This week, you’ll have the opportunity to see three incredible movies that received overwhelming critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations on Mason’s campus. The Office of Student Involvement will host screenings of these films in the Johnson Center Cinema, free for Mason students.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF JAKARTA FAIL/FLICKR)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The long-awaited prequel to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will end its run at the JC Cinema April 6-13. This first part of a trilogy adaptation from J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous work of fantasy is about a fussy and reluctant creature named Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is called upon to join a ragtag team of thirteen dwarves to help reclaim their stolen kingdom and treasure from a mighty dragon.
Led by the wise wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), the fellowship embarks on a perilous quest that involves trolls, goblins, the fearsome creature Gollum (Andy Serkis) and many other dangers.
Though smaller in scope and stakes than “The Lord of the Rings,” part one of “The Hobbit” is an action-packed cinematic experience that’s a marvel to behold. New Zealand’s stunning scenery and state-of-the-art special effects make for a visually thrilling film. Incorporating material from Tolkien’s extensive liner notes and appendices, director Peter Jackson affectionately fleshes out a somewhat slim children’s novel into a rich, ambitious epic.
Unfortunately, this causes the film to suffer from an excessive length, clocking in at almost three hours, and the first 45 minutes are especially slow going. Despite these pacing issues, though, this unexpected journey is one well worth takin — full of dazzling visuals, an amazing cast and storytelling that will transport you to another world.
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Django Unchained
On April 13, OSI Films will premiere “Pulp Fiction” director Quentin Tarantino’s latest masterpiece, “Django Unchained.” In the South, two years before the Civil War, German bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Chrisoph Waltz) buys the freedom of slave Django (Jamie Foxx) and hires him as his assis- tant to track down wanted criminals for the reward money. Their exploits lead them to the Mississippi plantation of the ruthlessly evil Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), who has enslaved Django’s wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). Determined to rescue the damsel in distress from Candie’s clutches, Django and Schultz hatch a plan for revenge that ultimately arouses the suspicions of Candie’s trusted — and equally ruthless — house slave, Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson).
Tarantino’s films are always stylistically daring and intriguing, and “Django Unchained” is no exception. It certainly doesn’t pull any punches — the depic- tion of such unyielding racism, the blood-spattering violence and the near-constant use of the N-word may offend some — but the film’s brutality is balanced with bursts of pure giddiness. And it works surprisingly perfectly. The outrageous revenge plot, some incredibly witty dialogue, an outstanding cast and gory, over-the-top excess culminate in a subversive Spaghetti western-style commentary on both the horrors and the lunacy of slavery. It’s bloody, unapologetic, daring and one of the most wildly entertaining films of 2012.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF DEVYN JOHNSON)
Reportero
Finally, on April 10 at 6:00 p.m., GMU Film and Media Studies will host a screening of the documentary “Reportero.” The eye-opening film chronicles the true-life story of veteran reporter Sergio Haro and his colleagues as they practice hard-hitting investigative journalism on the drug cartels of Tijuana, Mexico — considered to be one of the deadliest places in the world for the media. The screening will be held at the Meese Conference Room in Mason Hall. Admission is free, and an exclusive Q&A session with award-winning filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz will follow the screening.
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