Film Analysis

Clip A
I thought Steven Soderbergh did a great job in charge of Oceans eleven and this specific scene really went over some key elements in movies. The first thing I noticed was the complexity of the placement of cameras in the poker table scene. The editor had to do some fancy camera work to make sure that the eyeline match was accurate throughout the scene because there was about 7 actors in the scene in a large circle. This along with staying behind the 180 rule probably made this scene hard to make. I also spotted some funny camera angles like a high angle shot looking down at the table as the dealer is dealing. Lighting was a big part of the scene too. I noticed that there was really only one light illumintating the table and that was the light right above the actors. THis gives us a sense of secrecy as everything around the characters is dark.

Clip C
Probably the most important aspect about this clip is the parallel action that takes place. We see two different perspectives, one as the criminal and one as the FBI, and eventually they both slowly come together creating intensity and suspense. The way that the parallel action comes together is also an example of the type of narraration that Jonathan Demme utilizes known as restricted. The restricted narraration causes a surprise in the end when we find that the FBI is actually at the wrong house. Another thing I noticed in the clip was the camera movements. I noticed a lot of hand held shots especially when the FBI is planning outside. I also saw a tracking shot that went throughout the whole house and followed the criminal wherever he went.

Clip D
The most unusual technique displayed in this scene is the steadicam movement which follows the characters around the entire studio often switching personas. This is an example of a long shot where the scene doesn't cut but instead gives us a view at a majority of the cast as well as an expanding setting inside the studio. I also saw a deliberate use of the rule of thirds as the characters are walking through the halls. An example of this is when the Dad the son and the caretaker are walking together, they seem to be congruent with the hallway. I noticed soft light to display the gloominess of the outside world and one last thing I saw was the use of a basic objective perception throughout the scene where all we see is the characters and the world around them.

Clip F
I feel like the most important part about this clip was the very last scene. The cinematographer really puts the rule of thirds into effect during this scene with the burning house up on the hill. The placement of the camera and the wide-angle lens perspective puts your view of the situation in a very good spot. Also the fact that the it is a long shot and how the camera slowlymoves out from behind the house adds deparity to the scene by capturing a shot with two parents and their lid staring at destruction. Another noticeable thing was the camera movements while inside the house. I couldn't tell if this was a tracking shot or a steadicam shot but I noticed that it was almost all panning shots where the camera moved from side to side to show what was going on in the house. The lack of cut scenes and the somewhat long shot that Tarkovsky creates adds to the intensity and sadness of the scene.

Oscar Ranking

1)Social Network

1. Hilarious lines

2. acting superb

3. great story

2) Inception

1. Mind-blowing

2. Great action scenes

3. Had a dreamy feeling to it

3) The King's Speech

1. Good friendship story

2. Nice camera movement

3. Great story in terms of time period.

4) True Grit

1) Classic Western

2) Nice character roles (Mattie, Rooster)

3) Clever action scenes

5) Winters Bone

1) Great overall mood and feeling

2) Good main Role (powerful female)

3) Conflicts in the story are deep and truthful

6) Toy Story 3

1) Cheesy ending

2) Unsatisfying sequel

3) Classic humor and icons

1. The Social Network was the best new movie I saw this year and I have many reasons for this. First of all the actual plot of the story was shot in a manner that made it ever unfolding and really fun to watch. The common use of flash forward tactics created a switch off between restricted and unrestricted narration. These types of movies are usually full of twists which is what I love. The acting in the movie added to the good story with memorable lines and lines that were portrayed perfectly by the actors. Mark Zuckerberg as the main character made every scene unique because he was so spontaneous and funny. Although the cinematography in the movie was a bit basic and static, I thought they did a great job of showing the contrast of lives from the East coast to the West coast. A Social Network topped all of the other movies nominated for the Oscar because it was refreshing and didn't try to be either to classic or to modern. It just focused on the story of a kid becoming a billionaire.

2. I thought Inception was a great change up to the films made in the past couple of years. The story line of Inception was very memorable and it earned itself a unique spot in film. The story line was said by many to be "mind blowing" and I would agree as this film contains many strange twists and fore shadows. The story was acted by a very skilled cast of actors. Leonardo Di'Caprio starred as the edgy, genius main character ad practically carried the movie. The cinematography of this film was interesting. The lighting and mood of the film was very unique and distant. A common trait in Christopher Nolan films. I felt that the unique mystified feeling that Nolan gives us mixed with the mind-blowing plot made this film the best of the summer at least.

3. My first impressions of King's Speech while I was watching it was that this movie was going to be another sob story over british royalty but as the plot unfolded more I realized the movie had a deeper meaning about friendship and pride. An immediate merit that this film contained was the time period it was in. It successfully captured an embarrassing conflict of the time and turned it into a blockbuster about the importance of friendship. At first, the conflict seems a little mild and unimportant but the story redeems itself as the characters confess to each-other. The main actor Bertie fit the role perfect and I thought that the best part of the theatrics in this film was the extreme facial expressions that each character had. This tactic mixed with solid acting by everyones part made the movie really pleasing and emotional. The cinematographer did a great job in this film of portraying a gloomy and depressive mood throughout the movie. I felt like the surrounding environment reflected Bertie's feelings which really added to the impact of the movie on the viewer. I put the King's Speech in the middle because I felt like the movie had a memorable and emotional story but I felt that it lacked the epic-ness that Inception or A Social Network possessed.

4. After watching True Grit, I was a bit unsatisfied and a bit annoyed as well. True Grit was a film that had advertised something completely different than the actual product. The story looked like a gruesome raw western, one like No Country for Old Men, an earlier Coen Brothers film. Instead of this we got a soft bellied movie about a young girl discovering her identity with a washed up marshall who disappeared at the end of the movie. I felt like some of the scenes were clever but it wasn't the type of action that I was expecting which is the biggest kill. The acting was impressive which is one bonus to the movie. Jeff Bridges played a good western hero and the actor playing Mattie is running for best actress at age 14. The cinematography of this film was good at bringing back the old Western feeling. Besides this I didn't see anything else special about this film. I put True Grit because I felt it lacked almost everything that the top 3 had besides acting and a good setting.

5. Winters Bone was a great independent film that explored an unseen culture. The journey that Ree takes in search of her Meth cooking father keeps you ever submerged in the film. This plus the amount of restricted narration that is used in the story means you're in for surprise. The extreme habitats that she enters also keeps you interested to the end. Although the acting wasn't very good, besides Ree, the cinematographers made up for this with violent camera motions and extreme lighting. The bad acting but great cinematography made this film near the end of the list on the Oscar nominees.

6. Overall I felt that Toy Story was just a feeble child film that aught to be in a completely separate award ceremony. The story was just the same as the past two and was a boring sequel. Although the scenes through in some entertaining parody, I was bored around the entirety of the film. There was no acting in this film which only added to the disappointment of the film. The only thing I enjoyed about this film was the classic style that this film was made in. The unique cartoon method and the old icons used in the first movie were seen in the third which made it somewhat entertaining to watch.