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msolonsch
Reviews
Some Happy Day (2021)
Poignant portrayal of urban homeless
Some Happy Day provides a realistic portrayal of urban homelessness set in the Australian inner city suburb of St Kilda.
Against a backdrop of some of Australia's most popular tourist sites, the story of a homeless woman, Tina, is set against those around her. Some are seeking the best for her while others may not.
This is such an important story as it lays bare the reality of many homeless people who still have capacity, hopes and dreams - but for a variety of reasons can never break the cycle.
Some Happy Day succeeds in its realism through the perspective of the case worker, Frances, who must walk an incredibly sensitive tightrope.
A great movie that hopefully will make a real difference.
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)
Memorable, I'd watch it again and again
It's been a long while since I first saw McNamara in the Fog of War, but it still rates as one of the best films I've ever seen, fiction or non-fiction.
The scenes where he recounts the US bombings of Japan will always remain in my consciousness, and once you've seen the film, you'd be hard pressed not to remember them.
But just as interesting was his descriptions of his time at Ford, and the use of egg cartons as inspiration for car manufacture.
It also shows how great movie making can benefit from a less is more approach to shooting the subject.
Truly one of the must see movies of one's movie viewing career.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
The funniest movie since Monty Python
Honestly, I haven't laughed this much in a movie for 20 years. The VW bus scenes were so hilarious that I thought I might pass out. And the scene in the hospital was pure genius.
It's such an intelligent comedy, mixed with such sidesplitting humour that nothing has come close for eons. I love Toni Collette, and she was terrific, but in reality she was completely upstaged by the cast of less well known actors.
I haven't mentioned too much of the plot or context because the movie is funniest with all the surprises unspoiled.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
Babel (2006)
Extraordinary but challenging film
For me, this was an extraordinary movie experience, that explored the human dimensions of caring, fear, and love in conjunction with contradictory institutional responses from State authorities and States themselves. The underlying premise of the movie that communication can be distorted is demonstrated most directly through the five languages (English, Arabic, Spanish, Japanese and sign).
But the real communication message for me is how the personal filters of each of the characters changes how they communicate and how they receive communication. The two responses from Santiago at the border to the US officials demonstrates this most clearly - his different states of mind on each occasion results in a dramatically different response leading to enormous consequences. But there are so many examples in the film.
It was beautifully shot (especially some scenes of Tokyo), wonderfully acted and directed. But one warning, as my wife commented after the film, "I just felt pain. How can the stupid actions of a person result in such suffering." She didn't enjoy it at all, and found it to be a painful experience.