November 12, 2024 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Back To Back Features: Fashion Icon Meets Architectural Brilliance

 

 

FILM REVIEW: Skyscraper, Rated PG-13, 102 Minutes, Released June 13

Take almost any disaster movie, change names and locations and you’ve got the script for “Skyscraper”. Disaster narratives reflect the “damsel in distress” tales of silent movies, where the helpless heroine is tied to the railroad tracks with the train bearing down and the big strong hero appears on scene to rescue her at the last minute.

Neve Campbell skillfully portrays said damsel powerfully. Dwayne Johnson’s character, “Will Sawyer,” is surprisingly complex and Johnson plays him well. He is a former FBI agent, an amputee who has suffered great pain and learned to retrain his body to overcome obstacles. In the end, he of course, manages superhuman feats. His titanium prosthesis becomes his most valuable tool in the daring rescue he engineers.

Director/writer Marshall Thurber, producer Beau Flynn and Johnson worked closely with real amputee Jeff Glasbrenner, who lost his leg at the age of 8 and is a three-time Paralympic champion who has scaled Mount Everest. Johnson studied Glasbrenner’s gait, his abilities, and most importantly his positive spirit, in order to realistically bring the character of Sawyer to life.

The film skillfully blends Chinese and U.S. culture and characters to assure box office success in Asia, and at the same time offering a rich variety in the cast. Chin Han, who adds a strong performance as the Chinese billionaire owner/developer of the skyscraper, has been named one of Asia’s 25 greatest actors of all time.

The star of this movie is however the skyscraper itself. The architectural creativity embodied in this imaginary building is incredible. The camera dwells on its features long enough for you to imagine yourself inside the intricate environments that have been constructed in this masterpiece, including a multistory wooded park with a gigantic waterfall. The chance to wander visually through this ill-fated edifice is alone worth the price of the movie ticket.

 

FILM REVIEW: McQueen, Rated R, 111 Minutes, Released June 20

“McQueen” is a beautifully crafted in-depth documentary bio of Alexander McQueen, fashion icon of the late 20th Century. The film begins infused with joy and impassioned creation and ends spiraling into dark depression. It parallels the life of this artist.

Director Ian Bonhote mixes historic clips of McQueen’s shows and atelier with richly designed graphics that help illuminate the state of mind of this master of fashion design. Models were McQueen’s canvas – his style of work was similar to a painter or sculptor. You will see that he built his work from scratch – a sketch, then layering of unique materials and fabrics directly onto the model’s body.

By the time this immersive cinematic experience is over, you will feel you have lived the life of Lee Alexander McQueen – exactly what a documentary should do. The film is a tapestry of McQueen’s life and art, made precisely in McQueen’s style of layering fabric on the human form. You will see in this study of his life that his fashion was actually his philosophical expression of the meaning of life for him.

Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica.

 

 

in News
<>Related Posts

Brooke Shields’ Former Palisades Estate Listed for $8.65M: Report

November 12, 2024

November 12, 2024

Built in 1982, the Three-Story, Chalet-Style Home Spans 5,345 Square Feet and Sits on a 0.43-Acre Lot The former Pacific...

Metro’s New Bus Lane Camera Enforcement Aims to Speed Up Commutes for LA Riders

November 12, 2024

November 12, 2024

Pilot Program Begins With 60-Day Warning Period to Clear Bus Lanes The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), in...

Historic Venice Post Office Building to Become a New Hub for Creatives

November 12, 2024

November 12, 2024

“The Lighthouse” will offer workspace, production facilities, career development, and artist studios in Venice’s iconic Windward Circle By Zach Armstrong...

Four SMC Students Named Stanford Innovation Fellows

November 12, 2024

November 12, 2024

As UIF Participants, the Students Undergo a Six-Week Training Program to Assess Campus Needs and Design Projects Four Santa Monica...

School of Rock West LA Wins Best Children’s Program/Service

November 11, 2024

November 11, 2024

By Susan Payne School of Rock West Los Angeles has enriched the lives of students through performance-based music education for...

Driver Commits Suicide at Scene of Santa Monica Traffic Collision

November 11, 2024

November 11, 2024

The Santa Monica Police Department Is Investigating the Circumstances A traffic collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on...

LASD Searches For Missing Man Last Seen in Marina del Rey

November 11, 2024

November 11, 2024

According to Family Members, There Are Concerns He May Be Planning to Leave the Country The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s...

Q&A: New Roads School Voted Santa Monica’s Best Private School

November 10, 2024

November 10, 2024

For the last 29 years, New Roads School, founded by visionary educators Paul Cummins and David Bryan, has delivered progressive...

Racist Text Messages Target Students in Santa Monica, West LA, Raising Alarm Among Schools, Families

November 10, 2024

November 10, 2024

Outrage Spreads as Disturbing, Racially Charged Messages Reach Students and Others By Dolores Quintana Schools on the Westside of Los...

Urth Caffé Heirloom Organic Coffee Wins Best of Santa Monica

November 8, 2024

November 8, 2024

By Susan Payne A health-conscious coffee shop in Santa Monica is stealing hearts. More than its Matcha teas, Spanish lattes...

Governor Newsom Convenes Special Session to Protect California Rights Against Future Federal Policies

November 8, 2024

November 8, 2024

Special Session Called To Defend Civil Rights, Reproductive Freedom, Climate Initiatives Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a special session of...

Chinese Chemical Company and Executives Indicted for Allegedly Fueling Fentanyl Crisis in Los Angeles

November 8, 2024

November 8, 2024

U.S. DOJ Charges Hubei Aoks Bio-Tech and Executives With 13 Counts  A federal grand jury has indicted Hubei Aoks Bio-Tech...

Renewable Energy Group to Host Scenic Hike in Palisades

November 8, 2024

November 8, 2024

The Route Is Based on a Walk Described as “The Most Scenic of All the City’s Stairwalks.” WRISE Los Angeles,...

“Caterpillar Soup” Returns to Santa Monica Playhouse for 20th Anniversary Performances

November 7, 2024

November 7, 2024

Written and Performed by Lyena Strelkoff, the Autobiographical Production Explores Her Journey After a Paralyzing Fall The critically acclaimed one-woman...

Megacity Review: Genaro Trejo’s Global Platform for Urban Arts and Literature Launches in Los Angeles’ Westside

November 7, 2024

November 7, 2024

Santa Monica, CA – A new voice has arrived on the Los Angeles literary scene with the launch of Megacity...