louknees Reviews

The Future of Food (2004)

Both sides please.....

[5/10 · 8 January 2006]

"The Future of Food" is a documentary that deals with the history of the agricultural industry and the development of genetically engineered food. It delves deep into the topics of patenting these genetically engineered creations by huge corporations and how the FDA's and EPA's regulations aren't strict enough and how food that has been genetically engineered in the United States does not have to be labeled. This is all valuable information.

Then the movie spends the rest of the time bashing a corporation "Monsanto" for destroying the lives of all these farmers and potentially they will bring the end of the world. Phrases like "if 60 genetically altered salmon are entered into the mainstream population, the salmon species COULD be extinct within 40 generations," are all fine and good, but there's no flip side of the coin. There's no one from Monsanto backing claims. There's no one saying, "Genetically engineered salmon could increase population growth." It seems that many documentaries recently have become witch hunts against multinational corporations, which I think are great if both sides are presented. Maybe Monsanto didn't want to talk to the filmmaker, but if that was the case, let the viewer know that at least they tried to show both sides of the story. Show the filmmaker calling or have a graphic saying "They declined comment." "The future of Food" is a great idea, with a lot of great information, but it ultimately fails because it only shows 50% of the story, hence my 5 out of 10 rating.

McLibel (2005)

So one sided it's propaganda

[4/10 · 11 December 2005]

McLibel is a really interesting documentary about 2 people that were activists who were sued by McDonalds for libel. The movie spans 15 years and the lives of the 2 activists who wouldn't apologize to McDonalds. It's not really about a personal attack on McDonald's per say, it's more about the free speech and libel laws in Britain. While I find the movie engaging and the story a true David Vs. Goliath story is one that be told, but it is so one sided that it is frustrating. I understand how the film is against Multi-National corporations and their practices, but it's not fair to have them not have a voice, to allow McDonalds to share their side of the story. Many of the interviews seem staged along with the news reports and the reenactments of the court room scenes are awkward and poorly done. I think it's a landmark case and one that has all the makings of a great documentary, but it's so biased and subjective, all of its power is muted.

Reign of Fire (2002)

Reign of Fire: Ice Cold

[2/10 · 25 November 2002]

If you're at the video store and you stroll across this interesting box cover (you're thinking to yourself, cool, about post apocolyptic dragons, and I like how the box cover is fiery!)by all means keep strolling! This is warning that you should heed. This movie is so nonsensical and utterly horrible, you'll feel like this is a punishment for something bad you did in a previous life. Brief summary; beware if you don't want to know Dragons are found in the year 2000 living underground, and by 2020 they've taken over the world. Dirty people live is caves and they fly around and try to eat them. Ridiculous theory evolves regarding the sex of the dragons, and there's lots of ash, soot and dirt. I feel bad for Christian Bale, he deserves much better than this, and I guess Matthew McConaughey got lucky with the very underrated Frailty. One of the year's worst, nothing redeeming about it, even the computer generated dragons look fake.

Far from Heaven (2002)

Everything that couldn't be said 50 years ago

[10/10 · 23 November 2002]

Todd Haynes' Far From Heaven is a cracked version of Leave it to Beaver and easily one of this year's best films. Julianne Moore gives a Tour-de-force performance as your everyday June Cleaver, wearing the hoop skirts and the shawls to boot. But this movie just doesn't scratch the surface, it takes it's fingernail and scrapes to the core of what was and what is still considered taboo in today's society. Interracial relationships and homosexuality, still not yet widely accepted today, but in 1957 (when the movie was set) were considered blasphemous, punishable by burning at the stake. You don't know whether to laugh or cry at how ridiculous the peripheral characters react to Kathleen (Moore) being seen with her black gardener (Dennis Haysbert, in his best role to date), but then you feel a lump in your throat and your eyes feeling dusty and you know that people suffered through this and still do today. I don't want to have any plot spoilers, I just want to tell you to see it.