Welcome To The Dollhouse
Todd Solondz's Welcome To The Dollhouse very accurately captures familiar themes and situations from an awkward child's middle school years. From having completely apathetic parents to being threatened by rape, it proves to be a little extreme -- but the resemblance to personal experiences is gruesome. Being in high school and having finished 8th grade two years ago, I think that, while painful, it is the most interesting to reflect upon these experiences now. Although it's an Rated R film, I would say that teenagers are the ideal audience, as opposed elementary school students going into middle school, or grade school kids themselves. It was additionally interesting to see these "typical" events take place during the mid 90s. The snazzy outfits and outstanding mise en scene throughout the film made it all the more enjoyable. It was also entertaining to watch the characters change and mature over time. While Dawn simply discovers many new things, as I see it, Brandon undergoes the most change. Having been introduced as a bully, Brandon's transformation into an overly-passionate gentleman is rather surprising. It is revealed that his reputation is only a tough-guy act and he is not truly capable of acts like raping an innocent girl or dealing drugs. I feel that this film successfully reached into the depths of a pre-teen's character to remind us all what we have been suppressing for all these years.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Hitchcock
Hitchcock
Sacha Gervasi's Hitchcock explores the making of Albert Hitchcock's famous revolutionary horror picture Psycho along with the struggles and conflicts that come with it. Theoretically, this film serves as a behind-the-scenes feature to Psycho, despite being a few decades late. Nevertheless, having first seen the movie when it was released in 2012 in a theater entirely filled with senior spectators, I see that it is mainly a fragment of nostalgia for the original die-hard Hitchcock fanatics. An enthusiastic audience, catching on to each of the many out-of-context references and distinctly appreciating the portrayal of the environment of the 1960's, even applauding at the end, these moviegoers sincerely enriched my experience and showed me the true value of the film. Additionally, by giving light and insight to the process of film-making in Hollywood during the late 1950's and early 1960's, this movie is inevitably appealing to film makers of all ages. Furthermore, the dramatic and suspenseful nature of the storyline, engaging the difficulties of Hitchcock's relationship with his wife, Alma Reville, and his inner dilemmas and delusions, proves the film to be relevant to all audiences (over the age of thirteen.) Many of the leading characters undergo changes and transformations as they overcome the plot's obstacles. Alma, the unconditionally devoted wife, becomes frustrated with Hitchcock's inflexibility and begins losing faith in him, getting involved with another man's projects. Albert is shown progressively losing his sanity as he runs into numerous complications with his production. His rage for all those in his way is impressively illustrated when he takes it upon himself to swing the knife for the shower murder scene, and while doing so, pictures himself stabbing his interfering opponents and competitors. Eventually, when things finally go as he wants them to, after he is lectured by his wife, and after he realizes that his tenacity is harming his marriage, he begins to acknowledge Alma and incorporate her into his work more. He is able to productively work on his film with his wife without being paranoid and delusional. The movie ends with Hitchcock discussing his plans for making his next picture, suggesting further conflicts and struggles, but none too large for him to handle.
Sacha Gervasi's Hitchcock explores the making of Albert Hitchcock's famous revolutionary horror picture Psycho along with the struggles and conflicts that come with it. Theoretically, this film serves as a behind-the-scenes feature to Psycho, despite being a few decades late. Nevertheless, having first seen the movie when it was released in 2012 in a theater entirely filled with senior spectators, I see that it is mainly a fragment of nostalgia for the original die-hard Hitchcock fanatics. An enthusiastic audience, catching on to each of the many out-of-context references and distinctly appreciating the portrayal of the environment of the 1960's, even applauding at the end, these moviegoers sincerely enriched my experience and showed me the true value of the film. Additionally, by giving light and insight to the process of film-making in Hollywood during the late 1950's and early 1960's, this movie is inevitably appealing to film makers of all ages. Furthermore, the dramatic and suspenseful nature of the storyline, engaging the difficulties of Hitchcock's relationship with his wife, Alma Reville, and his inner dilemmas and delusions, proves the film to be relevant to all audiences (over the age of thirteen.) Many of the leading characters undergo changes and transformations as they overcome the plot's obstacles. Alma, the unconditionally devoted wife, becomes frustrated with Hitchcock's inflexibility and begins losing faith in him, getting involved with another man's projects. Albert is shown progressively losing his sanity as he runs into numerous complications with his production. His rage for all those in his way is impressively illustrated when he takes it upon himself to swing the knife for the shower murder scene, and while doing so, pictures himself stabbing his interfering opponents and competitors. Eventually, when things finally go as he wants them to, after he is lectured by his wife, and after he realizes that his tenacity is harming his marriage, he begins to acknowledge Alma and incorporate her into his work more. He is able to productively work on his film with his wife without being paranoid and delusional. The movie ends with Hitchcock discussing his plans for making his next picture, suggesting further conflicts and struggles, but none too large for him to handle.
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