Great Films – Bonnie and Clyde

The switch from Old Hollywood to New Hollywood is very distinct. Most people seem to strongly have a preference although personally two of the best movies I’ve seen(my all time favorites are far too recent) are each from the different eras. One of these films is Bonnie and Clyde which truly started this film revolution in Hollywood.
What is so different about Bonnie and Clyde from the previous films that were produced in Hollywood? Well, it’s violent. The majority of tales told in Old Hollywood are much more romanticized and epic however, in New Hollywood, the importance was placed on realism. Films became gritty and violent because they were trying to show a version of reality that didn’t cover up any of the parts.
Bonnie and Clyde is the story of the infamous bank robbing duo and their adventures from the time they first meet to their death. There are not a large series of events found within the film as it focuses primarily on the relationship between the duo and the way that being criminals changes them. specifically Bonnie.
Warren Beatty gives a fantastic performance as Clyde which is really a compliment coming from me because male actors rarely impress me. He got into the role and made you love him and see nothing wrong with the crimes he was committing.
Faye Dunaway was a delight in her Oscar nominated role as Bonnie. She was able to portray a woman who committed crimes without remorse but still felt the pain of losing her family and being ignored because of whiny other women. She showed the pain of feeling ignored by your partner very well yet was the type of badass that men typically portray.
The chemistry between the two was amazing and not something you typically find. The strength of this chemistry helped to enhance their performances and bring the film to a truly fantastic level where its above most other films.
The effect of New Hollywood can also be seen in the plot of the movie as most films at this time didn’t focus on such violent and ruthless subjects and the directors at the time felt these stories also needed to be told.
Bonnie and Clyde is a very important film in the history of cinema for ushering in a new period in the history of the medium. It’s also a really good film that I would recommend to everybody because I cannot find it possible for somebody to find Faye Dunaway’s turn as Bonnie to be anything less than a delight.

Great Films - Carrie

Few horror movies actually provide any sort of real feeling of danger. Many use quick gags to get a reaction, similar to many comedies, but few really get to an idea that is truly terrifying and inspire fear within us. Carrie is one of those great movies.
The subject matter seems almost normal at first. A teen girl who is unpopular and bullied is taken in by the popular crowd only to end up betrayed and humiliated at the prom. This scenario removes an important part of the equation where Carrie discovers that she has telepathic abilities and gets revenge on the entire school, which ends up in a lot of fire and death. That isn’t even the scary part.
The true high point of the film is the scene with Carrie and her mother after this big devastation as they fight between Carrie’s acceptance of her difference and her mother’s intense religious beliefs. I won’t give away any specific details though because I don’t want to ruin the true horror that one feels towards religion at this point and earlier in the film.
Of course, the key to this film, other than the fact that it is a true horror film, is the performance by Sissy Spacek. She plays the titular character and gives a truly bizzare performance in the best possible way. Her character is just weird but she plays that so well. Her mother’s over-protectiveness makes her naïve and an easy target for bullying. However, her ascent to the top due to forgiveness is such a pleasant tale although we can constantly feel the trouble brewing.
There’s a lot of great things an actress can do to make a performance above average. But one of the things that an actress can do to make a performance truly fantastic is just to go completely crazy. In the final revenge portion of the film, Spacek does just this and does it so well that we become terrified of her yet we empathize with her at the same time. That the film has the ability to do that proves the strength of Stephen King’s story and depiction of this girl.
Carrie is a rare horror film but truly a necessary one to anybody interested in the genre. I don’t recommend it if you scare easily but otherwise, it’s a great revenge flick as well as a typical teen movie that turns to religion based horror in an instant.

Recently Viewed: January Edition

Tangled (2 viewings): The perfect Renaissance for Disney that combined the old feel of their films with the modern cinematic world. 10/10 (More on this later)
Blue Valentine: So depressing even in the happiest moments. A depressing look on love that is carried by Ryan Gosling although Michelle Williams is also impressive 10/10
Les Amours Imaginaires: Xavier Dolan makes such beautiful films and this one left me feeling good at the end. His performance enhanced the film tremendously. 10/10
Waking Sleeping Beauty: The subject matter is a favorite of mine but there’s nothing too remarkable about the film. It’s just a well told story with interesting footage. 8/10
Broken Embraces: My first experience with Pedro Almodovar was a beautiful one with a rich story, fabulous performances and all the visual splendor I expected. 10/10
Harry Potter 7: Part 1 (Second Viewing): Didn’t improve, in fact I just got bored quicker. It would be fabulous if they had included a plot in this movie. 7.5/10
The King’s Speech: Good but nothing special. The performances were good, especially Helena Bonhem Carter but other than that, I was not impressed. 8/10
Somewhere: A huge disappointment with the only shining light being the talented Elle Fanning. Stephen Dorf’s career should not have been resurrected. 6/10
Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Passionate study of love with a million fantastic performances and the most beautiful setting. This bodes well for my opinion of Woody Allen. 10/10
No Strings Attached: A hilarious and very cute romantic comedy that fared better than most of the crap released around this time. Natalie Portman is a true star. 8.5/10

Goddess Kidman

Actresses love to remind us of just how fabulous they are. Nicole Kidman is currently displaying this fact in Marie Claire.