It begins in water. It ends in water. Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass perfectly bookend the journey of their amnesiac hero with symbolic imagery, but the three films create a structure of their own through the repeated use of Moby’s now-iconic song ‘Extreme Ways’. The electronica artist was already known for lending his tunes to the dramatic endings of Scream and Heat; the latter film is given a particularly poetic ending through the use of Moby’s ‘God Moving Over the Face of the Waters’, and that’s one I’ll discuss in a later post. But the repeated use of ‘Extreme Ways’ at the end of each film begins to cultivate a distinct gravitas, similar to the ‘dah dah dah’ sound at the end of Bond films. All you need to hear are those first sounds (writer Adrian Hon describes these distinctive noises as ‘Wree! Wree!’, but you’re welcome to interpret them in whatever onomatopoeic form you see – or rather, hear – fit), and you know the protagonist is in the clear.
Continue reading “Minimalist Moments: The Bourne Trilogy”Minimalist Moments: Parking Pataweyo (Harry and Paul)
You can run. You can hide. You can justifiably explain your situation as he prepares to ticket you. But at the end of the day, no-one gets past Parking Pataweyo. Initially, anyway.
Continue reading “Minimalist Moments: Parking Pataweyo (Harry and Paul)”The Fall Guy: The Anti-Drive Movie?
Based on the 80s television series of the same name, Bullet Train director David Leitch has set his sights on a new project, which details the escapades of a Hollywood stuntman who has a side job as a bounty hunter. Sounds awfully similar to a certain Nicolas Winding Refn film that came out in 2011, right? Emily Blunt is attached to the production, as well as…Ryan Gosling.
Continue reading “The Fall Guy: The Anti-Drive Movie?”Small Details: Better Call Saul Season 6, Part 2
Hey guys! I’m back again for a final deep dive into my favourite television series. Check this out for easter eggs, observations, and my general gushing over how great this series is.
Continue reading “Small Details: Better Call Saul Season 6, Part 2”Minimalist Moments: Fantastic Mr Fox
Wes Anderson’s filmography is chock full of classic soundtracks, and the director often uses sound to convey mood in a scene rather than spoken dialogue. A few great examples include Elliot Smith’s Needle in the Hay in The Royal Tenenbaums, Sigur Ros’ Staralfur in Steve Zissou and the Life Aquatic and The Who’s ‘A Quick One While He’s Away’ in Rushmore. While I might get round to analysing some of those examples in future editions of this series, for now I’ll be focusing on Anderson’s finest animated caper (Isle of Dogs was entertaining, but it wasn’t in the same league as this).
Continue reading “Minimalist Moments: Fantastic Mr Fox”