'Limitless' Film Review

My review of 'Limitless' for Campus.ie:

The flashy, visually stylish thriller about one man’s discovery of a life changing ‘smart-pill’ has its smart and not-so-smart moments, but is ultimately a very good movie going experience.

The storyline itself is very interesting. (Had this film been made when the rights were bought 2003, it would have most likely made a much bigger impact as the prescribed drugs epidemic was really getting talked about then). The film is well shot, executed, visually very pleasing and features very strong performances from an excellent cast even with the slightly weak script.

Adapted by Leslie Dixon (of ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ and ‘Hairspray’ fame) from Alan Glynn’s 2001 novel The Dark Fields, Limitless revolves around a black-market pill that instantaneously unlocks the full potential of the user’s brain, effectively making their IQ higher than that of Albert Einstein. Codenamed NTZ, this wonder drug is what transforms Eddie (a very convincing Bradley Cooper) from a dead, down on his luck novelist (who has yet to scribe a single word) into a virtuoso writer, musician, politician, socialite and stockbroker almost overnight. Simultaneously Eddie gets back with his ex-girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) and lands a life-changing meeting with energy mogul Carl (a role too plain for the brilliant Robert De Niro).

This little pill makes quite an impact. Suddenly all Eddie’s memory banks are firing. He can recall everything he’s ever read. He’s uncommonly lucid and articulate. Eddie then switches his attentions to finance and the stock market (which he masters within a few days). But, as with all good thrillers, it’s not too long before things begin to go pear shaped for him.

He quickly starts to up the dose of these pills without thinking of the consequences, which causes blackouts, sickness and memory loss. To make things worse, he gets wrapped up in a murder. But as things start going downhill for Eddie, the movie starts to go down with him.

Flashy subplots overshadow some of the stronger angles of the story: He gets involved with a gang, the police start hounding him and he is suspected of murder. These are perhaps only attempts to add some commercial elements to the film and meanwhile the potentially fruitful plot elements such as Eddie’s newfound relationship with Lindy and his confrontation with an ex-wife (a super and under used Anna Friel), who suffers from the after-effects of prolonged NZT use, get tossed aside.

The audience may find it hard to swallow the notion that the mentally-enhanced Eddie would make so many fundamentally stupid judgment calls: the scary gangster he takes a loan from and forgets to repay, for example. Not forgetting the cavalier way he knocks back his limited supply of pills without ever investigating what goes into them or how he might reproduce it until he’s down to his last one.

Despite all this the film is very enjoyable and has a sharp edginess that makes it stand out from other thrillers. The ending is chilling and adds a dept to the storyline.

During a Q&A with Dark Fields author Alan Gylnn; he says he was pleased with the adaptation of his novel. “ Overall, it was a faithful adaptation. About 1/3 of the script is very similar to what goes on in the book and then characters and so on are changed around.” There are some substantial changes in character. Abby Cornish’s role is not in the book and De Niro part is two characters combined.

He says despite initial difficulties – “every line was questioned at one point” - he was kept in the loop throughout the script writing process thanks to scriptwriter Dixon buying the rights to the film: “it is very unusual for the author to be in the loop throughout the process so I was very lucky.”

He says he would’ve liked to see one or two things done differently in the film. “I would have liked to see more development of Melissa (Friel). A lot of scenes with Anna were shot but never used which was a shame as she was sort of the female intelligent in the book. There was more action than I would have liked too, I felt some of the scenes were very generic.”

I finish up by asking is any of the book autobiographical? “It’s autobiographical up to the point were he discovers the pill. I didn’t have that kind of help in getting published!”

Lady GaGa in Harper's Bazaar

Check out Lady Gaga looking her usually glamourous self in the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar, due out April 26th. Photographed by the renowned Terry Richardson, the infamous popstar blends a mix of eccentricity with high fashion glamour with full ease. Head over to the Harper's Bazaar website to read the full interview.

My personal favorites are the gorgeous black dresses (look at all the Gaga-ettes!) and the very unusual top she sports whilst eating those colorful Macaroons... Love the hair and styling, more of this look please Gaga!

First Look at Polanski's 'God of Carnage'.

*Images courtesy of Empire Magazine*

Despite his off screen tribulations, I prefer to focus on the directorial, movie-making side of Roman Polanski and I'm always eager to see his films. This one is no exception.

When "God of Carnage" hit Broadway in 2009, it was an instant smash, winning critical praise, box office bucks and Tony Awards for Best Play & Best Actress, so it came as no surprise when it was announced that a movie rendition of the award-winning play was on the cards.

Carnage (formally known as 'God of Carnage') is about two pairs of parents who decide on a civilized sit-down when one of their kids hurts the other at a public park. But as as the night wears on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening devolving into chaos.

In addition to three-time Oscar nominated director Roman Polanski taking the reigns, two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster tackles the Tony winning female role, while Oscar winner Kate Winslet plays her matriarchal foe with John C. Reilly and Oscar winner Christoph Waltz cast as their husbands, respectively.

Chatting to Empire Magazine (where this first look comes from), Jodie Foster described the film: "it all happens in real-time, so it’s about an hour and 45 minutes of negotiation between two sets of parents and how it all falls apart," she said. "Kind of like Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, but a little funnier. There’s a lot of wit."

Armed with an array of Oscar nominated talent, (which the advertising team will no doubt take full advantage of) the film will surely cause a stir just in time for the award season. Production has just wrapped up in Paris and the film is set to be released later this year or early 2012.

The 'Alien' Comeback in Pop Culture

The 'Alien' is back and it looks a little like....

This...

We all remember Ridley Scott's 70s B-movie classic 'Alien'. The smash hit movie spawned (no pun intended) no less than 4 sequels and a collection of Alien themed movies to add to the sci-fi genre. (Star Sigorney Weaver became a household name after this).

Pop icon Lady Gaga made the Alien popular once more and has paid tribute to these infamous movies in her latest video 'Born This Way'.

She gives birth to 'a new race' and paid homage using her 7 minute mini-movie:

The video was directed by renowned photographer/director Nick Knight who also shot the as yet unseen album artwork.

At the Grammys in early February, she arrived in her 'vessel' seen in the first picture above and I think you'll agree that she took more than a little inspiration from Scott's cult classic. (According to rumors, she stayed in this for three days before the ceremony)...

I love the cheesy feel it and the fact that she paid tribute to these infamous movies whilst keeping in it modern, contemporary and fashionable.

Thoughts?

Gaga's Born This Way album hits stores on May 23rd.

Video of the Day: Tim Burton's 'Vincent.'

Stumbled across this forgotten gem today.

Now a cult classic among fans, the 1982 6 minute stop-motion short film 'Vincent' was Tim Burton's very first feature.

Our protagonist is the young boy Vincent, Burton styled on himself. The animation follows Vincent, in what looks like, 'a day in the life of Vincent Malloy'. With the clever use of lighting and the stop motion frame rate, Burton switches between reality and the boy's corrupt imagination, where he believes himself to be Vincent Price. (Also narrated by Vincent Price himself)

The film noir style supports the sinister and bizarre narrative. The connotations I believe are relating back to Burtons own childhood and unique imagination.

The film is brilliant, somber and beautifully haunting. It's classic Burton. Watch it below:

Black Swan Review

My review of the Black Swan written for my own blogs and Campus.ie:

The ballet is back in fashion and bloodier than ever. Director Darren Aronofsky takes us inside the fiercely competitive world of the ballet and shows us why it’s not always sweetness and light…

It’s almost impossible not to get caught up with all the talk surrounding Aronofsky’s latest cinematic thriller Black Swan. Luckily, the film does not fall foul of the hype. Critically acclaimed across the globe and tipped for big wins at this years Oscars, Aronofsky sheds light on the world of ballet in a whole new way. It’s dark, evocative, funny and disturbing at times but you will keep your eyes glued to the screen for the entire movie.

Conceived as a companion piece to Aronofsky’s previous effort, The Wrestler, Black Swan continues the exploration of the compassion and at times, obsession that can consume those determined to succeed.

The film centres on ballerina Nina (played by a superbly cast Natalie Portman) as she is cast in the leading role of Swan Lake. She aims to prove to the company’s charismatic, yet sleazy director Thomas LeRoy, (Vincent Cassel in his best role to date) that she can play the dual roles of the White and Black Swan.

Faced with an over baring mother and rival dancers, Nina slowly starts to crumble as she attempts to let go of her own fragile nature and transform into the darkly sensual Black Swan. Her own desire to be absolutely ‘perfect’ in the role is heightened when she meets another candidate for the lead in the form of new girl, Lily (played by a very under-rated Mila Kunis). It’s not long before the paranoia sets in and things take a very dark and twisted turn. All is never really what it seems.

And it’s not just Aronofsky who gives some of his best work to date here. Portman is truly outstanding as Nina. She plays fragile and manic with equal skill and there is nowhere for her to hide with this role. We frequently get up close shots of Portman so that we see and at times feel, all her emotions coming through.

Both she and Kunis trained for a full year prior to filming. Portman studied ballet from 3-13 as a child and remarkably got en Pointe at the age of 27. The two actresses also lost at least 20 pounds each so as to resemble the figures of ballerinas.

Portman gives one of her, if not the, performances of her career. But she has fantastic support from Cassel, Kunis, Winona Ryder (as the gloriously unstable Beth) and a terrific Barbara Hershey as Nina’s domineering mother.

The film has come under heavy criticism of its supposed inaccuracies in terms of the ballet scenes, but this is not the point of the film. This is not an in-depth look at ballet, but rather an exploration of one girl’s extreme attempts to achieve perfection.

Beautifully scored and shot with an award winning cast and director, Black Swan is more than worth all the hype and acclaim and deserves more than a few Oscar nods.

Black Swan is in cinemas now.

Video Premiere: Rihanna - 'Only Girl in the World'

The new Rihanna video was found floating around the web a few hours ahead of it's official Vevo premiere and seems to have generated a mixed reaction from the fans.

I'm a huge fan of the video. I think it's simple, beautifully shot with an excellent use of colour and very contrasting to the electro-pop sound of the song itself. It's different to other videos out there now and will get people talking regardless. The video also works well conceptually with the the overall light-hearted look she wants the new album to have. (An intentional stark contrast to the 'Rated R' era).

'Only Girl in the World' was shot by renowned, long time Rihanna collaborator Anthony Mandler who has shot over a dozen of her videos. The video marks the first official single release from her new album 'Loud' which will be released on November 16th.

What do you think of the video?

The Gorjuss Work of Suzanne Woolcott

For those of you who would like to know where I get my blog design images visit the © Gorjuss website here. Run buy Suzanne Woolcott (she does all the painting and sketching) and her husband Grant (who does all the ordering, printing and shipping) and based in Scotland, the amazing and unique artwork is extremely popular; prints, pictures, key chains, jewelry and more can all be bought online and Boots have started to stock some merchandise too!

According to Suzanne: "My art is a deep expression of a somewhat lost childhood innocence in all of us. It resembles a need to find reason in what we see, it challenges our thoughts of comfort, safety and social acceptance, it challenges our preconceived ideas of childhood. It touches on the taboos of bringing children and death closer than is normally comfortable and evokes a sense of overwhelming calmness, and perhaps contempt to the viewer. "

Make sure to read the terms and conditions carefully before you use any images you buy as you must edit each one with your own individual number to preserve copyright to the site and owner.

Be sure to follow Suzanne and Mr G on Twitter for all the latest product news.

Below are just a sample of some of my purchased pictures, enjoy! :)

Video of the Week: Benny Benassi feat. Kelis, apl.de.ap, & Jean-Baptiste performing "Spaceship"

Directed by the always innovative and creative Ray Kay, futuristic video 'Spaceship' is my video of the week. The visually pleasing video fits perfectly with the techno-pop summer tune and the special effects look fantastic. This video spent along time in post production (almost 6 weeks) and marks the first time the director has worked entirely with CGI. I'm hoping he does it more often in the future as the hard work has paid off. The video contains Ray Kay's usual sleek style combined with his trademark lighting use and is one of his best to date.

Watch it below:

Tim Burton Article

My latest article in its original, unedited format which will be published (presumably in an edited format) in the fifth issue of my college publication:

(*Picture source below)

The Curious Art of Tim Burton

It would be considered both an impossible task and unique experience for one to have the opportunity to get inside the mind of one of the most imaginative and creative directors of the 21^st century. In the past this would certainly have been impossible for us ordinary members of the public, however thanks to a new exhibition launched by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, (ACMI) we are finally able to get a glimpse into the creative mindset of legendary director Tim Burton.

From June to October 2010, ACMI hosts a unique exhibition direct from The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. An Australian exclusive, Tim Burton: The Exhibition is a landmark exhibition charting Tim Burton's creative vision and process from his earliest work to his latest spectacular Alice in Wonderland.

It’s a must for all Burton fans alike. We see material from his early days as an animator at Disney and figurines from his classic short film ‘Vincent’ as well as many never-before-seen drawings and sketches from his personal collection.

Designed in three parts - all revolving around, escaping or depicting the suburb of Burbank - the exhibition contains over 700 objects from Burton's personal collection.

Unforgettable props and set pieces from his films pop out from stairwells or at corners to act as way finding systems announcing the exhibition. There's the low menace of the black mask-style Batmobile at the top of the stairs, the Luna Park-like entrance, and the topiary deer from Edward Scissorhands.

Early drawings depict the "outsiders, oddballs and aliens" that populate his films. While the imagery can be derivative and a little lame in its literalness (a couple holding hands is actually a couple holding sawn off hands), others, such as the elephant sitting on the ringmaster and thinking ''Ta da'', are quite funny. Premonitions of later work are here too, such as the gardener who will become Edward Scissorhands.

Scattered throughout are maquettes (preliminary models) and sculptures: consider Edward Scissorhands' outfits and his cookie-making machine.

Burton has said himself how he always felt “outside of society” and this is a theme in the exhibition and a large bulk of his work. Think of one of his most personal movies ‘Edward Sissorhands’: the moving portrayal of an artistic outsider who cannot touch what he desires without destroying it. Or the under rated gem that is ‘Ed Wood’, again a somewhat tragic story of the worst director of all time, a man who had vision but not talent. (It was not a hit at the box office, but won Burton the best reviews of his career, as well as two Oscars).

Burton’s unique artistic vision means that he has put his own distinctive mark on his work and given the often bland and repetitive films of today a run for their money. He has had critical and commercial success with films such as ‘Batman’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and the gothic musical ‘Sweeney Todd’ as well as the now cult ‘Mars Attacks’, quirky ‘Beetlejuice’ and forgotten ‘Sleepy Hollow.’ He is now moving into animation again with a rumoured Addams Family project and has adapted his early short film ‘Frankenweenie’ for the big screen.

Going back to the exhibition, it's the drawings that dominate. These represent Burton’s “thought process”: “I always think that drawings come from a much more comfortable place for me and that they say more than my intellectual mind can.” Hence ACMI's massive space is brimful of them, all with certain motifs that recur: the scarred misunderstood protagonists, caricatured heads and chequerboard with op art effects. The grotesque figures with their angular lines, gaping mouths and sharp teeth are classic Burton-type drawings and fit right in to the slightly bizarre exhibition.

But that is of course, the charm of the event itself; its odd, touchingly weird and according to Burton represents the “chaos of my mind.” The exhibition never fails to remind us why Burton and his imagination touch many people. It’s a reminder that there is nothing wrong with being a little different to everyone else, just look at Tim Burton. It can only be considered a good thing.

*Sources:

Sydney Morning Herald (Includes Picture Credit)

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image

The Tim Burton Collective