Saturday, February 19, 2005
Million Dollar Babies
On my humor page I said something about Million Dollar Babies when it was nominated because it hadn't played closer than Los Angeles. Yesterday I finally got to see it, and I was really impressed. Now I have a new favorite Clint Eastwood movie, as Unforgiven must take second place to this film.
The thing I like about Eastwood as a director is his attention to the basics. He uses the things you learn in photography 101 to move the story along. Things like parallel compositions, leading the viewers' eyes through the story, the effing rule of thirds, even. So many films make a big splash with fancy new techniques in animation or whatever but fail to adhere to the simple, basic rules of visual communication. This movie used a lot of makeup tricks, and there were special effects noticeable, but none of that was more important than the damned good story told damned well.
I only wish the makers of The Matrix and the Lord of the Rings series had been so disciplined.
The thing I like about Eastwood as a director is his attention to the basics. He uses the things you learn in photography 101 to move the story along. Things like parallel compositions, leading the viewers' eyes through the story, the effing rule of thirds, even. So many films make a big splash with fancy new techniques in animation or whatever but fail to adhere to the simple, basic rules of visual communication. This movie used a lot of makeup tricks, and there were special effects noticeable, but none of that was more important than the damned good story told damned well.
I only wish the makers of The Matrix and the Lord of the Rings series had been so disciplined.
