Hello!
Welcome Back everyone, TCFF 2014 is getting close! It's about time I start devoting my posts to the next festival!
Anyway there are a few at the festival this year that happen to either on DVD or in theatres. most notable is Bong Joon-Ho's newest Scifi flick, Snow Piercer. I saw this was at the festival this year and I started geeking. I've been looking forward to it for months.
But alas, It's also just opened at my local Multiplex. so, I paid the overprice ticket, and bought the laughably large soda. (as well as a 7$ nacho and cheese)
It's now time to review the First TCFF film of the year! Snowpiercer!
I'll try to avoid direct spoilers, but there will be a few mixed in so just be ware.
Pros:
Bong Joon Ho, Director of the 2006 movie The Host, is one of my favorite directors. He always makes movies with Brilliant pacing and brilliant writing. Everything I've seen of his is great and Snowpiercer is no different. It is an impeccably made film all the way through. from the editing to the effects to the acting to the writing. it's a brilliant movie, and quite possibly my favorite of the year.
Chris Evans leads an all star cast as Curtis. He plays the reluctant leader very well and all the way through I could not connect him to his Captain America Persona, and I sure was trying. He holds his own in Fight scenes, and He's believable as a broken man doing what he has to do to save and protect his people.
Jamie bell is really good as his sidekick, proving he's great in supporting roles. never seen him fully lead a movie yet, but I'm okay with that.
Octavia Spencer did a great job, it's not often a woman would allow herself to look that beat up throughout the whole movie but she was a stand out.
Tilda Swinton was creepy as the 'front spokesperson' and Allison Pill was just unnerving as the overly happy School teacher.
But the two real standouts to me were Kang-Ho Song and Ah-sung Ko as Father and Daughter. (again) I've been big fans of both of them since Host. It was odd to see them play father and daughter again but they really do have great chemistry and He's finally able to protect her. The collecting of the Kronole was a very well done subtle clue for later.
Now onto the story. I really liked the way the story unfolded. It starts by giving you the dismal tail experience, and ever so slowly it reveals what's really going on. First it's the reveal of the contents of the protein bars, then the massacre, then the history. it's all leads up to some of the best, and most gut wrenching, reveals in any movie I've seen lately. on the surface this may look like a dumb action flick but this is a brilliantly written and paced film.
I loved the sets and the overall art direction of Snowpiercer. It had a very bleak and gritty feel all the way through, something I barely ever compliment in American movies lately. this one feels like a foreign film mixed with American actors and great special effects. the concept of the final train of humans circumnavigating the globe just to keep from freezing was intriguing and the story never played out how I expected it would.
I also have to compliment Joon-Ho on being one of the few director's out there willing to actually kill main characters. he understands that the Story is more important than the individual characters themselves. He did that in host, he did it in this. they're both very well written and it's his riskiness with his scripts that allows that to happen.
Cons:
Only a couple con's in this one. first off the Camera work in the fight scenes near the tail were very jittery shaky cam. Some of the shots were almost too shaky for their own good. But as the group got farther up the train the camera settles out. much like Hunger Games.
The other one is when the 'assassin' wakes back up. It's a small annoyance but it's the one cliche I found in the entire movie. Shoulda double tapped.
Final Notes:
If This is the caliber of all the TCFF movies this year than this year is going to be astounding. I'm even more pumped for the festival!
Final Verdict: 96
Brilliant and engrossing all the way through!
Now to make a list of this years movie selection!
Welcome Back everyone, TCFF 2014 is getting close! It's about time I start devoting my posts to the next festival!
Anyway there are a few at the festival this year that happen to either on DVD or in theatres. most notable is Bong Joon-Ho's newest Scifi flick, Snow Piercer. I saw this was at the festival this year and I started geeking. I've been looking forward to it for months.
But alas, It's also just opened at my local Multiplex. so, I paid the overprice ticket, and bought the laughably large soda. (as well as a 7$ nacho and cheese)
It's now time to review the First TCFF film of the year! Snowpiercer!
I'll try to avoid direct spoilers, but there will be a few mixed in so just be ware.
Movie Review: Snowpiercer
Bong Joon Ho, Director of the 2006 movie The Host, is one of my favorite directors. He always makes movies with Brilliant pacing and brilliant writing. Everything I've seen of his is great and Snowpiercer is no different. It is an impeccably made film all the way through. from the editing to the effects to the acting to the writing. it's a brilliant movie, and quite possibly my favorite of the year.
Chris Evans leads an all star cast as Curtis. He plays the reluctant leader very well and all the way through I could not connect him to his Captain America Persona, and I sure was trying. He holds his own in Fight scenes, and He's believable as a broken man doing what he has to do to save and protect his people.
Jamie bell is really good as his sidekick, proving he's great in supporting roles. never seen him fully lead a movie yet, but I'm okay with that.
Octavia Spencer did a great job, it's not often a woman would allow herself to look that beat up throughout the whole movie but she was a stand out.
Tilda Swinton was creepy as the 'front spokesperson' and Allison Pill was just unnerving as the overly happy School teacher.
But the two real standouts to me were Kang-Ho Song and Ah-sung Ko as Father and Daughter. (again) I've been big fans of both of them since Host. It was odd to see them play father and daughter again but they really do have great chemistry and He's finally able to protect her. The collecting of the Kronole was a very well done subtle clue for later.
Now onto the story. I really liked the way the story unfolded. It starts by giving you the dismal tail experience, and ever so slowly it reveals what's really going on. First it's the reveal of the contents of the protein bars, then the massacre, then the history. it's all leads up to some of the best, and most gut wrenching, reveals in any movie I've seen lately. on the surface this may look like a dumb action flick but this is a brilliantly written and paced film.
I loved the sets and the overall art direction of Snowpiercer. It had a very bleak and gritty feel all the way through, something I barely ever compliment in American movies lately. this one feels like a foreign film mixed with American actors and great special effects. the concept of the final train of humans circumnavigating the globe just to keep from freezing was intriguing and the story never played out how I expected it would.
I also have to compliment Joon-Ho on being one of the few director's out there willing to actually kill main characters. he understands that the Story is more important than the individual characters themselves. He did that in host, he did it in this. they're both very well written and it's his riskiness with his scripts that allows that to happen.
Cons:
Only a couple con's in this one. first off the Camera work in the fight scenes near the tail were very jittery shaky cam. Some of the shots were almost too shaky for their own good. But as the group got farther up the train the camera settles out. much like Hunger Games.
The other one is when the 'assassin' wakes back up. It's a small annoyance but it's the one cliche I found in the entire movie. Shoulda double tapped.
Final Notes:
If This is the caliber of all the TCFF movies this year than this year is going to be astounding. I'm even more pumped for the festival!
Final Verdict: 96
Brilliant and engrossing all the way through!
Now to make a list of this years movie selection!
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