To follow up on yesterday's post, I thought I would provide a link to the Russian cosmonaut scene from Another Earth. Everything about this scene is beautiful. The writing. The acting. The music. The editing. It's scenes like this that remind me why I want to be a filmmaker.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Saturday, 22 December 2012
Friday, 21 December 2012
Honourable Mentions 2011
Every year I put together a list of my favourite films. Last year was an extremely difficult year, as there were a lot of great films to chose from. It's also inevitable that some great movies will get missed out.
Before I put together my 2012 list, I thought I should mention some of the films that I didn't manage to see in time to make it into last year's list, but would almost certainly have broken into the top 10.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Writer: Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a film that improves with each viewing. I've watched it about twenty times now, and each time I find something I hadn't noticed before. Yes, it's a slow film, but that's what makes it great. Alfredson is a master of atmosphere.
A Separation
Director: Asghar Faradhi
Writer: Asghar Faradhi
I hated A Separation the first time I watched it. I couldn't understand why the director allowed so many important narrative developments to happen off-screen. I felt like I was watching an Iranian soap-opera. But then I realised that A Separation is one of the best screenplays ever written, no exaggeration.
The whole film is about subjectivity, and about how people lie and decieve, not because they are bad people, but because they are human.
Kung Fu Panda 2
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Writer: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger
I'm not trying to be ironic with this choice. I genuinely think Kung Fu Panda 2 was one of the best films of 2011. It managed to retain all the charm of the original, without feeling tired or repetitive.
Weekend
Director: Andrew Haigh
Writer: Andrew Haigh
Weekend is a touching love story about identity and self-discovery. It is about two men who fall in love, but it has nothing to do with being gay. It is simultaneously sad and uplifting. The director allows the audience to project their own experiences onto these characters and identify with their struggles. I challenge anyone, man or woman, gay or straight, to not fall in love with these characters.
Another Earth
Director: Mike Cahill
Writer: Mike Cahill & Brit Marling
Another Earth was my second favourite film of 2011 (after Drive), but I didn't manage to see it until this year. It raises important and thoughtful questions about life (What would you say if you could meet yourself?) and has an interesting relationship at its core.
It also has one of the most beautiful, elegant and touching scenes I have ever witnessed. The Russian cosmonaut scene. It's just incredible.
Before I put together my 2012 list, I thought I should mention some of the films that I didn't manage to see in time to make it into last year's list, but would almost certainly have broken into the top 10.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Writer: Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a film that improves with each viewing. I've watched it about twenty times now, and each time I find something I hadn't noticed before. Yes, it's a slow film, but that's what makes it great. Alfredson is a master of atmosphere.
A Separation
Director: Asghar Faradhi
Writer: Asghar Faradhi
I hated A Separation the first time I watched it. I couldn't understand why the director allowed so many important narrative developments to happen off-screen. I felt like I was watching an Iranian soap-opera. But then I realised that A Separation is one of the best screenplays ever written, no exaggeration.
The whole film is about subjectivity, and about how people lie and decieve, not because they are bad people, but because they are human.
Kung Fu Panda 2
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Writer: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger
I'm not trying to be ironic with this choice. I genuinely think Kung Fu Panda 2 was one of the best films of 2011. It managed to retain all the charm of the original, without feeling tired or repetitive.
Weekend
Director: Andrew Haigh
Writer: Andrew Haigh
Weekend is a touching love story about identity and self-discovery. It is about two men who fall in love, but it has nothing to do with being gay. It is simultaneously sad and uplifting. The director allows the audience to project their own experiences onto these characters and identify with their struggles. I challenge anyone, man or woman, gay or straight, to not fall in love with these characters.
Another Earth
Director: Mike Cahill
Writer: Mike Cahill & Brit Marling
Another Earth was my second favourite film of 2011 (after Drive), but I didn't manage to see it until this year. It raises important and thoughtful questions about life (What would you say if you could meet yourself?) and has an interesting relationship at its core.
It also has one of the most beautiful, elegant and touching scenes I have ever witnessed. The Russian cosmonaut scene. It's just incredible.
21st December 2012 - I survived the apocalypse!
This year has been an exciting year for me. I graduated from university, I got my first real job, I was commissioned to create my first promo, and I worked as an edit assistant on a feature.
But the best thing about 2012 has been the discovery of an online screenwriting community, who provide constant support and encouragement for each other, as we all endeavour to become better writers.
I would like to personally thank Claire Yeowart (@ClaireYeowart), who has provided me with valuable feedback and encouragement on all my projects. (She's also an extremely talented writer, check out Dreamland, I loved it.)
Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to meet my self-imposed deadline on January 1st, as I've been preoccupied with other projects. I have some ideas how to develop The Major and the Beetle into a returning drama, but I'm putting it aside for a while to work on some other projects.
I'm currently developing two short scripts -- one about a retired boxer, the other about a break-up -- which have received some interest from directors. I'm also collaborating with another writer to develop a comedy web-series. Hopefully I'll be able to return to The Major and the Beetle with a fresh perspective in 2013.
Just to prove that I've actually done some writing this year, I'm going to post a short script I wrote in November for Collabor8te. It's called 'Not Yet the End'. (Appropriate title, considering we managed to survive past the end of the Mayan calendar. Who'da thought it?) I hope you like it.
But the best thing about 2012 has been the discovery of an online screenwriting community, who provide constant support and encouragement for each other, as we all endeavour to become better writers.
I would like to personally thank Claire Yeowart (@ClaireYeowart), who has provided me with valuable feedback and encouragement on all my projects. (She's also an extremely talented writer, check out Dreamland, I loved it.)
Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to meet my self-imposed deadline on January 1st, as I've been preoccupied with other projects. I have some ideas how to develop The Major and the Beetle into a returning drama, but I'm putting it aside for a while to work on some other projects.
I'm currently developing two short scripts -- one about a retired boxer, the other about a break-up -- which have received some interest from directors. I'm also collaborating with another writer to develop a comedy web-series. Hopefully I'll be able to return to The Major and the Beetle with a fresh perspective in 2013.
Just to prove that I've actually done some writing this year, I'm going to post a short script I wrote in November for Collabor8te. It's called 'Not Yet the End'. (Appropriate title, considering we managed to survive past the end of the Mayan calendar. Who'da thought it?) I hope you like it.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)