Archive for December, 2009

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/

Dir. Brad Bird

As with most Pixar films The Incredibles set a new standard for CGI animation on its release. They are masters of character and, in my opinion, the single most successful studio in existence as they have yet to make a bad film.

Every Pixar movie has phenomenal production quality and The Incredibles is no exception. The characters are amazingly performed by the voice actors and animators, the visuals are crisp and beautifully designed and the fact that is made with cutting edge computer technology rightfully takes a back seat to the story that is being told.

On watching it for a fourth time this is not what struck me the most. What was the most impressive thing to me is the use of newly created superheroes, ones without a background in popular culture, in a way that can draw anyone into the story. While it does examine the clichés and the comedy potential of the established conventions of Superhero comics, it does so without alienating those who aren’t already fans of the medium. It is, at heart, a story about family and the desire to live up to your potential, which is something people can identify with. It doesn’t require prior knowledge of the world of superheroes, everything the audience needs to know is present in the film without being obtrusive.

Every time I watch a Pixar film I learn more about storytelling, they teach me to strip things down to their essential components and to identify what each part of the film is telling the audience. I think that studying them is something that will help me as a director.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120382/

Dir. Peter Weir

I’ll preface my thoughts by saying that this has been one of my favourite films since I first saw it back on its release in cinemas.

The Truman Show is the film that proved Jim Carrey could act. It combines a bizarre, outlandish idea with satire and a heartfelt character exploration superbly. It’s a film that I find impossible to resist once I start watching it and unlike many other great movies it doesn’t lose much by repeated viewings, the core concept of a man coming to terms with his reality being something quite different to his assumptions speaks to everyone, it’s an experience most people go through at some point in life. Our expectations are dashed, we are awash in confusion about who we are, what we’re doing and ask the excruciatingly philosophical question of ‘why?’ In The Truman Show we’re voyeurs to this experience, we can identify with Truman, and at the same time we feel the disdain at the idea of such an intrusive television presence.

A very early comment on the rise of reality television it still rings true today. TV has grown as intrusive and voyeuristic as is legally allowed today; we’re barraged with images of people best and worst moments, from simple game show rubbish to grotesque images that fill the news, reality is distorted and presented in a way that is deemed palatable.

The Truman Show always raises these questions for me and to this day they haven’t been answered. The advent of ubiquitous internet access has only complicated the matter further as more and more of people’s lives and opinions become exposed for the world to see (oh the brutal irony of highlighting this in a blog).

It could go without saying that the production, direction and performances in the film are excellent. If they weren’t then I would be focused more on those elements instead of the wider societal questions that the film presents. It is a film that shows the potential for the medium to examine and entertain without making compromises to either element.