What Makes It Tick?
Inside Llewyn Davis: The Perfect Aristotelian Structure
Posted by Jennine Lanouette on Thursday, March 6th, 2014
When I first saw the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, I came home, went upstairs, threw myself on my bed and wept. It was December 25th and I had a house full of friends who I’d invited to the movies with the promise of a big dinner after. They busied themselves below, putting things in… read the full article.
A Variation on Theme: Bernie
Posted by Jennine Lanouette on Thursday, September 6th, 2012
I recently wrote a guest post for the Filmonomics blog on Slated.com giving an intro to how I analyze screenplay stories. In it, I presented my bottom line definition of a story thus: You have to go from A to B. Then I laid out three ways that can be done: through plot, character or… read the full article.
Big Yellow Hotel: The Descendants
Posted by Jennine Lanouette on Monday, June 25th, 2012
In February, I started writing about Oscar nominees from the screenplay categories. I wanted to find out which one I’d give the prize to, if it were up to me. This week I’m taking a look at The Descendants, which was the winner for adapted screenplay. First, I want to disclose that I am marginally… read the full article.
The Avengers: With a Cherry on Top
Posted by Jennine Lanouette on Thursday, May 31st, 2012
Sometimes I ask myself – Why do I spend so much time criticizing the big films when small is where my heart is? Today, my answer is – Because they ask to be criticized. They go out onto the world stage and loudly demand our attention. Faced with such bravado, I feel no hesitation about… read the full article.
Inglourious Basterds
Posted by Jennine Lanouette on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
I’d like to take a moment to underscore the importance of Inglourious Basterds in the evolution of screen drama. Just when we thought all the rules of dramatic narrative had been broken, we discover there was one more rule that was so deeply ingrained we were not even aware we were living by it. And… read the full article.