Maria Düster breaks down the Al Pacino aesthetic.

Al Pacino is one of the most legendary actors living today – from popularizing the use of method acting to creating some of the most iconic movie characters of all time, his impact is immeasurable and undeniably powerful. The only thing more important than his talent, passion, and influence? His beauty!

For literally no reason, I have decided to examine a selection of Al Pacino’s filmography purely through the lens of physical objectification – enjoy!

 Bobby Deerfield (1977) dir. Sydney Pollack

I think youtube user sochuiwon khapai sums up this movie perfectly:

This movie is not good. However, Al Pacino plays a famous daredevil race car driver with a great head of hair and suave sense of style. What more could we ask for?

…And Justice For All (1979) dir. Norman Jewison

Al plays an incorruptible lawyer who is trying to reform the criminal justice system while having to deal with a haunting past of clients he has failed. Good film, but more importantly, he sure does look good in a well-tailored suit!

 Dog Day Afternoon (1975) dir. Sidney Lumet

Al looks like an absolute mess throughout this entire film but somehow manages to pull it off. 

Dog Day Afternoon centers around a petty criminal named Sonny who robs a bank, only to find it’s not as easy as it looks (shocking). As plans go awry and we learn more about the motives of the robbery, the film provides a fascinating character study of the lengths people will go to in order to obtain what they want.

 Scarface (1983) dir. Brian De Palma

Tony Montana (not to be confused with Hannah Montana) is not everyone’s cup of tea – he’s violent, morally defunct, and a misogynist – but there’s something about him that earns him a rightful spot on this list.

The two images above remind me that there are higher powers at work and they love us!!

Serpico (1973) dir. Sidney Lumet

He goes from this (young, handsome, an honest Italian man)…

… to THIS (top grade zaddy material) …

TO THIS!!!

I never knew I needed to see Al Pacino with facial hair until this film – life-changing!

(Also a really great movie – deals with the issues of police corruption, crime, and prejudice.)

The Godfather Part One and Two

The most difficult decision I have ever had to make is whether Al Pacino is hotter in the first or second Godfather film. Let’s review our two options:

The Godfather (1972) dir. Francis Ford Coppola

The thirty minutes Al Pacino is exiled to Sicily are arguably the most important thirty minutes in cinematic history (relating to hotness). Please look at the following to fully understand my argument:

As Michael’s character develops over the course of the film and moves from innocent son to the patriarch of the Corleone family, his physical appearance changes to match this.

Michael in the beginning, a young patriotic and honest man:

Michael towards the end of the film, renouncing Satan while simultaneously murdering multiple people and committing unforgivable crimes:

Still hot, though!

The Godfather Part II

At the end of the first film, Michael still possesses some redeeming qualities. By the end of the second … yikes!

Our first shot of Michael, still looking fairly similar to his younger self, though definitely hardened by tragedy and the burden of Mafia leadership:

If you thought things were looking up for Michael at the end of the first film, the second one is like getting hit by a train!

I would describe Michael’s look in the second movie as “slowly dying inside, all life and humor draining slowly as more betrayal reveals itself and all those who love him leave”.

Final decision: While we love innocent floppy-haired Michael in the first movie, coming-into-his-own-power Michael in Part II is

Here are some other honorable mentions:

Godfather Part II officially takes the cake, but literally any film starring Al Pacino filmed before 1990 is guaranteed to be visually stunning! Happy watching!!

With the AGM right around the corner, our days on the 2017/18 Committee are numbered. Thinking of running for a position last minute? Let us help you decide which position might be for you with some insider info from each member.

(Some of us took this exercise more seriously than others.)

President: Anton Volkov

“The all-powerful being who steers the FilmSoc ship to glory” © UCL Comedy Club

The president position is really what you make of it and it depends how closely you want to get involved and fulfil a specific vision for the society… The main duties are: managing (and chasing) the committee, liaising (a lot) with the Union, and just generally being the face of the society both at uni and in public – and by public, that also includes awesome industry people!

Treasurer: Lucie Desquiens

Treasurer is a position that is in itself self-explanatory. I am responsible for our budget and accountable for our expenses. My job involves being in touch with all actors involved on a daily basis: whether it be the Union, producers of term/affiliate films, or committee members. I try and make sure it is a smooth ride for everybody, while emphasising the need to keep receipts preciously (fastidious but not as boring as one might think) so that everyone who has spent FilmSoc money is reimbursed at the end of the day. It takes dedication, but it is truly fulfilling to know projects do actually happen because they have received adequate funding. It’s very exciting to have this much responsibility and having the chance of managing a big budget. You also help the society develop and grow by investing in new equipment, refurbishing the studio etc.

The best thing about being on the committee is being aware of everything that goes on within the society. All projects have to be financed, so you’re a part of most of them! I also love working closely with production: it’s always nice to see a short film being made after you’ve dealt with financing equipment, location (etc.) to ensure the movie will look amazing!

Secretary: Mary Ignatiadi

This is a great role for a person who’s looking for commitment but wants to take things slow. Duties involve: being present for meetings, recording organisational aspects, and being a point of contact for the society. It’s a great (stress-free) position for someone who wants to see the (inner) workings and (top) secrets of the society, whilst also enjoying perks and privileges.

Examples? Card access (being allowed to lurk in the studio whenever you want). The odd free food during meetings (if a committee member was feeling particularly generous that day). Also providing input during the bidding selection (knowing the term selection felt like getting Oscar results a day early).

Marketing Officer: Andreas Zinonos

I basically promote the society and its activities and ensure that the society members always know what is going on. This includes creating events on Facebook for any activity we have, sharing the events on different social media and composing a weekly newsletter for the society members. You control the internet… or at least the FilmSoc page.

Some great things about being on the committee are:
1. Having direct impact on what’s happening in the society,
2. Having access to the studio (pretty cool),
3. Being part of a group of people who care about film,
4. Perks like knowing what events will happen before being released.

Drama Producer: Tanya Dudnikova

As the Drama Producer, you are in charge of organising all of the society’s centrally run projects, such as the Term Films, Webseries, and FemFilm, as well as all helping out with affiliate films. Since this requires a huge time commitment, you will basically live in the studio for a year and sell your soul to FilmSoc, but fear not, it’s all worth it in the end! (I promise)

The best thing about the role is… Getting to work with so many different people & departments. And getting to Exec Produce things

Docs Producer: Nick Mastrini

Being the Documentary Producer means getting e v e r y t h i n g filmed for societies – a blessing and a curse. This role covers all non-fiction filmmaking at UCL, from short documentary films to videography across campus – it involves creating trailers, covering UCL events, setting up docs screenings and society collaborations, to name a few elements.

I love the freedom of the role, which gives you a chance to interact with any and every society at UCL. You also work with every committee member to foster a documentary aspect to their role, whether on the blog or in screenings. Plus, commissioning promos and trailers to frequent deadlines is the fastest way to learn everything about film-making.

Screenings Producer(s): Sarah Saraj & Issam Azzam

Love film! Think you’ve got good taste? Show it off! Would you like to become Screenings Producer of the Film & TV Society! Bond the students of UCL together with great films (and food)! Create your own little cinema, exactly how you want it, each week on campus!

Screenings producer essentially means that we were able to choose the films screened this year to make a program. This is the role for people who have seen a lot of films and have an eclectic taste that they want to share with others! It’s also important to make the screenings topical in line with various holidays and events happening throughout the year. The screenings this year have collaborated with other societies a lot this year, bringing in a different audience and connecting for people to films! It’s a really amazing role with minimal commitment other than 2 hours a week for the screening. We buy the DVD and sometimes snacks and usually give a quick talk before the film.

The best thing about the position is the two hour break from deadlines and uni work – bring along your friends and get a drink after. Hearing the opinions from people who came along and discussing the films! Sometimes, we collaborated with other committee members to make the screenings correspond with other society activity. Being on the committee has been a dream. Access to the studio for editing etc has also been really useful!

Workshops Producer(s): Pietro Sambuy & Yara Alkatheir

Workshop producer is a great role to gain some experience in organising small-scale events and a fun way of being creative without having to work so intensively all year long. The main duties as workshop producer involve finding an awesome idea for a workshop, seeking out for people to present/lead them, filling in guest event forms, and finding/booking venues. The great thing about it is that you have the freedom of organising any type of workshop, although you still have to find someone to lead it.

At first you might think this role is about emailing a bunch of people in the film industry — which it is, partially — but more so it’s about creating opportunities where people are able to help each other. It’s about keeping a community of film education and knowledge alive, whether that is through listening to a famous speaker or learning hands-on about equipment from a passionate FilmSoc member.

The role really pushes you to have confidence and to believe in yourself, because you do need a certain sense of self assurance if you want to email strangers. It puts you in a position where you have to face rejection and I think it allows you to see rejection as a way of life rather than something to be afraid of! One of the best things about this role is its flexibility. You organise as many events that you can manage. If you have a few free weeks, you can organise two workshops per week, and on busy weeks you can step down and relax from the position for a bit.

Being a part of FilmSoc is like having a family away from home, feeling comfortable and surrounded by people who are similar in interests to yourself.

Social Sec: Zara Hussein

Film is typically not the most social of interests, so this position is about organising cool or fun opportunities (e.g. drinks/film quizzes/cinema trips) for people to meet and get to know each other within our large society. I also find it just means being the person available for anyone and everyone to talk to, and creating a relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable.

A good thing about this position is, perhaps obviously, getting to meet a lot of new people which is always fun and interesting. Another great thing is the freedom you have with regards to the events you create – you can be as inventive as you like as long as it allows people to socialise, and the possibilities are endless!

Blog & Podcast Editor-In-Chief: Sofia Kourous Vazquez

You can run this joint however you want. I’ve tried my best to be get to know the people who get involved on the blog and podcast and spark a cute community vibe (although a lot of it is virtual). Not going to lie, this role does take a surprising amount of consistent work and time investment since you’ll be maintaining a more or less constant output on the FilmSoc blog and podcast platforms, but you get to foster a little microcosm of film appreciation which is nice given that the actual society feels overwhelmingly big otherwise. Also: free screening tickets, London Film Festival press attendance, and constant awareness of the goings on in the film industry (whether you want to or not?)

Studio access is a pretty sweet committee perk; that place sure has seen me through a lot (ex. that time my laptop broke during deadlines but I survived using the studio Mac, hallelujah). Being in the loop with the rest of the society’s activities through the committee also makes you feel involved and part of something. You’ll meets lots of people, make a few friends, and use it as an escape from other types of responsibilities.

Equipment Manager: Molly Hwang

This involves: taking care of the babies cause people will hurt or kidnap them if you don’t watch them. And badgering people to return stuff.

And 24 hour studio access! I just like kit in general and if I make sure other members use it properly then I know that we’ll have functioning kit on things like term films/web series. The society is a good place to be to keep your film buzz going. With all the fellow film geeks around talking about film plus the FilmSoc resources, you feel more motivated to actually go out and make stuff! Being on the committee let’s me have power over what equipment to get or replace next. Also the power to ban flakey/careless people from using kit again to prevent damage!!! (lol I’m such a bitch I know)

Studio Manager: Lorcan Moullier

The studio is FilmSoc’s crown jewel. It’s a space which is essential to all the society’s activities, from productions to meetings to screenings, etc. As Studio Manager, your job will be to ensure that this sacred temple is taken care of by those who wish to use it. Most of your job will involve the thrilling task of checking emails for booking requests, responding to Facebook messages from random delightful studio enthusiasts, and consulting the elegant Excel timetable spreadsheet which is very colourful and nice to look at. It’s a position with real responsibility and it’s a great way to get involved!

Volunteering Officer: Zhijun Yin

Welfare Officer: Yingying Zheng

As the welfare officer, I kind of jump from one project to another. For instance, I helped advertise Fem Film Project, and now I am organising special screening events in a collaboration with the Student Union.

Best thing about being Welfare Officer is definitely the flexibility you get. You help out with different projects run by Film Soc and work to make the society a comfortable and inclusive place.

The FilmSoc AGM will be hosted on Thursday, March 22nd at 6pm. Info on the FACEBOOK EVENT. 

It’s a cold world out there. Your heating may not be working and your toes might be about to fall off… but allow us here at FilmSoc to entice you with an eclectic list of icy films this London snowfall has brought to mind.

(Group post)

1. Amarcord (1973)

Let’s start this right. In 1930’s Fascist Italy. Oh, El Duce, I remember, a m’arcord. This film is one of Fellini’s finest and most beautiful. It is entertaining and captivating while boasting some strong resonant moments. The coming of Spring. The first snow of Winter. The film is ripe and fresh and sucks you into its changing seasonal climate through the lens of some classic Fellini characters. The young boy, the buxom town tart. A master filmmaker.

2. Ice Age 1, 2 and 3 (2002, 2006, 2009)

But of course! The polar ice sheets are expanding, growing even! The Earth’s surface is slowly coating itself in a supreme, clean, cocaine white. You’re in bed, wondering whether to leave or stay. Protect your shelter or migrate to a warmer habitat where you’ll last this icy cold winter. If only you had a rag-tag team of lovable extinct animals to keep you company and inevitably leave you to be with their own kind. Ice Age is a tale of togetherness and determination. Something you show your kids to teach them morals.

3. Fargo (1996)

We’re almost glad that it’s sub-Arctic levels outside because it gives us a reason to put Fargo on this list! Am I watching a static screen or am I watching the Coen brothers’ cult-classic? Who knows. Fargo is a black-coffee-on-a-snowy-morning comedy. It’s violently bonkers and darkly funny. The film boasts some seriously snowy visuals, so you won’t be disappointed. Even if it had no snowy visuals, you won’t be disappointed.

4. The Shining (1980)

If you’re in the mood for a beautiful psychological horror (terror) you know you should watch because you’re tired of nodding when people bring it up, Kubrick’s masterpiece will leave you exacerbated.

5. Dead Poet’s Society (1989)

A beautiful, heartfelt schoolboy drama, a tribute to the creative spirit and working against the established order, it also features a very young boyish Ethan Hawke bawling his eyes out in the snow in one of the few instances of realistic film ‘crying’, which is alone worth the price of admission.

6. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Where do you go when you’ve just blown up a Death Star? A freezer, apparently. Shiver along with Luke and Han on the ice planet of Hoth while enjoying the best Star Wars film since, well, the first one.

7. Frozen (2013)

Just two sisters, two princesses, Elsa and Anna. One sister has cryokinetic powers capable of manipulating water into ice. The other sister is Rapunzel. Oh wait…that’s Tangled. Anyone else make that mistake? Anyway, it’s topical! Watch with your freakish doll-looking friends.

8. Snowpiercer (2013)

An attempt to turn back the clock on global warming backfires extraordinarily – the world is frozen, all life extinguished. All life but the passengers on the Snowpiercer, a state-of-the-art train set on an endless course, circumventing the world again and again. But all is not well on this locomotive, with the rich living it up at the front and the poor languishing at the back. Chris Evans has had enough, and what better way to warm him up than a bit of cold-blooded class warfare. The snow will turn red.

9. Ikiru (1952)

Possibly the most underseen of Akira Kurosawa’s masterpieces, featuring at its centre the story of Takashi Shimura’s Kanji Watanabe, a meek, mundane, depressed government bureaucrat is diagnosed with cancer and blindly pursues some will and meaning to his existence. A touch too bleak for casual viewing, one might think, but the film’s most iconic scene of Shimura in the snow on a swing, completely earns this tough viewing experience.

10. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001)

Surprisingly enough, the Arctic is not the place to look for beaches and pina coladas. The first film ever made entirely in Inuktitut adapts the Inuit legend of Atanarjuat who, as the title suggests, must run – through miles upon miles of gorgeously-shot snow and ice.

11. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010)

Who else thinks that Michael Cera managed to carve out a space for himself and his awkward teen-cum-man vibe? It wasn’t a type before he made it one. Anyway, Scott Pilgrim (Cera) must battle 7 deadly ex-boyfriends to win the heart of his pink haired manic-pixie-dream-girl, Ramona Flowers. Videogame themes and graphics feature. Heavily.

12. Citizen Kane (1952)

‘Rosebud’ mutters an old and decrepit Charles Foster Kane before taking his last breath. What could it mean? We are supposed to be wondering. The film takes us back and shows us Kane’s rise and fall. From an innocent young boy ripped away from his mother to an idealistic wide-eyed yuppie to a business mogul churning out salacious news for a hungry audience to an old recluse. Kane builds a palace, Xanadu, to live in and segregates himself from the world that destroyed his innocence. A classic film that everybody should watch. At the very least, to say you’ve seen it.

13. McCabe and Mrs Miller (1972)

Like many a revisionist Western, McCabe and Mrs Miller swaps out the sunbeaten deserts of the classic cowboy flick for the frozen wastes of Washington State. In an effort to warm the frigid denizens of McCabe’s new locale he sets up a brothel, and what follows is a stirring examination of masculinity and its ice-like fragility. Especially impressive is Zsigmond’s hazy photography, emphasising both the cosy warmth indoors and the sharp frost beyond. But besting even this is Warren Beatty’s enormous coat. Doubling his width, it probably encompasses the hide of an entire bear, and looks as cumbersome as that sounds. But boy does it look warm.

14. Transsiberian (2008)

Take me back to the Winter of 2009, watching this icy thriller with my mother in our living room. An American couple composed of sharp, cold Emily Mortimer and dad-esque Woody Harrelson take the Transsiberian train from China to Russia. They befriend another couple on the train, your typical freaky druggy shady Europeans. Funny how snow can make everything seem sinister, like being trapped on a train with a very psychologically damaged duo. Tensions are high and they stay high and cold like the taught strings of a frozen guitar, ready to crack and snap. An hour and a half later, I emerged, a hardened eleven-year old girl.

15. Napoleon (1972)

16. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

You’ve seen this one! Have you not? Have you at least seen those stills of Johnny Depp with the crazy black hair and the huge metal nail clippers where his hands should be? Directed by Tim Burton (duh), Edward Scissorhands is a darkly Romantic Gothic film. It’s the Frankenstein of the 90’s set in snow-covered American suburbia. It’s every girl’s teen dream. Did anyone else grow up fantasising about Johny Depp stroking your soft warm face with his cold sharp metallic hands, the same hands that you know will never touch you anywhere else? Sign me up for a tetanus shot!

17. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

A film so dumb it’s kind of great. It also imparts some valid lessons for our current weather: avoid Harry’s mistakes and don’t get your tongue stuck licking any icy metal poles (I know it’s a big ask). Also… A Christmas Story, anyone?

18. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

I know, I know, of all things, here’s a film about “global warming”. Clearly a lie fed to us by the government to make us conscious of our impact on this “Earth”. Surely if this “global warming” were real I’d be letting my scantily clad thighs melt into the hot felt seats of the tube by now? Anyway, Dennis Quaid plays a palaeoclimatologist (?) who just might be the one to save the world from this “global warming” induced catastrophic melting of the polar ice caps and subsequent flooding of the earth’s entire surface. The film is kind of terrifying, perhaps because it could actually happen. Meanwhile, Jack’s son, Sam, played by Jake Gyllenhaal is an anxious and adorable teen on his way to complete an academic decathlon as gigantic storm hits New York City.

19. The Hateful Eight (2015)

A blizzard roars over rural Wyoming. Seeking refuge from the cold, a wide variety of characters find themselves in a remote haberdashery, with four wooden walls and a door that won’t stay shut between them and the elements. But maybe some company is worse than a minor case of frostbite. Though it isn’t the witty dialogue or escalating drama that that comes to mind when thinking of this film. No, it’s the image of a man walking through the tundra, completely naked. Now that’s frosty.

20. The Gold Rush (1925)

Despite being over 90 years old, The Gold Rush remains intimately relatable. A snowstorm is raging outside, a fierce wind howling in its wake. You’re locked tight in your room – you don’t have a boiler, but you’re making do. You’re about ready to wait out the storm. But then you realize your fatal mistake. The cupboards are bare, the stocks exhausted. There’s no going outside, but your roommate’s hungry eyes are starting to take an unsettling interest in you. There’s only one solution; it’s shoes for dinner.

21. The Thing

Heralded by critics as “instant junk”, “a wretched excess”, and a “barf-bag movie,” The Thing is the perfect movie to watch during this god-forsaken barrage of snow. The movie follows a group of researchers in Antarctica (snow!) as they encounter an evil alien parasite they cleverly call “Thing.” The team eventually succumb to paranoia as they realise any one of them could be the Thing and that trusting people never works out. Rob Bottin, who designed the creature and largely handled special effects, was hospitalised for exhaustion, double pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer because of his production workload, only to be torn apart by critics and gain nothing from the experience. The Thing is one of the most disgusting movies you’ll ever see – happy watching!

22. Gangs of New York

If you’re one of those chics who’s screensaver is a doll-faced Leonardo DiCaprio, this is the film for you. Also if you’re a fan of seasoned director, Martin Scorsese, this film is also for you. Set in 19th Century Manhattan in the slum neighbourhood of ‘Five Points’, Leo plays a sexy badboy named Amsterdam newly returned to his childhood hometown with a score to settle. He will avenge his father’s death by killing Bill, the Butcher (Daniel day Lewis) in an gang war. Leo has an Irish “accent” and in one scene he wears his hair in a low Samurai-style bun. I’m into it. Watch out for snowy scenes in a New York setting you’ve never seen before.

23. Willow (1988)

Doesn’t the snow chase scene from this fantasy classic just make you want to hop onto a sled? In this weather, it’s also easy to spiritually identify with Val-Kilmer-As-A-Snowball.

24. SLC Punk! (1998)

Sean’s bad acid trip makes for great comedy. Snow features for a brief but iconic moment in this American cult film as he sits under-dressed and intoxicated on his front lawn.

25. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

So much snowiness in this childhood gem! From Lucy’s first magical forray through the wardrobe into the realm of Narnia, to the evil iciness of Tilda Swinton’s Snow Queen, our current weather phenomenon is showcased in all its forms.

Stay warm!

The Academy Awards are tonight! Cast your vote for this year’s candidates in a few of the categories:

ROUND 2

> CLICK HERE TO VOTE IN THE SECOND ROUND OF CATEGORIES <

ROUND 1

> CLICK HERE TO VOTE IN THE FIRST ROUND OF CATEGORIES <

Illustration credit: Tomi Umi

A few of our writers butt heads over Sean Baker’s stylistic choices. 

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS.

The Florida Project, released in late 2017, has been critically acclaimed and deemed a top awards season contender. The humanistic story, beautifully shot, follows Moonee (Brooklynn Prince), a rambunctious child living in a motel room near Disneyland, Florida, with her irresponsible but loving young mother. Her living situation slowly becomes more precarious in the background of her childhood antics as her mother struggles to pay rent. Real life eventually gets the better of Moonee’s la-la-land: in the final sequence, she realises the sweet-talking grown-ups who’ve appeared at their motel room door – Child Protection Services – are going to take her away from her mommy. Panicked, Moonee breaks away and runs to her best friend Jancey (Valeria Cotto)’s room. She breaks down crying when Jancey opens the door. In act of solidarity, mischief, and friendship, Jancey takes Moonee’s hand, and suddenly the atmosphere changes. The music becomes upbeat and playful; the camera goes jittery and POV-style. The girls run together to Disneyland, the fantasy destination whose proximity colours and seduces Baker’s eccentric, pastel paradise.

To some, the switched-up style of The Florida Project‘s conclusion is jarring and unwelcome. Others see it as a coping mechanism: a creative descent into Moonee’s imaginative, childhood world. The facts are that Baker shot the Disneyland scenes secretly without permission, and on an iPhone 6S Plus. Addressing the ending of his film, Baker said, “We’ve been watching Moonee use her imagination and wonderment throughout the entire film to make the best of the situation she’s in … In the end, with this inevitable drama, this is me saying to the audience, ‘If you want a happy ending, you’re gonna have to go to that headspace of a kid because, here, that’s the only way to achieve it.'”

Not a fan?

LIAM’S THOUGHTS

Throughout ‘The Florida Project’, the spectre of Disney World looms in the distance, a behemoth both culturally and spatially which drips colour onto peripheral and far less glamorous motels like the Magic Castle. Home to Moonee and her mother Halley (Bria Vinaite), this location transforms into a makeshift Magic Kingdom through the perspective of a child’s eyes, the hopeful but limited world-view protecting Moonee from the tribulations of life below the poverty line, but leaving her vulnerable as well. It is in this moment of vulnerability, as her entire life crumbles in the film’s conclusion, that she breaks through the lines of disappointing reality and discovers the fantasy Disney World signifies. However, pervading this border seems to undermine the subtle commentary of the piece, that despite being so close to the Magic Kingdom it will always be inaccessible, an understated tragedy that is far more powerful and relevant. In addition, the jarring technical shift from film to digital that accompanies this finale, necessitated by the fact that Baker did not have permission to film on the resort, is rough and clunky, as opposed to the beautiful delicacy which the director imbues the rest of the movie with. Akin to the proverbial dream sequence, a stylistic change makes some sense, but a great deal of elegance would b3 required to really pull it off. With that being said, I really like ‘The Florida Project’ and the ending by no means ruins the experience, only prevents what is really good from becoming great.

SAM’S THOUGHTS

The Florida Project is a beautiful movie, a powerful reflection on hardship, childhood, and friendship. In its closing moments Moonee, our protagonist, cries outside the home of her only real remaining friend in the world – a friendship we have watched form and blossom over the last hundred minutes. In an achingly brilliant and uncomfortable closeup, we watch her own construction of reality shatter, and the truth of her situation sink in.

Cut to black. Walk home. Think about the movie for the next month.

This is how I wish The Florida Project had ended. However Sean Baker – somewhat admirably – wanted to drive home the film’s core concept, on how children escape their problematic situations, one final time. To do so, he shoots a lurid, dreamy sequence obviously representing a fantasy, but that is in keeping with the style of the rest of the film. Moonee and friend run away from their problems to Disneyland. It strengthens the main themes and improves the movie as a whole.

In an alternative reality, this is also a wonderful ending to The Florida Project. However Sean Baker and A24 couldn’t get clearance to shoot at Disneyland. As a filmmaker dedicated to perfection and excellent visual storytelling, Baker concedes that his proposed ending is impossible to execute properly, and returns to his original ending.

In another dimension, this is the creative process for indie-purist Sean Baker. However Sean is pontifical and unyielding, determined to execute his vision. So he grabs an iPhone and an easily sourced, $200 gimbal, shoots a sequence with the same careful cinematography the rest of the movie has, sneaks into Disneyland, and sits happy knowing the movie is everything he wanted it to be.

Yet still, this is not how it went. Instead we got an unstabilised, poorly shot, cinematically incoherent scene that pulls everyone watching out of the emotional catharsis Baker had expertly put them in, to instead wonder what on Earth he was thinking.

Baker is without a doubt a wonderful filmmaker. The Florida Project is without a doubt a genuinely great movie. But the ending of The Florida Project is symptomatic of a director with too much vision for his own good, and holds the film back from the praise it deserves.

All for it

XIN’S THOUGHTS

The ending scene definitely came out of the left field – its bizarre tonal change managed to pull my emotions with an emergency brake from immersion and sympathy to utter confusion of disjointed thoughts. I didn’t know how to feel about it for at least a few weeks.

That was the point, isn’t it? It puts us in an uncomfortable position, left with such an ambiguous ending that would understandably be unsatisfying to some, blocking the audience from knowing the reality of Moonee’s fate. But it doesn’t matter. Baker asks the audience to come to their own bleak conclusion, giving us the power to choose what is best for her. Would it be better for her if she ran away? Lived with Jancey? Or if she was taken by social services and separated from her mother? Baker forces us to make the decision instead, and for us to suffer the moral consequences of our choice. How else should Baker end it?

Not only so, it’s a testament to the friendship Moonee has built with Jancey, and an insight to the character’s own desperation. Despite all her toughness, she’s nonetheless a child – she just wants to go to Disneyland, live in an actual magic kingdom with her friend, play in a place with no danger and no limits. A symbolic icon of innocent happiness and magical childhood dreams, the Magic Kingdom we know finally lights up the screen in a blur, fulfilling Moonee’s fantasy and providing her sanctuary and optimistic hope. A haven to run to.

Yet because of her background, because of the life she was born into, Disneyland can only be a fantasy, nothing more. And that’s a heart-breaking point to end on for a film dealing with childhood, poverty, and the harsh reality.

CALVIN’S THOUGHTS

GEORGE’S THOUGHTS

“A filmmaker who prefers ideas to images will never advance above the second rank because he is fighting the nature of his art. The printed word is ideal for ideas; film is made for images, and images are best when they are free to evoke many associations and are not linked to narrowly defined purposes.” So said Roger Ebert on the criticism towards the great champion of images over ideas, Federico Fellini. I use it now as I anticipate the criticism of the ending of Sean Baker’s truly beautiful “The Florida Project”.    

Let me make myself clear – I am not going to argue that the film’s ending is necessarily a great one. I believe the film is probably a great one, but I think the ending is so divisive that it cannot simply be great. People who are derisive of the film claim it is “poverty porn” in that it entices people into the allure of the bottom of society and glamorises it.  People who loved it say it’s a magnificent blend of gritty social realism and lurid dreamscapes.  However, whatever you think of all but the last minute of the film, the ending seems to stand separately. It is so distinct from the rest of the film that even some of the film’s supporters, like friends I went to see the film with, were alienated by the ending. This is largely due to its complete shift in style, mood, cinematography and music. The film has a flowing lackadaisical quality that serves in the manner of an ethnographic film. Thus when the viewer is confronted with the inevitable, an ending for this film, they have to decide whether they like what the filmmaker is saying or not. Whatever Sean Baker’s ending, it would have been divisive, because the whole film seems to play out without a real acknowledgement of closure, but paradoxically builds up a climax that requires one.  

So the film was always going to have a problematic ending (or at least a divisive one). But what Sean Baker does is surely the best possible answer. The film’s protagonist Moonee, having realised she will be taken away from her mother, runs to find her friend Jancey, and flees the motel to Disney World, in a frenzied child escapism. He switches the film’s absolutely stunning cinematography from 35mm film to an iPhone 6s Plus to create the shot (he previously filmed “Tangerine” entirely on an iPhone 5s). The smooth and crisp cinematography shifts to jarring and fuzzy, and the audience definitely feels jarred. It feels rushed, it feels disconcerting, it feels uneven and incongruous with the rest of the film.  

And it works. Because in a film so focused on the close-ups of daily life, of human beings, that tries to blend ethnography into narrative storytelling, how could a filmmaker be so obnoxious as to give the viewer a great dramatic closure? My friends said they expected something else from the film, something more – but how could a film that tries to be so true to human life and struggle say something that no one can claim to know?  There is no possible greater closure to a story where a child of a prostitute is torn from her mother and sent into foster care. What truly mature film can give this story a happy ending, or sad one? But to leave the viewer with merely an image, conjuring so many different ideas, interpretations and answers – that is the mark of a film which has respect for its subject matter. We aren’t left with a clear idea of what happens to Moonee, or whether she has a terrible life or a great one. We are merely given an image of what it is like to be a child, still able to run as fast you can to escape whatever you want and be comforted, if only for an instant.

The Florida Project was out for wide UK release in November, 2017. Watch the trailer below and read our full review from London Film Festival earlier in October.

FilmSoc’s Screenings Producer Sarah Saraj reflects on today’s weather phenomenon.

The sky today was pretty incredible. It got a lot of us feeling like we were in a film. In fact, it reminded us of many films shrouded in memorably sepia-coloured hues. I guess life really does imitate art. Here are some films with the dreamiest of amber skies that we believe we may have been living in today:

1. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Is all of this yellow sky business just promotion for Villeneuve’s new blockbuster? Are we all being duped? Is this some elaborate Hollywood novelty trick plaguing the entirety of England?

2.  Apocalypse Now (1979)

‘Is the Apocalypse literally now?’ I ask myself. Sure, the government wants us to think it’s all due to Hurricane Ophelia and Saharan dust but does anybody really buy that? Maybe our disgusting rate of pollution is finally catching up with us — I mean, it’s pretty hot for October. End of the world, global warming, or both?

3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

This would corroborate my theory that we have been transported to a new, filmic world, namely the boring Sepia one Dorothy inhabited before she jumped ship to the glitz and glamour of Oz.

4. The Lion King (1994)

From the day we arrive on the planet,

And, blinking, step into the sun.

There’s more to see than can ever be seen,

More to do than can ever be done.

5. Life of Pi (2012)

Thank God books get made into films because how else would we have these dreamy visuals? This film literally made me want to get separated from my entire family and left for dead on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, anyone else?

6. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

And who doesn’t love a vaguely problematic but highly praised classic? The weather today definitely made me feel like I was in the Middle East!

7. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

The idea that we are living in a United Kingdom on its way to becoming a post-apocalyptic wasteland, as featured in the 2015 return of George Miller’s Mad Max, is increasingly plausible.

8. Enemy (2013)

Another Villeneuve? Boy, did he know this was coming! But seriously, who feels like today was just one of those psychological-thriller days? I know I definitely hate Mondays.

9. Sicario (2015)

…Another Villenueve?!

10. Days of Heaven (1978)

Terrence Malick’s 1978 religious romantic drama is possibly the most beautiful film ever made. Evangelical and quasi-religious setting prevail in this absolute masterpiece.

11. The Yellow Sky (1949)

I guess when you type something into Google the internet will graciously impart its knowledge to accommodate you; Yellow Sky is the title of a 1948 Western. The film features a ghost town by the same name.