Monday, June 3, 2013

Can't repeat the past

Making remakes is a big challenge for every filmmaker. The details, the story and the cast are the most important parts of this quest. In a way movie goers always refer to the previous or the original version where this film is based.

For Baz Lurham is been a long and difficult road to bring "The Great Gatsby" to the big screen. After a big failure with "Australia" Lurham, bring back one his most important actor as a major headline for this film Leonardo Di Caprio.

Gatsby is the story of Nick Carraway (Tobey Maquire) a yale graduate and a world war I veteran. Confined into a sanatorium for alcoholism.
During his meeting with doctors he always talk about Jay Gatsby (Leonardo Di Caprio) a mysterious business man and his extravagant parties.

The story of Gatsby is about a lost love from Gatsby for Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) cousin of Nick and how Daisy's husband Tom (Joel Edgerton) have a mistress. Gatsby wants to recover Daisy trying to erase or repeating the past.

The film is extravagant, elegant and full excess. Sing of times in the 20's where none saw the crashing of set stocks and the depression coming to the US. In a way the film reminds me to "Mouline Rouge" but then turns into a tragic soap opera of epic proportions.

Di Caprio is always great, the soundtrack is fantastic. Unfortunately the film overuse VFX to the fullest.

Spring Breakers

Spring Breakers is the true story of four college students and friends Faith, Candy, Britt and Cotty (Selena Gomez Vanessa Hudgens Ashley Benson Rachel Korine) that start robbing stores in order to have money to enjoy their spring break in south of Florida.

During their crazy beach parties, drinking, and using drugs they were arrested by the police and later bail out by Alien (James Franco) a rapper and gangster from St Petersburg. Faith (Selena Gomez) feel extremely uncomfortable with Alien, probably for her education and family oriented education based on religion. After Faith departure Candy, Briit and Cotty get involved with Alien in the crime ring turning all into serious consequences for all.

The film explore violence, serious youngsters decisions, drugs and excess during Spring Break.
Honestly the movie is hard to read, you never have serious performances from all the actresses. James Franco is great. The cinematography, and editing is very good. The soundtrack is a great compilation.

Quartet

Director and actor Dustin Hoffman make his debut film with a tremendous cast of well know british actresses and actors.

The film takes place during the rehearsals and preparation for Verdi's birthday concert celebration disrupted by the arrival of Jean Horton a famous opera singer play by Maggie Smith which is the newest addition to this nursing home, Jean as a diva and former wife of one of the residents

Quartet is the story of a musician nursing home in England. In a way the film reminds a lot of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a group of retired fellows that get together, probably in Quartet the film is not exploring soul searching, is about what those musicians were in the past and now they are facing deception, all that stardust is gone and the only thing left are just fans.

Maggie Smith is wonderful as always, the rest of talented actors such as Michael Gambon, Tom Courtenay and Billy Connolly are great too.