Art of Cinema: Argo Film Critique by James Drewes

Argo won best picture at the 2013 Academy Awards for good reason. The drama of the year follows CIA operative Tony Mendez, played by Ben Affleck, as he delves in on a top-secret operation to rescue six American fugitives from revolutionary Iran. With the help of several Hollywood big shots and the Canadian Embassy in Iran, the six manage to sneak through the country as a fake film crew scouting locations for a fake movie, Argo. Despite setback after setback, the crew just barely makes it past airport security, the hardest part of the mission, and returns home, where the Canadians are praised for their help, while the CIA receives no such recognition in order to maintain its cover.

The cinematography is phenomenal. During edgy moments where viewers are feeling anxious, the camera movements are often shaky and unsettling. During the calm moments, however, the camera is completely still, which allows the actors to take full control over the scene with no distractions. In addition, there seems to be a certain grainy shade throughout the movie, which fits for the time period perfectly as the picture looks quite retro.

Ben Affleck, as both lead actor and director, clearly knew when to make the camera work apparent, and when to back off as to let the acting take over a scene. His overall vision for the film was spectacular with virtually no flaws. I was glad to find that this movie was not a political statement, but actually an accurate account of the events that occurred in 1980. At the end of the film, there is a sequence where all the actual events are documented so the audience can know how this story is still relevant today. Complete with a classic cast, strong dialogue, and driving suspense, this film is not one to be missed.

Art of Cinema: Starbuck Film Critique by James Drewes

            

            Starbuck is an independent film about a sperm donor who, years after helping conceive 533 children, deals with 142 of them trying to force the fertility clinic to reveal his identity, while making an effort to turn his life around. Years before the film takes place, David Wosniak went by the pseudonym, Starbuck, to remain his anonymity while donating sperm. We see David now as a meat delivery truck driver who owes some unidentified group $80,000. Money problems are nothing new for Wosniak. He used to donate sperm to make up for his debts, and now he attempts to grow pot to get some extra cash. He is later told that many of the children he once conceived wish to know his identity. He is faced with the predicament of choosing whether to help these kids discover who their father is and risk public humiliation, or file a countersuit against the clinic that would afford him more than enough money to pay off his debts. He files the suit, but shortly after, decides to reveal himself. He then goes on to propose to his girlfriend, with whom there was tension and an unborn child between them. She say yes.

            This was the first modern foreign film I have ever watched, but the story made me forget entirely about the subtitles. There was an abundance of powerful imagery, especially in a scene where David is spending time with his “kids” who don’t know who he is yet, on a dock watching the sun set. Watching him simply stand there a joyous man, yet one who has such a difficult decision to make, put a grin on the face of everyone in the theater.

            Director Ken Scott created the best feel good film I have seen in a long time, and it was incredibly refreshing to see a character with so many problems trying to make amends with his past, while wearing a smile the whole time. Everyone can learn a thing or two from David Wosniak, as the character sets an example of someone trying hard to make changes in his life despite numerous obstacles. If nothing else, you’ll walk out of the theater with a big smile on your face.

James Drewes Jaws Film Critique

            

The year 1975 witnessed a monumental moment in film history. Jaws, a thriller about a crazed and determined killer great white, gave birth to the summer blockbuster. A film for the ages, Jaws follows three men as they chase down a goliath of a shark who has developed a voracious appetite for humans over the preceding weeks. As the three men have to deal with both the shark and the mayor of the beach town, who is hesitant to cooperate with the investigation to say the least, they encounter their fair share of troubles, and one of the three even dies.

            The history behind the shark in this picture is fascinating. Due to countless technical problems with the prop sharks, many scenes only hinted at the shark without directly showing it. In the minds of many critics and viewers alike, this made for an even more suspenseful picture. This “fear of the unknown” is largely recognized as the reason Jaws was so great. Another unforgettable aspect of the film is the score, with perhaps the most recognized movie theme of all time. This marriage of sound and visuals makes for an incredibly haunting setting.

            I commend Steven Spielberg tremendously for making this film, especially considering everything he had to put up with. Whether he was receiving criticism from other crew members, being told he was inexperienced, or dealing with technical malfunctions on a daily basis, he managed to not only get through it, but make one of the greatest suspense/horror films of all time. 

Art of Cinema: 500 Days of Summer Film Critique

500 Days of Summer is a romantic comedy that follows the life of Tom, who meets a girl, Summer, one day at work. Tom falls for her the instant he sees her, and eventually the two start talking on a professional and personal level. While Tom's life premise is based on the idea of falling on love with "the one," Summer is quite the contrast, not believing in love at all. Their attraction to each other becomes obvious as it starts to exhibit all the characteristics of a traditional relationship... only it's not. Summer favors the idea of not labeling their "relationship." Tom goes along with this idea for some time before showing signs of serious frustration and agony out of his desire for more than a "casual relationship." After their intriguing, exciting, and heartbreaking time together, Summer goes on to marry another man, while Tom is left in despair until he meets a girl named Autumn, at which point the story comes to a fitting conclusion.

The cinematography in this film is refreshingly unfamiliar. Its non-linear storyline essentially gives away the ending (to an extent) early on. The phrase, “The journey is the destination,” has never been more true than it is here. The film is shot in a modernly artistic way, which parallels the ebb and flow of relationships in today’s society. The cinematography played an essential role in the success of this film.

Director Marc Webb draws on all aspects of modern day relationships, the good and the bad, and depicts a genuine portrayal of just that, which all viewers can relate to. Webb does a phenomenal job at keeping the viewers’ interest and making sure that every scene can somehow relate to our own personal lives, whether single, in a relationship, or just keeping it casual. 5/5.