*TBT* A Walk to Remember (2002) and The Notebook (2004)

In light of the recent news that Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes are expecting their first child I thought I’d write about these two Nicholas Sparks favourites of my teenage years.

A Walk to Remember appears to be a typical teenage angst movie about a boy and a girl from two very different backgrounds falling in love against the odds. In fact it is quite predictable for the most part (in fact I re-watched this with someone lately and he guessed exactly like EXACTLY what would happen from the opening scene where Landon Carter (Shane West) gets in trouble from a dare gone wrong and ends up in community service with “bible-hugging”, goody-too-shoes, Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore)).
What sets this movie apart is that it doesn’t try too hard to set itself apart. It does what it is meant to do really well and has real heart. It explores belonging, change and love; themes common to films of this genre and even goes deeper into religion and death but does so in a digestible way, unlike the recent The Fault in Our Stars where death analogies are shoved down our throats at every opportunity.

 

*TBT* Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Ok so this isn’t a huge throwback but I thought I’d it’d be a fitting post with the Sydney Film Festival happening at the moment since I saw it during the festival 2 years ago and fell in love with the main character,

“Once there was a Hushpuppy and she lived with her daddy in the Bathtub”

*TBT* The Imposter (2012)

One of the most intriguing documentaries I’ve seen to date. The film follows quite an unusual form for a doco as it takes you on a roller coaster of twists and turns as you would expect from a thriller but the best and most chilling part is that it’s all true – not based on a true story where they hire Brad Pitt to play someone who looks nothing like Brad Pitt – but an actual snapshot of an extraordinary event in these people’s lives.

Nicholas Barclay, a 13 year old from San Antonio in Texas had been pronounced missing for three years when an anonymous phone call alerts the authorities that he has been found in Spain with claims that he had been kidnapped and tortured. While we as the audience are aware of Frenchman Frederic Bourdin’s deception, the film digs deeper as more and more questions are raised about the incredibly bizarre situation.

*TBT* Mr. Nobody (2009)

As Projectreel’s first Throw-back Thursday, I’m writing about one of my all-time favourite films, Mr. Nobody, which was released in 2009 starring Jared Leto and Diane Kruger.

This is the only film to date that I refuse to impose my meaning onto and a film that should be left to simmer in our individual minds and appreciated for what it is no matter what level you are viewing it from. On the surface, you are presented with a very old man who is recounting to a reporter in the year 2092 about his life. However, his story seems somewhat convoluted as he recounts various separate journeys with contradicting choices that confuses and even frustrates the reporter. On a philosophical level, Mr. Nobody challenges us to feel emotions we never thought we had and lets us easily understand seemingly complex characters and relationships. And of course, on another level it is just a masterpiece of understated minimalist music and the most beautiful cinematography you will ever see.

There are many moments of the film that are unforgettable. There’s the scene that always brings a tear to my eye – I’m talking about the scene where Nemo runs after the train when his parents get divorced. It is literally one of my favourite movie scenes ever due to it’s originality, emotional fragility and just the empathetic quality of a child faced with the impossible task of choosing between two loving parents. Watch it and see for yourself.

It’s really impossible to fault Mr. Nobody so I’m not going to. Below is a pictorial summary of some of my other favourite moments. What do they mean?? You’ll have to watch it to find out.

IMDb: 7.9

Rotten Tomatoes: 69%

My rating (As I said, in my eyes, the film is faultless):

Babel (rhymes with bagel)

In the beginning, all the Lord’s people from all over the world spoke one language. Nothing they proposed was impossible for them. But fearing what the spirit of man could accomplish, the Lord said:

“Let us go down and confuse their language so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11: 7)

The story of the tower of Babel begins with humanity speaking a single language and through an act of defiance built a tower so high that its peak reached heaven. God thereby punished them by creating different languages and scattering mankind all over the world.

This is the basic premise of the film by Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu. To be honest, this is one of the only films that I can watch countless number of times and enjoy it just as much, if not more than my first time.

The best movies are the ones that seamlessly transport the audience into another world. The best directors are those who leave us with the perfect map of the journey – with just the right amount of clues – and lead us through a well-thought out route through this exotic landscape. And as the tourist we leave this town which had once seemed so strange, with our hearts full, our minds filled with memories of new experiences, wishing we didn’t have to say goodbye. Finally, we hope to take with us a new perspective or outlook on life (the real one) as the most priceless souvenir.

Top 10 Most Unexpectedly Heartbreaking Scenes in Films

Every so often you walk into the cinema not knowing what to expect or expecting to entertained, horrified, disgusted or moved, but never to the point of tears. Then a particular scene smacks you right where it hurts (wow that sounded better in my head) and you find yourself with a lump in your throat and a screwed up expression on your face and thanking god that the cinema is dark enough for people not to see.

These are my top ten picks for most poignant scenes of our time.

10. Pan’s Labyrinth

The scene where Ofelia talks to her unborn brother

This was so moving because Ofelia is characterised so well as someone who is so tortured by the world yet through it all remains so innocent. But not innocent in the way that she becomes a character that lives in the shadows of her mother from the violence splattered throughout the film. You can see it here where she talks to her brother with such honesty that she upholds a strong spirit and optimism for not only her own sake but that of her mother and her unborn brother. Her love for her real family shines through and makes us sympathise so deeply with her.

Couldn’t find this one in youtube, please post if you do! =)

Eternal Sunshine

“What if you stayed this time?”

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This is one of my favourite films of all time.

The idea of the film is original to say the least and the delivery is impeccable.

I can’t even remember what or who made me watch this movie in the first place but I just remember being moved to tears. Then when I found out a couple of my friends hadn’t seen it, I made them watch it and I remember one of them coming after the movie had finished and me saying, “I don’t mind watching it again…”. It was just THAT GOOD.

‘Little Miss Sunshine’ rayview

“Everybody, just pretend to be normal.”

Easily one of my favourite films of all-time, Little Miss Sunshine (2006) dazzled me with its satirical humour, while the cast including Steve Carell, Toni Collete, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin glittered with their authentic portrayals of your ‘average’ American family.

The film centres on the family’s cross-country road trip to Redondo Beach, California, for Olive (Breslin) to participate in a children’s beauty contest, “Little Miss Sunshine”.

Hilarity ensues as the family finds themselves in a race against time to reach their destination while encountering a number of setbacks in their beat-up yellow Volkswagen van. The absurdity of some of the scenes exemplifies situational comedy at its best, leaving the audience no choice but to laugh at the expense of the characters. Coupled with the comedic use of silence, the witty dialogue actually induces genuine laugh-out-loud moments without the aid of a laughing soundtrack.

“Everybody push!”