Canadian Spring Sucks: I Have Your Anecdote
A symphony of sneezes floods the halls, and rivers of melted snow coat every sidewalk. The climate is appropriately mirrored by the volatile teenage hormones, with a similar rise and fall. The idle dream of lush flowers, sunny skies, and picnics yearned every winter is again revealed to be nothing more than a sham. My outlook, as per usual, is deemed bleak and pessimistic, that I quote-unquote “hate touching grass.” There is some level of truth to these cruel tongue lashings. I suppose I mostly hate the sort of spring atmosphere we experience here in Toronto. A spring experience truly shines and moves best in a film medium. Each blade of tall grass looks like a brushstroke, where the skies brighten the scene more than the sun and clouds. To do this season justice, gather in your living room and make a movie night of some of these cherry-picked spring flicks.
Emma, a beloved Jane Austen got its billionth adaptation in 2020 starring Anya Taylor-Joy. A witty script in large part aided by the brilliant source material, but it's hyper attention to detail. The pastel colouring and matching frilly costumes play into an almost storybook atmosphere to immerse the audience into a stylized version of England in the 19th century. This movie particularly shines in its ability to balance both romance and humor. It doesn’t fall victim to their typical convention of focusing on either genre, Emma can invest the viewer in the character's love life while leaving each character with laser-sharp one-liners. When Mr. Elton said, “I am ready to die if you refuse me,” it was met with “then perish” is a particular favourite of mine. In Emma, spring is sprung the right way through lush scenery, pristine colouring and lace parasols.
He used aspect ratio as a filmmaking device?! Every shot in The Grand Budapest Hotel deserves to be hung up and inspected for hours on end. Each scene is pulled straight out of Wes Anderson’s imagination. The costuming perfectly exemplifies the vision for both the story and the gorgeous set design with its deep colouring and exaggerated forms. Audible ooh-ing and aw-ing at every single light choice and dialogue is a given with this movie. An underappreciated aspect is the rhythm in scenes. Near the beginning of the film, when the concierge leaves the desk in the present day, the sound and look of the doors is almost identical to later in the scene where the writer boards the elevator. The delivery of the script was perfect for the fantastical surroundings. If you want to be clutching your tissue box at the edge of your seat for an unforgettable mystery, give The Grand Budapest Hotel a shot.
Wanna cry at some amazing globs of paint? Loving Vincent is a beautiful collage of art for you. Every single frame in Vincent Van Gogh’s style is hand-painted. His lush style of swirling blues and yellows is brought to life by this stunning animation. Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime and died thinking he would never be successful. Now he is one of the most celebrated artists of all time, and this film is a stunning expression of artists of today’s appreciation for his work and life. What better way to experience the abundance and vibrancy of springtime than to sink into the world through the eyes of Van Gogh? See how life and art meld with emotions being reflected in the colour around characters and interactions leaking into the surroundings. With the rise of AI art and attacks against modern art as frivolous and unnecessary, Loving Vincent provides a shocking display of what beautiful human-made art should look like. No art generator set to spit out “scene in the style of Vincent Van Gogh” comes anywhere near the love and care put into every frame of Loving Vincent.