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Blogs by Bill Johnson
Capsule Movie Reviews of The Skin I Live In, Submarine, Finding Joe 12/14/2011 12:35:09 PM
Bill Johnson offers a quick overview of recent movies. Reviews explores ideas about story structure illustrated by the movies. Quick Cuts
These capsule reviews of current movies offer a basic overview of what these stories did (or didn't do) to engage an audience. They are not meant to convey a full review of the movie, or a scene by scene breakdown. All reviews by Bill Johnson, copyright 1999-2011.
The Skin I Live In
posted 12/6/2011
This film by Pedro Almodovar demonstrates how a shift in time and perspective can affect an understanding of a story. The film begins with a scientist/surgeon living in a secluded mansion and keeping a beautiful young woman in an isolated, locked room. A housekeeper suggests it would be best if the young woman were dead. Then, a man in a costume shows up, the wastrel son of the housekeeper. He ties her up and rapes the young woman, while commenting that he looks just like 'her.' The surgeon comes in and shoots and kills the rapist.
The film now shifts to six years earlier. The surgeon is at a dinner party with an unstable daughter. It comes out that her mother recently died. Unnoticed by her father, she goes out with another young man. He expects this is for sex, but when she resists, he panics, hits her, tidies up her clothing, and flees. The father finds his daughter, who has undergone a psychotic break and later commits suicide.
He captures the young rapist and performs a sex change operation. Over the years, continued operations turn the young man into the beautiful young woman seen at the beginning of the film.
This explain who the young woman is, but it also completely changes the perspective on what this is a story about, that it is a kind of modern day Frankenstein story.
Odd but compelling film.
Finding Joe
posted 10/29/2011
This documentary about the Hero's Journey features interviews with a number of artists, writers, philosophers, and teachers. This would be a good resource for writers who would like to know more about Campbell's ideas that Chris Vogler explores in his book about screenwriting.
The Hero's Journey is a good model for new screenwriters looking for a model that will help them with plotting and storytelling. There is also a book out now about the Heroine's Journey.
Bridesmaids
posted 9/2/2011
It's interesting to me that comedies can get in to much deeper character waters that more dramatic films. Here, the main character exists in a state of ever increasing desperation. The humor floats over the top of her situation, but there's no way around the main character's grim situation. This reminded me of Local Hero's story about adult loneliness.
In a movie that is generally realistic, a state patrolmen seems to come from a parallel universe where he has no duties, drives his car to a bar with a woman he's met for drinks, etc. It's a different tone.
The Green Lantern
posted 8/9/2011
There's a weak attempt here to set up a character arc of irresponsible to responsible (used in Ironman), but what sinks this movie like a rock is that the main character is trivial.
Submarine
posted 7/10/2011
This is a whimsical, wry movie, Gregory's Girl as if shot by Fellini. The main character is a young boy who falls for his first girlfriend while he plots to save his parent's marriage. The story feels fresh and deeply felt. There are many funny scenes between the boy and his parents, including his mother tactfully explaining how she came to give the neighbor a hand job.
I've seen several movies that have attempted to be Fellini-est, but they generally miss the mark because Fellini loved people and that always came through his storytelling. That comes through here, as well. This filmmaker is telling a story about real people.
