Amy Adams – NZ Film Freak

Big Eyes

Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander
Released: December 2014
Featuring: Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz
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A Tim Burton film with Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams in it, and composed by Danny Elfman… I kind of knew how this was going to pan out before even pressing play.

It was going to be a bit creepy – because Burton. Quirky and fun – because Adams. Emotionally charged and dark – because Waltz. And choirs and strings – because Elfman.

Nevertheless! This was not a totally predictable Burton tale because it was based on real people and events.

Being set in an era I love, with mesmerising art and admirable, strong female characters, I enjoyed this film very much.

This is the story of Margaret (Adams) who is the artist responsible for the memorable paintings of the children with big eyes during the sixties and seventies.

She married a salesman Walter Keane (Waltz) after walking out on her previous husband. (Which was a big thing for women of that time.) Keane told her that people don’t buy ‘lady art’, so it would be in both of their best financial interests if Margaret’s art was passed off as his.

Over 10 years, that lie snowballed into something much larger, where Margaret was lying to her daughter, lying to herself and losing her identity in a dominated relationship.

Big Eyes follows Margaret’s struggle to pick herself up and stand up to her husband. She had his name, therefore he had her work and consequently, her identity. It wasn’t going to be an easy fight.

Tim Burton has won me back as a Burton fan, because it was different enough, while still keeping the Burton-esk feel. Not everyone had heavy eyeliner, striped fingerless gloves, and Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp were not cast!

Yet the pastel colours, crazy eyes and gorgeous costumes still brought back fond memories of Edward Scissorhands and Dark Shadows.

There were some great scenes, like when everyone’s eyes were like dinner plates in the supermarket. I was mesmerised by how believable Amy Adams is! She is an incredible actress for sure. I could completely understand how blinded she was in her marriage, just by her nervous gestures and mannerisms.

Christoph Waltz is so talented. He is portrayed as the conman who is vindictive and dark, yet so trustworthy and confident – like a used-car salesman. I think he is the best villainous actor in Hollywood.

I love films where the underdog gets justice and revenge…

A true story portrayed like that of a fairytale. We get in the head of a suppressed artist and woman, who expresses her feelings through the sad eyes of the children she paints. Wonderful film, with great 60s and 70s music and décor. Beautiful!

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Julie & Julia

Julie and Julia film poster Director: Nora Ephron
Writer: Julie Powell, Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme. Screenplay by Nora Ephron
Released: August 2009
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond and Jane Lynch
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I can NOT believe I haven’t reviewed this! I was so certain I had because this movie was the inspiration behind me starting this very blog!

Julie and Julia film - scene with Meryl Streep So! Julie & Julia, it is a typical rom-com drama, with a twist! The twist being the gorgeous, wonderful, classic Meryl Streep.

It follows two story lines – both of them based on true stories:

One is about Julia Child (Meryl Streep), an American living in France during the 40s. (That means trilling accents and beautiful dresses). She is struggling to adapt to French culture, so we follow how her love of food provided a comfort, and her plans to write a cookbook.

The second story is of Julie Powell (Amy Adams) in the modern day, a government worker by day who starts a cooking blog as an outlet. She uses Child’s cookbook as a guide: 524 recipes in 365 days.

(But if you look hard enough, you’ll find edits of Julie & Julia online without Julie Powell’s storyline at all!)

The intertwining stories mirror each other. Despite being worlds apart, Julie and Julia have much in common. Their love of food, and their journeys to become ‘unlost’ is the main point. However, their strong, supportive husbands is the other. (Julia’s husband Paul is played by the wonderful Stanley Tucci. I love him.)

My favourite person is Meryl Streep’s character. I’d love to have her as a best friend. She is so forgiving, embracing, loud, positive and reminds me of Beatrix Potter’s Jemima Puddle-Duck.

And what a gorgeously charasmatic person Julia Child really was! Meryl Streep impersonated her perfectly!

Julia makes me titter to the point of chortling in this movie. The way she speaks is like she’s stretching and kneading her words on her tongue. Goodness! I’m a poet.

Julia’s sister: From the beginning, you just don’t fit in. Literally. So then you don’t!

Now, I am not a foodie. I don’t enjoy food. I don’t look forward to meals. I don’t like cooking… I eat toasted sandwiches. Julie and Julia - scene with Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci And microwavable things. So, the fact that this is a story about cooking is not attractive to me.

I hate how noisy this film is. Every smack of their lips, every slurp and slap. It makes me cringe. Nevertheless, after every viewing I become starving, and crave things my eight-year-strong vegetarian diet strongly forbids.

Paul: What is it that you really like to do?
Julia: Eat. It’s what I like to do!
Paul: I know, I know, I know. And you’re so good at it! Look at you!
Julia: I am good at it… I’m growing right in front of you!

But ultimately, I love this movie. I love the relationship of Julia and Paul Child, and Julie’s courage to not only begin a blog, but to stick with it.

I think it’s the lovable characters and inspirational passion that I love about this film.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Her

joaquin phoenix in Her film poster
Director: Spike Jonze
Writer: Spike Jonze
Released: October, 2013
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde and Scarlett Johansson
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(Prepare to see a lot of screen grabs with quotes from this film around. The script is so poetic.)

Her is a sci-fi romance, drama hybrid that premiered at the 2013 New York Film Festival.

It’s set in the near future where rather than keeping one’s head down – staring at a phone screen – people now have an ear piece that respond to voice commands.

joaquin phoenix in Her film The operational system – or OS – that performs the requests now have personalities, and for all intense and purposes, are a personal assistant with feelings and emotions equal in complexity to humans.

This new update is something that the main character, melancholy and lonely Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), becomes immediately interested in.

By day, Theodore is a professional personal letter writer, which is an occupation where people who feel unable or unwilling to compose heart-felt and genuine letters to loved ones pay letter writers like Theodore to do so on their behalf.

joaquin phoenix in Her film (I’m really hoping this job gets invented soon. I’d be on that like white on RICE!)

I think his job is an example of how emotionally distant we are becoming as technology becomes the middle-man in human interactions.

It’s also the perfect job for this introverted character, who clearly expresses his emotions best when done so indirectly. I think this is a characteristic that allowed him to get so attached to his personalised OS, named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).

Before long, Samantha and Theodore have bonded and their relationship grows.

Considering Samantha isn’t a physical character yet still a main character in the movie, Her is fantastically written and shot.

Amy Adams - Her movie OS/human relationships become a common phenomenon, and certainly makes the viewer question what makes a relationship, and what love is.

If you think about it, meeting people online was frowned upon not too long ago. I think the OS relationship story parallels the shift in society’s thinking about online relationships.

Or, a colder interpretation of this story is how we are avoiding personal relationships by hiding behind screens all the time. Where people are ‘being in love with their lap top or phone’. But I don’t think this is the writer’s ambition, according interviews I’ve seen.

I found Her a really thought-provoking film. I enjoy movies that focus on characters, human behaviour and social development, and I think this is quite an accurate depiction of what the future could look like.

Her is an interesting insight into the future of romantic relationships, an interesting reflection on what relationships fundamentally are, what the most important components are, and what the common obstacles are.

It’s a fascinating and compelling analysis of the human heart and its complexities.

Sorry, I know I’m babbling on – I could say a lot more – but my final point is about the clothes. I bet this is accurate of what we will wear in the future. No silver jump suits, but a mix of old fashioned pants and bold shirts.

Oh wait! This is my final point: the music by Arcade Fire is AMAZING.

Her may be a little too abstract or boring for some watchers. But I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

American Hustle

Director: David O. Russell
Writer: Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Starring: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence
Released: January 2014
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I honestly didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was Jennifer Lawrence is in it. Which sold it for me.

Bright, bold, glossy and rawkus. American Hustle shows off the glamorous seventies in a gorgeous light.

In the same way The Boat that Rocked made the sixties nostalgic, American Hustle enhanced our recollection of the seventies.

I was utterly gob-smacked to discover that Danny Elfman composed the music… You can’t even tell. Certainly a step away from the stereotypical sound expected from Elfman.
The actors were incredible. Everyone was so believable and realistic. Kudos to Amy Adams. I lost my faith in her acting ability after Man of Steel, (as Lois Lane) but she has made a come-back, for sure. She even does a fantastic monologue without make-up on.

Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence – absolutely flawless acting.

Someone told me American Hustle is “all cleavage and big hair”… I can’t really disagree with this statement. But it’s shot in such a classy and upbeat way, the plunging neck lines and big up-dos fit perfectly.

The script is beautiful! There are double meanings and strong themes in the dialogue, with funny lines and meaningful quotes.

The story was below average though. It was over-complicated, and relied too heavily on voice-overs. But the overall idea of two con artists and the characters they play to do the illegal dealing is cool.

The music was fun, the pub scenes were moody, and emotions ran high.

Probably not needing to be a two and a half hour movie, but a playful and provocative watch nevertheless.

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10 – mostly for the acting and script

Man of Steel

Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Christopher Nolan and David Goyer. Based on Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster’s Superman
Released: June 2013
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni and Russell Crowe
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I went to the Man of Steel premiere that I was eagerly awaiting. We dressed up as a character (me as Lois Lane) and joined a large audience of Clark Kents, with only two Supermans and one Lex Luthor.

The trailer showed extensive fight scenes, which I was concerned would dominate the entire movie. I also wasn’t sure how original this film could possibly get since there have been countless remakes.

I was correct in expecting a much more serious tone, which seems fitting with the recent flood of darker superhero movies on the market like Spiderman, Batman (The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises) and Iron Man movies. These superhero films seem to focus on the hero’s flaws and humanity.

Although, I do enjoy the scene when Clark Kent has his first day at the Daily Planet, and Lois says:

“Welcome to the planet”

Henry Cavill is the best Superman yet. This guy has the moves down! The furrowed brow, the all-American look and expressing the inner turmoil, yet still retaining the famous righteous attitude of the hero. However, this version of Superman did not have the hair curl on his forehead… That was mildly disappointing.

Cavill is super buff in this movie, unlike many former representations. The suit has changed into a darker blue, which looks like skin-tight armour rather than a cotton onesie. Yes, Clark has since figured out that underwear on the outside is an unpopular fashion statement.

When the full extent of his powers were realised, he was not immediately able to fly. Instead, he makes mistakes, jumping miles into the air and crashing down, which seemed more realistic.

The soundtrack is incredibly powerful and epic. It supports the movie perfectly! (By Hans Zimmer).

The storyline was surprising. With no Lex Luthor or Kryptonite. Instead, there was a more extensive back story about Krypton, what happened and why Superman is the way he is, which is not a major element in most other Superman versions.

Superman’s flashbacks were well done, and the filming had an am-cam look to it with quick zooms and re-focusing on the hero when he takes off from the ground suddenly or flies over head. Sort of puts you in the environment, as though you’re a part of the crowd on the ground.

The biggest disappointment was this; Amy Adams. She doesn’t look like a convincing Lois. Perhaps I’m used to Lois with dark hair. In conjunction with this, the fundamental character of Lois was totally uninspired. She was weak, awkward and generally stupid. I was expecting the female lead to be updated, to become a strong side-kick like Pepper Potts (Iron Man) or the strong female lead of Cat Woman (The Dark Knight Rises).

Instead, Lois Lane has not moved much further from the sixties where she is domineered by the male characters, with unconvincing actions and cringe-worthy dialogue. She appears to be an incompetent reporter, despite the attempt of remedying this perception by Lane casually mentioning all of the awards she has won as a journalist.

Shut-up, Lois.

I think I would have enjoyed the film more if there was more in-depth detail of the hero’s emotions, and development of the villain who didn’t seem complex enough to become totally believable. The extensive fight scenes (like in Star Trek Into Darkness) became an uphill struggle toward the end. Seriously, about half an hour of the film could have been easily cut. It did become exhausting to stay focussed through these scenes, but I didn’t hear any complaints from the boys I went to see the movie with.

Overall, a solid movie. Although a little long, with little character development, it was entertaining and a welcome update for all Superman fans.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10