Cinema Civilian

*This review will contain spoilers for Song of the Sea This is not your average animated film. Do not let the simple art style fool you; this film covers some very serious ideas. The entire film is a journey of emotions. The story focuses on Ben, a young boy who had always wanted a little sibling. However, when his mother "vanishes" on the day of his sister's birth, he grows to resent his new sister. He criticizes her at every chance he gets. However, through a journey through the mythology of his mother's stories, he finds the spirit of their mom lives inside his sister. Furthermore, there is a sub theme about the need of emotions, even painful ones. This exists in two main ways: Maka, the Owl Witch, and Ben's grandmother. Maka sees emotions as evil things, as her son nearly drowned himself in his tears. Maka removed the feelings of her son, and anybody else she could, believing in her very soul that she was helping them. However, in the process of remov...

Given the debate about 13 Reasons Why 's controversial scene, I feel the need to discuss the idea of Artistic Liberty, and whether or not it goes to far. I recently had the opportunity to perform in a production of The Shape of Things  by Neil LaBute, in which an artist crosses several ethical boundaries in the name of her art. I won't list what lines were crossed, as that is what makes the play interesting to read and to watch. This also had raised the question of how far can (and should) an artist go to create their art. Well... I actually don't know. Art has so many perspectives that it is hard to judge everything under the same rules. Everybody has their own line between effective and ineffective uses of Artistic Liberty. So, let's look at a few examples of both good and bad artistic liberty usage, and then look at the choices made with 13 Reasons Why . First, a very good example: Jack and Rose in Titanic . This iconic couple from the James Cam...

*This review will contain spoilers for BFG I remember hearing about this film last year, and being cautiously hopeful. The visuals looked nice, and the character of BFG seemed to be true to the concepts from the book. Little did I know how impressive this film would be... First, I want to address the visual adaptation of the book. The original contained small illustrations, created by Quentin Blake, to help a child envision the world of the story. Some examples of these are pictured her:   These are stunning visuals, and are very well drawn. I am very happy to say that the creators of this film captured these perfectly, from Sophie to the brothers to the BFG and his job, everything captures the whimsical nature of the story. I have very mixed opinions about child actors. I have seen great performances, like McCaully Culkin in Home Alone , and very weak work, such as the Baudelaire orphans in the film version of A Series of Unfortunate Events . That being...

*This review will contain spoilers for 13 Reasons Why ** This review will contain discussion on scenes of intense content (Sexual Assault, Bullying, and Suicide) which may be disturbing for some readers. Please read at your own discretion. Those of you who have read my other articles may notice that I like to add word play to my review titles. This review does not. This is a very serious show that is causing waves across the internet. Suicide is not something that should be joked about. If you or someone you know is struggling with anything and may be at risk, please help guide them to the following resources, found on afsp.org: 24/7 Crisis Hotline: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)  (Veterans, press 1) Crisis Chat Service Crisis Text Line Text “Start” to 741-741 Veterans Crisis Line Send a text to 828255 Vets4Warriors SAMHSA Treatment Referral Hotline (Substance Abuse) 1-800-662-HELP (43...

* This review contains spoilers for Power Rangers I want to start off by saying that I did not grow up watching the Power Rangers. I attended the film with a friend who did, and she absolutely loved it. I have to say, I was quite impressed by this picture. My only knowledge of any Power Rangers content was the Nostalgia Critic's review of Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie . Thus, I went in with relatively low expectations, given that I didn't know anything about the story of the TV series. That being said, when the film opened in a method similar to that of DC's Green Lantern , I was very afraid that this film would become the first negative review on the blog. Luckily, this was not the case. The film clearly explains the origins of the characters who would ultimately become the Power Rangers. I was very happy to see that their ability to "morph" was not immediate, but rather required them to get to know and be connected with each other, leading to th...

*This Review will contain spoilers for Ghost in the Shell . I am not an Anime person. I just wanted to state that at the beginning of this review, as my opinions are not based in a former enjoyment of Anime. That being said, this film has me interested in this genre of entertainment and animation film. The live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell felt like an anime in spirit, but a live action "shell" (pun intended). I found the cinematography remarkable in this film, as numerous shots felt like panels from a graphic novel, similar to how The Walking Dead  occasionally copies a shot directly from an illustration. However, this feeling was present throughout the film. A fantastic example comes when Major strains her muscles ripping open the tank. The splitting of the muscle and the particles flying off feel like an image from a comic book. It is shots like this that made for an inclusive experience. While I saw the film in 2D, I could see the 3D version havin...