Fifth Element versus Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Remake

Cafe Society
#1

I watched a few minutes of the 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remake (with Johnny Depp) the other day.

I was immediately reminded of “The Fifth Element,” a sci fi adventure/comedy with Bruce Willis from a few years earlier.

The similarity was (it seems to me) that there were a lot of close-ups of peoples’ faces and other camera angles which gave both movies an other-worldly feel to them.

Does anyone agree with me that there is a similarity in composition style? If so, is there a name for this practice?

#2

Interesting comparison. Although I’ve seen both films (Fifth Element many times) and am interested in technical interpretation like this, I can’t bring any similarities to mind.

I don’t see any immediate overlap in the visual crew names, although Charlie has a few French names who might have worked with/under Besson and Arbogast.

#3

I don’t really see the similarity, but the same guy was the art director on both. Maybe that accounts for it?

#4

Art directors don’t have a lot to do with the framing of shots, etc. (In fact, you don’t see the title “art director” much any more - Production Designer seems to have absorbed most of those functions and is closer to the aim of the job.) The cinematographer (if there is one) working with the director would be responsible for what the OP is talking about.

#5

The style is called “Tim Burton”, and lots of directors have been copying it since the late 80’s, Luc Besson included.

#6

Lots of bright colors, plastic costumes, and extreme characterizations. A comparison hadn’t crossed my mind, though.