20 ARTS: FILM
THE FOUNDER January 2022
Waves by Trey Edward Schults TILLEY BENNETT | FILM EDITOR
T
he destructive nature of trauma held together by unwavering love. Split into two equally moving sections connected by an image of a girl riding her bike, Schults creates a melodrama that is testament to his ability to create an immersive cinematic experience. The first half of Waves follows 17-yearold Tyler (Kelvin Harris Jr) as he navigates the politics of high school, sporting success and relentless paternal pressure. Schults creates a unique and intimate experience between the viewer and Tyler as we try to keep up, just as he does, with the persistent pace of his life. Kelvin Harris Jr is triumphant in portraying Tyler as a young man on the edge. The film is at times difficult to watch as it is so all-consuming. Whether it be through use of a brilliantly crafted soundtrack which is not only evocative of Tyler’s youth and pop culture but also a mirror into his deteriorating mental state. Equally through use of intense, intimate camera angles and an engulfing use of light and colour viewers witness a character spiral with an inability to act. It is the helpless feeling that Schults creates in the viewer that makes the tragedy all the more heart-breaking. Unexpected and life-shattering, the tragedy alters Tyler’s life forever much as Waves does for viewers.
Although in doing so he often loses sight of the immediate effect of his actions. There are also times when perhaps Schults could let viewers assume the intentions of Ronald rather than oversharing and loosing intimacy between character and viewer. However, when tragedy strikes, and Ronald’s face is painted with the glow of police lights, his expression evokes all the pain he had tried to protect his children from and makes for an even more heartbreaking story. In the second half of the film, focus is moved onto Tyler’s younger sister Emily (Taylor Russel) who is understated in comparison. The whole experience of the film alters with her character, the camera movements and soundtrack become more relaxed. However, the aftermath of the trauma remains. Emily seems to be numb to her environment, sticking to her routine but not experiencing life to the fullest. Emily’s section at times feels like a relief from the intensity of Tyler’s, however viewers are not naïve to the fact that she is also experiencing immense pain.
Tyler’s father, Ronald (Sterling K. Brown) knows first-hand the obstacles that race can put in the way of success for his children and wants to create a life for them without hardship.
Source: IMBD
With multiple nods to 1920’s German cinema and modern expressionism, Schults does not hold back in defining his style as a Filmmaker. He creates a story focused on love and how easily mutated it can be. The family that viewers almost feel like they are part of become consumed by grief, echoes of past mistakes, and conversations that they believe could’ve changed their family’s fate. Ultimately, Schults tells a tale of a family having to co-exist with a tragedy that will constantly burden them. Waves is a film that will stay with you for weeks after watching it, it is unrelenting and deeply moving.
The Batman (4th March)
Rumours about Pattinson playing Batman have been circulating for a few years now and we finally get to see it happen. Of course, since Nolan’s trilogy and Ledger’s incredibly performance as the Joker, Batman movies haven’t received great reviews from critics and audiences alike. The trailer showcases a lot of fantastic cinematography and the accuracy of the casting. Probably one of the most hyped non-comic movies of the year, Robert Eggers is back working with Willem DaFoe and Anya Taylor-Joy on this historical epic. Set in 10th century Iceland, it is a tale based on the Norse saga which inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet. A Viking prince played by Alexander Skarsgård who seeks revenge on his uncle after he murdered his father. The film also stars Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, and Bjork. Eggers did his research into the different Vikings of Iceland, Swedish, Norway, and the Ukraine. Don’t let its connections to Hamlet fool you, it seems more a Game of Thrones story than an Early Modern English play.
New Year, New Movies ANANYA KRISHNA | CONTENT WRITER
F
ilm content writer, Ananya Krishna, brings you her top film picks for 2022’s upcoming cinema.
The Northman (8th April)
Dr Strange: Multiverse of Madness (6th May)
Undoubtedly the most anticipated Marvel film, this is the Spiderman No Way Home of 2022. With Elizabeth Olsen coming back as Scarlett Witch and the trailer teasing Evil Dr Strange who we met in What If...?. There is a lot happening in Cumberbatch’s next appearance as Stephen Strange. Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Biopic (3rd June)
Most notable for the time Lana Del Rey pined for the role of Priscilla Presley, Luhrmann’s Elvis Biopic will be released in June of this year (not with Del Rey as Priscilla). Austin Butler will play Elvis and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’s agent, this movie both directed and co-written by Luhrmann, whose last film was the Great Gatsby (2013). While it’s not known whether Butler will be doing his own singing or how much of Luhrmann’s usual pazazz will be seen, what we do know is that it will be a looking specifically at Presley’s
