Alice and Little Children: A Comparison

I watched Little Children a week ago and today I watched Alice (an older Woody Allen film). When I watched Little Children, I understood its message of letting go of some childish emotions that can be irrational disruptions in an adult life but I was disturbed just the same. In both films, an adult questions their role as a spouse to a successful mate, they start to consider why their dreams disappeared and they look for a way to change the future so that they don't feel inhibited. The adult character in Little Children, after his fantasy skateboard experience followed by a serious injury, resolves to ignore his frustrations and settle for his responsible and faithful wife. Alice, a woman who as a child dreamed of living like Mother Teresa, begins to feel uncomfortable with the values her children are being raised with and the husband that is responsive but empty of emotions for her and their life together. In the end, she knows that nothing will change unless she changes herself so that is what she does and it is beautiful. We all expect such monumental life changes to be too much work but that is all in our heads. Especially when we are talking about something intangible like values or attitude. Alice got herself to Calcutta but other than that, she did not need money to change the course of her life. Both were mediocre films, neither would I watch again, but I must say that the contrast between both perspectives of how life can be lived is unique.

Nell: What a Wonderful World To Live In

I guess its kinda like The Black Stallion. The spirit of a human being that has not had social boundaries is a free spirit just like 'the black' was never trained to be a tame horse. We all envy that, I think. The language she spoke, one that no one could understand, was the most easily observable eccentricity and therefore she was seen as special right off. I think there are many people who have eccentricities like this but they are not as obvious as this example. Thats why I like odd people. Or people who are different. Anyway, the acting was great, really great. Not anybody could have pulled off such a potentially ridiculous character but Jodi Foster sure did. The scenery was great- thats North Carolina Appalachians! And living in the woods, away from all the noise and the jerks. what a life that would be...I envy Nell.

New In Town: With the Class of an Oldie

What a nice surprise. Nothing too cheesy, nothing too predictable, and nothing provocative or violent. The story is common enough: city girl goes to small town America and learns about the downside of corporate business. And she meets a hottie too. Renee Zelleweger was not believable as a business woman but was very believable as a caring person. And she made me laugh! While the characters were a little cutesy, the feeling of personal connection and compassion was real. I often say that there are not any good movies coming out these days; this one is no Billy Elliot but it was certainly a diamond in the rough.

Breaking Upwards: Not Bad at all

Apparently this is pretty much a chapter taken from the actor's lives. they even kept their real names. They are film students from NYU and they wrote a script about a year in their relationship that they tried dating other people because things were getting boring in theirs. This might have made the acting easier since it was pretty much themselves they were playing but I still think that they played them well and the script was quirky and real. Half way through, I was sure the girl was just crazy and that they were bad for each other. I'm still thinking that might be the case...but some guys like controlling women. I guess this one does:)

Beautiful Girls: A Story about Men

Good flick. I am not a man, but I believe that the characters were relatable and the dialogue was true to life. One guy tells his friend, "We're all looking for something beautiful". I think thats great. It is rare that even women admit this, let alone men. The idea of a beautiful relationship with someone is like the pie in the sky. We all want it and end up settling for physical beauty since that is usually easier and more accessible. When you find a beautiful relationship that goes deeper than this, you might sound like Uma Thurman's character: All I want is a man that can say "Good Night sweet girl". Someone who shows they love you everyday. That is real beauty.

Harold and Maude: Star-Crossed Lovers

A romance scrutinized by social rules. Love truly is boundless and lawless and it is sad that we cannot trust this. Age was nothing. Class was nothing. They were both just humans who were happy with eachother. What a blessing that is. In a way, they are both more free in the end. Maude was free in her life but I think she felt so connected to the earth that she believed that at the end of her life she would be released into nature. Harold sees life as beautiful after Maude. Good story, kind of boring movie.

All About My Mother: A Beautiful Story About Women

An effective and compelling piece of art. Both male and female characters in the film display and remind us of the strength of a woman. The colors and the Spanish language are entrancing as well.

You Can Count On Me: No, No You Can't

Just as I suspected, any movie with Laura Linney is a piece of crap. Okay, not including Love Actually but thats just because the other characters are great. In the beginning, I thought, maybe she's got something going for her. Then her brother came back and it was the same boring bull that I expected. I turned it off thirty minutes in. I suggest you don't even bother.

After the Wedding: Are all Swedish Films this Sad??

The only other Swedish film I remember seeing is Lilya 4 Ever and it was incredibly depressing. This one isn't nearly as bad but still very sad. Both good films though.

After the Wedding has a deeply involved and personal story. It covers life and death, love, family bonds and bonds we create with non-family just through being human. The main character has to decide whether to leave the orphanage he built along with all the orphans that he loves or to stay in Sweden and help take care of the daughter he never knew he had along with her mother and her mother's two young boys. Their dying father leaves 12 million to the orphanage if he stays with them because he wants someone to take care of his family. Now I know the love of family (blood relations) but I also know that I wouldn't be able to up and leave the family that I had found elsewhere. He even raised a boy there in the orphanage. The little boy, in the end, says that he is happy staying in India and seeing him on visits. But really...I guess you could argue that the boy, growing up in a situation where one must deal with the reality of no parents to love them that they grow accustomed to this, but he was still young enough not to be ok with losing such an attachment. I would never leave that little boy even if I had just found out I had a child elsewhere. But I've never been in that situation and I am sure it is a tough one. And that is just one aspect of this drama.

I might also add that I could do without the music. Its quite obnoxious.

Did You Hear About the Morgans? Yes, and it was Surprisingly Not Bad

Of course it was superficial, Sarah Jessica Parker is in it. But the problem is real. no, not the part about being in the witness protection program, but the part about being with your spouse or life partner or significant other and expecting perfection. Hugh Grant's character cheats on Parker's and regardless of the many excuses, he is truly sorry and wants to be with her. She thinks she has expected too much from him and is now overly disappointed. In the end, they understand that if both strive to be the best partner and trust each other at doing this, then any mistakes are forgivable because no one is perfect. I like that message. Also, her character is a a neurotic chatter-box and I can relate to that. Never, ever thought I would like that movie apart from finding Grant entertaining. In the end, I'm glad I watched it.

The Sixth Sense: A Mystery Thriller that Actually Works

Of all the movies where the end brings a complete surprise that makes you want to see it, this is the best one. Throughout the movie there are no loose ends in the details or story line. Toni Collette is by far the best actor in the movie and is really fun to watch. Maybe I was emotional already but when I watched the movie I cried a little bit with her scene in the car when she realizes the problem her son has been dealing with. I hope my kid never tells me that...

Apocalypse Now: Not Sure I Get the Title, But Great Movie

As with all Coppola films, there is excellent cinematography and creative shots. The story telling is slow but captivating. Humanity is almost alive in his films, therefore making the violence even harder to watch. I read 'The Heart of Darkness' over a year ago and finally re-watched this film in order to make comparisons. The script eloquently replaces the time and place into this amazing story of humanity without rules to confine our actions or to tell us what is morally right or wrong. Apocalypse Now shows how close war comes to the border of 'insanity' just as Joesph Conrad uses colonialism in his book. In the book though, it seems like the orderless mayhem would be prevalent with or without Kurtz. Maybe this is true of some early civilizations, maybe this is how people of Conrad's time saw early civilizations, or maybe all civilizations are really this way and only use law to mask our inhibitions. This would mean that Conrad and Coppola already get what we pretend does not exist: we will always be animals, no matter how 'advanced' our technology becomes or how pervasive our species is. Great movie.

Bella: Beautiful or not, Life is Real

To be honest, I'm not sure what to say about this movie. Did I like it? Yeah. I think that it has a powerful story, creatively edited scenes, and an accurate depiction of family relationships. Would I watch it again? Probably not. The main actress was not great, although the others were pretty good. There were several very cheesy scenes. And I did not have a strong emotional reaction to the movie which is essential for any repeat viewing. I did like how the main female role does not end up with the hot soccer player and instead continues on as a single woman despite her pregnancy.

Inception: I've Got the Original Idea that this Movie is Unsurprisingly Dull

I swear, I think I see a preview for a good movie and then it turns out to be a chaos of abstract specifics that attempt to distract the viewer from convenient omissions of necessary and quality components of a story line. I could list examples but I feel like that would be a waste of my time and yours. There are too many holes in this movie. During parts of the movie, I would pretend that the music, which I must admit was somewhat unique, was silenced. That was when I realized just how truly boring this movie was. And lots of random fighting scenes. Everyone just keeps trying to make a better psychological thriller than the Matrix and its not happening.

On a side notes, Leo is still hot. But he keeps playing the same roles...someone should let him know.

Philadelphia: Introspective but Average

This movie highlights a very real sequence of events that occurred recently in America: the discovery, acknowledgement, and development in fear of AIDS. While it is somewhat melodramatic, as most mainstream Hollywood films are, the excellently cast actors and their performances bring it closer to home. In the beginning, you understand and are told by Denzel’s character how AIDS frightens people; they are scared it will follow them home. The most well-crafted part of this film is how this fear is shown invalid and then turned into a beautiful example of humanity and the relationships between us when Denzel finally sees Hank as a real person with feelings just like him, which he then relates to and carries this feeling of love and respect home to his child and wife, in the opera scene. If you are open to it, you can see the unique beauty in any person for we are all individuals and no one is deserving of disrespect due to fear and/or ignorance.

The Boxer: What Are Ya Talkin' About?

Of Daniel Day-Lewis's Irish films, In the Name of My Father wins, The Boxer finishes last. It was frustrating to watch because I kept thinking, "With these great actors and such a passionate setting, how is this movie so bland?"The Boxer has a weak script and average direction. Irish history is so full of emotion and yet the story of The Boxer is a sensational love story. Do we really believe that after fourteen years, these full grown adults are ready to die for each other and put their loved ones at risk? The final boxing scene is well directed/edited - it connects the audience emotionally to the characters for the first time, showing Danny's courage and loyalty and Harry's evilness and dissent.

However, this movie Does win for Day-Lewis's best looking film- God bless him!

Shutter Island: Order Vs. Chaos

There is a lot I could speculate on about this movie. But I think the running theme is order vs. chaos. Is prison and the act of keeping prisoners any different than keeping patients at a hostpital? Is either one more moral because it attempts to control chaos? Are the prisoners any different from a patient? Similarly, just because our brain is seemingly in chaos, does that mean it is in need of being controlled? Who determines mental chaos vs. mental order? And how has our society dealt with human beings that behave or think in a more chaotic manner than most? How much of the chaotic thought and behavior is natural instinct, of which we are now, as a society, trying to eliminate?

While there are some boring moments and it is somewhat predictable, the movie is entertaining and thought-provoking. There are other realms of thought that our brains can wander into. Extreme stress or depression can bring this about and the final scene depicts this well. Leo struggles to view his two realities side by side, when both are equally real to him. It is hard for most people to imagine but I believe the brain is very capable of creating its own reality. From the brain of a great thinker, "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth would that mean that it is not real?". Dumbledore gets it.

In Good Company: Alone is Okay

Not a bad flick. The message is a good one: if you allow it to happen, you can learn from life's experiences. Topher Grace's character does just this and instead of letting his desire of finding 'the one' to settle down with and having a idealistic life control his actions and emotions, he takes a good relationship he had with Scarlett Johannson as just that. She, along with her father, gives him the gift of having passion in life, not just drive. And he accepts the gift, because he was willing to see it and it was what he was looking for. Johannson is better in this film than in others I see her in and Grace is pretty good as well. Good acting is always a great benefit to mediocre films.

yes, this was a cheesy review...

Closer: Sex and Love are Two Different Things

I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. The beginning was weak, because Natalie Portman is a little obnoxious, but with the help of other good actors and an interesting script everything panned out. Four things i found most interesting:

1) Sex and love, in our modern American culture, do not come hand in hand. Im not sure if they come as a pair in any culture, but this movie shows how sex is a tool of manipulation for trust and deceit. Love is the holy grail or a cloudy destiny for us lone wanderers. There was no instance during this film where the sex was selfless.

2) Strong women fall for men who appear good natured with potential. These two female characters were independent and thoughtful. They used sex but were also used by sex. Maybe I am biased but the females seem more innocent in this intimacy crisis. The men on the other hand clearly desire love, or what they think love might mean, but find themselves in a position of power without asking for it, and then they use it. I like when Julia Robert's character says "why does the sex matter?" and clive Owen says "because im a caveman!" Maybe its cliche but I think it touches on a common difference between the male and the female behavior.

3) Despite her mediocre acting talents, Portman pulls off an great character that is only revealed at the end. Her character's strength, which is doubted at the beginning, is proven to be the most resilient in the end. All the while, Robert's character, when at the start she appears confident and unneedy, by the end, has given up any hope of self-reliance. Jude Law is surprisingly good at acting.

4) People want what they can't have! thats too bad...

I guess there is a fifth point: Natalie is super hot in this move, Julia too. The men, who ordinarily I would find attractive, pale in comparison to these two beauties.

The Namesake: Culture is Beautiful

I think I picked up this movie because I have a name that I consider unique and meaningful. It is not only rare but it carries with it a lot of history about my family and their culture that I do not understand. Watching this film about an Indian man, well he is born in America with two Indian parents, who learns about the meaning of his name and the importance of his parent's culture to his identity. In this country (America), we do not have what other countries have in terms of cultural depth and significance. We are certainly a melting pot but with this comes a loss of cultural identity and traditions. In The Namesake, we see the man's parents marry at the beginning through an arranged marriage. While there are downfalls to this situation, both people end up happy. Their son marries a Bengali woman but one whom he has fallen in love with. This relationship does not last. I am not suggesting that either arrangement is better than the other, it obviously depends on the people involved. But I do believe that there are cultural traditions that exist because they function best in that specific culture. Americans tend to frown upon arranged marriages, or anything that is not led by free will and a person's individual right. However, this is our culture and we see it as best for us and maybe it is and maybe it is just that we, as a country, have developed from a people who sought freedom from a monarchy and became one with capitalism. This film shows us cultural diversity and how beautiful it is.

Whatever Works: The Horror, the Horror!

Whatever works. It may be because I am 38% identical to the main character, but I cannot help but adore this movie. The pleasant aura of New York is as strong as it was in Annie Hall, although who knows if this aura actually exists or is a creation of such a great director. The characters are intricate and well balanced. Even the minor roles are excellently cast and add depth to the film. Larry David is the quintessential Woody Allen replica, yet with a edge of aggravation. His concerns and thoughts are all familiar to me, as is his ego. But in the end, he realizes, as I have, that he is no more right than anyone else because there is no right or wrong. "There is nothing either good or bad, thinking makes it so" (Shakespeare-not Woody). As with most of Allen's films, it is about how life has no plan except for the one we humans imagine. Life is by chance, 100%. Or at least thats what Allen thinks. Who really knows;)

Invictus: Ah yes, good ole Eastwood

This is more like it. Invictus is representative of Eastwood's other films: powerful emotions and a productive plot that cleans up well in the end- and by this I mean that in the beginning, the hatred between the blacks and whites is palpable and by the end, they are hugging...well, almost. If only the solution was that easy. What I liked best is the reminder that a person, a single human being, can bring hope to millions. Mandela is a person who found resilience and strength in his own mind. In a very bad situation, he remained strict to his plan for peace and his path to a better world. It is amazing what we humans can accomplish with a great leader. While most become tainted (see Citizen Kane), there are the few who have an 'unconquered spirit'. I can't help but think of Obama with a line from the movie, said by Mandela (or Freeman) about how if you are not strong enough to stand up for what you believe is right, you should no longer be a leader. I hope this is a reminder for Obama.

Valentines Day: Capital B A D

I am writing this review purely because I want to warn anyone considering the option to back away. This movie is a really sad attempt at trying to recreate the English movie "Love Actually". They even have a scene where a guy breaks through security at the airport. Seriously, no meaningful characters or plot lines. Just plain boring. The most disappointing thing of all is that I knew this before watching it and still watched it. Anyone with better things to do should take heed and avoid this visual fart.

Mystic River- Violent Blah

Probably the worst Clint Eastwood movie I've seen. Transparent, yet filled with unavoidable violence almost just to fill it. I don't like when they have to show bodies or flashbacks of murders, etc. its so unnecessary. isn't explaining death enough? It was just boring and cliche. If it is like any movie, it is like Matchpoint because it is about twists of fate and randomness of life. Except Matchpoint is 10x better.

Citizen Kane: The Right Stuff

Apparently this is the best film ever...I don't disagree but then again I don't think I could ever say there is one film that is the best of all films. This movie is great. While it is a long one, it is filled with quality acting and exciting cinematography. We are used to a lot of the shots that Welles used in Kane since they are used all the time now but he was the first and it is neat to think about that while watching the movie. You have to wonder where the creative juices are flowing because they aren't running through the Hollywood film ditch. Before I get off on that tangent, I want to mention the importance of the Citizen Kane story. It reminds me of Julius Caesar and the result of accumulating power and the thin skin between wanting people to love you and doing things truly for others. And how this dilemma festers in all of us. Kane knew what he wanted but in the film you see how easy it is to be pulled from your innocence of wanting the best for all people. Or just innocence at all. THe scene where he is pulled from his childhood world: from the playing in the snow on his sled to a life with a power-hungry guardian and his restrictive world- is a sad, sad scene. it happens to everyone at some point, i assume. everyone has their rosebud.

Leap Year: I don't really care, as long as its in Ireland

So really, this movie is cute and reasonably entertaining. The acting is fine, which adds to its watchability. The reason I have watched this movie twice now, yes twice, and may even buy it, if it was for seven dollars or less, is that there is so much of Ireland in it!!! Doo Lough and Glendalough! The Aran Islands and Wickow woods... I can just smell the suntan lotion scent from those beautiful yellow flowered bushes. And the rocky walls, they really are everywhere. It makes me want to go back so much. But back to the movie, really, its just a cute romantic movie, fun, but only worth watching for the landscape!!!

The Blind Side: A Good Start but Still Behind

For the first quarter of the movie, I thought..."maybe this one will be on target with the place we are at today in terms of racial issues in the US". We see the white family begin to understand structural violence, or the oppressive forces of poverty and racism, and how they disrupt human agency. I felt genuine human emotion from the mother and from the boy- concern and compassion from one human being to another: the mother for the boy and the boy for his real mother and family. I even cried, which, lets admit, is not that abnormal. But then things started moving away from the real and more toward audience appeal. I only woke to this fact when the seven year old white brother was 'coaching' his new seventeen year old black brother. It was supposed to be cute, yes, but more than that its undertone was off-putting. This white family new the ways to fix the broken black boy, who was truly brilliant but needed their guidance. I am not saying that this is not possible but why does it have to be the white people doing the teaching and "learning" so much about life and love from the underprivileged black person. I was glad in the end that they asked him what he wanted. I wish they would have made more of a point to say that his intelligence was just different, maybe not what the schools or the sports wanted but just as intelligent. Intelligence is such an abstract idea and comes in all forms, just like humans. Lastly, I think that this shows that our culture is far behind the level of understanding it should be at with respect to structural violence.

On a side note, the acting was good overall. But really, I have had it with football movies. There is nothing interesting about football.

New Moon: Are we seriously buying this?

I happened across the movie, Twilight, on a flight I took. It was somewhat entertaining, but then again I was stuck on a plane. Either way, I rented New Moon in hopes that it would provide some entertainment and excitement. And I won't say that it didn't however it was not the good kind of excitement. Watching this movie made me realize how deep our teenage culture is into the obsession with having a boy/girl friend. The movie was neither a romance or a suspenseful fantasy-action film but a boring look at a boy crazy girl who literally can't function without Mr. Cute Guy #1. That is until Mr. Cute Guy #2 comes along. Of course, it is a nice thought to think of two very good-looking guys (and complete opposites at that) who are committing their undying love to you. But in reality, this is actually not a good thing. Why can't our culture promote self-esteem, resilience, and individual consciousness? Must we encourage young girls to become completely immobile without a partner? Reliance is nice to have around, like dessert, but it should not be what we build our life on, our sustenance. We should build character strength and not dependency.

I love fantasy stories and I am sure the book is somewhat better than this movie, but watching New Moon was overly aggravating. Honestly, its the same crap they pulled with the Harry Potter books. I heard Avatar had the same male dominated plot line. I guess the real question is, why does this stuff sell while a story about a women who is happy and feels she has succeeded in life and does not have a partner would not sell nearly as well.

Summary: some good music but in the end, skip the movie, just listen to the soundtrack.