This past weekend, I saw a movie called Ceremony, starring Michael Angarano and Uma Thurman. The cast was great and it was enjoyable overall, if a little derivative of films like Wes Anderson's Rushmore in terms of tone and storyline. Actually, it was a lot derivative of Rushmore, but I won't hold that against writer/director Max Winkler. Rushmore is a damn good movie.
What really left an impact on me were the film's visual aspects: the set and costume design, production design, and cinematography. Every shot was beautifully framed and every set was brimming with fun, interesting details and rich colors and textures. I just wanted to jump into this film and wander around in it for a little while.
Costume designer Heidi Bivens outfitted the cast in classic pieces (plaids, stripes, and vintage styles - right up my alley) in deep oranges, yellows and reds, with hints of earthy blue, tan and purple shades. The color scheme perfectly coincided with the film's autumnal beach setting and helped to give it a stylized, cohesive look. I went on IMDb to check out Bivens' other credits and, funnily enough, she was an assistant costume designer on another movie whose costumes I adored (
and blogged about),
The Baxter.
Below are a few screenshots from Ceremony. It was difficult, but I tried to narrow it down to the ones that I loved the most (so, naturally, I included a shot of bacon & eggs). It really is a gorgeous-looking film. I think it's worth watching for that reason alone.
