but was I wrong.

All in all, I can only recommend it. It's the opposite of boring in many ways. And the character of Griffin is my new favourite movie character. ;)

Two Snow White Movies

Or maybe I should have written "Two Evil Queen Movies", since both have the Queen's figure in the centre. It's interesting how two films that are inspired by the same tale can be so different. But let's see them a little bit closer one by one.

Mirror Mirror (2012)

I was really looking forward to this one. On the basis of the trailers (which totally had almost all the scenes with Julia Roberts) it looked surprisingly promising. The actual movie didn't disappoint either. 

The whole story is told from the Queen's point of view, which already is an interesting twist and at the same time assures that it won't become a cheesy love story. I think it is mainly the Queen's character and humour that makes this movie absolutely hilarious. You can't help but laugh at her scenes even when she is being especially mean or evil. The dwarfs aren't dull either, though and pretty much all the characters have one or two funny lines. The character of Snow White, I don't know, I think she is pretty strong in the original fairy tale too (I cannot be hundred percent sure, I've seen so much modernized versions recently) but here they take it one step further and she becomes a young woman who doesn't really need her prince to save her, she can do it herself, and well too. 

The plot is kind of lacking but I think the humour and wittiness of the dialogues make up for it.

Another thing that must be mentioned is the costumes. They were spectacular, extreme even. And I think they added to the story too by underlining the contrast between the Queen's and the gentry's extreme colourful and huge clothing and the simple, gray and dirty outfits of the average poor people. (But maybe it's just overanalysing stuff.) The whole movie was visually pretty, colourful and fairy tale-like.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

I had my doubts about this one. Actually, I didn't even plan to watch it. I just changed my mind partly because of Charlize Theron but mainly because I had some extra time on my hands.

I think it goes without saying that this movie is nowhere a comedy. It is dark and well, boring. I'm not saying it doesn't have a plot, though that wouldn't be extremely far from the truth but even that small amount of events that happen are dragged out so long that I couldn't help but skip parts more and more frequently. 

I'm not going to detail how talentless Kristen Stuart is, but I'm going to say (what many have said already) that with another actress playing Snow White this film would have been, or well, could have been better. Maybe not significantly, but better.

To say something positive too, I have to admit that the visual effects were pretty damn good.

Long time no see...

I haven't written here for quite a long time, whole summer, actually, but I'm trying to fix that and make posting on here a regular habit again. Not that I have tons of readers but I like to have a place where I can keep track of at least some of the stuff I read or watch. So for this post I decided to just list all the books I read and all the movies, series I watched during the summer with a really brief opinion. All that I can remember, that is.

Smash 1x13 - Tech

The company arrives to Boston for the tech (to rehearse in the theatre in which they will perform, if I understand well) but, as usually, nothing goes smoothly. Neither with the production nor in the character's personal lives.