My Film Review

UNDERSTANDABLY, THE LAST message has already drawn comparisons to American Psycho with both male leads having that sense of mental instability which surrounds their lives. Within the two films, both heavily feature a sumptuous woman who is the main love interest to the protagonist – but the similarities are only in the broad sense. Where American Psycho’s focus is all about the experimental idiosyncrasy with fear and violence, The Last Message is more interested with the despondency of not being able to accept the fact that two people who were an item are no longer.

In the monotonous opening sequence we learn that Melissa (Katrina Allison) receives a significant amount of phone messages from Alex (Adam Marsh) in the hope of an avid response for Alex’s sake and also the audiences. Visually, there is a cycle of apathetic exposition which insinuates a little bit of Alex’s psychopathic ego that he possesses. This lingers throughout the film and gradually helps us as an audience to cast a decision of what this man is capable of. The next portion of the film – the affection section – is appealing enough but can be seen as dreary and generic. Alex goes in search of Melissa hoping he can have the assistance and help from her friends to find out what is going on but that wasn’t going to happen – was it? Whereas his presumptuous best buddy Tom (Harry Bradford, in a role so poorly written it seems like something personal) is there for him to give the most important advice of his life. Tom’s advice does not really take effect as Alex comes out with words such as “Don’t say that, she’s everything to me and she’s still mine” which indicates that he is not going to give up on her and not listen to the best advice he could of ever heard. It’s a relief that there has only been one badly written character with the lead (Marsh) saving the day and being stupendous in the latter stages of the film Marsh plays Alex down to a T, even if the characters roles around are not so great. You also have to give credit to Oliver Quinton for Marsh’s performance with infusing Alex’s character into a more twisted and neo – farcical psycho that makes the film obsessive theme a whole lot more interesting. Quinton also defies the critics with the second half of the film described as “Spectacular”, “Staggering” and being the most unpredictable climax to a psychological thriller ever.

Thankfully, the second half of the film is fantastic as the film takes a fairly dramatic tonal shift, entirely for the better with a stronger sense of narrative structure that allows Marsh to create massive amounts of charisma and power. This is not to mention the explosive moments that confuse the audience by insisting on a mixed reaction. It’s these moments which Quinton binds in his taut direction with scenes that depict the egotistical psycho in a way that has never been done before – well, I certainly have not seen anything like it. As the film does gradually accelerate into a clever dash towards the big climax it uses a few simple but remarkably effective camera techniques to keep you thrilled. It’s a testament to how exactly the film builds to its conclusion that only days later you do realise this finale is one of the best you have ever seen.

VERDICT If you can make it through the bland schmaltz of the first half you’ll be rewarded with a astonishingly intense climax. This could be a thriller that is remembered as an all time classic.

My Film Poster - The Last Message

From looking at my own film poster you can instantly tell that it is a psychological thriller. The poster has one main image that fills half of the poster and it is of the main actor. The main image is of Adam Marsh who portrays the role of Alex in our film. With only seeing half of his face this suggests that his could be hiding something which could comply with the films narrative. This main image could also suggest there are two sides two this man and does not always have to be negative. The different pieces of text on the poster are white and red which are typical thriller colours. With the use of these colour it kinds of gives away the genre and these colours are used on most thriller film posters. With the use of black as the background of this poster it suggests that Alex holds a lot of power and this colour could also be associated with fear. With some of the text being white however it could suggest that he is more innocent than you think. On this poster there are pieces of text that are red which again swings the mood to a more dangerous man. The title for this film is called “The Last Message” which gives the audience something to think about in terms of what that last message contains. This is what will sell our film as we do not have a well know actor. With the title font being a serif font it gives the approach that the film is more serious than you think. Below the title is the tagline which reads “How far would you go to make someone yours” which instantly involves the reader. This tagline suggests that Alex could go to extreme lengths to get what he wants. With the “someone yours” part being in read it just highlights the fact that what is actually meant by somebody being yours. The use of red here also suggests the determination of Alex to get what he needs. With there being no actor or directors name on the poster it tells the audience that they are not very well know with the title being the best chance of selling the film. As you can see “coming soon” in the middle of the poster it shows that it has been constructed in the form of a coming soon poster. It also suggests this with a date at the bottom of the poster to tell the audience how soon it is coming out. At the very bottom of the poster we have put all the information about who was involved in the film. We have used a typical diamond formation which you see on most film posters. The names include actor, director, the production team, screenplay etc. The font is a lot smaller here because it’s not the most important text on the poster.

Film Poster - Kick-Ass

The last film poster I have chosen to look at is "Kick-Ass", when looking at this poster you can instantly tell what type of film it is. With the different montage of images that this poster has you can tell that it's an action/comedy film. The image as a whole is a bunch of superheros and mediates a strip from a comic book that it is based on. Each superhero is wearing a different colour costume which helps with the films narrative in terms of what the characters are about. In the centre of the poster is the superhero in green which could indicate that he is the less dangerous of them all as green has a strong emotional correspondence with safety. Beside him is a superhero dressed in a purple costume which tells the audience she is more ambitious and mysterious than the one in green. Above these two characters is another two superheros with one dressed in black and the other dressed in red. The one dressed in black could be seen as more evil and stronger than the others. The one in red can also be seen stronger and dangerous than the others. The title "Kick-Ass" is in a big, bold, yellow font behind the characters. The colour yellow is a good colour to use as it is very energetic which goes with the theme of the film. At the bottom of the poster it reads "In Theatres April 16" which means the film is coming out soon. This is also in a yellow font just below the billing block. The tagline for this film poster is "Shut Up. Kick-Ass." which is quite comedic as it is basically saying get on with it.

The actor's names have been placed at the top of the poster from left to right. They are all in a white font with their last names slightly bigger. The lead Aaron Johnson is not very well known with this film being his biggest one yet. The film does have a very well known actor in it though with Nicolas Cage playing one of the superheros. With him being in the film it will help with selling the film. The director's name is only mentioned in the billing block at the bottom of the poster which tells us he is not very well known. The information at the bottom yet again includes most of the people involved with the film. Underneath this is a website where fans can visit to gather further information about the film.

Film Poster - Jumper

On this poster there is one main image that has been constructed very cleverly. The image is of the main actor in the film (Hayden Christensen) and has been created to look like a hologram which gives away the genre that tells us that this is a science fiction film. This holographic image tells the audience straight away that this is no ordinary man. It gives away the fact that he has some power which others do not posses. In the bottom of the image there is a montage of images which represent different countries. The iconography has been used to represent the fact that he can teleport to different countries in a matter of seconds. The pyramids are shown to represent Egypt, the Sydney opera house to represent Australia, and Big Ben to represent London. The iconography used here helps with the films narrative by giving the audience an idea of what the story is about. Also the fact that he is wearing a long black coat makes him a more mysterious character. With this poster having a white background it could suggest that this character is more innocent than you think and is not all negative. The actor Hayden Christensen is famous worldwide gaining this fame from portraying Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. This means the audience would recognise this actor even know his doesn't appear on the poster.

The biggest piece of text you see on this poster is the title "Jumper" which is another word for teleporting. The title also looks holographic which goes with the theme of the film. Just below the title is the same font which reads "In Cinemas February 14" which means this poster is in the form of a coming soon poster. At the top of the poster in black writing it reads "From the director of the Bourne Identity and Mr & Mrs Smith". As soon as the audience see these film titles they will instantly think that this film is of very high quality. People who liked these two films will defiantly come and see this film as they liked the director's work before. When a poster mentions the previous work of a director it helps a lot with selling the film. The tagline on this poster consists of three words which are "Anywhere, Anything, Instantly" which anchors the audience into believing that this guy can teleport to any place on earth when he wants. This film poster has no billing block but does have a website at the bottom instead. This is there for fans to gather further information about the film.

Film Poster - Limitless

This poster has used a montage of images with the two central images being the two main actors. The images in the background have been cleverly stylized to create a busy city. Iconography plays a big part as the images together are to represent New York City. This instantly tells the audience that both of these men lead a busy lifestyle. The background images are very bright and make the poster look techno which fits well with this techno- thriller. There are also phrases from the film such as "Unlock your potential" and "Clear Pill" that have been placed in the form of a billboard or shop name down the high street. These phrases are also written in a techno font to blend in with the city. The leading man in this film (Bradley Cooper) is a popular actor and is the central image of this poster. He is wearing a smart suit with no tie and top button, this suggests that he is found to be attractive guy in the film and money isn't all he thinks about. Whereas Robert De Niro is wearing a suit with a tie which could suggest that he is more concerned with his financial business. With Robert De Niro being on the poster it is a massive advantage in selling this film because he is one of the world's best known actors.

The film title is the biggest font of them all which stands out the most. It is in a white font like the other titles such as the actor's names which goes with the theme of the film. The three main actor's names are positioned at the top of the poster from left to right. The tagline that the film carries is "Everything is possible, when you open your mind". This really gives the audience something to think about in terms of its actual meaning. It means that you can be as powerful as you want and achieve anything if you are able to access all of your brain. This is how it anchors the audience in thinking that these men are capable of achieving anything. The billing block at the bottom of the poster is in a small blue font with the people's names slightly bigger. The director's name is only in this piece of text which tells you that he is not very well known. The text is in a diamond formation with the companies involved in distributing the film underneath. This poster is in the form of the film being released soon.  

Film Poster - Hostage

The first thing you notice when looking at this poster is the very well known Bruce Willis. As he has been in over sixty films his popularity has grown and he is best known for his die hard masterworks. This plays a big part is selling the film as all action/thriller lovers will pay to see this movie. Most films starring Bruce Willis is this type of genre and this is what the target audience expect to see. The main image of Bruce Willis holding a gun instantly represents violence and danger. Once again he is involved in a narrative with people's lives on the line and it's his responsibility to help them. The poster looks like it has been damaged and scratched, this gives the impression the narrative is dangerous and people are in danger of getting hurt.

On this poster there is a lot of text with the title being the biggest one that stands out the most. The title "Hostage" is bold and is a red font. The title has also been stylized to look like it has been scratched to give that element of danger. The stars name "Bruce Willis" has been positioned just above the title in the same red font which means his name is just as good, if not better than the film title. The poster carries two taglines with the biggest one reading "On March 11th there will be no negotiation". First of all there is a date which tells the audience when the film is going to be released, this means it has been structured in the form of a coming soon poster. This tagline also anchors the audience into believing that Bruce Willis will get his way no matter what. The other tagline reads "Would you sacrifice another family to save your own" which tells the audience that Willis is going to show a lot of courage to save everyone. The taglines and all the other text on the poster are in a white font. At the bottom of the poster it mentions it is based on the number one best selling thriller. This also helps with selling the film as people will understand it is based on a very popular novel. Also at the bottom is all the information about who was involved in the film. It is in a very small font with the various jobs being mentioned as always. The director's name only appears in this billing block which means he is not very well known.   

Film Poster - 127 Hours

From looking at this film poster you can instantly tell that the genre is some sort of adventure film with some high energy experience attached. The poster has one main image that fills the whole poster and has been constructed very cleverly. The image has been constructed to convey an hourglass with the two canyons coming in either side in a triangular shape to form the hourglass. The main actor is placed in the centre of the poster with a boulder just below him which is very significant in terms of the films narrative. This part of the image with the main actor and the boulder below is actually in the film so that is where it has been taken from. The main actor (James Franco) is a recognisable character and has been in a lot of films with achieving his international fame with the portrayal of Harry Osborn in the spider - man trilogy.

The different pieces of text on the poster are different shades of brown which goes with the main image (Canyons). The title being the biggest sized font which has been placed towards the bottom part of the poster with the main actors name just above. With "127 Hours" being the film title it gives the audience something to think about in terms of what it actually means and what these hours represent. Below the title is the tagline which reads "Every Second Counts" which anchors the audience into believing that the time is crucial. The other noticeable piece of text which is located at the top of the poster reads "A Triumphant true story" which majorly helps with selling this film. When an audience see's those two words "true story" it becomes of very high interest to them as people are more interested in films that are true. Just below this the text in a slightly smaller font, it reads "from the academy award - winning director of slumdog millionaire". As soon as the audience see the title "Slumdog Millionaire" as it is in a slightly bolder font, from this they will know that this film is going to be good as Slumdog won eight academy awards including best director which is the director of this film. When a poster mentions the previous work of a director you know that the film is of very high standard and also helps yet again with selling the film. 

At the very bottom of the poster is all the information about who was involved with the film. This ranges from the distributors, production companies, actors, music, editor and right down to the director. When mentioning these jobs the font size is very small but the text beside the jobs is a lot bigger and clearer which tells us the person who does the job. Most film posters use a diamond formation to present the information whereas this poster has used more of a rectangular shape. The text is small but is still in capitals like every other piece of text on the poster. Below the billing block is a website that you can check to gather more information about the film. This film poster is in the form of being released at the cinema soon as it has "Coming soon" at the foot of the poster.

Film Poster

A film poster is used to advertise a film and many studios often print several posters that vary in size and content. The posters that are printed are for various domestic and international markets. A poster will normally contain an image which will often feature photographs of the main actors. You can get a set of character posters which is for a film with an ensemble cast, each featuring an individual character from the film. The text of a film poster will usually contain the film title in large lettering which is mainly the biggest font on the poster. The text will also contain the names of the main actors that are starring in the film, along with the director's name and release date. From the three, title, actors, and director the film title is usually the one that sells the film. The actors who star in the film and who directed the film also plays a big part when selling the film. A film poster will also have a tagline which is a slogan that will anchor the poster. It is a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of the film. The audience is not encouraged to stray beyond the fixed layer of meaning that the tagline creates.

A film poster contains other elements to it such as stylized graphics which are usually used to create a background to form something that is significant to the film. Film posters also contain a montage of images which are usually individual images of each of the characters if the film has well known cast. It could also have a montage of images centred around the main character showing a number of images from the film. The credits on the poster are also centred usually in a diamond formation at the bottom of the poster below the main image. Mimicry is another thriving element to a film poster as it could be mimicking another film poster with a humorous version of the film which we have seen over the past decade with the scary movie franchise. Mimicry has other styles to it such as simply having two main characters opposite sides of the poster. Film posters also use images and characters to mimic a specific object that relates to the film. This use of mimicry can be very effective and eye-catching towards an audience.

Film posters are displayed in cinema's across the globe and outside of the cinema as well. You will find film posters on billboards in the street and at bus stops. These posters can also be found on the side of buses and in shops. Film posters can be used on DVDS as well on the internet, whereas the main film posters we see usually are coming soon posters which you will find at your local cinema. You can get other types of film posters such as a teaser poster which is an early promotional poster, containing a basic image or design without revealing too much information such as the plot, theme and characters. The purpose of this poster is to generate hype for the film. There are also remix posters that are posters that have been altered to change the intent of the original film poster. This poster often contains a political or comedic message, using the credibility of the film poster format to deliver the message of whoever is creating the remixed poster. Another film poster that you would see around would be a motion poster which is a more recent type of poster in which the poster is animated. Whatever type of film poster you see it can always suggest what the film genre is.

Title Sequence

We decided to have the opening titles play through the opening sequences of the film. This means we see the titles over the top of the opening scenes. We felt that if we did it this way it would be a very unique approach and challenge conventions of a real thriller film. The phone messages are also being played in this opening sequence which adds to the very effective opening sequences. For the end credits we used a typical classic sequence in having the white credits onto a black background. These credits included the director, Cast members, and screenwriter etc. I feel that with these titles being placed in with the phone messages it has made the film a lot more professional.  

Sound Addition

As we decided to not have a specific soundtrack playing throughout our film we decided to play the phone messages of Alex trying to get into contact with Melissa. As a group we placed these phone messages over the opening scenes such as when Alex is in his living room and when he is writing the letter. With this dialogue being played straight from the start it sets the atmosphere for the rest of the film. After adding the sound in we watched it back and found that it was really eerie with it suiting the film genre.