The Soloist

I haven't seen many films this year that have made an impression upon me, this is one of the few that have. What is most interesting, is that it is a true story. Journalist Steve Lopez began writing his remarkable story in a column of the Los Angeles Times newspaper, which has been created into a best selling book and now produced as this film. 

 

Whilst desperately trying to find something to write about for his newspaper column, Lopez hears a homeless, black musician playing Beethoven on a two-string violin in the street. This encounter starts as a human interest story for Lopez as he learns the musician, Nathaniel Ayers, was once a child prodigy, attending Julliard school in New York. However suffering from schizophrenia at an early age left him on the streets, with music being the only key to his sanity. As Lopez gets to know Ayers, he endeavors to get him of the streets and back into music and to expose the appalling conditions of the cities homeless. A rather lost character, the audience get the feeling that it is also a chance for Lopez to find himself. However over the film Lopez learns he cannot help Ayers, but just simply be his friend to him. It is a thought provoking, compelling story of friendship, with a warming yet realistic ending. 

 

Nathaniel Ayers is played by Jamie Foxx, a rather unlikely actor for this part, however he  plays it beautifully with much empathy. The relationship between Ayers and Lopez works brilliantly as they struggle to understand each other. All in all, a fascinating true story, brilliantly cast, well worth watching.

Guinness Adverts

 

This advert made me smile when I saw it on television the other day. Created by Saatchi and Saatchi, it comically celebrates the 250th anniversary of Guinness, with two men in their local pub toasting to the man behind the ale, Arthur Guinness. The toast then spreads to a neighboring pub where it is interpreted as Martha, and carries in a chinese whispers fashion around the world, becoming more diverse, where people from different nationalities and cultures over the world toast the brands founder. I have always admired the marketing power behind Guinness, and this advert is typical of the brand, a clever and witty concept that portrays a strong message. I have taken a look at some of their previous adverts, below is one of the most memorable, created in 1999 by AMV BBDO, it was named by channel 4 as one of the best television adverts of all time. Using the well known guinness line, good things come to those who wait.

More recently made is the iconic 'domino' advert. What I find so astounding about it is the shear scale of the production, it is therefore not surprising that it's one of the most expensive adverts ever made.

Radiohead House of Cards

This promotional video for Radiohead's single House of Cards came out last year however I had not seen it until now. A technological first, this film uses no cameras but is shot entirely using lasers and scanners by 3D plotting technologies collecting information about the shapes and relative distances of objects. The overall effect is this obscure but visually stunning image. The video is very atmospheric and surreal, and the motion of these images are intriguing. However I feel that they look even more impressive as still pictures like this one above. I think they have more impact and would be great as album artwork. 

The Shawshank Redemption

Shawshank Redemption must be at the top of almost everyones list of favorite films. I for one found it an extremely inspirational and heart felt story. I was therefore shocked to hear that when it was first released, it was a complete flop at the box office and barley made enough money to cover it's budget. 

Created by first time director, Frank Darabont, the film is almost entirely set in Shawshank state prison. For the few who haven't seen the film, city banker Andy Dufresne is sent to Shawshank after being wrongly convicted for murdering his wife and her lover. Whilst there his quiet strength and integrity gradually earns respect and friendship of prison inmate Red, played by Morgan Freeman. Andy also becomes popular with the warden and prison guards by providing them tax and financial services. Despite Andy's apparent acceptance of his unjust punishment, he is determined for freedom. Freedom and hope are central themes to the film - "Fear can keep you a prisoner. Hope can set you free". A particularly moving scene for me is when Brooks Halten is released from Shawshank and finds the outside world so fearful he would rather take his own life than live a free man. The characters in Shawshank have become institutionalised and do not know how to live outside of prison, this is also evident when Red is released on parol after serving forty years there. He does not know how to live outside Shawshank's strict regime and fears that like Brook Halten, he may too end up committing suicide. The main message the film leaves the audience with, is hope. Red finds this in Andy's letter to him at the end of the film, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies". Showing that hope and optimism can be found even out of the most bleak circumstances. It is this feel good ending and strong, from the heart message of the film that makes it so inspirational and uplifting classic.

When released in 1994, Shawshank Redemption was nominated for seven academy awards; Best picture, Best Actor - Morgan Freeman, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original Score and Best Sound Mixing. However in the shadow of Forrest Gump, also released at the same time, it was unable to win a single award. The film received negative reviews from critics, notably Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times, who called the film "dwonright hateful", and that it "makes us feel like were doing harder time than the folks inside". I find these reviews difficult to understand considering the consistent warm reception of the film today. I can only think that it's failure at the box office was a that on it's description, the public did not deem it worth seeing at the cinema. If I had not seen the film and it did not have the reputation it does today, I don't think I would want to watch it from the description of the story. Set mainly in a prison, with little presence of any women characters, by an unknown director, the story doesn't sound very cinematic, more like a dull prison break out film. The thought provoking message and empathy in  the film is unexpected, but is what makes it such a crowd pleaser. It was only when Shawshank Redemption was released on dvd that it it began to receive some attention, from then on, word of mouth has given this film a resounant afterlife.

Absolut Vodka 'Anthem' Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRYvRdPKbhA

The advert consists of six genuine artistic installations created by artisans from different materials and environments to tell part of the Absolut story. "Doing things differently leads to something exceptional" is spelled out of ice blocks, wheat, hanging Absolut bottles, flying lanterns, balloons and glass cylinders. I really enjoy the beautifully crafted typography and the poetic manner in which the advert unfolds. However it is the clear, strong branding of the product that interests me most. The advert is very characteristic of the Absolut brand, recognised for it's outstanding marketing, and distinguishes it from other competitors. 

" 'Anthem' conveys our most fundamental brand belief and states Absolut has a long-term commitment to creativity", Anna Malmhake, global brand director at Absolut. 

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I finally went to see the new Harry Potter film yesterday, having read the book and heard good reviews about the film, I left the cinema feeling slightly disappointed. The film has focused more upon scenes of humor, romance and the relationships between the characters rather than the action and magic of the previous films. Much of the detail from the book has been left out, and the supposed pivotal scene of Dumbledore's death is a bit of an anti-climax.

However, despite my overall feeling that the film was a little bit of a let down, there is one aspect that did surpass my expectations. When I look at the film from a graphic design perspective, the art direction and visual effects were spectacular. Displayed best in the dramatic opening attack on London, which shows evil sweeping into the normal world in black tendrils of smoke and destroying the London bridge. The idea to represent the death eaters through this image works perfectly, and the graphics are fantastic. The monochrome colour adds a sinister intensity to this scene whilst using famous London landmarks such as Trafalgar Square and the Millenium Bridge adds a more modern, real-world relevance to the film. It is a sensational opening that grips the audience at once. What else I found so impressive about the art direction, was the films ability to capture and interpret images from the book so creatively yet still so tangible. The set design of Fred and George's joke shop and that of the cave are better than I could have possibly envisaged from the book.