The Wind Rises (2014): dreaming of the sky

Title: The Wind Rises

Language: Japanese

Year: 2014

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

My Rating: 5/5 (would give it a 6/5 if I could!)

This last film of Miyazaki is based on a real figure, Jirohorikoshi, the Japanese aeronautical engineer who designed the Mitsubishi Zero, Japan's predominant fighter plane during WWII. It was used in many air assaults in China, and also the Pearl Harbor attack.

Despite the film's sensitive subject politically and historically speaking, Miyazaki expresses through the film an overwhelming sense of beauty and pride. 

Instead of telling the story of Japan's attempts at plane construction through a historicizing narrative, Miyazaki made the magical choice of adopting a very personal point of view from Jiro the engineer. From Jiro's narrative, Miyazaki tells not only the stories of a plane, but of a young boy's desire to fly, to follow his dream, and to make his country a better and stronger one. The Japanese society at the time of the story was a turbulent one, one filled with social malcontent, natural disasters, and political and economic unrest. Mayazaki unreservedly shows this dark side of his society's past, which gained my sympathy. On the other hand, he also shows the breathtaking beauty and simplicity of life during that epoch: the picturesque countryside with its green grasslands, ripening fields, and traditional Japanese architecture, accompanied by the evocative music composed by Joe Hisaishi, every minute of the beauty is exuberant with a national pride and patriotism that is natural, modest, yet very much heartfelt. 

The film is also extremely touching in that it tells a tragically beautiful love story that is tangled with the nation's destiny. The love in the story is depicted with such simplicity yet is extremely convincing, in that it is also expressed with a kind of utmost sincerity that makes us wonder if we can still find love like this in today's society. Just like the love element is a personal aspect of the story, so is Jiro's own dreams of designing beautiful airplanes. In the film, he explains that he never meant for them to go to war, and he is at a loss when he realizes that none of his beautiful designs came back after taking off. 

This film is a must-see, it will move you in a way that you have long forgotten existed. Your heart will simply go out to the characters. For this reason, I was very sad to learn that the movie is censored in China because of its sensitive subject, however this film is not about politics. It is maybe somewhat about war in that it shows war's inhumanity and ugliness, and it is above all else about a brave quest for dreams and a yearning for beauty.

Le vent se lève... il faut tenter de vivre!

xx

Vanessa :]

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Movies to see this Valentine's Day Part I

Hey y'all!! With this cold weather going on where I am, I cannot wait to have some warm-themed holiday, such as Valentine's Day. Today I'm here to share with you guys a few Valentine's day favorites of mine or movies that are coming soon in theaters. Watch them with your significant other, or just some friends!

1. Valentine's Day (2010)

Of course, this is a must. I like the multiple story lines and how they cater to all kinds of audiences. Plus, can the fact that Jessica Alba and I share the same birthday be a reason why I like this movie?















2. The Proposal (2009)

Definitely not your classic rom-com. But a hilarious, heartwarming one still! Prepare yourself for some of the funniest couple-y scenes in the history of movies.

















3. Music and Lyrics (2007)

Another beautiful film that borderlines artsy and hipster. Full of mellow, amazing music, good laughs, and hot romance.


















Toodles until next Tuesday!
xx
Vanessa :]

Music Monday: poignant french song time

Last night I saw a wonderful film called Paris, Je t'aime (you can find my review here). I found two songs in the film extremely moving: Paris Je t'aime by Elisabeth Anais and La Meme Histoire by Feist. Listen to the two songs, and you'll find yourself lost in nostalgia, dreams, and thoughts. Beautiful tunes that remind me of the ever-changing face of Paris, of fate, and of love and life.

(source)

http://lyricstranslate.comThe Same Story
This link between us
This elusive thing?
Where are those fates, which are tied
To make us inseparable, going?
Over time
Wherever the wind goes...
Our desires, our loves
We leave without knowing
We're still
In the same story...
This thing which separates us,
Which, by chance, brings us together?
Why so many one-way tickets, so many departures
In this unending circle?
Over time
Wherever the wind goes...thus...
Our desires, our loves
We leave without knowing
We're still
In the same story...
The same story...
Our desires, our loves
We leave without knowing
We're still
In the same story...
The same story...

But what is

We move forward

We live day by day

But what is

We move forward

We live day by day

We live day by day

(source)

xx

Vanessa :]

paradise lost: Oblivion

Title: Oblivion
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko
Metascore Critic Rating: 54
IMDb User Rating: 7.1/10
My Rating: 3.5/5

"A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself."

I'm sure when you saw this trailer  in theaters you were thinking, "Wow, I bet that movie is gonna rock!" And then you never got around to seeing it. It's okay. You didn't miss too much.

Oblivion is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure that follows the monotonous life of drone repairman, Jack (apparently Tom liked the name Jack this year), and his "effective teammate" Victoria. They live in a house in the sky and have a glass pool that they go skinny dipping in. By the way, Tom Cruise, not ageing.

Top left: Tom Cruise in 1986
Bottom right: Tom Cruise in 2013
Whatever he's on, I want some.

When the movie first began I got a strange case of deja vu. "Wow, I think I've seen this before..." And I sort of had. The director of this movie, Joseph Kosinski, was also the director of Tron: Legacy. So, needless to say, these visuals were stunning. Paired with a fantastic soundtrack, courtesy of M83, the movie managed to evoke some feeling.

Oblivion - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from NoddingToMusic on 8tracks Radio.

The movie opens like Tron, the opening sequence a montage of killer visuals, epic music, and a wonderful voice over from Cruise. He explains everything you need to know before the opening title flashes across the screen.

Kosinski nailed the futuristic look...again. The entire set looks straight out of Tron: Legacy. The man knows how to shoot movies. He can evoke feeling without the use of dialog. He could make you cry just by panning a camera. Now if only he could find a better script (I would love to see what he would do with the script for The Matrix).

The film has very subtle nuances that you might miss while watching it:

Like the fact that there are canyons made from the streets of New York City.

Hey, look! The Library of Congress (I think). This feels like National Treasure...
*suddenly, Nicolas Cage*

"Just another day in [post-apocalyptic, radioactive, uninhabitable] paradise."

While the script for Oblivion is weak in the emotional department the movie makes up for it with some wonderful acting from the entire cast. It's been a long time since I've really enjoyed watching Tom Cruise at work. And of course Morgan Freeman was fantastic as always. His introduction is wonderfully thought out in the ever classic Freeman style. But I won't ruin it for you.

One of the other things I enjoyed about this movie was Tom Cruise's character. His quirkiness was perfectly portrayed by Tom. The baseball cap was a nice touch I thought.

Like I said above, this movie could have done with some more depth. So many possibilities were missed with this script. But there were enough twists to keep me interested. I feel like they could have drug out the suspense a bit longer. They spill the big secret before you're even halfway through.

I'd love to write a deeper review for this movie, but there's not a lot to go on here. So take of it what you may.

Check it out and tell me what you think :D

More Gatsby Awesomeness!!

The Great Gatsby Official Soundtrack from holdenshuntinghat on 8tracks Radio.

xx

Vanessa :]

Momento Mori: The Great Gatsby (2013)

 

Title: The Great Gatsby

Language: English

Year: 2013
Director: Baz Luhrmann
My Rating: 5/5

"The Great Gatsby" follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan(Joel Edgerton). It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without of the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles."

Done in Luhrmann's iconic theatricality, the Great Gatsby is one gem/explosion/firework/insert noun describes something spectacular of a film. From beginning to end, the film is loaded with drama, symbolism, extreme attention to details, and the pursuit of perfection.

Set in 1922, as the plot summary says, "an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks," every scene is done with glimmer to the max. The extravagant party scenes, Gatsby's mansion, the trips to New York City, everything is purposefully over-the-top, overwhelming the audience with as much amazement as disgust towards their lavish ways of life.

Two personal highlights: 

- the cinematography

Okay, I gotta admit, this is a bit way too broad, but the cinematography is so excellently unconventional or unconventionally excellent (you could say both, really) I have to mention it. The angle from which the camera films is at times deliberately unusual, and fantastically genius. One example is when Carraway is invited over to the Bucchanan's for dinner. The dinner is mostly shot from overhead, the camera gliding over the table over and over as the dinner carries on. Bits of conversation (mostly gossip) "floats" in the background, giving the audience just enough information to keep up with the story without wasting time on unnecessary minutia. 

- symbolism of the green light

I loved this theme when I read the book two years ago (which I believe I should certainly revisit over this summer). The green light, anchored right at the front of the Bucchanan household, is the source of Gatsby's endless hope and motivation. When he stares at the green light night after night, he sees not the light but Daisy, the potential of their past and future. He sees hope--but unattainable hope. Once he and Daisy spark up the old flames, the hope is, in essence, lost. Once the hope is gone, there is nothing to keep Gatsby going, and greed makes him yearn for ever more. At the end of the movie, Carraway stares at the green light, still blinking unchanged, through the bay fog, despite Gatsby's death; he sees what Gatsby must have seen in that thin beam of light, and realizes how much has been forever lost.

A few beautiful GIFs to end this post!

xx

Vanessa :]

Who Do You Live For? - Restless (2011)

"Annabel is a terminally ill cancer patient and is quietly awaiting her death spending her time studying nature. Enoch is struggling to recover from the death of his parents and spends his time attending funerals with his only friend - a ghost named Hiroshi who was a WWII Japanese kamikaze pilot. Just as Annabel's sister is trying to cope with Annabel's impending death, Annabel and Enoch fall in love. They both finally have a reason to live, but is it too late to have a life together?"

Wow. Well let me just say that this movie is so underrated. It's a wonderful plot that is so reminiscent of The Fault in our Stars. It's such a beautiful premise complimented so thoroughly with beautiful screen pictures and a haunting soundtrack. This isn't just any cancer story. It's a tale of facing your fears and loyalty even in the hardest of times. 

The main character, Annabel Cotton, is played by the wonderful Mia Wasikowska whose acting was flawless the entire time. Henry Hopper portrayed the moody and mysterious Enoch Brae whose tragic backstory and puppy-dog eyes just make you wanna give him a hug. There's also the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze Hiroshi (Ryo Kase), from WWII and it seems that he is a story inside the story of this film. Sometimes you may think that his part is unnecessary in the plot, although, in the end it turns out that he wasn't so irrelevant after all. 

While this film isn't on my list of "Masterpieces" it is a very good movie if you like unconventional (which i do!). The cinematography is brilliant throughout the entire movie and the set-pieces are to die for (as well as the costuming, which while strange, makes the film so much better). It's full of humor and love and sadness and joy. The ending will break your heart and warm your soul.

I definitely recommend it. It's worth the time (and is a perfect flick for sleepovers or late-night movies with buckets of ice-cream).

3.8/5.0 and Sara's official thumbs up for unconventional films

[Sources: IMDB]