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Tenet

 I went to see this with Russ last week. I was pretty excited about but... 1. Intro. When I was about 15 I was in a maths lesson. Mr Clamp had explained a problem - and solution - to the class and everyone duly started buzzing towards the answer. Except me, I didn't understand and became restless and disruptive, by way of trying to mask my own feelings of humiliation and confusion.  I had forgotten that day for many years until watching Tenet last week. In an era of spoon-fed Hollywood epics, Christopher Nolan should be lauded for creating cinema that asks the audience to concentrate. Sadly on this occasion, his latest work left me thinking back to the last time I felt humiliated and confused: at least that lesson didn't end up lasting over an hour and costing me a tenner.  2. Plot. I genuinely can't explain the latter half of the plot. But I'll have a stab at the first.  An agent, known only as the protagonist, from some government agency, is part of a mission that ...
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Collateral - BBC Four.

Happened upon this last night whilst trying to find out how to spell the word Collateral! Lucy Mangan calls it  "lucid meditation on contemporary Britain", and bemoaned the fact that it started out as CSI. For my part, I kind of like the fact that it started out as CSI and then drifted into a political drama, which gradually became less and less interesting.  You start with a nice twisty mystery with a strong desire line, "will they catch the killer?", only for that to dissolve quite quickly once the killer is revealed; then we're left with why they were killed and then after that's explained, and all the players are revealed at the beginning of episode 3, I really don't care anymore.  Carey Mulligan isn't in the middle of episode 3, presumably because she has very little to do. Her character is also perhaps not knotty enough to be a decent detective.  The narrative drive drops so quickly that Gentiana started to bemoan how complicated it was and fou...
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Heat - The Directors Cut - 1996

Heat is a really interesting example to look at how subplots and so-called 'side-bar' characters drive forward the plot and shape the moral argument.  Around half of the film is made up of scenes about the character's personal lives. Why are they necessary?  Could you have a scenario where the plot was streamlined to merely Vincent chasing Neil, and what would you lose if you did? Moral Argument:  It's difficult to pinpoint the moral argument, commonly referred to as the theme, of any story (if there is one), mainly because it's deliberately hidden, so as not to be naff. But it's crying out beneath the surface in almost every scene here.  What question would unite all of the woes of these characters, whose personal lives are all a mess? It's probably something about sacrifice and excellence: What are you prepared to sacrifice in the pursuit of excellence?/ Can you have a successful personal life and an successful career? Then the answer could be: If you want...
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Vertigo - 1958.

- I love having the credits at the beginning. BCU of woman's facial features.  1. man being chased by Cop on roof tops. James Stewart almost falls off, suffers from Vertigo. policeman falls to his death.  2. Looking forward to taking his corset off and throwing away his stick.  "What happened to the bright young lawyer who was going to be chief of police some day?" "a man of independent means?" Set up he has Agoraphobia. revolutionary bra. "How's your love life? It's following a train of thought...we were engaged? Three whole weeks..I'm still available." "Do you remember Gavin Elster? Got a call off him." "Only another shock could rid of it...I think if I could get used to heights a little bit at a time, I could get used to it." Tries to walk up a step ladder but sees the street outside and falls.  3. Meets with Gavin Elster. He's in ship building business. I find it dull, wife's family is all gone...father's...
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Focus - Will Smith/ Margot Robbie.

This is a good example of how quickly you can become disinterested in a film. It's also a warning as to how challenging it is to mix genres - something that is a requirement for all studios seeking a movie that has global appeal.  Focus starts out as a caper movie. A team of people with different skills pull off elaborate crimes. The major pro of this genre is that it feels innately cool to be in the realm of the master thief.  When combined with the buddy movie element, it's no wonder that they tend to so do well at the box office.  In crime capers such as these, the crime has to be about money, normally from someone who can afford to lose it. So it's a little edgy that they're just stealing off regular punters who are just there to see the superbowl (the script tries to counteract they would have spent the money drinking and whoring anyway). However it still feels cool when they're knicking off people in the street.  The challenge with crime caper comedy is making...
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