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iic-geof
Reviews
Camino (2008)
What is this movie really about? Different people see different things in it
Reading the above reviews, I find it somewhat surprising that almost no-one saw what I saw in this excellent movie.
What I saw was an expose' of the heartlessness of the Catholic Church (and I hasten to add that they are not alone).
I saw ambition among the clergy and the girl's mother, overriding their humaneness for this unfortunate girl.
I saw the philosophy of self denial taken to absurd extreme. Who is more deserving of flowers in her hospital room than a dying innocent eleven year old? Is mind control, sequestration, withholding of personal information, constant supervision and the encouragement to wear stones in ones shoes a way to prepare anyone for office anywhere in this day and age, let alone for the catholic church? I saw the Catholic Church manipulating the tragic events in order to "glorify" the church, and the individual clergy involved supporting this in order to enhance their own standing within the hierarchy.
Instead the movie tells us that Camino's dying thoughts were with Jesus, but not with the Jesus of Nazereth, which was the assertion of the clergy and no doubt the overriding factor in her subsequent beautification, ("the church needs more saints" says one clergyman), but with her prepubescent love of a boy of the same name.
I also saw the medical establishment questioned. A GP "No Xray but an injection will settle it", A specialist when an Xray is finally taken-"no problem here, she will be OK soon" - The surgeon on the second Xray "This is serious must repair the vertebrae without delay", finally a scan "The tumor must be removed ASAP" - where a careful diagnosis would have possibly isolated the problem from the beginning and made the last months of Camino's life at least a little more pain free.
In all I found this a very bitter movie, it did not glorify the church but rather leveled serious criticism at it as it did the medical establishment.
Not a movie for the masses, not a movie that could come out of America but in my opinion one of the VERY BEST movies ever.
Warning, If light entertainment is your wish avoid this movie like the plague, but if you want your thought processes stimulated, do not miss it.
Precious (2009)
I can't believe this movie came out of America
I'm not going to run you through the plot, its been done too many times already.
What I want to say is that I cannot believe this movie came out of America. American movies invariably set out to make the American audience feel good and avoid taxing the viewers intellect or emotions too much.
This movie does all the above, the intellect and emotions are taxed; the raw underside of society is exposed, you realize that this is likely the truth understated and thank God one's own beginnings weren't this bad. You realize that this is the result of generations of poverty, welfare dependence, selfishness and hopelessness caused by deteriorating "norms" passed between generations. You wonder if you yourself would have the strength to climb out of a situation like this. You wonder where and what are the real answers to alleviate situations like this.
The movie is a wake up call to society. Things we would rather not think about are thrust upon us. It sickens us to our stomachs, compels us to think about society, prejudices and real life.
I don't like Opra Winfrey, but after seeing this movie she has gone up considerably in my estimation.
This is a unique movie out of America. Designed to make Americans AND the world think.
Congratulations to the actors, directors, camera staff, screen writers and producers. This movie is not going to make box office records but you have had the guts to try and make America and the world think!