Syriana (Stephen Gaghan, 2005). For his sophomore directorial effort, Gaghan returns to the sort of multi-thread, big issue storytelling that won him a screenwriting Oscar for Traffic. The result is dense, resolutely intellectual and dramatically inert. The unapologetic complexities of the film are admirable, but Gaghan almost entirely ignores the human element. Even the few details seemingly intended to flesh out the characters beyond their pawnlike roles in the major schemes of international intrigue come across as mere convolutions. As a treatise on the current ways of the world Syriana has some power. It could have used some more adept … Continue reading The movie star, well she crashed her car, but everyone said she was beautiful even without her head

12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet, 1957). Lumet’s feature debut is a master class in shot construction. Contained almost entirely within a tight jury room as twelve men engage in deliberations over a murder case that grow increasingly heated, Lumet manages to make the visuals dynamic without resorting to trick shots. Instead, the film is filled with expertly staged and blocked sequences. The camera slyly follows a character as he moves about the room, catching the quiet reactions of everyone else, the facial expressions of those in deep consideration telling as full of a story as the words they share. Henry … Continue reading Smile like they do in movies