#1 is The Intouchables

PLOT

A rich quadriplegic named Philippe is looking for a live in caretaker to look after him and meets Driss, an unemployed young man who has no intention of getting hired, and decides that Driss should try the job out. The film follows the life adventures and odd friendship of Philippe and Driss and the interesting adventures they get up to.

SHOTS

The opening scene is full of tracking and panning shots but with Philippe not able to move very much in his chair the movie focuses on close ups and medium shots. These are important because you can see the emotion on each actors face, instead of just focusing on dialogue. Lighting plays an important role in both the foreground and background and is used to portray different moods felt by the characters

INTERPRETATION

In one of the many compelling scenes in the movie one of Philppe’s friends says he’s worried because Driss looks dangerous. Pilippe gets mad because just like Driss doesn’t judge Philippe, people should judge Driss. This relates to the real world where people in wheel chairs or people that are different general shouldn’t but are treated differently. If we can treat each other equally and give each other lots of love the world would be a better place. The movie is an adaption of a book written by Abdel Sellou (renamed Driss in the movie) and so the movie has a lot of real life stories in it. Driss has some family problems and realizes that he isn’t there for his mother and could be a better roll model for his younger siblings. A lot of people including myself don’t realize until later in their life how much they impact their younger siblings and the movie reminds me to look after my loved ones.

EVALUATION

This is one of a very short list of movies that has ever made me both laugh and cry due to the actors and the story. There are many scenes that are hilarious and honest while others are comical and plain sarcasm. Because of this the movie keeps you on your toes and you never know when the next laugh is going to be. The actors bring the movie to life and there was a remake that aired in 2018 and I can’t bring myself to watch it. No remake can top this version due to the acting style, lighting, music selection, and script and it’s shown through the box office numbers, making almost four times as much as the remake. The sad and romantic parts of the movie are not forced and they relate to life in a real way that helps me understand what the characters problems are. Overall I rate this movie a 10/10 and would highly recommend it to anyone who needs a good movie to watch, even if you have to read the subtitles.

#2 is A Good Year

PLOT

A London stock broker/banker visits the vineyard he grew up in in France after receiving notice that his uncle had died and left the property to him. Max Skinner played by Russell Crowe relives his past and finds himself while fixing up the vineyard and going to the town market. He meets a young lady and falls in love, and must decide if he wants to stay in France or go back to his job in London where he would become partner of his trading firm.

SHOTS

When I watch movies I try to travel to another place and learn about a new culture and through this movie I can do so. With beautiful wide shots of landscape and architecture I can learn more and take in the beauty of the locations in London and France. The director uses lots of close up shots to display anger, confusion and romance with well thought-out transitions to medium, tracking, and panning shots.

INTERPRETATION

Skinner, an uptight know-all creates the impression that he has left his old life behind and is always focused on the money. When Skinner finally gets to France you can see he’s out of his element and quickly gets annoyed because most tasks are done by his assistant. He doesn’t understand much French and gets annoyed when the French people don’t speak english. When he finally arrives at his vineyard you can see memories of his uncle Henry are slowly coming back and all the knowledge that was passed down is trickling back. Slowly Skinner finds himself and with the help of his old friends he realizes life isn’t all about making money, and more about being happy. Skinner doesn’t seem to have a lot of love or friends in his life in London, and so bringing back old friends and finding love can really change his life. This is also relatable for anyone. Money isn’t always the most important thing and although it can fix many problems having loving friends and family will always prevail.

EVALUATION

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and felt like I got to see into the drama of someone else’s life. I liked the way they encapsulated the background but kept the foreground the center of attention. There was some great comedic moments (Skinner smells the dirt, rubbing it onto his hands only to find out it’s manure.) and the romance isn’t too cheesy. The movie reminds me of visiting my grandparents and although it brings back sadness just like the movie, the good memories far outweigh it. The location scouting was amazing and the director did a good job of making London look dark and depressing while France looked clean and sunny. I will definitely be showing my friends and family this movie and would happily rewatch it.

#3 on my list is Second Hand Lions

PLOT

Walter is dropped off at his uncles farm by his grandmother who wants him to find the supposed millions that the uncles are hiding. Walter feels like he’s being punished and the uncles don’t want him but eventually they bond and the uncles tell Walter stories about their past, some being more truthful then others.

SHOTS

Tim McCanlies, the director, used lots of close up and medium shots throughout the movie, only using wide shots to show lots of action or important scenes or scenes with great detail such as scenes with animals in them or times when the uncles would use their plane. There is lots of panning shots and I assume some VFX for shots such as plane tricks and some of the animals.

INTERPRETATION

The movie could be called “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” because that’s what this movie is all about. Both the boy and his uncles don’t see any value in a relationship and just want their time together to be over. The boy thinks his uncles are boring but through outings and events in the opening scenes of the movie he learns that his uncles are very interesting. The uncles played by Robert Duvall and Michael Caine tell crazy stories about the war and their early life. While watching the movie you can believe that many of these stories are made up but some events that happen at the end of the movie contradict this and you are left to come to your own conclusion. The movie highlights the way that showing someone even a little bit of love and making them feel welcome can change the way they act and who they become. Once a shy boy, Walter becomes very open and because of the stories he becomes very creative and ends up writing comics as his job.

EVALUATION

This is one of the few movies that made me cry at the end. I love these types of movies and I like to see movies about old types of transportation, war, and adventure. Tin Tin is another good movie that does the same thing. The characters are compelling and you become attached to them through the great acting by both the uncles and Walter, the boy. The movie leaves a lot for you to imagine which is a good thing, and makes you wonder what the rest of Walters life will be like. The ending of the movie keeps you dreaming and the story line is well produced and easy to understand even though there’s lots of cut scenes. I would watch this movie again and would show my friends if I got the chance.

#4 on my list is The Wolf Of Wall Street

PLOT

Jordan Belford, a middle class stockbroker realizes he can make 50% commission selling penny stocks. After a crash in the market he’s let go and creates his own firm, Stratton Oakmont, and joins wall street. Belford (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his cronies learn how to steal from millionaires and quickly attract the attention of Wall Street and the feds. Covering the high points that led to his demise the movie covers a whole range of illegal activities, sex, money, and the rush of staying right in front of the FBI.

SHOTS

The directors used a lot of wide shots to show wealth, growth, and general chaos and medium shots when characters are talking (as shown in the video above) or some important action or movement is going down, such as when Belford is high and trying to get in his car. I always wondered if the directors had opted to use actual yachts and rent houses out but most of the scenes were keyed in after, as well as the characters in them. As you can see in the video below, many of the wide angle as well as closeup shots are keyed in, with structures like the boat half made for close up shots and the other parts of the boat computer generated.

INTERPRETATION

Wall Street is a very secretive place and not a lot of information about whats going on inside the buildings is let out. I’ve read many articles about illegal actions that are overlooked because there are huge amounts of money getting paid. Although I don’t know for certain if this is true it’s always an interesting thought, and with a true story like this it makes you wonder if the same type of people aren’t still making shady deals today. I also dream of one day going on a big yacht like the one in the movie or travelling to beautiful places like Belford did. He and I are very different in the cases that I don’t have an interest to do drugs, cheat or lie. I did enjoy watching how much Belford seemed to love his job and hope I find something I like as much as he did, but a bit more on the legal side.

EVALUATION

The movie does a great job at stretching your imagination and explaining the story of Belford. Without the amazing performances of DiCaprio or Hill the movie would have tanked, and I’m surprised that Leo didn’t get an Oscar for the movie. With a run time close to three hours long you really get to delve into the details surrounding Belford and his life and at some points you can step into his shoes and see how he’s feeling. The director makes Belford look like he’s addicted not only to drugs but to the feeling of being on the other side of the law and that can give the viewer a rush when watching the movie. There are some great VFX shots that make your heart race such as when Belford almost crashes his helicopter in his back yard. I recommend this movie for anyone who wants a stretch of imagination as well as a great way to see into the life of someone who’s broken the law and become super rich in real life.

#5 on my list is Mission Impossible: Fallout

PLOT

Ethan Hunt who is played by Tom Cruise, one of my favourite actors, leads a team trying to buy plutonium cores from gangsters before the real terrorists can buy them. When this goes wrong Hunt and his team must race against time to save the world from collapse. The movie is action packed with great fight scenes and a good story. Almost all the fight scenes look real and the VFX is outstanding. There are a few cut scenes throughout the movie to explain the past but the plot is easy to follow.

SHOTS

With almost every type of shot pulled out of the filmmakers handbook your eyes never get bored, and if you blink you might miss something. Like most movies there are lots of wide shots to illustrate a new city/location, close up shots for intense scenes like action or romance, and quick tracking shots to show speed.

INTERPRETATION

The story highlights the crazy possibility that if government agencies are not watching terrorists they could sabotage the worlds food, water, and energy before we could react. Although I use this movie to get my mind of the real world there is always the possibility that similar plans are already being made around the world to hurt people. You can see that teamwork is key to making sure any plan works, in movies or real life, and that not everything in life is easy. I noticed that a lot more civilian/normal work (police officers, pedestrians etc) is included. You get a quick look into the lives of these people as the movies progresses, especially the lives of police officers which are taken without a moments notice.

EVALUATION

I found the film exhilarating, funny and action packed and agree with ratings that this is one of the best if not the best film in the series. I eagerly wait the next film and hope they can bring the same standard that the franchises fans have come to expect. I would like to see a little more into the life of the other side characters in Ethan Hunts team but I understand with all action and details of the story that are included in the movie the run time would be close to three hours long. One of the main things that stood out to me was the incredible colour grading, especially in places where lights flashed and under bridges and in canals where light was filtering through gaps in manholes. The use of shadow to build up suspense and the lighting in the foreground and background was superb.