Anthony Le’s New Short Film – “Shoes”

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Next year, I’m planning to make a short film, “Shoes,” that will be my first budgeted short. This is the Kickstarter campaign I’ve started for it, which will be ending on October 19th, 2015. The goal I’m trying to raise is $2,100 which isn’t a huge budget for a short, but it’s a start! Please, please, please help me fund this project, I am eternally grateful to you whether you can donate $1 or $20 or any amount! I just really want to fund my dream, and make it a reality. Any amount that you invest will be greatly appreciated 🙂 If you want to read the Screenplay before you actually fund the project to see what the film is about, and see what you’re actually investing in, don’t hesitate to message me.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, and taking it into consideration 🙂 Thank you in advance to everyone who contributes to the project – either through the Kickstarter contribution or just simply their faith in the project. Oh, and please don’t donate Anonymously so I know who to thank and all 🙂

Here’s the link to the Kickstarter:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/anthonyle17/shoes-2016-a-short-film

Here’s the link to my Facebook if you have any questions:
www.facebook.com/fonyz

My email is:
anthonyqmle@gmail.com

Feel free to contact me either to:
1/ Support the project
2/ Ask about the project and other details
3/ To tell me the project sucks (but I’ll probably be really sad 😦 )

August 21, 2015October 2, 2015 by anthonyqmle

Tom At The Farm Review: Xavier Dolan Directs Himself

“Next time you go on a whim, try to go for the soybean field.
It’s October, corn cuts like a knife.”

Watching Tom At The Farm has proved one thing to me – in my opinion, Xavier Dolan is one of the most overrated working directors. Having seen his latest feature, Mommy, it’s evident that Dolan has a specific style; one that doesn’t particularly strike as unique or extraordinary in any way. Don’t get me wrong – his films are still good, but Dolan is certainly not one of the best directors of all time. At the age of 26, it seems as if he’s still trying to discover his voice, and something that distinguishes him. But, there is a reason that Dolan resonates with so many people: his characters.

To me, I find I’m not particularly engaged in his stories or his characters. Tom At The Farm starts out very great, and I loved the first half; convinced that I was wrong about my opinions of Dolan. But, Tom At The Farm ultimately falls short throughout the second half of the film. Why? Dolan’s “speciality,” for lack of a better term, is creating films that analyze flawed, and at times terrible characters. But, and this is my problem with Sofia Coppola’s work too, sitting at a runtime over 90 minutes, Tom At The Farm often feels far too heavy-handed. The storyline of Tom At The Farm itself is very interesting when you look at it in retrospect – reading the synopsis made me want to see this film. But, the execution through Dolan’s hands makes the film feel lost, and without a purpose.

One of the greatest living directors, Martin Scorsese, does the same thing as Dolan. From The Wolf of Wall Street to The Departed to Goodfellas, Scorsese is a master of directing bad characters; characters that are consumed by their criminality. For me, I believe Scorsese understands how to work with characters like these. He makes you like the characters, and provides you with a anti-hero of sorts, at least providing the audience with a definite protagonist. Dolan differs in that way, and this is where my opinion differs from most – I don’t like the fact that there’s no definite protagonist in Dolan’s films. In Mommy, you couldn’t root for Steve and you couldn’t root for his mother either – both characters traits were enhanced to the point in which they seemed like caricatures of people – hyperbolized versions of themselves.

“I don’t care about people, so people don’t care about me, you know.”

In Tom At The Farm, Dolan does very much the same thing. For the first half of the film, the characters and their motivations behind the characters can be understood, but as the film progresses, the connections with the characters quickly deteriorate to the point in which you’re staring at the canvas – Tom At The Farm– and you’re thinking “what the hell am I still watching this movie for?” That being said though, it’s not all bad news for Dolan. Overall, I enjoyed this film – it’s just not something I would label as the work of a modern auteur.
The performance, especially, from Dolan himself, was extraordinary. And though I can’t specifically relate to his characters and get behind their motivations, it’s evident that these are well-developed characters. The cinematography is great, and I stayed adequately entertained throughout. Though I can’t say I think Xavier Dolan is especially a great director, he definitely makes commendable work. Tom At The Farm proves as another successful outting for the young director, who I believe, with every film he continues to make, will get better and better.

★★★

Written by Anthony Le

August 16, 2015August 17, 2015 by anthonyqmle

Straight Outta Compton’s One of The Best of 2015

“FUCK THE POLICE coming straight from the underground”
As you read this review, BLAST THIS

Without hesitation or doubt, Straight Outta Compton is my favourite film of the year so far. I’m claiming this movie as mine, though undoubtedly, a ton of people will see this film. The film resonated so much with me, even though I’ve never stepped foot inside Compton. Straight Outta Compton hits incredibly hard, and feels insightfully personal.
“Let me tell you what I see here: a lot of raw talent. Swagger. “

Yeah, I love hip hop. And in this film, you get a glimpse of NWA, Tupac, Snoop in his early days … it’s everything you could ask for. The main focus of Straight Outta Compton, though, are Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy E. And fuck, their stories are so much more interesting than any story I’ve seen in a biopic in the past decade. Fuck The Theory of Everything, this was SO MUCH better. The emotion instilled in this film by director F. Gary Gray is masterful. Yes, masterful – the guy that directed Friday has created a quintessential modern masterpiece.

“Our art is a reflection of our reality”

The difference between this film and every other biopic out there? This film feels so real. Like NWA’s music, Straight Outta Compton will be a film that incites controversy and drags out controversial discussions such as the ones about police brutality. What do I have to say about that? FUK DA POLICE. This is the realist biopic I’ve ever seen in my life, and that’s why I love it so much – it doesn’t feel like anyone’s sugarcoating the story of NWA, but it sounds like a simple retelling of their story, which is interesting enough to sustain the audience for its 147 minute runtime. Usually, I’d be done by then. But with Straight Outta Compton? I would’ve loved to see 3 more hours of this high octane thrill ride. Yeah, this biopic is a motherfucking thrill ride. Oh, and in the vain of the BOLD statements NWA made with their music, I’m going to make a bold, controversial comment: every performance in this film is better than Eddie Redmayne’s performance in The Theory of Everything. Sorry I keep comparing this film to that one, I just really don’t agree with any of the acclaim that film got. These are real performances about real people. O’shea Jackson Jr.? That dude was born to play the role of Ice Cube. No, legitimately though. Who could’ve thought that the casting of Ice Cube’s son would’ve been so perfect to play him.

“What’s NWA stand for, anyway? “No Whites Allowed”, something like that”
“No, Niggaz With Attitude.”

Not to mention the actor who played Eazy E, Jason Mitchell. This dude is an amazing actor. And on top of that, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre is incredible. They really show that NWA is worthy of the titled THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS GROUP. And wait, wait, wait, we’re not done yet. On top of all this, we get a glimpse of Snoop D-O double G portrayed by the magnificent Keith Stanfield. This guy nails every performance he gets, whether it’s big or small. And then after you think all the excitement is done, you get a glimpse of Pac recording “California Love.” At this point, I’m thinking two things: “How can this film manage to just keep getting better” and “How does this guy looks EXACTLY like Pac?” It’s an incredible sight. The film packs an incredibly emotional punch. And trust me, you’ll be in tears by the end of the film.

“I’m just trying to get home.”

For fans of old school west coast hip hop dating back to the days of Tupac, NWA and Snoop Dogg, Straight Outta Compton will surely be a treat you won’t want to miss. Director F. Gary Gray doesn’t sugarcoat this shit – he tells the story like it is. Straight Outta Compton tells this story like no one else can. With songs like FUK DA POLICE and STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, NWA is a group that incites outrage and protest. And that’s an amazing fucking thing. I know I’m not going to forget about this movie for a long time, and I will continue to watch it again and again, because it has a great re-watchability value. I had a great time with Straight Outta Compton, and if you’re a fan of hip hop, you will too. Never in the 147 minute runtime did I feel bored, and that’s an incredible feat for a film. I won’t tolerate any hate for this film, I love it too much.

DAMN THAT SHIT WAS DOPE.

“Fuckin with me cause I’m a teenager
with a little bit of gold and a pager
Searchin my car, lookin for the product
Thinkin every nigga is sellin narcotics”

★★★★★

Written by Anthony Le

August 16, 2015August 17, 2015 by anthonyqmle