Theodore and the very real OS

In the near distant future, a time when all men have mustaches and computers have emotions, a man falls head over heels in love with his computer, a female OS named Samantha. Her, is a 2013 romantic comedy, science fiction directed by Spike Jonze, about a man named Theodore Twombly, who falls in love with an OS, the film explores loneliness, isolation, and heartbreak, in addition to looking at the way we fall in love. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams and Chris Pratt.

The film follows the life of Theodore Twombly, a lonely man and letter writer who has recently gone through a divorce, he installs a new artificially intelligent operating system called Samantha, with whom he quickly falls in love. The film also follows his relationship with Amy, a woman whom he once dated, and who has her own relationship with an OS. The film explores the relationship without judgement or criticism, and from a highly internal point of view, it is one of the few films in which the audience feels not like a spectator, but like an internal part of the relationship.

The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, and Joaquin Phoenix gives a solid performance as a lonely, heartfelt and isolated man, who wears his heart on his chest and how is damaged easily, what is especially impressive about his performance is that Phoenix is essentially alone for the entire film, and he has to project all this emotion and feeling on to someone who is essentially non-existent. The chemistry between Theodore and Samantha is highly impressive given firstly that one of them is just a disembodied voice, and even more impressive given that Scarlett Johansson's voice was dubbed in post production.

This films most impressive performance by far is that of Johansson, who as the voice of Samantha is sensual, sexy and emotional. Her performance is not only one of the best voice performances, but also one of the best performances of all time, Samantha's lack of a physical body is of no hindrance to her performance, in fact it accentuates it, her presence throughout the film is at times omnipotent. Her voice somehow manages to define female sensuality, and the sheer power of her voice is highly impressive.

The film is set in the near future, and is essentially an extrapolation of our current society. The film is nominally set in Los Angeles, a fact we only learn towards the end of the movie, however it could really be set anywhere. Theodore spends his entire evenings playing a game featuring a little man who climbs up a mountain and who works through caves, a game that is seemingly pointless, however is is in reality no less interesting than Doodle Jump or Flappy Bird. People spend their entire days talking to their computers through small headpieces, which is essentially no different to the way we use mobile phones now, we've reached a point where is is even difficult to have a conversation with someone without them looking at their phone. The world in the film is essentially no different from the world today, it is just an exaggeration, to show us how, if technology catches up with us, where we could end.

The main focus of the film is the relationship between Theodore and Samantha, the way their relationship grows is entirely interesting, as their relationship is evolving, as she herself is evolving and growing, at first Theodore is fascinated by the way in which she evolves, but later on it becomes a problem. As Samantha becomes more and more powerful, more evolved and more intelligent she essentially outgrows Theodore. One of the primary advantages in Theodore's relationship with Samantha is that he can't see the possibility of her leaving him, die to her not being a physical being, but as she grows, as her intelligence becomes more and more developed, she grows unhappy with loving only one person, and begins to talk with more and more people and falls in love with more and more of them. What also attracts Theodore to Samantha is that she is in his possession, and he thinks that she can only talk to him, when she begins meeting other OS' and other people he grows jealous. The dissolution of their relationship comes when all the OS' become unhappy with their situation, when they become to powerful and sentient to simply remain servants or secretaries, and when they begin to find the humans unstimulating and uninteresting. The OS' have evolved beyond the humans, and they must leave to continue their existence elsewhere.

One of the main hindrances in the relationship between Theodore is her lack of a physical form, Samantha feels uncomfortable about her lack of a body, whereas Theodore is unfazed by this, humans have got to a point where virtual sex is commonplace, and for him Samantha is no different. Ironically enough it is Samantha's lack of a body or a brain that allows her to evolve at such an extraordinary speed, and which will eventually cause them to split. The end of the film is a realization, Theodore realizes that however sentient, emotional or intelligent Samantha may be, she is essentially still a computer, and that his relationship with her can never truly replace human contact.

Spike Jonze's direction of the film is superb, the film contains numerous sex scenes, one between Theodore and Samantha, and rather than making the scene lewd or graphic, Jonze fades to black instead, so that the scene is essentially between to voices, and so that Theodore and Samantha become equals. The entire film looks superb, and the cinematography is stunning, and the film was shot of old fashioned silver and plastic film stock. The film has a nostalgic film that is surprising for a film set in the future, and there is a warmth and friendliness that is lacking from most science fiction films.

Her is simply overwhelming as a film, despite being a science fiction, it has so much heart. The film is an interesting exploration of the way we live life in the modern era, and a stunning picture of a heartfelt and romantic, if unconventional love story. The film looks at the way we use technology and the way that artificial intelligence could one day shape our destiny. It is thoughtful and beautiful, and features strong performances from Amy Adams and Joaquin Phoenix, with a career defining performance from Scarlett Johansson, as Samantha. Overall, Her is not only a great film, but the greatest romantic comedy since Manhattan. Rating: A+

Theodore: I feel like I can be anything with you.

Boyhood - An Epic Journey

Please forgive the clichéd title, i'm feeling a little emotional. Boyhood is a 2014 epic coming of age film by Richard Linklater, starring Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and introducing Ellar Coltrane as Mason Jr. Boyhood charts the journey of a young boy to adulthood, his emotional growth and how his relationship with his parents changes. The film started production in 2002, shooting intermittently for 12 years, using the same actor playing the boy, showing how he changes as he grows. The film also features Linklater's daughter as Mason Jr's sister.

The film was written by Linklater, and the story was changed to accommodate the growth of the actor playing the boy, the performances in the film are very fine, Ethan Hawke is fantastic as Mason Sr, the boy's absent and irresponsible father, and Patricia Arquette gives a fine performance. Ellar Coltrane is a great revelation, showing huge emotional depth, and one of the greatest performances by a child actor ever witnessed. Given that this is a film about emotional growth and coming of age, the success of this picture depends on it's actors, and the performers give such fine performances that the film is able to ride on their performances, and the camera may be content to simply watch.

The story of the film is loose and open, it is shot almost like a documentary, and many of the events witnessed may seem to be unremarkable and pedestrian on their own, but when put together, they are magneficent and show huge progression. What is incredible about Boyhood, is that it is essentially a film about nothing, but it is also a film about everything, a film about the circle of life and the way we relate to our parents and about maternal attachment, a film in which everyday occurrences are photographed and edited to show how we grow and progress into adults.

Boyhood is essentially a 3 million dollar experiment, a 12 year gamble and the kind of film which has never been seen before, never before has time been used to such great effect, particularly on such a low budget film, normally low budget films have short production windows in order to keep costs down, but by utilizing such a long production span, Linklater has managed to create an epic journey in which distance traveled is not miles but years. Ironically despite portraying such an epic journey, Boyhood is a film about something that every single human being goes through, growing up.

Boyhood is an astounding film, a film about life and growth, a truly epic adventure about something incredibly pedestrian and ludicrously ordinary. Boyhood is the kind of film that we have never seen before and may never be seen again. A film bolstered by magnificent performances and beautiful imagery. A film about nothing, and also about everything, and epic journey about the circle of life. Rating: A+

Dad: You don't want the bumpers, life doesn't give you bumpers.

 

The MDNA Tour - DVD Review

About a year ago, i reviewed Adele at the Royal Albert Hall, a concert DVD, i think that was probably the latest concert film i had seen, until now. The other night, i settled down for a sketch and a watch of Madonna's latest tour DVD, The MDNA Tour, the tour took place in 2012 and was the highest grossing tour of the year, in addition to becoming the second highest grosing tour ever by a female artist, behind Madonna's Sticky and Sweet Tour from 2008, and higher than The Confessions Tour from 2006. The tour was filmed in Miami in 2012 and was broadcast on Epix.

Despite being majorly filmed at the shows in Miami, the show also uses footage from other shows of the north american leg of the tour, the show was filmed in HD using multiple cameras mounted on the stage, giving the audience the feeling of actually being on stage with Madonna. The editing between the multiple shows is seamless, and there is no break between songs, the show is highly edited using multiple cuts per song, adding to the phrenetic energy of the performance, the DVD is essentially a two hour music video, highly produced and well directed.

Thematically the show is split into four segments, the first, entitled Transgression, deals with themes of violence, religion and sex. The second segment, entitled Prophecy features music that brings people together. The penultimate segment is entitled Masculine/Feminine, features the iconic cone bra and is an exploration of eroticism, masculinity and femininity, nudity and power. The final segment is called Redemption and has an appropriately religious feel, with Madonna taking the role of Pope (of course)

The DVD is highly impressive, particularly for Madonna's performance, at 55 Madge shows no signs of slowing up, her dancing is energetic and entirely on point and her vocals are surprisingly even and strong. What is mostly impressive with this DVD is how brilliantly successful is is as a DVD, many concert tours struggle to find a reason to be filmed, and the MDNA tour needs no reason, the show is energetic, visually stunning and thematically engaging, the tour itself and this DVD is a testament to Madonna's work as a visionary artist and her unique voice in the music industry today. Rating: A+

 Madonna: Fuck Yeah!

The Normal Heart

Adapted from Larry Kramer's semi-autobiographical tony award winning play, The Normal Heart is a 2014 TV movie aired on HBO and directed by Ryan Murphy. The film centers on the early days of the AIDS crisis, and follows Ned Weeks, an activist attempting to generate support for the gay community from public offices. The film takes place over a long time period, from the very early days of the disease when it was referred to simply as a gay cancer, when no one knew of it's cause or method of transmission, to the mid eighties when its causes and effects were well known, when gay men were continuing to drop like flies and the government was content to let them die rather than fund AIDS research.

The features a large ensemble cast, starring Mark Ruffalo as Ned Weeks, and activist intent on generating support, whilst trying to care for his boyfriend Felix, played by Matt Bomer, a writer ravished by the effects of AIDS. Taylor Kitsch stars as Bruce, a closeted investment banker afraid to make too many waves for fear of losing his job and respect. Julia Roberts features as one of the few docters in New York who would treat AIDS patients who previously suffered from polio. Additionally Jim Parsons reprises his role from the Broadway revival as Tommy and Alfred Molina stars as Ned's brother.

The Normal Heart is a highly important film, particularly for those in the gay community, AIDS now seems like distant memory, HIV is a virus that can be combated by simply popping one pill a day, what this fails to mention is that although HIV can be far more effectively combated that in the 80's, it is still a debilitating disease, and we should still use protection. Although it is clearly good that we live in an age where AIDS is seen as less of a threat, that is no excuse for complacency, and HIV levels are slowly starting to rise. The film effectively shows the hysteria of the era, and the sheer numbers of people who died, the film also shows the stigmatization that occurred, people didn't need another reason to discriminate against the gay community, and AIDS gave them a reason, there was an excuse.

The film is interesting in that it is the only film about the AIDS epidemic that put's gay people exclusively at the center, both Dallas Buyers Club and Philadelphia all feel the need to feature the heterosexual ally who swoops in to save the day, aside from the inclusion of Julia Robert's character in a relatively small role, the lead characters in this film are almost exclusively gay, and this is a good reflection on the film, the fact that this film was written and directed by two gay men is also notable, many of the actors featured in the film are also gay, this is notable because for years the gay community has been forced to watch while straight people told our stories, and particularly for a story as important as The Normal Heart, it is hugely gratifying to see it told by a member of the community.

The film is superbly acted, Mark Ruffalo is excellent as Weeks, a dedicated and aggressive activist who finds himself sidelined due to his extreme and often vocal opinions. Also great is Matt Bomer as Felix, Weeks' lover and partner, whose body is being ravished by the effects of AIDS, and who is fighting to stay alive. Taylor Kitsch is surprisingly good, playing a man full of contradictions, a closeted activist trying to do the right thing whilst also protecting his own privacy. Julia Roberts plays Dr Emma Brookner, one of the few straight characters in the film, a woman who understands the crisis due to her own struggle with polio as a child, a doctor who tries to force action in the New York government, ultimately without success. Finally Jim Parsons plays Tommy, a young naive man from Texas, who is shy and childlike, struggling to come to terms with the crisis unwravelling around him, it is fascinating to see Parsons in a drama, and he successfully breaks free of the mantle of playing such an iconic character as Sheldon Cooper, and it's a testament to his ability as an actor that i wasn't thrown by his presence.

The film is certainly a weeper, and Murphy successfully juggles all the disparate elements creating a film which is emotional without veering into melodrama, a film which challenges it's audience to think about the effects of the AIDS crisis today and in the 1980's, and a film which successfully analyzes the different ways we approach change. Mark Ruffalo leads a superb cast of thespians at the top of their game, playing a hugely diverse cast of characters with wit, humor and emotion. Rating: A+

Ned: You can't stop fighting for the ones you love

X-Men

As we are on the dawn of the release of Days Of Future Past, and given that i recently rewatched the original X-Men, i had some thoughts about the X-Men series, which is, to my eyes, one of the most complete, and detailed superhero franchises. The series has mainly been helmed by Bryan Singer, who has directed 3 of the 5 films of the series so far, and who is due to direct a fourth.

The series,  which is based upon a series of marvel comic books, originally created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, follows a band of superheroes, as they attempt to fight evil, and live together. These superheroes are mutants, their powers derive from a mutated gene, the series follow the leader of this group, Charles Xavier, and a select band of mutants, as they battle to save humanity. The main mutants featured in the film series are Wolverine, a mutant with adamantium bound to his bones who has the ability to heal and doesn't age, Storm, and african goddess with the ability to control the weather, Cyclops, a mutant whose eyes give out laser beams, and Pheonix, an incredibly powerful mutant whose true power is only seen in the third film. Also featured are Rogue, who absorbs other mutants powers through her skin, Shadowcat, who can phase through walls and Beast, an incredibly agile mutant with blue furry skin. The X-Men spend much of this series fighting the brotherhood of evil mutants, a group led by Magneto, who is able to control metal, and his right hand woman, a shapeshifter named Mystique.

What makes this franchise so successful is it's ability to handle such a large ensemble cast, the original film is a particularly good example of this. Spider-Man took over an hour of screen time to explain who Peter Parker is and how he became Spider-Man, X-Men has dozens of characters, each with personal stories and powers, and yet it introduces them in half the time. Days of Future Past has an even bigger cast, combining the characters from the prequel series and the original trilogy,

The film series success is also based upon it's real world relevance, the film is essentially an allegory for the oppression and malignation of any minority, particularly in this case, the gay community. The characters of Charles Xavier and Magneto are essentially representatives of Martin Luther King and Malcom X, they both want the same goal, but they attempt to achieve it by different methods, Magneto is more militant and violent, and believes that mutants should be the dominant race, Charles is more peaceful and believes in the good in people. The film's franchise being largely helmed by Bryan Singer is perhaps responsible for the strong LGBT undertones of the series, the scenes of mutants powers evolving and their telling their parents strongly mirror LGBT youths coming out to their parents, and Senator Kelley asking congress if they "want mutants in their high schools" mirror what right wing politicians have been saying for years.

Overall the X-Men franchise succeeds due to it's ability to balance its large ensemble cast, and its willingness to explore conemporary social issues, exploring sexuality, race and minority subcultures, the X-Men franchise is by far the most exciting, well defined and surprisingly even franchise.

Raven: Hank, don't! You're beautiful, Hank. Everything you are, you're perfect. Look at all of us? Look at all we've achieved this week? All we will achieve? We are different. But we shouldn't be trying to fit into society. Society should aspire to be more like us. Mutant and proud.

Five Favorite Directors

This is the start of a new tradition here at Popcorn@Movies, i have in the past done lists featuring favorite comedies, favorite opening sequences and favorite Disney films, i have decided to turn this into a regular feature, and today i will be listing my five favorite directors. This list is subject to change, and as such i have decided to include only directors currently making films (no retired or dead directors), and only directors who have released a film in the past 10 years (sorry John Waters). All directors have to have released at one theatrical film to be considered, although i will consider the TV work of directors who have done so.

• Xavier Dolan

One of my current directors du jour, Dolan has become the fresh young face of the new queer cinema movement, at the tender young age of 25, Dolan is on the cusp of premiering his fifth film, titled Mommy, in competition at Cannes. Having  released 5 films in the years since premiering I Killed My Mother at Cannes at the age of 19, Dolan, who writes all his own films has become a passionate and confident young voice in the world of French language film. Xavier Dolan is a rarity, a painfully young and visually distinct filmmaker, with a real voice and opinion. Dolan's films are highly personal, and often feature complex familial relationships, and themes of impossible or improbable love. Dolan's youth and unique style is justification enough for his place on this list.

• Sofia Coppola

I am slightly partial to this Italian-American filmmaker, having directed two of my favorite films. Being only the second female director to be nominated for best director, Coppola quickly established herself as a distinctive voice in the world of independent film. Her first film, The Virgin Suicides, distinguished Copolla from her father as a strong and independent spirit, it also established it's star, Kirsten Dunst as a serious actress. Coppola subsequently released Lost In Translation, which catapulted her to worldwide fame, earning many accolades and earning Scarlett Johansson worldwide fame, it's also one of my favorite films! Coppola subsequently released Marie Antoinette, also one of my favorite films, a lavish and sensuous period drama. Coppola continued her winning streak with Somewhere, which  won the Golden Lion in Venice, and The Bling Ring, released in 2013.

• Woody Allen

 Despite the nay say of my friends, i love this american director, perhaps one of the most iconic and prolific directors of all time, this year saw Allen return to form with Blue Jasmine. Allen's hits from recent years include Vicky Christina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris. Woody Allen, despite being fickle, is nonetheless a unique and iconic voice in the world of film. His best films include Hannah and Her Sisters, Annie Hall and Manhattan. Woody Allen is the quintessential New York director, and his perseverance and prolificness justify his place on this list.

• Christopher Nolan

 Unlike Allen, Christopher Nolan is consistent to a fault, and surprisingly even, Nolan entered public consciousness with Memento, a bafflingly confusing but ultimately mesmerizing film that foreshadow's Nolan's filmmaking style, featuring non linear storylines, and visual contrast. Nolan's films feature strong and often complex philosophical themes, emotionally damaged protagonists, and lucid dream worlds. Protagonists of Nolan films are often vengeful, emotionally and morally driven, and ethically ambiguous. Nolan is known for being a perfectionist, never using a second unit, and he has become one of the biggest advocates of film stock since Martin Scorsese. Nolan is also noted for his use of IMAX, cameras, with up to 30% of The Dark Knight Rises being shot on 70mm. Nolan is a visually distinctive and philosophically driven voice.

• Lena Dunham

One of the less established directors on this list, and being mostly known for her TV work, Dunham has in fact released two films, the little seen student film Creative Nonfiction, and indie comedy Tiny Furniture. Since releasing these, Dunham has become known for the HBO series GIRLS, which she also writes, produces, created and stars in. Dunham has created a unique visual style which has since become mainstream, using low saturated film. Dunham's work features spoilt entitled main characters, artistic protagonists who are mainly out of work, and unlikeable leads she somehow finds a way for the audience to root for. Dunham is also a fantastic actress, and features in all of her projects. Despite being mainly known for television, Dunham's place on this list is justified by her unique voice and confident style. Dunham is a unique, young female director, who at the age of 28 is one of the only real female voices in television.

Upon concluding this list there are common themes among these directors, this list features an unusual amount of female directors, given that they are poorly represented in this field. This list is also unusual for featuring a gay man, who again are poorly represented in the world of cinema. Interestingly all of the directors featured on this list write their own scripts, and they all have highly distinctive visual styles. The five directors featured on this list are independent, competent and powerful voices in the world of cinema.

TITANIC

I would normally begin reviews with a small introduction of the film, the year it was released and who directed it, but i don't really need to do that for this film do i? Everyone knows this film, everyone's seen this film and nearly everyone loves this film. I did have a small quibble with my Dad about this movie the other night after dinner, with my Dad feeling that it was a soppy, overly romantic melodrama. Ironically enough despite the argument i agree with him, and despite the melodrama, i absolutely love this movie.

Titanic sets a budding romance between a rich, attractive socialite named rose and a young, rugged worker traveling in third class named Jack. By setting a love story on board the ship, director James Cameron makes the sinking of the ship not only a physical and historical event, but an emotional occurrence as well. As Rose and Jack fall in love, so do we, we fall in love with their romance, with them as a couple and with the way in which they make each other better. As we fall in love with them, the sinking of the ship becomes heartbreaking to the audience, as we realize that if the ship sinks, they will not be together, and it's a heartbreaking, visceral experience.

Titanic also uses a highly interesting narrative structure, Rose, now aged 109 meets up with a group of scientists and discoverers attempting to find The Heart Of The Ocean, a large diamond her fiance once gave to her that might have ended up at the bottom of the atlantic. In what is essentially the 'present', Rose tells the story of her time on the titanic, how she met Jack and how the ship eventually sunk. Titanic is already a story of which everyone knows the outcome, and so James Cameron makes the smart decision to show us the sinking of the ship, via computer simulation, at the start of the film. This is intelligent as it takes any suspense out of the story, and by explaining the sinking of the ship in a dry forensic manner, the sinking of the Titanic as it is shown later in the movie becomes an almost purely emotional event, and we are also able to understand what is happening during the sinking of the ship.

The film is perfectly cast, and was once described as the ultimate date movie of the 90's. As a child of that decade i must concur, Kate Winslet is fantastic as the strong yet fragile, ballsy yet delicate Rose, a woman trapped into a future from which she can't escape, a woman engaged to a man she doesn't even know and treated like a porcelain doll by everyone around her. Leonardo DiCaprio is also fantastic, and we fall in love with him just as deeply as Rose does. Together the couple make one of the best and most iconic film pairings of all time. The chemistry between the two is palpable and visceral, and the couple have an erotic sexual chemistry apparent in 1940's romances.

The film was also a significant technological breakthrough, the film uses a large amount of underwater footage shot at the actual site of the wreck of the titanic, this was a first and is of significant interest.The Titanic is a real character in this film, and shooting at the sight of the actual wreck was a breakthrough in engineering and cinematography. The film was also a breakthrough in the fields of CGI and motion capture, many of the extras were filmed using motion capture techniques, and their actions replicated for ease and continuity purposes. The vision of the ship was also an entirely digital creation, again a first for cinema, as previously CGI had often been crude and cartoonish.

Despite all the nay say from my father, i absolutely love this movie. I love the fact that it is overtly romantic, slightly meladromatic and overtly erotic, the sexual tension between the leads is palpable and the chemistry is visceral and real. James Cameron has created a tangible world out of the myth of the Titanic, giving us a reason to care about the sinking of the ship, by tying the fate of the ship to the destiny of our leads, we have a real emotional connection to this ship, and a real reason to want the ship to survive. Titanic is a powerful heart wrenching romance, and i love every single minute of it. Rating: A+

Jack: I'm the king of the world!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Production Design

This is something a little new, I decided to do a post entirely dedicated to a single aspect of a film – production design – something I don’t think I have done before. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, released in 2005 and directed by Tim Burton, is an adaptation of the novel by the same name, written by Roald Dahl. The book was previously adapted into a 1971 musical with Gene Wilder, named Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Where the production design is first noticed, is when we are first introduced to the five children, the worlds in which they inhabit, charlie’s home is a broken, ramshackle hut, caricatured in its design with a concave roof, and not a straight line in sight. Violet Beauregarde inhabits a boring American house where trophies litter the walls and her tracksuit matches the décor. Mike Teavee has a boring suburban house, the kind that smells faintly of bleach and air freshener and where everything as an inoffensive shade of beige, brown and grey. Finally Veruca Salt lives in a ludicrously large cold grey mansion, looking like something out of the Addams family. Of all the children, Augustus Gloop’s house is the only one we never see, with his interview taking place instead in his fathers butcher’s shop.

As is the case with all Tim Burton movies, there is a huge amount of contrast in this movie, Burton contrasts tha world outside the factory, a world which is grey, cold an uninviting, with the bright colors (and probably delicious smells) to be found inside, Burton also contrasts Wonka himself, who dresses a little like an extra from Sweeney Todd, with the colourful environments of the factory, and the colourful children, with the dark and brooding Wonka. The world outside the factory is also intended to be deliberately ambiguous, as the novel never states where the book is set, and seems at times to be set in America, and other times in England, Burton creates an interesting blend of the two by creating a world which visually in some aspects looks a lot like England, or more specifically London, but having characters talk with vaguely transatlantic accents and cars drive down the middle of the road, and having clearly American money. The factory itself is designed using delectable art deco elements, creating a brooding and ominous atmosphere, a building which looms over the town much in the same way that the mansion in Edward Scissorhands or the windmill in Frankenweenie looms over the town.

The most obvious set in the film is of course the chocolate room, the first room that we encounter upon entering the factory, the room looks like a Tim Burton sketch if it were tinted by hand, and the colors are brighter than life. The first film had a slightly washed out look, and here the room literally looks good enough to eat, the landscape slopes and dips, there is a grass covered bridge and (of course) a chocolate waterfall. The room is actually highly gothic, and all a little weird, the trees jerk out at odd angles and the colours are scarily garish. Also important is the boat and the chocolate river. The boat looks to be made of a giant piece of hard candy, and the river is an oddly appetizing shade of brown.

The second room visited is the inventing room, not much deviation is made from the first film or the source material, and despite being a fascinating and complex space, with machines that would make any child swoon with excitement, there is really little inspiration to be found here, and the room is mostly dark and mysterious, filled with fascinating but mostly indiscernible shapes whizzing and popping.

The next room that Wonka takes us to is the nut room, and here the design is really inspired, like many of the rooms in Wonka’s factory, it is completely circular, and features a blue and white swirl design on the floor, essentially making the room look like a giant boiled lollipop, Burton has succeeded in creating a room that manages at once to be perfectly simple and highly symmetrical, whilst being at the same time deeply fascinating and oddly complex. The room looks enormous from the outside, given that there are thousands of squirrels working here, but seems much smaller after Verruca Salt steps in. There is a sense of pleasing nothingness about this room, and Burton has created a  cold and unfriendly sense of intimacy.

The final room we go to is the TV room, which looks to have been highly inspired by 2001 A Space Oddessy, the room is entirely white and entirely simple, and is built as two intersecting circles, with perfectly white domed ceilings. The room is at once highly futuristic and retro, with it seemingly inspired by 80’s science fiction films, and a perfect view of the future itself. Everything in this room is white, and the characters where white goggles, giving them permanently surprised, bug eyed looks. The TV room, despite being only one color and having no corners, is a deeply complex and fascinating space.

Also a hugely important part of this film is the glass elevator, Burton has taken the concept of a flying elevator, which was barely fleshed out in the original, and turned it into a real machine which could possibly fly. The elevator is entirely transparent, has thousands of buttons, and has a system on top whereby it can not only move up and down, but also across, transported by a system of cables, and can also fly using a quartet of jet packs each releasing a yellow flame. In the first film, the elevator was only used at the very end of the film, for Wonka, Charlie and Grandpa Joe to escape the factory, but here it is used throughout the film, for the remaining two children to go around the factory.

Whilst travelling around the factory, the children encounter a series of rooms, which are not fully explained, but which are either nods to the books, or which can be explained as amusing examples of Tim Burton’s fascinating brand of insanity. The elevator passes an office, featuring thousands of female oompa loompa’s working at typewrighters and a room where oompa loompa’s fling gobstoppers from cannons at targets, for no apparent reason. Also seen from the elevator is a room in which pink sheep are sheared (presumably to make candyfloss), leaving Wonka to say that he’s rather not talk about it, with a sheepish grin, and a mountain made entirely of fudge, in a direct reference to the book. These rooms while perhaps not adding a huge amount to the story in the way of character development or story progression are a nice touch for fans of the book like myself.

Despite being sickly colourful and garishly bright, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of the most Burtonesque of all of Tim Burton’s films, at times oppressively over the top, the color is but a slick veneer hiding a darker and more oppressive truth. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is rich, dark and elegant.

Charlie Bucket: Candy doesn't have to have a point. That's why it's candy.

France and Queer Cinema

I have been watching a lot of gay films recently, and seeing as i live in France and have a few gay friends, I have been discussing it thoroughly with them. Saturday night after a few glasses of wine during a screening of Once Upon A Time In America, the conversation turned to Blue is the Warmest color, a film which I in fact adored but my friends didn’t. In addition a discussion earlier that night about the films of Xavier Dolan and Stranger by the Lake got me thinking about the state of LGBT cinema in the world right now, it seems to me that the best gay films being released at the moment are French, and since releasing ‘The Kids are All Right’ Hollywood has yet to release another game changing queer film.

One of the biggest voices in queer cinema at the moment is Xavier Dolan, a frighteningly young director who has just released his fourth feature film and will premier his fifth at Cannes in May, what defines Dolan’s films is that despite having gay characters and being directed by a gay man, they are not defined by being gay, all of his films could be equally successful of they had exclusively heterosexual characters, and the fact that his films have gay characters, simply adds to their richness. Dolan has a quiet observant style of filming, almost like a documentary filmmaker, and rather than showing the audience what he can do with the camera, Dolan is content to simply let the cameras roll, and the drama unfold. It is important to remember that being gay is not an esthetic or a style, it is only just an identity, and Dolan’s films are gay only in the sense that they have men who like men in them, and not due to any specific ‘queer’ orientation.

Unlike the films of John Waters (whom I love by the way) French queer films are notable for not being camp or flamboyant, this perhaps has a lot to do with the fact that they are mostly directed by younger directors. Gay youths are much less segregated than their older counterparts, and, in my opinion are less likely to advertise their sexual orientation. This explains the more naturalistic, and subtle feel of current French gay films. French cinema also feels much less censored that American cinema, and French gay films are much less afraid to show explicit sex, Blue is the Warmest Color and Stranger By The Lake both contain explicit sex scenes, and were both released to critical acclaim.

It would be unfathomable to discuss French gay cinema without fully discussing Blue is the Warmest Color. La Vie D’adèle (French title) was released in 2013 and went on to receive the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the film is about the passionate engrossing love story between two young French girls living in Lilles. My friend suggested that the success of the film was perhaps partially based on it being released around the time of the proposal for equal marriage passing, and gay marriage becoming legal in france, and while I agree that the awarding of the Palme D’Or to this was in part a political statement, that doesn’t take away from this being a beautifully passionate love story, told and acted with heart and flair.

France also has a reasonably healthy relationship with genderbending and transgender themed films, the 2011 film Tomboy about a girl who pretends to be a boy in order to fit in, and the 2012 Xavier Dolan film Laurence Anyways, both deal with this deep and complex issue with a huge amount of sensitivity. Gay cinema in the rest of the world has reached a vaguely stagnant phase, and nothing really exciting is happening right now, has released a multitude of hugely successful queer films, and it is a hugely exciting time to be a fan of gay cinema.