Lara Stone goes Mary Poppins in this branded film directed by Alex Prager. We already featured the director with an earlier film, which, by then, won her “Best Artistic Direction” on the third edition of Diane Pernet’s Fashion Film Festival “A Shaded View On Fashion Film”. Well, that’s history.
Normally, we don’t goof on films we don’t like. Simply because fashion film is a field where many young professionals are making their first steps and most productions are hindered by small budgets and a lot of other compromises.
It’s a different thing with this film. There is a big budget, good talent, massive visibility… And we get a lousy idea, superstatic imagery, really, REALLY bad acting, not so impressive visual fx, … I could go on and on. Really, it’s a shame and a disgrace for the brands and the creatives involved with this film. Or would be, if you’d had any expectations regarding the creative level of this “fashion film” (and yeah, that also includes you, dear NOWNESS, once haven of the cool&avantgarde). I mean, why not, you can also aim for average. And branded average, that’s what this is.
To end this rant with a bright note, though: the coloring is quite outstanding.
LA-based photographer Alex Prager turnes director in this 50s chiller. For this film “Despair”, Prager worked with model and actress Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of director Ron Howard.
Imagine you’re a hip&hot photographer from L.A. Right, L.A., that’s where they used to shoot those classy films in the 50s and the 60s which, no big surprise here, still have a big impact on your work. So, why not make one of those flicks yourself, you might ask yourself. And when you’re at it, you might as well team up with some industry heavyweights like director of photography Matthew Libatique (Pi, The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, Gothika, Iron Man) and editor George Folsey Jr (Blues Brothers, Hostel). And instead of a model, you could cast a real actress already, maybe someone like Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village, Manderlay, Spider-Man 3 and, ehem, Eclipse)?
Witness a true classic of the fashion film genre! This is what you get, when the pros work it! “Despair” won Best Artistic Direction on the third edition of Diane Pernet’s Fashion Film Festival “A Shaded View On Fashion Film”.
