Thursday, 13 September 2012

Philadelphia Review

"Philadelphia" film cover from 1993
Tom Hanks is the star of this heartbreaking and also heartwarming film. Tom Hanks or “Andrew Beckett” Is fired from his job as a lawyer purely because he is diagnosed with aids. He then attempts to sue the people who fired him from his job with the help of Denzel Washington. 

Released in 1993, this film is a modern look on aids and on homosexuality. It shows that are there are people in the world that care about doing the right thing rather than being prejudice. Honestly when I was first told about the plot of this film I was not impressed. It didn’t excite me. It didn’t make me want to watch it. It just wasn’t appealing. The thing that got me to watch the film in the end was the soundtrack.  Bruce Springsteen’s classic “streets of Philadelphia” was the song that opened the film.   

This Drama was received quite well at the time with an 87% approval rating. The film got an average of 6.6/10 on reviews.

This whole film is kept interesting not just by its great script but its brilliant camera work. Some of the camera angles and shots are brilliant in this film. They capture the mood perfectly. For example; when Andrew Beckett has just exited the office of Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) the camera focuses on Tom Hanks’s face but then slowly zooms in to reveal his a face of no hope and disappointment.

The Acting in this is another factor that draws me to the film. Knowing that Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are in the film reassures you that this is a good film to watch and it doesn’t disappoint. They both play excellent parts not juts for reading the lines they have been given but for raw emotion in their facial expressions. As stated above Tom Hanks perfectly shows disappointment early in the film but Denzel Washington shows facial acting later on. Washington shows a good sense of confusion without saying a word. He shows that he is worried and yet intrigued with his client. 

All of the factors stated above come together to make a perfect film. Great camera and directing work, script is amazing and also the acting is tremendous. It’s a great film about justice, and a real eye opener (or those of you who are maybe homophobic), and also sends a good message to all audiences.  

Overall it is a modern classic and a must watch!

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