Change Your Image
Natkasilof
Reviews
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Two misfit kids fall in love and decide to run away together.
I agree with some of the other reviewers that this is Anderson's best film so far. The tone is consistent, the story is fun, and the characters have depth, particularly the two main characters, Sam and Suzy (the kids). (The quirkiness level has been handled with great restraint and is "just right" -- if things were more quirky I think the film would have spiraled out of control.) Visual themes I thought were interesting included "size" and intricate "boxes within boxes." For example, in one shot, three little kids play Parcheesi on the floor of their house; they are giants in the foreground. As they play, their father walks down a set of stairs and out a door -- he's tiny! This visual image develops story and plot as the kids are, in this story, more adult than the adults in many ways. Also, the opening sequence opens on a house, which looks like a doll house as we go from room to room -- and then eventually we see the same house as a painting within the house -- boxes within boxes. Very cool. I found the art direction to be quite wonderful.
American Songwriter (2012)
Documentary about the philosophy, life, and music of Nashville songwriter Danny Darst.
In American Songwriter, filmmaker Michael Altman has created a layered, complex portrait of gritty American songwriter, Danny Darst. It's part road movie, part coming of age story, part visual poetry, and all American music. Darst's lyrics are haunting and authentic; my favorite song was the nostalgic "Never the Same." "The Great Escape" is a close second. Sequences in the recording studio (with Darst working with some AMAZING musicians) are interwoven with his philosophical musings, life stories, and images of the back roads and highways of America. It's always interesting to have a window into a creative person's mind -- to try to understand how and why the creative magic happens. In this case, the audience gets to experience Darst's creativity as songwriter, poet, and performer, as well as the creativity of the filmmakers. (And here's a shout out to the editor -- excellent work!) If you get a chance to see American Songwriter, go see it! You'll leave wanting to see the film again and wanting to seek out Darst's music.