Hard Candy (2006)

The lucky seventh film to be featured on this here blog of mine is 2006's HARD CANDY directed by David Slade.

This film is a modern cautionary tale as well as a film that makes one question their own moral standing. In a world where predators prey on young children through digital tallgrass of pixels and instant messages. The world defines themselves through usernames now, but what do we really know about anyone we chat with?
Jeff and Haley meet in person and he worships her in complete isolation. It's a spacious area, secluded, where he can avoid shame or scorn. It sets the tone for the rest of the film. They are alone to do what some may consider inappropriate. Already the little girl has the upper hand.
He lets her into his secret world, his home. He doesn't let her into his heart or his head. This whole film is a battle for power or dominance. The color palette is a strong as the two distinct characters.
This shot seems to divide them. Haley is cold and calculated while Jeff's fury and emotions get the better of him. He betrays his secrets while she manipulates him at every turn. Ellen Page is wonderful as Haley. It's a performance that holds such strong conviction, but manages to sneak in a surprising amount of humor. She's clever and appears so vulnerable, but she sinks her fangs into whatever she pleases whenever it's convenient for her. Her mission is large and so is her drive.
Jeff's home is a beautiful one, but one that is a cemetery with unmarked graves. He took every one of the skeletons in his closet and hid them elsewhere. But not too far off because they are a part of him no matter how much he denies it.
Patrick Wilson gives what I consider to be his best performance as Jeff. He gives Jeff a heart and creates an enormously sympathetic character out of what could have been an easily vilified pedophile. He brings emotions of serious depth as Haley attempts to dissect his life with her scalpel.
Hard Candy is a clever film that's sharply written with plenty of wit and gorgeous cinematography as well as two stellar performances. It takes no prisoners and is sure to divide audiences wherever it is shown. I strongly recommend this film.

Junebug (2005)

The sixth film I've chosen to feature is 2005's JUNEBUG directed by Phil Morrison. This film is known mostly for Amy Adams' acclaimed performance, but I think it is one of the best films ever made. It has many other admirable attributes that I'm going to highlight in this entry.

This film at it's very start is a boy meets girl story. Madeleine works for an art gallery and she meets George at an auction. They have a literal love at first sight moment and hit it off immediately. They marry soon after not knowing terribly much about each other, but feeling confident in their love or attraction for one another.
The inciting incident of the film is that Madeleine must visit an artist she's trying to book for her gallery. The artist lives very nearby to George's family. Madeleine is thrust into a world that is polite, but foreign. She is very sophisticated and stands out like a sore thumb. Even the artist she meets with has an almost primitive or childlike style of artwork.
The film is a quiet one and not overtly showy. Its quirkiness emerges from the very reality it creates. Certain moments of this film could very plausibly happen. It is full of glimpses of how people exist. Quietly. Even the way the interior of the house is filmed when no one is there gives the space a strong sense of life.
Of course, I have to devote at least a paragraph to the force that is Amy Adams in this film. Ashley is like Madeleine in a few ways. Technically she was an outsider to the family, but now she is very much a part of it. She has a strong vitality and enthusiasm for family. The baby she carries is essential to her. The child represents hope and the love that she and Johnny shared in the past. She treats Madeleine like a child, but not in a condescending sense. She sees Madeleine as family far before the others even accept the idea. She's protective of Madeleine, but fascinated with her in the way a young girl idolizes an older sister. It's a passionate characterization that is full of life and charm.
The relationship between Madeleine and Ashley is an interesting one because of the idolization. Ashley embodies a childlike naivete despite the fact that she's the one coasting toward motherhood. She's the main character that welcomes Madeleine and makes her feel less like an alien. It's an endearing friendship.
I liked this shot because I thought it emphasized Madeleine's isolation from the family.
It's amazing that Embeth Davidtz didn't get any attention from this film. Her Madeleine is the true masterwork of the piece in my opinion. She creates an intellectual woman who rushes into a marriage with extremely veiled motivation. It's unclear whether she wants children or not or if family is important to her at all. She is consistently surprised by George and vastly unprepared to impress his family. She woefully places her job before them while in the same breath proclaiming their importance. She's a sad, isolated woman who wouldn't know how to connect with her newfound family if it was the most important thing in the world. It's lovely work.
I love the voyeuristic feel of many of the shots. It gives the scenes a sense of privacy that makes them seem unaffected. The performances are strong in their grasp of realism. These people are lived in and not glossed over in a cheesy Hollywood manner.
And the inclusion of real looking character actors is something that adds authenticity to this little gem of a film.
When tragedy strikes it looks as if Madeleine might not be ready for life with this family. They accept her presence more than ever. The subtlety of this film is misleading. The stillness of the woods is also false in their serenity. The emotional turmoil these characters are feeling is deafening.
And, yet, when it's all said and done, there is a strong bond that brings them together. Despite their lack of past, Madeleine and George want to forge a future together. It's touching and real. I love this film and I enthusiastically recommend it.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

The fifth film that I am featuring on my blog is 2004's modern classic ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman.

The film is an unconventional love story between two true individuals. Joel and Clementine are among the most compelling and touching couples featured in cinema. The film mixes reality with the fantastic.
The happy memories between Joel and Clementine are warmer than reality and blurred. They slowly slip away from him as he desperately clings to them. This scene is the one where we begin to see Clementine as more than a desperately eccentric woman. She laments her appearance and how ugly she thinks she is. This memory prompts Joel's battle with the memory-erasing team of Lacuna.
There is this great theatricality to the memory-erasing process. The lighting is particularly emphatic. I love the way it plays as a prison spotlight of sorts as Joel tries to escape the erasing process. He decides that he doesn't want Clementine erased, but it won't be easy to stop them.
Jim Carrey's Joel is a wonderful piece of acting. He is reserved, but his love for Clementine makes him bolder, decisive. He is protective of the happy memories that they share even as they distort before his very eyes as she did at the end of their relationship.
As is the case in films written by masterful screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, there is a vivacious sense of humor and creativity. The interweaving of Joel's memories is clever and cheeky. The use of old-fashioned special effects is also fun. The sequence in his mother's kitchen with Clementine as the babysitter is probably the funniest in the film.
I love the use of contrast throughout the film. I especially love this shot of his bed on a beach blanketed in snow.
The playfulness of Kaufman's writing paired with Gondry's directing eye is a joy to behold. The film is a technical perfection. I think the editing in particular is a standout. I really loved the costuming in the re-imagined memories as well.
I think that, while the sections of the film featuring the Lacuna staff are weaker, they provide some great moments of insight as well. One of my favorite performances in the film is that of Kirsten Dunst. She brings a hopeful longing to Mary and a tremendous amount of significant emotion as the film progresses. She's funny and wrenching.
The muted, blurred vibe of several shots is something that used quite effectively in this film. The final parting scene between Joel and Clementine is gorgeous. The gentle whisper of Clementine implores him to "Meet me in Montauk." The universe has to keep them together. We hope that they will find each other again.

Then the ending arrives and brings with the bravest two lovers put to film. They know that their past wasn't perfect, but they have the guts to give it another go. It's progressive and joyous. The optimism is staggering. I think this is one of the best films of the 00's and one of the best films ever. I strongly recommend it.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

The fourth film I've selected in 2003's KILL BILL VOL.1 written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first half of The Bride's revenge story and it is a compelling film by itself.

The opening shot is divinely grotesque black and white. The energy of this film is one that never wavers and it's practically hyperactive. In this film, more than ever, Tarantino employs some of his strongest imagery. The commitment of Uma Thurman in this film is astounding. She is unwavering and bold in her choices as this jilted bride and killer. She allegedly even came up with the idea for the first shot...brilliance.
The color palette of this film is so vibrant, so vivid. It's very appropriate in this hyperactive universe of colorful language and larger than life characters. It has a drastically iconic feel throughout and is obviously very influenced by modern pop culture.
The film works as a sort of grab bag of different homages and it plays like a collage of coolness. Everything from the music (which is all taken from other films) to the costumes (which are inspired by other films) invokes a feeling of familiarity. Though is treads territory covered by other films, it does it in a way that makes it new. The use of split-screen is fun and used a few times quite successfully.
It wouldn't be a Quentin Tarantino film without a few lingering shots of feet. Gotta love his blatant fetish for toes.
The anime sequence is one of the most interesting of the film. It traces O-Ren's backstory with very cartoonish violence and stark use of color. The section is a welcome jump into a new medium and it's great to watch, abbreviated as it is.
Though Bill is the supposed villain of the series, Lucy Liu's O-Ren is the true ferocious villain of this film (Elle Driver being the true villain of the 2nd film). Her determination and ruthlessness is harrowing and gruesome. She has built a world that bows to her every demand and she sets the bar high for The Bride for the ultimate showdown of this film.
The saturation of this shot and the juxtaposition of The Bride's eyes and her memory of O-Ren is stunning. There is a very deliberately motivated use of memories in this film. It is quite effective and the editing reenforces the Bride's passionate need for revenge.

Best shot in the film? It's possible. The creativity of this shot wows me.
Love the mood of this shot. It's more somber and serious than the rest of the film. There are high stakes: it's life or death. The costuming is stunning and the set is wonderful as well.
Oh, Quentin. Lovely. It's like a blood sandal. Fierce.
The Bride stands victorious, formidable as we knew she would (because there's a Vol. 2). The first film has a thrilling cliffhanger ending that left me dying to see the 2nd volume when I first saw it in theaters. It is my favorite Quentin Tarantino film and one that I enthusiastically recommend.

Frida (2002)

The third film I've chosen for my blog is 2002's FRIDA directed by Julie Taymor. This film tells the story of Frida Kahlo, perhaps Mexico's most well-known, legendary artist. This film is full of stunning shots and so I have plenty for you to feast your eyes on as I discuss this film.

The color palette of this film is so striking. Strong primary colors are visible throughout, lots of blue. The representation of people through art is fascinating. The distortion of humanity through the eyes of an artist is one gift this film offers.

Maybe the most striking image in the film. The bus accident that cripples Kahlo for life is so beautifully filmed. Gold dust flying through the air over a blood soaked Salma Hayek. This shot sums up the style of the film to me. Special shout-out to cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. Great work.
So creepy. Taymor knows how to create a harrowing instant image. She brings them quickly and brilliantly.
After the accident Frida discovers a passion for painting and the film invites us to relish her newfound joy with her. The integration of painting works seamlessly in this film and sometimes the paintings are interchangeable with actual filmed images.
She finds a new strength and independence that is inspiring to watch. She takes on Alfred Molina's Diego Rivera. She drives the relationship in an almost emasculating fashion.
Hayek plays Kahlo in a way that makes her both seemingly impervious and also so vulnerable she could shatter with the pain of heartbreak. She's a woman unlike any other; a true revolutionary. In this shot she greets Rivera as a colleague, a fellow artist.
And in no time they find themselves here: married and conforming to an ideal that was never meant for them. They're both unprepared, but bold in their decision. There's tremendous life in their stillness.
The creativity of Taymor as a filmmaker is a thrill to experience firsthand. She draws inspiration from many mediums and creates a beautiful cornucopia of imagery. This shot reflects the influence of New York on Frida's imagination. She goes to the cinema and is affected by King Kong. She lives in the shadows of Rivera's Kong.

Until Diego's fall from grace. This fall is the beginning in a power shift. Frida's rise to fame begins as Diego falls into a stagnant period. The two grow further apart until he betrays her.

Frida draws the line and shuts him out of her bedroom and her heart. Check out those nifty stairs and the lighting is to die for.

She hacks away at the femininity that bound her in her relationship with Diego and sheds her past. Love the faithfulness to Kahlo's artwork. Hayek's intensity is completely palpable and I respect it so much.
I laughed at this. Vociferously.

I just love this shot.
The art direction and production design of this film is impeccable. The effortless transition from country to country is quite impressive. The color and saturation of each country is distinctively different and accurate in its depiction. I especially love the sequence that's set in a sultry, warm-toned France.
I love this sequence. Do it to me again, Taymor!
Frida is a film of serious merit. The central performance is one that effortlessly carries the film and the passion is there from everyone involved. This film is a true work of art and I strongly recommend it.