Why does it work? It’s funny.
Understanding Screenwriting #56: The Other Guys, Edge of Darkness, Great Day in the Morning, & More
I always thought Harry Langdon was creepy. Jerry Lewis seemed mostly silly.
I have always had mixed feelings about Todd Solondz’s films, which I expect is exactly what he wants.
Understanding Screenwriting #54: The Kids Are All Right, The Informant!, Rubicon, & More
And the grown-ups are even better.
Understanding Screenwriting #53: Salt, Farewell, The Recruit, It’s Love I’m After, & More
By Salt. But, but, but…the dog.
Understanding Screenwriting #52: Inception, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Story of Louis Pasteur, & More
Chris, meet Fred and Alain. Fred and Alain, meet Chris.
Understanding Screenwriting #51: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Dark Mirror, Rizzoli & Isles, & More
Not a lot of film programs at the Academy, the American Cinematheque, UCLA Film Archive, etc focus on writers.
Toy Story 3 is a grand balancing act of character and story.
Understanding Screenwriting #49: I Am Love, Winter’s Bone, This Is Korea!, Hot in Cleveland, & More
What could possibly go wrong? A lot, it turns out.
Understanding Screenwriting #48: The Father of My Children, Shrek Forever After, Letters to Juliet, & More
European producers focus almost entirely on the money and the administration of the money.
Understanding Screenwriting #47: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Please Give, Date Night, & More
It’s not The Secret in Their Eyes, but it’s still pretty good.
Understanding Screenwriting #46: The Secret in Their Eyes, Nightmare Alley, Treme, & More
Juan José Campanella has a resume most people would kill for.
Understanding Screenwriting #45: Tales from the Script, Waking Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, & More
I like the way the filmmakers have organized the film into sections, which at least gives the illusion of forward momentum.
In the first two chapters the Palestinians yell at each other. In the third chapter the Israelis yell at each other.
Understanding Screenwriting #43: Shutter Island, The Ghost Writer, The Messenger, & More
Martin Scorsese’s usual lack of restraint works nicely throughout Shutter Island.
Understanding Screenwriting #42: The Book of Eli, Valentine’s Day, Test Pilot, & More
Actors often say they take a role in a film because of the director.
The Young Victoria is not particularly stodgy, but it is rather flat and literal.
Understanding Screenwriting #40: Police, Adjective, The White Ribbon, Sherlock Holmes, & More
Who said writing Romanian screenplays was easy?
Understanding Screenwriting #39: Broken Embraces, Nine, It’s Complicated, Panic in the Streets, & More
Somebody writing about Fellini in the ’60s said that he stole from everybody but left his thumbprints on it.
Understanding Screenwriting #38: Precious, The Princess and the Frog, Me and Orson Welles, & More
The process of education has begun, which is what the film is going to be about.