Seeing Signs

The sign is more than common in public today. Wherever we look, we see signs, as if we are constantly being instructed and directed. However, it was not until I browsed through my extensive photo collection on my Flickr account that I realised how predominantly placed signs were in some of my favourite pictures.

There is something about the weathering of signs, their destruction and vandalisation that makes them more interesting subject matter than one might initially assume. Not only are signs repeated and common-place, they are also unique to different countries and add a sense of familiarity to unfamiliar locations. The subtle differences in signs expose little quirks of other nations, something I really enjoy.

So here it is, my celebration of the abnormality of normality. I hope you enjoy and start to look at signs with a fresh pair of eyes from now on! Click "Seeing Signs" to see more!

Until next time...

The Solipsist

Summer

Summer Summer Summer.... So I have been away for a long time, doing this and that... But never fear, there will be posts galore from now on!

Keep checking!


The Solipsist

The Woodsman

The Woodsman (2004) – Dir. Nicole Kassell ****

Can a paedophile possess even an ounce of humanity? Nicole Kassell’s film treads on risky territory with the portrayal of a paedophile protagonist. And it is Kevin Bacon who steps up to the challenging role of playing Walter, the sexual offender recently out of jail after a twelve-year stretch for molesting two young girls. This unapproachable taboo is dealt with in a most sensitive manner. Mimicking the sensitivity of the subject matter are delicate performances and the gentle and beautifully simple cinematography that captures the dull grey of the soulless surroundings. Walter works in a timber yard and just wants to get on quietly with his life. Deserted by all he knew, bar his friendly brother-in-law Carlos (Benjamin Bratt), we follow Walter as he tries to assimilate himself back into the normalcy of society: a society who neither accepts nor understands a man like him. The phrase “it takes one to know one” is eerily pertinent, as Walter’s personal struggle unearths the widespread abuse, buried deep in the thoughts, memories and actions of those around him. From the day-to-day struggles of simply riding a bus, or walking past a school, at no point are we made to sympathise with Walter. Rather, we are just partially let into the mind of a man who cannot banish the thoughts that plague him. At one point Walter asks his shrink “When will I be normal?”: a question that the film struggles to answer. In no way is this detrimental to the filmmaker, the subject is dealt with due care and caution as not to appear sensationalist or bias in any way, but we are seemingly far from the day when we can pin-point what “causes” people to act this way and whether they can ever be “normal”. In my opinion, this is a well-acted, well-directed, beautifully shot piece of subtly-dramatic cinema. Also noteworthy is an excellent (albeit brief) turn by rapper Mos Def in what I believe to be his most interesting role to date.


The Solipsist

A little photography...

A short series shot on my Nokia N95 while the train stopped at a lovely London train station! There was something captivating about the man and his (assumed) grandson.

The Solipsist

Lost City

After a long absence, and without the promised Easton Ellis piece, I am back. I have been busy writing comprehensive pieces on Shane Meadows and a comparison between arguably two of the greatest comedians of all time: Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. But for now... Back to some short film reviews of what I have been watching of late...


The Lost City (2006) – Dir. Andy Garcia ***

Andy Garcia stars and directs this period picture marking the history of a wealthy family in the tumultuous Cuba of the 1950s and 60s. Using the family unit to exemplify the diversity of opinion, this is a tale of love, honour and politics, and the destructive nature of their collision. Holding more resonance after the recent stepping-down of Fidel Castro, the film shows a beautiful country destroyed by man’s necessity to meddle. With a little side portion of much-needed comic relief coming from the ever-effervescent Bill Murray, the film is a little on the long side yet still most watchable. Viva la revolución? Maybe not!



The Solipsist

Devilish

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) **** - Dir. Sidney Lumet

Director of Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Lumet presents an interesting take on the crime drama/thriller. In opposition to the slick, out-and-out flashy films of this genre that we are used to of late (e.g. the Ocean's franchise, Smoking Aces) we encounter what appears to be a frankly average robbery-gone-wrong flick. The lack of glamour pervades throughout the film adding to its resonance, with Philip Seymour Hoffman perfectly personifying this. Hoffman plays Ethan Hawke's older brother who has hatched a "flawless" plan to rob their elderly parents' suburban jewelry store. "No one was supposed to get hurt" is the tag-line, but as it suggests, the inevitable happens and somebody does. The disjointed narrative tells the tale of the brothers' desperation from various perspectives, jumping back and forth through time in the few days before and after the bungled job. But this isn't just a simple crime drama, with the robbery and its aftermath exposing deeper character flaws, showing the breakdown of relationships and questioning the strength of family values. The clever editing and brilliant lighting perfectly capture the mood, adding to the sinister undertones of what is seemingly an ordinary family, living a seemingly mundane set of lives, but turns out to be a tragedy of almost Shakespearean proportions.



The Solipsist

Coming soon . . .

Over the Easter weekend, I plan on writing a small piece on the adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novels to film and how the text is affected.

Look out for it! Until then...



The Solipsist