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Water (2005)
Very moving, and shocking that it's considered controversial!!!!
God help me, but I have taken my privileges for granted here in the good ole US of A. I'm a divorced mother of two, own my own home, have a good job with the same college for over twenty years, and anticipate enjoying a modest but comfortable retirement. STOP! What if I lived in India? Quite a different story.
OK, so I'm not a widow, but I imagine in India being divorced isn't far removed from widowhood. It shocked and disturbed me to read in "Water" that there are still over 30 million widows in India enduring a living death very much like the characters in the movie. It seems insane, impossible, but it's apparently true.
This film makes me want to do something about this situation. I admire Deepa Mehta so much for persevering to make this film in spite of the controversy, open hostility, and death threats. Hard to believe that this still happens in the 21st century. A harsh reminder that sometimes "civilization" is a thin veneer over ancient, crude dogma. From the film: (forgive my poor paraphrasing) "If you (Kalayani) marry, then we (the remaining widows) will all be cursed." What a load of religious-induced self-hatred. Then the scathing expose' by her fiancé': "Even though it's cloaked as religion, it's all about money." And there we are: tie 'em in knots with presumably immutable Hindu laws when in reality the Hindu males just want to keep 'em quiet, out of the way, penniless, and (to add insult to injury) apologetic for being a burden on society. "We ignore the laws that don't benefit us." Aaaargh! Fortunately Deepa Mehta also wanted to make a really beautiful film, contrasting the harsh social realities with gorgeous settings. I loved this film, not only for it's message, but also for its aesthetics.
After Fire, Earth, and Water, let's hope that Deepa Mehta has more than a trilogy in mind...we need her vision and compassion.
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Ack! I was disappointed. Odd, goofy movie IMO
Maybe it just wasn't what I expected, but I found Dancer in the Dark quite aggravating. The song and dance numbers were okay--although there were so many and they were so lengthy, that I found them invasive--but I was far more attracted to and interested in the regular story.
The main character also got on my nerves--her wacky smile and weird looks and vocalizations. To me it was obvious that she was mentally challenged, and that made the courtroom scene and verdict very unbelievable. The horrible irony, the inevitability of the tragedy---this was absorbing. But not enough of the film was satisfying for me even though there were bright spots--such as Morse's character. I didn't think Deneuve was very good in her role at all.
Dogma (1999)
Alanis was lame as Gd
Sorry, but just because she can sing doesn't mean she makes a good Gd. She acted really, really dopey. Surely someone else would have been better. Emma Thompson? Nah, not in my opinion. I'd vote for Helen Mirren. Now SHE would kick ass as Gd.
Best line in the movie: "But you're missing the point. It's not what you have faith in, but that you have faith." Or something to that effect. In other words, Christ didn't create dogma. And to "follow Christ" would be to ditch the dogma and be better people. Gee, ya think? Makes sense to me. But somehow I don't expect this will ever become a popular Christian teaching. Not much money in it, what with everybody having an equal chance to be Christlike an going to heaven an all. Jus not the way it's done at all. :-)
School Ties (1992)
Hey! Take a chance: This is a very decent coming of age movie
I just rented this and have to say that I enjoyed it very much. I didn't know it existed and it was fun to see all these guys together at a younger age.
I'm no film critic--just a film aficionado--so I won't pick this movie and the now-semi-famous cast apart. I'll just share my impressions. While the film was predictable, the characters were personable and did a good job portraying their respective points of view: social/moral/ethical. I liked Brenden's portrayal of the classic dilemma: to be loud, proud, (poor) and Jewish in the (very) short-run or suck it up, get the benefits of the Christian Yuppie establishment education and kick ass in the long run. I thought he conveyed well that this was no easy thing for him and that it would be a win-lose to some extent no matter what he did.
It was fun to see Matt Damon as a spoiled brat. And the cheating episode provided an excellent forum for exploring/exposing the values of the society these guys represented. No news, true. But a reminder that we likely have't come any further today: would a similar closed-session debate sound any different now you think? Doubt it. Hope I'm wrong.
The only "weakness" in the film might be its ending. Yet it was saved from implausible sentimentality by David's "bargain." All in all, I think it's worth watching.
Cidade de Deus (2002)
Totally absorbing: "To Live" in the context of a drug war culture
I rented this film with heightened anticipation mixed with hesitation: "...brutality that makes the movie difficult to watch" blessed with an 8+ rating. What a surprise...
when I found myself rather comfortably munching jalapeno potato chips and sipping a (few) beer(s) while the narrator (photographer, Wilson Rodrigues) calmly--and often with searing comic irony--explains the complex and violent story of his friend's and his vastly different paths from their beginnings in the City of God, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Whew! It don't get much weirder and plainer than this!
To survive in 60s-70's City of God, Brazil, you either kicked/killed drug business ass or pretended not to see who did. Yes, it was appalling to witness the youth of the Runts and their amoral, casual killing-instinct. But for me, experiencing this incredibly abnormal-yet-normal-for-the-time-and-place culture was absolutely, totally absorbing and mind bending. Thank you, Wilson Rodrigues, for this gift: I'm sure it "cost" you a lot, but it is unique and valued.
Knafayim Shvurot (2002)
Tragicomic film transports you into modern Israeli life
I loved this film. The characters are so authentic, the script peppered with sibling insults that ring true, silences that speak eloquently, and images that linger in your mind as you join this family in its struggle to return to Life.
One of my very favorite scenes was when Dafna finds Dr. Goldman asleep in the hospital. Tired and dazed, she simply sits on the edge of the bed, not thinking, not feeling, just sitting. We see Goldman's hand slip around her shoulder and gently pull her down to the bed, where the two visibly relax beside one another. And for the first time in the movie, Dafna's face has lost a bit of its tautness. So subtle and moving.
But I have teenagers, too, so I found Maya and Yair wonderful as well. Yair's withdrawal into a Mouse was very clever and symbolic. And Maya, peddling her bicycle back in the night from her missed gig, the gauze and wire wings of her stage costume flying behind her--as a symbol, a tad obvious, perhaps. But SO obvious that it's a wry observation: so often our lives are pure, undiluted, ridiculous metaphor.
I will seek more films from this director. And hope you enjoy "Broken Wings" as much as I did.
Lane