Costume styling is an important aspect that cannot be ignored in good movies. Good costume design can make a movie bring people an incomparably pleasant visual enjoyment.
Today, I would like to recommend a film that integrates the aesthetics of clothing with the narrative just right. The film won four awards at the Australian Academy Film Awards for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay.
It's a high-profile revenge movie —
The Tailor
The film stars Kate Winslet, who plays a tailor (or designer) who studied under a French master. Kate has changed no less than ten sets of heads in the film, or formal, or casual, or gentle, or domineering, each set of shapes is so beautiful that people can't take their eyes off it.
Kate plays Tilly, a talented tailor who returns to her hometown in Australia to take care of her mother, Molly, while trying to unearth the truth of an accident in her childhood, while also taking revenge on the evil people in the town who bullied their mother and daughter. However, in the eyes of the townspeople, the out-of-place Tilly is the real evil girl.
"The Tailor" is about such a "bad girl" revenge, but also a magic realism fashion blockbuster. It uses the ecology of the town as a metaphor for the social structure, and under the absurd style, it is a true expression that touches the heart.
At the beginning of the film, Tilly wears her own couture dress and carries an elaborate tailor's suit, and returns late at night to the small town of Dungeta, the hometown that has left her many nightmare memories.
She slowly lit a cigarette and said to the town:
"I'm back, bastards."
In a word, it sets the tone for the film's revenge.
Her presence disturbed the illusion of tranquility in the whole town. In the town of Deng Geta, there are inflamed primary school teachers, cold-hearted pharmacists, town mayors who abuse their power, pretentious rich ladies... Everyone is outwardly kind, but in fact they are pregnant with ghosts, fearing that Tilly's return will reveal some old secrets.
Soon, the town of Dungeta and the town next door held a ball game. As the game unfolded, Tilly appeared in a fiery red- and delicately cut dress, stunning the audience.
The Dungeta players on the field were all attracted to her graceful posture and began to make a series of mistakes, falling behind.
One by one, the residents of Dungeta Town were furious and gritted their teeth and scolded Tilly for being "shameless."
At halftime, Dungeta captain Teddy had to talk to Tilly. Teddy is Tilly's childhood friend and one of the few decent and honest people in town who often takes care of Tilly's solitary mother, Molly. Tilly has always been grateful to him and decides to help him win the game.
So Tilly changed into a "suit", a more eye-catching black dress, and shifted the "battlefield" to the opposing team's offensive side. Tilly was still unhurriedly patching up her makeup, and the opposing player was already whistling at her.
In the face of Tilly's face-to-face temptation, the opposing player began to make more crazy mistakes, watching her not look at the ball, frequently crashing into a ball and falling to the ground.
Under Tilly's strong interference, the Dungota team successfully won the game. The townspeople cheered enthusiastically, completely oblivious to the contempt and criticism of Tilly a few minutes earlier, only when she didn't exist. Except for one man, Sheriff Farat. Tilly's "strategy" he saw in his eyes and couldn't help but sigh: "Genius! ”
When the newspaper reporter wanted to take a picture of him and Tilly, he pretended to be unhappy and whispered to Tilly, "Kiss me in the face."
Sheriff Farrat wears a police uniform every day due to the needs of his work, but he actually loves women's fashion in private, and loves sequins, lace, and needlework.
The first time he saw Tilly, who was returning home, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you wearing Dior?" "It can be seen that his sense of smell for fashion is keen. Every time Farrat saw the cloth with an excited look, it was simply cute.
However, in this small town where gossip can drive people crazy, he can only be forced to hide his petty habits and pretend to dislike Tilly's dress style as much as everyone else.
This ball game became the first battle Tilly won with her clothes as a weapon. The beauty in Tilly's body is a kind of strength. It is a kind of creativity that is generated by knowledge and talent, which can change a person and the people around her.
Tilly has a cleanness and sincerity that doesn't belong to the town, which attracts Teddy, who is also unable to integrate into the town. The two get closer and closer, becoming each other's safe haven to escape the atmosphere of the town.
However, the most urgent purpose of her returning home this time is to find out the truth about her past.
Flashbacks of gloomy memories appear in the film, suggesting that she was swept up in the death of a young boy as a child and was expelled from town as a suspect.
For so many years, Tilly has always had a knot in her heart called a "murderer" and considers herself a cursed person. But she couldn't remember exactly what had happened that year. Therefore, Tilly continues to use her superb tailoring skills as a means to dig out the truth from this town and save her image in the hearts of the townspeople.
Under Tilly's skillful hand, the scruffy and inferior grocery store girl transforms into Cinderella, capturing the heart of the rich boy as she wishes.
Housewives, who have been controlled and abused by the mayor's husband for many years, have also been rejuvenated by Tilly's transformation and become the focus of the party.
Gradually, the people in the town of Dungeta all changed into unique costumes made by Tilly.
However, these extremely designed and unique clothes do not seem to belong to this barren land at all, and the absurd contrast between people and the environment is very harsh.
Tilly's mother, Molly, regained her quick mind under her daughter's care and punctured her daughter's unrealistic thoughts: "Keep making them skirts, let them think they're beautiful, but they'll still hate you." ”
Indeed, the grocery store girl began to dictate and belittle Tilly at will, and the mayor's wife blamed Tilly for her husband's mistakes.
Tilly can help good people find their beauty, but she can't change the ugly heart.
Finally, with the help of Teddy and Sheriff Farrat, Tilly discovers the truth of that year. It turns out that the little boy's death was indeed an accident, but Tilly became a victim of the power struggle of the adults and was driven out of the town as a scapegoat.
Poor mountains and evil waters out of the people, maggot-like growth of the townspeople are always eating each other. The good are squeezed to the edge, and the wicked are in power.
At that time, the indifference and selfishness of so many people led to Tilly being driven away, and mother and daughter were scattered between the two countries; but in the end, only The Farrat Sheriff, who was also a victim, was willing to atone for the shackles of the year. It's ironic, but it's also realistic. Because the wicked do not reflect, only the good will be tormented by conscience.
Sheriff Farrat finally had the opportunity to put on his favorite costume in spite of the strange eyes of others. Only this time, it was walking towards the police car. The moment he pays homage to Tilly funny and dramatically is a homage.
Not everyone dares to face the mistakes they have made, and not everyone has the courage to sacrifice everything they have now to make up for the mistakes of the year. In his behavior, he has an arrogance and wind bone that is beyond ordinary people.
Tilly finally figured out that she wasn't living with the curse of a "murderer" and didn't need forgiveness from this garbage-ridden town.
So, a fire burned the knots in her heart for many years. She got on the train from home and never returned.
Adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Australian writer Rosalie Ham, Tailor is a film with a very Australian homegrown style, directed by Australian female director Jocelyn Moorehouse. A strong team of female filmmakers has brought a female perspective to the film that is in the middle of the pain.
Kate Winslet's performance conveys everything the director wants to express. She is sometimes arrogant and strong, unwavering in her position; sometimes she shows a wounded and fragile side, revealing her inner fear and doubt in front of people she trusts. The subtle changes in the mother-daughter relationship between her and Molly as they eased were particularly touching.
In addition to Oscar actress Kate Winslet, a number of supporting actors are also excellent actors, creating a solid and believable group portrait.
Playing Molly is the old drama bone Judy Davis, who has been nominated for two Oscars and has an amazing aura in the film. Although Molly is old and frail and crazy, she is extremely tenacious in spirit and will not hesitate to do anything to protect her daughter.
Tilly's lover, Teddy, is played by Liam Hemsworth. In the film, he generously shows the ancestral devil figure of the Hemsworth family, and a pair of blue eyes stare at Kate.
Of course, there is also the most brilliant supporting role - Hugo Viven's Farat Sheriff. He showed all the contradictions in Farath's body, showing both his gentleness and delicacy, but also his proud backbone.
"The Tailor" is like a social fable, and each character is a microcosm of a group of people in the real class. Clothing has the power to change people's destiny, but even the best clothes cannot change people's hearts.