KatieScarlettButler Reviews

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Heaven on a movie tape

[9/10 · 10 March 2006]

Some people say Romeo and Juliet, some Anthony and Cleopatra, but I firmly believe that the greatest love story of all time is that of Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak.

Audrey Hepburn's presentation of Holly is unlike anything we'd ever seen from her before. No longer was she the naive damsel in distress in need of a handsome saviour, she was perfectly capable of looking after herself, thank you very much. Or was she? Right from the iconic opening shots of her gazing through the window of Tiffany's with a hot beverage (my guess is coffee) and a pastry (pain au chocolat, perhaps?) we fall helplessly in love with her effortless charm, her naivety, and her desperate need of saving. OK, so maybe Holly is like Hepburn's other characters, but her passion and confidence sets her apart.

Enter George Peppard. His Paul Varjak's lack of confidence and romantic ideals provide the perfect balance of contrast with Holly, and his desperation in convincing her that she loves him is tragically beautiful.

The culmination in the final scene is worth waiting for, and is one of the best film endings I've ever seen.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

The most powerful thing I have ever seen

[9/10 · 10 March 2006]

I have only ever seen Streetcar once, about 5 years ago (I was 11). Although I couldn't tell you exactly what happens in each scene, in fact, I could barely tell you the story, I was walking around in a trance for hours after seeing this. What carries the film is not the story (although from what I can remember it is a good one) but the atmosphere, created perfectly by director Elia Kazan, and the leads Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando. I understood what was happening in the film by what these people were feeling, which had a more profound effect on me than even the most visually overpowering films.

Viven Leigh's Blanche is incredible. I recently learnt that Leigh was bipolar, and the fact that she managed to put her self in a character not emotionally a million miles away from herself has put me in awe of her forever. Her Streetcar speech and emotional and physical fights against Stanley are two of the most darkly beautiful moments of cinematic history in my opinion, and her contrast with Scarlett O'Hara proved Leigh's "typecasting" critics far wrong.

Marlon Brando is also excellent. I remember feeling great discomfort when he was on screen, as though he could snap at any moment, which he did. The dynamic between him and Leigh is overwhelming.

I would recommend this to anyone. It is so raw and yet so beautiful that it will have an incredible effect and grab you without letting go, I assure you!

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

I prefer it to the stage version!

[8/10 · 10 March 2006]

As an actress myself, I look out for who is good or bad in films and why, so here goes. The lead roles are quite extreme. Gerard Butler's Phantom, is, at times, ridiculously over-dramatic, which is a shame as it means he ends up shouting a lot of his songs, which takes away from the painful beauty of them. No, it takes away the beauty and just leaves painful. I'm not a fan of him. Sorry! Emmy Rossum, on the other hand, over plays the wilting flower a little, but rather than badly affect the songs, hers become better as a result, because any strong emotion she puts into them is small as she is playing the character in this way. Raoul is a little flaky, and I think that like Emmy Rossum, the man who plays him (forgotten his name :S) is more a singer than an actor.

There is, however, salvation in the form of flawless actresses Minnie Driver and Miranda Richardson. Driver's OTT acting and gestures add much needed light relief from the heavy script, but unlike our Phantom she knows when enough is enough. The ever-perfect Miranda Richarson again shows off her versatility as an actress, adapting to her role as Madame Giry effortlessly. She also surprised me with a beautiful voice and the apparent ability to stretch and touch her toes while they are resting on a waist-height ballet bar (it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it, but an amazing contrast to her role as Queenie in Blackadder II!) Other than that, the film is lovely. I was swept away right from the moment that colour floods the screen, and you can't help but be carried along by the wonderful cinematography, singing, and dance routines (especially Masquerade - it lived up to my high expectations as my favourite song from the show).

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Film Perfection

[10/10 · 10 March 2006]

Firstly, the most unbelievable thing about this film is that it was created 67 years ago, and since then, nothing (despite "modern method acting" - not entirely sure about that comment - and various technical effects available)has beaten it. Officially. It still constantly tops "greatest film" polls internationally, and it's easy to see why.

The performances in GWTW are stunning. This eternal success of this film basically rides on the acting, because the modern breathtaking stunts and special effects were impossible at the time - the most visually impressive scene is the burning of Atlanta, which is very basic by today's standards. Vivien Leigh is perfect as Scarlett, capturing every emotion and personality aspect of her character (by the way, it's fantastic to see a strong heroine who has obvious personality flaws and only uses a gun once!!!), and the way she develops the character of Scarlett is a strong sign of a truly magnificent actress.

Clark Gable's supporting role as Rhett is again mesmerising, and I could only envy Scarlett as he carried her up the stairs and jealously imagine what had made her so happy the next morning!!! Hattie McDaniel's Mammy was flawless, and her best supporting actress Oscar was thoroughly deserved. She's the only character in the film to make me laugh and cry at the same time and is wonderful to watch.

The other actors supported brilliantly, and although I understand there were many grumbles about parts (even from Clark Gable), the tiniest characters were played to precision, a sign, in my opinion, of the tragedy that modern cinema focuses on who can do the cleverest tricks, and the characters are now forgotten.

There is very little else I can think of to say about GWTW. The reasons for it's commercial and critical success are it's writing, directing, and acting, all of which come across perfectly. That's probably why it's the greatest film in history.

Braveheart (1995)

wow

[10/10 · 10 March 2006]

favouritist film ever in the whole world ever! There is blatant disregard for historical accuracy here, which would normally wind me up, but the sheer scale of the film makes up for it.

It is gorgeously written, beautifully directed, and magnificently acted. So there. I'm not entirely sure there's much else I can say! Only there's something for everyone; action, romance, drama, even some humour. I've never met anyone who isn't a fan of the film!

One last thing, James Horner's music is stunning. I've got the CD, and it's an excellent investment, even if you don't like the film (something I highly doubt!!)

Blackadder II (1986)

So good it hurts

[10 March 2006]

I adore this. It's about as funny as old-fashioned brutal British sarcasm gets. Not only that, but the characters themselves are fantastic, despite the theory that it is "being a true and japesome historie of Englande" is perhaps a little unlikely. Favourite episode? "Head", has both verbal and physical side-splitting hilarity, and although the lines are occasionally a little predictable, their fantastic delivery makes up for it. In my opinion, this is by far and away the best of all the Blackadder series if only for the Miranda Richardson factor(perhaps I am a little biased....) but I would recommend this to just about anyone in need of a laugh. Unless they had a heart condition.

Gideon's Daughter (2005 TV Movie)

Fantastic if you understand it

[8/10 · 10 March 2006]

I saw this and thought it would be excellent as I am a great fan of Miranda Richardson, Bill Nighy and Stephen Poliakoff, and contrary to the total slating some people have given it, I thought it was great! The only thing is, I reckon you have to be ready to look deeply into what is actually happening because I (being a drama/English Lit student) thought it was brilliant, but my less creative friends thought it was dull. So you have to be kind of out there, looking deeper into the relationships formed and how the dynamics work blah blah. Excellent performances by Nighy and Richardson (goes without saying - the "video camera" scene in the car is really natural!)and some beautiful cinematography. Gideon's Daughter is a complete contrast to the also excellent The Lost Prince, another Poliakoff/Richardson formula which was probably more successful because it was on a "real" level.