528491. A random sequence of numbers, right? Yes and no. They happen to be the sequence of numbers that come to the mind of Robert Fischer when he is being interrogated by Arthur and Dom’s masked captors and is commanded to provide a code to a safe. Do the numbers have any meaning outside of this cinematic context? Apparently, 528 is a harmonic sequence that was developed in the monasteries, with this particular combination signifying miracles. Others have speculated that the 491 refers to the unforgivable sin, ‘The Lord will forgive you 7 times seventy times’ (Matthew 18:21-22). Some have interpreted the sequence used as practical dates, with ’52’ referring to 1952, the year in which Robert’s father Maurice was born, ’82’ as the date in which Robert himself was born, and the final ’91’ as the date Robert’s mother died.
Continue reading “Minimalist Moments: Inception”Minimalist Moments: Return of the King
Howard Shore is a frequent collaborator with David Cronenberg. He’s scored every single one of his films apart from one since 1979. He’s composed an opera, and he’s composed for television, working as the musical director for SNL for five years. Shore has established a glittering and varied career, but the composer will inevitably be most known for his work on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, with his music playing an essential role during scenes with minimal dialogue, or no dialogue at all.
Continue reading “Minimalist Moments: Return of the King”Review: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The first Shrek film? Good. The second Shrek film? Very good. The third? Not so good. The fourth? Good, but not as good as the first one. As for the first Puss in Boots film, I haven’t seen that yet, so I’ll reserve judgement.
Continue reading “Review: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”Review: The Fabelmans
It was nice to see Steven Spielberg provide an opening address to the audience on his love of cinema and the power of storytelling, particularly thanking them for attending the screening. Despite the ironic and depressing fact that the audience for this screening – the first screening of the film in my local Cineworld – was comprised of myself and two other people. Three people. In a cinema. Watching the debut screening of a film directed by Spielberg. Yikes. Come on guys, stop watching your Netflix and see this at a real cinema. It did allow me to use my new light pen to write notes without disrupting any viewers nearby, so I guess that’s one positive. But seriously, support your local cinema.
Continue reading “Review: The Fabelmans”Review: Babylon
Excreting elephants, bawdy brawls, clucking chickens, and that’s just the first scene (and that’s also my alliterative ability used up for the present moment). The Damien Chazelle joint has never been known for being ‘loud’. Sure, Andrew’s drumming is loud and clear in Whiplash, the musical numbers are frequently bold and brash (shoutout to my main man Squidward Tentacles, just in case you got that niche SpongeBob reference) in La La Land, and there’s some amazing booming sound design in First Man. I’m talking ‘loud’ as in big scale. Whiplash and First Man provided engaging, intimate character pieces of talented but tortured psyches, while La La Land provided similarly determined characters striving for the big leagues in 1920s Hollywood.
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