CHRONICLE - Nanyang Technological University

18
FILMS
LIFESTYLE
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
ROMANTIC COMEDY
Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams
94min
PARIS, YOU ARE MY LOVE: Adriana (Marion Cotillard) and Gil (Owen Wilson) take a romantic walk in Paris.
PHOTOS | INTERNET
WOODY Allen’s newest film is a charming
ride, weaving his nostalgia for Paris’ timeless
beauty in an uncharacteristically buoyant
romantic comedy.
Gil Penders (Owen Wilson, Marley and
Me) is a restless Hollywood scriptwriter
working on his first draft of a novel that he
refuses to let anyone read.
He longs for Paris of the 1920s, a time
and place of great artistic vibrancy and
congregation of creative talents.
On vacation with his fiancée, Inez (Rachel
McAdams, The Time Traveler’s Wife), and
his future parents-in-law, the writer soon
discovers that his dream holiday in Paris
does not go according to plan.
Gil pokes fun at his fiancée, whom he likens
to a typical spoiled American housewife,
as well as her equally intolerable parents.
His fiancée however does not pay too
much attention—as she does to all things—
towards what she hopes is a passing fancy
in Gil’s novel writing.
Their future is already set in her mind: a
married life in Malibu of attending parties
and raising their children on Gil’s scriptwriting
pay checks.
Not only does Gil have to deal with her
disapproving parents, he also has to contend
with Paul (Michael Sheen), Inez’s former
crush who is an insufferable know-it-all.
After one too many taunts from Inez’s
family, Gil ends up walking the streets
of Paris alone after their dinner together,
slightly drunk and lost.
When the clock strikes midnight, a vintage
convertible arrives and beckons to him
to join the passengers in their revelry, which
turns out to be in the 1920s. He is transported
back in time.
In one night he meets American novelist
couple F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (Tom
Hiddleston and Alison Pill) and writer Ernest
Hemingway (Corey Stoll).
Despite feeling utterly disoriented, Gil
goes along with the flow and engages his
literary heroes in conversation.
The following nights bring him into the
CHRONICLE
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05
company of more of his idols, including
Getrude Stein (Kathy Bates), T.S Eliot and
the legendary Picasso.
The numerous cameos are delightful
and Adrien Brody (The Pianist) is especially
wicked in his role as Spanish Catalan surrealist
painter Salvador Dalí, of which he
evidently enjoyed playing.
Not only does Gil get to have his novel
draft read by Stein, he strikes up a romantic
alliance with the lovely Adriana (Marion
Cotillard, Inception), Picasso’s lover and
muse.
Ironically just like Gil, she is discontented
with her own era, yearning for the Belle
Époque of the 1890s, which she believes was
the golden age of Paris.
This is when Gil realises that his own
nostalgia is timeless and insatiable.
Allen speaks to us through his many dialogues
executed perfectly in singular shots
that are as tight as they are minutely detailed.
Visually, Midnight in Paris is a feast for
the eyes, suffused with warm colours and
backlight that frame the city and its characters
gorgeously. It is hard to not want to
wander the streets of Paris upon watching
this film.
Perhaps this really is the magic of Paris.
The romance is sweet without being overwhelming.
As fantastic as midnight time travelling
may seem, Midnight in Paris is still sufficiently
anchored in reality.
Having the characters stick by their respective
decisions somehow makes the present
more believable, and in turn, alluring.
-LIM XIANGYUN
GO TO SLEEP LITTLE ONE: Don’t open your eyes.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3
HORROR
Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown
85min
WHEN bodies are thrown out of bed and
dragged forcefully across the floor, a child’s
‘imaginary’ friend may be more than just a
mere fantasy.
Set in the Eighties, Paranormal Activity 3
is the third installment of the franchise and a
prequel that sets the premise for the hauntings
in the first two movies.
Acclaimed for their work in 2010’s Catfish,
the new directorial duo of Henry Joost and
Ariel Schulman offers a plot that revolves
around the childhood of sisters Katie (Chloe
Csengery) and Kristi Rey (Jessica Tyler Brown).
Sticking to the franchise’s signature style,
Paranormal Activity 3 is once again shot in
the ‘found-footage’ format, making it seem
as if the events of the movie were actually
real life recordings. This style was also successfully
used in other horror movies such
as Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project.
The mysterious ‘Toby’ is the confidante
of Kristi, the youngest in the family. Her
mother (Lauren Bittner) plays down this
strange behavior, insisting Toby is imaginary,
much to the suspicion of her boyfriend
Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith).
As the father figure, Dennis believes he
must take action to deal with the hauntings,
and installs several security cameras to hunt
for the supernatural entity.
He soon discovers a cult symbol drawn
in the room that Kristi points out as belonging
to Toby. At this point, the pace of the
story quickens.
The horror climaxes when Kristi’s refusal
to comply with Toby’s demands leads to
increasingly traumatic and violent hauntings.
The downward spiral of the family that
ensues petrifies and throws both the characters
and the audience into a gripping panic.
Shock factor aside, the turbulence of
relationships, strong storyline and a clever
twist at the end merge together, resulting in
a surprisingly well-developed horror film.
The relatively unknown cast is competent
in delivering their roles in a believable
fashion, adding authenticity to the ‘foundfootage’
angle.
Despite several loose ends in the overall
plot, like how the spirits are connected
to the cult symbols, the story’s delivery is
nonetheless brilliant.
By confining the set to three spaces in
the house, Joost and Schulman let audiences
familiarise themselves with the scenes and
invite them to play an intense game of spotthe-difference
within each setting.
Subtle hauntings become more menacing
as the movie progresses, ramping up the
terror, which keeps audiences on the edge
of their seats.
Joost and Schulman let us scare ourselves
with our anticipation and impatience,
and this is the genius that makes Paranormal
Activity 3 an exceptional horror film.
-SARAH THIAM
EN GARDE: Aramis (Luke Evans, centre) and the Musketeers do battle with Cardinal Richelieu’s soldiers.
THE THREE MUSKETEERS
ACTION
Logan Lerman, Matthew Macfadyen
110min
AWAY from the T-virus pandemic of
Resident Evil and gruesome extra-terrestrial
beings in Alien Versus Predator, Paul W.S.
Anderson ventures into the classic novel by
Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers.
Tous pour un, un pour tous—all for one,
one for all—is the spirit that unites the three
musketeers of 17th century France, Athos
(Matthew Macfadyen), Aramis (Luke Evans)
and Porthos (Ray Stevenson).
They are soon joined by young
D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman). Trying to
achieve his dream of being a musketeer
like his father, D’Artagnan travels to Paris
and ends up picking fights with the Three
Musketeers, but eventually forges a strong
friendship with them instead.
The evil Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph
Waltz) attempts to sabotage the heroes
by influencing their friend Milady (Milla
Jovovich) to double-cross them.
He sets into motion another plot to frame
Queen Anne of France of having an affair
with the Duke of Buckingham, with the ultimate
goal of dethroning King Louis XIII. It
is up to the Musketeers to untangle the web
of deception and save the day.
Anderson made minimal changes to the
original novel’s plot, a brave choice as audiences
would naturally expect something more
from an adaptation.
Bearing this in mind, Anderson included
extensive swordplay scenes and dazzling
special effects, reminiscent of action adventure
movies like Pirates of the Caribbean.
Some parts of the movie seemed a little
rushed and unrealistic, especially the scene
where D’Artagnan met and fought with all
the Musketeers in a single day.
But if you are looking for a fun action
flick, The Three Musketeers is well worth
the time.
-CHOO WEN RUI