cinescape an
anthology
of
for
architectural
film digest
reviews by: lauren perry
reviews readers
2
cinescape an
anthology
of
for
architectural
film digest
critiques readers
reviews by: lauren perry a m s t 3 1 8 . 0 1
professor j. stevens
f a l l 2 0 1 3
3
mean girls
doubt
fargo
american beauty
almost famous
biography
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00 01 02 03 04 05 contents
06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
the bling ring
perks of being a wallflower
hunger games: catching fire
don jon
gravity
mystic river
double indemnity
the american president
the shawshank redemption
juno
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biography
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lauren perry architect: boston production designer: mirada studios movie critic: architectural digest
Lauren Perr y grew up in a small town on the north shore of Boston. From a young age she expressed an interest in the field of architecture, and continued to pursue a career that fulfilled a childhood dream. She attended Roger Williams University in the fall of 2008 and began coursework in the field of design. In addition to design work, Lauren also took an interest in film studies - - an additional hobby and interest of hers. She recognized the uncanny parallels between the design of a building and the design of a film, and enjoyed comparing the two processes. In addition to architecture related courses, Lauren also took several courses on film studies and moviegoing, developing an understanding of the world of filmmaking and an appreciation for the craft. She graduated in the fall of 2013 with a Bachelor ’s of Science in Architecture and Master ’s of Architecture dual degree. Immediately following graduation, Lauren moved to Boston to work for an architectural firm in the Fort Point Channel district. She remained there for seven years, gaining valuable professional experience and completing her Architectural Registration exams. She designed institutional and academic buildings that related to arts, namely, performing arts centers and higher education buildings.
trip to the west coast, and began work as a production designer for independent films. She eventually settled on the west coast and enjoyed working on films that were fantasy and science fiction related, and eventually teamed up with Guillermo del Toro and Juan Navarro at MIRADA studios. Following her ten year stint in the film industr y, Lauren moved back to Boston to be closer to her family. She continued small jobs as an architect and was shortly offered a writing job at Architectural Digest magazine. The magazine was looking for an architectural film critic with experience in both industries, and she accepted the position with great enthusiasm. She reviews old and new movies from the perspective of a designer, and comments on the cinematography of films as well as the composition of both sets and frames within the movies. Her favorite films are the major fantasy and science fiction franchises within the past few decades - - Lord of the Rings, Harr y Potter, Star Wars, and any Marvel Comic films (usually Iron Man). She currently resides in Boston with her dog Jar vis.
After acquiring her architecture license, Lauren attended local film festivals and networked with filmmakers in the Boston area. She was encouraged to travel to Los Angeles for production design related opportunities. In 2020, Lauren finally made the 7
almost famous
01
8
director: cameron crowe writers: cameron crowe genre: drama, comedy company: dreamworks year:2000 running time: 2 hrs 3 mins
Directed and written by Cameron Crowe, this film is a coming of age tale of epic proportions. As if it were plucked out of the daydreams of a fifteen year old and projected onto the big screen, Almost Famous tells the stor y of a young aspiring rock journalist who travels with his favorite band in search of a compelling inter view for Rolling Stone magazine. William Miller (played by Patrick Fugit) embarks on a journey of sex, drugs, rock and roll, and a frantic mother (Francis McDormand) who, despite her discontent of the rock and roll environment, refuses to see her son’s dreams destroyed. When he stumbles into the opportunity to travel with Stillwater, a popular rock band, he discovers that getting an honest inter view with them is a difficult task and his role as a journalist is not to befriend them, but to report the truth. The film is the quintessential stor y of chasing dreams and discovering the horrors of fame. It is reminiscent of the film ‘Dazed and Confused’ where the youth in the film discover what it means - or doesn’t mean - to be cool. William Miller grows up on screen in the film and audiences watch him as he discovers that he has more to report about the rock and roll lifestyle than the music the band plays. Patrick Fugit is cast perfectly for this role. His persona shouts ‘nerd’ and his timid mannerisms provide a character that audiences can relate to. Francis McDormand plays the concerned mother who, at first, is overbearing and annoying to audiences, but slowly turns into a character that champions for William and his dreams. Billy Crudup is the ideal rockstar,
, wild, free, and unconcerned with his reputation. The supporting cast is a group of gifted, confident actors that help shine a light on the growth of a young timid boy. The film is shot from as if it were from the point of view of a close friend of William’s. The audience is given a ‘backstage pass’ to what happens with life on the road after the show. There are fewer scenes of the band playing music than there are scenes of hotel rooms, bus rides, and parties. Therefore, the frame in the film is mostly composed of intimate settings than glamorous shots of lights and guitars on stage. The lighting of the film is created as if a fluorescent lamp is sitting in the corner of ever y room - each shot is dimly lit and has a yellowish tint - a technique that helps paint a better picture of the decade the stor y is set in.
element to the stor y that dismisses the glorified celebrity lifestyle. The movie delivers in terms of plot, character development and dialogue. The composition of the frames within the film are sub-par in terms of design. This can be attributed to the director ’s desires to show a stor y from a small-town dreamer ’s perspective. Fair warning for designers hoping for a movie filled with dazzling concert halls and red carpets: this isn’t it.
The film is an interesting piece of work because it is semi-autobiographical in nature. The writer, and director, Cameron Crowe, seems to be telling a stor y of his own experiences so that audiences may live vicariously through his trials and tribulations of life on the road. Though he does not aim to glorify rock and roll, he does glo rify the idea of a young boy with a dream, and how this boy made a dream come true. From an architects perspective, the film does not have as many beautifully framed shots as a work of art. Instead of shooting spaces of lights and high fashion, many of the scenes take place in dressing rooms, hotel rooms, and the bus - which adds an 9
american beauty
02
10
director: sam mendes writers: alan ball genre: drama, comedy company: dreamworks year:1999 running time: 2 hrs 2 mins
Introducing a film that glorifies the nuances of a suburban lifestyle, American Beauty is a stor y that audiences far and wide can relate to. The film opens with a quiet lazy town, a small street, and a traditional American home with a white picket fence. Audiences later discover the family, the dy namic, and the faults of each individual within the home. The stor y shows what happens when an average marriage takes a turn and has run its course. Additionally, it shows how an ever y-day scenario can be relatable and humorous. Lester Burham, played by Kevin Spacey, is an ever yday dad who is fired from his job and despises his wife. On the exterior, the family is seemingly normal, but as the scenes enter the home, audiences discover that this is not the case at all. The cast is a group of familiar faces and commendable performances. Kevin Spacey is the perfect balance of a ‘dad of the year ’ and a ‘dad gone wrong’ character. Annette Benning plays the wannabe ‘femme fatale’ who misses her opportunity when the next door neighbor kills her husband. Thora Birch plays the dark teenager tr ying to find her place in the social strata and Mena Suvari plays the ever-enticing role of what audiences would consider ‘beautiful’. The supporting cast is, arguably, made up of the children of the families involved in the plot. They provide sincerity and truth in a stor y where the adults are conniving and corrupt. The dialogue within the film has choice moments that causes audiences to smirk and laugh. Lester Burnham owns the majority of
these lines from “Please pass the aspar agus” to “Smile! You’re at Mr.Smiley’s”. The entire film has a voice over that is reintroduced during moments of sincerity or truth. The voice over provides the framework for the plot, and at the start of the film it alludes to a tragedy that audiences know is bound to happen by the end. The voice over is perhaps the most intriguing part of the tale because it is told by Lester ’s voice, but, as we find out by the end of the film, he is shot. This causes viewers to question whether the origin of the voice over - how could it possibly come from someone who is dead? Compositionally, one of the most interesting sets in the film is the dinner table. The family fills the entire frame of the screen from left to right, demonstrating the estranged relationship of the husband and wife and the misplaced feeling of the daughter at the center. Their posture runs parallel to the edges of the screen and draws the audience’s attention to the realm within the edges of the table. This is not unlike the hig hbacked chairs of the dining set designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Robie House. The area within the realm of the chairs and table create a scene itself - anything that exists outside is secondar y and insignificant. The film also has moments looking from one window into another. It introduces the notion of a voyeuristic experience, which is exactly what the audience is doing as they watch the film. It heightens the way in which viewers can relate to the characters on screen.
of the values in american culture. It shows how people value their homes, their families, and the social status within their communities. It also shows how american’s value seduction, artistr y, and good looks. It shows how the unordinar y can be masked to appear ordinar y, and how family relationships can be flawed from the inside out. Somehow, the film demonstrates all of these values in a stor y that illuminates scandal and superficiality. This film frames how an ordinar y life can be framed in an artistic way. It takes ever yday nuances and creates scenes that, compositionally, are presented to audiences in a way that are refreshing and captivating.
American Beauty is an interesting depiction 11
fargo
03
12
director: joel & ethan coen writers: joel & ethan coen g e n r e : m y s t e r y, s u s p e n s e , d r a m a company: mgm year:1996 running time: 1 hr 37 mins
Fargo, written and directed by the Coen brothers, is a movie that falls somewhere between a crime and a comedy. The film tells the stor y of Jerr y Lundegaard who hires two men to kidnap his wife so her father will pay ransom money that Jerr y will inherit. The film begins to take turns when the kidnapped wife, who is to remain unharmed, is in fact harmed, and more members of Jerr y’s family are killed along the way. The film is a series of unfortunate events that take place over the course of a few days, ending in the strange yet funny death of seven of the characters involved in the plot. The characters in the film are difficult to champion: they are overwhelmingly kind and seemingly naive. Mr. Lundegaard, for starters, is a careless, wimpy man who plots a horrible crime for his own financial benefit. He is a timid man whose plan has gone awr y - something that does not shock audiences. The two kidnappers are the equivalent of dumb and dumber, who have a difficult time sticking to Mr. Lundegaard’s plan. The father-in-law is frustrating, not because he has poor morale, but because he seems to throw a wrench in Jerr y’s plan, which is equally as frustrating to audiences. The other characters that are met along the way play simpleton roles of people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The only admirable character in the plot is the police officer, Marge Gunderson, who gets to the root of the problem. However, though her charac ter may not be frustrat ing to viewers, her accent is sure to catch on.
The dialogue in the film is hilariously annoying. The actors capture the true accent of the northern midwest and their kind dialogue demonstrate the ‘minnesota nice’ nature of the northern midwest. The audience may find themselves questioning whether the accent is intended to be funny or serious - another factor contributing to the film’s bridge between tragedy and comedy.
position of the shot is a testament to Mr. Lundegaard’s persona: empty and bleak. For architects, the visual appeal of this film is as appealing as any Coen Brother film: an exciting array of well composed shots.
The film is unique because of its opening. It is described as a true event - something that the directors fabricated to attract their audience. Though the events are not true, the name Fargo remains a name that causes people to consider a crime. It seems as if the film has begun an urban legend because people today still believe it to be based on true events. This clever addition by the directors causes audiences to caution the plot throughout the film, and maintains a level of horror and tragedy amidst the funny dialogue. Many of the frames within this movie are visually compelling and astonishing. Many of the shots are long distance, giving the film an edge of discomfort and vulnerability. The nature of the film calls for some moments of suspense, and other moments of revelation. The distanced shots cause audiences to feel vulnerable, while the scenes in the car dealership or the character ’s homes provide comfort. One of the most visually iconic scenes is the view of the parking lot from above. The parking lot is covered in white snow and is lined with several planters and lamp posts. It shows Mr. Lundegaard trudging to his car, and somehow, the com13
doubt
04
14
director: john patrick shanley writers: john patrick shanley genre: drama company: mirimax year:2008 running time: 1 hr 44 mins
A film that was nominated in ever y major categor y at the academy awards, Doubt is a film adapted from a play by John Patrick Shanley about a priest who has questionable relations with a young boy att ending parochial school in his parish. The film tells the stor y of the concern of the sister ’s who teach the young boy, and their suspicions of Father Flynn’s interest in the boy. Though there is no evidence to prove the Father ’s misconduct , the tension in the film all point to the unthinkable, and the outcome is as unsettling as the gruesome act that might have happened: we still don’t know the truth. The cast is composed of some of the best in the business. Mer yl Streep plays the role of Sister Aloysius, a seemingly heartless school teacher with good intentions, who reminds us exactly why we hated Sunday school. Amy Adams plays shy and naive Sister James, who is easily swayed by both the father and sister throughout the plot. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the likable and deceivi ng Father Flynn, while Viola Davis plays the mother of young Donald Miller and delivers one of the shortest but most convincing performances of her career. The dialogue within the film is mostly exchanged by these four characters, and the children in the film are a ver y trivial supporting group of actors. T he tension arises when the opinions of these four characters are revealed. The technique used to tell the stor y in a series of lengt hy dialogues is unique. It reminds audiences that the film originated from a play and made a transition to motion pictures. The
film is relatively short, but the tension is quick and constantly rising. An interesting use of light demonstrates this notion, while things like a flickering light bulb and the changing of window shades sheds light (literally) on the distrust and discomfort of the characters in the plot. Dark colors are used to illustrate the characters, such as the nuns cloaked in black, and similarly dark colors paint the walls of the scenes. The sister ’s office walls are a dark emerald green color, which symbolically would stand for deception. The weather in the film even casts a darker tone on the film, with the majority of the scenes outdoors taking place on overcast days.
er y word. In essence, each scene is a place that is traditionally safe and comforting, and yet, the nature of the plot and the deceit that the characters are involved with rob audiences of this comfort altogether. Architect’s will be intrigued by the scenes not for the shape of the spaces in which they take place, but for the symbolism behind them. Architects will enjoy the busted lightbulb and the change of the blinds on the window, and the colors the sets are dressed in.
Compositionally, the film has a series of incredibly compelling scenes and frames. This is not surprising as most films with a religious overtone tend to embody something spiritually symbolic. The most interesting frames are the ones that are tilted at an angle. These scenes occur in the office of Sister Aloysius when she is speaking with Father Flynn. The tilt of the camera frame indicates moments of dishonesty or unthinkable truth. It causes audiences to feel a heightened tension and causes them to question whether Father Flynn is telling the truth or not. The production of the film has relatively low key scenes and sets. The parochial school shows scenes with chalkboards and wooden desks - - essentially items from generations past. Outdoor scenes tend to take placed in high walled gardens or parks. The scenes within the church show a comforting group of individuals hanging on Father Flynn’s ev15
mean girls
05
16
director: mark waters writers: tina fey genre: comedy company: paramount year:2004 running time: 1 hr 36 mins
Mean girls might as well be the movie that defined a generation of high schoolers. Directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey, this comedy tells the stor y of ever y person who ever attended high school and the social agenda that ensues. The stor y surrounds Cady Heron, a transfer student from Africa to a suburban high school. She quickly learns that each student has a specific role in social hierarchy, and she transcends this role when she is befriended by the three popular girls in the school. She quickly learns their ways and becomes a stereotypical ‘mean girl’ as well, discovering and sometimes learning the hard way that being mean isn’t the best way to make friends. The cast is composed of several young gifted actors. Cady Heron is played by Lindsay Lohan, while the popular girl, played by Rachel McAdams, is followed around by her two sycophants Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith, played by Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried respectively. Though the cast is young, the actors are certainly much ol der than their characters, giving the stor y a convincing edge of young adults who have experienced social drama. The actors are quite gifted when it comes to playing the role of a ‘frenemy’, and has shaped the way younger generations today regard their friends at school. The film is more plot driven than technique driven. It is more careful about capturing the essence of high school and its drama than creating artistic shots and compositions that call for critical acclaim. If it is to be praised
for anything at all, it is the writing styles of Tina Fey and her hilarious interpretation of this age group in the 2000’s. Fey is credited with the screenplay as well as the role of Ms. Norbur y, Cady’s math teacher. Her presence as a character in the film draws attention to the fact that she wrote the screenplay, and gives her the opportunity to impart her comedy on a piece of work that was inherently funny at the start. Any teenager watching the film can relate to the dialogue, the wardrobe, and the scenarios that occur. Though the film may not be technical in style, it is certainly strategic in dialogue and plot. It is one of the most quoted films within the past decades, and as new generations are introduced, it will be quoted for decades to come.
found in schools. The film may have intended to highlight the absurdity of the hierarchy in high school, but in fact encouraged this type of behavior in young kids. Perhaps, though the target audience is for teenagers, the film is more suitable for older generations who have since graduated high school and can laugh at the jokes Fey intended for her audiences. Mean Girls is essentially high school satire, but cannot be received as satire by those who find themselves within the same situation as the characters. While this film may not be remembered for its artistr y, it will be remembered for its uncanny representation of adolescent experience and social statuses of the 21st centur y generation.
The film is intended to be a comedy, and therefore lacks artistr y in cinematography and composition. What is interesting about this film, from an architect’s perspective, is the placement of certain parts of the plot in certain sets, say for example, the bathroom scenes. The bathroom in Mean Girls is used as a place to escape, to gossip, and to trick friends. The lunch room is used for social placement as well as relationship status, and so on. Each set within the film speaks to a different part of the social strata in high school and the location within the set is intended to paint a picture of high school stereotypes. Mean Girls has a sizable significance within the film industr y and American culture today. Outside of it’s quote-ability, the film has impacted groups of younger girls to the point where reports of actual burn books were 17
juno
06
18
director: jason reitman writers: diablo cody genre: drama, comedy company: fox searchlight year:2007 running time: 1 hr 36 mins
An academy award winning film for best screenplay, Juno is a tale of a 21st centur y teenage mishap that seems to be a cultural phenomenon. The title of the film is also the name of the main character, who, after having sex with one of her best friends, finds herself pregnant. The plot revolves around her nine month pregnancy, her decisions as an expecting mother, and the family and friends her situation affects. Diablo Cody is credited for this screenplay, winning her an oscar and making her pen name known to audiences far and wide. The main character Juno, played by Ellen Page, is a quick witted teenager who is wise far beyond her years. Her father Mac MacGuff, played by J.K. Simmons and stepmother, Allison Janney, are two working class parents who find a way to overcome the pregnancy of their teenage daughter. From a previously failed marriage, it is apparent in the movie that the characters have witnessed failed relationships and are ner vous about experiencing new ones. The male lead, Paulie Bleaker, played by Michael Cera, is a quiet and timid boy who loves Juno but is less vocal about it. A cur ve is thrown when Juno chooses to put her baby up for adoption, which introduced Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, the new expecting parents. The cast in this film is strategically chosen because each character seems to have similar traits of the actors in real life. It is easy to see how the actors are invested in their characters and their quirks. The techniques used to shoot the film are
subtly artistic in nature. A voice over is present for the majority of the film, but is blended so well that audiences forget it is non diegetic. It provides viewers an insight to Juno’s thoughts and emotions outside of her bold character. The film is divided into the trimesters of the pregnancy, and, like chapters in a book, are presented with wr iting on the screen illustrating what season it currently is. This is an interesting tec hnique that has seldom been a part of films in histor y, but seems to be occurring in more current films like 500 Days of Summer. The overall colorization of the film has the essence of a 70’s flick, accompanied by contemporar y hipster acoustic tracks.
film like this can be interpreted in a number of different ways: it could be frowned upon for making light of teenage pregnancy or praised for turning a negative situation into a positive one. Either way, the plot of the film speaks about a ver y current issue and the name ‘Juno’ has become a term that is equated with unexpected pregnancy.
Though the film is quiet artistic in most areas, the compositions of the shots in the film, from an architect’s perspective, are not so compelling. The stor y is told through the eyes of a high school teenager and unfortunately the shots of a school cafeteria and a 16 year old’s bedroom are not so critically compelling. If architects are to respect this film, it is for the compilation of the scenes and the order in which the stor y is montaged. The transitions between trimesters (or seasons) is quiet clever and the emotions of the characters in the plot seem to mimic the changing seasons. A movie like Juno says a lot about American culture today. Teenage pregnancy seems to have become a serious issue and is more common each passing year. Diablo Cody is bold to have created a film about a s erious issue like this in a comedic way. A 19
the shawshank redemption
07
20
director: frank darabont writers: frank darabont genre: drama company: columbia year:1994 running time: 2 hrs 22 mins
For a film with seven oscar nominations and not a single win, The Shawshank Redemption is a stor y that has transcended a stor y that is not easily forgotten by viewers. Ranked as the #1 on the list of ‘Best Movies’ on IMDB.com, this film tells the stor y of a man wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife after she was caught cheating on him. Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, is sentenced to life in Shawshank Priso n. It is there that he comes to terms with the harsh realities of a lifelong sentence, and the brutality that the inmates must deal with. The movie continues to tell the stor y of inmates who befriend one another, and how they gain respect as people who have grown away from their crimes and improved their morals. The stor y culminates with Andy’s incredible escape from the prison after months of planning in secrecy and his settles in Mexico where he is free from being arrested again. The cast is comprised of two critically acclaimed actors, namely Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and is supported by a cast of actors whose faces are familiar with other crime related dramas. Tim Robbin’s performance is stellar as a good guy caught at a bad moment. Morgan Freeman’s character is one that is off-putting at first, but grows into one that is dependable and audiences grow apathetic toward. The two together tell the stor y of an intelligent duo who seem to understand more about good and evil than the people running the prison themselves. The cinematography of the film is stellar.
There is an infinite number of shots that call for critical acclaim and praise. The colorization of the film seems to be bland and gray, with the majority of the scenes taking place on overcast days. The one scene that shows the sun shining is the day that Andy Dufresne shows the prison guards his talent as a banker, and he befriends his inmates by winning them beers during their work shift. One of the final scenes takes place on a rainy day - the day that Andy escapes from the prison - as if the clouds were waiting the entire movie for that moment. The rest of the film is a series of scenes that take place within the prison, inside bars and cold stone, all places that are uninviting and dim. From an artistic standpoint, the shots are composed in a beautiful way, highlighting the monochromatic nature of a place like a prison, and is contrasted with the warmth that Andy’s character brings to the place when he builds a librar y for the inmates.
place that is otherwise recognized as colorless and dark. Light is used quiet carefully in the film to indicate both oppression and freedom. Architect’s will enjoy the way in which light is manipulated in certain scenes to intensify the ingenuity of the plot.
The stor y is so well received by audiences far and wide for reasons outside of artistic composition. The dialogue is compelling and the plot is cleverly unforgettable. Audiences will be shocked each time they watch the film when they understand how Andy’s character manages one of the greatest prison escapes of all time. The precision and detail that goes into the plot makes this movie one of the most ingenious written pieces to date. From an architect’s perspective, the film is enjoyable because of its artistr y. From a design standpoint, the most memorable parts of the film involve the colorization of a 21
the american president
08
22
director:rob reiner writers: aaron sorkin genre: drama, romance, comedy company: columbia year:1995 running time: 1 hr 53 mins
The American President is a film that will be remembered as an intelligent ro mantic comedy. It introduces a stor y of a widowed president in the midst of a reelection, who is tr ying to salvage his career path as well as his happiness as a father and a lover. Andrew Shepard, played by Michael Douglas, is a committed politician who wishes to stake his g round as a professional outside of his personal life. Unfortunately, for a position with such a high profile, the life of the president is seldom left private. His intimacy with Sydney Wade, played by Annette Bening, grows throughout the film from a professional st andpoint to a romantic one. The stor y is told from the point of view of an american citizen who learns the details of the relationship from the media. The media perpetuates stress upon Andrew and Sydney’s relationship and eventually causes it to break. The film concludes by Andrew explaining his positions on certain political matters and defending his personal life regardless of the negative reputation he has received for starting a relationship in the Oval Office. There are several significant and critically acclaimed actors that make up the cast of this timeless rom-com. As previously mentioned, Michael Douglas and Annette Bening star in the film and are supported by actors like Martin Sheen and Michael J. Fox. The performances of each actor compliments the next perfectly for a plot that is as intelligent and moving as a courtroom drama. Though this cast may be compared to other rom-com’s like When Harr y Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle, it is also similar to casts like The
West Wing and A Few Good Men - films that are politically charged and dialogue driven. Though the artistr y in the film is minimal, the majority of the critical acclaim is attributed to the dialogue. There are many speeches in the film which lends a hand to powerful monologues, and the conclusion of the film delivers a memorable (and quotable) line from Michael Douglas which ends with “My name is Andrew Shepherd and I am the President.” The dialogue in the movie is relatable to audiences not because it takes place with the president of the United States, but because it happens between a person of power and an average, ordinar y person like Sydney Wade. The lines are delivered in memorable and powerful ways that are meaningful and inspiring. The characters are admirable for their strong dispositions and intellect in addition to their romantic nature. The film is the perfect balance of professional life and personal life, and is an audience favorite for its journey and ending.
they uncover more private details of Andrew and Sydney’s relationship. From an architect’s perspective, the sequence of shots is like a tourist’s visit to the White House: each photograph taken is picturesque and iconic.
The cinematography in this film can only be compared to that of a courtroom drama. Many of the shots take place within the White House or other political arenas, and the composition of the shots tend to be symbolic in nature given the architecture of these places. The White House is recognized as a neo-classical structure and many of the spaces within it are classic and grand in character. This calls for a backdrop for a stor y that is likewise classic and grand in nature. As the plot unfolds, audiences discover more private spaces within the building as 23
double indemnity
09
24
director:billy wilder writers: raymond chandler, billy wilder genre: drama company: paramount year:1944 running time: 1 hr 47 mins
Double Indemnity, written and directed by Billy Wilder, is the quintessential ‘film noir ’ that tells a stor y of crime, drama and suspense. The stor y revolves around Phyllis Dietrichson, played by Barbara Stanwyck, who has been deemed the ultimate ‘femme fatale’. She plots the murder of her husband to inherent money from his life insurance policy amidst her unhappy marriage and her affair with Walter Neff, the insurance salesman. The analyst and boss of Walter does not buy the stor y of Mrs. Dietrichson and spends the majority of the film tr ying to uncover the myster y. Little does he know that the accomplice in the murder is his well-respected partner and friend. The charact ers in the film are bold and daring, and even though the film is dated, it is easy to understand the impact they had on audiences in the mid 1940’s. These characters are both charming and conniving, and they are relatable to audiences because of this. Audiences are empathetic to Walter Neff given the way he is roped into committing murder, and they are stunned by Phyllis Dietrichson for her unforgiving and vindictive nature. The film is recognized as classic noir because of the use of light. Outside of dialogue and character development, the lighting in the film is most memorable. Because the film is black and white, the focus is less concentrated on the colorization of the scenes and more on the way light is cast upon people and objects. The light cast through the blinds make for a visually compelling scene in a whodunnit film. The
use of light in smaller objects like the lighter and the cigarettes also illuminates the faces of the actors in a way that is telling of a true crime drama. The image of Walter Neff through the fog is also an unforgettable shot, on his crutches and illuminated from behind. The light in the film seems to illuminate the truth behind the murder and illuminates the distaste of the character ’s personas.
s about the plot. This film paved the way for many crime movies to follow because of its scandalous nature in the 1940’s. Many whodunnit films can trace techniques back to this film such as voice over, shadows, and wardrobe to the point where film noir has become a cliche genre of movies.
From an architectural perspective, this film is the epitome of artistic composition. Each frame in the film is put together in a way that heightens the audience’s anticipation of suspense. The makeup and wardrobe of the characters is as skin deep as their sense of morale, and the settings are as superficial as Los Angeles is recognized as a home to the rich and famous. The scenes within the film take place either in an office, in a living room, or in a car, which adds levels of intimacy to the relationship between the three leading characters. The office demo nstrates a place of friendship while the living rooms embody intimacy and the car revolves around murder. Each setting pr ovides a cue for audiences to to recognize the amount of comfort they should feel. It is most evident that the scenes in the car are the pinnacle of suspense and anxiousness. From a cultural standpoint, a film like Do uble Indemnity is groundbreaking for the film industr y. Though sex and murder are not explicitly shown, they are alluded to via montage or facial expression in closeups. The absence of seeing the murder committed adds to the uncertainty the audience feels 25
mystic river
10
26
director: clint eastwood writers: brian helgeland, dennis lehane genre: drama, comedy company: warner brothers year:2003 running time: 2 hrs 17 mins
Academy award winning Mystic River is a stor y of three young boys and a series of events that shape who they become as adults. When young Dave Boyle is abducted and molested by two men, his two closest friends watch their pal disappear into an emotional state and never return. When the three friends grow up, they are faced with another alarming crime involving the death of one of their daughters. The film revolves around uncovering the murder of Katie Markum, and the way in which the three estranged friends reconnect after so many years. Accused of killing Katie, the emotionally wounded Dave Boyle has a difficult time escaping the trauma of his past and is assumed by his wife and friends to have turned into a harmful enemy. The cast in Mystic River is composed of some of the leading actors in the business. Winning academy awards fo r their performances, both Sean Penn and Tim Robbins play opposing roles of confidence and the lack thereof. Kevin Bacon completes the trio with his role as detective of the crime. The supporting cast is made up of Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden and Laura Linney. Though the stor y begins with the childhood of the three friends, it ends with the complex meshing of all six aforementioned actor ’s roles. The film is directed by Clint Eastwood and is demonstrative of his filmmaking techniques. The movie is dark and low lit, a fitting characteristic for a murder myster y type of stor y. The film takes place in a semi-urban town just outside of Boston, in a low
income neighborhood that is recognized as crime ridden. The production of the film is careful to play up the accents typically found in Boston and likewise the biting attitude commonly found in the area.
experience are difficult to miss by the looks on their faces. For architect’s looking for compelling sets and intriguing shots, the film is better recognized for actor ’s expressions than the expression of space.
The cinematography of the film is a ver y subtle form of artistic given the location of the plot. It is arguably difficult to make a neighborhood of triple decker homes seem outright poetic when its inherent aesthetic is run down and unappealing. However, the trained architect will recognize that neighborhoods like this can be strangely welcoming given the proximity of the neighbors and the way each family is present in another ’s life. The presence of front porches and stoops provide areas for interaction and intimacy from one family to another, which is a quality that is not present in places like the suburbs where houses are distanced from one another. The closeness of the homes demonstrates the closeness of the relationships between the characters and their involvement in the crime altogether. Other sequences in the film show scenes at a bar, at a morgue, and lastly in front of the Mystic River itself. Each of these scenes has morbid overtones and is cold and uninviting. What designers will appreciate is the way in which the director provides closeups of the expressions on the actors faces instead of making the surroundings the focal point. The closeness of the camera to the character ’s faces is an additional technique to demonstrate the extreme involvement in one another ’s lives and the emotions they 27
gravity
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director: alfonso cuaron writers: alfonso cuaron, jonas cuaron genre: drama, suspense, sci-fi company: warner bros year:2013 running time: 1 hr 31 mins
Considered one of the year ’s best films, Gravity is a remarkable stor y of three astronauts and a mission gone awr y. T he trip to space is interrupted by flying space debris, injuring the equipment the astronauts are working on and taking one of their lives. The remaini ng two astronauts are simply lost at space with no communication to anyone on earth, and only their space suits to keep them warm. The two devise a plan to make it to a neighboring space station in the hopes of traveling back home, and discover that the battle against anti-gravity is what is preventing them from reaching safety. As far as audience reception, this film is an hour and a half of non-stop suspense and anxiety ridden mishaps. The film is not for the light-hearted or motion sick. In a mere ninety minutes, two of the three characters lives are taken and the remaining character endures at least five instances of life threatening situations. The director, Alfonso Cuaron is credited for making a film without gravity have an intense amount of emotional weight. An interesting feature of the film is the miniscule size of the cast. Only three actors appear on screen over the duration of the film, two of which show their faces on screen: Sandra Bullock as Ryan Stone, and George Clooney as Matt Kowalski. Ed Harris is credited as the voice of mission control back on earth, a trait that he also embodied for his character in Apollo 13. The cast of just two people delivers an emotional journey far beyond the reaches that a cast of millions could. The emotional journey the two experience are
thrust upon audiences and cause viewers to feel as if they too are running out of oxygen. The cinematography in this film is some of the best to date. Though the 95% of the film takes place in space, the visual effects used to create a world outside of earth’s atmosphere are breathtaking. The visual cues are hair raising and spine tingling, and the journey the audience takes through space is as ner ve-racking as looking over the edge of a bottomless cliff. The images of planet earth are so compelling, audiences feel as if they are in space with the characters themselves. In many instances, it is not uncommon to find viewers looking away from the screen to reground themselves to their seats. The effects are a masterpiece and testament to the technology of 2013.
This film has already received a wide range of critical acclaim, receiving a whopping 97% critic satisfaction on Rotten Tomatoes. It is highly favored to win academy awards and many other praises to follow during the upcoming awards season.
Architecturally speaking, the only built environment to comment on is the broken space shuttle. Outside of the design world, the film is undeniably artistic in composition and technique. Some of the shots within the film are even symbolic beyond repair. One in particular, is a scene where astronaut Stone makes it safely to a space station after being detached from her shuttle. When she removes her space suit, she is pictured in the fetal position and surrounded by chords in front of a round, glowing window, not unlike a child in a mother ’s wom b. The stor y is quite explicitly demonstrating the rebirth of Ryan Stone’s confidence and audiences are made ver y aware of the emotional struggles she faces tr ying to sur vive. 29
don jon
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director: joseph gordon-levitt writers: joseph gordon-levitt genre: drama, comedy company: relativity media year:2013 running time: 1 hr 30 mins
Written and directed by budding art ist Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon is a scandalous tale of a young man in the world of digital culture who is far more addicted to internet porn than he is addicted to the physical attraction of women. Audiences experience an emotional journey of a caustic character from New Jersey who tries to convince audiences that his addiction to porn is not harmful. He soon learns that this is not the case when his girlfriend Barbara, played by Scarlett Johansson, catches him watching porn by going through his internet histor y. Jon makes a journey of self discover y that involves an emotional detachment from the internet and a physical attachment to something he finds sexually real. The leading cast is an interesting mixture of Joseph Gorden-Levitt himself, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore and Tony Danza. The four paint a picture of a typical Jersey family who wishes to see their son fall in love and marr y a beautiful girl. The characters embody a typical ‘Jers ey lifestyle,’ something that has been brought to the forefront since the advent of the Jersey Shore. Jon himself is a gym addict, white tank top wearing, religious and sexually scandalous individual. The family is over encouraging of his relationship with Barbara which eventually falls apart. He eventually falls into the arms of Julianne Moore’s character Esther, a widow, who teaches him the significance of sensuality over sexuality. As the directing debut for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the film has fewer artistic shots
and more artistic dialogue. The film should be credited for the screenplay above all else. The dialogue is stereotypical of an Italian family from the New Jersey, and the relevancy of a person addicted to the internet is a ver y current issue that most audiences have experience on one level or another. The overall reception of a film like this can be shocking and at the same time well received. The film is a reflection of how scandalous american culture can be today and how things that once used to be taboo are ver y much a part of our ever yday lives. The film, in fact, contradicts the traditional step-by-step process of falling in love with a girl, asking her out to dinner, proposing and then marr ying her. The stor y is one that advocates having a sensual and physical relationship with another individual instead of having the stereotypical white-picket fence pipe dream that is so engrained in our culture’s perception of the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to go about a relationship. Though the film pokes fun at the internet and the provocative content that can be found on it, it also advocates for a lesser relationship with technology and a stro nger relationship with the people around us.
of Jon’s activities. Jon’s apartment, however, is pristine and clean, a task that he enjoys performing to fulfill his Type-A personality. His apartment is indicative of the way with which he covers up his indiscretions. The home settings are incredibly telling of the artificiality of the characters within the film. In the designer world, Jon’s apartment is far more appealing than his parent’s home, but a talented eye will recognize the symbolism behind decoration and persona.
From an architect’s perspective, the only parts of the film that are spatially compelling are the scenes within the homes. Jon’s family home is clad in tacky brown wallpaper, floral tablecloths and is covered in dated photographs. The house is a repr esentation of the artificial attitude the family has toward relationships and their opinion 31
the hunger games: catching fire
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director: francis lawrence w r i t e r s : m i c h a e l a r n d t , s i m o n b e a u f o y, s u z a n n e c o l l i n s genre: action & adventure, sci=fi, fantasy company: lionsgate films year:2013 running time: 2 hrs 26 mins
As one of the major franchise releases of 2013, the Hunger Games second film in the trilogy is an incredible addition to an already successful stor y and an incredibly accurate adaptation of a compelling novel written by Suzanne Collins. The film picks up where the last Hunger Games left off, depicting the lives of the victor ’s in the victor ’s lonely neighborhood of District 12. Katniss and Peeta’s relationship has grown distant since returning home, and her affections for long time friend Gale have grown evident. Katniss and Peeta finish the Victor y Tour to watch the next Hunger Games season come round, when they discover that the new games will pool from the existing group of victors in each district. And so commences an additional fight to the death where Katniss and Peeta are forced to participate. The film begins to paint a picture of Katniss as a political figure and inspiration amongst the districts, and she is increasingly growing into a problem for President Snow. The adaptation of this film from the original novel is accurate in an uncanny way. Though the director is different from the first film, Francis Lawrence brings an edge to the film that involves visual effects and interesting set design. Some of the original set designs were preser ved and reused, while the new arena was created as a tropical oasis filled with killer monkey’s and natural disaster. The film is indeed darker than the first, and more politically charged as well. The performance of Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson matches, if not out-does, their original performances in the first film. Audience begin to understand where the char-
acter development is going and how the two individuals have grown into political symbols for a countr y on the verge of an uprising. The techniques used to create such visually stimulating action sequences are captivating. The animation of the disasters in the arena are as frightening to watch as they are lethal. Between lightning strikes, poisonous gas and dehydration, the amount of mak eup used to paint a stor y of suffering is truly believable. The cinematography is less artistic due to the amount of quick action in the stor y, but the tragedy the characters face is ver y evident in the actors’ performances.
for her political beliefs and recognizes the impact she can have as a political figure. Suzanne Collins’ novels are a representation of the type of progressive thinking the current generation has in regard to government.
Architecturally speaking, Catching Fire is just as satisfying as the first film. From the original Hunger Games, audiences were introduced to the capitol which was originally based on the architectural stylings of the 1920’s world fair in Chicago, an event that, at the time, shaped the designs of the ‘future’. The capitol also had archite ctural moments that demonstrated the harsh stylings of a countr y in a communist state. Tall concrete structures are present, and the overall landscape of the urban setting is monochromatic and serious. The only color present in the city is the vibrant arr ay of color worn by the capitol’s inhabitants. This series has a serious impact on American culture in 2013 and the evolution the countr y has in terms of political thinking. This series presents one of the first (widely known) heroine’s in a fantasy / sci-fi film. It presents a young individual who stands up 33
the perks of being a wallflower
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director: stephen chbosky writers: stephen chbosky (novel adaptation) genre: drama company: lionsgate year:2012 running time: 1 hr 43 mins
The Perks of Being A Wallflower is an adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s text that seems to be a darker version of a teenage stor y that follows in the footsteps of films like ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘Dazed and Confused’. It is a coming of age tale of a young boy who was sexually abused by a family member at a young age, and learns to cope with ‘participating’ in life and dealing with his emotions as the horrors from his past begin to surface. Charlie, played by Logan Lerman, is a freshman in high school without any friends to sit with at lunch. He is teased by classmates and thought of as pathetic, especially after the death of one of his close friends. He is soon befriended by Patrick, played by Ezra Miller, and Sam, played by Emma Watson, who take him under their wing. The stor y shows the one year journey of a boy who went from being unnoticed to rising to the top of his small suburban world. The cast in this film is an interesting combination of small names. Logan Lerman, known for his role in the sci-fi flick Percy Jackson, and Ezra Miller, famous for even smaller roles on Law and Order, present compelling performances of teenagers in search of a life that is bigger than the mere ordinar y. The biggest name attributed to the film is Emma Watson, who starred in this movie shortly following the completion of the Harr y Potter films. The ensemble is a rich network of young actors with lit tle experience, which heightens the awkward interactions typically fo und in high-schoolers and is (in a backwards way) a successful technique to tell this stor y.
The director, Stephen Chbosky, is likewise the author of the original text. The director was careful to edit specific scenes and even the plot in certain areas that would not be conducive to the big screen. The careful selection of scenes from the book to the screen is strategically chosen, making the connection between the writer and director incredibly apparent. The film is not particularly artistic, per se, however, there are certain scenes that present an artistic representation of the novel. For instance, the scene where the seniors run and climb the stadium bleachers is composed in such a way that demonstrates how the group of friends ‘climbed a mountain’. The scenes where the characters are standing in the bed of the truck and through the tunnel are carefully shot as if to show them floating through air, detached from a moving vehicle. Outside of the few significant instances to the novel, the film is predominantly shot in school or home settings, and is otherwise more invested in telling the stor y than completing 2 hours of visually compelling frames.
long shot / close-up differences of the main character, the overall film lacks a sense of significant place or emotional reaction within the scenes that is demonstrative of spatial ingenuity. If architect’s are looking for a film that is design indulgent, do not look here.
From an architect’s perspective, the film is careful to depict Charlie in certain areas of the frame. Rarely is a close-up of his face shown, rather, he is placed at the center of the frames and usually at a distance. An architect may recognize this as a technique for showing how the character is estranged from the people who surround him, the audience, and even himself. It is only at the end of the film, or in instances when he is narrating his diar y to the viewers, that we catch an inside glimpse of Charlie’s life. Other than the 35
the bling ring
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director: sofia coppola writers: sofia coppola genre: drama company: a24 films year:2013 running time: 1 hr 30 mins
Directed by the daughter of Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola, the Bling Ring is a film base d on true events of a group of teenagers who robbed the homes of famous celebrities in the Hollywood Hills. The film is based on an article written in Vanity Fair magazine entitled ‘The Suspect Wore Louboutins’ and depicts a group of young friends from the Valley who seek out the homes of their favorite celebrities. When they search under the mats at the front door, they easily find the keys to open the homes, and proceed to party, ransack, and steal many items from celebrities. Several of the celebrities included in the scandal were Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Audrina Patridge, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson, and Megan Fox, to name a few. The cast is comprised of seemingly unknown names. The main character, Rebecca, is played by actress Katie Chang, while other characters such as Marc, Chloe and Sam are played by actors Israel Broussard, Claire Julien and Taissa Farmiga, respectively. The biggest name in the film, outside of the director, is Emma Watson, who plays the role of Nikki, a home-schooled Valley brat. The older members of the cast include Leslie Mann, who plays Laurie, Nikki’s mother, and Gavin Rossdale, who plays Ricky. The cast seems to be composed of predominantly younger novice individuals in the industr y, with just a few experienced older cast members in an attempt to balance the talent. The film is presented in a semi-documentar y fashion with inter views and court dates
interspersed with scenes showing the actual theft in the homes. Given the nature of a documentar y-like adaptation, the film was not well-received by critics and is considered today to be a ‘flop’. From the standpoint of an architect, one present the same argument. Few of the scenes are composed in a way that is artistically commendable. The dialogue is similar to listening to a 14 year old valley girl gossip session: it is ver y difficult to do. Though the writers’ intentions were to present the characters as true as they would be in real life, the reality surroun ding the characters is difficult to swallow.
the scandal frowned upon the film for doing just the opposite and glorifying the acts as a thing that is to be revered. Like any publicity of an outrageous celebrity stunt, the film perpetuates the drama of the celebrity world and even the paparazzi and tabloids.
From an architect’s perspective, there is little to comment on in terms of scene composition or set design. The film seems to be shot entirely in Los Angeles, in the would-be homes of the accused. The rest of the film is shot in mock-ups of the celebrities who were robbed. Unfortunately, the composition of the film as a whole is as skin deep as the superficial teens whom the stor y was written about. In terms of filmmaking and American values, the film is an incredibly powerful representation of how teenagers glorify and fantasize about fame. Though the film stirred up more drama in the Hollywood hills than gained critical acclaim, the directors intentions are relatively lucid: to show the extent to which the younger generation will do to emulate the stars that they see in the tabloids. Though the intentions of the film were to highlight the wrongdoings of the group and the overall concern for the teenage perception of fame, many of the celebrities involved in 37