Film Review: Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs

I’m one of those people who often end up eating their own words, but am usually happy to be proved wrong. When I first saw the trailer for Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, I was indifferent. First of all, the title was ridiculously long (which is why I shall henceforth refer to it as ‘”Cloudy”), and secondly the art style was very unusual, compared to the detailed, expression-ridden faces I see in Pixar films. First mistake: taking something at face-value.

I remember feeling similarly uninterested in another of Sony Pictures Imageworks films – Surf’s up – and yet found that I enjoyed myself, and laughed, quite a lot throughout that film. Second mistake: taking something at trailer-value.

Trailers, in my opinion, are often completely rubbish. Blood the Last Vampire (the live-action version) made the film look worth its salt, and we all know how bad that was.

The point is, I really enjoyed Cloudy. So this is an extensive review of a good animated film, complete with spoilers.

Flint Lockwood is a misfit inventor with severe social difficulties. The local kids think he’s weird, the local policeman thinks he’s a troublemaker, and his dad thinks he’s wasting his time, and should come and work at the family store for a living. They all live on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean called Swallow Falls, where their main source of food is sardines, of which the town was once famous for.

Flint has grown up watching the town decay in poverty, and his unusual inventions go to waste, until one day he invents a machine that can turn water into any kind of food one can dream up. He just needs the power of the town generator.

Enter Sam Sparks, the “cute and super-perky” news reporter and Flint’s love interest, on the day the Mayor decides to turn Swallow Falls into Sardine Land, and also the day Flint decides to hack into the main power-source on the island. Chaos ensues, as it should, and his food machine explodes, destroys Sardine Land and escapes into the atmosphere.

So Flint ends up in big trouble. Until, by some miracle, cheeseburgers start falling from pink clouds. The only explanation: Flint’s machine has somehow lodged itself into the nearest raincloud and continued to work.

Now food is raining down onto the town of Swallow Falls - renamed Chew and Swallow- on a daily basis and the people are happy, despite the huge amount of edible waste soiling the streets (but that can all be solved by another of Flint’s inventions). Lockwood becomes a hero and the town becomes a major tourist attraction, solving poverty and making everyone happy again.
Or so it seems... well it wouldn’t be a good movie without some kind of problem, would it? Flint’s dad still has issues with his invention, the Mayor is getting fatter and greedier, and the falling food is growing to insane proportions. And I’ll leave the summary at that.

Now there’s no mistaking the unusual art style of this film. The super-cartoony characters and their insanely large eyes would look much more at home in 2D than trying to balance their proportions in 3D. And yet as the film goes on, you become more comfortable with the style, and you realise how smooth and detailed the animation actually is. It’s hard to tell in the first half-hour or so, where everything is horrendously fast-paced, to the point sometimes where you cannot understand what a character is saying. But it’s the later slow moments where you really get to see what a good effort this is. The most memorable scene, I think, is where Flint and Sam are bonding in a giant jelly (or jell-o if you’re American) castle. The scene is funny, but also moving, because of the art direction and character development we witness. I won’t go into too much detail, but this is a great movie for bigging-up nerds and girls with glasses.

Another way that this movie is different, and almost refreshing in a way, is the fact that it is actually aimed at children, and thus there is no logic involved in the film whatsoever. Whilst Pixar always aim to add a touch of realism and beauty to their films, and DreamWorks tend to throw at least fifty dirty jokes at the adults, Cloudy is pretty much just for kids, in that it’s daft, illogical and very speedy in its story-telling.

Don’t get me wrong, there are the underlying messages that may affect adults. Believe in yourself, Be true to who you are, Your dad really does love you, and so on. But I felt as though if I hadn’t watched and enjoyed this film, Sony wouldn’t have cared, because it is for the children.
Saying that, the references to Yellow Submarine in the end credits, and the awesome addition of Mr. T to the voice-cast, are not to be missed by any self-respecting adult. And it is a funny film, whether you laugh at the antics of Flint’s talking Monkey, Steve, or his geeky ringtone or the various references to different countries dealing with the food crisis. Incidentally, in London, it rains tea and everyone wears bowler hats. I thought that was pretty accurate.

So there you have it, I recommend you give the film a chance, and don’t go by what you’ve seen in the trailer, because you may miss out. If you’re craving the days where films for children were innocent, smut-free and just impossible but fun, then you should enjoy this little nugget (HA! I made a food joke, about a film, about food...)

Welcome to October 2009

So... this is my "Artist's Journal".

It's basically a diary of what's going on in my professional life, as I adapt to working freelance. I've been advised by pretty much everyone to keep a working blog, in order to help me reflect back on my own experiences as an artist, and to perhaps allow anyone, who's interested, the chance to see how I go about my professional work.

Currently, I am working on four big pieces:

1. My first paid commission, for a well-known company. I'm keeping it under wraps for the sake of it being a private matter, but I will let you know how I'm getting on with the project. At the moment it's still in the planning stages, but I'm doing a lot of research in my own time in order to give my client more than what he initially asked. I believe giving more than your best is always a good thing. Who's going to say to you "That work is too good and you've done too much of it"? It's better to do too much than too little.

2. I'm working on a project (a Graphic Novel basically) that defies all the basic rules of a horror movie, but is still able to be classed under the title of "Horror". So that means no blood, death, scares, monsters, etc. Sounds hard, doesn't it? Well it certainly is. Still in the planning stages of this one.

3. My third piece of work is based around the story of the Collyer Brothers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers). At the moment I'm experimenting with ideas because, although initially it's going to be a Graphic Novel short, I would also like to fiddle with the idea of an interactive piece that will get people thinking about the subject in different ways. For example, if they're empathetic towards the Collyer Brothers, perhaps a set designed after one of their cluttered bedrooms will have the viewer reeling back in disgust. Maybe that sounds too ambitious, but as I said earlier, it's always best to do too much rather than too little.

4. I am also working on a article that explores this quote from Maurice Merleau-Ponty, a 20th century philosopher:

"The body is much more than an instrument or a means... it is our expression in the world."

As an artist I feature mainly human characters in my work, as I have a great interest in our physical body and it's language. The quote gives me an excellent opportunity to explore my theory of the human body as art, whilst also dispelling myths about beauty and pornography. I will post my article when it is complete, and am open to any feedback.

As well as these larger projects I am also working on improving my portfolio with some side-projects, including a tattoo porfolio, which I am hoping will land me a job as a tattooist's apprentice in a year or two; a series of greeting card designs, featuring 'cute' Manga-style characters. I hope to personalise these for different clients to make some extra money and get my work out there; I have a few short films in the planning stages with my partner, including a documentary on body modification in November; I am also hoping to work with my partner on some album artwork for his band, and will be entering this years Welsh Libraries Arts Competition (http://library.wales.org/express-yourself/), as well as participating in Liverpool's Big Draw (http://culture.org.uk/News.aspx?newsId=98).

So I'm frantically busy!

Until next time,

Jem

And the Oscar for Best Animated Film goes to...

(Images from wikipedia.org)

Well it's going to be a tough call come 2010. I have just seen the two best animated films from 2009, and cannot fathom which is better than the other. But does that really matter? Do Oscar's really matter at the end of the day? The way I see it just having people appreciate your movie should be thanks enough.

The two films I am talking about are, of course, (Disney) Pixar's Up and Studio Ghibli's Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea. Two beautiful films from the two best (in my opinion) animation studios on the planet. Both of them keep to the same rule: that storytelling is key. And let's face it, it's paid off for both of them. They should be proud, and I bet they are.

I'll start with Ponyo, which I saw in it's original Japanese, as it's not currently available on DVD over here. And to be honest, Ghibli films always sound much better in their original language.

Ponyo, it has been confirmed, is based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid, another of my favourite classics. Ponyo is a little fish who lives with her sisters and human/sorceror father in a submarine under the sea. But Ponyo, who is developing much quicker than her sisters, dreams of a life outside her home. One day she sneaks off and travels to the surface world on a jellyfish. There, she is rescued from a bottle by a little boy called Sosuke (who gives her her name), who befriends her and promises to keep her safe forever.

But Ponyo's father is furious and takes her home where Ponyo rebels and uses her powers to become human. She escapes her home for good, accidently releasing a dark power that threatens the planet. The only way this disaster can be reversed is if Sosuke can truly learn to love Ponyo for who she is, thus removing her powers and making her a fully-fledged human girl.

The film's premise is simple, innocent and beautifully rendered in traditional 2D animation, as is the style of this fantastic company. There are plenty of laughs and a few tears but it's a great films for kids and adults alike, maybe even more so for the adults. After the bore that was Tales of Earth Sea, it's good to see that Ghibli is back to it's inspiring self. This is possibly their greatest film yet.

And then there's Up. As a huge Pixar fan I make a point of seeing every one of their films as soon as they're released into cinemas, and they have never left me disappointed. Up is no exception. It's gorgeous, it's funny, but most of all, it's heart-breakingly lovable. Seriously, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house during the first ten minutes, even my boyfriend was tearful (sorry Dan, the world needs to know!) And if you're not crying during the sentimental scenes, you will be when you meet the mean dogs who're after our heroes. I wont mention anymore, but that it was just such a funny scene, and so unexpected.

The story starts in the childhood days of Carl Frederickson, a pioneer of his favourite TV Show, "The Wilderness must be explored!" He imagines a life full of adventure and travelling. But in modern day America he is old, grey and lonely, and his beloved house is about to be bulldozed. Carl decides that the only way to finally stick-it to the corporate giants, trying to re-house him, is to escape the city and finally fullfil his lifelong dream of journeying to South America. He does this by attaching thousands of balloons to his house, and floating away in it.

Along the way he accidently picks up an eight-year-old Wilderness explorer who is out to earn his final badge for Assisting the Elderly; a talking Dog, Pixar-style; and a mysterious rare bird called Kevin.

Adventures arise in all sorts of situations, and hilarity is inevitable when you have talking dogs and bizarre birds in the cast, but the films most powerful moments are always the most emotional scenes. There's a strong message of following your dreams, keeping promises and an underlying theme of father-and-son bonding, but this in no way means it's a film just for the male-half of film-goers. I really enjoyed it, and as far as I've heard so has everyone else who has seen it. I always say to people that Pixar never let me down, and I stand by that remark.

So who will win the Oscar this year? Do I really care? No, I would rather people just watch both movies and enjoy them as I did. Oscars are not the most important thing in the world.

Anime Update

(All images are from Google, I don't own them)

Currently I am struggling my way through a pile of anime. Why do I feel I have to do this? Well honestly, I hate feeling like a "n00b" (is what they call me) because everything I'm watching is pretty old.

My whole life I've been behind on TV shows, gadgets, the latest fads, either because I had no money, or (let's face it people) I had a life to live. I didn't discover anime until Pokemon (although I watched Princess Knight as a toddler and own an anime version of The Wizard of Oz), and even then I had to ask my mum to tape it off CBBC for me, because I was too busy playing outside.

Sadly, I no longer play outside. Although I'm not constantly sitting indoors watching anime or the latest american sitcom, I still feel an obligation to catch up with those who are. So you may have already watched these animes, but I'm going to review them anyway:

Elfen Lied: I got about halfway through episode ten last night, before I realised how late it was. How twisted is this show? Answer: very dark, almost shocking to watch. I'd never thought I'd say that about a cartoon (yes, it is a cartoon, it's just Japanese). I think it was episode nine with the puppy, but I spent about ten minutes with my mouth hanging open. And then there was Mayu's back story. First time I've ever seen that in an anime. Nevertheless, I am enjoying the series, despite the fact that Nana, Mayu and "Nyu" all have the same generic, squeaky anime-girl voice. Thank you America, your dubbing skills haven't failed to make Moe characters annoy me yet (notable exception: Chiyo-chan from Azumanga Daioh). Edit: Also, how beautiful is the song "Lilium"?

Umi Monogatari (aka Sea Story): Well, this is an odd one for me, because the insane cuteness of it and bright colours would normally put me off. But it's about Mermaids (kinda) and anybody who knows me, knows I love Mermaids, and stories about the sea. I'd compare it to Card Captor Sakura, without some of the humor; Fruits Basket, without the romance; but there's no doubt it's beautiful, and keeps me watching. The simple premise is that Marin and Urin, two girls from the Ocean, come to the surface to return a ring to Kanon-chan, a dark and moody girl who has been jilted by love. Add a talking sea-turtle and an evil force known as Sedna, and you've got a strange fantasy/sisterly-bonding story. Well, I'm enjoying it anyway.

Gurren Lagann: I still can't pronounce this one right, but I think it's Guh-rahn Log-on. Anyway, this is surprisingly good. I say surprisingly, because I tend to find Mecha incredibly boring (with the exception of Tranformers). I wont go into detail, because most people will know this anime by now, it's pretty huge in Japan and America. But I enjoy the brotherly bond between Kamina and little brother Simon. Kamina is probably my favourite character with his brash, determined attitude, but for once the half-naked female, Yoko, doesn't irk me, despite numerous pantie-shots and boob-jokes. I am only on episode four, but I have high-hopes for this one. It feels like a mash between Trigun and Fullmetal Alchemist and (funnily enough) Power Rangers. And it was made by the guys who did Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi. So what could possibly go wrong?

Ranma 1/2: So I'm about twenty years behind on this one, so what? I've seen two episodes and I love it. But it's clearly written by a women, by how nonchalantly the female characters wander around displaying their breasts (see also: Chobits by CLAMP). The characters are adorably drawn, the humor is spot on, and the animation is old-fashioned, jerky and well, eighties, but it only serves to make me love it all the more. For those who don't know (and there will be a few, mainly those emo girls who watch Naruto and Death Note thinking they're the only animes worth watching. Idiots) Ranma 1/2 tells the story of Ranma and his father, two men with a problem. When they are doused in cold water Ranma becomes a girl and his father becomes a giant Panda. To make matters worse, Ranma is engaged to a fiesty girl called Akane, and they don't get on. Cue hilarious and awkward shoujo moments and a lot of billowing Sakura blossoms.

Yakitate! Japan: Thanks to Mark Wilkins for mentioning this on my Facebook status. As you do, I looked up the character he referenced and discovered Yakitate! Japan. And then Kairi explained to me that Yakitate! Japan is a pun, because the series is basically about a boy trying to bake a national bread for Japan. Pan means bread, so the title pretty much means Baking Japanese Bread. Anyway, I watched the first minute of it before the opening titles and I laughed a lot. It just looks daft and a lot of fun. I mean it's about a bakery for crying out loud. It's one of the more simple premises I've come across anyway. I think I'm going to enjoy it.

Filler Post: "Patriotism"

Yesterday I was watching the evening news when an article came on about Scottish Pride. The reporter was going about the streets in Scotland, asking the residents if they felt more Scottish than British. Pretty much every one of them said yes.

I felt an abundance of sadness at this; not that the Scottish feel pride, but more because I don't. I feel I am British only because I live here, and I don't feel Welsh at all. I don't hate Wales, but I wasn't brought up here. I didn't even know there was a Welsh language until 2000.

I claim to be British when people ask, but I honestly feel no patriotism for this country. I have no pride in our chav-filled streets, no pride in our education system, no pride in our government. I enjoy our traditional pubs and our Cornish pasties, but I feel no pride in them. I love our London museums and art galleries and architecture, but they belong to England, and the people of England; not to me.

In all honesty, the only country I've ever really considered myself a part of is the one I was born in, and that's Germany. I spent only about six years of my life there, but it was where I was the happiest (cue Nazi accusations). No, I am technically not German, my parents are Welsh, but none of us can speak any language other than English, and even then, we don't have accents (correction: my father can speak German, having learned in the Army).

So my question is how do you feel about your country, or perhaps not your country? I know a few people who feel a bigger link to Japan or Finland, even though they were born and raised here. Is nationality a technical thing, or a state of mind? Because I feel German, even though I am not.

Welcome and Toy Story 3D (2009)

(Image from: moviecarpet.com)


Welcome, curious one. This is the blog of Jemima Lee. I am currently a nobody, I'm afraid. This blog is mainly for University purposes, but it is also a means for me to express myself and develop professionally, as well as (hopefully) make friends.

For my first blog, I have prepared a review.

Yesterday (my 6-month anniversary with my boyfriend :D) I went to see 'Toy Story 3D' at my local Odeon, and I discovered two things.

1. After nearly fifteen years, this is still one of the best animated films ever to have emerged. The script is perfect, and the animation, though noticably glitchy at times, is still smoother and more pleasing to the eye than some of the garbage seen on screens today; those ten-a-penny CGI movies.

2. After nearly fifteen years, Pixar is still one of the best animation companies out there, if not the greatest. Each one of their films is so full of heart and the endurance of intelligence, imagination and hard work never fails to amaze me. It will be a long time before they let me down with one of their films, and to be honest I don't think they will.

'Up' is released in the UK next week, and rest-assured I will be first in line to see it. I've only been waiting a year and a half (darn Americans, keeping it to themselves)!