Moonlight (2016)
loyal/sentimental men as lead role - thumb up (such as in the mood for love) (moonlight lead role guy is an unique case, as the boy grew up in an extreme circumstance)
Not many sequences in each sector (three sectors), but really focus on important scenes
GFR:Good story, Good acting (esp. second and third sector lead role)
Characters are complicated, whatever drug money, etc
Subversive - all men cant take care of their dick, all black men can't take care of their dick
first time feel it has too much score, but second time didn't feel like overdone
An interesting article
Salvation army (2013)- example of poorly shot movies, and it looks li
Working with legendary(?) DP using natural lights
Shots are frontal, entry of characters is super plain (not interesting)
Characters have no personality
Sex is like suffering, hiding, forbidden, secret
good use of salon room - sleeping area in the middle looking like a tomb
Also studied
Life of Adele (blue is the warmest color) - the first 5 minutes
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Friday, February 24, 2017
Movies
The boys from Fengkuei by Hou Hsiao Hsian
1080P video restored, great view
Masterpiece
life stream style, no three acts, or you can say there are many acts
Great but simple shots of real life, multi shots of one scene in different locations, as characters are in constant move
Great endings, like antonioni
Music cut in at a good time, not too fast
No drama! Great! Or you can say, there is drama everywhere.
Solaris 4K restored
Colored part, great
White/black part, strange looking
There is another movie I watched but forgot ...
1080P video restored, great view
Masterpiece
life stream style, no three acts, or you can say there are many acts
Great but simple shots of real life, multi shots of one scene in different locations, as characters are in constant move
Great endings, like antonioni
Music cut in at a good time, not too fast
No drama! Great! Or you can say, there is drama everywhere.
Solaris 4K restored
Colored part, great
White/black part, strange looking
There is another movie I watched but forgot ...
Monday, February 20, 2017
Movies and first week in Lima
Revisiting Lima - an epic 48 hour trip. Leaving qingdao - SFO directly, 6 hours layover, SFO-LAX, 6 hour layover, meeting George, LAX-MEX, 6 hour layover, MEX-LIMA.
Now I got over the jetlag but the jetlag was strange - I didn't have that common deep sleep - the one that you woke up and had no idea where you are... All sleep is very shallow, too shallow to feel that I SLEPT. It might due to Mom's sickness stress + my impulsive cough from my cold and maybe smog + jetlag. I started taking half a pill of sleeping medicine for two nights.
Watched two movies this week.
Aleksandr Sokurov's Mother and Son (1997):
His portrait of Mom and son is more or less like a couple/lover, which is fine with me. And the most impressive film language are:
1. Character(s) not necessarily in the middle/or 0.618 of the frame - constantly at the edge of the frame even if they look awkward, slightly reminding me Ida
2. twist the character to look like the landscape - i.e. in the wide shot of protagonist and the landscape that is filled with a few cypress/pine trees, the shape of cypress was bending towards one direction due to long time wind, the protagonist is bending to this direction as well (not sure from lens or from post production)
3. make full use of framing, half/half, i.e. after mother is dead, son's hand with mother's hand
Dorota Kedzierzawska's Wrony (Crow) (1994)
Reminded me Rosellini's German Year Zero (1948), Bresson's Mochette (1967) and Carlos Saura's Cria cuervos (1976)...
After I talked to George, it also reminded us Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959) , Dardenne brother's Rosetta (1999), and Ken Loach's Kes (1969).
These are all classics.
One of impressive film language use is sihouette - the girl's two skinny legs in sihouette are so thin and fragile.
The great two actresses - maybe I shouldn't call them actress, maybe they are themselves.
Now I got over the jetlag but the jetlag was strange - I didn't have that common deep sleep - the one that you woke up and had no idea where you are... All sleep is very shallow, too shallow to feel that I SLEPT. It might due to Mom's sickness stress + my impulsive cough from my cold and maybe smog + jetlag. I started taking half a pill of sleeping medicine for two nights.
Watched two movies this week.
Aleksandr Sokurov's Mother and Son (1997):
His portrait of Mom and son is more or less like a couple/lover, which is fine with me. And the most impressive film language are:
1. Character(s) not necessarily in the middle/or 0.618 of the frame - constantly at the edge of the frame even if they look awkward, slightly reminding me Ida
2. twist the character to look like the landscape - i.e. in the wide shot of protagonist and the landscape that is filled with a few cypress/pine trees, the shape of cypress was bending towards one direction due to long time wind, the protagonist is bending to this direction as well (not sure from lens or from post production)
3. make full use of framing, half/half, i.e. after mother is dead, son's hand with mother's hand
Dorota Kedzierzawska's Wrony (Crow) (1994)
Reminded me Rosellini's German Year Zero (1948), Bresson's Mochette (1967) and Carlos Saura's Cria cuervos (1976)...
After I talked to George, it also reminded us Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959) , Dardenne brother's Rosetta (1999), and Ken Loach's Kes (1969).
These are all classics.
One of impressive film language use is sihouette - the girl's two skinny legs in sihouette are so thin and fragile.
The great two actresses - maybe I shouldn't call them actress, maybe they are themselves.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Movies
On the plane from TAO to SFO, I watched three movies.
1. Gone with the bullets (JIANG Wen). Ambitious movie, but with voiceover of Beijing dialect, and not-so-clear what this movie is trying to tell, I was a bit disappointed.
2. Caught in the web (CHEN Kaige) - interesting story. Perfect example for a movie who tried too hard to tell too much, it feels like a running account.
3. It's only the end of the world (Xavier Dolan) - it is always good to have a slightly gay themed story won big award at Cannes. But... sometimes, i feel the inner push to keep the story going - can it be so consistent that really, it works this way? It could be other way. It is a good topic. A bit like "secrets and lies"
1. Gone with the bullets (JIANG Wen). Ambitious movie, but with voiceover of Beijing dialect, and not-so-clear what this movie is trying to tell, I was a bit disappointed.
2. Caught in the web (CHEN Kaige) - interesting story. Perfect example for a movie who tried too hard to tell too much, it feels like a running account.
3. It's only the end of the world (Xavier Dolan) - it is always good to have a slightly gay themed story won big award at Cannes. But... sometimes, i feel the inner push to keep the story going - can it be so consistent that really, it works this way? It could be other way. It is a good topic. A bit like "secrets and lies"
Unforgettable Chinese new year
On Chinese new year's day, my mom fell accidentally by herself and had a bone fracture.
Everybody is in a panic. Mom's blood pressure went to 225. Called a doctor and he came, said need to get ambulance to hospital. On the way to hospital, my mom started to pray. I felt sick from sitting sideways. Fortunately it is not too far.
The X-ray and CT scan were painful to do and unbearable to watch as every move of my mom caused sharp pain.
Soon, she is having problem to pee on strecher. It is dangerous not being able to pee for long hours.
Soon, she is accepted by the hospital and got a VIP room. A catheter was used, and very soon, collected 800 ml urine.
I was on duty on watch of her with the sitter - in the evening of new year's day, watching firework from hospital window - what a new year...
Brother is involved and there were multiple meeting from doctors from jimo and qingdao. Mom had surgery successfully on Feb. 4th and returned home on Feb 10th.
Hope Mom will recover soon!
Mom always has strong desire to live/survive and live well. I believe she will recover soon.
But be very careful from now on.
Everybody is in a panic. Mom's blood pressure went to 225. Called a doctor and he came, said need to get ambulance to hospital. On the way to hospital, my mom started to pray. I felt sick from sitting sideways. Fortunately it is not too far.
The X-ray and CT scan were painful to do and unbearable to watch as every move of my mom caused sharp pain.
Soon, she is having problem to pee on strecher. It is dangerous not being able to pee for long hours.
Soon, she is accepted by the hospital and got a VIP room. A catheter was used, and very soon, collected 800 ml urine.
I was on duty on watch of her with the sitter - in the evening of new year's day, watching firework from hospital window - what a new year...
Brother is involved and there were multiple meeting from doctors from jimo and qingdao. Mom had surgery successfully on Feb. 4th and returned home on Feb 10th.
Hope Mom will recover soon!
Mom always has strong desire to live/survive and live well. I believe she will recover soon.
But be very careful from now on.
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