Film Intuition: Articles and Essays

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(c) Jen Johans. filmintuition.com

Alfonso Arau & Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate--
Utilizing the essay format, I analyze Alfonso Arau's directorial
adaptation of wife Laura Esquivel's novel Like Water for Chocolate as a
successful cinematic work of magic realism while also interweaving the
ways it handles family duty, gender roles, and romantic love. *contains
spoilers*

Alfonso Cuaron's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban-- After studying the first five films in the series in the Harry
Potter Film Guide linked to below, I evaluate Cuaron's successful
adaptation of the third novel with a main focus on shot choice and
cinematic technique in augmenting J.K. Rowling's source material.
*contains spoilers*

Alfred Hitchcock's Cinematically Coiled Rope-- Critical essay
exploring Hitchcock's own statements regarding his experimental film
Rope, along with the reactions of cinematic historians and scholars.
*contains spoilers*

"All You Need Is Love." Across the Universe: Julie Taymor
& The Beatles-- Featuring more than 20 video clips, 50 photographs
and Beatles research, this 8 page article serves as a comprehensive
multimedia viewer's guide to Julie Taymor's under-appreciated
masterpiece. *contains spoilers*

The Big Score: The Killing, Reservoir Dogs and Heist-- Brief
critical study of Film Noir heist movies beginning with Stanley Kubrick's
influential masterpiece, The Killing and leading up to Quentin
Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and David Mamet's Heist. *contains spoilers*

The Cinematic Makeover of Elizabeth Bennet-- Three
Versions of Pride and Prejudice-- Comparison of three modern
adaptations of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by directors Joe
Wright, Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones's Diary) and Gurinder Chadha
(Bride and Prejudice) with analysis of and references to the novel.
*contains spoilers*

Commenting On Our Times: Hal Ashby and the 1970's--
Biographical data and evaluation of the recurring themes and cinematic
motifs that ran throughout the filmmaking career of director Hal Ashby.
*contains spoilers*

Deepa Mehta's The Republic of Love-- With strict attention to
detail, this essay compares and contrasts the novel The Republic of Love
by Pulitzer-Prize Winner Carol Shields with the 2003 cinematic version
from acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta. *contains spoilers*

Doppelgangers and Dreamscapes: The Cinema of David
Lynch (Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive)-- Investigation of
writer/director David Lynch's two most critically lauded films with
inclusion of various viewpoints and commentary by film scholars
regarding both Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. *contains spoilers*

Harry Potter 1-5: A Muggle Film Buff's Guide to the
Magicians Behind the Movies-- Insight and analysis on the first
five Harry Potter films with particular emphasis on the directors
involved and their past cinematic works.

"I Like the Way You Talk." Sling Blade as Noir-- Investigating
new critical approaches to Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade as both a
work inspired by Film Noir and one that is also considered an
outstanding and sensitive cinematic representation of disability.
*contains spoilers*

In the Mood for Translation: A Look at Wong Kar-wai's In
the Mood for Love & Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation--
Essay comparing and contrasting the many similarities and differences
of the influential In the Mood for Love from director Wong Kar-wai on
Sofia Coppola's breakout hit Lost in Translation. *contains spoilers*

J im Jarmusch: A Profile-- Short biographical look at the
independent film director culminating with an introduction to Broken
Flowers.

John Cassavetes: A Critical Perspective-- Background
information and analysis of critical reactions to the work of John
Cassavetes along with particular emphasis on Faces. *contains spoilers*

McCarthyism, Masculinity & The 1950's Western: High
Noon, Silver Lode and Rio Bravo-- Investigative look at the
political subtext, gender and moral messages woven through Fred
Zinnemann's High Noon, Alan Dwan's Silver Lode and Howard Hawks'
Rio Bravo with in-depth analysis and inclusion of biographical research
and critical reactions to the films as important documents of American
history. *contains spoilers*

Patrice Leconte & Girl on the Bridge-- Only masterful French
director Patrice Leconte can take "suicidal girl meets knife-throwing
boy" and turn it into a delightfully sexy and whimsical romance.

The Reflection of Life: Truffaut's Adventures of Antoine
Doinel-- In-depth analysis and biographical information surrounding
the making and critical reception of Francois Truffaut's Antoine Doinel
series that helped launch the French New Wave. *contains spoilers*

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette-- Background information on
the production of the film Marie Antoinette featuring a look at the
cinematic techniques employed.

Steven Soderbergh: Generation Indie on Videotape--
Chronicling the independent film boom of the 1980's, this article
investigates sex, lies, and videotape as arguably the most important and
definitive film of Generation X in marking the change from the 1980's
Me Generation to the Why Me Generation of the 1990's. *contains
spoilers*

The Three Colors Trilogy: A Viewer's Guide to Kieslowski's
Blue, White & Red-- An overview of the three works, exploring
critical interpretations, cast and crew research, and cinematic
technique to find overlapping themes which lead to a richer
understanding of the series. *contains spoilers*

"Where Is My Mind?" Chaucer's "Unreliable Narrator"
Goes Neo-Noir (The Usual Suspects, Fight Club and
Memento)-- By taking a look at three Neo-Noir puzzle films, this article
charts the success of each work's evolution of Chaucer's "Unreliable
Narrator" and the quality and critical reception of the Singer's Usual
Suspects, Fincher's Fight Club and Nolan's Memento. *contains spoilers*

Woody Allen's Existential Crimes and Misdemeanors--
Complete summary and analysis of writer/director Woody Allen's
Crimes and Misdemeanors that highlights moral questioning, cinematic
technique, allegory and subtext along with research on Allen's outlook
on the film. *contains spoilers*