Eric Neufeld (neufanator)

Tirez sur le pianiste (Shoot the Piano Player) Unrated

Brilliant New Wave film! The extensive use of handheld shots mixed with natural lighting cinematography and on-location shooting effectively sets a gritty and dirty mood in the film. The story subtly blends humor with drama, finding a great middle-ground between the two extremes. The character interaction is a delight to watch and keeps the audience slightly in the dark as to what will happen next in the conversation. All of the actors give very admirable performances, especially from Charles Aznavour. The editing and picture cutting is a bit jarring; it works for the kind of film Shoot the Piano Player is, but some cuts felt like I was being thrown out of the story. The sound cutting is quite good, however, and counters the rigid picture. Shoot the Piano Player is a great representation of the French New Wave of cinema and it's easy to see that this style of film has had a great influence in mainstream movies (most notably, Pulp Fiction). I highly recommend Truffaut's classic noir drama, as it is now very high in my favourite's list :)

Pulp Fiction R

Considered the greatest film of 1994, Quentin Tarantino's PULP FICTION won around 7 Academy Awards (including Best Screenplay) and won the Palme D'or at the Cannes Film Festival. This film is actually a collection of short stories, where different characters interact with each other, some of them in unexpected ways. I know a lot of you may be thinking 'Well, he's a Tarantino nut, so of course he gives this movie 5 stars!' Well, THIS IS THE MOVIE THAT MADE ME A TARANTINO NUT. The dialogue is witty and sharp, the stories are entertaining and suspenseful, and the cinematography is truly unique; I doubt you'll find another film that uses trunk shots or 10 minutes long takes like this film does. The dialogue is also unique in that each character has a large chunk of dialogue before the others speak; PULP FICTION is, in a way, more of a theatrical play than a real Hollywood film. Music is only used transitionally. I think it is this quality of dialogue that gives the film its edge and strange sense of realism. A lot of people do not like this film because 'it's boring.' You're just not paying attention. THIS IS NOT AN ACTION FLICK. PULP FICTION is more story than anything. Before you switch the station or just the DVD player off, just give the film a chance and listen. The stories are really captivating and original. The movie is very clever and well-thought out. People don't like it because it's not like most other films. I think that's what makes PULP FICTION an incredible film. In the end, what the entire film adds up to is choice: good or evil? I would go into more detail, but that would spoil the movie :P If you have to watch one Quentin Tarantino film, make it PULP FICTION. Fun fact: The movie's line "You know what they call a Quater Pounder with Cheese in Paris?... They call it a Royale with cheese." was voted as the #81 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.