3rd Six Weeks Project; Danny Boyle

"To be a film-maker...you have to lead. You have to be psychotic in your desire to do something. People always like the easy route. You have to push very hard to get something unusual, something different..." -Danny Boyle

     

          I have decided to choose Daniel "Danny" Boyle for my film of "mimicking" a directors style. I knew as soon as I saw his name on the list that I wanted to choose him. I have seen so many of his movies and he has also directed some of my most favorite movies. Needless to say, It was an easy choice. Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, and the 28 Days Later franchise are a few of his movies that really captured me on a different level. The best kinds of movies are the types where you completely forget you're actually watching a movie. Thats exactly what happens to me when viewing these movies. Danny Boyle's work as a director could be described as bold, fearless, and daring. His films are also known to be adventurous and create a feeling of unevenness. I aspire to create a film like Danny's that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Slumdog Millionaire- Set and filmed in India, the film tells the story of Jamal Malik, a young man from the Juhu slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Kaun Banega Crorepati in the Hindi version) and exceeds people's expectations, thereby arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.


127 Hours- A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.


28 Days Later franchise- The breakdown of society following the accidental release of a highly contagious virus and focuses upon the struggle of four survivors to cope with the destruction of the life they once knew.

              In this 2012 film an alternative freshman new to college joins an a cappella group where every misfit has a voice. She re-invents their group from boring and traditional to spontaneous and original. And of course, what's a good movie without a little romance involved .
              This movie had my stomach in a knot, tears coming down my face, and me gasping for breath because it was so funny. I had no idea what to expect of this movie, but it sure surprised me. I took a liking to the unpredictable story line in this film. A perfect teen c and up comedy that everyone will enjoy and leave with a smile on their face.

Sundance Film Festival 2009: Precious Movie Review.

         The movie precious came out in the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of an african american 16 year old girl who is on her second pregnancy by her absent father and who has to wait hand and foot on her angry and abusive mother. School isn't easy for precious either. She doesn't know how to read or write. Precious is offered the chance to go to an alternative school, although she doesn't know what that means, she knows this is the chance she has been looking for. She will make something of herself.
         This movie tugged on the heart strings of many including me. It reveals the true and ugly side of many african american families in Harlem back in the 1900's. Many can relate to the hardships of Precious and what she deals with every day. This is a journey from darkness, pain, and powerlessness to light, love, and self-determination.