Musings On... Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola is one of my favorite directors, her films have a timeless elegance and a calm solemness which is beautiful and soothing. Coppola is the daughter of legendary director Francis Ford Coppola, and this is apparent in her films, Coppola spent much of her childhood growing up in hotels, and thus many of her films deal with youth and loneliness. Both Somewhere and Lost in Translation are set in hotels, and deal with the isolation and shut off reality of hotels. Coppola also grew up in a privileged environment, and her films deal with this also.

One of the main themes discussed in her films is that of isolation, The Virgin Suicides is about five sisters who are isolated from society by their mother after one of them commits suicide. The film explores the cost of their isolation, and their loneliness. Her second picture deals with the same themes, and is the story of two tourists who meet in a hotel in Tokyo, and who form an unusual bond. The milieu of the hotel is an expression of their loneliness, as it is a world cut off from reality, and both the characters are lonely and lost in their marriages. Somewhere also deals with loneliness, much in the same way as Lost in Translation.

Other themes discussed in her works are ennui, which is discussed in Marie Antoinette, Lost in Translation and Somewhere, all these films deal with characters who feel despondent and uninterested with life. Her films also deal with characters who are often wealthy and privileged, but who gain little pleasure in their lives, and who feel like their loves are worthless, Marie Antoinette deals with this especially, as Antoine is rich and lives in a palace, yet she longs for a simple life, and loathes the pretense and lavish lifestyle of Versaillles. The Bling Ring stands out among Coppola's works, and it deals with a group of young people who are obsessed with fame and fortune, who long for riches and celebrity, and who steal from those they idolize.

Coppola is a true auteur, her films are highly personal, she wrote all of them, and they are highly inspired by her own life, childhood and experiences, her films mainly deal with loneliness, isolation and solitude, her films are visually stunning and poignant and are of particular significance to me.

Musings on...Lena Dunham

Lena Dunham is an actress, writer, producer and director who since 2012 has directed, produced, written and starred in her own show on HBO. I hate her. All jokes aside Dunham is a supremely talented woma, her show, Girls is a comedy about four young women living in new york city, struggling to deal with the realities of supporting oneself and maintaining a meaningful relationship. Dunham plays Hannah Horvath, a young writer living with her friend in a Brooklyn apartment, working on her debut novel having been cut off by her parents.

Dunham is fantastic as an actress, her portrayal of Hannah is tender, unique and sutle, she portrays Hannah as a genuinely flawed character, a woman who is self centered and selfish. Despite her flaws Dunham gives us something to love, something to latch on to, we empathize with Hannah and we are able to see ourselves in her, despite her flaws. In addition to being a fantastic actress, Dunham also writes the show. The show features a great selection of characters, each finely crafted and well defined, and the best episodes are the ones written by Dunham herself, as she really has a good feel for these characters and the directions they should be taken in.

In addition to her work on Girls, Dunham has also authored a book which is due to be released in September, and has directed a film, previous to the television series. Tiny Furniture was Dunham's first mainstream film, a comedy drama about a girl returning from art school, and dealing with finding a direction and defining herself. The film is well made, and acts as a blueprint for Girls, with Dunhams character being similar to Hannah, and the film also starring Jemima Kirke and Alex Karpovsky, which would later both be featured on Girls. Despite not having a huge number of credits to her name, Lena Dunhams work on these projects is impressive, and Dunham is well on the way to becoming the voice of our generation, or, at least, a voice.

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.