To start 2013, I'm posting a link to a Scribd. Here, if you speak Spanish and are interested in film, you can find an useful dictionary of terms related to film and the audiovisual industry.
Enjoy!
Diccionario de términos cinematográficos y de la industria audivisual
Showing posts with label Film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Film. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The new 007's villain is Javier Bardem
Even thought I have seen most films on the James Bond's series, I have never been excited about any of their releases. Skyfall will be released in November, with Daniel Craig playing Bond for the third time. Together with him, we will enjoy Javier Bardem as the leading villain, and other actors and actresses of contrasted quality such as Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dent, or Albert Finney among others. Sam Mendes will direct, what makes him the first Oscar-winning director to ever make a James Bond's film. I will definitely go to see this one! Bardem is too good as a villain!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Cell 211, a prison movie.
This film was together with Alejandro Amenabar's Agora the star in the 2009 edition of the Goyas (Spanish Oscars), where it collected eight, including best picture and best actor (Luis Tosar).
I hadn't had the chance to watch it yet, despite the good recommendations from friends and critics. Celda 211 is, for me, the confirmation, if we still needed one, that the Spanish film industry is ready to produce any kind of genre without making a fool of itself anymore. Many genres have proved to have a space in the, until the late 80s, very limited selection of genres that could deliver a solid Spanish film. The last twenty-five years have shown the world that Spain can make excellent films in genres so disarranged to the Spanish audiences as science fiction, adventures, horror, or now, prison film thriller. The only exportable films before was reduced to a small number of comedies and artsy dramas, with a few rare exception here and there. (I'm not counting B movies, since during the 70s and 80s Spain exported a ton of these movies).
Celda 211 is a fairly sound film. It has its defects, but they don't affect the overall result. The script is not very solid for once. There are a few weaknesses in it, as for example how does the protagonist, a regular young person, get so easily accepted by the horrific leader of the prison riots, Malamadre? What is his six months plus pregnant girlfriend doing in an out of control multitude protesting against riot police? Why does Utrilla (Antonio Resines), the most hatred guard in prison accept to go inside to negotiate knowing that the prisoners have witnessed what happened outside the prison? (He beats up the girlfriend in front of the cameras)
I could mention a few more, but the point is that, as bad as they sound, they do not affect the main goal of the film, which can both entertain and criticize the penitentiary system in Spain without making one or the other its focus point.
In any case, Celda 211 is an engaging film that deserves to sit down in from of the television to see, as my wife ironically says, “one of those uplifting endings of Spanish cinema.”
I hadn't had the chance to watch it yet, despite the good recommendations from friends and critics. Celda 211 is, for me, the confirmation, if we still needed one, that the Spanish film industry is ready to produce any kind of genre without making a fool of itself anymore. Many genres have proved to have a space in the, until the late 80s, very limited selection of genres that could deliver a solid Spanish film. The last twenty-five years have shown the world that Spain can make excellent films in genres so disarranged to the Spanish audiences as science fiction, adventures, horror, or now, prison film thriller. The only exportable films before was reduced to a small number of comedies and artsy dramas, with a few rare exception here and there. (I'm not counting B movies, since during the 70s and 80s Spain exported a ton of these movies).
Celda 211 is a fairly sound film. It has its defects, but they don't affect the overall result. The script is not very solid for once. There are a few weaknesses in it, as for example how does the protagonist, a regular young person, get so easily accepted by the horrific leader of the prison riots, Malamadre? What is his six months plus pregnant girlfriend doing in an out of control multitude protesting against riot police? Why does Utrilla (Antonio Resines), the most hatred guard in prison accept to go inside to negotiate knowing that the prisoners have witnessed what happened outside the prison? (He beats up the girlfriend in front of the cameras)
I could mention a few more, but the point is that, as bad as they sound, they do not affect the main goal of the film, which can both entertain and criticize the penitentiary system in Spain without making one or the other its focus point.
In any case, Celda 211 is an engaging film that deserves to sit down in from of the television to see, as my wife ironically says, “one of those uplifting endings of Spanish cinema.”
Friday, July 29, 2011
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World... Continue?
First of all, this is not a review! This movie has been out even in DVD format since the end of last year. This is just a reflection on the movie, and on its critique.
Tonight, I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World for the second time, and I had to think for a while why do I like this movie, why when the credits start rolling I find myself with a silly smile in my face.
Let's see, in order to like this film you must a) have played old video games in arcades. Not just any video game, but those involving martial arts, especially the multilevel ones from the beginning of the 80s. b) You must like comics, you don't have to be a savvy comic reader, in fact, the first time I saw Scott Pilgrim, I had never heard about the graphic novel before. c) As a follow up to this last point, not knowing the Scott Pilgrim comic will help to not having a preconceived idea that interfered with the director's vision.d) Most likely you should be familiar with the work of Michael Cera, who I think is a great actor in the roles he plays, which are very much alike his own persona I believe. Cera is definitely an actor who has embraced "typecasting". Despite how the "real" Scott may be and behave in the graphic novel, Cera delivers a character that may have been perfect if he wouldn't have had those fighting superpowers. Cera in fighting scenes was very hard to believe even within Pilgrim's fantasy world. However, isn't that a feature of many video games? A rather unlikely superhero kicking ass everywhere and every way. d) Finally, one must be ready to agree that a movie concept well delivered can make up for a simple and far-from-profound script.
If you have or agree with at least two of these premises, you are a serious candidate to like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
The absolutely best thing about this film, in my modest opinion, is Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) direction. The British helmer offers us, once again, a new concept for a combination of traditional genres. In this case, comedy and action, before comedy and horror (Shaun of the Dead), or comedy and police action (Hot Fuzz). The comic and video game forms fusion with film to create a never-seen before cinematic experience. It is, no doubt, a film for a young audience. There is no way a person over 50, who has ever read a comic, or played a video game, can give a explanation to the abrupt breaking of time and space sequences, or the coins spurting out of defeated "evil exes". Nevertheless, this film should be understand for what it is, not for what one wants it to be.
This film has its own audience, people who will love it, people who would appreciate the novelty, people who would not understand a thing about it, and people who would hate it. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. What I don't understand is a bad review of a film critic. I understand a review of a bad critic, who will put his or her own personal opinion into words without understanding the universe surrounding the product.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World... Continue?
I would say yes, please, insert coin!
Tonight, I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World for the second time, and I had to think for a while why do I like this movie, why when the credits start rolling I find myself with a silly smile in my face.
Let's see, in order to like this film you must a) have played old video games in arcades. Not just any video game, but those involving martial arts, especially the multilevel ones from the beginning of the 80s. b) You must like comics, you don't have to be a savvy comic reader, in fact, the first time I saw Scott Pilgrim, I had never heard about the graphic novel before. c) As a follow up to this last point, not knowing the Scott Pilgrim comic will help to not having a preconceived idea that interfered with the director's vision.d) Most likely you should be familiar with the work of Michael Cera, who I think is a great actor in the roles he plays, which are very much alike his own persona I believe. Cera is definitely an actor who has embraced "typecasting". Despite how the "real" Scott may be and behave in the graphic novel, Cera delivers a character that may have been perfect if he wouldn't have had those fighting superpowers. Cera in fighting scenes was very hard to believe even within Pilgrim's fantasy world. However, isn't that a feature of many video games? A rather unlikely superhero kicking ass everywhere and every way. d) Finally, one must be ready to agree that a movie concept well delivered can make up for a simple and far-from-profound script.
If you have or agree with at least two of these premises, you are a serious candidate to like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
The absolutely best thing about this film, in my modest opinion, is Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) direction. The British helmer offers us, once again, a new concept for a combination of traditional genres. In this case, comedy and action, before comedy and horror (Shaun of the Dead), or comedy and police action (Hot Fuzz). The comic and video game forms fusion with film to create a never-seen before cinematic experience. It is, no doubt, a film for a young audience. There is no way a person over 50, who has ever read a comic, or played a video game, can give a explanation to the abrupt breaking of time and space sequences, or the coins spurting out of defeated "evil exes". Nevertheless, this film should be understand for what it is, not for what one wants it to be.
This film has its own audience, people who will love it, people who would appreciate the novelty, people who would not understand a thing about it, and people who would hate it. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. What I don't understand is a bad review of a film critic. I understand a review of a bad critic, who will put his or her own personal opinion into words without understanding the universe surrounding the product.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World... Continue?
I would say yes, please, insert coin!
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