'The Kings of Summer' Film Review

Three teenage friends, in search of independence, run away to spend their summer building

a house in the woods.

A film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts that screened various film festivals around the US and Spain such as Sundance, Dallas International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Pheonix Film Festival and the Gijón International Film Festival.

The cinematography was breathtaking. The beauty of the woods were showcased through close ups of bugs and fit with the youthful theme of discovery so evident in this film. One of my favorite shots was the one of the boys, Joe (Nick Robinson), Patrick (Gabriel Basso), and Biaggio (Moises Arias) jumping. The slow motion shot represented the newfound freedom the boys have by setting their own rules and living on their own.

The casting was on point. Moises Arias did an especially good job with the role Biaggo by adding a comic relief that was undeniably funny.

The soundtrack added to the 'boys will be boys' tonality of the film. The soundtrack sounded fun and fresh and led me to download a few of new summer songs.

'Between Us' Film Review

Seeing this film was not my original plan. Between Us was playing at the Dallas International Film Festival and so was the another film I was intending to see. I assumed that my first choice was playing at the primary movie theater for the festival, but that ended up not being the case. I stumbled into the theater playing Between Us after hearing the director, Dan Mirvish, would be in attendance. After all, I was glad I saw this film because it wouldn't be my typical film choice. It's refreshing to see a film you know nothing about and enter the theater with open expectations.

The somber tone was spot on. The tension between Sharyl and Joel after their fight could not have been portrayed in a more impactful way. Surprisingly, Mirvish was even able to work in lighthearted moments such as a gag about ordering milkshakes. The jokes gave the audience a break from the jabs the couples made to each other.

Symbolism shown with yellow lighting as Grace drew money from an ATM separated it from the other harsh, tension-filled scenes that made up most of the movie. Watching couples battle about marital issues (including couples at different stages in their relationships) forced the audience to be uncomfortable. The silences were painstaking, but wonderful at the same time. This film required the audience to reflect on their own relationships and delve into how they interact with the people they love. I expected to watch a comedic movie, but ended up watching a movie on the opposite side of the genre spectrum and enjoyed it thoroughly.

'Me and You' Film Review

An introverted teenager tells his parents he is going on a ski trip, but instead spends his time in a basement where he reunites with his sister after years of slim to none contact.

An Italian Film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci (Originally titled Io e te) was screened out of competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and at various competitions around the world such as the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Cinedays Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Göteborg International Film Festival, Belgrade Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival and the Gindou Film Festival.

The film was slow paced leading each moment to be packed full with charm. One plot point that could be expanded was the reasoning behind Lorenzo not connecting with classmates at his school. The film's duration is an hour and a half long and there could easily be a few shots added to enhance the background story.

Close-up shots should be used like ice cubes. Sparingly. On a hot summer day in Texas when you are sitting down and reading  a book, dread sets in as you go to take a sip of your ice tea and it is diluted with watery formations of melted ice. Close up shots should be implemented when dialogue is heavy or the audience's attention should be focused character's facial expressions. Occasionally, close-up shots were used and the purpose was not clear. Long shots would have also been more effective during the beginning, outside shots of Lorenzo.

One aspect of the film I applaud Bertolucci on is managing to create wonder, suspense, and a strong story while filming almost solely in a single room.

The edits were seamless. The choice to crosscut between Lorenzo (Jacopo Olmo Antinori) and Olivia (Tea Falco) as they were apart from each other created a clear sense 
of distance.

'Jump' Film Review

   

        Jump is an Irish film about Greta, charming yet incredibly lost, who is set on committing suicide by jumping off a bridge on New Year's Eve, but instead meets a guy she becomes fond of and is wrapped up in a predicament due to the fact that her father is involved in the mob.

       The film was nicely shot and the lighting was magical. The shot composition was spot-on, and the close-ups were used thoughtfully and with purpose. The scenes at night were well-lit and the non-linear structure was made easy to follow. A few of my favorite shots was the establishing shot of Greta standing on the bridge and the extreme close-up of her eyes. The irony was employed very well with Marie and Dara with their comical conflict in the third act.

'Mud' Film Review

            Jeff Nichol's Mud is about 'two young boys who encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the vigilantes that are on his trail and to reunite him with his true love.' (IMDB)

            I was lucky enough to attend the Dallas International Film screening where Jeff Nichols, the director of Mud, was there to chat about his film. I enjoyed the film thoroughly and here are my thoughts.

            Beautiful locations. Michael Dittmar found locations that fit the story very nicely. The use of symbolism with Mud's white shirt, boots, and gun worked. The casting was phenomenal and put the audience into the Arkansas mindset. It was also simple to know where the boys were and where they were heading because of the clarity Nichols created with entering and exiting of shots.

'Cry' Film Review

     
         In 2012, I was given the opportunity to be an extra in the independent movie, Cry, directed by Clay Luther. The day I was on set, we filmed the cafeteria and the gym scenes. This was Luther's first film and it premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival, at which I attended two of the screenings.
         Cry is centered around a teenager (portrayed by Skyy Moore) who is dealing with bullying and his how to share with his family and friends that he is homophobic. Bill Flynn, Erik Lopez, Cherami Leigh, and Del Shores are all central characters in the film as well.
         The overall pacing of the film was too slow. The film lost my attention at some points because I was waiting for the story to move along. Although in some sections, the edits would have been more effective if a few of the beats were slightly longer to give the audience a second to think about what was just said. The tone was displayed well through out but it became muddy during lingering moments that needed to be edited shorter. The casting was great, the only thing that could be improved was the thought behind a couple of the lines because I did not believe every word said by the characters. This was most likely due to the fact that Luther is a first time director, but with each film, a director gains knowledge on what worked and what  they should do differently.

Del Shores in 'CRY'

Skyy Moore in 'CRY'

Reflection of Director Wes Anderson's Work

My favorite director is Wes Anderson. He is known to make very stylized films, which creates strong opinions among his audience. He is known for using fast paced dolly movements, a distinct color palette, and notable costumes in the form of uniforms.

Wes Anderson's film Moonrise Kingdom highlights characters wearing uniforms of Khaki troop leaders, Khaki scouts, and iconic costumes such as Suzy Bishop's sixties inspired pink dress.

Moonrise Kingdom's color palette includes crimson, mustard yellow, olive, light blue, and gray.

The Royal Tenenbaums creates interest visually by costuming multiple characters in red jumpsuits and Gwyneth Paltrow's Margot in an oversized fur coat.

The Royal Tenenbaum's color palette includes red, bronze, light blue, blue-gray, and off-white.

Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou draws attention to Belefonteo's crew who wear red hats paired with blue shirts and pants.

Life Aquatic's color palette includes light blue, blue-gray, mustard yellow, and red.

Life Aquatic's color palette includes