• Home
  • Meetings
  • Events
  • Blog
  • E-Board
  • Around Boston
  • Join
Northeastern University's Film Enthusiasts Club
.

Arzu Martinez on Room

10/24/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Room is the newly released film based on the book of the same name, and it’s everything you could expect from it, and more. As with any screen adaptation, there are bits and pieces you might miss having read the book, but it works perfectly well on its own. It was adapted by the author herself, and it clearly shows. It is a must-watch, if you ask me.

The movie opens with Jack’s (Jacob Tremblay) voice. It is his fifth birthday, and we learn what a day looks like for him. As we become aware of pretty quickly, Jack lives with his Mom (Brie Larson) in Room— a cramped space with no windows, only a small skylight, and a locked metal door. Jack was born inside Room, and has never been outside of it. It has a bath, a small kitchen, a bed, a wardrobe and a tv.  Unbeknownst to him, his mother has been kept there for years, since a man--Old Nick (Sean Bridgers)—kidnapped her when she was only nineteen. In order to protect him from this terrible truth, Ma has raised Jack to believe that Room is the whole world—anything outside is outer space, and what they can see on tv is, well, “just tv”. The most fundamental things are completely different for him, and he can have a hard time even knowing what is real. Old Nick does not live in Room, but he comes in sometimes to bring things. So Jack doesn’t know if he’s real, or tv, or something in between; or whether he gets those things from outer space or tv.

What I believe to be the great accomplishment of Emma Donoghue’s book is this beautiful window into Jack’s mind: his interactions with his world, how he rationalizes the mythology created by his mother, and how deeply his circumstances affect his growth. At the same time, we see that Ma finds a sense of purpose in her son, and thanks to this manages to survive indescribable trauma. Donoghue’s character development, as an introspection of humanity, is inspired.

This powerful story of is further complemented by great visual storytelling; the vision of director Lenny Abrahamson (Frank) and cinematographer Danny Cohen (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables). And as for the acting, not only is Brie Larson compelling, but we also get an astounding performance from Jacob Tremblay, who had just turned 8 at the time of filming.
​

All together, this film offers more than one might expect: it is not a crime film, a thriller, or a tale of tragedy; but rather a story of human relationships, purpose, hope and happiness.

Grade: B+

0 Comments

Roundup of all NUFEC IFF Boston 2015 Coverage

5/7/2015

0 Comments

 
Below is a full roundup of our IFF Boston coverage from 2015, which includes 28 reviews of 20 feature-length films and 8 short films from 5 writers. Two additional film reviews are upcoming.

Your Editor-in-Chief, Mary Tobin, covered IFFBoston as NUFEC press. Her parents so happened to be in town from Iowa during the IFFB weekend, so thankfully many of the NUFEC Blog writing staff stepped up. NUFEC writer and editor, Carter Sigl, contributed several articles, and one article was contributed each by NUFEC member Andy Robinson; Patrick Roos, former Treasurer of NUFEC; and incoming NUFEC Treasurer, Arzu Martinez.
Picture
Wednesday

Mary Tobin on The End of the Tour - "In exploring ascension to fame, it explores so much more about the relationship of the interviewer and the interviewee; how both are always assessing one another while potentially drowning in their own self-doubt."


Thursday

Patrick Roos on Being Evel - "If you’re a long-time fan of extreme sports, calculated showmanship, or Hot Rod, you shouldn’t need more than the title to sell you on this movie.  For others, you’ll still want to see a man who, when told by the federal government that he wasn’t allowed to jump the Grand Canyon, went out and bought a canyon of his own to jump."

Mary Tobin on Slow West - "There were a lot of deaths and there was some commentary on outlaws and children, but really nothing that I felt was phenomenal. I feel very indifferent towards the film, unfortunately. "

Mary Tobin on T(error) – “...it appears no one is watching the organizations that have systematically gained vast amounts of power and influence especially in the criminal justice system… which feels anything but just, especially in this context. While I’ve seen many fantastic films at this festival, this is the breakout; this is the film I want to watch again and again. "


Friday

Mary Tobin on Do I Sound Gay? - "... the film was a fascinating take on the impact of the voice, from scientific examinations of intonation to the use of the “gay” voice in film. The cultural impact and assessment was the most intriguing..."

Coming Soon: Mary Tobin on The Surrender 

Carter Sigl on The Overnight – “If you and a few friends want to see an awful American sex comedy, by all means see this movie. Otherwise, I would say this one is a pass… Unless of course you want to see Jason Schwartzman’s dick, in which case this movie will happily oblige.”

Carter Sigl on They Look Like People – “A chilling psychological horror, They Look Like People is a terrifying picture of what it feels like to struggle with schizophrenia.”


Saturday

Mary Tobin on Prom Night 
- "With a light, airy soundtrack, this comedy short about the sexual expectations accompanying prom night delves into the insecurities of an inexperienced young man with a fresh feel."

Mary Tobin on Hasta La Vista - "This quirky, hilarious short with a quick-witted premise could easily be too sad or too overdone, but manages to walk a comedic line throughout."

Mary Tobin on Help Point - "Two strangers looking for their cars in an airport parking lot cross paths and lament over their common woes."

Mary Tobin on Ticky Tacky - "I’m all for a film set exclusively in an office-library featuring a precocious child who shares a murderous streak with his enigmatic boss, so it was pretty exciting all around."

Mary Tobin on Desk Job - "The film managed to feel familiar without feeling overindulgent for the most part. It felt like the person who made this maybe had to convince their parents that they should be able to work in film rather than have a stable job at a large corporation..."

Mary Tobin Actor Seeks Role - "Alex Karpovsky’s portrayal of a man going off the rails for his craft feels natural, albeit disturbing. Dylan Baker may have stolen the show, though, as his medical instructor excitement flew off the screen."

Carter Sigl on H. - "...the thing about this movie is that it’s a tease.  All these strange things happen, and even if they are interesting or occasionally frightening in the moment, nothing is ever explained..."

Mary Tobin on Lost Conquest – “The most exciting part of this film is, thankfully, the meatiest part: interviews with puzzlingly genuine, thoughtful, and warm people that respectfully held differing beliefs."

Carter Sigl on Wildlike - "Combining a well-written plot with a cast of experienced actors, Wildlike is a touching drama film about two people who start as strangers and slowly come to care for one another...Wildlike is a beautiful film, on both a visual and emotional level..."

Coming Soon: Mary Tobin on Stray Dog

Mary Tobin on Crooked Candy - "It feels rare that a voiceover short film shot largely in the same room and with limited visual engagement of the single subject could so quickly and delightfully engage, but engage it did."

Carter Sigl on DEATHGASM - "DEATHGASM is ridiculous, hilarious, extremely gory, and downright awesome. It’s a horror movie and splatter comedy based entirely around Heavy Metal music which does not take itself seriously in the slightest and runs entirely on sheer mayhem and absurd comedy...All in all, DEATHGASM is one of the funniest and most fun movies I’ve seen in quite a long time."


Sunday

Carter Sigl on Made in Japan - "Directed by John Bishop, Made in Japan is probably one of the most unlikely stories of either Japan or country music I’ve ever seen. The documentary charts both Tomi’s history in the music industry and her contemporary quest: to play on the Grand Ole Opry one last time."

Mary Tobin on The Look of Silence - "This companion piece to The Act of Killing is just as difficult to watch as the original installment, if not more so. That’s not to say the film isn’t fantastic in it’s ability to confront human emotion and what we expect of humanity in a striking tone; it is."

Carter Sigl on The Keeping Room - "All in all, The Keeping Room is a beautiful and terrifying film about women and war, a topic that sorely needs more attention and examination in our culture."


Monday

Mary Tobin on Lost Colony - "I really wanted to like this film, but the combination of frustrating camera choices and a wandering plot with many touched on but underdeveloped subplots was too much for this 84-min film to handle."

Arzu Martinez on Posthumous - "In their conversations, there are brief mentions of questions that could have made the story deliver, like the definition of art and its value, the difference between a real artist and a sell-out, or whether an artist should strive for greatness or happiness."

Mary Tobin on The Hermit - "Unfortunately, The Hermit felt too disorganized to pack much of a punch. For such a ripe and unique story, the exploration felt conventional and surface-level."

Carter Sigl on Future Shock! The Story of 2000 AD - "Overall, Future Shock! is a fascinating and entertaining story about a realm of geek culture I knew next to nothing about."


Tuesday 

Andy Robinson on The Wolfpack - "Moselle positions herself as a fly on the wall in the claustrophobic apartment, but is shy about addressing her influence on the family dynamic. As the first and only guest in their apartment, it’s hard to believe that Moselle was merely an observer throughout several years of filming."


Wednesday

Mary Tobin on Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - "You can read this review in its entirety, but I’ll save you some time if you’re a busy person on a train or something and you’re reading this in a hurry: go see this movie."
0 Comments

Arzu Martinez on Posthumous

5/6/2015

0 Comments

 
This article is part of NUFEC's ongoing coverage of the Independent Film Festival Boston 2015.

Being the story of how an artist’s presumed death launches his work from obscurity to belated celebrity, I thought that Posthumous offered an interesting premise and some solid ground to explore important questions about success in the art world. However, it turned out to be slightly disappointing.  
Picture
The film begins at a Berlin gallery opening, where we can see a typical scene of an eccentric crowd, as they mingle and admire minimalist digital art. We meet the protagonist, Liam (John Huston) as he passes by the gallery and looks inside. As we soon learn, he is also represented by the gallery, but seeing the “success” of the new exhibit enrages him, and he sneaks into the basement to destroy his own work. Although his dealer dismisses his behavior as an act, saying that the starving artist style doesn't suit him, we are clearly supposed to believe he is truly a conflicted genius. As a neo expressionist, he is also disgusted by the clinical art that others value over his own, and throughout the movie, he is constantly rambling about real art, feeling, emotion, and not selling out to the crowd. At first it looks like this would make for an interesting character, but Huston’s poor acting and his contradicting dialogue soon become annoying.

Equally disappointing is when the movie veers into the lackluster mold of a typical romantic comedy. Liam, pretending to be his own brother, starts to fall in love with a reporter (Brit Marling) making a story about his deceased self—although she immediately realizes the truth and decides not to let him know. In their conversations, there are brief mentions of questions that could have made the story deliver, like the definition of art and its value, the difference between a real artist and a sell-out, or whether an artist should strive for greatness or happiness. However, any time it feels like something meaningful or at least thoughtful is about to be explored, we are given a pop philosophy line or the conversation just ends in an attempt of a romantic moment.

The screening was followed by a Q&A with writer and director Lulu Wang, but she only made matters (slightly) worse. For a story that should rely somewhat heavily on art theory, there are three admissions which severely affect the movie, even in hindsight. First: Liam’s “figurative” art, which is supposed to represent pure, abstracted artistic creation, was in fact made by the production design team at the last minute—and it shows. Second: The only real example of what Liam considers to be true art is by an anonymous street artist dubbed Linda’s Ex, who made illustrations asking for a girl named Linda to “take him back” and thus sparked a large public reaction. In real life, the “art”, to Wang’s disappointment, turned out to be a hoax by a graphic designer, which kind of defeats the whole point. And lastly, she claims to have written the story with the purpose of not making another conventional romantic comedy, in which regard it fails miserably.

All in all, Posthumous is a respectable directorial debut, with decent performances, especially by Brit Marling—and with the exception of Huston. I imagine that it could be enjoyable, if you know what to expect: another unremarkable rom-com with a superficial, almost-interesting story.

Grade: C
0 Comments

    Categories

    All
    AJ Martin
    Andy Robinson
    Anime
    Anthony Formicola
    Anu Gulati
    Arjun Agarwal
    Arzu Martinez
    Ben Garbow
    Brandon Isaacson
    Brian Hamilton
    Carter Sigl
    Dan Simeone
    Discussion
    Elizabeth Johnson Wilson
    Eliza Rosenberry
    Emily Fisler
    Erick Sanchez
    Eric Tatar
    Essays
    Festivals
    Gabrielle Ulubay
    Haley Emerson
    Here's Some Movies
    Ian Wolff
    IFF Boston
    IFFBoston 2015
    Interviews
    Isaac Feldberg
    Kunal Asarsa
    Library
    Lists
    Marguerite Darcy
    Marissa Marchese
    Mary Tobin
    Meghan Murphy
    Mike Muse
    Mitch Macro
    Neel Shah
    Netflix Instant Watch
    Parth Parekh
    Patrick Roos
    Profiles
    Reviews
    Short Films
    Television
    This Week In Movies
    Tyler Rosini

    Want to Write for Us?

    Contact NUFEC President Ian Wolff at nufecblog@gmail.com if you're interested in writing for this blog!

    Archives

    April 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.