Letters to Juliet (2010)

"Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love." This is one nice quote from William Shakespeare's Hamlet, which I probably wouldn't know if it wasn't for the movie Letters to Juliet.

 



The movie was inspired by the book with the same title by sisters Lise Friedman and Ceil Friedman. Sophie Hall (Amanda Seyfried) is a woman who is aspiring to be a writer but is still working as a fact checker for The New Yorker. Sophie goes to Verona, Italy with his fiance Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal) for a pre-honeymoon. As they arrived in Verona, Victor started to become busy meeting different people to talk with, all in relation to the restaurant he is planning to open soon. Sophie, being a very considerate girlfriend, just lets Victor do what he wants to do, therefore, Sophie is left with a lot of time to see more of Verona on her own. She saw a place where people write letters to Juliet (the heroin in one of Shakespeare's works), she saw a woman getting all these letters and follow her. She learned that four women is writing to all these letters back to respond to the feelings of those who wrote with all their hearts. One day, Sophie decided to help these women who are writing back. While she is getting the letters on the wall with the woman assigned to get them, she found a letter when a brick fell, turns out the letter was written 50 years ago. Stated in the letter is the story of a teenage girl who was supposed to runaway with a teenage boy she fell in love with, because her parents would not approve of them. The teenage girl didn't go to the place where they were supposed to meet because she felt afraid. Sophie replied to the letter, hoping that the one who wrote it will still be able to read it even after 50 years had passed. The next day, a man named Charlie (Chris Egan) came looking for her. Charlie is the grandson of the woman who wrote the letter 50 years ago. Charlie didn't like the idea that Sophie suggested to his grandmother to go search for the guy, Charlie confronted Sophie. Sophie followed Charlie as he said that he came with his grandmother. Sophie met Claire (Vanessa Redgrave), and learned that she is planning to search for Lorenzo, the guy Claire failed to go with when she was a teenager. Claire told Sophie that she want to say sorry to Lorenzo for not coming. Sophie decided to come with Claire and Charlie as they go search for Lorenzo Bartolini. While Victor is still busy with his research on foods and cooking, Sophie spend her days in Verona with Claire and Charlie as they look for Lorenzo. As their search for Lorenzo goes on, Sophie and Charlie will start to understand, be comfortable, and fall in love with each other.

 

 






One of the sweetest
scenes to look forward to :)

To be honest, I watched this without even knowing the plot or who the members of the cast are, and I had no idea who will be the characters I'll be seeing throughout the movie. Yes, I don't even know the plot or the characters. But when the character Charlie first appeared in the film, it somehow became a predictable story of a new found love. I literally said "Ahh, Sophie's going to fall in love with this one." I actually think there are lots of predictable story plots out there, but it still depends on the person if she wants to enjoy or just think negative about the movie all throughout. I wouldn't bother on that anymore, being a sucker for love stories that I am, I can pretty much accept any ending as long as it gives me a good feeling or I am touched in the end, and this one made me feel good. It is a charming watch, not too cheesy. doesn't have lots of touching between the lead characters, but there are very sweet scenes you can look forward to. I just love the love-hate relationship going on between Sophie and Charlie at first.

 

I'm not an actress of some sort, but I think Amanda Seyfried, Chris Egan, Vanessa Redgrave, and the rest of the cast including extras were able to give justice to the roles they were given. I like Amanda Seyfried's facial expressions as Sophie. (And how can she be so pretty?) Chris Egan is not exactly my type of guy but as the movie goes on I started to take a liking on him. So why am I even stating this here? It's because I think he portrayed the character Charlie so well that at the end of the film, I started to think he's adorable, because Charlie is adorable. Charlie is a guy who seems to be grumpy and a little distant, but turns out he's a very protective and caring person. Egan was able to show both the cranky Charlie and the caring Charlie well. Vanessa Redgrave's facial expressions as Claire made me want to help searching for Lorenzo too. I was like "Let her find him already!" The extras (those other Lorenzo Bartolinis) are very effective as well, they are funny, have different characters, though same names.

 

I think it's safe to say that Letters to Juliet is a good watch if you want to forget the harsh reality of life for awhile. Go wander in Verona!

 

*Pictures not mine, unless stated otherwise. Credits for the pictures goes to the rightful owners.

Summer Wars (2009)

Summer Wars Movie Poster

“Quitting won't do you any good. You have to work for an answer.” This was a line from the movie, “Summer Wars”,  a 2009 Japanese animated science fiction film directed by Mamoru Hosoda (who was also the director of “The Girl Who Leapt through Time”), animated by Madhouse and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. As the quote suggests, I can clearly picture out one of the scenes in which  the protagonist, Kenji Koiso, had to do his best solving the security code problem mentally regarding the social networking site called “Oz”. Check out the film’s trailer below:

(Japanese)

(English)

Natsuki (left-center) and Kenji (right-center)
gets some teasing from Natsuki's relatives.

The film is about the life of Kenji Koiso, a young high school student who is a math nerd and a part-time moderator in the massive computer-simulated virtual reality world called “OZ”. He was invited by Natsuki Shinohara, who happens to be the most popular girl in their school to participate in the 90th birthday of her great-grandmother, Sakae. Kenji travels with her to Sakae's estate in Ueda. This part of the film was actually fun. Along the way, Kenji and Natsuki get to meet Natsuki’s other relatives. Well, as far as I know, relatives do really like to talk about a lot, especially about their family. Kenji appears to be attentive to them, but I did wonder if he actually remembers all that information. The problem begins when Kenji solve s a complex math riddle that has been mysteriously sent to his cell phone, and he unknowingly unleashes a malicious program called “Love Machine” that threatens to devastate not only “Oz” but also the people outside the virtual world.

OZ: A massive computer-simulated virtual reality world.

Love Machine vs. King Kazma

King Kazma, Natsuki's and Kenji's avatar
along with the other virtual residents of Oz.

Summer Wars clearly showed how society has become dependent on the internet; focusing on the perspective of the younger generation. This aspect of a person who is totally into the internet can be seen on one of the characters in the film. It shows us just how life is with the internet and what becomes of the people dependent on it once it crashes or even disappears.

The film actually  won several awards: 2010 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival's Animation Division Grand Prize, the Anaheim International Film Festival's Audience Award for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for the 2009 Golden Leopard award at the Locarno International Film Festival.

For me, Summer Wars was a complete package: sci-fi, action, a bit of drama and comedy and of course, romance. The film was praised for its dazzling visuals, its narrative and how it had pointed out about the dangers of technology. I'm sure you'll enjoy the film as much as I did!

If you are interested about the film here’s an interview:
(this video has 7 parts; this is only part 1 :D)

To end this, here’s a quote from the matriarch of the Jinnouchi clan: “...and you always eat together as a family, even during difficult times, because being hungry and being all alone are the worst things that can happen to anyone.”

Main Film Genres

Here's a list of Main Film Genres!

• Action films usually include high energy, big-budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.), non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous, often two-dimensional 'good-guy' heroes (or recently, heroines) battling 'bad guys' - all designed for pure audience escapism. Includes the James Bond 'fantasy' spy/espionage series, martial arts films, and so-called 'blaxploitation' films. A major sub-genre is the disaster film. 

• Adventure films are usually exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locales, very similar to or often paired with the action film genre. They can include traditional swashbucklers, serialized films, and historical spectacles (similar to the epics film genre), searches or expeditions for lost continents, "jungle" and "desert" epics, treasure hunts, disaster films, or searches for the unknown.

• Comedies are light-hearted plots consistently and deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter (with one-liners, jokes, etc.) by exaggerating the situation, the language, action, relationships and characters. This section describes various forms of comedy through cinematic history, including slapstick, screwball, spoofs and parodies, romantic comedies, black comedy (dark satirical comedy), and more.

• Crime (gangster) films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or mobsters, particularly bank robbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and murdering their way through life. Criminal and gangster films are often categorized as film noir or detective-mystery films - because of underlying similarities between these cinematic forms. This category includes a description of various 'serial killer' films.

• Dramas are serious, plot-driven presentations, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations, and stories involving intense character development and interaction. Usually, they are not focused on special-effects, comedy, or action, Dramatic films are probably the largest film genre, with many subsets. Dramatic biographical films (or "biopics") are a major sub-genre, as are 'adult' films (with mature subject content). 

• Epics include costume dramas, historical dramas, war films, medieval romps, or 'period pictures' that often cover a large expanse of time set against a vast, panoramic backdrop. Epics often share elements of the elaborate adventure films genre. Epics take an historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure, and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes, accompanied by grandeur and spectacle, dramatic scope, high production values, and a sweeping musical score. Epics are often a more spectacular, lavish version of a biopic film. Some 'sword and sandal' films (Biblical epics or films occurring during antiquity) qualify as a sub-genre.

• Horror films are designed to frighten and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films feature a wide range of styles, from the earliest silent Nosferatu classic, to today's CGI monsters and deranged humans. They are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. The fantasy and supernatural film genres are not usually synonymous with the horror genre. There are many sub-genres of horror: slasher, teen terror, serial killers, Satanic, Dracula, Frankenstein, etc. 

• Musical/dance films are cinematic forms that emphasize full-scale scores or song and dance routines in a significant way (usually with a musical or dance performance integrated as part of the film narrative), or they are films that are centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography. Major sub-genres include the musical comedy or the concert film. 

• Sci-fi films are often quasi-scientific, visionary and imaginative - complete with heroes, aliens, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology, unknown and unknowable forces, and extraordinary monsters ('things or creatures from space'), either created by mad scientists or by nuclear havoc. They are sometimes an offshoot of fantasy films, or they share some similarities with action/adventure films. Science fiction often expresses the potential of technology to destroy humankind and easily overlaps with horror films, particularly when technology or alien life forms become malevolent, as in the "Atomic Age" of sci-fi films in the 1950's.

• War (and anti-war) films acknowledge the horror and heartbreak of war, letting the actual combat fighting (against nations or humankind) on land, sea, or in the air provide the primary plot or background for the action of the film. War films are often paired with other genres, such as action,adventure, drama, romance, comedy (black), suspense, and even epics and westerns, and they often take a denunciatory approach toward warfare. They may include POW tales, stories of military operations, and training. 

• Westerns are the major defining genre of the American film industry - a eulogy to the early days of the expansive American frontier. They are one of the oldest, most enduring genres with very recognizable plots, elements, and characters (six-guns, horses, dusty towns and trails, cowboys, Indians, etc.). Over time, westerns have been re-defined, re-invented and expanded, dismissed, re-discovered, and spoofed. 

Film Theories

Here's what we learned about Film Theories during class~! Of course it'll be based on notes we have written down. :)

Film Theory - provides conceptual frameworks for understanding film's relation to reality, the other arts, individual viewers and society at large

FILM THEORIES

Structuralist Film Theory

• emphasizes how films convey meaning through the use of codes and conventions not dissimilar to the way languages are used to construct meaning in communication

Formalist Film Theory

• focused on the formal or technical elements of the film: lighting, scoring, sound and set design etc.
• considers the synthesis (or lack of synthesis) of the multiple elements of film production

Feminist Film Theory

• theoretical film criticism derived from feminist politics and feminist theory
• analysis on how women are portrayed in the film related to the broader historical context, the stereotypes depicted, the extent to which women were shown as active or passive and the amount of screen time given to women

Auteur Theory

• a director's film reflect that director's personal creative vision
• "Auteur" is the french word for "author"

Apparatus Theory

• derived from Marxist film theory, semiotics and psychoanalysis
• maintains that cinema is by nature ideological because its mechanics of representation are ideological
• argues that cinema maintains the dominant ideology of the culture within the viewer

Genre Studies

• refers to the method based on similarities in the narrative elements form which films are constructed
• a system of codes, conventions and visual styles which enables an audience to determine rapidly and with some complexity the kind of narrative they are viewing
• categorizing films according to their setting, theme, topic, mood, format etc.

Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi/Spirited Away (2001)

Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi movie poster 

As I grew up, I was exposed to watching Japanese dramas, films and their own version of animation - anime. I came to know that Spirited Away is a box office hit in Japan, and that it won several awards from award giving bodies internationally, including a Golden Bear and an Oscar award. I first watched Spirited Away when I was still in primary elementary, I liked it already by then but as time passed by, I forgot about the story. I re-watched it and now I like it more than ever.

Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi or Spirited Away is a story of a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro, who got lost with her parents while driving towards their new neighborhood. They came upon a dead-end, and a tunnel welcomes them. Curious on what is on the other side, Chihiro's parents decided to see, telling Chihiro to wait inside the car if she doesn't want to come with them. Chihiro who's scared to be left alone, decided to come with her parents after all. At the other end of the tunnel, a mysterious town awaits them. As Chihiro and her parents were walking through the town, Chihiro's parents was teased by the smell of delicious foods and when they found where the aroma is coming from, they started eating the foods there. Chihiro, not wanting to eat like what her parents just did, walked for awhile then came rushing back to her parents. When she approached them, turns out they became pigs who are pigging out. Chihiro was approached by a boy named Haku. Haku told Chihiro that she would help her to turn her parents back to humans. Chihiro have to work in the mysterious town in order to do this. The story went on as Chihiro learns to be independent, to work, and gather courage she may have not been able to gather if it weren't for this experience.

Here's the trailer:

For a childlike story, for a film intended for young audiences, it's amazing how it depicted values which adults may have already forgotten. One value is how scary one's greediness can result to. Another is how one's hard work will eventually pay off. Also, I think the movie wants to convey the message that a child should learn to be able to stand/survive on his or her own someday. This was shown as Chihiro's character developed as she was once a very dependent child - scared of little things and is not accustomed to changes, then she became a child who learned to believe more in herself and was able to get things done. The film carries such strong messages within it.

Another interesting thing in this film is the characters. While everyone believes that this film is a pure Japanese legend, Director Hayao Miyazaki said that the characters were inspired by real-life people and experiences. He said that Chihiro was inspired by a friend's daughter who is lazy but Miyazaki wants to believe that her inner resource is as rich as Chihiro's. Another trivia on a character is about a mythical creature character Chihiro gave a bath to. Chihiro somehow discovered that the mythical creature is big and smelly because of trash inside him. When Chihiro and the other workers tried to get the trash out of the creature's body, they got different things including a bicycle. Miyazaki said that the mythical creature on that scene was inspired by a real-life experience. He said he was once cleaning a river, then he found a bicycle from it. Miyazaki has a deep thought on every character, not only the movie as a whole gives a message, but the individual characters carry a message within themselves too.

Here's the making of the film where Miyazaki Hayao discussed about the characters:

The scoring of the film was effective but I like to focus on it's ending song more. The ending song is one great song I must say. I have listened to a lot of Japanese songs, and this is one of the most powerful Japanese songs I've ever heard. It is powerful not only because of Kimura Yumi's good voice but also because the lyrics are very meaningful. Here are some parts of the lyrics translation I found in the web, "It's calling out, somewhere deep within my chest. My heart always wants to dance and dream. The number of my sorrows is countless, but across them, surely I'll be able to meet you again," and "I won't search on the far side of the sea anymore, because I found myself, what is shining is always here." Those lines suit Chihiro who is young and naive, but then met Haku who encouraged her to be strong because she is the one who can help herself the most. Also, the line "surely I'll be able to meet you again" is perfect because Chihiro and Haku had to part ways.

I do not usually watch old anime but Studio Ghibli's animated films are exceptions. Spirited Away's animation is different in terms of the drawings of the characters and the background from Japan's animated films and series nowadays, but when you're watching it you won't even care about those. I haven't watched any other films directed by Miyazaki Hayao but sure, after re-watching this, I want to watch more. More than a decade has passed since this film was released, and it seems like Studio Ghibli doesn't do sequels for their animated films but I'm really curious if Chihiro and Haku would meet again someday. Well, I guess Studio Ghibli is leaving it up to our imaginations.

Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (1974)

Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang movie poster


To what extent can hypocrisy result to? To what extent can people play blind on things needed to be acted upon? Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (Weighed but Found Wanting) is a Filipino drama film about sensitive social problems.

The film started with an old woman performing an abortion on a middle-aged woman (Lolita Rodriguez). The middle-aged woman was resisting, but a middle-aged man (Eddie Garcia) was holding her firmly. The abortion was a success. It looked like it was a thing of the past as the movie goes to the present. The middle-aged woman is now seen loitering on the streets wearing dirty clothes. She became insane after the abortion. The middle-aged woman is now called Kuala by the townspeople. Berto (Mario O'Hara), a man who has a skin disease, attracted Kuala to come to him using a toy. Berto was longing for a female partner because the townspeople won't even go near him, what more to make friends with him. Berto helped Kuala and let her stay on his house.

Junior (Christopher de Leon), a teenager who came from a rich family, started to be friends with Kuala and Berto. Junior's father told his son to not associate himself with Kuala and Berto. Still, Junior often visited Berto's house and talk with Berto, play with Kuala, or help on house chores. One time, when Junior visited Berto and Kuala, Junior was helping Berto carry some woods. Later they realized that Kuala was nowhere in sight.

They searched for her and found her beside a tree, looking so tired and scared. Kuala suddenly mentioned the name "Cesar." Junior was shocked because this is the name of his father, but he let it go that time. Kuala got pregnant with Berto's child. The townspeople did not like the idea, and were against Berto taking care of Kuala while she is pregnant. They took Kuala away from Berto. Kuala did not want to stay where the townspeople decided she'll stay in. She escaped and found her way back to Berto's house. Kuala was experiencing labor pains, and Berto rushed to a doctor. The doctor does not want to help so Berto, left with no choice, threatened him to come. This cause uproar on the town though Berto said that he won't kill the doctor and that he only needs him to go with him. Berto was shot by a policeman and he died. Junior saw this and was shocked. The townspeople then heard a cry of a baby, Kuala gave birth on her own. The townspeople went near the house where Kuala is in and they all tried to peek as Kuala recognizes Junior's father Cesar and asked him why he killed their child. Cesar's secret was then revealed to the whole town. Kuala dies after giving her baby to Junior. Junior then left the scene carrying Kuala and Berto's child on his arms.

Knowing that this is Christopher de leon's breakthrough film as stated, no wonder he is still active on acting right now. His good looking but innocent face was put to good use in this film. Junior really looked like someone from a rich family, might be a little naughty because he is a teenager, but is innocent and has a pure heart. For a new actor, I think Christopher de Leon was able to portray the character well. Same goes for Lolita Rodriguez, must have been very tough to get into a role of an insane woman but she was able to pull it off. About Eddie Garcia, I may have seen him acting a lot of times already but this might be the first time I thought about his acting. I cannot really differentiate between his tone for his role in this film and his tone for other roles he played but I think he is effective, because he still suited on the roles given to him, or so I think.

I was still not born when this film was released, and my parents were probably just on their teenage years by then. To be honest, I thought this would be one boring old movie,  but I was wrong. It is very different from the films produce nowadays and one can really tell that it is old but it has edge which makes it a very interesting watch. The film is a brave take on sensitive issues within our society (abortion, prejudice, love affair etc.) and on how one innocent/pure heart can see through these things. Junior saw through things that were needed to be acted upon, and if he could act upon it, he probably would have done so, just like when he walked away with Kuala and Berto's child.

Now to wrap this up, I want to leave a question. Do you think there is still a Junior within our society today?

The Matrix (1999)

Trailer of The Matrix (1999)

“How would you know the difference between the dream world, and the real world?”

I remember having dreams that felt like it was so true, I end up crying once I wake up and then realizing it was just a “dream”. It’s the same with the film, The Matrix: a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowski Brothers. The film shows us a dystopian (an undesirable or frightening society) future in which the reality seen by humans is actually a simulated reality or cyberspace called "the Matrix". This “Matrix” was created by sentient machines to pacify and subdue the human population, while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Computer programmer "Neo" discovers this truth and is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, which involves other people who have been freed from the "dream world" and into reality.

The Matrix movie poster

Thomas Anderson, who sits in a cubicle and works as a computer programmer by day, then becomes “Neo”, a hacker by night is our hero in the story. After discovering the truth from Morpheus, who tells him that enslaved humans are kept docile within the "Matrix" – a simulation of the world as it was in 1999 and he has lived in this simulated world since birth. Morpheus also explains that he and his crew belong to a group of free humans who "unplug" others from the Matrix and recruit them to their rebellion against the Machines. They are the only ones who can hack into the Matrix and re-enter the simulated reality, where their understanding of its true nature allows them to manipulate its physical laws, granting them superhuman abilities. Morpheus believes Neo is "the One", a man prophesied to end the war between humans and machines. Neo then joins together with them and fight in order to save the humans who are enslaved in the Matrix.

This world depicted in the film is totally frightening in a way, since humans are put to sleep and being controlled. It is actually the same with the world today; we tend to be dependent on technology that we end up being controlled by them ‘unconsciously’. As I see it from the scene where Neo was talking to his boss due to him not working properly, I think that Neo is more ”alive” in being a hacker than being a programmer. Most technological addictions are on to social media and video games. Isn’t it true that most of us sit in front of the computer for hours? We enjoy the virtual world since it is a place where we can be who we want ourselves to be. We are imprisoned in this kind of world, and we appreciate it more than the real world, just how most humans in the film are.

The society in the Matrix is completely futuristic, thus the presentation of the characters in the film is important. I think that the cast is appropriate in their roles, and I actually like Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith. He totally looks scary being an agent that keeps the system of the Matrix. He is different as compared to how I remember him from The Lord of the Rings as Elrond. Keanu Reeves (Constantine, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Sweet November) on the other hand, I think his acting in this film is just the same in The Day the Earth Stood Still; but looking at how Neo slowly understood everything about the truth, he showed just how his character is developed, from being weak into becoming “The One”. The way the characters are dressed also accentuates their characters: Agent Smith and the other agents wearing suits while Neo and his team wears boots and leather stuff making them look more rebellious towards the machines.

Keanu Reeves as Neo

Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith

Let us not forget  the famous bullet dodging scene! This is a famous visual effect noted in the film called "bullet time". This allows the viewer to explore the moment progressing in slow-motion as the camera appears to orbit around the scene in a normal manner. a lot scenes are also shown in slow-mo. Well here's a clip:

"Have you awaken from the dream yet?"