Grand Piano!!

Grand Piano!!

Key Cast: Elijah Wood, John Cusack, Tamsin Egerton and Kerry Bishe.

Director: Eugenio Mira

Writer: Damien Chazelle

Genre: Thriller

Themes: Love,Violence, 

Release: September 2014

Budget: $22,353 (gross)

Key Scene: 

An important scene in the film is shown at the end where the protagonist played by Elijah wood approaches his broken piano. This is a significant scene because both the audience and the protagonist are curious as to why the piano is so important to the antagonist. When he approaches the piano he plays a few notes. When he does, it focuses on his face and shows him reacting to something he has seen. This is important for the audience as they want to know what he is looking at. The film abruptly ends. This leaves the audience on a cliff hanger and makes the audience for ever guessing what was in the piano. This scene is important because throughout the film we don't know the true intentions of the antagonist so at the end when this is almost revealed the audience becomes more engaged in the film. The fact that the film ends on a cliff hanger prolongs the suspense as the audience are still left clueless. The ending also kind of mocks the audience as they have watched the whole film waiting for everything to revealed and just at the last moment they hide part of the story.

 

Key Micro-features:

An important micro-feature in this film is sound. Because the majority of the film is based around Tom playing the piano, the tense music from other thriller films become diegetic rather than non-diegetic. The piano music becomes the conventional thriller music. This is a key micro-feature because it is what makes the film tense for the audience. The audience are not only able to hear the suspense within the film but are able to see the emotions of the piano player. Because the film is based in the same location for a long period of time and there is not any visible action (e.g fights or running scenes) through out the majority of the film and the audience in the film are oblivious to the events unfolding, the music creates the action. The music contradicts what the audience in the film see and only the protagonist, antagonist and the audience are aware of what is going on. The sound creates the thrilling aspect to the film and makes the audience tense.

Age of Adaline!!

Age of Adaline!!

Key Cast: Blake Lively, Michiel Huismen and Harrison Ford

Director: Lee Toland Krieger

Writer: J. Mills Goodloe

Genre: Romance 

Themes: Family, relationships, friends, deceit

Release: April 2015

Budget: $25,000,000

Key scenes:

Two main scenes that work together in the film are shown at the beginning and end. At the beginning of the film it shows Adaline being involved in a car crash during the storm (this event being shown in the past). She dies form her injuries but shortly after she is brought back to life by a lighting strike. This is a significant scene because it shows to the audience how the protagonist Adaline has ended up in the situation she is in. This scene also shows to the audience the disruption of equilibrium in her life. At the end of the film it shows another disruption in Adaline's life in the present day. The beginning and ending scene tie and link together showing to the audience the significants of the two events. The film ends how it starts which is important because the audience are able to see that although the two events massively impacted her life negatively they also impacted it positively. if it wasn't for the car crash at the beginning of the film then the main protagonists wouldn't have meet. The audience at the end of the film see the car crash as a miracle for Adaline and that it had a purpose.

Key Micro-features: 

A key micro-feature in this film is Mise-en-scene. Because the film has a non-linear story line (flashbacks are used constantly) the locations of the film drastically change. The audience sees the contrast and change between the fashion, technology and scenery. The Mise-en-scene is significant because it needs to be authentic in order for the audience to believe that the characters are in the early 1900's. Also mise-en-scene is important because the film shows different points in Adaline's life and not just one point in time. This means that the film has to show clearly what time they are in through the fashion and technology. The film shows this through old fashioned cars specific to the time and specific style trends.

Comparables:

This film is similar to "The Longest Ride" (directed by George Tillman JR in 2015). The films both have a non-linear storyline where the majority of the film is told through flashbacks. The film is also Romance with similar themes. They both follow the idea of developing relationships/life through flashbacks and also the flashbacks relate to the main characters in the present day.