This film forces us to think outside the box. To notice the beauty around us, and question the systems were all a part of. I’ve had a lot of the same thoughts as the main character in this film, Emile Hirsch, though obviously I’ve never acted on them. This movie explores what can happen when you do. I must admit a lot of it appeals to me. I’d love to get out there, maybe it’s the photographer in me, maybe it’s something more depressing. Who knows? Check out this film, it will give you a new perspective on some aspect of your life.

The one part I didn’t like about this film is when the main character broke “the fourth wall.” I’ve included that shot in the slide show below. Sometimes it works in films. I felt it was a little jarring, and sucked me out of the story a little. Fortunately it didn’t happen again in quite the same way, and there was enough story left over to suck me back in.

Pi is a dark movie about a Mathematician that studies Pi into near insanity. I’m a sucker for dramatic lighting and dynamic compositions (must be the photographer in me), and this film has a ton of interesting setups. It has a strong film school feel that most early directors have (Watch El Mariachi). The lighting in most of these shots is completely bleached out, making them look a lot like a graphic novel instead of a selection of shots from a film. I also love the close-ups of props and extreme close-ups of facial elements. It makes you look at them in a different way, which is a big part of the art of photography, and in this case cinematography.

A beautiful film that challenges the audience. This film is deep, and like Darren Aronofsky’s other work, very different. I loved it, and I have a new respect for Hugh Jackman as an actor with incredible emotional range. I was impressed with his performance in The Prestige, but now I’d have to say he’s underrated. The emotion on his face in various scenes in this film reminds me of the intensity Viggo Mortensen (The Road) is able to create with his face. I also loved the use of lighting as symbolism in this film. Notice the change in light in the frames where Izzi (Rachel Weisz) is dying.

Some of my favorite frames:

This film is a collection of shorts I was looking forward to since I saw Paris, Je T’aime. Like it’s predecessor, some shorts are stronger than others, but there’s some beautiful cinematography and acting throughout this film. When you get away from mainstream big budget movies I think the substance level in films goes up a notch. There’s some good acting in the shorts too. I especially liked what Shia LaBeouf did with his Russian Quasi Modo bell hop character. Perhaps I’ll do an acting reference study on that in the future.

It’s obvious from the slide show above that I liked Shia’s short the most. If you watch any part of the film, watch that short. The natural lighting is fantastic, and I love the set. The large empty apartment and bright lighting makes you feel empty and cold. The acting was mostly done without dialog, and it’s one of those shorts that you have to watch a few times before everything clicks (at least I did). I’m also a sucker for reflective framing.

If you were to judge this film solely on how it looks you might assume it was a comic book adaptation or fifties crime thriller. You’d be surprised how tame the story is compared to the visual delight of it’s cinematography. The entire movie is a course on color and composition. Countless frame within frames, warm vs. cool, and complementary colors are used throughout the film. The film reeks of mood. Here’s some highlights:

This film is film making 101 . Just a few of the amazing shots from this film. Note the depth, composition, beauty, framing, and mood. Check out the set used twice but with different lighting. Amazing. Too bad the film itself is rather boring.