Oh look, ducks! A satisfying look at women in Victorian England – Hysteria

Posted on August 7, 2012 by kirifarrell

Hysteria – Official Poster – from IMDB.com

Hysteria (2012)

Director: Tanya Wexler
Writers: Stephen Dyer (story & screenplay), Jonah Lisa Dyer (story & screenplay), and Howard Gensler (original story)
Stars: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy and Jonathan Pryce

It’s amazing to think that we were once at a point in society when “germs” was a term that only those who were highly educated and kept up with the latest medical literature knew. It’s also amazing that once the cure to pretty much all of women’s ailments came in the form of induced orgasm. For a topic that is so controversial and frowned upon by respectable people it is amazing that Hysteria was such a joy to watch.

Hysteria is based on a true story of a man named Mortimer Granville (Hugh Dancy) who found himself as the accomplice to Dr Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce), a doctor who specialised in women’s health, mainly the treatment of hysteria, a diagnosis of women who had all sorts of symptoms and was treated by helping the women by ridding them of these ailments in a most unusual way. Dr Dalrymple has two daughters, Emily (Felicity Jones) who is very sensible and all of what a true woman should be, and Charlotte (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who is volatile, erratic, a fervent suffragette, and who runs a shelter for women and their children and teaches them about hygiene, literacy, and numeracy. Charlotte is everything a woman of the Victorian period should not be.

As Granville continues to serve his patients he himself suffers an ailment in his hand which makes him unable to fulfill the procedure required to cure his patients of hysteria. It is with the friendship of Granville and his inventor friend Edmund St. John-Smyth (Rupert Everett) that holds the key to Granville’s continued employment and ultimate success.

But this film isn’t about the invention of the vibrator as the posters and blurbs will tell you. Hysteria is about the ill-treatment of women and their capabilities even to this day. Gyllenhaal’s vibrant and passionate portrayal of Charlotte Dalrymple is inspiring as you see her struggle to change the culture in which she lives by simply caring for those less well off. It is through her servitude to the lower classes that she makes a huge difference in the long run for those she helps. She is a socialist, a libertarian, a woman. It is this characterisation which holds the entire film together for me. It reveals the true nature of what was going on at the time and sheds some light on what is still going on in our society today.

This film is light-hearted and fun. Rupert Everett is brilliant as ever and Hugh Dancy plays an uptight Brit most splendidly. I think this story could only be told faithfully in a British and prudish manner as it deals with a subject that could be twisted and sexualised and thus lose a lot of its appeal. It is told in a period manner with all the nuances of innuendo and suggestion and it is truly satisfying in the way it addresses an awkward invention and period in history.

It’s not the greatest film ever made, nor is it probably even up in the top 500 but it is delightfully light and well performed by all involved. Top marks go to the costume and set designers of this film. It is gorgeous to watch. And Maggie Gyllenhaal is so wonderful as a Brit that I wish she was more highly acclaimed than she is. She is a marvelous actress and is charming to watch. I’d go see it just for her.

For a film that could truly be awkward and unappealing, Hysteria offers a pleasurable look at the invention of the modern vibrator and the beginning of women’s health in Britain.

Films I Watch A Million Times Series – The Bourne Series

Posted on August 6, 2012 by kirifarrell

The Bourne Identity – Official Poster – from IMDB.com

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Director: Doug Liman
Writers: Tony Gilroy (screenplay), W. Blake Herron (screenplay), and Robert Ludlum (novel)
Stars: Franka Potente, Matt Damon and Chris Cooper

There have been some blessings that have come with growing up with an older brother who loved Steven Segal and Bruce Willis films. One of those blessings was the nurtured love of action films. There is something incredibly satisfying about watching the good guy triumph over the evil, especially when the evil is the US government.

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is a man without memory of who he is or why he knows he knows how to do a myriad of things including speak multiple languages fluently and can take down fifty armoured guards without a second thought. He is searching for his past and dodging death as he seeks to live a future free of the command of those who once controlled him. Jason Bourne is a man not to be trifled with.

As with most action films there isn’t a lot of dialogue, but there sure is a lot of acting going on by Matt Damon and his lady accomplice played by Franka Potente. The relationship that spawned out of need turns into a relationship of shared experience. There is a wonderful crafting of this pairing that takes place throughout the film which makes it genuine and more meaningful than the sloppy creations in your B-list action films.

The story of Bourne and his adventures are based off Robert Ludlum’s popular novels but carry more of the characterisation than of the actual story in the novels. But I believe this is for the better as the complexity of the novels take away from the sharp immediacy of the films. The Bourne Identity is the first in a trilogy (soon to be added to by a fourth, The Bourne Legacy – out August 11th). The Bourne Identity begins the saga of Jason Bourne and it also is, in my opinion, the best of the films. You really ride along with Bourne as he discovers parts of who he is, where he has been, and who is after him. With the carefully sequenced and choreographed action scenes filmed mostly on handheld cameras it provides for a rocky ride but intensifies the scene and provides what would be quite a real perspective on the action. Damon’s performance is pensive and withdrawn but comes across powerfully as he expresses his character’s strength, confusion, love, and vengeful nature.

I am a little cautious about getting my expectations up for The Bourne Legacy because the Bourne Trilogy was so gritty and wonderful. It will be interesting to see where they take it and if they stick to the books that carried on after Ludlum’s death. I am very excited to see how Jeremy Renner goes in his lead role in this film (no he’s not a recasting of Jason Bourne, it’s a different character). Renner’s really becoming a new action man of film and it’s going to be interesting to see what aspects of Damon’s portrayal he picks up on and which he reinvents for himself.

Films I Watch A Million Times Series – Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Posted on August 2, 2012 by kirifarrell

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl – Official Poster – from IMDB.com

Pirates Of The Caribbean – Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Director: Gore Verbinski
Writers: Ted Elliott (screen story & screenplay) &Terry Rossio (screen story & screenplay) and Stuart Beattie (screen story) and Jay Wolpert (screen story)
Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush and Orlando Bloom

Oh the bliss that is to fall in love with a pirate! I saw this film at the cinemas with my best friend from High School. I had a big crush on Orlando Bloom due to the Lord of The Rings trilogy (yes I know, not so appealing now, but that long blonde hair and elvish tongue, yum!) but when I left the theatre I had an even bigger crush on Johnny Depp. How can you compete when standing next to something as beautiful as a pirate in the form of Depp? I still think Elizabeth should’ve run off with Captain Jack but he would never have put up with her. They will always have that night on the island though.

This was the first film that I really fangirled over as a teen. I was obsessed with everything Pirates. I bought the DVD, watched the special features multiple times, watched the film so many times through my last year of school that I can’t recall how many times I’ve actually seen it, although my DVD looks worn. It was the film I put on in the background when I was studying, when I wanted to fall asleep, when I wanted to escape into another world, when I wanted to daydream. It was fun, action packed, funny, and well crafted.

Admittedly the second and third film in the franchise were not as wonderful, and the fourth was a little strange as well, but the original is always the best – except possibly in the case of Toy Story because the third one made me cry like a baby and laugh like a little girl. Anyway… Pirates Of The Caribbean was a brilliant film because it combined all the things I loved about action films, comedies, periods and romance. The grittiness of pirates contrasted with the beauty of the Caribbean with brilliance. The humour of Depp was startling against the drama of Geoffrey Rush. The special effects were stunning. The story line well-balanced. The performances of the actors throughout the film are still entertaining and still make me giggle.

But through all of these features there is one thing that always keeps me coming back for more. It is that it is simple and charming. It isn’t a hard film to watch. It’s purely entertaining. I love that it is a fun film that I can watch over and over again. And even though it’s probably not to everyone’s taste, it is to mine. It doesn’t necessarily have a big moral story overlaying it, nor does it try to be too complicated, it just takes you along for the ride and lets you enjoy the scenery and the ebb and flow of the pirate film. This is what a great action film does for me, it tells an exciting story and allows you to enjoy it. And that’s why I’ll keep on watching it into my old age.

Do you have a film that you watch repeatedly just because you enjoy it?

Films I Watch A Million Times Series – 10 Things I Hate About You

Posted on July 31, 2012 by kirifarrell

10 Things I Hate About You – Official Poster – from IMDB.com

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Director: Gil Junger
Writers: Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith, and William Shakespeare (play “The Taming of the Shrew”)
Stars: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

I first saw 10 Things I Hate About You on a plane on the way to America as a 12 year old. I immediately loved it and it was always my dream as a teen to be like Kat. She was feisty, strong, had a mind of her own, and wasn’t going to be treated like a fool by anyone. It was her strength of mind that I loved most. She disregarded convention and was a rebel of a different kind. Kat rebelled against what was popular. In a lot of ways she was my first experience of indie, but it was more than that. I had never had much guts as a kid but heading into high school and becoming my own person (in my own mind anyway) was the chance to turn things around, to be a stronger woman, to stand against what I didn’t agree with, and be whoever she deemed she wanted to be. It was this that really connected me to the movie.

The relationships between all the characters are familiar to most as it is based on William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew which has had numerous renditions and adaptations. And as with most Shakespeare plays it has been done well and not so well as it has stood up to the testing of Hollywood. There are some really fantastic adaptations of Shakespeare including Baz Luhrmann’s modern Romeo & Juliet and Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing. However for adaptations into a new period and without the Shakespearean dialogue you can’t go past 10 Things I Hate About You. It stands on its own two feet as a good teen rom-com-drama as well as adapting a brilliant Shakespeare. The characterisation of Kat and Bianca are beautifully fulfilled by Julia Stiles and Larisa Oleynik, let alone the performances of the young Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Patrick Verona and Cameron James respectively. It was imaginatively formed and it came together to produce a film that would continue to be enjoyed throughout the next 13 years.

This film helped shape me as a person and there have been so many moments when I have quoted lines from this film in real life and then realised that only the people who have seen it millions of times would know the significance of a line like “Sleep is good” or “Yeah, that’s a Toyota.” It also made me want to have curly long hair like Julia Stiles but that was never going to happen with my straight-can’t-be-curled-hair. It was the attitude of Kat and Patrick that I fell in love with most. It was the carefree attitude mixed with strength and loyalty that I strived for and in a lot of ways still do. It’s hard to be a people pleaser but it’s also incredibly hard to not let people’s opinions of us get the better of us and command what we do, say, wear, like, etc.

10 Things I Hate About You still makes me laugh, cry, and think hard about how I’m acting in my life. Kat is one of my heroines of literature and even though this says a lot about me and the kind of person I want to be, I care more like Bianca and obsessive like Cameron, and slightly less delusional than Mandelia, and simply awkward like Michael. It is a film where I relate to pretty much every character and they have come with me in this journey of life as influencing characters who have reminded me of what is real, what is true, and what is honest.

I lived vicariously through Kat as I grew up as a teenager and wanted to be like her. She was my role model. She had the attitude and the lifestyle I wanted. She was intelligent, driven and quick-witted. She wanted to escape to the big city. She didn’t want anyone controlling her life. She was brilliant in my eyes. I know she was never the best example or role model but I love her all the same.

What film or character did you love through your teens? Do they still influence you to this day?

The Beauty of the Inner City Life – Not Suitable For Children

Posted on July 25, 2012 by kirifarrell

Not Suitable For Children – Official Poster – from AFI blog

Not Suitable For Children (2012)

Director: Peter Templeman
Writers: Michael Lucas (story), Peter Templeman (story), and Michael Lucas (screenplay)
Stars: Ryan Kwanten, Bojana Novakovic and Laura Brent

I’m not usually a watcher of Australian films because I cringe at either the over-done humour or overwhelming drama. I saw Not Suitable For Children as an audience testing session when it was just about to be released and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw and the reception of others in the audience. For one thing it is a film set in a place I know well and a culture that I am partial to. The film traces the story of three friends who live in the inner city suburb of Newtown in Sydney, Australia. The main character, Jonah (Ryan Kwanten, True Blood, Griff The Invisible), is presented with the end of his ability to procreate and decides he will go to any ends to secure an offspring of his own before his time runs out.

This film is incredibly funny, engaging, and genuine film which balances the unique drama of Australian culture and its humour. This film is the closest thing to a real life in this particular culture that I have seen and it is uncanny how beautiful this creation is. Ryan Kwanten, Sarah Snook (Stevie), and Ryan Corr (Gus) give incredibly compelling performances that make each of the characters absorbing. The friendship between these three characters is both funny and moving. It provides the grounding for the narrative and the complexity to the characters as they develop and interact with one another. There is an underlying truth and reality to this story which makes this film so wonderfully watchable.

This Australian film is unlike any other film I’ve seen and with good reason. It’s crafted with such delicacy and devotion to tell a story that hasn’t really been told before, and a story which touches on a subject that can both resonate for men and women. It tells the story of one of our base instincts, to reproduce, and the difficulties facing both men and women in our society. The idea of having children and raising them when our culture tells us both that we should and shouldn’t do such a thing, that it both takes away our independent lives and gives us “the greatest gift of life”, is a persuasive foundation for a story. The entire production of Not Suitable For Children has come together to produce a fantastic film that will speak to a lot of people across our country, and hopefully the world. I am really hoping this film does well as it is a genuinely fantastic viewing experience and a story that deserves to be told so wonderfully.

I totally recommend you see this film, even/especially if you don’t usually like Australian films, I would give it a real go because you will end up falling in love with these characters and both laughing and lamenting your way through the journey and grief that they experience together. Top points go to Ryan Corr for being the third wheel in this story as well and his incredible performance as Gus, he is a true champion of the inner city Sydney life and has impeccable comedic timing. Sarah Snook and Ryan Kwanten also provide genuinely wonderful characters and especially Sarah’s transformation through the film is inspired and inspiring. Go and enjoy a wonderful Australian film!

Laughing with someone makes it all bearable – Ted

Posted on July 23, 2012 by kirifarrell

Ted – Official Poster – from IMDB.com

Ted (2012)

Director: Seth MacFarlane
Writers: Seth MacFarlane (story & screenplay), and Alen Sulkin (screenplay), and Wellesley Wild (screenplay)
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane

There is something beautiful about going and seeing a film for free when you don’t expect it, and seeing it with a friend who could came along at the last minute and who is a joy to be around. This was the circumstance that I found myself in when I saw Ted tonight. My friend Lizzie and I rocked up to see an Australian film (The Sapphires – review to come soon, when I get around to seeing it – out August 10) but the cinema had booked a smaller cinema than the distributer had requested and so we were given the option of seeing a different film. Lizzie and I decided on Ted because we had both seen the other option offered. I hadn’t planned to see Ted, mainly because it’s not my usual type of film. I’m not a huge fan of crass and gross humour and not a fan of Mila Kunis and so the only selling point for me was Mark Wahlberg. But with all the negatives I held up against this film I actually found it very funny and enjoyable.

Let me say that I really think that whether you like a film or not depends on both the quality of the film and also the environment in which you see it, especially who you see it with. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed this movie as much if I had seen it on my own or with some of my other friends. And that is no criticism on them, it is just a simple fact of being able to enjoy something a little bit different at a fun moment in the day after a bit of disappointment and just rolling with it.

Ted is the story of a boy who makes a wish when he is 8 for his Teddy Bear to be a real friend. It is a sweet premise and overall I really loved the idea of a man being so connected with a childhood friend that they are still friends thirty years later. The faithfulness, the loyalty, and the bond between Ted and John are really quite beautiful in a lot of ways. And then the adult Ted kicks in, and well that’s when it turns a little chaotic. There are some moments in Ted which were gross and I cringed a little bit at them, but there were also some very clever lines and in-jokes (especially for those who know of Seth McFarlane) and it was these moments that I laughed at most. There were also just a lot of little moments of real silliness that was just plain humourous.

Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis’ performances were stellar but the best performance has to go to Ryan Reynolds. His cameo performance is pure genius. There is a wonderful understated nature to a lot of little moments in this film that make it incredibly funny for our generation but it is also one of those things that mean in ten or twenty years time will go unnoticed and unappreciated. I know that not everyone will love this film but if you have enjoyed popular culture over the last ten years you will probably enjoy this film at least a little bit.

I still stand by my original stance that I would not have seen this film if I had to pay for it but I am really glad I saw it. Seth McFarlane has created a great filmic balance between humour and endearment which leaves you with a positive feeling as you giggle your way out the cinema door. It is this balance that makes it an enjoyable film and it is the endearment that balances out the crass humour which makes it more bearable than other some other similar comedies.

Yay, something new and different for us – The Amazing Spider-Man

Posted on July 16, 2012 by kirifarrell

The Amazing Spider-Man – Official Poster – from IMDB.com

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Director: Marc Webb
Writers: James Vanderbilt (screenplay and story), and Alvin Sargent (screenplay), and Steve Kloves (screenplay), Stan Lee (Marvel comic book) and Steve Ditko (Marvel comic book)
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans

I was fairly excited about a new Spider-Man film. Emma Stone is one of my favourite actresses, she is my female crush and I was super excited to see her take on Gwen. After loving The Social Network and the amount of depth Andrew Garfield brought to his character in it, I anticipated a new depth to Peter Parker as well and was excited to see what he would bring to the picture. The previews made it look amazing and blockbuster beautiful. And so I took myself off to the cinema, got my popcorn, and sat waiting in anticipation for the film to begin.

I have to say, Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield lived up to my expectations. They were brilliant! As was Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Peter Parker’s aunt and uncle. Their performances brought a humour and emotional depth to the film which made it genuine and real. However, the narrative failed to capture my imagination to the extent that I was hoping for. I suppose after The Avengers I was expecting something as great, but it just didn’t do anything new. And I suppose there isn’t much new you can do with a comic adaptation because fans expect certain aspects of the original to be included. But apart from the monster being a different person from the 2002 adaptation, there wasn’t much new. Oh and Gwen is a much more likable character than Mary-Jane in my opinion, but that’s a secondary point.

I really wanted there to be more back story about Parker’s father and mother to be revealed. It was introduced as a main influencing factor into Peter’s reasoning for why he was the way he was but then was just used as a plot device to introduce him to Dr Curt Connors/The Lizard (Rhys Ifans, Notting Hill). It was disappointing to say the least. There was so much you could have done with that back story to influence Peter’s motives and the narrative could’ve been much more interesting. However, this was not the case. And maybe it is my naivety about Spider-Man the comics that means they couldn’t have explored that particular storyline anymore without outrage from fans but I thought it was underdone.

The film as a whole was entertaining and Garfield and Stone have a great, awkward chemistry on screen. There is a great scene in the halls of the school which is so endearing that from that point on you just love both the characters to bits. I really just wanted to giggle and jump up and down with Gwen after that scene and was on board with her character from that point on. Garfield’s Parker is likable, genuine, and understatedly hilarious at points. The graphics are brilliant and seeing it in 3D is kind of worth the extra dollars. The action scenes of Spider-Man flying around the city are possibly the best thing about this film, next to Stone and Garfield, which is also kind of sad when there was so much potential for more.

All in all the film was good but disappointing. I really hope the next one has a more interesting narrative to carry it along, and better character development. For a franchise that has done so well in the past it is surprising they didn’t put a more unique twist on this new adaptation. I suppose copyright pressures are what drove it to be made in the first place and so we can’t expect much but with all the talent in the world surely the next one will be better. Right?

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Tag Archives: film review

Films I Watch A Million Times Series – Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl