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Only the Brave (2017)
This film is so much better than I expected
I went to see this film, when I was at a bit of a loss for something else to do on a quiet Sunday afternoon. I had seen previews of this film when I had gone to see another film at the cinema a week or so earlier. I was fully expecting this film to be a fairly typical, run-of-the-mill "disaster" type of film & did not hold out high hopes for the quality of the film, nor did I know much about the actors in it.
The previews I had seen seemed to indicate that it was based on a true story - but that did nothing to allay my pre-conceived notions as to what the film would be like. I also knew nothing about the "true story" on which the film was apparently based - so knew nothing of the story at all, & had not bothered to research it prior to seeing the film.
I was quite surprised then, when the film turned out to be so much better than I had expected. It wasn't exactly a star-studded cast, but there were a few recognisable faces there - the likes of Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Andie McDowell, & I scarcely recognised Josh Brolin, whom I had not seen in a film for a long time. The actors all played their roles well, so that we got a real idea of what their characters were about.
The film shows a group/squad of about 20 rural US fire-fighters going through their paces in training & real life scenarios, as they were trying to gain their accreditation as a "hot shot" group of fire-fighters. One of their training exercises involved the prompt deployment of their individual "fire shelters" (part of each fire-fighter's standard equipment) - specially designed shelters which one presumes were designed to shield them from the fire, as a last resort, if worst came to worst. I felt somewhat relieved knowing they were equipped with such special shelters for protection - because I was previously unaware of the existence of such shelters.
However, over the years as we watched this particular group of rural US fire-fighters in action, through several different fires, fortunately they'd never had to use them. Because of this, I found the film's ending particularly sad - it was quite a tear-jerker - so I'd recommend taking some tissues with you if you go to see this film. You might also want to do some reading about the true story on which this film is based. I only did that after I actually saw the movie - but it does sound like the film follows the reality of what happened quite closely -which is rather unique in the world of film-making.
I give this film an 8 out of 10 star rating.
In Loco Parentis (2016)
A very interesting film
What struck me most about this school is that it was supposedly an elite school in Ireland (& presumably charging quite high fees), located in an old stately home. Yet the actual "physical school facilities" that they had (on the inside of the building) were not very impressive by the standards of most modern schools.
I thought their facilities & classrooms looked somewhat old & decrepit & run-down, & very much below standard, when you compare it with any other modern-day school. However, it looked like their class sizes were very small, & it seems that the quality of the teaching must have made up for a lot of the good facilities which they lacked, because some of them obviously managed to get into the British schools of their choice such as Eton & Harrow.
You don't ever see either of the 2 main featured teachers do any really serious "subject teaching", though they do seem to have a unique way of getting across to their students in a lot of areas. The casual-ness of John's classroom attire as a teacher seemed a bit below par to me -often wearing just a sweat shirt & an old pair of jeans. I think in most countries, a certain standard of dress would normally be required of teachers, especially in a school which is quite elite, & therefore also one assumes, quite expensive in terms of school fees. John's standard of dress did make me wonder how well these teachers are paid. Perhaps teachers are not very well paid in Ireland, even in very elite schools which charge very high school fees. John came across as being a little bit eccentric.
The school's boarding facilities also looked rather cramped to me. In most modern boarding schools these days, students could normally expect to have their own small study-bedroom cubicle or room & a bit more privacy than these children had. It looked like there were at least 4 students per room/study-bedroom, & the students were all in bunk/double-decker beds (I guess they must have been short on space). The secondary school I attended back in the 1970's was also a boarding school, but there were no bunk beds in the dormitories even then, & the older-style cubicles/rooms (if one could call them that) were very large, with about 6 beds - 3 on each side of the room, alongside each other, with plenty of space in between for a wardrobe etc for each person. But by 1975, most students had their own small cubicle/study-bedroom.
I don't know how many students this particular boarding school in Ireland (called Headfort School) catered for, but it looked like possibly only a few hundred at most - which is quite small by most school standards these days. Often these days, schools claim they need to have at least 1,000 pupils to make it viable, & they are always trying to "grow" the student numbers. It looks like Headfort School does not have much capacity to increase its student numbers.
The 2 featured teachers at this particular school were obviously very devoted to the school & its students, & had been there for almost 50 years. They are both approaching retirement & are wondering what they will do once they don't have to come to the school each day to teach. It looks like they live in a house provided for them by the school, & just a short distance away from the school. But even the inside of their house, like the school, also looks rather old & somewhat run-down. Once they retire, they'll no longer be able to live in school-provided housing.
I definitely think this is a documentary well worth seeing, even if just to see how the other half lives. And I do wonder how the 2 featured teachers (a husband & wife) will enjoy their retirement & what they end up doing in their retirement years. I can well imagine it might be something to do with helping children...
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015)
Reinforced what I already knew about Scientology
I saw this film just this evening. Having read a lot about Scientology in the past, & also seen quite a few interviews with their leaders & followers, I already had a reasonable knowledge about Scientology, & this film mostly just reinforced what I already knew.
What I have always found strange about "The Church of Scientology" is that it calls itself a religion, & many of its buildings can be seen in the film, having Christian-style crosses atop them - yet I've rarely heard any Scientologist even mention the word "God" or "Jesus Christ". It is perfectly true what one of the interviewees says in the film - that if you were to ask any mainstream Christian what their basic beliefs were, they could probably state all the basics in a couple of minutes - yet it would be difficult for most Scientologists to do the same thing, because the real basis of their beliefs does not get revealed until one reaches the very highest levels of Scientology. It has always therefore seemed to me that Scientology is more like a "philosophy" or "life-style" than an actual religion which believes in God, or a god. However, Scientology has obviously been successful in convincing the US government that it IS a religion, because the US government has now granted it tax exempt status as a religion.
While Scientology does practice "disconnection" - the "shunning" of those who leave the "religion" (even family members) - it would not be the first religion to do so. Jehovah's Witnesses also practice shunning (they call it "disfellowshipping"), the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) also practice it, & even the Amish & similar Christian denominations also practice shunning of those "full/baptised members" who leave the religion.
Many years ago when I was a university student back in the 1980's, I can recall encountering Scientology people on the streets of the city where I attended university. However, I did not really understand who they were, back then. Of course, they were offering people their free "personality test" & one of the last questions they asked me, after I agreed to do the test, was something like, what was the most important thing for me in life. I think I recall saying something like living a good & enjoyable life & being happy. Of course they then said to me "we can help you with that" & asked me to come to their office where they could give me more information. However, I got the impression that no matter what answer I had given them, they would have told me they could help me with it. I went to their office, where I spoke to another person & completed another questionnaire & was then offered the chance to purchase the "Dianetics" book. I politely declined their offer & went on my way. However while there, I happened to notice another person in their office (who had taken the "personality test" like myself) who was from the same university college as myself. But he was "giving them heaps" & telling them what a load of rubbish all their "Dianetics" was! I must say, I do find it hard to understand why so many celebrities in particular seem to "fall" for Scientology, which is like a form of psychology in a way, but whose methods have in no way been scientifically proved. However, Scientology does seem to treat celebrities very differently to the way it treats its "regular" members.
All in all, I thought this was a good film, & most people who do not currently know much about Scientology will probably find it very interesting & revealing.
Kommissar Rex (1994)
Excellent animal/detective series!
I've been hooked on "Inspector Rex" ever since just happening to come across an episode on SBS TV in Australia a few years ago. I don't know quite what it is about this series, but for a foreign-language series with English subtitles on SBS (the sort of show that is not ordinarily high on an Australian's viewing list)it seems to have gained an extraordinarily large following here. Perhaps it's our love of animals and Rex himself that make us love this show. Many people I know are fans, and like myself, would not miss an episode.
The series starts out with Rex's police dog handler being shot and killed in the line of duty, and Rex being left to pine for his former master. A young detective by the name of Richard Moser is involved in that same shoot-out, and ends up shooting the criminal who killed Rex's master. Thus, Moser meets Rex. Rex is now a dog without a master, and Moser is also companion-less, having recently gone through a divorce, so is a bachelor once more. What each of them really needs is a new companion, and Moser eventually convinces Rex that they need each other. So, after much bureaucratic red tape, Moser gains ownership of Rex, and the two team up to make a dynamic duo.
It soon becomes evident that Moser doesn't really know very much at all about dogs, but at least his heart is in the right place, and he manages to fumble his way through, at times with considerable prompting from Rex himself. Moser gets permission to take Rex to work with him at the "Mordkommission" (homicide squad), where Rex's expertise and training as a police dog (sniffing out drugs, explosives, dead bodies, and being able to follow a scent trail) prove extremely handy in solving the murders that take place in Vienna. Who would have thought that such a beautiful city could be the back-drop to so much foul play? Moser and Rex very quickly become inseparable, and there is an excellent rapport and chemistry between the dog and his new master. Rex also befriends Moser's work colleagues, Stockinger and Hoellerer.
Unfortunately, this new relationship, it seems, is just too good to last. Once again, in Series 4, Rex is left without a master when Moser is also killed in the line of duty. Moser's work colleagues at that time, Boeck (having replaced Stockinger who moved to Salzburg) and Hoellerer, are left to care for a pining Rex, until the arrival of "The New Guy", Alex Brandtner (Moser's replacement). Alex makes a very dashing entrance in Series 4, and coincidentally just happens to know a bit about dogs. Alex also surprises his new work colleagues by introducing himself by his first/Christian name, and also addressing them by their first names (an unusual practice in Germany/Austria where work colleagues normally use their surnames). Boeck does a background check on Alex and discovers that he was actually once a police dog handler, but decided not to work with dogs again after his own dog was killed in an explosion in the line of duty. Alex and Rex very quickly take to one another, and soon Rex has a new master (Alex), and is back at the office helping to solve a new murder every week.
Alex is quite a different character from Moser, and his relationship with Rex is somewhat different. He is much more athletic and likes to work out and keep himself in shape, whereas Moser was a bit on the lazy side when it came to physical exercise, and only indulged in it rather reluctantly. At first, Alex and Rex did not seem to have quite the same rapport and chemistry as Rex and Moser, but having now seen many of the Alex/Rex episodes, I'm beginning to like them more than I did at first. However, I still do tend to prefer the Moser/Rex episodes on the whole.
I love the way the plots develop each week, against the beautiful Viennese background. I also love the way we see the relationship develop between Moser and Rex, and later Alex and Rex. In the early Moser/Rex episodes, we would often see Moser teach Rex a new "skill", and then get to see Rex having to utilise that skill later in the episode.
This series is highly recommended and certainly a must for all animal lovers!
1990 (1977)
One of my favourite TV series of the late 1970's
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series when it first graced our screens in the late 1970's. However, it seems that it is not well known, as many people I talk to who were around in those days, claim not to have heard of it. It's a pity it only lasted for 16 episodes - I would love to watch them all again, perhaps if and when they are put out on DVD.
Obviously now, with hindsight, the Great Britain of the future which we see portrayed in this series, has not (yet) eventuated. This 1990 depicts a distinct "ruling class" and an "under-class" consisting mostly of "non-citizens" as they are called. It is virtually impossible to do anything "anonymously", and society is, to all intents and purposes cashless, with currency (ie notes and coin) non-existent. Everything is paid for with "credits" (not pounds or dollars) from one's account. Transactional anonymity is only possible if one is able to pay with gold (assuming the seller is prepared to accept payment in gold). Not surprisingly, something of a black market and underground movement develops. This series is very much about "big brother", and whilst most of it has not come to fruition (yet), who knows what might happen in the future? It is for this reason that I highly recommend watching the series, if given the chance. Don't let its mere title deceive you by making you think that it lacks topicality - what it has to say may yet come to pass!