THX 04 | SvdW film reviews

I'm a bit late due to exams last month and this month. Looking forward to watch most of these films.

Kev_Yu's/Kevin's original post.

🌟 Top 5 - Favorites
1 | A Most Wanted Man (2014)
2 | Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)
3 |
4 |
5 |

Tasks
(A Proper Introduction)
1 | It is the start of the month and it is April Fool's Day. Let's go for something hysterical. Watch a Satire. (You can check out this list by calathea_os for inspiration, my personal favourite is Dr. Strangelove.)

2 | Now let's talk about ME! I was born in Canada but my family moved to Shanghai when I was five. I've seen a lot of Chinese films and despite all those blockbuster propaganda films, there is some excellent and overlooked films from China. Watch a film made by a Chinese director. (I personally recommend films by Jia Zhangke, Zhang Yimou, or Feng Xiaogang)

3 | After living in China for seven years, my family moved back to Canada and the biggest difference is probably the snow. I love the cold weather more and my family would travel to The Blue Mountain to ski every winter. Watch a film with a fair amount of snow in it. (You might want to reference this list by Dan)

4 | Since I'm living in Canada now, I also have to learn French right up until high school. I am pretty bad at French and tried to slack off with every chance I can. Watch a film from any country besides France that speaks French.

5 | I am attending a Catholic High School and I get to learn about all the different religions in the world. It kind of changes my perspective of the world and I gain some insights on different human behaviours. Watch a film that has religious themes. (I personally really enjoyed The Seventh Seal and First Reformed. You may want to reference this list by Dolev Amitai)

6 | I learned English by watching YouTube and one of my favourite film YouTubers is YMS. He gave some harsh ratings to some of my favourite films but he still has a great taste in film. Watch a film that YMS has rated 10/10. (You may reference his IMDb Page)

7 | Another of my favourite film YouTubers is Karsten Runquist and he is also very famous on Letterboxd. I like how he vlogs what he watches every month and the way he shares his favourite films. Watch a film that is mentioned on Karsten's What I watched in April" video.

8 | One of my earlier movie going experience was watching Life of Pi in theater with my mom. I was 8 years old and the whole theater just screamed when the giant whale came out. Watch a film released when you were 8 years old. (Your birth year plus 8)

9 | In high school, I participated in many extra-curricular activities. My best experience is probably qualifying for the Provincial Cross Country Championships with my team. Sports has always been exhilarating and exciting to me. Watch a film about running or high school sports. (You may reference to this list by David Gulick)

10 | For my future career, I am trying to pursue fields related to math or computer engineering. The Social Network is one of my favourite films and it is intriguing how much a tech genius can change the world. I am frightened about how our future holds with so many technological advancements and A.I. taking over everything. Watch a film about technological development and how it affects us. (You may reference to this list by lelle70)

(My Film Adventure)
11 | Now I want to introduce you with what I look forward to in film. I started to get more serious with watching films during quarantine. COVID SUCKS and I often feel that I am trapped in a never ending loop. I am grateful for where I am though... Watch a film about someone trapped somewhere. (It can be prison, time loop, forest, etc..)

12 | Maybe all we want from a film is just a form of comfort where the characters are just chilling and living their lives. I love films that are less plot central but focus more about the characters. Watch a film where nothing happens. (The Florida Project is a great example.)

13 | I dig films that have colourful cinematography and creative production design. These films can be described as "eye candy". When speaking of a strong visual style, Wes Anderson, Wong Kar-wai, and Tim Burton are some of the filmmakers that come to mind for me. Watch a film with a strong visual style. (If you can't think of any, just watch a film from Wes Anderson, Wong Kar-wai, Tim Burton, or check out Here)

14 | Obviously, cinematography is not all about colours. Earlier black and white cinematography can also deliver fantastic looking films with its lighting and framing. Nowadays, plenty of directors still choose to shoot their film in black and white for creative reasons. Watch a black and white film released after 2000.

15 | After watching The Passion of Joan of Arc, I gained more appreciation for silent films and love how the message can be sent without any words. For this prompt, watch a silent film.

16 | One of my guilty pleasure is Daddy's Home 2. It's stupid and panned by critics but I always have big smile on my face while watching it. That can be said for a lot of Will Ferrell's films. Watch a Will Ferrell film rated under 60% on Metacritic. You can find the ratings here

17 | It is Rooney Mara's birthday! She is my favourite actress. Watch a film starring Rooney Mara. Bonus if she co-stars alongside Joaquin Phoenix or eats a pie. ;)

18 | My favourite actor is Willem Dafoe. I love how diverse his filmography is and the unique feeling he brings every single performance. Watch a film starring Willem Dafoe. (Bonus if his performance got nominated for an Oscar.)

19 | One of best things that I explored last year was the Criterion Collection. The Criterion Closet is visited by different filmmakers which was so interesting to see. Watch a film mentioned in Barry Jenkins, Sean Baker, or Mike Leigh's Criterion Closet Videos.

20 | New films are always exciting. Watch a film set to release in April. (Release schedule varies between countries, just go with the release date of your own place.)

21 | My favourite film is Yi Yi by Edward Yang. It is about 3 hours long but it really sticks with you when you finish it. I always find myself being impatient and scared by movies with a long runtime. Watch a film over 3 hours long.

(All About that Gold)
I been keeping my eyes on the award season, so for this section I'm setting up prompts that's award related.
22 | Films mostly premiere in prestigious film festivals, win awards, gain buzz from critics, and then we get to the Oscars. For this prompt, watch a Palm d'or winner.

23 | Watch a Golden Lion winner.

24 | It's the day before the Oscars, my favourite film of last year is First Cow. This film did not get a single nomination. No cinematography, no screenplay, NOTHING! Watch a film that you feel is snubbed at this year's Oscars.

25 | It is Oscar Night and it is considered to be the most important night of Hollywood. However, some people disagree. Watch a film made by anyone that refuses to attend or accept the Oscar. Here is an article that might be helpful.

26 | You know the Best Picture winner by now, are you happy with it? A film does not win just because it is the best, it also wins because it ran the best campaign (most of the time). Speaking of heavy campaigning, Watch an Oscar nominee that received support from Harvey Weinstein.

27 | Filmmakers often breakout with one good film and get nominated. Only a few can stand the test of time and become legends. Watch a film by a director that have won 2 or more directing Oscars (or/and) have 5 or more directing nominations.
You can use this list for information. (He/she must be nominated for best director for that film.)

28 | It is tough to start a career in Hollywood. Directors face countless obstacles trying to put out their first feature. So it is extremely rewarding and respectable when it's good. From the Independent Spirit Award, Watch a winner of the Best First Feature category.

29 | There are so many different awards given out each year and the one I find the most interesting is the MTV Best Kiss Award . Watch a film featuring an award winning kiss.

(Farewell)
30 | Finally, this Scavenger Hunt is coming to an end. However, our love for movies are not going to end. One of most fascinating things about cinema is how it contains so many different voices and how different filmmakers can insert their points of view onto film. Watch a film from a director that you have never explored before.

02/30 watched┊2,75 average