Cinderella Man

[drew_town]

Greetings,

 

I had a chance to catch Ron Howard's Cinderella Man tonight, and I can't recommend it enough. Very seldom do I see a movie and leave the theater truly satisfied.

 

The cinematography, editing, score, writing, directing, acting all were just outstanding and very solid. It's the best movie I've seen in good while.

 

Hats off to Ron Howard, Russell Crowe, Salvatore Totino, and the many others.

[Guest]

Another run away production serviced with style by the folks in Toronto. :D

 

I sat next to one of the producers on a flight into Toronto, nice guy, no three picture deal for me though.

 

R,

[Matt Pacini]

Another run away production serviced with style by the folks in Toronto.  :D

 

I sat next to one of the producers on a flight into Toronto, nice guy, no three picture deal for me though.

 

R,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Maybe you should have chucked a telephone into his face. That would have helped.

 

MP

[Frank DiBugnara]

I, too, really liked the film. I was wondering, what stocks were used? Special processes? (I need to renew my subscription to AC!)

 

Also, I kept wondering why I kept loosing my sense of geography during the fights. Was it that he kept crossing the axis or remained so neutral (straight on) that the angles did not help us identify who we were looking at. Both fighters had dark hair. One fighter would throw a punch in a medium shot and then just after the punch, he'd cut to a reverse medium and then off to a wider shot. There were times when I was not able to identify the subjects of the two mediums to see who punched who.

[Ignacio Aguilar]

I, too, really liked the film.  I was wondering, what stocks were used?  Special processes?  (I need to renew my subscription to AC!)

 

The whole film went through a Digital Intermediate and they used Kodak Vision2 Expression 500T 5229 for all boxing sequences and all night scenes, and EXR 100T 5248 & EXR 200T 5293 for day scenes. The black and white footage was shot on Double-X 5222 pushed one stop and a half, and the home-movie style flashbacks where shot on 16mm Ektachrome 7239 color reversal stock.

[drew_town]

Also, I kept wondering why I kept loosing my sense of geography during the fights.  Was it that he kept crossing the axis or remained so neutral (straight on) that the angles did not help us identify who we were looking at.  Both fighters had dark hair.  One fighter would throw a punch in a medium shot and then just after the punch, he'd cut to a reverse medium and then off to a wider shot.  There were times when I was not able to identify the subjects of the two mediums to see who punched who.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There were a variety of different shots used in the fight sequences. I think the mixture really added to the tension and surprise element in those scenes. I didn't have much trouble following the action, probably because I was focusing a little more on the filmmakers' technique rather than matched action edits. I could certainly feel an intensity in the fight scenes that "Million Dollar Baby" was missing. I think it's largely due to the way those scenes were shot.

 

Glad you liked it.

[Alvin Pingol]

Had the chance to see this film tonight, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

A few scenes you could tell were push-processed (photochemically or digitally, I couldn't tell, but the weak shadows and blown highlights were a dead giveaway).

 

Didn't see any anamorphic artifacts, so a 2.35 extraction from S35 I'm guessing. Quite sharp throughout, especially the EXT shots. The one of Mae (Zellweger) walking to the church was razor sharp; I would've never guessed a DI was involved.

 

Beautifully photographed, a few very powerfully composed shots in there. I enjoyed Totino's work.

 

The editing during the final fight was a bit frantic, but it fit - added to the intensity and tension, not that there wasn't enough already!

[Matt Irwin]

Did anyone else notice video gain in some of the shadows?

There was one scene in particular in which Crowe and Zellweger have an argument outside their apartment, which Totino played in mostly shadows (looked great). I noticed that on a few shots, there was dancing blue gain all over the shadows, and when they cut to a different shot it would disappear. Could be the biproduct of the DI? Maybe just the print...

 

Other than that I loved Totino's work. Reeeeally nice throughout.

[David Mullen ASC]

there was dancing blue gain all over the shadows, and when they cut to a different shot it would disappear.  Could be the biproduct of the DI?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sounds more like underexposure.

[Alvin Pingol]

I noticed it too, especially in certain shots, INT. apartment. I wondered why only select shots appeared to be pushed, as opposed to the whole scene/sequence; of course, not being present during the shoot, it could've been one of many problems that could have not been resolved any other way (as was discussed in a previous thread, and is most certainly true, you never really know the conditions under which the footage was being shot - for all I know, a bulb may have blown and crew had neither the time nor resources to replace it, etc, etc...).

 

An Oscar contender, IMO. :)