Film Review: “Out of the Furnace,” directed by Scott Cooper, 2013
“Out of the Furnace” is not the kind of movie that jumps on you. It’s a cinematic slow burn that grows on you. The film, set in the steel town of Braddock, Pa., is about the Baze brothers—Russell (Christian Bale) and Rodney (Casey Affleck). (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on December 5, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/christian-bales-out-of-the-furnace-is-a-cinematic-slow-burn-that-shines-brightly/
Film Review: “Dead Poets Society,” directed by Peter Weir, 1989
Although “Dead Poets Society” is set in a boys’ prep school in Vermont in 1959, moviegoers relate to it because it puts them squarely on a familiar ground. Most people remember a teacher like John Keating (Robin Williams) who changes his students’ lives. In every school, there’s a passionate soul like Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), a painfully shy kid like Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), and a rebel like Nuwanda (Gale Hansen). (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on September 26, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/dead-poets-society-robin-williams-will-stay-o-captain-my-captain-in-our-hearts/
Film Review: “Locke,” written and directed by Steven Knight, 2014
It takes an actor such as Tom Hardy to pull off a film shot almost entirely inside a car, showing him alone, from beginning to end. Ivan Locke (Hardy) is a construction manager in Birmingham, with a reputation for “running a tight ship,” as a local official describes him. One evening, after work, he doesn’t go home. Instead he drives to London, a decision that changes his life within 85 minutes, which is how long the drive and the movie last. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on August 26, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/08/26/tom-hardys-locke-shows-extraordinary-power-in-simplicity/
I agree with Buzzfeed when it picked “To Kill a Mockingbird” as the best book-to-movie adaptation of all time. Buzzfeed listed the top 23 adaptations based on their readers’ favorites. Those who “voted” for the movies that made the list were not necessarily comparing them with the novels. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on June 18, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/06/18/top-15-book-to-movie-adaptations/
Filmmakers love the Statue of Liberty for its cinematographer-friendly qualities.
From the 1942 Alfred Hitchcock film, “Saboteur,” to the Matt Damon-starrer “The Adjustment Bureau” (2011), Lady Liberty has been thrilling, scaring, and entertaining moviegoers over the years. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 19, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/hollywoods-love-affair-with-lady-liberty-from-saboteur-to-adjustment-bureau/
A quick Google search will show you that “La Dolce Vita,” which means “the sweet life,” is a popular name for Italian restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops. The term has taken on a life of its own ever since Federico Fellini’s film of the same title was released in 1960. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 10, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/5-reasons-why-writers-should-watch-federico-fellinis-la-dolce-vita/
Film Review: “The Savages,” directed by Tamara Jenkins, 2007
Like most film buffs, I was devastated when the news broke that Philip Seymour Hoffman died of accidental drug overdose on Feb. 2. He was 46. Described by the New York Times as “the most ambitious and the most widely admired American actor of his generation,” Hoffman was best known for “Capote” (2005), which earned him the Oscar for best actor. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 5, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/the-savages-a-small-film-showcasing-the-giant-talent-of-philip-seymour-hoffman/
Film Review: “Inside Llewyn Davis,” directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013
The film starts with Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), a folk singer, performing in a club. It’s the 1960s in Greenwich Village in New York City. He sings hauntingly about being hanged, a foreboding of what’s to come. Indeed, after his performance, he gets beaten up by a stranger at the back of the club. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on April 21, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/inside-llewyn-davis-elevates-starving-artist-stereotype-to-a-darkly-funny-hero/
François Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” is a staple of film courses, the frontrunner in the French New Wave Cinema. Not surprisingly, I watched it in class when I was in college. Our analysis now escapes me, but I remember getting teary-eyed while watching it. The 12-year-old protagonist, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), is one of the most unforgettable characters ever created in film. He has stayed with me for decades. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on April 1, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/5-lessons-for-writers-from-francois-truffauts-the-400-blows/
Tower Bridge crosses the River Thames.
Movies like “The Young Victoria,” “Skyfall,” and “King’s Speech” made me feel like I’ve been to London. And when I did go to London, I felt like I was on a movie set. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on March 10, 2014
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/celluloid-vs-real-london-young-victorias-hyde-park-james-bonds-mi6/
Cindy Fazzi 