i just watched open hearts, its a danish film from a few years ago that zach braff is remaking. at first i really didnt like a lot of aspects of it but once i read up on it a bit i liked it.
the movie is shot in a style called dogme 95 and while i like the concept of dogme the film will be better without it.
Dogme 95 is an attempt to simplify film making, the rules are basically that the film must be shot handheld. It must be shot in real life locations with minimal props. Artificial lighting is only permitted if the space is too dark and all movies must end up in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Now the point of all of this is that Hollywood movies are too big and over dramatic. By making films that are technically simpler the story and acting is suppose to shine through. Without elaborate sets, sweeping camera moves and outlandish lighting the viewer can focus on the written dialogue and the emotions of those acting it out. This all seems well and good but while i was watching open hearts i could help but be distracted by the production value.

it really was that bad.

not only are some shots dark, the audio soft and there some very jarring mistakes in editing the film just simply doesn’t feel like a movie. part of the problem with the movie as it was shot on video, dogme 95 stipulates that you must shoot on 35mm at a 4:3 aspect. but 35mm is ridiculously expensive so most dogme films cheat a bit and use video. that’s usually ok, because good video can be made to look like film, or atleast shot through a nice enough lense to give the footage a small DOF like film. this is not the case with open hearts, so what you end up with is a movie that is visually very bland.

the saving grace of open hearts is of coarse the very things that dogme 95 is suppose to protect. the story is amazing, it really is a good, non cliche, story about relationships. the acting is strong and the character development well done. but what the movie ends up being is the video equivalent of a book on tape. the visuals are in no way up to par with the rest of the movie. it seems that the camera is just a necessary evil needed to tell the story.

hopefully this is where zach braff steps in. i loved his first movie and can only hope that his flare for cinematography will shine through on open hearts.

in other news im going to try for more links in my posts, and maybe even photos.
i am really enjoying super paper mario on my wii, if you have the means i highly recommend picking one up.

-david hildreth, audi 5000