Inception will twist your mind, in the most delcious way... I am almost embarrassed to admit that I left the moive theare liteally looking over my shoulder and wondering if I was in a dream, and then if it were mine or someone elses.
Inception is a thriller, but with layers of complexity woven in about reality and consciousness. Of course you don't have to see it that way, you can forget this now and still enjoy the plot, action and acting. However, it is the multi-layered provocative questions about what is reality that provide the real thrill.
Inception is sci-fi, meets spirituality, meets thriller, meets action, meets who dunnit in a wild, edge of your seat ride of intellectualism, paradox, and fun. To say any more would spoil the fun.
Leonardo never disappoints and Inception is no exception.
I loved the book In fact, I loved the book so much that when this movie came out I organized my whole day around seeing it!
However, I was disappointed. It's not that Julia Robert's does not have a mega-watt smile, she does. However, nothing could lift the incredible boredom I felt while waiting for Jarvier Bardem to arrive on screen. Without seeming completely lacking in compassion, it was hard to care that Liz's successful suburban life with Billy Crudup was unraveling. It wasn't clear to me just why or how she was dissatisfied with the American dream, now nightmare, of her making.
A shame really because that understanding could have allowed me empathy with Liz's character as she sets our on her neurotic quest for inner peace and balance. Without any great tension the movie just is, ironically sort of like a meditation, except I did not go to to the show to meditate but to be entertained! Perhaps the movie is more clever and experiential that I suspected, and my incredible ennui was a reflection of Liz's experience!!
Finally, Javier arrives and not only lights up the screen but his charisma and passion, but gives Liz something external to play against. Relief.... there is hope after all, hope in life, love, and lust and the imminent end of the movie.
As Phillipe Javier is gorgeous, emotional, passionate and messy to Liz's contained and reflective intellectual life. His nature is healing to her somehow, as well as the audience, raining down a torrent of feelings on an otherwise barren experience. He feels, he desires, he longs, he wants, he lives from his heart and he risks, and with this so do we, and eventually so does Liz.
It is of course a happy ending, and you will be be happy that it ended. It is not a rush out and see after all, although for Javier it is worth it.
I thought a more funny movie might have been Cheat Stray Love..
Angelina Jolie, as Evelyn Salt, is every man and every woman's secret dream (come on admit it!), a super-sexy-svelte-siren who is also James Bond.
I dare you to not be engrossed in this picture, not because of the story, what was the plot again... but rather because of Jolie's exquisite bone structure, her impossible body after three of her (own) children, her prefect smile, ample assets, and her ability to take out anyone in her way.
Androgynous? Yes, totally and absolutely. With a lethal combination of feminine charms and action-hero strength, Jolie commands the screen. Although she has emotions she is not ruled by them, and although she kills, we are convinced she's noble. A disturbing confession here, though generally I avoid movies with violence I found myself thinking a few times how sexy Jolie's made all her fight scenes and kills looked. Of course it was totally impossible that she could really take out a boat of men single handed, I don't know if it was some kind of ingrained feminist revenge (but I am not a feminist) but I felt smug about that.
The tables were turned, Jolie shows us that strong women can still be sexy and very desirable.
Sex and the City worked because it combined, Carrie Bradshaw's angst's and insights, with the milestones and merits of living in New York City. Although we knew things were over the top, we enjoyed living vicariously through Carrie and her bosom buddies, as they navigated the often gritty issues of career women post 30's.
We forgave them for their excesses, because the wisdom they shared as they dealt with the oh-too-real issues of life, helped us understand ourselves more. They were provocative and honest. Their frank confrontation of sexuality, homosexuality, infertility, and marriage versus career, helped us work out what we wanted. Charlotte, Miranda, Samantha, and Carrie said things that we had always thought and never dared to express. As they did so, they revealed and liberated our inner voice.
Something has gone terribly wrong. Sex and the City 2 has none of these riveting qualities that originally shook the culture and created such a loyal mass audience.
Where to start to delineate the myriad reasons why this movie fails. Because it does fail, on every level. It is not funny, it is not clever, the fashion is rococo, the characters
are superficial and shallow, and most scenes feel staged and artificial. Although Sex and the City 2 still attempts to tackle real-world questions, they would have done well to avoid doing so, considering their treatment of sensitive material descends into nothing more than parodies and stereotypical characterizations of the gay culture, and the Middle East. Worse still they have become parodies of their own originality.
The first SATC movie satisfied because our girls grew up, made and lived through, hard choices and we matured alongside them. However, Sex and the City 2 shows us a regressive shadow side, the part we though we had outgrown, and it's embarrassing.
Directed by Billy Wilder, The Apartment is a social moral comedy set in 1959.Although there is a decided
lack of character development, the story is relatively complex, engaging the
viewer on many levels with plots and twists between the central characters. In
1960, The Apartment garnered an Oscar for best picture. No doubt,
Wilder’s expose of the darker side of corporate America, and its rampant marital
infidelity, would probably have been considered original at that time. However, today’s audiences,
inundated with cynical dramas about the American Dream are unlikely to consider
the subject matter original.
Wilder paints a bleak picture of
urban corporate life in 1959 New York.
Baxter’s voice over at the beginning of the movie establishes the idea that
people have become cogs in a giant corporate machine.Baxter’s life is measured in numbers.He tells the viewer that he is one of 31,000
employees, he works on the 19th floor, he gets paid $94 a week, and
his rent is $85 month. The viewer is initially presented with Baxter, not as
human being, but as an accounting puzzle.
Baxter is an
ambitious young bachelor who appears willing to compromise his comfort and his morals
to climb up the corporate ladder.His
Faustian bargain to loan out his apartment, to his adulterous bosses, in return
for career advancement, suggests that Baxter himself may be undeserving of sympathy.However, viewers soon see the harsh price
that Baxter has paid for this arrangement, when Baxter is ousted from his apartment
unwillingly, in the middle of the night, so that a boss can use the place for a
“quickie.”Baxter is presented as lonely
and disconnected.
Urban life is presented
as being exploitative of personal relationships and desires.Baxter’s married bosses exploit single
women’s desire for love, as a way to get sex from them.They then exploit Baxter’s desire for
promotion as a way to use his apartment for their personal benefit.Baxter, in turn, exploits their vices as a
means to be promoted to the coveted 27th floor.This theme of exploitation is evident in
Fran’s comment “he’s a taker.Some
people take and some people give.” Although Fran is portrayed as the injured
party, her own actions are questionable. As Fran knowingly chooses to date a
married man, it could be argued that Fran herself is ‘taking’ from his wife.Indeed, the symbolism of Fran’s cracked
make-up mirror is that Fran herself is damaged or flawed in some way.When asked about the cracked mirror, Fran
confirms this symbolic role of the mirror by stating “I like it that way, it is
the way I feel inside.”Yet Fran’s
subsequent attempted suicide demonstrates the consequences of living a life that
is disconnected and devoid of love.What
then is a viable solution to the darker side of urban life?
According to
Baxter, the solution to this darker side of urban life is to choose to become a
“Mensh.”AMensh is a human being, presumably, in this
context, one who has awakened from the isolation of urbanism to the joy of
love, the decency of moral behavior and the liberation from corporate dehumanization.The way to become a mensh is to connect with
other humans, to feel love and notably to be able to set appropriate moral and
personal boundaries. Baxter has found meaning beyond stark ambition.Baxter has found love.In the
final scenes of the movie, Baxter is able to ‘do the right thing’ and stand up
for himself by virtue of the fact that he is now a man in love.He has been transformed by this experience of
feeling love and, as a result, he is no longer able to comfortably engage in
exploitative relationships.
Billy Wilder is rooting for a world where we
treat other humans with respect. In Wilder’s world, people are the ‘ends’,
not simply a means to an end. It appears that the movie is ultimately intended
to be optimistic about love. Yet, in its optimism, the movie does not entirely
explain why Baxter’s love for Fran would be enduring or different from
the love his colleagues initially felt for their wives.The viewer cannot assume that the force of
love alone is so powerful that humans will not succumb to temptation. If that
were the case, Sheldrake and his colleagues would not be adulterous husbands.Instead, the viewer might imagine that
Baxter’s love is tempered with a deep sense of morality and that, ultimately,
it is this morality that keeps the love healthy.
The
1960’s were a time of national unrest in the United States. With the protests
against the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement citizens were challenging
traditional values and the power and authority of their Government.It is in this cultural milieu that the movie
Dr. Strangelove was conceived.
Using a well
crafted, formalistic, classical dramatic paradigm, director Stanley Kubrick has
painted a metaphorical world of black and white, morally speaking. In this
highly efficient, mechanized, polarized world of the Cold War, it is “us”
versus “them”.The “us” in question is the
United States
government and the “them” is the Russian government. Strangelove was filmed in black and white, a
choice which allows us to focus on the characters and the story rather than
peripherals, as well as emphasizing the polarities in the movie. Kubrick also
effectively uses dark, shadowy, film noir lighting as well as extreme camera
angles to illustrate these themes. Examples of his use of camera angles to
create a point of view are the low angle close ups of the renegade general
which highlights the dominant role of the general. The government is portrayed as a hierarchal
system with the president at the top and the military below. The government and
military are portrayed as those who wield life and death power over our planet.This is suggested by the whole drama
unfolding in the War Room and on the military base, without outside, media or
even civilian voices.All decisions come
through this massive government system of organization. Apparently, there are
extensive safeguards set in place to avoid any kind of potential nuclear
catastrophe.Some of these safeguards
involve delegating key decisions to computers and military heads in the event
of a nuclear attack on Washington.
The irony of this modern world is that
we are in danger of becoming so efficient that we risk destroying ourselves by accident.
Strangelove successfully shows how this
organization of power can actually create the catastrophe it was meant to
avoid. For the purpose of this movie, the system has failed and a renegade
general has initiated an unwarranted attack on the Soviet
Union. As the president of the United States is rendered helpless
by the delegation of power to the General, we see how the system of hierarchy
and the employment of technology can limit our goals rather than improve
them.The system fails humans when it is
infallible, because humans are fallible and therefore sometimes need to
recant their decisions. A perfect computer technology may not mimic and allow
for human error and recall. Therefore, the dangers of vesting our power in
technology are made apparent.
Strangelove
also addresses the hypocrisy of government and the dangers of jingoism.The soldiers fight on a base surrounded by
posters that claim “peace is our mission.”The irony of this situation is very effective.How can a government proclaim peace while
training soldiers to kill?In fact, the
government is portrayed as an instigator and aggressor attacking without cause,
rather than a tool of national defense. The subtitle of the movie, “how I learned
to love the bomb” leads the viewer to new questions and insights about the
role of the government in creating this extreme nationalism. What exactly does
this mean?
In
Strangelove, soldiers have been trained to follow authority to the extent that
their inner voice goes unheard.In fact,
the soldiers are so brainwashed that they are actually delighted to finally
have an opportunity “get” the “Ruskies.” They have internalized the propaganda
and made it “real.” A general believes
the American propaganda about Russia
so intensely, that he ultimately instigates the destruction of the world. There
is a scene where the bomber pilots, although running short on fuel, elect to
take out the primary target rather than try to save themselves. In yet another
scene, the manic Texan pilot euphorically rides the bomb to its target. His
patriotism is so extreme that he delights in dying for his country, literally
becoming part of the bomb. There are other ‘run-ins” and themes about authority
and rules.In the scene where Mandrake
attempts to phone the Whitehouse we see him struggle against the “rules.” The
operator cannot make an exception and put him through for a national emergency,
rules must be followed.In that same
scene, Mandrake instructs a soldier to shoot a Coke machine so he can get the
coins to call the Whitehouse. The soldier is more concerned about breaking the
rules by shooting the machine, than averting a catastrophe. This is a world
when people lack initiative and they have lost the ability to think for
themselves.They have become so brainwashed
in this black/white, right/wrong world that they follow rules unquestioningly,
even if those rules seem contrary to their common sense. There is a message
here about critical thinking.
The message is
that we need to be careful about what we believe.We need to be responsible and think for
ourselves instead of blindly following rules and accepting propaganda from
authority figures. Although Mandrake and the other characters in the War Room tried
to use initiative, their struggle against the all powerful system was so great
that in the end it was not enough to avert disaster.Strangelove is a glimpse of what could happen
if we do not think for ourselves.We
cannot afford to delegate critical thinking to our government, to our
technology or to a higher authority. Eventually, our power and ability to act
will be neutralized and our very lives and death will be in the hands of
strangers. This message, of course, can be extended to the movie itself.After all, this is Kubrick’s
fatalistic propaganda about our future.
I know it's shallow, but I just didn't know if I could sit through a 70's movie complete with drab colors, weird wardrobe, and outdated social concepts. My fears were completely unfounded. What a film!
My heart ached for Donny Baker's character, played magnificently by Edward Albert, to find the freedom and love he sought, in spite of the challenge of being born blind and having an well-meaning, but domineering and over-protective mother.
All the more heart-rending is Don's incredible courage and fierce insistence on being treated just like anyone else. Don does not pity himself for his handicap, and he does not want the audience to either, which makes him all the more real and lovable. Don demands to be seen as a person, not as a blind person. In certain scenes, Don's advocacy for equal treatment shows us how sometimes even our kindnesses might be experienced as patronizing. How did actor Edward Albert create a character that ropes you in entirely, and makes you root for him desperately. Not only that, but he is easy on the eyes as well.
The film feels like a stage play with tight attention on the day's events, as well as snappy dialogue between the central characters. Ample tension between Don, his mother Mrs Baker, as well as Mrs. Baker and Don's love interest, played perfectly by Goldie Hawn, keeps you on your toes and hoping for the best, in spite of the agony of the unknown.
If you are feeling slight sorry for yourself, watchButterflies are Free. I guarantee you, it will put everything in perspective!
I hummed and hawed about seeing this movie. It was after all Friday night, and not just any Friday night but a real TGIF kinda Friday night. So, understandably, I did not want to ruin my liberation from a week of drudgery with the wrong movie.
Robin Hood seemed like a sure thing, blockbuster and all with the surly and indomitable Crowe paired with the classic and amazing Blanchett. It was up in the air until the actual ticket purchase, and even then I asked the ticket seller for guidance.
Letters to Juliet did not disappoint. In fact, that's not fair. Not only did it not disappoint, it was a beautiful, magical, inspiring and optimistic romance movie that gave us what we want most; belief in love that, once ignited, never ends.
And of course a love like that could only take place in Italy, with Italian men, the quintessential lovers of life, love,and drama. The story is about love, choices, and chances. For an hour and a half, you will find yourself a little in love with all the characters presented here, complete with flaws and foibles.
Vanessa Redgrave is sublime as widowed Clare who has come to find Lorenzo, her lost love of some 50 years earlier. Redgrave's alternating displays of wisdom and vulnerability are exquisite to watch. Her handsome, sometimes petulant, grandson Charlieplays the stuffy Brit, who hides his tender heart with a propensity to be excessively rational and practical. Sophie, the soon-to-be-married, want-to-be-writer is the overly romantic, but very smart American who comes to a few realizations of her own during her time in the city of Romeo and Juliet, as she instigates then helps Clare on her quest to find Lorenzo, the love of her life.
This is an all around funny, cute, feel good, romantic comedy. Not only do you see the spectacular Verona, but if there was a time and place long ago when you had a dream of what love is Letters to Juliet might just take you back there!
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