Moulin Rouge [2001]

Directed by Baz Luhrmann and written by him and Craig Pearce, Moulin Rouge is a love story set in Paris 1899, between a young writer and a courtesan. A young English man (Ewan McGregor) travels to Paris to find inspiration and, most importantly, love, and gets mixed up with a group of artists who are looking to put on a show in Moulin Rouge, so they recruit the talented writer and end up convincing the owner and investor (the Duke) to do the improvised Indian play. All this time, the main actress (Nicole Kidman) falls in love with Christian, behind the Duke's back, and the complications threaten to put in danger not only the show, but also the lives of the people involved.

I've been wanting to see this movie for a long time, after I've heard so many great things about it, so I guess I can say I had high expectations for it. Did it rise to the challenge? Not entirely, but it is a very interesting and entertaining film, able to capture the love and attention of people of all ages.

The most appealing factors of this film are obviously the visual and musical aspects. Firstly, the music, a mixture of orchestra, old school pieces and contemporary songs (bold choice, putting a Nirvana song in a cabaret show), definitely raised some eyebrows and I was a little taken aback by it, but got used to it by the middle of it. I loved the use of Your Song and the one she played on the rooftop, after she met Christian, but some songs were weirdly showcased- Like a virgin comes in mind, that was a strange scene.

Secondly, the visuals. I have to say, Baz Luhrman always knows how to put on a good show- Moulin Rouge is no exception and everything looks amazing. I absolutely love the sets and the costumes, I thought Kidman's entire wardrobe was just breathtaking, and the art direction was very good. One thing that put me off was some of the very quick camera action in some scenes, like the audition one or the beginning of the film- I almost got dizzy and it didn't help the movie overall- I understand where he was going, but he overreacted with it just a little, in my opinion. I did like his direction, especially what he did with the Tango scene- that was beautiful. Although at parts crazy, the audition part in Satine's room with the whole cast was very well executed and entertaining to watch- from the poetry reading and its following hilarious scene where he wants to read his poetry and she thinks it's sex what he is after, to the singing and dancing and improvising the story for the Duke.

As for the casting, it was great for the script, although I would have liked more recognizable faces, especially for roles like The Duke or the artists group. Moving on, Nicole Kidman played Satine's sexy, sultry part to the T and I admired everything about her, from the performance, to the singing, to her fantastic dresses. Ewan McGregor was the equivalent of charm and grace and did his part perfectly- I saw the love in his eyes, I believed his tears at the end and I rooted for him and his quest for love throughout the film. I also have to mention John Leguizamo, who played Toulouse-Lautrec- he is a great actor who deserves more credit, and he was very sweet in his role.

In the end, Moulin Rouge is a love story, a tragic one, but one that gives hope. Not the best musical or romantic movie I have ever seen, but a very good one that mostly deserves its praise.

Almost Famous [2000]

“They don’t even know what it is to be a fan, ya know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts.” 

                                                   

Almost Famous is a 2000 film, written and direction by Cameron Crowe, who based the story on real events and people. It's about a smart, precocious 15 year old who is contracted by Rolling Stone to write an article about Stillwater, an upcoming band, and goes on tour with them, taking part in an adventure that he will never forget.

Now, before I start, I must admit I am in a rather artistic stage in my life right now- I listen to a lot of music, am discovering new and classic artists and obsessing over some bands, so you may think I am biased here, but I'l try to be as objective as I can. That being said, I loved the movie- let's start with the small details: the written intro credits and use of chipmunks song; Michael Angarano as young William; Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the rock critic/mentor; amazing soundtrack featuring songs like Tiny Dancer; a handful of quotes that I wrote down and probably will remember for a while (my favourites: "I didn't invent the rainy day man, I just own the best umbrella" and "Your mom kinda freaked me out").

Then we move on to bigger things. First, a good script, full of funny, but approachable characters, entertaining dialogue and good character development. It may seem predictable and cliche, but maybe it isn't, maybe that's how things really were back then- the guy did actually go on tour with a band. I liked the delay of Russell's interview, the back and forth between him and Penny, and especially the near plane tragedy. I think that the movie accomplished in showing the audience that not everything is nice and cozy and fun on tour; people still lie, cheat, dream, hurt and use each other, just like in the real world- this one is just more fun to be in.

Second, how can you not love the cast? Patrick Fugit as William is adorable and perfect for the part. Kate Hudson, in probably her best role ever, gives the right amount of sweetness, sexiness and mystique to Penny Lane, and the interaction between her and Patrick's character was very sweet. He sees her as a goddess, and you may think it's a sexual or love attraction, but I think it's more than that- she is the free spirit he longs for...or maybe it's just a crush. Who knows? Moving on to my absolute favourite person and character- Frances McDormand as the overly protecting mother who freaks everyone out; that woman has so much charisma and talent, I am always intrigued and attracted to her, she steals the show every time she is on screen. Billy Crudup was also very good as the mysterious lead guitarist who often outshines Jason Lee's character, a funny, wacky frontman who entertained me most of the times ("you know what I do? I connect"). Props for Jimmy Fallon and his hilarious part, who's look I just couldn't stop laughing at.

Third, and last, with the risk of repeating myself, here are some quotes I just loved:
"Hey man, don't stop there, I am incendiary, too"
"What's your real name?"
"It's ok, I am easy to forget, I am only the lead singer"
"But here I am, telling secrets to the one you are not supposed to tell secrets to"
"Your mom kinda freaked me out"
"I'm always home, I'm uncool"

Overall, the film was very entertaining- fun and sweet, with an exciting pace that didn't bore. The sets&costumes were good and as I said, the soundtrack was memorable. Almost Famous is a wonderfully written, beautifully directed, well acted film, that you definitely have to see.

Spirited away [2001]

Spirited away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by the famous Studio Ghibli.

It tells the story of a young girl who moves to another city with her parents, but on her way to her new house, gets trapped into an alternative reality, full of spirits and monsters. She quickly meets a boy who protects and guides her through the new world, which is basically a bath house for the spirits. She gets a job, by signing a contract with evil Yubaba who changes her name to Sen. Things get complicated when she lets into the house a monster called No Face, who causes trouble, and when Haku comes home wounded and followed by Zeniba, the twin sister of Yubaba. Sen must fight to save the bath house employees and the boy, and soon embarks in a journey that forms friendships and helps loved ones.

I must say I was mesmerised by Spirited Away- it is my first Japanese animated film seen, and I loved it, not only for the beautiful graphics or the enchanting storyline, but also for its heart and courage. Sure, in comparison to present day visual effects, the film is not perfect, but the animation has something that most visually-concentrated movies don't, and that is magic, because it breathes emotion and it captures your attention and heart with little effort. The direction is on point, and I very much liked the score, which flooded almost every scene, using a lot of orchestral pieces that give a natural flow to the animation. Two favourite moments I have to mention, for their majestic visual, directorial and editorial efforts: the chase and the fall of dragon Haku whilst being followed by Zeniba, and a following one, with Sen, as she takes a ride to the woman's house with her new found friends.

The alternative world, full of spirits, monsters and mystical creatures, was beautifully created and I loved it, although some scenes, especially towards the end, weren't actually children-friendly. My favourite characters were Lin, the boiler room man, his little spider helpers and Zeniba. (quirky, overly analytical observation: rather sudden change of the twin sister between her time at the bath house and the way she is in her home, wouldn't you say?)

To continue the overly critical behaviour with every film I watch, I have noticed something I didn't quite like- you're probably going to be surprised, but I was a little underwhelmed and bored of the cliche and overused storyline of coming of age, with a weak young woman, who transforms herself into a powerful, fearless lady who is willing to risk her life for her friends. Plus a knight in shining armour type of characters, villains and new friendships.Does this sound familiar? Fairytales, comic books, young adult novels and so on. Yes, I am the first to admit I still fall for these kind of stories, but I don't know why, here it bugged me, maybe I have seen too much of them lately or maybe I just needed a reason to not score it 100%, because otherwise, the film was mostly perfect. I especially liked the ending, which although some might say it was predictable, for me it was incredibly sweet and emotional (I am talking about the flying scene, but also the one where he leads her back to her parents).

Spirited away will definitely be regarded as a classic and a film that everyone should see. It is one of the most successful movies in Japanese history- it overtook Titanic in the national box office and ended up winning an Oscar for Best Animated feature and the Golden Bear at Berlin Film Festival.

I hope, actually urge you to see Spirited Away, if you haven't already, for its peculiar style, the world and the characters Miyazaki created, and for its simple, yet appealing beauty and emotion.

Which other animation/Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki productions do you recommend?