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Reviews
Venezuela bolivariana: pueblo y lucha de la IV guerra mundial (2004)
Mindless Propaganda
This was the worst documentary I've ever seen.
Ostensibly, the film was intended to discuss the recent political upheaval in Venezuela and the impact Hugo Chavez has had on the region. In actuality, it was just a ridiculous pro-Chavez propaganda film. It actually was not unlike most old Soviet-era propaganda that we watch now for laughs. The only difference here was that there was a large, very receptive audience of hippies buying everything they heard hook, line, and sinker.
I'm as liberal as they come. I'm a self-described socialist and I agree that the plight of the impoverished in third world countries isn't something we can ignore. However, I'm also strongly against mindless BS. This film was full of emotional appeal and plenty of anger, but it never actually managed to offer any kind of alternative to the way it is.
They showed clips of Chavez giving passionate speeches to large crowds, a la Mussolini, and giving such insightful advice as "We must end poverty!" and "We must conquer oppression!" Well, fine. That's great. But does he say how to do that? Nope. It's just empty platitudes.
The film gave about two minutes to the opposing argument, which it actually referred to as "The Enemy." About 40% of Venezuelans voted against Chavez. They think he has polarized the country and made Venezuelans hate each other. They believe that his pseudo-Communist policies have essentially destroyed their country's economy and infrastructure. Those are all valid points. All of which were completely ignored by the film. Instead, they derided such comments as "Capitalistic" and "Bourgeois." Listen. You can't end poverty by sealing up your borders and throwing out all the big, bad corporations. I understand that CAFTA and the WTO are hurting South Americans. But instead of flatly rejecting CAFTA, insist on fair trade. That's a solution, and it makes far more sense to me than empty platitudes and mindless propaganda.
What annoys me most about this film is that it's such a great subject. They could have started such a great dialog about what needs to happen. They should have been more objective and given more credence to the "opposing" opinions. Instead, they squandered their opportunity and managed to give Chavez a collective blow job. Bravo.
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
My favorite film
Once Upon a Time in America is my favorite film. It plays like a live-action novel, and at 229 minutes, it would probably be faster to read the book (it's loosely based on "The Hoods" by Harry Gray).
Sergio Leone uses his classic filming style in which broad landscapes and wide angle scenery shots are juxtaposed against close up shots of character's faces. Everything is meticulously edited and every shot has something important to say.
The strong point of the film is its meaning, which is generally overlooked by most critics, who are typically more interested in plot. The plot is convoluted and at times uninteresting, but the message that the film sends is far more important. This movie is ultimately about the individual versus the collective. Using the idea of the "American Dream" as a catalyst, Leone employs themes of friendship, love, crime, and nostalgia to illustrate why individualism is overrated.
Max (James Woods) gradually takes over Noodles' (Robert de Niro) childhood gang. As they grow older, Max acquires more and more of what Noodles once had: his lover, his money, his friends, and, ultimately, his life. Max discovered that he could use his close-knit friends to catapult himself into a better life, while destroying Noodles' life and getting his other friends killed.
Leone assumes that the American Dream has to do with our focus on the individual. He shows the flaw in our belief that individual happiness doesn't require collective contentment by showing it in an individual case. What's interesting about this film is that it takes the perspective of the man who lost everything, unlike most American stories, which tend to illustrate a struggle to success. Noodles is left without money and exiled from his home for 35 years. Max climbs to the heights of power, but is left regretful and unhappy.
In the final scene, Noodles is seen smoking opium and smiling in a drug-induced haze. Through the complex sequence of flashbacks, it's possible that everything in the movie after a certain point was nothing more than a dream of Noodles'. Leone is suggesting that the American Dream itself is nothing more than a dream.
Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989)
Hilarious, With One Big Problem
This movie was hilarious. The jokes were fast and strong, with several more subtle gags throughout the film. Many scenes had me laughing so hard I couldn't hear the movie.
Unfortunately, the film is based on a very loose plot. It seems to be a movie for the sake of comedy; substance without point or meaning. While practical jokes are all fun and good, I don't see how they managed to base the entire movie on that shaky premise. Penn & Teller are not known for their storytelling, of course, so I suppose this issue can be forgiven.
Also, I felt really weird with Teller started talking at the end of the film. It's a brilliant ending, but they having Teller actually speak was a little much.