Boyhood: Blog Post

Camera Shots/Angles/Movement

            During Boyhood I feel like the best cinematic component used was really the camera shots and angles.  The movie was a good balance of what happens in real life and what is good to keep the audience intrigued in a movie.  I feel like the beginning of the movie was a better depiction of a boys childhood rather than how they portrayed Mason later in life.  One of the best scenes in the movie, I think, is when the first husband is drunk at the dinner table and starts throwing plates and glass.  The camera is set up in the corner where Mason was sitting at the table.  I think they did this to show Masons viewpoint on the scene.  Also the shot was filmed from a low angle which demonstrated power and control for the husband.  Another very well shot sequence of scenes was one of the times Mason Sr. took Mason and Samantha for the weekend.  There was one long scene where it showed them running around, throwing a football, rolling down a hill, etc.  The dialogue was simple between all three of them and I felt like the camera was just following them wherever they were going, and it didn’t seem like the camera was following a script.  However, I thought a somewhat poorly shot scene was the final scene.  I just felt like it was kind of awkward because it was a medium shot which made you concentrate on their whole body.  I think the camera should’ve been moved closer and just included the top half’s of Mason’s and his new girlfriend.  I think one scene that didn’t go along with one of the overall themes was when Mason got pissed at his dad for not giving him his car for his birthday.  The scene took place in a car where Mason’s step mom, baby, and sister sat in the back.  I feel like it should have just been Mason and his dad in the car for that scene because it felt kind of awkward when the other three were just there listening.  I think one movie that is oddly similar to Boyhood is Brick.  During Brick it seems like your following a handful of people through their lives just like in Boyhood.  The main character of Brick seemed identical to Mason where they are both monotonous and both kind of have this noir "ish"-type feel.

 

 

MYST Post #5

Terminator Genisys

               

Spoiler alert!  This movie sucks!  Sorry for being so blunt but the movie was the definition of what a cliché is.  It seemed like every single piece of dialogue was put in there to try and create a famous line like the "I'll be back" that the terminator monotonously said.  The movie takes on a whole different approach than all the previous Terminator movies.  It's basically a love story between John Carter's parents, or at least that's what it seemed like the majority of the movie was.  I don't know what was more horrid the acting or the dialogue.  It’s possible that I could have started to "toon out" early on but I don't even know what the premise of the movie was.  What was the bad guy’s goal?  And unlike how the Terminator was the main role in the past four movies he was merely a comic supporting actor.  Comical.  The Terminator...  Comical!  It’s the complete opposite of what his personality should be.  When the director, Alan Taylor, thought about who the terminator would be in this film, or what his persona would be why would he want him to be the laughing matter in, what should be, a serious action movie.

I know I have been giving this movie a pretty bad rep, but there were one or two good aspects of the movie.  For one, I thought that the camera angles were correctly shot because the terminator was almost always shown as a close up to display his monotonous and sometimes comical gestures.  When looking at the movie from the perspective of cinematography (minus the screenplay) it was actually a very well shot movie.  And the music that was implemented into the overly dramatic scene fit well, even though the scenes sadly sucked…

MYST Post #4

The Martian

            Before talking about my personal views of the movie I would like to talk about the use of camera angles, shots, etc.  Obviously most of the movie is shot focusing on one person.  So the director had to find new ways to shoot Matt Damon so that the audience does not get bored.  He also has to use the correct angles that depend on the mood and tone of the setting.  One specific time in the movie when the camera shots were very prominent was when Mark woke up on mars after being separated from the rest and having an antenna sticking into his abdomen.  From the time that Mark got up, walked over to the station, took out the antenna, and stapled his wound the camera only shot close up.  I think this was done to dramatize the situation and make it tense. 

            One scene that really stood out to me was when Mark realized he had to grow his own food to survive.  The scene starts out showing him digging Martian dirt and putting it into big bins and constantly bringing them into the station and dumping the dirt into his form of a green-room.  He then mixes feces with the dirt in the spot where he plans to put a seed in every row.  After he plants all the seeds and is finally done with the whole chore I felt like I could finally breathe.  Through that sequence mark did not say one thing.  All there was was music and Mark working day in and day out.  I find this scene interesting because the director does a good job of keeping the viewers in to it even though there is no dialogue. 

            Now for my review of the movie.  I thought it was one of the best space movies I’ve seen –being up their with Apollo 13.  The movie did a great job of continuously keep me entertained even when focused on one character.  I never knew what the next move would be, and there was just the right amount of suspense.  The only bad thing I would have to say about the movie that often happens with movies is that sometimes it was just too unrealistic and I would have to remind myself that it’s just a movie.  For example, near the end when Mark propels himself towards the captain in space he pokes a hole in his suit and uses that to move him.  But like I said every movie has to be dramatized like that to keep interest.  I’m glad I saw it and I would recommend it to anyone that’s trying to have a good time. 

 

 The Martian

            Before talking about my personal views of the movie I would like to talk about the use of camera angles, shots, etc.  Obviously most of the movie is shot focusing on one person.  So the director had to find new ways to shoot Matt Damon so that the audience does not get bored.  He also has to use the correct angles that depend on the mood and tone of the setting.  One specific time in the movie when the camera shots were very prominent was when Mark woke up on mars after being separated from the rest and having an antenna sticking into his abdomen.  From the time that Mark got up, walked over to the station, took out the antenna, and stapled his wound the camera only shot close up.  I think this was done to dramatize the situation and make it tense. 

            One scene that really stood out to me was when Mark realized he had to grow his own food to survive.  The scene starts out showing him digging Martian dirt and putting it into big bins and constantly bringing them into the station and dumping the dirt into his form of a green-room.  He then mixes feces with the dirt in the spot where he plans to put a seed in every row.  After he plants all the seeds and is finally done with the whole chore I felt like I could finally breathe.  Through that sequence mark did not say one thing.  All there was was music and Mark working day in and day out.  I find this scene interesting because the director does a good job of keeping the viewers in to it even though there is no dialogue. 

            Now for my review of the movie.  I thought it was one of the best space movies I’ve seen –being up their with Apollo 13.  The movie did a great job of continuously keep me entertained even when focused on one character.  I never knew what the next move would be, and there was just the right amount of suspense.  The only bad thing I would have to say about the movie that often happens with movies is that sometimes it was just too unrealistic and I would have to remind myself that it’s just a movie.  For example, near the end when Mark propels himself towards the captain in space he pokes a hole in his suit and uses that to move him.  But like I said every movie has to be dramatized like that to keep interest.  I’m glad I saw it and I would recommend it to anyone that’s trying to have a good time. 

My review: 4 out of 5 stars.

My review: 4 out of 5 stars.