MYST POST #2: Nonstop

I recently saw the film Nonstop starring Liam Neeson. I was excited to see this movie because it looked compelling: the idea of someone on a plane being able to toy with the air marshall and kill innocent people without getting caught. And Liam Neeson, of course, is going to be the one to save the day.

The confusion starts right away, with Liam's character, Bill, drinking away some sort of problem we have yet to understand, and won't until the movie is almost over. He is set up as this mysterious man who is clearly mourning something or someone, and the editing techniques follow suit. Despite all the action that was to follow, the most memorable scene to me was in the beginning when we view the passengers through Bill's eyes. There's slow motion and then the pace is picked up in a way that we are left feeling distressed, just as Bill most likely is. Also, it gives us a chance to view the passengers and notice anything strange about them in an attempt to guess who this "killer" may be.

Other than that one scene, the whole movie seems to run as if it is in one shot. This highlights the anxiety and distress Bill has while he is in this situation and trying to save this plane while he is set up to be the bad guy. We move through his thoughts just as he does and there is rarely a time to catch your breath, not only because of the suspense but also because of how the director set it up. We see the story from all angles, mostly Bill's, but we also get insight from the passengers and how they're handling the situation as well.

Although this movie was well-written, including amazing backstories, and was shot well, I couldn't help but be somewhat bored. Despite the twists at the end, it seems as if Liam Neeson movies are all blending together. Even the story-lines. His love for his daughter in this movie and the fact that he seemed to be "doing this for her" reminded me, of course, of his first notable film: Taken. Despite the writer's political message, the security, or lack of, that we have in the United States, and his choice of who the villains are, I left the film disappointed.

This movie did keep me on the edge of my seat and also made me think. However, you know how it is going to end about halfway through and the only real mystery left is who is behind this and how is Liam Neeson going to eventually take them down.

I give this movie a 3/5.

MYST POST #1: "Lone Survivor"

I am a huge fan of Mark Wahlberg. I have seen almost every movie he has been in, and think he is just a phenomenal actor. So, when Lone Survivor came out and I knew Marky Mark was starring in it, I automatically wanted to see it. I have started to appreciate war films more because of how complicated it is to accurately portray what happens overseas. Within the first 20 minutes of this film, it was obvious that the casting was spot on. 

Also, I knew of Taylor Kitsch, who plays Michael Murphy, because of my familiarity with the television show Friday Night Lights, and was completely blown away by his performance. Even the relative unknowns in the film did a spectacular job of capturing that emotion of being away from home and the heartbreak that comes along with war. As a viewer, I don't think that true emotion can really be faked, but these actors brought the characters to life in a way that I've never seen before. Not going to lie, I was brought to tears repeatedly, even before the first death occurred. 

The editing of this movie was very fast-paced, as any war movie tends to be. From the beginning there were numerous circle, panoramic shots were the audience member thought that they were in the room with them. This added to the emotional connection the director was clearly trying to create right from the start. When their mission begins, there are more close shots of their faces than I originally expected. This as well added to our sympathy for them and the situation they are in. When the action begins, we follow them as they fall or as they run, keeping us with them throughout the whole fight and struggle to survive. Because of this, the use of long shots was rare unless they were in a new position. I was surprised by this, but it worked out well in the long run.

The one scene that made a huge impression on me was when Marcus Luttrell (Wahlberg) awakes the morning after the attack and is alone and severely injured. The scene starts with us waking up with him, as we go from a black screen to slowly seeing light, just as Luttrell is. We get close ups of his injuries and the sound is amplified so we hear his breathing even more than normal. Also, the sounds of the nature around him are present and the light shines on the trees in a way that is showing both us and Luttrell that there is still hope. We then see him struggle to get up and make his way to a river where he immediately falls in. From there, we are only seeing a shot of Luttrell as he breathes slowly, in slow motion it seemed. Then, his face automatically changes to fear and we don't know the reason until about ten seconds later when the shots change. This scene, I believe, was the longest one that didn't have a break to it. That was purposeful to convey the feelings going through his head at this obviously heartbreaking time and to highlight the importance of that. 

Overall, I was blown away by everything Lone Survivor had to offer. It made me think not only about the situation, but about the different shots and lighting that can be used to convey the mood. I would definitely give this a 5/5 and would recommend to anybody, regardless of their movie taste. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoLFk4JK_RM