Night Swim - https://vimeo.com/400042378
I didn't really like any of the characters in this film, and while I do think that was likely the point, I don't know that the film quite gets away with it because of the poor acting.
I liked that the most anxious character is often backlit and silhouetted. This made her much more difficult to read and emphasised how uncomfortable she felt. The camera lingers on characters for uncomfortably long lengths of time. Makes us feel anxious. It almost makes the girl feel violated.
The filmmakers knew where they wanted to take the film, however they maybe cut corners in order to get there so it wasn’t entirely believable.
Umbra (Tariki) - https://vimeo.com/453768973
The film uses extensive long takes which simply follow the character around. However, it occasionally lets her leave the room without us following. Keeping our distance from her makes her feel small and alone in a huge apartment.
Arthur and I couldn't actually get the subtitles to work on the film, so honestly I don't actually know what the film was about! But I really enjoyed it nonetheless. In fact, I maybe even preferred this. I think the film was very effective in making everything feel uncomfortable through the visuals and the sound design. Even though narratively I didn’t know what was going on, I think I still understand everything on an emotional level. I found that really interesting. So I guess I didn’t really see it the way the filmmakers intended for me to see it, but still. I found it very effective.
-The streets seem entirely empty with not a soul in sight. This was really surreal and something I'd like the reflect in my own film this year. Her dark clothing makes her blend into her dark surroundings. The man who starts following her is so dark that we’re almost not sure we saw him at first. She’s followed, but it’s shot from in front of her, so we know long before she does, really building tension throughout. He felt like a wild dog out on the streets.
I liked that when she runs away, her shoes make a pathetic flip flop sound. It was a small detail, but it made her feel somewhat pathetic in these moments and I found that very effective.
In the dialogue scene, the man talks to her, however his face is mostly kept out of frame. We don't see his face for a very long time, making him feel like a much more threatening character. It is shot from her perspective, so we are at her eye-level, but looking up at the man.
I'd be really interested to go back and rewatch the film with subtitles in order to see how my opinion of the film would differ once I fully understood the narrative!
How to Make a Rainbow - https://vimeo.com/343099753
I really liked the shots running round after child from her height. The felt really childish and fun. We were seeing the world from the kid's perspective. This is a spirit which continues throughout the rest of the film. It very much felt like we were looking at the issues explored were being viewed from the innocent, unjudging viewpoint of a child.
The film is about transition and change, so I really liked that the film expresses this by using the change of the seasons almost like chapter headings. I also like that the film never directly addresses the situation with the two parents, because, while it might be interesting to know, it's not the point of the film.
The film is signposted by the child's transition of referring to their parent as "Papa", then "Mapa" and finally "Mama". I personally found this to be quite cheesy, however in its defence, it did seem to be quite effective for other members of my class.
Home - https://vimeo.com/58630796
This was a surreal little film and I liked it a lot. I don't have a lot to say about it, because it was very simple. Here are a few things I liked about it though.
I liked that it really took its time in order to reveal what was actually going on. I really liked that the close-ups looked like flesh; it gave the impression of the building as a struggling creature. The surreal shots of the outside world moving past the windows were beautiful; It felt like a low budget, grounded live action remake of Up.
I don’t really know what it’s trying to say. Or rather I’m not sure how to express that in words. But I liked it a lot. It’s like it’s about a house for the majority of it. And that can just be a fragile building plucked up here and thrown down there. But it isn’t until the people move in that it becomes a home.
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