The Maze Runner Review

I recently went to the cinema to watch the new film ‘The Maze Runner’ which is based upon the novel by James Dashner. It is directed by Wes Ball, written by Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers and T.S Nowlin and produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Gotham Group, Lee Stollman and Lindsay Williams. It was released on the 10^th October 2014 in the UK with a runtime of 113 minutes and the film was given a budget of $34,000,000. The three filming locations were all in the USA: Baton Rouge, Jackson and Plantation Village Studios. The Maze Runner covers the genres of action, mystery, sci-fi and thriller and due to intense scenes, it has been classified as a 12A.

Starring Dylan O’Brien (Thomas), Aml Ameen (Alby), Ki Hong Lee (Minho), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt), Will Poulter (Gally) and Kaya Scodelario (Teresa), The Maze Runner is an entertaining film packed with suspense and non-stop action. The protagonist, Thomas wakes up to find himself in a small colony known as ‘The Glade’ containing many other teenage boys who have been individually placed there for a period of three years. They are surrounded by a perilous maze which appears to be their only escape and the highly trained ‘runners’ explore the maze during the daytime, attempting to figure a way out however, for the whole of the three years, they have had no success. At night, the walls of the maze close and the inside is protected by terrifying creatures named grievers and so far, not one person had survived a night in there. When the teenagers discover the unique bravery Thomas has when in the maze, Newt promotes him to being a runner which results in more clues being found and progress being made. However, when the first girl, Teresa arrives at The Glade, she has a note attached to her claiming she is the last person to be sent there and from this point onwards, everything changes.

I personally feel that the film had a very strong opening scene. It shows Thomas arriving at The Glade inside a lift, he is confused, frightened and has been completely wiped of memory so he does not remember anything about his past. We, as an audience, do not get to see Thomas’s past before this scene, meaning we are able to share his bewilderment and therefore relate and share a stronger connection with his character. The overall performances of the actors were good as they were able to display a wide range of emotions that were also felt by the audience however, I believe the characters did not show much of a development which left the film to be very predictable at times. The characters were also quite unrealistic for many reasons. For three years they have been trapped on one small area together yet they all seemed to get on extremely well and when Teresa makes an appearance, not one of the teenagers shows any desire for her which is very improbable. Another criticism is that we do not get to find out much about Teresa herself. After her arrival, she blends in too much with the narrative and does not stand out as a female protagonist which for me was very disappointing as I believe her contribution to the film should have been emphasised to a greater extent.

Despite this, Wes Ball made the desired themes of The Maze Runner clear through both narrative and performance. The most obvious theme is entrapment because the teenagers are trapped in the centre of the maze, for a reason they are not aware of, with no conspicuous escape and they are isolated, with no family surrounding them. Determination and courage is shown through Thomas when he makes the audacious decision to enter the maze even after being told it is immensely dangerous and that he would be putting his life at risk. Additionally, the theme of responsibility was shown through every character because each person has their own role within the community for example, being a runner or a farmer and the few that are ‘in charge’ of everyone have the role of punishing those who go against their responsibilities.

The cinematography is what stood out most for me in the film, especially when the characters are inside the maze as the grievers were creatively designed to look fearsome and intimidating. When Thomas is hiding from one of the grievers, there is no sound apart from him breathing to show that he is petrified and is trying to stay unnoticed however, when the griever spots and goes to attack him, the sound suddenly grows strikingly louder, alarming the audience and creating intensity. When inside the maze, the lighting is dark and mysterious which contrasts with the brighter lighting outside the maze, highlighting which area is safer to be in. The scenes in which Thomas is put in the pit by the other teenagers make an effective use of camera angles. When Thomas is being spoken to, a low angle is used of the teenagers to show that at the moment in time, they are more superior than him and hold a greater amount of power, whereas a high angle is used of Thomas to show that he is being looked down on because he is less superior.

Overall, The Maze Runner kept my attention the whole way through and I found the action scenes very enjoyable to watch. However, I feel that the narrative lacked originality and I could not help but compare it to films such as ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Lord Of The Flies’. I also believe that there should have been more obstacles within the maze, not just one type of creature, in order to make the film more exciting and less predictable. 

Foreign Film- Das Boot (Director's Cut) Review

Das Boot (meaning ‘the boat’) is a German war film, based on a novel by Lothar G. Buchheim, written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen and produced by Ortwin Freyermuth. It was first released in 1981 with a runtime of 145 minutes then was released again as the director’s cut in 1997 with a much longer runtime of 210 minutes. The film was given a budget of $14,000,000 to which most of it was spent on constructing U-boats for both outside and interior filming. It was filmed in Germany, France, the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and can be watched in German, English or French, with the additional option of subtitles.

Starring Jürgen Prochnow (the boat’s captain), Herbert Gronemeyer (Lt. Werner- Correspondent) and Klaus Wennemann (Chief Engineer Fritz Grade), Das Boot is a war film like no other, covering the genres of action, adventure, drama and war. The film follows the journey of a German submarine, U-96, in 1941 and gives us an extremely deep insight into the experiences the courageous Men battled through whilst having constant obstacles and almost impossible missions being thrown at them time and time again. Shot through the eyes of the Germans, Das Boot teaches us a valuable lesson that the German soldiers were no different from the rest, they were equally as brave yet vulnerable so it just goes to show that there are no winners in war and  that war itself is the enemy.  

The performances were so believable, it was like the Men were not acting but they were actually there, living the terrifying reality of war and expressing emotions that could only have been felt by those who experienced of traumatizing life of combat at sea. I felt truly connected to every character on the submarine and I was able to sympathize with them greatly; this was reinforced by the long runtime because I was given a chance to get to know the Men and discover how they individually respond to different situations. Every performance stood out for me because each one was as strong as the next and all characters displayed a powerful development especially the captain because his emotions could be told through facial expressions alone, his dialogue just enhanced them.

The themes of suspense, tension, courage, determination and isolation came naturally to Das Boot, they were not at all forced which added to the brutal reality of the film. Wolfgang Petersen did a magnificent job of portraying these themes throughout the film and I constantly found myself at the edge of my seat, never knowing what was going to happen next.

The cinematography was beyond outstanding, it was absolutely flawless and Josh Vacano (director of photography) could not have done a better job. The handheld, POV shots as the camera dodged its way through the cramped submarine made me feel as if I was there with the Men, I was able to experience the claustrophobic conditions which helped me relate to the characters to an even greater extent. The majority of camera shots were close-ups, such as sweat or tears streaming down somebody’s face, to show the intensity of life on the submarine and to help the audience understand the overwhelming emotions the Men had to face. There are many shots that last for quite a long amount of time and they can really draw you into the film due to them being very meticulous and profound. We are able to see the lighting as the Men on the submarine can see it, visible most of the time but in the case of a severe emergency, dark, mysterious and full of fear, with only a flashlight guiding us. The sound contributed a large amount to the film; there was not much music used but when there was, it was for a specific purpose, either to create panic or relief. During intense action scenes, the sound became very loud and dramatic in order to alarm the audience and allow them to share the feelings of extreme fright. However during tense, quiet scenes, small background noises such as a bolt bouncing off the hull of the submarine are extremely effective because they create a heightened atmosphere in which the audience are anxiously waiting for something dreadful to happen.

Overall, Das Boot was an incredible eye-opener to what life was like on a U-boat during the Second World War. The film had exceptional performances and stunning cinematography, a definite ten out of ten.

UK Film- Casino Royale Review

Casino Royale is a UK film based on the novel by Ian Fleming. It is directed by Martin Campbell, written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis and produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. It was released on the 14^th November 2006 in the UK at the London Premiere and it has a running time of 144 minutes. Due to scenes involving torture, violence, sexual content and nudity, it has been rated as a PG-13. Casino Royale was mainly shot at the Barrandov Studios in Prague with further shooting in the Bahamas, Italy and the UK. The film had a budget of about $150, 000, 000.

Starring Daniel Craig (James Bond), Eva Green (Vesper Lynd), Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre), Judi Dench (M), Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) and Giancarlo Giannini (Rene Mathis), Casino Royale goes back to the basics with a gripping narrative covering the genres of action, adventure, thriller and mystery. Bond has just been promoted to his double-0 status and he goes about his first mission as a 007 in which he must take part in a poker game in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale, an assignment set by M16, to which the antagonist, Le Chiffre is also participating in the attempt to win back his money. They know that if Le Chiffre loses the game, it will eradicate his World Terrorist Organization so it is absolutely vital that Bond, along with the help of Vesper (who poses as his wife), Felix and Mathis, wins the game. However, as the game proceeds, the tension builds up as the stakes are raised to an extensive amount of money and the cunning acts of Le Chiffre and his accomplices lead to an alarming climax.

The performances are immaculate and flawless as they provide depth and emotion, creating characters that are truly believable. Daniel Craig in particular grants us with a stunning performance and displays a brutal determination throughout. Mikkelsen maintains the deviousness of Le Chiffre exceptionally with very little fault and the attention to detail is exquisite. Every intense action scene was made to look incredibly realistic by the strong performances and each one was riveting and packed with violence, suspense and drama.

Martin Campbell did an excellent job of exploring meaningful themes that pieced together the narrative and created scenes that were unforgettable, gritty and thrilling. Of course Casino Royale would not have been a true classic without the themes of lust, courage and torture but the film goes deeper with themes such as greed and revenge, the sly double-crossing of the characters Bond thought he could trust. There are no typical clichés displayed in the film, it is stripped back and full of originality and intelligence, the successful fresh start that everyone has been waiting for.  Campbell also created an extremely accurate Mise-En-Scene as those who are of a higher power, such as Bond and Le Chiffre, were often seen wearing black, classy tuxedos whereas when Bond is in Madagascar, the men who lived there wore clothing of a much lower quality, showing the strong contrast in class and wealth.

The cinematography went beyond my assumptions; it was beautiful and genuinely stunning. Without a doubt, the opening credits lived up to their expectations, they feature the song ‘You Know My Name’ by Chris Cornell which fits the film perfectly and the animation itself is clever and creative, possibly one of the best ones yet. At the very beginning of the film, before the opening credits, the scene is in black and white creating tension and a secretive atmosphere. Flashbacks are also used in this scene and are the only part of the film that does not follow a linear narrative. The more intense scenes, such as those in the casino, had little background noise and darker lighting to show the seriousness of the game and the sly, mysterious secrets that some of the characters were hiding. The camerawork was outstanding, there are many close up’s of Craig’s mesmerizing blue eyes which hold hope and boldness and then of the dark, calculating eyes of Mikkelsen which emphasize the evil within Le Chiffre. The chase sequences have movement to them, making you feel as if you are there, witnessing the events first hand; you can feel the adrenaline of the characters rushing through you and it is these moments that make up a phenomenal action based film.

Casino Royale is a magnificent film, perfect for anyone who loves action, romance, suspense and unexpected turning points. Do not let the long running time put you off as the film goes by incredibly quickly due to the powerful narrative that will keep your eyes glued to the screen. It is a definite must watch that you are bound to enjoy.

What To Include In A Film Review

• Editing       
• Genre 
• Themes
• Narrative
• Mis-en-scene
• Camera angles, shot sizes and their meaning 
• Performance 
• Sound 
• Light 
• Title 
• Director 
• Cast
• Producer 
• Year of production 

Fish Tank Review

Fish Tank is directed and written by Andrea Arnold and produced by Nick Laws and Kees Kasander, with the executive producers being Christine Langan and David M. Thompson. The year of production was 2009 and the film has a running time of 123 minutes. Fish Tank was filmed in six different locations all in England, UK which are: Barking (London), Tilbury (Essex), Tower Hamlets (London), Dagenham (Essex), Havering (London) and Stanford le Hope (Essex). The film has been classified as a 15 because it features sex, violence, profanity, alcohol and smoking which is inappropriate for people who are below this age group. The genre is a British coming of age drama with a sub-genre of social realism because Fish Tank is based on reality and it shows what the protagonist, Mia has to deal with in her life and how this affects both herself and the people around her. Fish Tank was funded by BBC Films and the UK Film Council and it has won several awards including the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009 and the Best British Film BAFTA award in 2010. The main cast include Mia, played by Katie Jarvis, her younger sister Tyler played by Rebecca Griffiths, their Mother Joanne played by Kierston Wareing, Joanne’s Boyfriend Connor played by Michael Fassbender and Mia’s friend Billy played by Harry Treadaway.  

 

Fish Tank is about a fifteen year old girl named Mia Williams who has been expelled from her school and she lives on an Estate with her younger sister, Tyler and their single mother, Joanne. Mia has a strong passion for hip-hop dancing and she is often shown practising dance routines in her almost empty bedroom. It is clearly one of the only things that motivate her and when she is dancing, she is escaping the isolation that surrounds her on a day to day basis. She appears to share quite a flirtatious bond with Joanne’s boyfriend, Connor who encourages Mia to enter a competition for female dancers and lends her a video camera to film her dance routine on. Mia soon receives a phone call to inform her that she is through to the next audition which would be in person, in front of the judges and she makes the decision that she would dance to ‘California Dreamin’ which is Connor’s favourite song. One late night, when Mia and Connor had both been drinking, Connor asks to see Mia’s dance routine to which she does in the living room. When she finished her routine, Connor tells Mia to sit next to him on the sofa which inevitably led to them having sexual intercourse and the next morning, Mia discovers that Connor had left Joanne. Mia then confronts Connor at his own home and he admits that he knew Mia was only fifteen, confirming that their copulation was technically rape. However, instead of returning to her own home, Mia sneaks through a window into Connor’s house only to discover a video camera containing videos of Connor’s wife and young daughter, Kiera. Mia then ‘kidnaps’ Kiera by telling her they were going to buy ice cream under the permission of her Mother. The following day, Mia arrived at her audition but she walked out as ‘California Dreamin’ began to play possibly because the track reminded her of Connor and she wanted to forget about him completely. The film ends with Mia’s friend, Billy inviting her to live in Wales with him so she accepts the offer and leaves her family home.

The film follows a linear narrative because the sequences were in a clear order and each incident that happened was a result of the previous event. For example, Mia receiving the phone call that meant she was through to the next audition was the result of Connor lending her the video camera after understanding that Mia had a passion for dancing. Mia would never have been given this camera if Joanne had not met Connor at a party.

Personally, I thought that the performance of each character was excellent because they were all very natural and realistic and it did not look like their acting was forced. This is turn created a much more believable narrative resulting in the audience being able to understand and connect with the characters more than if their performance was to a low standard. What I found interesting was that Katie Jarvis, who played Mia, had never had any acting experience before Fish Tank. She was offered the role of Mia when a casting director overheard her having an argument with her boyfriend at a train station. To me, this shows that being a good actor does not depend on the amount of experience they have had, but on how much they can relate and connect with the character they are playing in order to help the audience do the same thing.  

The costumes that the characters wear are very symbolic and they inform the audience on their individual personalities. Mia is always shown wearing a tracksuit, tank top and large hoop earrings; this outfit is stereotypical of a young, lower-class person who is foul-mouthed and possibly violent. In many ways, Mia does live up to some of these stereotypes due to her extremely poor upbringing and the rough environment that she lives in. Her younger sister, Tyler wears similar clothes due to the influence of Mia so she has grown up believing that they are the clothes she should be wearing because other than Joanne and Mia, Tyler has no-one else to ‘look up to’. There is a scene in the film which shows Tyler smoking with one of her friends, portraying that she has a bad lifestyle as she has not been brought up correctly by Joanne. This made me and most likely other members of the audience angry because a Mother should not let her young daughter get away with smoking, highlighting the idea that Joanne does not care about her children enough. Joanne commonly wears inappropriate clothing such as crop tops and underwear which portrays her as attention seeking as she is always trying to attract the attention of Men, especially Connor.  When Connor is around Mia, he usually has his top off which shows that he liked her from the beginning and that his goal always was to have sex with her.

There is a wide variety of themes that are displayed in Fish Tank including betrayal, poverty, jealousy and lust. Betrayal is shown when Connor leaves Joanne after having sexual intercourse with Mia, possibly because he was embarrassed or he realised that what he was doing was wrong. Joanne was very upset because what he did was unexpected and she felt that he truly loved her. The family live in poverty and have a very low quality of life. This is shown by their small, cramped flat and also by the area that surrounds them. The theme of jealousy is mainly shown through the characterisation of Mia because near the middle of the film, Mia witnesses Joanne and Connor having sex without them knowing and she appears to be angry and upset by this because she purposely slams her bedroom door numerous times. Mia may be jealous that her Mother is in a relationship which is why she does not refuse when Connor begins to make out with her. It is this particular scene that also shows the theme of lust because Connor had clearly felt a strong attraction towards Mia for a while so may have planned out that moment before it actually happened.

The horse at the beginning of the film and the balloon at the end of the film was a true representation of Mia’s life. The chain that was on the horse represents how it was trapped and unable to move very far. This also represents how Mia was isolated and trapped within her own home and she lacked freedom and independence. Mia attempted to free the horse but she was unable to due to the owners of the horse threatening her. This shows that Mia also wanted to be free herself but she was incapable of doing so because of the boundaries that got in her way such as having nowhere to escape to.  However, at the end of the film when Mia drives off to Wales with Billy and a balloon is flying through the sky it represents the fact that Mia has finally gained her freedom and that there is now hope for her.

I thought that the cinematography in Fish Tank was beautiful and Robbie Ryan, the cinematographer did an excellent job of portraying the idea that Mia was isolated. There is a shot where Mia is looking out of her bedroom window almost in despair because she knows there are many opportunities for her out there but instead she is trapped inside her bedroom with her hands against the window as if she is trying to reach out for help. There is a similar message portrayed in the camera shot of the horse with the metal bars surrounding the area it is standing in. It is used to show that the horse has no escape and also to make the audience sympathise with the horse because they understand how cruel it is for it to be trapped. A low angle shot is used when Mia is caught trying to free the horse and she is attacked by the teenagers who own the horse. It shows that the teenagers are more superior than Mia at that moment of time and as she looks up on one of them it is clear to the audience who has the power, portraying the teenager as strong and threatening. I noticed that there were many close ups throughout Fish Tank to show the emotions of the characters. For example, when Mia is crying, there is a close up used to show the mascara running down her face which portrays her as frightened, making the audience feel sorry for her. There was a lot of handheld and shaky camera action in the film to show that Mia, Joanne and Tyler live in poverty and that their lifestyle is very unstable as none of them have much support. Natural lighting was used throughout the majority of Fish Tank to create a realistic atmosphere but at times, lighting was used for certain effects. For example, when Mia catches Joanne and Connor having sex, the lighting is very dark to show that she is carrying out a secretive act and it is something she should not be doing because she is invading their privacy. Many silhouettes were also used in order to focus on the surroundings rather than the character and this may have been used to show how small and worthless the character feels in such a big world. There was constantly a lot of loud background noise such as people shouting and upbeat music. The people shouting represents that the environment the family live in is chaotic and they never get a moment of peace. It also portrays the area as quite aggressive and uninviting. The upbeat music is used to show that the people are trying to stay positive despite living in poverty, representing them as hopeful and quite optimistic.

Fish Tank can be compared to a short film called Wasp which is also written and directed by Andrea Arnold because there are many similarities and differences. Firstly, they use similar mise-en-scene. In both films, the environment is the same (a run-down estate with poor living conditions) and this is emphasized by the handheld camera action because it implies that the characters have a shaky lifestyle that is of a bad quality. Additionally, the characters in both films wear similar costumes such as tracksuits which are stereotypical of someone that lives in this type of environment. Fish Tank and Wasp both start off with the protagonist being trapped and end with them gaining freedom; the single Mothers in both use dance and music as a way of connecting with their children. The films share the themes of romance, love, violence, hate, determination, maturity and betrayal. The differences are that in Fish Tank, it is only Mia who escapes from her entrapment whereas in Wasp, the whole family escapes. In Fish Tank, the relationship between the Mother and her boyfriend did not work out whereas in Wasp, it did. Despite these differences, I believe that Andrea Arnold consistently has a running theme of poverty in her films so is trying to inform her audience on the living conditions and lifestyle of people that live in such an environment.  

In my opinion, Fish Tank was an outstanding film because it was very skilful and the cinematography was incredible. I was able to easily connect with the characters and I was drawn in by the strong narrative. It explored a wide range of powerful themes and I believe that Andrea Arnold was an exceptional director and writer. I would definitely watch it again and I would strongly recommend anyone that has not seen it to watch it. 

London Film Festival: Timbuktu Review

On Friday 10^th October, I went with my AS Film class to watch Timbuktu at the London film festival. Timbuktu is directed by Abderrahmane Sissako and it has a running time of ninety seven minutes. It was filmed in Mauritania and it features five different languages which are French, Arabic, Bambara, English and Songhay. I would classify this film as a 12A due to the violence and upsetting scenes that are used which may disturb someone who is below this age. The main genre of Timbuktu is drama because it is based on events that have happened in real life which makes the film very touching because the audience can sympathise with the characters and feel their emotions. The father, Kidane is played by Ibrahim Ahmed, his wife, Satima is played by Toulou Kiki and their daughter, Toya is played by Layla Walet Mohamed. The narrative revolves around this particular family however there are many other key characters that contribute greatly to Timbuktu such as Issan, played by Mehdi A.G. Mohamed, who is the families Shepard.

Timbuktu is a foreign film so there are subtitles at the bottom of the screen. However, when one character does not understand what the person they are talking to is saying due to them speaking different languages, there are no subtitles and I believe this was purposely done by Abderrahmane Sissako to help the audience relate with the character and to understand their confusion as we also do not understand what is being said. The film is about the Jihadists who take over Timbuktu, whose goal is to control the people’s faith, leaving them to suffer. The women were forced to cover their heads and hands and basic enjoyments such as music and football were banned. The main protagonist, Kidane lives with his family in a peaceful environment and his ‘goals’ change throughout the narrative. The first goal he has is for him and his family to stay where they are living in the hope that they will be safe and happy but when his Shepard, Issan accidently lets Kidane’s most loved cow, ‘GPS’ run into fishermen, Amadou’s nets, GPS is killed by Amadou meaning Kidane’s next goal is to confront Amadou on what he has done. However, this confrontation leads to Kidane accidently murdering Amadou meaning he was forced to undergo the strict rules designed by the Jihadists but Kidane knows he has done wrong so accepts the death penalty because he believes it was his fate. His goal now was to make sure his wife and daughter were safe as he loved and cared for them greatly and did not want them to be in any danger like he was. Towards the end of the film, Kidane’s final goal was to protect Satima from being shot as she ran towards him just before he was about to face his death but this goal was prevented from being reached by one of the Jihadists (a protagonist), who murdered the both Kidane and Satima together. Timbuktu follows a linear narrative because the events happen in a clear order and the audience can easily follow the storyline. One of the major themes explored in this film is family because Kidane, Satima and Toya have a very strong bond as a family as they are always looking out for one another and the love they have for each other is constantly highlighted throughout the film. Timbuktu puts across the message that family are very important in order to get through tough situations and having children especially is treasured by the people who live in the town. Another theme shown in Timbuktu is torture because there are several scenes that show someone being violently whipped or beaten and one scene showing two people being stoned to death. These scenes were purposely shown to make the audience realise that this type of torture happens in real life and to help them understand the immense pain the helpless victims experienced.

Personally, I believe that the cinematography in Timbuktu was excellent. In the centre of Timbuktu, where all the chaos was happening, the camera would be handheld in certain scenes to represent that the people were beginning to live an unstable life and the new rules were very unsettling for them. There was also a lot of background noise to create a realistic environment and to help the audience to feel as if they were there and the music being played was more upbeat to show how the people are trying to stay positive despite the new laws. However, when Kidane’s family were shown living in the dunes, the camera was still and there was not any noticeable background noise which emphasizes that the atmosphere they lived in was very quiet and possibly the fact that they were oblivious to what was happening back in the town centre. The music played by Kidane was also very peaceful to show that they were relaxed and did not have nearly as many concerns compared to the people living in the centre on Timbuktu. I noticed that a lot of close up’s were used throughout Timbuktu to clearly show the characters emotions and an extreme close up was used of the cow (GPS) after it was murdered to show blood slowly pouring down its nose. This scene was also very quiet so it gave the audience time to reflect on what had just happened. Many establishing shots were used because the scenes frequently changed so it let the audience know where the characters were, meaning they could keep up with the narrative.

Overall, I enjoyed Timbuktu because the themes expressed were very powerful which made me sympathise a lot with some of the characters and feel grateful for the lifestyle that I have. I also did not struggle to keep up with the subtitles so I was able to gain a clear understanding of the film and focus on aspects such as the cinematography rather than just the dialogue.

The Inbetweeners 2 'In The Car' Scene

Our task was to re-make one of our favourite scenes from a film, so I chose to do The Inbetweeners 2.





Shot sizes:
1. Mid wide shot 4 seconds
2. 2 shot close up 2 seconds
3. 2 shot close up 3 seconds
4. 2 shot medium close up 1 1/2 seconds
5. Mid wide shot 2 seconds
6. 2 shot mid close up 2 seconds
7. Close up 1 1/2 seconds
8. 2 shot close up 2 seconds
9. Mid wide shot 3 1/2 seconds
10. Close up 2 1/2 seconds
11. 2 shot close up 2 1/2 seconds
12. Close up 1 second
13. Mid wide shot 1 second
14. Close up 1 second
15. 2 shot close up 1 second
16. 2 shot close up 1 second
17. Over the head close up 2 seconds
18. 2 shot close up 1 second
19. Mid wide shot 1 second
20. Close up 1 1/2 seconds
21. 2 shot close up 1 second

The script:
Neil: I can’t wait to get a job training dolphins, even though it is pretty bad how they’re treated (mid wide shot). Did you know all they feed them is raw fish? (2 shot close up)

Jay: arrrh that is grim, I’d puke if all I ate was fish. (2 shot close up) That’s bang out of order (2 shot mid close up)

Neil: Imagine it, just raw fish

Will: Their diet is fish (mid close up)

Jay: Yeah cos that’s all they’re given (2 shot medium close up)

Will: But also, because that’s what they eat (close up)

Neil: It’s so cruel y’know, no burgers, (2 shot close up) no KFC, no Nandos on birthdays, nothing. How would you like it? (mid wide shot)

Will: Well, if all I ate was fish, I probably wouldn’t mind it (close up)

Jay: Alright, yes or no, how would you just like to eat raw fish? (2 shot close up)

Will: Well if I was a dolphin// (close up)

Jay:// Yes or no? (mid wide shot)

Will: Look, you can’t compare// (close up)

Jay and Neil: //Yes or no? (2 shot close up x 2 – one of each character)

Will: These people are marine biologists//

Jay and Neil: //Yes or no? //

Will: // It’s not// (over the head close up)

Jay Neil and Simon: //Raw fish (2 shot close up) yes or no? (mid wide shot)

Will: no! (close up)

Jay: Correct (2 shot close up)

// = overlapping 

This was our final outcome in which I directed