originally published 4.7.2017
Author Archives: theflawlessframe
Essay: The Once, Present, and Future King: Are Refn’s ‘One-Eye,’ ‘the Driver,’ & ‘Lieutenant Chang’ the Same Character?
originally published 7.14.2017 Like David Lynch, there is a thematic tipping point in the filmography of Nicolas Winding Refn, a movie in which the director discovered an overarching concept that he would explore from alternative angles over the course of several films. For Lynch, that point was the original Twin Peaks series, and the conceptContinue reading “Essay: The Once, Present, and Future King: Are Refn’s ‘One-Eye,’ ‘the Driver,’ & ‘Lieutenant Chang’ the Same Character?”
Flawless Frames: NIGHTCRAWLER
Cinematographer Robert Elswit won the Oscar in his field for Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 film THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Seven years later, with acclaimed writer Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut NIGHTCRAWLER, the DP created a visual aesthetic that in many ways can be considered a dark reflection of the former film. In both, the landscapes –Continue reading “Flawless Frames: NIGHTCRAWLER”
CinemaGrids: 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY/2010 THE YEAR WE MAKE CONTACT
It’s tough to follow Stanley Kubrick, and it’s even tougher to follow his masterpiece – the groundbreaking, genre-shifting, immortal 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. But Peter Hyams did just that with 2010: THE YEAR WE MAKE CONTACT, based on Arthur C. Clarke’s literary sequel to the original source material. Hyams realized, wisely, that the trick hereContinue reading “CinemaGrids: 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY/2010 THE YEAR WE MAKE CONTACT”
Essay: “The Lord Can’t Hear You, Daniel” – The Impact of Silence on THERE WILL BE BLOOD
originally published 11.5.2016 Film is both a visual and a narrative medium and as such, the entire point of it is to tell by showing. Where literature has the power to grant us access to a character’s thoughts, film allows us to experience their emotions via expressions, body language, and subconscious communications to which wordsContinue reading “Essay: “The Lord Can’t Hear You, Daniel” – The Impact of Silence on THERE WILL BE BLOOD”
Flawless Frames: THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
I’m starting this column with my favorite frame from my favorite cinematographer: Roger Deakins. This frame, from Andrew Dominik’s 2007 film, is emblematic of Deakin’s aesthetic – simple, elegant, resonant, and more powerful than any bit of dialogue, no matter how brilliant, could ever hope to be – and the very definition of “flawless.” DeakinsContinue reading “Flawless Frames: THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD”
Essay: The Sang-Froid of DRIVE
originally published 11/29/2016 Films often change their titles when they are translated into other languages. Usually it’s a matter of comprehension: a phrase or word in English might not have a comparative in another language, or perhaps the new culture requires a different explanation or encapsulation of what the film is about. In China, thisContinue reading “Essay: The Sang-Froid of DRIVE”
CinemaGrids: VERTIGO/TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN
It’s no secret that David Lynch holds Alfred Hitchcock’s VERTIGO as one of his favorite and most influential films. MULHOLLAND DRIVE, for all intents and purposes, is a VERTIGO remake in which the woman dupes herself. LOST HIGHWAY could be described the same way but with the woman in control, and intentionally cruel. But perhapsContinue reading “CinemaGrids: VERTIGO/TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN”
CinemaGrids: HER/LOST IN TRANSLATION
Both Sofia Coppola’s LOST IN TRANSLATION and Spike Jonze’s HER are love stories unique to our modern, over-populated, connected-but-not-connecting society. Both tell of emotionally isolated people scorned by love seeking to reestablish their hearts in hostile environments. Both use the metropolis as a counterpoint and augmentation of their central characters’ loneliness. Both star Scarlett Johansson.Continue reading “CinemaGrids: HER/LOST IN TRANSLATION”
Essay: Lynch’s Lost Highway and the Paranoia of Intimacy
originally published 12/9/2016 David Lynch’s 1997 film Lost Highway was a bit of a comeback, as well as the start of a new chapter in his filmography, a chapter some – this author included – consider to be his best. Lynch’s previous feature had been Fire Walk With Me, the prequel film to his TwinContinue reading “Essay: Lynch’s Lost Highway and the Paranoia of Intimacy”
the flawless frame 