Easter Break. Cinema Inhabitant.

I visited the cinema 5 times over Easter break. I saw Divergent, The Invisible Woman, The Lego Movie, L'épreuve D'une Vie and Noah. On my trusty laptop I saw Nyphomaniac Volume 1, The Cove (again) and had some fun with my Woody Allen classics. I also spent about half a day watching the extended trailer for The Fault In Our Stars again and again and well... again. Scroll down to read 4 short reviews. 

Preview Screening: The Invisible Woman (Ralph Fiennes in Attendance)

The preview screening of Ralph Fiennes' second film The Invisible Woman was, without a shred of doubt, the most extraordinary cinematic experience I have ever partaken in. The film itself was a quiet, subtle masterpiece with beautiful nuances: from Dickens, the man himself, to the love story that bloomed so naturally (and realistically) to the intriguing portrayal of life as a writer. Ralph Fiennes is an actor distinguished by a long line of high-calibre performances. First establishing himself in the film industry as an actor willing and able to take on roles of any nature, he has now engaged in film making. The Invisible Woman is his second outing as a director and it proves to be a masterful feature; subtle, brilliant and entirely watchable. The thrill of being able to see a terrific film then meeting the man principally responsible for its creation was not one which went by unappreciated. 

The Invisible Woman is a biographical film, based on the Claire Tomlin novel "The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens". It chronicles the infamous affair between a young actress, Nelly (Felicity Jones) and the British author, Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes). 

Noah

Shadows dance in distinctive shapes in Noah to form nightmares. Representation is something which is never consistent in the film. At times, stories are told with nothing more than moving light and at other times bright animations are thrown in way of the audience. This artistic choice is an unusual one, meaning the film takes stock of a number of cinematic mediums to produce an altogether dark, protruding biblical tale of epic proportions. Upheld by strong performances and stunning visuals, Noah is a bold direction even for Darren Aronofsky, a man who never fails to establish his unique vision of traditional tales.

Noah is a dramatic retelling of the bible story entailing a man who is tasked with the building of an arc to save the innocent before an apocalyptic flood. The film progresses from ambiguous communications from God to Noah, to interpretations, to the full engagement of the task ahead. The challenges that Noah faces are many: he must defend the arc from the sinful (thus being all men), the resistance of his own family and eventually, truly understanding God's intentions for him. 

100 Film Facts About Me

1. During my final year of high school, I studied only four subjects. This meant that I had an abundance of free periods. In these spares I use to go to the cinemas by myself.
2. I have never walked out of a film. Period. 
3. It was mostly my dad who fostered a love of films in me. English is only his second language and yet he has seen more Alfred Hitchcock films than I have. He loves The Godfather and even shed a tear in The English Patient. 
4. He is my favourite movie companion after Clea Moon, over at Spreepark.
5. I have a soft-spot for British rom-coms. These include Notting Hill, Four Weddings & A Funeral, About Time, Love Actually, Bridget Jones' Diary and About A Boy.             

A Week In Autumn

It's been a hectic few weeks. I attended a Q&A presentation of Jerry Katzenberg just last week, have been working non-stop and am just wrapping up my mid-sems for uni. My final assignment is due in on Thursday and from there expect an inflow of posts: review after review, an insight into Sofia Coppola, a look at the teen genre in film and a special surprise involving a meeting with one distinguished actor/director.

Below are just a few images of things which kept me sane (or insane) this past week. 

This poster is so perfect. Shailene's scowl, her crossed arms, the unusual angle of the camera and the print of the title.