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Favorite Cinematography of 2011


David Mullen ASC

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Top 5

The Tree of Life

The Artist

Hugo

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

 

Next tier

War Horse

The Ides of March

The Adjustment Bureau

Jane Eyre

 

Also enjoyed the cinematography of:

Captain America

Cowboys and Aliens

The Descendants

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Mission Impossible 4

Pirates of the Caribbean 4

Super-8

Midnight in Paris

 

It's been a busy year for me so I haven't seen many films like "Drive" or "J.Edgar", etc.

 

I notice that the majority of these titles were still shot on film.

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Also enjoyed the cinematography of:

Captain America....

I don't know if you saw it in 3-D, but I couldn't get over how convincing the 3-D effects were, considering it was shot 2-D and converted in Post. After seeing some truly diabolical why-did-they-bother 2-D to 3-D conversions, it certainly changed my opinion of the technique.

 

I notice that the majority of these titles were still shot on film.

 

And the 7-8 year old Genesis is still hanging in there!

And in an infamous but now-deleted thread on Reduser they mentioned that Tom Lowe's main man Terrence Malick, is now shooting on the Alexa...

 

The choice of format is not necessarily about advantages, it's about perceived advantages. And just because somebody (no matter how eminent) perceives an advantage, doesn't mean it's actually there.

The only clear message appears to be that to get anywhere in this industry, one shouldn't get too doctrinaire about formats...

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And in an infamous but now-deleted thread on Reduser they mentioned that Tom Lowe's main man Terrence Malick, is now shooting on the Alexa...

Oh wow that's interesting. I think Tom actually shot for him too in some capacity.

 

I've got a lot of films to still see, but Drive was great. I've only seen The Tree of Life in your top 5, I"m really keen to see Hugo, that looks particularly great and The Artist just came to my notice too.

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Top 5

The Tree of Life

The Artist

Hugo

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

 

Great list, David! I was amazed at the sensitivity of the film stocks used in "Tree of Life",

especially considering how sparingly artificial light was used in the film.

 

This is a look that surpasses that of any digital camera, IMHO, regardless of the ability of

cameras such as the Sony F35 to "see in the dark".

 

-Jerry Murrel

CineVision AR

Little Rock

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Considering it was shot on film, I wasn't all that impressed with the image quality of Thor when I saw in 3-D in a cinema, (not the one I usually go to I should add). However last night I hired the Blu-Ray (2-D), and there's just no comparison. Now I see what people mean about crap 3-D projection setups; seems like I'd actually encountered one before!

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I assume you mean the remake, as I think the original was released in 2010?

 

love

 

Freya

Y'all mean that funny forrin' Scandahoovian thang?

Ah couldn' near understand a single word they sayed!

Uncle Mort wanted to put them fool sub-title thangs on, but Maw gits ornery 'cause cousin Cletus keeps readin' 'em out loud all time. (Iffn' they'd leave 'em on a bit longer, 'twouldn't be so bad).

It's bad enough all them black bars at the top and bottom of the screen.

Dagnabbit; we PAID for all them nineteen screen inches; no Eurotrash Reindeer Farmer is gonna fill mah TV with black bars, not I have anythang to do with it!

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david's list got the best of 2011, starting with "the tree of life", no doubt about that. i'd just add the very fine cinematography of bruno delbonnel (afc,asc) on aleksandr sokulov's "faust" (golden lion in venice 2011) and the excellent job luca bigazzi did on paolo sorrentino's "this must be the place", starring sean penn (as far as i know it will be released in february in the us).

 

but let me share with you an funny, but meaningful anedoct about "the tree of life": in a theatre in the city of bologna, here in italy, by mistake they screened the second half of the film before the first - in some theatres we still have first half, second half and a break in between so they can sell popcorns & ice screams :) - and it seems the audience enjoyed it regardless of the accidental inversion of the storyline.

this story went on all the national newspapers and i like to believe that the lesson is: the public can still be captured by powerful imagery and magic visuals autonomously from the verbal narrative and sometimes, such as in this case, the imagery stands on its own, providing for most emotions and meanings of the film.

Edited by Vincenzo Condorelli AIC
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Guest Stephen Murphy

One of my favourites this year was Masanobu Takayanagi's work on "Warrior". Also thought Robbie Ryans work on "Wuthering Heights" was great and I thought Rodrigo Prieto's "Biutiful" was some of the best work of the year (it was released early 2011 in the uk). I also loved "Drive". In general this year I found myself seeing far less current releases then usual and spending more time looking at older movies in revival theatres or during festivals.

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but let me share with you an funny, but meaningful anedoct about "the tree of life": in a theatre in the city of bologna, here in italy, by mistake they screened the second half of the film before the first

 

That's happened here at the local film festival - reel switches of all kinds of iteration are possible

 

Say you had a 5 reel film sometimes the head a tail labelling can get mixed up when the last cinema put the film back onto spools from platter projection for transport

 

1-3-2-4-5

 

Being 'fesitval' films people are prepared for non-linear narrative and jump cuts etc...

 

(But NOT credits mid way through :lol: )

 

It's not to far of a stretch to suggest that some films might be better off for it :P

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That's happened here at the local film festival - reel switches of all kinds of iteration are possible

 

Say you had a 5 reel film sometimes the head a tail labelling can get mixed up when the last cinema put the film back onto spools from platter projection for transport

 

1-3-2-4-5

 

Being 'fesitval' films people are prepared for non-linear narrative and jump cuts etc...

 

(But NOT credits mid way through :lol: )

 

It's not to far of a stretch to suggest that some films might be better off for it :P

 

here the article from vanity fair (the italian edition) reporting about this:

 

vanity fair italia

 

they kept screening the mixed up reels for an entire week! :D

 

going back to topic:

 

the camera car sequences in "drive" are the most beautifully lit i've ever seen...big congratulations to newton thomas sigel asc.

Edited by Vincenzo Condorelli AIC
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TOP 5:

 

"The Tree of Life" - Emmanuel Lubezki

"Jane Eyre" - Adriano Goldman

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" - Hoyte Van Hoytema

"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" - Jeff Cronenweth

"The Artist" - Guillaume Schiffman

 

NEXT TIER:

 

"Drive" - Newton Thomas Sigel

 

 

ALSO LIKED:

 

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" - Andrew Lesnie

"The Skin I live in" - José Luis Alcaine

"Super 8" - Larry Fong

"Midnight in Paris" - Darius Khondji

"The Thing" - Michel Abramowicz

 

HAVEN'T SEEN YET:

 

"War Horse", "J. Edgar", "Hugo", "Ides of March", "Adjustement Bureau", "The Descendants"...

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Stephen i agree with you with warrior loved the run and gun cinematography and the intensity of it. The colour palette was great too.

 

I havent seen tree of life yet.. is it really outstanding? i love chivo's work.

 

I think Drive is amazing and has beautiful cinematography especially in the car garage when he finds his friend..... won't spoil it, but it has a lovely colour of deep yellow and rays of sun flagged looked soo good.

 

Super 8 was great anamorphic loads but loved it.. made me feel young again.

 

But for me the Warrior and Drive. Alexa performed well only camera i think that stands out in digital world, beats red in all honestly and many aspects..

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was really impressed by Wally Pfister's work on Moneyball and was surprised to see that he wasn't recognized by the ASC or Academy. I'd say it was my favorite of the year.

 

Top 5:

 

Moneyball

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Hugo

The Tree of Life

The Artist

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Well just to be awkward I'm going to nominate Hanna for cinematography of 2011.

It was shot by Alwin H. Küchler BSC

 

I also have a Bsc but mine isn't in captials like that, anyway, very varied and beautiful work.

Worth checking out for the cinematography alone, and I reckon it's a better film than Super8 which I felt was mostly carried by Ms Fanning.

 

Hanna also has a surprisingly good soundtrack by the chemical brothers, the album of which is almost great but is let down by one track.

 

love

 

Freya

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Well just to be awkward I'm going to nominate Hanna for cinematography of 2011.

It was shot by Alwin H. Küchler BSC

 

I also have a Bsc but mine isn't in captials like that, anyway, very varied and beautiful work.

Worth checking out for the cinematography alone, and I reckon it's a better film than Super8 which I felt was mostly carried by Ms Fanning.

 

Hanna also has a surprisingly good soundtrack by the chemical brothers, the album of which is almost great but is let down by one track.

 

love

 

Freya

 

nothing awkward saying Hanna was shot beautifully - it was. I actually forgot about it and I've seen it twice in the cinema.

 

There was no film used in Drive, so I can't rank it. lol The cinematography was good, the storytelling even better.

 

This year's best was Tree of Life.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just some titles that I'm amazed weren't mentioned anywhere in this thread.

 

1. Bir zamanlar Anadolu'da / Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

 

 

2. Elena

 

 

3.Pina

4. Montevideo, Bog te video: Prica prva / Montevideo, Taste of a Dream

5. This Must Be The Place (possibly)

Edited by Rex Orwell
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