[Review] Rango

Past friday I took my little sister to the theatre again, I think it's a shame that so little amount of kids get to see a movie how it should be seen, because no matter what a movie is made to impress.

Well anyway we went to see Rango, the trailer had set high hopes at my side. These soon went down when I saw it was co-produced by Nickelodeon. Well anyway I have to admit, in this case Nickelodeon was good.

When we "enter" the movie, after a somewhat corny introduction coming from what is ment to be a mexican owl, we meet Rango. An ordinary pet chameleon who tries to set up a play with his broken barbiedoll as his noble princess and a dead cockroach(?) as the villain.
He is stuck in his reservoir, in the car of his owners. At a sudden point our dear chameleon comes to the conclusion that there isn't a play without drama/a challenge for the leadactor.
Here they get the first thing what you learn at filmschool about storytelling.
"Give your protagonist a challenge, without it you don't have a story"
Even although he didn't ask for it, an armadillo crosses the street and because of the sudden movement of the car his reservoir falls out of the car in to the burning sun of the desert.
This burning sun makes him dry out instantly and lose his old skin to be directly replaced by a new one with the same faith. This point of the movie already got a smile on my face, just the expression on the face of the creature and the really funny sounds Johnny Depp adds to it are amazing. Soon Rango discovers what made him get out of his luxorious position, the armadillo.
This armadillo is a quite funny creature, seeing him ran over by a car, asking Rango to pull him back onto his 4 legs.

This little fella tells our chameleon about the spirit of the west, something that shows itself to you when you cross the street.
Rango doesn't care and asks the armadillo for the way to water. And what a way that will be !
As Rango goes to where the water should be he just walks right into the adventure of his life.
Discoverd by the female lizzardish/chameleon (I'm still not sure if she's a chameleon) Beans he get's into a town. A town where water is almost gone.
No-one knows our chameleon so in the local saloon he makes up his new name "Rango"
Soon he climbs up from stranger to the hero of the town.
But soon faith turns against him.

I loved Rango, last year I had a course about moviehistory and movie genres.
I think Westerns were our subject for atleast 4 months.
Rango had every single thing to be one of them, ofcourse it was ment to make it look like somekind of parody but it really was so heartwarming to watch it.
We had the lonesome cowboy Rango, the tough cowgirl Beans, the banker, the cute little kid, the creepy coffin person. Bankrobbers, a corrupt politician and ofcourse a Saloon!
I loved the shoot-out like scènes and the animation was really done smoothly.
If I would've to rate this movie with a point out of 10 it would get a
7/10
Rango is definatly worth watching!

[Review] Black Swan

Past saturday I went to the movietheatre with my friend Nomi, since she's really into acting I thought she should see the movie wherefor Nathalie Portman received the Oscar for best female in a leading role.
I tried to look up as less as possible on the movie, but I couldn't but discover it was the new one of Darren Aronofsky one of my all time favorite directors. When finding this I didn't expect a lame dancing movie anymore, I just knew it was going to be badass good. Which it is, although I've got to see the movie again for more details. All pictures in here are found in youtube videos and trailers from Black Swan. I do not own any of the copyrights to this images.

Black Swan is that kind of movie that catches you from the first sequence on.
The photography of this movie is just breathtaking and I loved to see the grain from the film.
In the opening sequence we see Nina, played by a magnificent Nathalie Portman, whom is one of the better drama actresses of Hollywood at this moment (in my humble opinion), dancing a part of the Swan Lake, a classical ballet piece. The most catching in this scène, for me, was the costume of her counterplayer. Dressed in a crowish suit, Black feathers and a huge beak. He plays the bad wizard who cursed the Swan princess. The simplicity of the light, the complexivity of the movement. Together it creates such a magical feeling. I love the way they used a really clear reference to claire obscure movement. Ofcourse good images are supported by good music after 3seconds of music I could tell that this was another masterpiece of the ever genious Clint Mansell. The music is just breath taking and even caused goosebumps several times untill I couldn't get rid of them anymore.


After the fairytale intro we're introduced to Nina and her mom, while she is telling about her weird dream and how the leader of the ballet promised that he would feature her more in the upcoming season. When she takes the subway to the dancing theatre she sees a girl. If you see her from behind she really looks identical to Nina, but while Nina is dressed in very light pinkish and white clothes, the girl in the other part of the subwaytrain is dressed in very dark clothing. When Nina moves, she moves, it almost looks like Nina is seeing herself in a reflection, untill the person get's of the subway at the next station.
Later at the ballettheatre we get introduced to Lily, played by a wonderful Mila Kunis, she got off the subway too early. She is like Nina, but a lot less controlled and a lot more free.
The story advances on onto the point where the balletdirector announces his new version of the Swan Lake, the special part of the play is that both the White Swan and the Black Swan have to be danced by one dancer.
The same day they all dance their auditions for the role. Nina is perfect for the role of the White Swan but she's too little Black Swan for the role.
She knows she fucked up and the next day she walks to the director to ask for the role, while doing that you'll see the first glimpse from the Black Swan in each of us.
Anyway I don't want to give to much away but if she wouldn't get the role, we wouldn't have a whole movie, so she basicly get's the role.
In the next part of the movie we should all be able to recognise ourselves in it.
You want something so bad and you work your ass off, still people say you're good, but there is always someone who does it better, who could easily take your place and hop you out of the spotlights. Even if you don't want to, you still feel threathend, it's just our natural instinct.
And when you're under pressure your total way of behaviour can change drastically.
The way Aronofsky shows what showbizz can do to someone is just amazing. The trips, illusions that Nina has are mindfucking. At some point I wasn't even capable anymore of seeing the difference between real or illusion. The way this whole part of the movie gets filmed is just stunning.
And I still don't know exactly everything from the movie, and it's already a week ago since I saw it, I really need to go back to see it again.
And as soon as the dvd release get's up I'll try and get an analysed blog on here !

Introduction

Hello my dear reader,

I start this blog after alot of thinking, I watch alot of movies, music videos and photographs.
Besides that I also love music with good lyrics, lyrics with a message underneath, or maybe with just a catchy tune.
Well anyway past year was quite a rough year for me and I decided I should get everything back together. A big thing is that I get alot of inspiration when I analyse lyrics, movies and music videos.
I would like to write it down for myself and maybe share it with the world.
Together with this I hope to be able to post some of my own work in the next few months.
I studied Audiovisual arts for 4 years, my original plan was going to college to become a director/writer or an editor. Due to unforseen circumstances (well I was naïeve not seeing it coming) I had to give up that. Instead of doing that I started working as a sales representative, selling cameras and alot of stuff related to photography and videography.
In the last couple of months my old passion for photography has come back, I lost it due to teachers who discouraged me who teared me totally down.
I got my degree in the videography way of the audiovisual arts. Videography is my life and I hope to become a professional director one day.
But well I will end the beginning of this blog so I can start sharing some stuff with you guys soon !

Rock on and Peace out!