HANNA

HANNA is the name you see spelled out in big white letters across a red background a few minutes into the film and again at the end. “Hanna” Heller (Saiorse Ronan) is seventeen years old and lives a secluded life in the forest with her rogue secret agent father, Erik Heller (Eric Bana). However, this girl is much more than your average 17 year old – she hunts, shoots, knows combat skills, knows the world off by heart even though she’s never left the forest and speaks enough languages to be able to communicate with just about anyone.)


Her father trained her to be an assassin and one day, when she decides she is “ready”, she flips the switch on a transmitter to inform Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett), a corrupt CIA agent, of her location. Erik leaves the home while Hanna stays behind to be captured and taken to a CIA safe house in Morocco. Her goal there is to kill Wiegler, but kills Wiegler’s body double instead.

Hanna escapes the compound to meet up with her father in Germany and on the way, finds out many truths about her own life: who murdered her mother, why she is who she is and about her father’s betrayal. She is hunted by Wiegler, the CIA and a heartless mercenary, Isaacs (Tom Hollander). After encountering modern technology for the first time and stowing away in a British family’s van, she ultimately reaches Berlin and this is where the final showdown takes place between Erik, Isaacs and Wiegler, as well as between Hanna and Wiegler.

This film is without a doubt one of those original and enthralling films that no one knows about, but everyone should see. It is an action-adventure with a sci-fi twist and a dramatic blow. The performances from Saiorse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Tom Hollander are brilliant and you honestly walk out of the cinema wanting to “take down the bad guys.”

A Dance for One

The very definition of beautiful is what this film is. A dancer alone in a smoky, early morning studio with warm sunshine flowing through the fairy tale windows. As she strokes her silky pointe shoes, she is clearly reminded of all the magic her dancing has brought into her life, how it has given her a purpose. As she stretches at the barre, a routine she will never forget and never give up, you see her stunning black lace shorts and later, applying stage make-up, she dons a cream lace dress: the perfect symbol of femininity. It ends with her dancing alone in a cloudy room, her image duplicating itself like a ballet dancer has to rehearse over and over to reach the proverbial "perfection".

This film shows off the new collection by Nic Briand and Susien Chong, the team behind Australian label Lover. In a collaboration with Australian Ballet's Amber Scott (she choreographed the dance herself to best present the clothing), they created a film to encompass what the collection means and what its inspirations were.

Enjoy!


A Dance For One. from LOVER® on Vimeo.

The Harry Potter Generation

I was eleven when the first one came out and every subsequent year, there has been another one: another Harry Potter film to accompany my journey to adulthood. I believe this makes me a part of the Harry Potter Generation, so with the last film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, being released on the 15th of July, it is bound to get sentimental at some point and it starts with this, a video "summary" of all the films...

Enjoy!



Autumn

Even though Summer has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere and I envy those who live there, over here it's the end of Autumn and I feel cold to my bones. However, it's not the end of a new script I wrote, titled "Autumn" about a girl, a guy, a saddened father, a burnt-down, charcoal barn and a beautiful greenhouse on a farm. You'll find out more about the story in due course, but here are some inspirations I drew from to write the script. I hope you agree that they are beauty itself!

To Autumn

by John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, -
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.



Two lines from Keats's original manuscript.


Paolo Nutini - Autumn



Pirates, Pirates and more Pirates

The fourth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides definitely lives up to the Pirates legacy. One would think that with a different director and some cast changes it would loose its touch, but Rob Marshall stayed away form making a "Pirates: the Musical" and stayed true to the well-timed comedy and overall chaos of the other films.

The story deals with different groups of pirates and officers searching for the legendary "fountain of youth". The Spanish fleet do not even bother to take out pirates on their quest for the fountain; Barbossa (the incredible Geoffrey Rush) has worked (or bribed) his way up in the English ranks to take control of a ship and some willing King's men to find it; a new addition in the form of the tyrannic Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his "Sparrow-corrupted" daughter, Angelica (Penelope Cruz) are using brute force and zombies to get to the goal and Jack Sparrow (you know who), as always, messes up the day to ultimately save it with his wits, skills and extensive common knowledge on everything "pirate." With two chalices and a beautiful, but very dangerous mermaid, they all set out to find the fountain for different reason: ranging from eternal life and revenge to the destruction of a misinterpreted belief system. Many interesting characters make their first appearances and comedy is more prominent than ever!

What I missed was the spectacular Gore Verbinski effects (Marshall was a bit more subtle, but still very effective) and the two crazy pirates with hilarious views on life and a rolling eye (Ragetti played by Mackenzie Crook and Pintel played by Lee Arenberg).

Jack Sparrow: Have you been there?
Captain Teague: Does this face look like it's been to the fountain of youth?
Jack Sparrow: Depends on the light.



Blackbeard: Bring the mermaid!
Philip: You're killing her.
Blackbeard: I'm a bad man. 

Barbossa: You can sleep when you're dead!


Jack Sparrow: [Standing on a cliff edge]

You know that feeling you get when you're standing in a high place... sudden urge to jump?... I don't have it.

Angelica: That's hardly appropriate for the first mate.
Jack Sparrow: Was I the first?

A Classic Film you can’t Miss: La Vita é Bella

Do you remember the 1998 Oscar ceremony where a charismatic Italian man jumped over chairs and sprinted to the stage when Sophia Loren announced the winner of the Best Foreign Language film award? That man was director, writer and actor, Roberto Benigni and that film was La Vita é Bella or “Life is Beautiful”.

I saw this incredible film for the first time in the 9^th grade when we were studying it for English. I appreciated it then, but when I watched it just a few weeks ago, I realized just how magical this film treasure truly is.

To sum it up, it is about love and the extreme actions people will take to protect the ones they love. Guido (Roberto Benigni) is an Italian bookkeeper and later waiter in 1940’s Italy. With to his witty nature and humorous luck, he courts Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), an Italian schoolteacher from an affluent family. They marry and have a son, Giosué (Giorgio Cantarini), who steals the hearts of audiences with his “Buongiorno Principessa!” cry when he sees his mother after hiding in a closet.

However, both Guido and Giosué are Jewish and when German forces occupy Italy, they are sent to a concentration camp and Dora joins them by pretending to be Jewish. In the camp, Guido makes up an elaborate story and convinces Giosué that everything is a competition and he will win a tank if he completes all the games successfully. This includes hiding from German officers and playing hide-and-seek with German children. The first person to reach 1000 points wins the game. Guido also finds intelligent ways to communicate to Dora that they aren’t in danger.

When the war draws to its end, the camp is in chaos and Guido has to make one last sacrifice to ensure both Giosué and Dora’s safety.

It’s a romantic comedy, a war-drama and so much more, but the overall film? Pure magic!

Making Music for Film

We're in the post production phase of our short films at school and I have to do the music for five films! Yes, it's stressful and is probably making me old before my time (especially when the editors decide to take their time - you know who you are), but with inspiration from the masters I have examples of below, making  music for film becomes magical and truly an enjoyable experience. I just love it when the timing falls into place and the film comes alive with sound that creates that ideal emotion.

Clint Mansell is, without a doubt, a musical genius. His Requiem for a Dream soundtrack is one of my favourites:



Goodbye, Elizabeth

A childstar, a leading lady, two Oscars, seven husbands and a double set of eyelashes. This woman, an actress in Hollywood's Golden Age, was a legend - both official (the American Film Institute named her seventh on its Female Legends list) and in the hearts of millions.

Unfortunately, her fairytale came to an end this morning when she died after being hospitalized for congestive heart failure. At 79, her grace and spirit was still a light in her four children, many grand children and even great-grand children's lives.

Rest in Peace, Elizabeth Taylor...

"Everything makes me nervous - except making films."

"The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they`re going to have some pretty annoying virtues."

 "My mother says I didn`t open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked."

"[2005] There`s still so much more to do. I can`t sit back and be complacent, and none of us should be. I get around now in a wheelchair, but I get around."

Sunday Movie Music

It is cold outside and I was lucky to stumbled across this beautiful song. It matches the stormy weather and the mellow Sunday mood perfectly. Of course the composer is Hans Zimmer (who else?) with his masterful melodies. It makes me want to swap houses with some foreign stranger and fall in love with a handsome Englishman...

I love Iris's (Kate Winslet) voice over in the opening sequence of The Holiday:

I've found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said "Journeys end in lovers meeting." What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I am more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. It was Shakespeare who also said "love is blind". Now that is something I know to be true. For some quite inexplicably, love fades; for others love is simply lost. But then of course love can also be found, even if just for the night. And then, there's another kind of love: the cruelest kind. The one that almost kills its victims. Its called unrequited love. Of that I am an expert. Most love stories are about people who fall in love with each other. But what about the rest of us? What about our stories, those of us who fall in love alone? We are the victims of the one sided affair. We are the cursed of the loved ones. We are the unloved ones, the walking wounded. The handicapped without the advantage of a great parking space! Yes, you are looking at one such individual. And I have willingly loved that man for over three miserable years! The absolute worst years of my life! The worst Christmas', the worst Birthday's, New Years Eve's brought in by tears and valium. These years that I have been in love have been the darkest days of my life. All because I've been cursed by being in love with a man who does not and will not love me back. Oh god, just the sight of him! Heart pounding! Throat thickening! Absolutely can't swallow! All the usual symptoms.

Everyone's Irish Tonight...

... or last night. I'm proud to have some Irish heritage and could not love the people, the culture and the country more (no, I'm not referring to the overflow of alcohol, but more to the festive way in which the Irish can approach life.) Hope you had a spectacular St. Patrick's Day!

With all the green beer you could drink

St. Patti's Day film: The Boondock Saints

Oscar Magic

4 to Inception, 4 to The King's Speech, 3 to The Social Network, 2 to Alice and Wonderland and 10 out of 10 for brilliance! The 83rd annual Academy Awards were not only fun and glamorous, but the winners were definitely the most deserving. I must admit, I expected a different outcome after the Golden Globes, but The King's Speech was without a doubt the "Best Picture" considering all aspects, including cinematography, editing, directing, acting and art direction - a film that kept you gripped, expanded your knowledge and made you laugh every now and again.

Personally, I believe Hans Zimmer has deserved and Oscar for years, but Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross brought The Social Network to magical life. Colleen Atwood knows how to fuse fashion and drama and her long time collaboration with Tim Burton has truly brought beautiful works of fashion art to this world.

Even though there were mixed reactions toward Anne Hathaway and James Franco as hosts (they are not comedians, why should they feel obliged to be funny?), they kept the night going and made it entertaining - it is about the awards, anyway.

The Best Actors and Actresses of the night, Natalie Portman and Colin Firth were the cherries on top. Both portrayed vulnerable characters with flaws to overcome and ultimately stood for that confusing stages everyone experiences in life.

Some Fashion...

Boo!

Look at these excellent movie posters of the classic horror films I still have to see (the originals, anyway!)

I can't imagine, however, that any special effects or 21st century blockbuster tricks could create that pure feeling of fear and can make you tell the characters to "not go there!" as truthfully...

The King's Speech

The King's Speech

With: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter,

Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall

Directed: Tom Hooper

Written: David Seidler

Genre: Historical Drama

Running Time: 118 minutes

"Because I have a voice!" the King shouts in utter frustration through insecurity and stammering. He gets one reply from his speech therapist and close friend: "Yes, you do."

The King's Speech tells the story of a powerful man fighting a weakness that limits the use of his own power. A king should be noble, strong and sure. A king should make his people feel secure and proud. How does a king do this if he cannot even communicate? It is the story of King George VI (Colin Firth), the man who went from being Duke of York to king of millions because his brother, Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), abdicated to marry divorcee, Wallis Simpson in the 1930's.

However, George (or Bertie, as his family called him) is haunted by a stammering problem he developed as a child due to neglect and emotional abuse from a nanny. His father, King George V (Michael Gambon) is at the end of his life and the pressure escalates for Bertie to take charge and to speak as a leader. He tries numerous speech improvement methods, including smoking to "calm the nerves," but all to no avail. His loving and sympathetic wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) finds a unique speech therapist in an Australian "commoner", Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) to help Bertie and even though the relationship has a rocky start, Logue and Bertie soon become close friends. By the time King George VI has to address his country before the start of World War II, he has grown into a King to listen to.

King George VI: If I am King, where is my power? Can I declare war? Form a government? Levy a tax? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority because they think that when I speak, I speak for them.

The film opens on the day of George VI's first live radio broadcast and where the radio broadcaster perfects his voice and diction, George suffers a great embarrassment when his nerves and stammering prevent him from talking to the crowds. The cinematography is constantly utilized to show the pressure of public speaking and the distance George puts between himself and the people he has to communicate with and the production design constantly pulls you into an early 20th century world coming out of one war and moving into another. Criticism has come forward regarding historical truths (for example, King George's first live radio broadcast happened 10 years before portrayed in the film and George and Logue apparently never referred to one another as "Lionel" and "Bertie"), but that does not take away from the incredible story told and the strong, yet unorthodox friendship that develops between two very different people.

Director Tom Hooper is like a conductor in front of an orchestra with this film and he knows who to put in his masterpiece. Colin Firth captures the insecurity and pain of frightened king perfectly without ever falling into self-pity and Helena Bonham Carter plays the strong, ever supporting Queen Elizabeth with expertise. Geoffrey Rush is also absolutely deserving of every nomination and award that comes his way, because playing an aspiring actor who had to settle for a more simple life and then becoming something great because of pure compassion and unique flair is difficult. He perfects the brutally honest, yet humble, personality.

Lionel Logue: [as George is lighting up a cigarette] Please don't do that.
King George VI: I'm sorry?
Lionel Logue: I believe sucking smoke into your lungs will kill you.
King George VI: My physicians say it relaxes the throat.
Lionel Logue: They're idiots.
King George VI: They've all been knighted.
Lionel Logue: Makes it official then. 

                            And The 12 Oscars (Hopefully) Go To:

Actor in a leading role: Colin Firth

Actor in a Supporting role: Geoffrey Rush

Actress in a Supporting role: Helena Bonham Carter

Art Direction: Eve Stewart & Judy Farr

Cinematography: Danny Cohen

Costume Design: Jenny Beavan

Directing: Tom Hooper

Film Editing: Tariq Anwar

Original Score: Alexandre Desplat

Sound Mixing: Paul Hamblin & Martin Jensen & John Midgley

Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler

Best Picture

Movie Collage

I LOVE this film and television poster collage by Brandon Muramatsu. I see some of my favourites in there...

Black Swan

Black Swan

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

 Nina (Natalie Portman) is a top New York ballet dancer who lives and breathes ballet. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace retiring dancer, Beth (Winona Ryder), doors open drastically for Nina when she is chosen to portray the Swan Queen. However, Leroy wants one dancer to be both the vulnerable, pure white swan, as well as her seductive, villainous "twin sister" the black swan. Nina perfectly embodies the former, but struggles to let herself fall into her dark side. Competition presents itself in the form of Lily (Mila Kunis) who epitomizes the black swan and paranoia becomes a big part of Nina's every day life. She loses all trust she ever had in anyone, even her critical, former dancer mother (Barbara Hershey) and soon this spirals into destruction.

Darren Aronofsky creates sheer art with every aspect of this film and every award nomination is deserved. The cinematography (with hand held camera actions playing a big role) captures the movement of dance and the overwhelming paranoia perfectly and the well-written twists keep you on your toes to the very surprising end.

What draws the audience in even further is the identifiable situations and the real performances. You feel the fear of losing and the intoxicating need to be perfect. You identify with not being able to share a part of yourself with the world and the grace a wonderful achievement can bring.  This film shocks to the core, but mystifies and amazes just as successfully.

One has to have respect for strong performances, especially when they include such precision dancing. Classical Ballet is the most difficult dance form, but Natalie Portman achieves what every ballerina strives to: she makes it look effortless.

Vincent Cassel is just as impressive as the vain, yet charming; seductive, yet intriguing artistic director.

Black Swan has already won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe for best actress (Natalie Portman) and is now up for five awards at the 83rd annual Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Portman), Cinematography, Directing, Film Editing and, of course, Best Picture.

For more information, downloads and the trailer, check out the official site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/blackswan/

The Globes, of Course

The 68th annual Golden Globes has probably been the most discussed topic on the web in the last twenty-four hours, but I can't help it - it's where two of passions come together: the film world and fashion. As an actress one finds these awards inspiring, because you get to see and learn from the most increible talent the world has to offer. Some winners you agree with whole-heartedly, but others you wonder about and think: "why?" However, no matter what happens, this is where I usually get to know brand new shows and artists and discover even more about the craft I love so much.

 I've always been a fan of Colin Firth and he executed this difficult role of a stuttering King George VI with pure brilliance. Congratulations!

I'm a sucker for everything ballet, no matter how darkly portrayed. Well done to Natalie Portman for her Black Swan perfomance.

And to those who fell through the cracks:

 Inception was spectacular in every aspect of filmmaking and will always be one of my all time favourite films.

 When Johnny Depp steps in front of the camera, you don't even see a glimmer of Johnny Depp - it's all about the character and I admire him greatly for that. A good actor is believable, a great actor makes you wonder if the actor is even still in there: that's Depp!



As for the fashion: some of my personal favorites...

Sandra Bullock in fairy tale Jenny Packham.

Olivia Wilde in Marchesa with shimmery gold Christian Louboutins.

Natalie Portman in Viktor & Rolf.

Anne Hathaway in Armani Privé.

Julia Stiles in Romona Keveza.

For a complete listing of nominees and winners, go HERE

The Tourist

I finally got the see The Tourist last night and fell in love with everything: the performances, the incredible locations (Paris and Venice, of course), the script with its sharp twists and unexpected turns, even the wardrobe (Colleen Atwood worked her magic once again, creating a 50's inspired look). Angelina Jolie plays Elise, an epitome of elegance who makes every man's head turn shamelessly and Johnny Depp portrays Frank, a supposed Math teacher on holiday in Europe who gets caught up in the world of agents, guns and stolen millions. It's an action adventure, it's a romance, it's a comedy, it's pure fun! Hats off to director and writer Florian Henckel van Donnersmarck.

I'm crazy about this dress! (Colleen Atwood, you are a genius!)