The Director Is In @directorisin - Tumblr Blog

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mrsbourbonborn

Can I just say,

WE NEED MORE STEVE ROGERS FLUFF!!!!

directorsnarrative

Shamless Artist/Filmmaker Plug

Hi. Thanks for reading past the headline. Yes, this is a shameless plug.

Thing is, I’ve neglected creating an e-mail list for people to be informed about my filmmaking and creative endeavors for way too long. I’m trying to rectify that now.

If you’d like to be updated about what I’m working on, or anything having to do with the films my little filmmaker group and I make please gimme your email via this form: https://forms.gle/H5i6CZyrPy9xrbrE6

I love you lots for getting to the end of this post and even more if you gave me your e-mail.

Thanks!!!

Gifted

Marc Webb has been on my list of must-watch directors since I gave in and watched (500) Days of Summer after resisting it for months. In that film he proved to be a director with an incredible sense of rhythm, timing, and emotion, who could craft a story in a unique and creative way. No other director could have made (500) Days of Summer, not the same anyway.

Webb followed his feature debut with two Amazing Spider-Man films, one great fun and one a great dud, and though neither held the same caliber of creativity for me that I felt (500) did, they were decently well directed - enough that I still wanted to see what Mr. Webb could do if not tied down by huge budgets and studio expectations. Finally came Gifted.

Gifted received a decent amount of build-up in the press, first for casting Chris Evans (a.k.a. Captain America) in the role of a working class hero, and then of course for the widely publicized romance of Mr. Evans & Jenny Slate, who met on set and ended before the release of the film. But despite any and all press, I had the hope that Gifted would finally give me more of an insight into Webb as a director than Spider-Man ever could.

I had high expectations going into Gifted, both because I expect a high level of quality from Mr. Webb and because I do believe that despite his meatball portrayal in the media, Mr. Evans is an incredible actor. I am so glad to say that my expectations were surpassed.

Gifted isn’t quirky and melodic in the way that (500) was, but it’s not meant to be. It’s just as character driven, perhaps, but Gifted exists in a very different physical world. One littered with people that are dealing with the lasting effects of grief, and reminders of lives that could have been. It’s raw, joyous and real - sometimes all in the same few moments. And let me tell you, I am not a crier when it comes to movies, but Gifted made me cry at least twice.

What I love about Gifted is how it explores the bond of family, and the things you’re willing to do for the ones you love - and that sometimes being the one who loves fiercely makes you the right person for the job.

My only complaint about the film would actually be the character of Bonnie, Mary’s teacher, played by Jenny Slate. Thankfully, Mr. Webb steers away from the cliches that could easily be with her character - the love interest for our hunky and tragic leading man - and Ms. Slate plays her in a very genuine and real way. It’s just that Bonnie seems to have little to no bearing on the plot whatsoever, except that it would be odd to have Frank (Chris Evans) talking to himself in order to give us plot exposition.

And props to Frank, the monocular cat.

#Chris Evans #gifted #marc webb

Beauty & the Beast

I can firmly say that I was not looking forward to this movie. The original animated film was nominated for best picture when I was a child, and I wanted to BE that version of Belle, and as an adult I finally saw the Jean Cocteau version, which still remains my favorite version of the tale today. So I really didn’t see a point in making another Beauty & the Beast, especially one that was essentially the same as the animated film - with just a few minor changes and live actors.

While I wasn’t totally wrong, this movie isn’t NEEDED in the film cannon, I am happy to say that Beauty & the Beast is a charming addition to the fairy tale. Emma Watson makes a strong, confident Belle, and my only desire is that the songs had been written in a key she could easily sing so we could avoid the fairly obvious auto tuning. In my humble opinion, Ewan McGregor steals the show as Lumiere, and despite his obvious horrid character flaws, I will always be a fan of Gaston and all of his musical numbers.

#beauty and the beast

Arrival

As a lifelong lover of films, I crave films that stay with me for all the best reasons. Arrival is one of those films. I have been thinking of it since I left the theater, and I have a feeling that will continue to be true for much longer.

Without giving away any spoilers, this film is absolutely expertly crafted. There is not a moment wasted in this film, even things that seem as subtle as a close-up of a character smiling will turn out to be a beautiful character piece in hind-sight.

What I cannot stress enough, through both writing, director and editing, Arrival is an exquisite examination of time more than any time travel film could ever be. Past, present, and possible futures blend together in a way that allows Amy Adams to draw nuance from an untraditional story - a story about a linguist tasked with understanding the unfathomable - an alien tongue - so that we can communicate clearly and avoid global war.

I am so absolutely thrilled that this film is receiving the accolades that it is. I cannot wait to see it again.

#arrival #denis villeneuve

13th

I will be the first to wholeheartedly admit that I have a girl-crush, nay, a director-crush on Ava Duvernay. But to say that is why I am so artfully moved by 13th would be a disservice to this film and the issue it is trying to lend a voice to. As a white woman in America, I will admit that I cannot fully know the depths of the plight of people of color in America - but I seek to “love your neighbor” knowing that all people are my neighbor, and so I want to be able to better understand our differences, so that our differences cannot divide us. For that reason I am glad Ava DuVernay, and this film exist.

13th left me in tears for most of the final act of the film. The entire film seeks to illustrate how artfully, and organically, policies, politicians, and systems continued opression starting immediately as slaves were freed, up to present day - in the post-civil rights era - when 25% of the WORLD’S prisoners are in the USA, an alarming number of them POC. Ms. DuVernay eloquently shows how laws and systems were elegantly crafted post-abolition to continue to opress former slaves, how the culture began to believe propaganda surrounding the black community, and how that propaganda became unknowingly adopted in the hearts and minds of all Americans, even POC, as truth - framing how the mistreatment and mass incarceration continues today without a second glance as to why.

This film is heartbreaking, beautiful and haunting. And if you’re at all trying to understand anything of today’s political and cultural climate - from the Black Lives Matter movement to the current administration - I cannot state clearly enough that you need to watch this film.

#13th #ava duvernay

La La Land

I used to have time to post about every movie I watched. A bit because I was spending my time wishing I had time to be creative, instead of actually being creative. But that’s a subject for another time. Now I’m going to periodically post my stream-of-conciousness on this this blog when I see a film that moves me to talk about it. Today’s film is La La Land, the new musical by Damien Chazelle.

I can tell you that I have mixed feelings about Mr. Chazelle. There are a great many first time filmmakers that I become absolutely rapturous over; Chazelle isn’t one of them. It’s not that I dislike him - that’s not true in the SLIGHTEST - in fact, both Whiplash and La La Land affected me so much I wept, there’s just something that keeps me from moving him from the list of filmmakers I’d wait in line for a week to see any of their work, from the list of filmmakers that I find interesting. But, no matter what, he makes really good films - it might be the WHY behind my tears that keeps me from shifting the list he’s on. Two features into his directorial career, Chazelle seems to have a very definite theme to the kind of films he makes, one that will be interesting to see if it evolves in the future. It’s such a strong theme, I’m actually shocked I haven’t seen anyone talking about it (though perhaps I haven’t been looking hard enough).

You might be wondering what theme it is that I’m talking about since Whiplash, Chazelle’s first feature was a drama about a musician and professor locked in an unhealthy battle over their craft, and La La Land is a classical Hollywood musical complete with love story and out-of-the-blue technicolor dance numbers with dozens of extras. The theme is actually very simple: artists at the beginning of their careers STRUGGLING to pursue their passions.

I think this very reason is why I cry at Chazelle’s films. They touch me in a very specific way. The same way Up In The Air made me cry after I’d been laid off and watched so many of my friends laid off in 2009; at it’s core that film felt like it was about me, the same way Chazelle’s protagonists feel LIKE ME. His characters thus far are passionate people who are amidst the struggle of figuring out how to balance their life and their passion - all while the people around them think they’re crazy or they think they’re crazy themselves.

It strikes home.

I’m a female director who is still trying to get eyes on screen for what she makes, and it is with Chazelle’s films only that I will use the phrase I loathe - THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. Real for the characters, real for me, real for Chazelle.

After Whiplash I saw Chazelle speak and he mentioned that he and a friend from filmschool were in LA prior to the film, trying to make that life work and their hope was that if nothing else, eventually all the people in their “class” would eventually give up and go home - making their own hiring inevitable. This FEELS like the theme of his two films. And since he’s now had each of his two films reach levels of incredibly high accolades within the industry and with audiences, it will be interesting to see how Mr. Chazelle’s theme evolves as time goes on.

Where will he go artistically now that his own artistic struggle seems to have evaporated?