Films To Note

Another installment of my film reviews and recommendations which disappeared for a while. I've decided to go for a slightly obscure theme this week with five films that are a bit outside of the norm. People assume because I'm a film student I only watch strange films and although I'm a sucker for the classics, I can be a reaffirmation of this stereotype sometimes too. They're not too obscure and still thoroughly enjoyable films so I hope you can take a step outside of the box and watch one of these.

1. Old Boy (2003)

A Chan-Wook Park Film
A South Korean export, this film is part of Park Chan-Wook's trilogy revolving around the theme of revenge. Following a man who was kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years on his journey to discover who kept him locked up and why. He travels through his own memory as well as the dark landscape of the city leaving a trail of violence in his wake. Known for the scene where the male lead eats a live squid, this psychological thriller is full of moments that leave you cringing away from the screen and yet always turning back for one more look.

2. XXY(2007)

A Lucia Puenzo Film

Coming from Argentina, this fascinating film follows teenager Alex who has both female and male genitals. Alex has taken medication to suppress his male hormones for his life but has decided to stop taking them when some family friends come to visit. The father is a surgeon and has come to discuss the possibility of a sex-change operation. A story of discovering sexuality and deciding who you are, it is a poignant film with some wonderfully tense moments.

3. Dogtooth (2009)

A Giorgos Lanthimos Film
A shining example of the new Greek film scene, Dogtooth is a surreal and chaotic watch, challenging the entire family dynamic. A father has decided to keep his family safe from society by keeping them inside their compound without outside contact, except for a woman who is brought in to deal with the son's sexual needs. The events unfold in a bizarre manner and while not a comfortable watch, Dogtooth captures a sense of control and a need to escape with such ease.

4. AntiChrist (2009)

A Lars Von Trier Film
Lars Von Trier is infamous in the industry for creating experimental and dark masterpieces. AntiChrist was allegedly made when he was suffering from severe depression and this definitely translated well into this troubling film. It opens with the death of a couple's child as it falls from a window and from there travels into the forest where they have gone to try and deal with their grief. It is a violent and explicit film so not for the weak stomached but the cinematography is stunning and a depiction of madness  is never going to be a simple film.

5. Rubber (2010)

A Quentin Dupieux Film

This French film takes the concept of voyeurism and runs with it. A multi-layered narrative which involves a group of viewers watching the action through binoculars in the desert, follows the story of a rubber tyre that wreaks havoc as it kills people with it's mind. I know it sounds ridiculous and it is, but it's an interesting watch that plays with the idea of diegesis and with the idea of genre itself.

Bloodline

All I seem to be able to talk about recently is my film. I wrote the screenplay a few months ago and dived into pre-production, putting together a crew, cast and scouting all the locations needed. We shot the film on  a Nikon D7000 which gave us a lot more freedom that working with the big cameras we normally get from university. This also meant clapperboarding every shot so it felt very professional and we even had a runner on our crew doing all the little jobs. Finally, the time came around to get on set and shoot it. We had been working under the working title 'Segments' but changed the name to 'Bloodline' once we'd wrapped.

Beware this is gonna be a bit of photo overload.
Day one

guerilla filmmaking

Day two

Day three

That's a wrap!

Being ambushed by cast and crew for the cheesiest photo ever

Everyone that helped make Bloodline were amazing and I'm so grateful for people giving up their time, houses, shops and cafes to help us out. We've got a gap before we start editing due to the exam period but I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Films To Note

I'm finally getting back on track with my regular features after my break. For this fortnights 'Films to Note' I was struggling to pick a theme until I realised what most of my favourite films, and books for the matter, are about. Coming of Age. Growing up and realising who you are. Finding your niche. Those films that show us the delicate part of life when someone is really discovering themselves. I'm a sucker for those films so here are five of my favourite coming of age films.

1. Whip It! (2009)

A Drew Barrymore Film

This film is such a winner for me. It has two of my girl crushes, Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore (who also directed), a great soundtrack and it's set in Austin, TX. It follows Bliss who is stuck in a dead end town with only her friends to keep her sane in the world of pageants, waitressing jobs and bullies. Until she discovers Roller Derby. A rough and tumble sport filled with alternative girls who aren't afraid to be themselves. Bliss soon becomes the team's star, Babe Ruthless, but it's not all plain sailing with obstacles of first love, lying to her parents and the small fact she's not actually old enough to be competing.

One for the times when you need a top up in your 'you can do anything you put your mind to' belief.

2. Nothing is Private/Towelhead (2007)

An Alan Ball Film
I've spoken about my love for Alan Ball before on this blog and in Nothing is Private he really lets his dark humour shine. Jasira is a young girl discovering herself and her sexuality which results in her being shipped off to live with her controlling Lesbanese father is the suburbs. The pair have a rocky relationship to say the least with his twisted views of womanhood clashing with her curious attitude towards sex. It's quite an open film that explores issues of religion, racism and sexuality that really pulls you in to the characters lives as Jasira finds herself floundering in the rules and standards set by those around her.

3. Submarine (2010)

A Richard Ayoade Film
Submarine is a true British gem. It follows 15 year old Oliver Tate as he faces the challenges of first love, first kiss and first realisation that his parents are unhappy. Hilarious, heart warming and wonderfully shot, Submarine explores the excitement and mystery of his relationship with Jordana while struggling to keep his parent's marriage from falling apart of the hands of their neighbour. It's a great coming of age story for everyone who's ever known young love or felt like their life was spinning out of their control.

4. Zombie Girl (2009)

A Justin Johnson and Aaron Marshall Film

This documentary follows the production of a small indie zombie movie being made in Austin where the filmmaker just happens to be 12. Emily wrote, directed and edited Pathogen all with the help of her mum at the young age of 12. She calls in all sorts of favours around town, turns a mass of extras into zombies in a local supermarket and sticks firmly by the rule that zombies don't run. I really identified with Emily as such a driven filmmaker and luckily, at no point does she cross over into arrogance for someone talented so young. Not a conventional coming of age story but one I'd definitely recommend. 

5. Garden State (2004)

A Zach Braff Film

I'm sure you're thinking I'm such a film student right now but I can't help but adore this film. When Andrew's mother dies, he returns home for the first time since his adolescence. Instead of more misery, Andrew finds love in the form of Sam, true friendship in his boyhood friends and freedom in his decision to stop taking his anti-depressants. His rocky relationship with his parents has haunted him but he decides to draw a line through the past and start living his life for himself. A romantic, touching and devastating film at each turn, Garden State is about truly accepting who we are and to start living for every moment.