tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30901197803206452022024-03-13T08:10:49.011-05:00Deeper FilmA good film is the spice of life.Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-81175462458710482372014-05-04T06:24:00.000-05:002014-05-04T18:05:19.875-05:00To Be Known By Another—The Invisible Woman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Marriage as traditionally conceived is challenged by this film about a woman who loved a literary giant.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sfw4CifL9Xc/U2YW456XAnI/AAAAAAAABR0/ojCIMuYqRKg/s1600/680x478.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sfw4CifL9Xc/U2YW456XAnI/AAAAAAAABR0/ojCIMuYqRKg/s1600/680x478.jpeg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Depth 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Acting 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Plot 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Originality 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Production 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Entertainment 3 (deliberate pace will frustrate some viewers)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Demand on Viewer: Moderate to High</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Overall: Recommended</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony/theinvisiblewoman/" target="_blank">View Trailer</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In this beautifully shot film by Ralph Fiennes, </span>we see the love of a couple who cannot marry, not at least if they wish to preserve his standing as a published author. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lYvhhoGO4fs/U2YcQC8VYNI/AAAAAAAABSI/fsyUgnvwVIk/s1600/the-invisible-woman-2013-img08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lYvhhoGO4fs/U2YcQC8VYNI/AAAAAAAABSI/fsyUgnvwVIk/s1600/the-invisible-woman-2013-img08.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Charles Dickens is thought to have lived secretly with a much younger woman for the last 13 years of his life. <span style="font-size: large;">How did this relationship develop, and what might it have been like for the woman? </span>The social construct of marriage is examined, along with the role a male is allowed to play.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0mtnpote364/U2YcdZ3su4I/AAAAAAAABSQ/a84GrhfP8mM/s1600/The-Invisible-Woman-felicity-jones-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0mtnpote364/U2YcdZ3su4I/AAAAAAAABSQ/a84GrhfP8mM/s1600/The-Invisible-Woman-felicity-jones-4.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a>A Wilkie Collins play opens and closes the film, a nice touch, with lines delivered by Nellie, <span style="font-size: large;">"To love is life."</span> To really know and be known by another is more important to the protagonists than to deliver a sort of "product" to the world in the form of an outward contract.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The interesting and original feature of this story is that their <span style="font-size: large;">affair does not end in some tragedy or over-wrought conflict.</span> There are no duels or bar fights as a result, no one dies (even though Dickens' train accident was a close brush and is included in the film as a way to heighten the existential feeling between him and Nellie). </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Not even his wife objects, though she is deeply hurt, as revealed in a fantastic scene by Joanna Scanlan that <span style="font-size: large;">looks like a Velasquez painting. </span>The high artistry of this film is nowhere more evident than in this scene.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eb6IJCrn9Kg/U2YbuZqXD4I/AAAAAAAABSA/LIT6dxqF-L4/s1600/the-invisible-woman-2013-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eb6IJCrn9Kg/U2YbuZqXD4I/AAAAAAAABSA/LIT6dxqF-L4/s1600/the-invisible-woman-2013-09.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Felicity Jones does a captivating portrayal of a character who must age and mature, and who must carry herself with an almost royal bearing while also feeling a depth of passion not present in the other women. <span style="font-size: large;">This is a sensitive mixture of pathos and classical beauty we rarely see.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6pF7Wns686s/U2YdVgPv8mI/AAAAAAAABSY/0fnIqkVph8Y/s1600/The-Invisible-Woman-felicity-jones-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6pF7Wns686s/U2YdVgPv8mI/AAAAAAAABSY/0fnIqkVph8Y/s1600/The-Invisible-Woman-felicity-jones-3.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ralph Fiennes' Dickens is a larger-than-life character,</span> constantly in the public eye, but who nevertheless recognizes the essence of his own explorations in this younger actress. Both his and Nelly's character are shown to be very patient, sometimes agonizingly so, in order to follow their own inner directives about their lives, and each other.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zfRS4D1PwAU/U2Yfpw19YEI/AAAAAAAABSk/lYUFUgb4FHQ/s1600/still-of-felicity-jones-in-the-invisible-woman-(2013)-large-picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zfRS4D1PwAU/U2Yfpw19YEI/AAAAAAAABSk/lYUFUgb4FHQ/s1600/still-of-felicity-jones-in-the-invisible-woman-(2013)-large-picture.png" height="180" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Still following that inner directive, </span>Nelly walks by the ocean every day in the years after Dickens' </div>
death. (His death by stroke is not portrayed in the film.) Even when she cannot walk there, she hears the sound of the water. A sympathetic admirer of Dickens provides an ear (and a way out) toward the end of the story.<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"I do not feel the freedom you seem to see," </span>she cries to Dickens in one scene. There is a sense of inner freedom that such characters convey, and that a penetrating mind like Dickens would have recognized.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KlT-eQ1E7Ag/U2Yi-VCRuSI/AAAAAAAABSw/Mxc-k409kGA/s1600/invisible-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KlT-eQ1E7Ag/U2Yi-VCRuSI/AAAAAAAABSw/Mxc-k409kGA/s1600/invisible-articleLarge.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Such freedom of mind and heart does not always extend to societal or sexual codes,</span> and this meant a lonely existence much of the time for them. When one considers what would happen to a 45-year-old man trying to be with with an 18-year-old girl today, not much has changed since the 19th century. </div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-64011227094282158662013-11-17T08:00:00.000-06:002013-11-17T08:00:04.886-06:00Crescendo to Silence — Gravity<span style="font-size: x-large;">Waves of sound and silence surround a story of connection—to Earth and to Hope.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h3yeGSfl7lA/UogK64LZySI/AAAAAAAABPY/pJ1e4KKnSFA/s1600/MV5BNjE5MzYwMzYxMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTk4MTk0OQ@@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h3yeGSfl7lA/UogK64LZySI/AAAAAAAABPY/pJ1e4KKnSFA/s320/MV5BNjE5MzYwMzYxMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTk4MTk0OQ@@._V1_.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">AESTHETIC/VISUAL 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER mild</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL Highly Recommended for all ages!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Two aspects of this film stand out off the top: the sound, and the visuals. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-yl0tOrs8A" target="_blank">soundtrack</a> and sound editing, the </span><span style="font-size: large;">with excellent production of </span><span style="font-size: large;">3D elements to bring the viewer out into space like no film about this subject ever has.</span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bynHH1LJ0Ww/UogK8IupS6I/AAAAAAAABP8/FW65uztbLok/s1600/gravity-movie-review-space-earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bynHH1LJ0Ww/UogK8IupS6I/AAAAAAAABP8/FW65uztbLok/s400/gravity-movie-review-space-earth.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-yl0tOrs8A" target="_blank">The sound comes in waves</a>,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> fading in from nothing, swelling to a crescendo, then suddenly dropping to silence.</span> The effect is to highlight and emphasize the silence, and also the way objects careen at unthinkable speeds through that silent void. The characters all point to the silence in the dialogue; the sound thus underpins this important theme.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beYeIumdqvg/UogK7yYMoQI/AAAAAAAABPo/nIxYn_q2KB8/s1600/gravity-movie-review-sandra-bullock-suit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beYeIumdqvg/UogK7yYMoQI/AAAAAAAABPo/nIxYn_q2KB8/s320/gravity-movie-review-sandra-bullock-suit-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">And if there ever was a film to see in 3D, this is the one. </span>It takes you out into space and gives you a picture of earth, impossible to describe in words. By turns you hover over continents, oceans, cities, mountain ranges. <span style="font-size: large;">It feels as if you are actually looking down on their vast immensity. </span>3D often feels to me like a gratuitous use of media/technology toys; something for kids to do on a rainy day. Not so this film. The dimensionally enhanced views are used in a restrained way; to illuminate the <span style="font-size: large;">feeling of being untethered from earth and from its gravity.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb73Ui5DNM4/UogRC80hYwI/AAAAAAAABQg/VMhPcoc7c_4/s1600/gravity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb73Ui5DNM4/UogRC80hYwI/AAAAAAAABQg/VMhPcoc7c_4/s400/gravity.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WYI-dTjfLlg/UogK8QAG72I/AAAAAAAABP4/i-fxHovXclo/s1600/gravity_film_still_a_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WYI-dTjfLlg/UogK8QAG72I/AAAAAAAABP4/i-fxHovXclo/s320/gravity_film_still_a_l.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And now for the story. It is a deceptively simple one. </span> Space engineer Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is on her first shuttle mission; her colleague Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) is a calm veteran with a remarkably reassuring voice. They are hit by debris and must make their way back to the earth's surface.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We are given a way in to the story through Dr. Stone's eyes,</span> as we get queasy seeing the way the world so easily turns upside and out of control with no gravity. At first she shudders and shakes at the slightest movement. <span style="font-size: large;">We feel her disequilibrium</span> and near motion sickness as she is flung about and rotated around whatever she happens to be holding onto. With her we cling to Kowalski's expertise as he guides their actions.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3MPRTHkCiuk/UogK62HNq7I/AAAAAAAABPc/Ynj51Ehj2po/s1600/gravity-debris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3MPRTHkCiuk/UogK62HNq7I/AAAAAAAABPc/Ynj51Ehj2po/s400/gravity-debris.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hl2plDQCQFk/UogRChe3N9I/AAAAAAAABQY/Z7I8-ElIvF8/s1600/gravity-movie-trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hl2plDQCQFk/UogRChe3N9I/AAAAAAAABQY/Z7I8-ElIvF8/s320/gravity-movie-trailer.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Instead of falling into the usual genre devices of aliens as the villains</span>, here it is simply an accidental barrage of debris, smashing into them at lethal speeds, and the inner fight against panic and despair that ensues. (Again the sound: a juxtaposition of the explosions and impact with deafening silence is memorable and a marked contrast to the usual overwrought sound effects of action films.)<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Fo8NfePei8/UogK7lz8CQI/AAAAAAAABPg/hVZHh6hO8OI/s1600/gravity-movie-review-sandra-bullock-shiop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Fo8NfePei8/UogK7lz8CQI/AAAAAAAABPg/hVZHh6hO8OI/s320/gravity-movie-review-sandra-bullock-shiop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The situation forces Dr. Stone to come face to face with her daughter's death.</span> She talks about it with Kowalski, but later must determine on her own whether life is still worth living without someone she loved so much.<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It is this inner story that makes the film. </span>Science fiction and space stories are often delinquent in this most critical area: whether the story connects in a real way to other human beings. Here we have a profound and emotional struggle going on simultaneous with the external threat, and it draws us into the heart of the main character. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nNYDG-JH0vY/UogRCiQOcpI/AAAAAAAABQc/DiI6kdGdgd0/s1600/gravity-movie-review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nNYDG-JH0vY/UogRCiQOcpI/AAAAAAAABQc/DiI6kdGdgd0/s320/gravity-movie-review.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">In <i>Gravity</i> the vastness of space is shown to be both intimidating and beautiful; </span><span style="font-size: large;">but it is Earth that comes out as the victor of the heart. </span>"Thank you," Dr. Ryan whispers, clutching mud in her hand. The alien landscape she has encountered mirrors the newly adopted inner landscape she has now found. She is now a colossal figure, whereas in space she was tiny, both in comparison to what was surrounding her, and in the way she felt inside.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aconGNLttQA/UogRCcazFPI/AAAAAAAABQU/w30x6vLTlHg/s1600/gravity-movie-bullock-astronaut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aconGNLttQA/UogRCcazFPI/AAAAAAAABQU/w30x6vLTlHg/s320/gravity-movie-bullock-astronaut.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When Dr. Stone finally makes it into the safety of the space station, and removes her suit,<span style="font-size: large;"> the shock of seeing her body is visceral and stimulating,</span> in way that evokes an appreciation of all the earthly elements of being human; flesh, muscles, strength and agility in arms and legs. When she gets to earth, we get to see this stripping down to the body again. The meaning here is unmistakable: return to earth, to the body. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Paradoxically, this movie also heightens our appreciation of space exploration,</span> but by a counter-intuitive method. Just as dancers learn to concentrate on the ground and the feeling of weight and gravity in order to learn to jump higher, perhaps the focus on earth and our foundations will <span style="font-size: large;">lead us out into space again.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jk_rkDebYDI/UogK64u_z2I/AAAAAAAABPU/KoGD-91ldls/s1600/gravity-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jk_rkDebYDI/UogK64u_z2I/AAAAAAAABPU/KoGD-91ldls/s320/gravity-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The athletic figure of Sandra Bullock is shot gracefully in zero-g as well as underwater.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-85170803315181914642013-11-09T15:18:00.000-06:002013-11-09T15:18:47.160-06:00And a Child Shall Lead Them — Ender's Game — JDIFF Screening Event<span style="font-size: x-large;">When children lead our wars, </span><span style="font-size: large;">we have truly lost our ethical moorings.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FDz0ir4bd3g/Un5W6pzPG1I/AAAAAAAABNw/ocXA-98d30s/s1600/Enders-Game-Movie-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FDz0ir4bd3g/Un5W6pzPG1I/AAAAAAAABNw/ocXA-98d30s/s400/Enders-Game-Movie-Poster.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH 3</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Orson Scott Card's book gets a 4)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING 3</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY 3</span> (Book gets a 5)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">AESTHETIC/VISUAL 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER</span> Light</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL</span> Somewhat recommended. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">**</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JulienFilmFest" style="font-size: xx-large;" target="_blank">Special Ender's Game Screening with the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> featuring </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Khylin Rhambo and Aramis Knight.** </span><a href="http://www.kwwl.com/story/23860762/2013/11/02/julien-dubuque-international-film-festival-hosts" target="_blank">SEE LOCAL NEWS CLIP</a></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XYwU4KwwodU/Un6iHZXFuVI/AAAAAAAABOo/-3OZ3DCY1OQ/s1600/enders-game-522d060f0382d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XYwU4KwwodU/Un6iHZXFuVI/AAAAAAAABOo/-3OZ3DCY1OQ/s320/enders-game-522d060f0382d.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5ev-nOWJH8" target="_blank">View Trailer</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This is mostly a film about boys made for boys. </span>Which is not a bad thing if you have them. My two had a great time and in addition to being very entertained, we had a very intelligent discussion about genocide and ambiguous moral choices.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S77DKbPFx5U/Un6kCTXXonI/AAAAAAAABO0/u8nCGDQxlhA/s1600/Enders-Game-2013-Movie-Image1-e1372263611364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S77DKbPFx5U/Un6kCTXXonI/AAAAAAAABO0/u8nCGDQxlhA/s320/Enders-Game-2013-Movie-Image1-e1372263611364.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When I first encountered this story, </span>it was as a middle-schooler just beginning to explore the science-fiction and fantasy genre. Even after many years, it stands out as a major work, one that made an impact on my development as a boy. One of the reasons (beyond that it is very imaginative) is that <span style="font-size: large;">Ender is a strong, memorable character, </span>who shows how a child can take on adult responsibilities, and may even be forced by circumstances beyond his control to accept leadership roles.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WZya0YgIecE/Un5W9729LCI/AAAAAAAABN8/F3CbokHorVI/s1600/enders-game-hailee-steinfeld-asa-butterfield2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WZya0YgIecE/Un5W9729LCI/AAAAAAAABN8/F3CbokHorVI/s320/enders-game-hailee-steinfeld-asa-butterfield2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I rooted for Ender,</span> through all his training, alienation from his peers, and coming of age in the space training camp. In many ways this story mirrors the trials of one's teenage years, including the mixed feelings one has for the father-authority figures in one's life. <span style="font-size: large;">I wanted him to win! And he did, except for one thing—genocide.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We discover that Ender's game is no game at all.</span> "Why are we still seeing these images?" Ender asks of the simulation, after it continues to show the enemy planet burning and collapsing, a whole civilization destroyed.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/TFnrG4WvzQo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There are signals that something is amiss, </span>seen in the stern, worried-looking Harrison Ford. He brings the proper gravitas to the narrative he must give to Ender, "These are beings that killed many on earth! We must go after them and wipe them out! Ender, you are the only one who can do it." </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S0MmYwnyQdk/Un6k5UuzO5I/AAAAAAAABPE/XA3tK-YAdeM/s1600/endersgame4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S0MmYwnyQdk/Un6k5UuzO5I/AAAAAAAABPE/XA3tK-YAdeM/s320/endersgame4.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Ender is tricked; or is he? </span>His character is prone to violence, to total retributive justice, to ruthless pursuit of victory. Despite occasional flashes of compassion and deep emotion (conveyed only partially convincingly by Asa Butterfield), <span style="font-size: large;">Ender is a battle commander at heart. </span>This is what the general sees in him. Ender does begin to develop deep reservations about what is happening, and thinks he still has time to decide otherwise. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuD69KkaBTA/Un5W6bVtodI/AAAAAAAABNs/3cI-64TqZug/s1600/enders-game-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuD69KkaBTA/Un5W6bVtodI/AAAAAAAABNs/3cI-64TqZug/s320/enders-game-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ender's Game</i> reminds us that war-happy military-industrial minds will recruit anyone, even young children.</span> But it also depicts something more basic: that <span style="font-size: large;">war itself is childish.</span> That the aims of war, and all the training and all the gadgetry (and in this case, all the cool space-age stuff like zero gravity laser tag) are all for a purpose that, seen in light of this story's end, is not only absurd, but <span style="font-size: large;">colossally destructive to every form of life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kkkKaG_Jehk/Un5W9zbDJcI/AAAAAAAABOA/2aSblhVRbf4/s1600/k-bigpic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kkkKaG_Jehk/Un5W9zbDJcI/AAAAAAAABOA/2aSblhVRbf4/s400/k-bigpic.png" width="400" /></a>This is a good point to make in a story; except that, <span style="font-size: large;">the film doesn't quite deliver,</span> because of the massive production and sensational, block-buster style visual effects. All the boys who watch this film will get swept up in the adrenaline, the battle, the rooting for Ender to win! <span style="font-size: large;">They will go away remembering the glory of it, rather than grasping the ethical dilemma.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Unless, of course, they are guided by an adult, </span>who can teach them what the terms "morally ambiguous" and "genocide" mean, and who can help them process why it was that Ender was so upset, why he turned to a peaceful mission, and why it was significant that his enemy never retaliated. <span style="font-size: large;">Parents who do so will have added a consciousness of war <u>and</u> peace to the minds of their children; and doing so recapture the true aim of the story.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--NUHvQy3CNA/Un6kISyLKsI/AAAAAAAABO8/kywH1t0lQGQ/s1600/Enders-Game-Trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--NUHvQy3CNA/Un6kISyLKsI/AAAAAAAABO8/kywH1t0lQGQ/s400/Enders-Game-Trailer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">DEEPER EXTRA:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Does this film transcend its author?</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I believe it does. <span style="font-size: large;">The presentation of its ethical dilemma lifts this film, and the book, out of the morass of Orson Scott Card's personal views, </span>his clumsy and rather stupid statements against homosexuality. Given that this is a story for boys about boys, one does have to wonder about the same-sex leanings of the author, despite his vociferous denunciations of it. (And isn't it those people who always come out most strongly against?)<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Read more about the <a href="http://io9.com/could-the-enders-game-boycott-actually-tank-the-movie-749408769" target="_blank">Ender's Game Boycott and Controversy</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-92088292531423506332013-11-04T22:20:00.000-06:002013-11-04T22:30:28.530-06:00Pulse of Sex — Come Undone<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">Why would she do it?</span> Why get involved with another man when her domestic life with husband Alessio is secure, loving, tender, full of support and comfort?</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ceY4FS0jROA/UnU7Oh5GqVI/AAAAAAAABNM/_9PqQbqIXcM/s1600/11154311_det.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ceY4FS0jROA/UnU7Oh5GqVI/AAAAAAAABNM/_9PqQbqIXcM/s320/11154311_det.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT 3</span><br />
Don't watch this to see gratuitous sex or to escape from a long day.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">AESTHETIC/VISUAL 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER</span> Moderate</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL </span>Selectively Recommended. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mature theme, don't watch if you don't want to open the can of worms called "affairs."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This film is a fine example of the material offered by</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.filmmovement.com/" target="_blank">Film Movement</a>. Check them out!</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvRDWr01q_k/UnUqulLmKbI/AAAAAAAABMY/vZmabdx5qCM/s1600/MV5BMjA2NzUwOTA2M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTM1MTI5Mw@@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvRDWr01q_k/UnUqulLmKbI/AAAAAAAABMY/vZmabdx5qCM/s400/MV5BMjA2NzUwOTA2M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTM1MTI5Mw@@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This 2010 film directed by Silvio Soldini, <i>Come Undone </i>examines an affair between two people already in committed relationships. </span>Anna, in faithful cohabitation, and Domenico, married with children, meet by chance and immediately begin courting each other. Soldini sensitively dramatizes all the smallest, mundane details of what transpires when one begins an affair of this sort, and the relationship is beautifully unfolded.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3e9e9pMSuNM/UnUsoFL1J5I/AAAAAAAABMs/4pxoCbGEmY8/s1600/157759-Come_Undone_Md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3e9e9pMSuNM/UnUsoFL1J5I/AAAAAAAABMs/4pxoCbGEmY8/s400/157759-Come_Undone_Md.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">"At least there are no vampires here,"</span> says Domenico, when they enter the hotel room. (<span style="font-size: large;">Which they can book for four hours at a time</span>—this European invention is an acknowledgment of the need for a neutral location.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Vampires indeed—</span>is precisely what they are there to do, the red-lit ambiance giving expression not only to their passion but to the devouring lust at work.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">At this point each viewer will read his or her own judgment and history onto the film.</span> But if we can stand back from that, we are led to ask, How do we deal with our bodily chemistry, our emotional pull toward the passion and vitality that can so easily go missing from our secure domesticated arrangements?<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What do we do, in other words, when the pulse of sex takes over,</span> and the "logical" parts of brain begin to shut off? When the pre-frontal cortex of brains, the "reasonable" side of ourselves, is revealed for what it is—something of a piece with the lower brain, something that arises out of the unconscious, something that is only a small aspect of our person, not the whole—what are we to do? <span style="font-size: large;">We don't have as much "choice" in the matter as we might want to believe.</span><br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kJ2hY_sLEbQ/UnUsoCBN4YI/AAAAAAAABMk/9_90W3Z7XnM/s1600/come-undone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kJ2hY_sLEbQ/UnUsoCBN4YI/AAAAAAAABMk/9_90W3Z7XnM/s400/come-undone.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">According to <a href="http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/come-undone/5182" target="_blank">one perspective from Slant</a>,</span> this film, while balanced, has its share of cliché moments and characters. I disagree. In fact, it is astonishing to me that the questions asked by this film are regarded as cliché, when the fundamental problem posed is at once so powerful and so intractable, and when I rarely see them handled as sensitively as they are in this film.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If anything, the cliché is not this story but in our conception that romance should only happen between two single people. </span>Escapist romantic comedies abound of that sort. If any of those stories added in the element that one or both parties are married or in a committed relationship, they would at once become heightened with artistic tension. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vBYtoXtu_tQ/UnUsorYFFrI/AAAAAAAABM4/GgDgdO04_c0/s1600/comeundone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vBYtoXtu_tQ/UnUsorYFFrI/AAAAAAAABM4/GgDgdO04_c0/s400/comeundone.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">What I like most about this film is that these are two of the most ordinary-looking people you will ever see on screen. </span>Their ordinariness makes the story convincing, and it lends an especially poignant and even breathtaking quality to their lovemaking. <span style="font-size: large;">This film is anti-porn,</span> the opposite of the blitzed-up pseudo-world of internet sex, with ordinary people breathing and moving together instead of showing off moves for the camera.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I also like that the momentum of the affair is led in the first place by the woman. </span>She recognizes something in herself that needs expression, but also that the personalities around her in her family are never going to recognize it. She quite bravely pursues her own path (though it must be said that lying about it was not courageous). Eventually she realizes she will not choose to continue the affair. <span style="font-size: large;">But her choice comes from experience, not from theorizing or moralizing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The worst part about an affair is the deception. </span>Lying is a kind of poison that slowly worms its way into each relationship affected by an affair, and to Silvio Soldini's credit, he does not spare the characters the emotional consequences of lying.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vxBJJpAhJfk/UnhquVpSi1I/AAAAAAAABNc/oUcpHu9pCAM/s1600/7676-Giuseppe-Battiston-Cosa-voglio-di-piu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vxBJJpAhJfk/UnhquVpSi1I/AAAAAAAABNc/oUcpHu9pCAM/s320/7676-Giuseppe-Battiston-Cosa-voglio-di-piu.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Guiseppi Battiston does a marvelous job as the "straight man" </span>to Anna's deviancy. His genuine all-around good-guy-ness, as boring as it is, nevertheless is good for her, and she knows it. Without his character as a foil, Anna's would not stand out so starkly. His grace in handling everything is commendable. Would that we all could get a dose of it.</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AtwZ1-clPFU/UnUsoDsoAiI/AAAAAAAABMo/NU1W9H0JMOo/s1600/MV5BMTUwMjQwOTcyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDQ2OTU2Ng@@._V1._SX640_SY956_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AtwZ1-clPFU/UnUsoDsoAiI/AAAAAAAABMo/NU1W9H0JMOo/s200/MV5BMTUwMjQwOTcyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDQ2OTU2Ng@@._V1._SX640_SY956_.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Be sure to see other work </span>from <i>Come Undone</i> actors. Stay tuned, reviews of a few of these films coming soon at Deeper Film!<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; line-height: 37px;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=alba+rohrwacher&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8" target="_blank">Alba Rohrwacher</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; line-height: 37px;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Pierfrancesco+Favino&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8" target="_blank">Pierfrancesco Favino</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; line-height: 37px;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=giuseppe+battiston&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8" target="_blank">Guiseppi Battiston</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 37px;">(gotta love these names)</span><br />
<br /></div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-79976679893370885132013-10-31T21:58:00.000-05:002013-10-31T21:58:00.800-05:00Elegant Huntress, Nietzschean Warnings — The Counselor<span style="font-size: large;">If you think you've seen this tale before, think again.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmDI5MZcN-U/UnBs_3syudI/AAAAAAAABJ8/hNKdbmo3Gqs/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmDI5MZcN-U/UnBs_3syudI/AAAAAAAABJ8/hNKdbmo3Gqs/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER: Moderate to High</span> (extended dialogue featuring complex poetically styled sentences of Cormac McCarthy; judging by the comments posted to the Ridley Scott interview below, this artfulness was lost on some viewers. Very violent and disturbing images, including beheadings, not suitable for the young or impressionable.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL: Recommended</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4rTztvVx8E" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">View Trailer</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePN9yJji7_k/UnBz2KL7hLI/AAAAAAAABKc/lXVJG5n24po/s1600/the-counselor-ridley-scott-cormac-mccarthy-slice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePN9yJji7_k/UnBz2KL7hLI/AAAAAAAABKc/lXVJG5n24po/s400/the-counselor-ridley-scott-cormac-mccarthy-slice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This film is a joining forces of two names of wide achievement: Ridley Scott and Cormac McCarthy. </span>Scott's films include <i>Alien, Promethius, Black Hawk Down, </i>and <i>Blade Runner.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
McCarthy's books include <i>The Road, No Country for Old Men, Child of God, The Passenger, and All the Pretty Horses</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>***</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/magazine/ridley-scott-most-novelists-are-desperate-to-do-what-i-do.html" target="_blank">"Most Novelists Are Desperate To Do What I Do" — NYT Magazine Interviews Ridley Scott</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.cormacmccarthy.com/works/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Cormac McCarthy's official site and works</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDoe6avykLo/UnB0bBCH46I/AAAAAAAABKk/ckrq-oCLGcY/s1600/the-counselor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDoe6avykLo/UnB0bBCH46I/AAAAAAAABKk/ckrq-oCLGcY/s400/the-counselor.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The pretext for <i>Counselor </i>is a story about a lawyer involved in a drug deal gone bad. </span>But a deeper tale is told here, one about the arrogance of the 1% rich male, whose casual callous bravado is shown as stupidity, and whose sense of control is a complete illusion. (How they got to be 1% is another matter; for some it is financial bullying, others hard machismo, and others a leechy sloth, playing off other people's wealth. The men in this film seem to combine all of these lovely traits.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qH0_sOQdWD4/UnBtQLRy0xI/AAAAAAAABKE/DbjL0EC3dSc/s1600/michael-fassbender-brad-pitt-new-counselor-trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qH0_sOQdWD4/UnBtQLRy0xI/AAAAAAAABKE/DbjL0EC3dSc/s1600/michael-fassbender-brad-pitt-new-counselor-trailer.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e989Ni1PAIw/UnBtjUc5b_I/AAAAAAAABKM/19_Y3ulpWA4/s1600/the-counselor-trailer-clotheshorse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e989Ni1PAIw/UnBtjUc5b_I/AAAAAAAABKM/19_Y3ulpWA4/s200/the-counselor-trailer-clotheshorse.jpg" width="200" /></a>Fassbender. Pitt. Bardem. Diaz. Cruz. An all-star cast, and they each do their job well. <span style="font-size: large;">Bardem and Pitt especially play off previous roles to misdirect the viewer.</span> These are all strong men, and yet they are, one by one, made weak and brought down by a woman who loves to hunt.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The "Counselor" turns out to be the one who needs counsel, </span>and he gets it elegantly from several sources. A diamond-seller (Bruno Ganz), referring cryptically to a gem as <i>cautionary</i>, says, "<span style="font-size: large;">Why do we adorn beauty? Because we know it is fragile</span>,<span style="font-size: large;"> and yet we also know that this fragility is noble</span>." </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ahzQ3wNjEuk/UnB7ayEoskI/AAAAAAAABLc/A17VlyprjCU/s1600/1380123695840_550_21yvSk6mpMgq1_0_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ahzQ3wNjEuk/UnB7ayEoskI/AAAAAAAABLc/A17VlyprjCU/s400/1380123695840_550_21yvSk6mpMgq1_0_0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">What is this overconfident lawyer to do when he is in trouble?</span> He is already past that crossroads, he is told by a philosophical drug lord (Ruben Blades), and cannot go back and recreate the world that existed prior to his choices. <span style="font-size: large;">"When you know that your reality must die," he offers, "your view of death changes."</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qk-Ga2SCzR0/UnB18jwDH6I/AAAAAAAABLE/Xc4LUUSpx-Q/s1600/counselor-movie-trailer-06252013-095756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qk-Ga2SCzR0/UnB18jwDH6I/AAAAAAAABLE/Xc4LUUSpx-Q/s400/counselor-movie-trailer-06252013-095756.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The end is a surprise, </span>because of its quietness, and lack of the usual Hollywood showdown. There is enough fighting, gore, and shoot-em-up to go around, but after so many of the don't-know-when-to-quit variety action films recently, I expected a crescendo rather than a diminuendo to the finish.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o9Aip5E0Raw/UnB2F9QmnNI/AAAAAAAABLM/VC6Y3r5WLmc/s1600/The-Counselor2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o9Aip5E0Raw/UnB2F9QmnNI/AAAAAAAABLM/VC6Y3r5WLmc/s320/The-Counselor2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The end is also indirect,</span> another welcome change to the usual storytelling methods. There is a CD, but what is on it? The viewer is left to work that out (to its fairly horrible conclusion), but this can only be done if close attention has been paid to the dialogue.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There is a tale here of female ascendancy. </span>The Cleopatra-like eyes of the villain-</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vlxkhn50HeA/UnB1TQx9AuI/AAAAAAAABK0/TES8ODTUHpI/s1600/680x478.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vlxkhn50HeA/UnB1TQx9AuI/AAAAAAAABK0/TES8ODTUHpI/s320/680x478.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
anti-hero remind one of the horus-eye, the all-seeing glyph of ancient Egypt, and its corresponding tigress imagery reveals that Mexican cartels and headless bodies are only one way that a cold and calculating, all-seeing eye can wreak revenge. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQR_E3HZQTk/UnB0pqHDZ1I/AAAAAAAABKs/mQk9wNh-gyY/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQR_E3HZQTk/UnB0pqHDZ1I/AAAAAAAABKs/mQk9wNh-gyY/s400/Unknown.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Importantly, this tigress also does it with sex. She masters her male victims and slowly strangles them in their own nets.</span> The trip wire is a repeated visual, though used for much more sinister purposes here. People are beheaded and strangled, blood spurting. But far before that, she had already attached herself and wound her way around them. She does the same to the viewer. We at first take her for a bimbo, a party-favor, part of the poolside show. She fucks a car; Fassbender asks, "Why are you telling me this?" Bardem doesn't even know, but he knows he is scared by her. He describes her against the windshield of his car as some sort of sea animal, with suction. This is not simply a circus act. It is what she <i>does</i>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B66cT4n76d8/UnB1oLcJjbI/AAAAAAAABK8/rROP7OH4PL8/s1600/the-new-trailer-for-ridley-scotts-star-studded-drug-trafficking-movie-the-counselor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B66cT4n76d8/UnB1oLcJjbI/AAAAAAAABK8/rROP7OH4PL8/s400/the-new-trailer-for-ridley-scotts-star-studded-drug-trafficking-movie-the-counselor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Is she some sort of avatar for all those who have been taken advantage of by those with power and status? <span style="font-size: large;">Is she an incarnation of the unholy impulse for revenge?</span> A prophecy of retributive justice against the stupidity of the patriarchal system that includes priests, kings, lawyers, and the doe-eyed women who prop them up? Or simply an acknowledgment of a primal (sexual) urge within all of us for the hunt, something that we as humans never fully escaped from our evolutionary past?</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sam Spruell (tough-as-nails criminal, the one who springs the trip-wire), Bruno Ganz (who played Adolf Hitler in <i>Downfall</i>) and Ruben Blades (reminiscent of the Godfather) all deserve mention for turning in fantastic performances in supporting roles. Without them this film would be less than half of what it is. <span style="font-size: large;">They give the film its philosophical heft and visceral power; </span>they bring to life Cormac McCarthy's poetry and imagery.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vIbKT4ME9Dg/UnB7_12xj1I/AAAAAAAABLk/V3ympjkPHnA/s1600/1382638586000-COUNSELOR-MOV-JY-1524-57789924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vIbKT4ME9Dg/UnB7_12xj1I/AAAAAAAABLk/V3ympjkPHnA/s320/1382638586000-COUNSELOR-MOV-JY-1524-57789924.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_9VNfpQ1yqM/UnB_h6IK99I/AAAAAAAABLw/wql8jr5nx_Y/s1600/nietzsche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_9VNfpQ1yqM/UnB_h6IK99I/AAAAAAAABLw/wql8jr5nx_Y/s320/nietzsche.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friedrich Nietzche</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Counselor</i> is said to be Nietzchean and nihilistic. </span>It is true that the characters' viewpoints are amoral, and McCarthy's work clearly trends that direction. (Unlike so many movies lately with trite titles such as "Into Darkness," this one really is about the darkness, and about our greed and the choice to enter that darkness.) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrtSoASqjoE" target="_blank">How To Pronounce Nietzsche... </a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Nietzche's <i>Beyond Good and Evil </i>and <i>Thus Spake Zarathustra </i>are meditations on what it might mean to honestly re-create our values as human beings. W</span>hat must be rejected and destroyed, in order to get there? This is more than mere negation of value; it is the encouragement of honest engagement with our values. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps we do not have to do the destroying; those who choose the path of darkness will destroy their own.</span> Ultimately we are spared the brutal dire consequences that the characters in the film face. We are left to walk out of the theater, out of the story, to re-enter a world of our own choices, seeing that they still lie before us. In this sense Nietzche still speaks to us through films and stories like <i>Counselor. </i>Can we hear what is being said, or do we ignore it and go about our business? Cormac McCarthy and Ridley Scott at any rate seem to be saying, <span style="font-size: large;"><i>take heed.</i></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-68831160429140203182013-10-08T19:30:00.000-05:002013-10-08T19:30:02.627-05:00 A Tangle of Dazzling Complexity—Dimensions JDIFF Screening<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><u>**JDIFF SCREENING EVENT** At Eronel, Thursday Oct 17, 7pm</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">A man dances at the edge of a dark hole</span><span style="text-align: center;">. <span style="font-size: large;">"I know, deep down that if I don't do this, I'd never be able to truly live my life. I'd always feel like I'm not really here, like I'm in a dream."</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7dIIZTYSN_E/UlGx6ed2WKI/AAAAAAAABHw/zXzWvaMpmKY/s1600/MV5BMTc3NTI5MDEyM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzQ1MDMyOQ@@._V1_SX214_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7dIIZTYSN_E/UlGx6ed2WKI/AAAAAAAABHw/zXzWvaMpmKY/s400/MV5BMTc3NTI5MDEyM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzQ1MDMyOQ@@._V1_SX214_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">AESTHETIC/VISUAL 5+</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER: </span>Mild-Moderate. Slow, very quiet, English film. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL: Recommended</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://dimensionsthemovie.com/" target="_blank">Official Website and Trailer</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://filmfestivalflix.com/film/dimensions-a-line-a-loop-a-tangle-of-threads/#.UlGw4xZM65Q" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Streaming and DVD from FilmFestivalFlix</span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqf5DJnn57I/UlG3OwhhjKI/AAAAAAAABIE/4EDka4AY_vY/s1600/workshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqf5DJnn57I/UlG3OwhhjKI/AAAAAAAABIE/4EDka4AY_vY/s400/workshop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">So begins the oblique storytelling style</span> of this atmospheric and very literary film, combining elements of English countryside, dapper period costume, mysterious time travel, and a <span style="font-size: large;">restrained but powerful love story. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-egdY509WqZ0/UlG5jfe73tI/AAAAAAAABIY/tIhcr4wqjTk/s1600/Olivia_Llewellyn2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-egdY509WqZ0/UlG5jfe73tI/AAAAAAAABIY/tIhcr4wqjTk/s400/Olivia_Llewellyn2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hsAK3u5aEbE/UlHAzHYENLI/AAAAAAAABIw/_gp4uUJHSYM/s1600/Hannah_Carson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hsAK3u5aEbE/UlHAzHYENLI/AAAAAAAABIw/_gp4uUJHSYM/s320/Hannah_Carson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A jump rope is used to show how time can fold back on itself</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Stephen (Henry Lloyd Hughes) is an inventor obsessed with time travel;</span> he has lost a childhood friend, Harriet (Hannah Carson) and wishes to go back and rescue her. Annie (Olivia Llewellyn) helps him on his way. Could she somehow be Annie? There are enough parallels between them to get Stephen wondering.<br />
<br />
The machine he builds is made, interestingly, with a piano. <span style="font-size: large;">The elemental quality of music is alluded to as a possible key to time.</span> The haunting score <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9O1dIJrC8bQ/UlHDmA0QozI/AAAAAAAABI8/JtVSbvVCFZA/s1600/light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9O1dIJrC8bQ/UlHDmA0QozI/AAAAAAAABI8/JtVSbvVCFZA/s320/light.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
is very appropriate here; the strings play hovering chords, suggesting the larger cosmos turning.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The film avoids some of the usual traps and cliches of the genre. </span><span style="text-align: center;">Almost all plot and theme development is accomplished through the dialogue, with very careful and exquisitely shot visuals between. Very literary and appreciable by children (good for attention span development and vocabulary, and features children as characters. It hooked my kids from the beginning!)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-spLIFQRcKio/UlHIGSSfqOI/AAAAAAAABJk/5_d0fZJ06hs/s1600/Olivia_Llewellyn3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-spLIFQRcKio/UlHIGSSfqOI/AAAAAAAABJk/5_d0fZJ06hs/s200/Olivia_Llewellyn3.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Dancing through his three-dimensional string map, </span>Stephen seems to show us that no left-brained, linear exercise in mathematics or physics can lead us where memory can only go. He and Annie go through a beautifully rendered waltz through the same map. Their connection seems to indicate <span style="font-size: large;">the need to pay attention to our present circumstances, and our present loves,</span> even while knowing that they are transient and part of a fragile web of possible futures.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Vw65Rdh5DA/UlHE9eocVXI/AAAAAAAABJI/C8k6M_Ba2yw/s1600/Stephen-and-Annie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Vw65Rdh5DA/UlHE9eocVXI/AAAAAAAABJI/C8k6M_Ba2yw/s400/Stephen-and-Annie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yiNjnIHMC_U/UlHFyCk0kaI/AAAAAAAABJQ/yNw-2A5xFLU/s1600/Henry_Lloyd-Hughes_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yiNjnIHMC_U/UlHFyCk0kaI/AAAAAAAABJQ/yNw-2A5xFLU/s320/Henry_Lloyd-Hughes_2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">"I don't believe that time is a straight line from point A to point B. It's a line, a loop, a tangle, a sculpture of dazzling complexity." </span>The end of the film leaves us with much to ponder, about the nature of time and reality, and whether or not Harriet's future remains unchanged or is altered by events and time-traveling interventions. There is delicious ambiguity here; if we expected a neat and tidy explanation, we will have been disappointed.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6QlanZ2PYFc/UlG4gpogxoI/AAAAAAAABIU/jUMk7eKv7BE/s1600/Hannah_Carson2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6QlanZ2PYFc/UlG4gpogxoI/AAAAAAAABIU/jUMk7eKv7BE/s200/Hannah_Carson2.jpg" width="200" /></a>However, if we let the questions of what-who-where-when fade into the dreamy Cambridge countryside as they were seemingly meant to do in this story, we can dwell on the film's themes, and find a <span style="font-size: large;">remarkable and tragic tale of love and loyalty</span>; lenses through which we can see our own histories more clearly.Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-69161898406441286512013-10-06T08:00:00.000-05:002013-10-06T08:00:01.824-05:00Deeper Series—The Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Looking for a series this "fall"? The Fall might just be the thing...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W7-fHvH83tY/UkBAR1DpSTI/AAAAAAAABG8/pSRIMdyuZYM/s1600/The-Fall-BBC-2-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W7-fHvH83tY/UkBAR1DpSTI/AAAAAAAABG8/pSRIMdyuZYM/s320/The-Fall-BBC-2-poster.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Depth 4
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Acting 5
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Aesthetic/Visual 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Plot 5
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Originality 4
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Production 5
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Entertainment 5
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Demand on viewer: mild to moderate - </span>story line is easy enough to follow but it is thematically intense and the serial killer element may be too strong for younger viewers.
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Overall: Highly Recommended</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.smittenbybritain.com/why-you-should-watch-the-fall/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Five reasons to watch The Fall on SmittenByBrittain</span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fyAKxkYaKmo/Uj8NXubl40I/AAAAAAAABEw/cuHsoTgzvGU/s1600/the-fall-series-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fyAKxkYaKmo/Uj8NXubl40I/AAAAAAAABEw/cuHsoTgzvGU/s400/the-fall-series-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the "less is more" mode of British TV series,</span> the five episodes of The Fall accomplish a whole semester of viewing most American series. <span style="font-size: large;">There is an economy and density of story here that makes each episode like eating fine chocolate.</span> Attention to visual and auditory detail, along with restrained and finely crafted dialogue, makes this series linger in the memory long after it is viewed.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zF5YXoUqHOI/Uj8PlFKnezI/AAAAAAAABFE/D0iAYU-l6_M/s1600/gillian-anderson-in-the-fall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zF5YXoUqHOI/Uj8PlFKnezI/AAAAAAAABFE/D0iAYU-l6_M/s400/gillian-anderson-in-the-fall1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xz_OmNCkAFg/Uj8NfAxMJLI/AAAAAAAABE4/6dVDmLDV0To/s1600/fall1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xz_OmNCkAFg/Uj8NfAxMJLI/AAAAAAAABE4/6dVDmLDV0To/s320/fall1.png" width="320" /></a>Serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan) is wreaking havoc in Belfast, choosing a similar victim each time for sexually charged strangulation. A cold, independent, and powerful Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) is called in as detective superintendent.<br />
<br />
The series departs from the norm in allowing us <span style="font-size: large;">to get deeply into the life of the killer</span>, as husband, father, and man with a kind of moral compass. His wife works in the birthing unit at the hospital (in diametric opposition to Spector's shadow career as a killer). His daughter can see things in dreams. She renders a drawing of a woman dying with blood all around her, and says she saw her above her room, where Spector keeps his murder diary hidden.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pkfnNILLo4/Uj8RB0qBLDI/AAAAAAAABFQ/tkybYLw1QCo/s1600/the_fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pkfnNILLo4/Uj8RB0qBLDI/AAAAAAAABFQ/tkybYLw1QCo/s400/the_fall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sexual tension strides through every scene. </span>There is the babysitter for whom <br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3-fZHJtRk8c/UkBA57XXPiI/AAAAAAAABHE/2Qa-lVlfp44/s1600/tumblr_inline_morfsuI16x1qz4rgp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3-fZHJtRk8c/UkBA57XXPiI/AAAAAAAABHE/2Qa-lVlfp44/s200/tumblr_inline_morfsuI16x1qz4rgp.jpg" width="200" /></a>Spector seems genuinely to care, but after she discovers a lock of hair he kept in a drawer, things become dark between them quickly. But the best sexual tension comes from Gibson, as she reacts and relates to the male dominated police and investigation system. One of the most interesting aspects of this film is the way that Gibson's choices as a woman are questioned and brought under scrutiny by her male supervisor (John Lynch).<br />
<br />
Eerily, Paul loves to steal into his victims' homes and savor the feeling of control he has by being there, being in the presence of his victim, <span style="font-size: large;">taking pieces of her,</span> clipping bows off her underwear. He masturbates to drawings and macabre scrapbooking of these images once he gets back home.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7WOXz1H9l0/UkBBArJfacI/AAAAAAAABHM/d62X59xj7p8/s1600/p018t0yj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7WOXz1H9l0/UkBBArJfacI/AAAAAAAABHM/d62X59xj7p8/s400/p018t0yj.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-49BLd8glirI/UkBCIrfkBLI/AAAAAAAABHY/7cZ6SyypViw/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-49BLd8glirI/UkBCIrfkBLI/AAAAAAAABHY/7cZ6SyypViw/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Quietness can sometimes hide a deep well of darkness. </span>This is never more apparent than in Spector's <br />
introverted, black-hole eyes. But the same face shows empathy in counseling and we see him in tender scenes with his wife. Is he only a force of evil? <span style="font-size: large;">We are confronted with our own lack of understanding</span>, even as detective Stella labors to understand his every motive and confront it.
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It is a shame that many of the issues dealt with in this series would not likely find as much interest on their own. </span>They have to be set within a crime drama, which makes it seem as though these problems only occur "on TV," or for those who lead lives of extremity.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BuIJJxmqIms/UkBCRDUl8lI/AAAAAAAABHg/WcaZe_ATOBs/s1600/image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BuIJJxmqIms/UkBCRDUl8lI/AAAAAAAABHg/WcaZe_ATOBs/s400/image1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Primal desires, especially sexual in nature;</span> the double standard women face when it comes to making independent decisions about their sexuality; the uncanny ability of children to perceive what is happening in their parents lives--these issues are well worth exploring on their own merits. Still, the Fall and writer Allan Cubitt deserve kudos for weaving profound and relevant topics into what could have been merely escapist fiction.<br />
<br />
<br />Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-1031373908105800482013-09-29T07:30:00.000-05:002013-10-06T16:04:06.943-05:00Astonishing Freedom—Happy People: A Year In The Taiga<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Live through a vivid, raw, and strangely happy year in remote Siberia.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EABaO0AFqfc/Uj-F3w9cjHI/AAAAAAAABFg/Q11VcB_j7Ss/s1600/MV5BMTM3ODM0NTQ1MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzAxMTM5OA@@._V1_SY317_CR4,0,214,317_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EABaO0AFqfc/Uj-F3w9cjHI/AAAAAAAABFg/Q11VcB_j7Ss/s1600/MV5BMTM3ODM0NTQ1MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzAxMTM5OA@@._V1_SY317_CR4,0,214,317_.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">NARRATIVE 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER: Moderate-High—</span>Subtitled, very slow-paced. Good for watching during a retreat or vacation, when not trying to stay awake after a long day at work, or be overly stimulated</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL: Highly Recommended</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/happypeople/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy People: A Year In the Taiga trailer</span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Werner Herzog's latest effort </span>is one more in a line of well-crafted documentaries. For this one he and co-producer Dmitry Vasykov travel to the remote Siberian wilderness, and the village of Bakhta, to understand how its people survive the almost prehistorically harsh conditions.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w9lShPg4cGg/Uj-Gf1Iir1I/AAAAAAAABFo/-L2FtwWyc2s/s1600/130125_MOV_HappyPeople.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w9lShPg4cGg/Uj-Gf1Iir1I/AAAAAAAABFo/-L2FtwWyc2s/s400/130125_MOV_HappyPeople.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The story opens in the spring,</span> when the trappers are still digging out from under the winter's snows. We see how ingenious traps, boats, skis, and other tools are made with nothing but an axe. As the year progresses through the mosquito-laden summer and into the following fall and winter, we live through <span style="font-size: large;">a vivid, raw, and un-retouched experience with some amazingly courageous people.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s2fZy3fJEEw/Uj-HSRx1qNI/AAAAAAAABF0/4KXBe6_wfgY/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s2fZy3fJEEw/Uj-HSRx1qNI/AAAAAAAABF0/4KXBe6_wfgY/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6URDHvuzimE/Uj-HrdN6g4I/AAAAAAAABF8/ft0Y36NnyqE/s1600/happypeople1213.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6URDHvuzimE/Uj-HrdN6g4I/AAAAAAAABF8/ft0Y36NnyqE/s400/happypeople1213.png" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Nothing can get inland</span> to Bakhta, except during the few short weeks when the river is free of ice in the summer. Therefore the townspeople rely on the trappers for their food. The men spend months out in a series of huts which must be maintained throughout the year. <span style="font-size: large;">The work never stops.</span> Yet these men are not only acceptant of this brutally hard life, they find freedom in it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IXyKsnGISlc/Uj-H_YIVqZI/AAAAAAAABGE/8pv3Vp9322g/s1600/Happy-People-A-Year-in-the-Taiga.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IXyKsnGISlc/Uj-H_YIVqZI/AAAAAAAABGE/8pv3Vp9322g/s320/Happy-People-A-Year-in-the-Taiga.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4hDb6s1sW1I/UkAxz99-R4I/AAAAAAAABGc/xm3ZyD3ZmQk/s1600/happy-people-a-year-in-the-taiga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4hDb6s1sW1I/UkAxz99-R4I/AAAAAAAABGc/xm3ZyD3ZmQk/s320/happy-people-a-year-in-the-taiga.jpg" width="320" /></a>There are some very memorable scenes in this story, such as the faithful dog running throughout the night alongside the snowmobile. Dogs feature prominently in the life of the trappers, their only companions. <span style="font-size: large;">When one of these faithful family members dies, it is a sad thing indeed. </span>We get to hear the vulnerable tale of one such death from the main trapper character.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Another incredible visual, all the more because it is not CGI generated but actual footage, is the <span style="font-size: large;">moving ice flow of the vast frozen river</span>, just beyond the houses and buildings of the town. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/i8nLGWGX7OM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Roger Ebert called Herzog's voice a <span style="font-size: large;">"tonic for the soul."</span> Quite so. His accented cadence is almost hypnotic, suitable to the rhythm of the nature he often depicts. The experience of listening to his voice is as powerful as what he describes. You can hear a bit of what I mean by listening to the opening lines of the trailer:<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This film is a tonic in more than one way</span>—in contrast to one's own "problems," which will not seem as large after viewing—and as a way of understanding some of the primal, communal drives of the human psyche.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Like going back in time</span>, Happy People takes us into the realm of elemental survival and the <span style="font-size: large;">astonishing freedom that close connection to nature brings.</span></div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-10472287678924919282013-04-14T21:35:00.000-05:002013-04-14T21:35:41.837-05:00Silent Masterpiece — Harold Lloyd's Speedy at the Julien Dubuque Int'l Film Festival<span style="font-size: x-large;">Taking us back to the innocent and playful origins of film,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Harold Lloyd's <i>Speedy</i> is a silent masterpiece of clever theater and hilarious fun.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TmRqukIDIYs/UWtUuHDFsDI/AAAAAAAABBo/yVCvuyaCCZo/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TmRqukIDIYs/UWtUuHDFsDI/AAAAAAAABBo/yVCvuyaCCZo/s400/images-1.jpeg" width="257" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQmmds1QNFY&feature=endscreen&NR=1" target="_blank">View 1962 interview</a> with Harold Lloyd, </span>along with several clips of other silent film stars and some discussion of why Lloyd was different from Chaplin.</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZG902OkQwY/UWtVwnx_QqI/AAAAAAAABB4/5JeoB-ZqUEs/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZG902OkQwY/UWtVwnx_QqI/AAAAAAAABB4/5JeoB-ZqUEs/s1600/images-2.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">As the marquee Saturday night event of the four-day Julien Dubuque International Film Festival,</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Speedy did for the audience what films rarely do: it got them laughing out loud and talking to each other afterward. The sense of community it engendered was as inspiring as it was surprising. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Set to an original score and meant to be seen with a live orchestra,</span> the story is of a penniless but enterprising working-class person in New York City, a believable character who must overcome financial odds to protect his father's business and win the woman he loves.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">His pursuit of work gets him a job driving a cab,</span> which earns him his titular nickname, and gets him into all sorts of trouble. The production quality of the scenes racing through Manhattan is high; they are almost breathtaking and would have been extremely difficult to film.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q9xHq4MzsVs/UWte0Zztd1I/AAAAAAAABCs/tvL0Sw_jFVc/s1600/i074944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q9xHq4MzsVs/UWte0Zztd1I/AAAAAAAABCs/tvL0Sw_jFVc/s320/i074944.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">My children followed the story</span> and most of the humor, some of which is three-stooges style slapstick and some of which is quite subtle and clever.<br />
They especially liked the <span style="font-size: large;">cameo appearance of Babe Ruth, </span>who acts in remarkably convincing fashion.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWxf_RJhbXU/UWtbja86k1I/AAAAAAAABCU/QXFkgFli9Qg/s1600/245-annex-lloyd-harold-speedy_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWxf_RJhbXU/UWtbja86k1I/AAAAAAAABCU/QXFkgFli9Qg/s320/245-annex-lloyd-harold-speedy_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-inAG6bkjor8/UWtbmlhhmvI/AAAAAAAABCc/89UkHTIAAis/s1600/tumblr_m5qtl427u91r1a5mio1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-inAG6bkjor8/UWtbmlhhmvI/AAAAAAAABCc/89UkHTIAAis/s320/tumblr_m5qtl427u91r1a5mio1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpZiYOKQihg" target="_blank">View scene with Babe Ruth in cab</a> (it won't be as good here as the live orchestra!)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fMRjDdbkqtY/UWtVL3HlVhI/AAAAAAAABBw/lRSVHtQH6aY/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fMRjDdbkqtY/UWtVL3HlVhI/AAAAAAAABBw/lRSVHtQH6aY/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Speedy works as a film because of its humor, but also in the way it pays homage to New York, and to the underdog. <span style="font-size: large;">There is a universal story here </span>about struggling with the powers that be, and doing so with flair and grace.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Kudos once again to the the JDIFF</span> for their inclusion of this important piece of film history, and having everyone be so delighted and entertained in the process.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-27337985083435240382013-04-07T12:23:00.000-05:002013-04-07T12:23:56.746-05:00Vidal Sassoon — The 2013 Julien Dubuque Int'l Film Festival<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes we come across someone who is so inspired</span>, so driven at the core of their being, that they can influence us in an area in which we might not normally have any interest. Such is the case with the seminal persona of Vidal Sassoon (1928-2012).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XNrWB2I8QtE/UWGcI707fxI/AAAAAAAAA8o/CNBv94fHcBU/s1600/Vidal-Sassoon-featured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XNrWB2I8QtE/UWGcI707fxI/AAAAAAAAA8o/CNBv94fHcBU/s320/Vidal-Sassoon-featured.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">NARRATIVE: 5</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.vidalsassoonthemovie.com/trailer.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">View Trailer and vidalsassoonthemovie.com</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N4drLa0z_QA/UWGbRghZtyI/AAAAAAAAA8g/s7b5_FCw3Mg/s1600/09vidalobitspan-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N4drLa0z_QA/UWGbRghZtyI/AAAAAAAAA8g/s7b5_FCw3Mg/s400/09vidalobitspan-articleLarge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This fascinating documentary is a multi-faceted portrayal of a man whose life was dedicated to hair, who gave women <span style="font-size: large;">a new way of thinking about their own self-image and their very role in life.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q49XVb3l_HQ/UWGffM1Fm7I/AAAAAAAAA84/aycFMrPTDFQ/s1600/vidal-sassoon-signature-cuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q49XVb3l_HQ/UWGffM1Fm7I/AAAAAAAAA84/aycFMrPTDFQ/s320/vidal-sassoon-signature-cuts.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i4R0KFIr4GY/UWGiT2AbEjI/AAAAAAAAA9I/Sa4ukMpu-8Y/s1600/sassoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i4R0KFIr4GY/UWGiT2AbEjI/AAAAAAAAA9I/Sa4ukMpu-8Y/s200/sassoon.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most reproduced image of a hairstyle ever</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
VS wanted to eliminate the superfluous, get down to the basic. In doing so <span style="font-size: large;">he created a look no one had ever seen</span>, and one that still looks contemporary.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tAJEjPj3pO4/UWGit7QKKjI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/3S0I7tC3qj8/s1600/img-vidal-1_113949274963.jpg_article_singleimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tAJEjPj3pO4/UWGit7QKKjI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/3S0I7tC3qj8/s200/img-vidal-1_113949274963.jpg_article_singleimage.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 5-point cut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A survey of recent glamor magazines confirms that <span style="font-size: large;">the 5-point cut design VS pioneered fifty years ago </span>is still alive and even ahead of its time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9szPsu3U1CM/UWGiBM45wdI/AAAAAAAAA9A/yRw75XO5AhA/s1600/cn_image.size.vidal-sassoon-03-h670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9szPsu3U1CM/UWGiBM45wdI/AAAAAAAAA9A/yRw75XO5AhA/s320/cn_image.size.vidal-sassoon-03-h670.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">"Hairdressing needs to change in response to architecture." </span>VS was influenced by the minimalism and geometry of the Bauhaus school. <span style="font-size: large;">"Geometry, angles, and shapes must be suited to the bone structure"</span> of the woman's face.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dwIYZguzKds/UWGjahUSszI/AAAAAAAAA9g/srVmmp2iFVQ/s1600/Vidal-summ_1896946b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dwIYZguzKds/UWGjahUSszI/AAAAAAAAA9g/srVmmp2iFVQ/s320/Vidal-summ_1896946b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hf2esfb6qls/UWGjg-e46GI/AAAAAAAAA9o/0NtqkuH5kHA/s1600/Vidal-Sassoon-and-the-Bauhaus-9783893226252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hf2esfb6qls/UWGjg-e46GI/AAAAAAAAA9o/0NtqkuH5kHA/s200/Vidal-Sassoon-and-the-Bauhaus-9783893226252.jpg" width="155" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpuG0FMfeDI/UWGjNabf3AI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/9MKgxLQz0xo/s1600/vidal_2215331b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpuG0FMfeDI/UWGjNabf3AI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/9MKgxLQz0xo/s320/vidal_2215331b.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">He would convince clients to do things his way, not theirs.</span> "Don't you want to give me what I want?" they would ask. "Listen," he would say, with a whispered, almost hypnotic intensity,<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"People who go out on a limb, who really get to who they are, they don't do things the way they were used to."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Haircutting was about liberating the self,</span> allowing one's own inner expression to shine through. It allowed women to escape from the weekly perm-and-puff tending to their hair. Sassoon's influence came to the fore in the 1960's when there were many other movements afoot <span style="font-size: large;">changing the role of women.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdrAYSVBScM/UWGdXAwGzfI/AAAAAAAAA8w/mSuiucDoxl0/s1600/vidal-sassoon-06_1_700_0_resize.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdrAYSVBScM/UWGdXAwGzfI/AAAAAAAAA8w/mSuiucDoxl0/s400/vidal-sassoon-06_1_700_0_resize.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"You can't go through life on a fairy tale."</span> VS's daughter overdosed and died on New Year's Day around five years prior to the documentary (around 2005). He reflects soberly on this downturn in an otherwise star-struck life. VS took lessons from an acting coach, to get over his cockney, to appeal to a wider, more sophisticated audience and clientele. He and his first wife were very good at being on television and eventually found themselves in Los Angeles with a talk show and a $400 million-dollar product line to market.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UjJJwmXh6Nk/UWGm0az26pI/AAAAAAAAA-A/XE8i5-IxQP4/s1600/article-2298244-18E15741000005DC-630_634x508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UjJJwmXh6Nk/UWGm0az26pI/AAAAAAAAA-A/XE8i5-IxQP4/s320/article-2298244-18E15741000005DC-630_634x508.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The move to L.A. and the plunge into product sales was <span style="font-size: large;">"good for product, bad for family."</span> This unfortunate story line seems to be so common among those who have his level of energy and creativity - one wonders why this has to be so. He reflects that he went away from what was truly at the core: <span style="font-size: large;">cutting hair, interacting in real time with the living sculpture of a woman's face.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HGTRHm-WbwA/UWGq7f87hBI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/yCdjHk2jei8/s1600/27heyman-vidal-custom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HGTRHm-WbwA/UWGq7f87hBI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/yCdjHk2jei8/s320/27heyman-vidal-custom1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">His advice for anyone who is an artist:</span> it will take more time at your craft to master it, even putting in 14-hour days. Nine years of preparation, he says, went into the discovery of the five-point cut. And this: <span style="font-size: large;">"Most of my progressive thoughts and attitudes happened when I was alone."</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tpvk-ybgdYg/UWGlyg5eV1I/AAAAAAAAA94/OhkL2c5mWXo/s1600/10993230-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tpvk-ybgdYg/UWGlyg5eV1I/AAAAAAAAA94/OhkL2c5mWXo/s200/10993230-large.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">He kept very fit;</span> swam and was extremely flexible. He had a generous heart; a surprising moment in the documentary comes in the telling of his finding a way to <span style="font-size: large;">build 23 homes in New Orleans</span> after Katrina.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qmyOrn4PfIM/UWGlcGQ1niI/AAAAAAAAA9w/RrrHw5j20jU/s1600/Vidal-Sassoon-1928-2012-lgn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qmyOrn4PfIM/UWGlcGQ1niI/AAAAAAAAA9w/RrrHw5j20jU/s320/Vidal-Sassoon-1928-2012-lgn.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The energy flowing from the Vidal Sassoon salons</span>—originally just one in London, then in New York, now around the world—has influenced a generation of stylists and teachers. He touched the lives of countless women who discovered new way of looking at themselves, their own potential.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The world was richer for his life and presence,</span> and one cannot but come away from this inspiring documentary with a sense of optimism and renewed dedication to their own potential.<br />
<br />
We might see our image in terms of our hair, but perhaps more importantly, <span style="font-size: large;">we can see it whatever craft we might be pursuing, and give to the world as he did.</span>Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-62725854442667958912013-03-26T22:05:00.000-05:002013-03-26T22:12:41.627-05:00Power, Strength...and Love — My Architect, A Son's Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">"It gave us an identity, it gave us hope,"</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"> says the teary-eyed Bangladeshi of </span><span style="text-align: center;">Louis Kahn's</span><span style="text-align: center;"> capital structure, built there shortly before he died.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OSQrJ4VY878/UUZUkGwWsoI/AAAAAAAAA7A/2Y-QvRDcwtI/s1600/DFR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OSQrJ4VY878/UUZUkGwWsoI/AAAAAAAAA7A/2Y-QvRDcwtI/s320/DFR.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
DEPTH: 4</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PRODUCTION: 4</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
EDITING: 3</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
NARRATIVE: 5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
DEMAND ON VIEWER: Moderate</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373175/?licb=0.23148910026066005" target="_blank">View Trailer</a> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Louis I. Kahn was one of the most important architects of the 20th century,</span> influencing many of the other now great names in the field, such as I.M. Pei. This documentary, made by his son, magnificently captures his essence.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iaCkBUHi41w/UUZVV67mY1I/AAAAAAAAA7I/q73CRbK9mHI/s1600/kahn_foto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iaCkBUHi41w/UUZVV67mY1I/AAAAAAAAA7I/q73CRbK9mHI/s320/kahn_foto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Like an ancient ruin,</span> the capital of Bangladesh is at once a larger-than-life enigma, a thing of great strength and beauty, and a testimony to a civilization. Unlike an ancient ruin, however, this building gave a living civilization—one of the poorest countries in the world—a place to house its government. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wRyeZD4tqiY/UUZXkYJOIlI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/YGt7LMilLrk/s1600/Architecture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wRyeZD4tqiY/UUZXkYJOIlI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/YGt7LMilLrk/s400/Architecture.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cv_de7Jpcdg/UUZY8VvibTI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/FVJviCABsZE/s1600/parliamenthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cv_de7Jpcdg/UUZY8VvibTI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/FVJviCABsZE/s400/parliamenthouse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qxV4AzS4srg/UUZZbmhTTtI/AAAAAAAAA7g/1Yh97J_98Tg/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qxV4AzS4srg/UUZZbmhTTtI/AAAAAAAAA7g/1Yh97J_98Tg/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">And yet, Kahn died shortly afterward. </span>His son, Nathaniel, was only 11. As an adult he made this documentary to find his dad. He wanted to find out: Who was he? Who were the women in his life? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">How did he create such massive, and yet profoundly spiritual buildings? </span>Why, if he loved humanity enough to contribute these buildings at great cost to himself, did he not seem to be able to provide a stable home environment, or be committed to one woman? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I5QGTLSUuIc/UUZZo2SER4I/AAAAAAAAA7o/Dovxubo4GFg/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I5QGTLSUuIc/UUZZo2SER4I/AAAAAAAAA7o/Dovxubo4GFg/s1600/images-1.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This film is remarkable for its radically honest portrayal</span> of a father, lover, artist, and visionary, by a person who might not have been up for such a task: his son Nathaniel. His personal journey adds interest to the narrative and keeps it from becoming a dry art history lecture.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWo4j9U9YF0/UUZZugMG2OI/AAAAAAAAA7w/WfaTiTnmpAw/s1600/kahnsalkinstitute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWo4j9U9YF0/UUZZugMG2OI/AAAAAAAAA7w/WfaTiTnmpAw/s320/kahnsalkinstitute.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Salk Institute is a highlight. Every office in this building for biologists has an unobstructed view of the ocean. The film lets us discover the spirituality of the place, as Nathaniel explores it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kBC8MGVVdUY/UUZaiJY8OyI/AAAAAAAAA74/LiTSMCeVzmQ/s1600/screen_image_366726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kBC8MGVVdUY/UUZaiJY8OyI/AAAAAAAAA74/LiTSMCeVzmQ/s200/screen_image_366726.jpg" width="200" /></a>Remarkably, Nathaniel also interviews Kahn's wife, as well as his own mother (who was another lover of Kahn's), and manages to ask some very hardball questions. <span style="font-size: large;">The pain is evident. But so is the love, and the dedication to Kahn.</span><br />
<br />
Kahn is an ugly man, with prominent scars crossing his face. But his artistic vision and charming personality were such that he was able to attract women not only to be paramours but to work tirelessly with him on the buildings.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StGzYWXO224/UUZbfoRBZ0I/AAAAAAAAA8A/q6SCl5_Bjp0/s1600/tumblr_marue6HS811rdau41o10_r1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StGzYWXO224/UUZbfoRBZ0I/AAAAAAAAA8A/q6SCl5_Bjp0/s320/tumblr_marue6HS811rdau41o10_r1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Kahn was very hard to work with</span>, from a business perspective. He spent millions on his projects, and died broke. He frustrated the contractors by constantly interjecting new ideas. He was addicted to his work and spent endless hours away from his family. He was stubborn and would fight with people if he disagreed with them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-thtHCjPXzEw/UUZdLFUW0GI/AAAAAAAAA8M/7ztnrGkj69Y/s1600/myarchitect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-thtHCjPXzEw/UUZdLFUW0GI/AAAAAAAAA8M/7ztnrGkj69Y/s320/myarchitect.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">He once proposed a series of parking structures for the city of Philadelphia.</span> The idea was that people could leave their cars and walk. It was rejected. A very humorous moment in the film comes when the former mayor defends that rejection, utterly insulting Kahn's lack of practicality.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This film will challenge your notion of art and architecture,</span> it will challenge your notion of marriage, it will challenge your notion of purpose. If at first you find the buildings not to your taste, give it time, by the end of the film you might end up a convert. <span style="font-size: large;">Kahn's creations are a testament to love and power. </span>They leave a legacy of a visionary artist on the world, and a vivid personality of a father on a son.<br />
<br /></div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-3652669678136823902013-02-23T21:00:00.000-06:002013-02-23T21:00:02.724-06:00A Meal for the Senses — Django Unchained<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Nothing less than a modern opera,</span> Django Unchained is a towering work of art, a true 21st-century Western, creating a legendary character for our era.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qCcD0kembMs/USE3cRmza_I/AAAAAAAAA0o/uUvRxQLfTQw/s1600/Django_Unchained_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qCcD0kembMs/USE3cRmza_I/AAAAAAAAA0o/uUvRxQLfTQw/s320/Django_Unchained_Poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH: 3</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY: 3.5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER: </span>Moderate to high, for violence and length</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL: </span>Recommended</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/djangounchained/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">View Trailer</span></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This film is a work of art and a real contribution to the art form that is film.</span> It combines carefully placed, stunning visuals with exceptional aural sound experience. This is typical for Tarantino, but what is unusual here is the way he applies this to the genre of Western, and combines it with the creation of an epic character.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lTUID3tXpnQ/USE_X7esiBI/AAAAAAAAA0w/wkh7iDILJes/s1600/xxxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lTUID3tXpnQ/USE_X7esiBI/AAAAAAAAA0w/wkh7iDILJes/s400/xxxx.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">From the opening credits,</span> a well-selected and operatic soundtrack helps set the theatrical backdrop for this latest of Tarantino's universes. He has a knack for selecting just the right tune: "Django" accompanies the gang of slaves at the beginning, and "Moving Me Down the Highway" by Jim Croce accompanies, not a highway, but a snow-clad vista shot in the mountains of Wyoming. The music is perfect for the mood of the film: "and I'm gonna go there free."<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/quentin-tarantinos-django/id587029807" target="_blank">Listen to Django Soundtrack</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCu3rYFamNU/USFA8QsHYfI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/LCSYNxuOM_I/s1600/Django-Unchained-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCu3rYFamNU/USFA8QsHYfI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/LCSYNxuOM_I/s200/Django-Unchained-29.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rq2TRHDNkpA/USFCyNQiV-I/AAAAAAAAA1o/JuWTLBCSBRc/s1600/django.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rq2TRHDNkpA/USFCyNQiV-I/AAAAAAAAA1o/JuWTLBCSBRc/s200/django.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">DiCaprio puts in a fine-tuned, entertaining performance; </span>his flair and timing are drawn out by Tarantino in way I haven't seen before.<br />
<br />
Foxx is magnetic mostly because of his costume. In its own right a very worthy art form.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r402dwbusW4/USFC9F7hR3I/AAAAAAAAA1w/sDZx2el3xAA/s1600/samuel-l-jackson-django-unchained-closeup-16x9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r402dwbusW4/USFC9F7hR3I/AAAAAAAAA1w/sDZx2el3xAA/s200/samuel-l-jackson-django-unchained-closeup-16x9.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Samuel Jackson is once again at his rhythmically intoned best as the aged butler who tries to keep Django down, reminding us that sometimes your worst enemies are from your own camp. This film, like Pulp Fiction, will be worth watching over and over just to enjoy Jackson's humorous and witty dialogues.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XUaS0t42tTQ/USE_6QiK7wI/AAAAAAAAA1A/UaB9WBNsum8/s1600/Django_Unchained_Quentin_Tarantino_039-620x258.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XUaS0t42tTQ/USE_6QiK7wI/AAAAAAAAA1A/UaB9WBNsum8/s320/Django_Unchained_Quentin_Tarantino_039-620x258.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The most intriguing performance is turned in by Christopher Waltz.</span> His beautiful German accent—a tonic to the rough southern drawls—is a nod to diversity, that with the coming of global diversity comes more freedom.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9RcTLrGIRY8/USFAzQ62-AI/AAAAAAAAA1I/ds1pIC0_2JM/s1600/2013django_2430216b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9RcTLrGIRY8/USFAzQ62-AI/AAAAAAAAA1I/ds1pIC0_2JM/s320/2013django_2430216b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K6E5aw85x_c/USFCCkyMFOI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/rCD3SUOjUMY/s1600/Django-Unchained-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K6E5aw85x_c/USFCCkyMFOI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/rCD3SUOjUMY/s320/Django-Unchained-18.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Waltz' character, Dr. King Schultz, is a great choice for a name, </span>because he gives Django his chance at a dream, at freedom. Even though King is a mercenary, he carries enlightenment-age ideals with him and seems to want to promote a more rational way of life. Unfortunately for the film, and for Tarantino, Schultz is not allowed to carry his higher self through to the end. <span style="font-size: large;">"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it,"</span> he says, after giving in to violence one last fatal time. Is this Tarantino speaking a confession?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJFEa7Fbz_U/USFCNbwgZUI/AAAAAAAAA1g/4rAVjVHfR0E/s1600/Django-Unchained-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJFEa7Fbz_U/USFCNbwgZUI/AAAAAAAAA1g/4rAVjVHfR0E/s320/Django-Unchained-31.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">One gets the feeling of catharsis in this film.</span> Racial catharsis, of finally arriving at a time when those without power suddenly have it before them, and take it lustily. But is this the way we really want things to be? The bloodletting and gun-firing is perhaps a staple of westerns, and certainly of Tarantino, but one wishes there weren't quite so many bullets. The story would have still had its magic without being an advertisement for the NRA.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">THIS IS A FUNNY, very entertaining, exceptionally dramatic film.</span> If art is meant to take us someplace else, someplace we won't forget, Django hits the mark. At the same time it will provoke discussion simply because of its full-frontal assault on white supremacy (the scene with the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elw9HZfqt2g" target="_blank">bags over the heads</a> of the KKK deserves special mention for its Tarantino-esque black humor - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elw9HZfqt2g" target="_blank">watch it</a> for a good laugh). See this film, it will leave you a bit breathless, but it will also enrich you with a full meal for the senses.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-35149814825165826522013-02-20T22:27:00.000-06:002013-02-20T22:27:00.820-06:00Movies in The Age of Obama<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEEPER EXTRA: MOVIES IN THE AGE OF OBAMA</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qt4LEuioiys/USE1OAS3LMI/AAAAAAAAA0c/3stFrS8AXNU/s1600/20130120_CRITIC-slide-TD17-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qt4LEuioiys/USE1OAS3LMI/AAAAAAAAA0c/3stFrS8AXNU/s400/20130120_CRITIC-slide-TD17-articleLarge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Michael Witte's artwork in the New York Times depicts, clockwise from top left, Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained, The Help, Lincoln, and the Avengers.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">READ MORE ABOUT <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/movies/lincoln-django-unchained-and-an-obama-inflected-cinema.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">MOVIES IN THE AGE OF OBAMA</a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-39alHMGiFcc/USGvkUNG6tI/AAAAAAAAA50/tJGbCntOHJo/s1600/17POSTRACIAL_SPAN-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-39alHMGiFcc/USGvkUNG6tI/AAAAAAAAA50/tJGbCntOHJo/s400/17POSTRACIAL_SPAN-articleLarge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">DEEPER RESPONSE: Are these film inspired by the era of Obama?</span> What does it say that so many films seem to portray African Americans as legendary figures in a prominent film roles? Or that the overtly political films such as Lincoln seem to carry overtones of Obama?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Read Times Article, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/movies/awardsseason/black-characters-are-still-too-good-too-bad-or-invisible.html" target="_blank">Black Characters Are Still Too Good Too Bad Or Invisible</a> </span>- on the current state of race in film. Is the review of Django fair in this article? I don't think so - the critique of Django as being a fantastical character is not in keeping with the genre. A bit like saying Clint Eastwood's westerns were too fantastical.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It is true that we need more realistic and complex portrayals by African American actors, </span>but leveling that charge against Django Unchained is perhaps expecting it to be something it was not. Still, it is a point worth taking that black actors are still props for white actors in many films, even ones that purport to be about the black experience.<br />
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-85463367997632162582013-02-17T22:16:00.000-06:002013-02-17T22:17:36.953-06:00Runaway Magic — Silver Linings Playbook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Excelsior! </span>A film about the positive, clear-eyed view of life, and celebrating those closest to the heart.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLxdkbZm9TY/USGSwOiLSaI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/jChpBnwN_Fg/s1600/MV5BMTM2MTI5NzA3MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODExNTc0OA@@._V1_SX214_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLxdkbZm9TY/USGSwOiLSaI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/jChpBnwN_Fg/s1600/MV5BMTM2MTI5NzA3MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODExNTc0OA@@._V1_SX214_.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER: Mild</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL: Recommended</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/silverliningsplaybook/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">View Trailer</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R8slqN-kc4c/USGWFyXOtjI/AAAAAAAAA3c/W2_ZUDGpTTg/s1600/silver-linings-playbook-10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R8slqN-kc4c/USGWFyXOtjI/AAAAAAAAA3c/W2_ZUDGpTTg/s320/silver-linings-playbook-10.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ostensibly about football, this film ended up being just as much or more about dance. It rallied around team sports and family, but also around <span style="font-size: large;">artistic expression as a way of healing</span> and finding oneself.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cKJwUMzP4QE/USGomjwv9CI/AAAAAAAAA4M/jgPVHDDmcI4/s1600/jennifer_lawrence_silver_linings_playbook_a_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cKJwUMzP4QE/USGomjwv9CI/AAAAAAAAA4M/jgPVHDDmcI4/s320/jennifer_lawrence_silver_linings_playbook_a_l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Jennifer Lawrence ran away with this film.</span> Her magic carries the story along, and while there were four oscar nominations, I think she was the clear winner.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TVJZZxjYX3w/USGWXFR5NJI/AAAAAAAAA3k/8DBb12UOZuc/s1600/The-Silver-Linings-Playbook-Review-starring-Bradley-Cooper-Jennifer-Lawrence-and-Robert-De-Niro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TVJZZxjYX3w/USGWXFR5NJI/AAAAAAAAA3k/8DBb12UOZuc/s320/The-Silver-Linings-Playbook-Review-starring-Bradley-Cooper-Jennifer-Lawrence-and-Robert-De-Niro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The acting ensemble including DeNiro was remarkable, and it helped create a real father-son dynamic. It also helps the film reach across generations. I found myself wanting to write a letter to my father, and I did so after coming home from this film.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D8EnO1oCkik/USGV_Zn8bkI/AAAAAAAAA3U/5O-hMw6_CC8/s1600/Silver-Linings-Playbook-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D8EnO1oCkik/USGV_Zn8bkI/AAAAAAAAA3U/5O-hMw6_CC8/s320/Silver-Linings-Playbook-11.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEAipnUeAgM/USGoyYey9II/AAAAAAAAA4U/JNFX2wOSnmg/s1600/Silver-Linings-Playbook-1984905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEAipnUeAgM/USGoyYey9II/AAAAAAAAA4U/JNFX2wOSnmg/s320/Silver-Linings-Playbook-1984905.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DEl8TBjo7ds/USGpLOUlR4I/AAAAAAAAA4c/9tD3o9rVrBQ/s1600/SIlverLiningsPlybk_620_113012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DEl8TBjo7ds/USGpLOUlR4I/AAAAAAAAA4c/9tD3o9rVrBQ/s320/SIlverLiningsPlybk_620_113012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I was engrossed in the moments created by the film, the specific-ness, the quirkiness of the family lingo, <span style="font-size: large;">the strange personality traits that somehow go from annoying to lovable.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The real questions in this film were about how we interpret ourselves</span>, and Tiffany (Lawrence) helps lead the way in asking, What about all that muddy, slutty, bad stuff? Do we deny that about ourselves, or do we learn to embrace it? Can we stick together no matter what? </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zbz-LZ7W1so/USGqZw1urjI/AAAAAAAAA4o/h55b7C3G7Cw/s1600/silver-linings-playbook-dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zbz-LZ7W1so/USGqZw1urjI/AAAAAAAAA4o/h55b7C3G7Cw/s320/silver-linings-playbook-dance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEEPER RESPONSE:</span> What do you think of the dance element in the film? How is that important as a therapeutic method, where others may not have worked?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-55906419053961797902013-02-05T12:06:00.000-06:002013-02-05T12:06:01.128-06:00Black at His Best — Bernie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A mild-mannered mortician gets trapped with a cruel, demanding woman and the worst results. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O-n8UwLysEs/UQ6dGMuUiRI/AAAAAAAAAy0/oTqQCPCmmpA/s1600/215px-Bernie_film_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O-n8UwLysEs/UQ6dGMuUiRI/AAAAAAAAAy0/oTqQCPCmmpA/s1600/215px-Bernie_film_poster.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH: 3</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING: 3 (Jack Black: 5)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER: Mild</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL: Recommended</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DgDjYlvQMsU/UQ6gf9-CDWI/AAAAAAAAAzU/qfzhcT_t7do/s1600/15bernie_span-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DgDjYlvQMsU/UQ6gf9-CDWI/AAAAAAAAAzU/qfzhcT_t7do/s320/15bernie_span-articleLarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Read <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/magazine/how-my-aunt-marge-ended-up-in-the-deep-freeze.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_blank">"How My Aunt Ended Up In the Deep Freeze"</a>, </span>an account of the true story by family member Joe Rhodes in The New York Times</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/bernie/" target="_blank">View Trailer</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQSfXW2fEhE/UQ6dPpw5rSI/AAAAAAAAAy8/KIHwd3BBm5A/s1600/bernie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQSfXW2fEhE/UQ6dPpw5rSI/AAAAAAAAAy8/KIHwd3BBm5A/s320/bernie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Jack Black is nothing if not talented, and this is by far his best film.</span> He absolutely shines. What is remarkable is that he remains in character, never resorting to any wild slapstick or improvisation sometimes present in his other roles. He carries off the role of a light-hearted, generous, hymn-singing community leader with flair and grace and not a hint of self-consciousness.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXrx_1LBnPg/UQ6dmumdguI/AAAAAAAAAzE/FsJ3HY2OOQs/s1600/120427_MOV_bernieJackBlack.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXrx_1LBnPg/UQ6dmumdguI/AAAAAAAAAzE/FsJ3HY2OOQs/s400/120427_MOV_bernieJackBlack.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X6M0VH-FONM/UQ6gR48e5tI/AAAAAAAAAzM/YNmcA1-UZwU/s1600/matthew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X6M0VH-FONM/UQ6gR48e5tI/AAAAAAAAAzM/YNmcA1-UZwU/s200/matthew.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Bernie is not a story about double-identity!</span> That would have been very clich é. We have all seen that story before, and it is ubiquitous on television series.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What makes this film interesting is watching the gun-slinging D.A. Buck Davidson (McConaughey) try to <i>make it into </i>a story about double-identity. </span>But Bernie is not a person with a dark alter-ego, any more so than the rest of us. Linklater's use of actual townspeople in interviews lends freshness to the story and also gives one a sense of having visited the place. These interviews also round out the portrait of Bernie as someone essentially harmless, who may have gotten the wrong end of the rod in court.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jehUwA11YYI/UQ6mOQh93lI/AAAAAAAAAz0/O4HfvcTlIKg/s1600/2012_bernie_0101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jehUwA11YYI/UQ6mOQh93lI/AAAAAAAAAz0/O4HfvcTlIKg/s320/2012_bernie_0101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is a hilarious movie about a dark subject, </span>but handled with a deft touch.<br />
See the film; you'll enjoy the ride.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iolIaTzYpqk/UQ6gyRI10lI/AAAAAAAAAzc/34_2waSwNXg/s1600/jack-black-as-bernie-in-bernie-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iolIaTzYpqk/UQ6gyRI10lI/AAAAAAAAAzc/34_2waSwNXg/s200/jack-black-as-bernie-in-bernie-2011.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEEPER QUESTIONS:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you think?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Given the fact that Bernie's character, and his heartfelt confession, does his conviction seem fair? </span>What does it say about the townspeople that they would have acquitted Bernie if given the chance? What does it say about our justice system that his trial was moved?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XWrT36Pmgp8/UQ6kX85nHMI/AAAAAAAAAzk/xXYfZNJ22No/s1600/Bernie_00010602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XWrT36Pmgp8/UQ6kX85nHMI/AAAAAAAAAzk/xXYfZNJ22No/s320/Bernie_00010602.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The film alluded to Bernie's being gay. </span>Do you think Buck may have had this as a motive for pursuing a murder charge, rather than something more lenient? What do you think the film was trying to get at here? Why is this facet of Bernie's character left "in between the lines" for the viewer to pick up on?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3qAigxEvsX4/UQ6lKE33quI/AAAAAAAAAzs/MjyzSJbhl78/s1600/Bernie_00002204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3qAigxEvsX4/UQ6lKE33quI/AAAAAAAAAzs/MjyzSJbhl78/s400/Bernie_00002204.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you think of this film?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-74516479958947174772013-02-02T13:30:00.001-06:002013-02-02T13:30:55.609-06:00Cold Power — House of Cards S1:E1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cold power on display in the year 2013, with an interesting array of characters, fools, and villains.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hk1Up0h3O6o/UQ1gu6IjjRI/AAAAAAAAAx0/xL5XrX7Edbo/s1600/house-of-cards-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hk1Up0h3O6o/UQ1gu6IjjRI/AAAAAAAAAx0/xL5XrX7Edbo/s320/house-of-cards-poster.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULwUzF1q5w4" target="_blank">View Trailer</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I just began House of Cards,</span> the new political series on Netflix exclusive. A good idea for Netflix to commission their own series, as this has been HBO's success as well as other networks, and Netflix has the corner on streaming. Television series are sometimes able to give us the power of film, extended over many episodes.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_OlpW0rqRsc/UQ1g3mUIL0I/AAAAAAAAAx8/SP77trt7t7o/s1600/Kevin-Spacey-and-Robin-Wright-in-House-of-Cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_OlpW0rqRsc/UQ1g3mUIL0I/AAAAAAAAAx8/SP77trt7t7o/s320/Kevin-Spacey-and-Robin-Wright-in-House-of-Cards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Kevin Spacey is well-cast as congressman Frank Underwood; he carries gravitas, fear, and a certain resigned sadness to the life he has chosen. His wife Claire (Robin Wright), is as cool as they come. <span style="font-size: large;">Both are in love with power, more so even than each other? Can such an arrangement last? One thinks of the Clintons.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlc7Sp6JC3E/UQ1iPmD0ygI/AAAAAAAAAyE/J3FR9esESvY/s1600/20HOUSE2_SPAN-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlc7Sp6JC3E/UQ1iPmD0ygI/AAAAAAAAAyE/J3FR9esESvY/s200/20HOUSE2_SPAN-articleLarge.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The world they live is a drab one; </span>dinner parties where guests wink and nod at each other with fake smiles, long nights up calculating the next move on the political chess board, meetings at 4a.m. in cafes. This is an interesting underside to the glitter and glitz of politics, what is seen on the news. It is a world that would make me miserable, I know, if I were forced to live in it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ATcS29XdnSk/UQ1k-egQfvI/AAAAAAAAAyM/1vzVGHMDXgM/s1600/1359539228243.cached.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ATcS29XdnSk/UQ1k-egQfvI/AAAAAAAAAyM/1vzVGHMDXgM/s320/1359539228243.cached.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danger ahead: Zoe Barnes boldy approaches Frank Underwood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The dialogue is very well done.</span> It is rhythmic, and Spacey's monologues have a poetry to them that belie a beauty of character underneath the coldness. How will this aspect of himself develop over the series? There is real danger in the younger journalist Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) involvement with him; will it end up destroying them, as it has so many in Washington?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rSMjX7NuxCw/UQ1gJhfwGmI/AAAAAAAAAxs/8_FoIs0oH_M/s1600/houseofcards_620_111512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rSMjX7NuxCw/UQ1gJhfwGmI/AAAAAAAAAxs/8_FoIs0oH_M/s320/houseofcards_620_111512.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unique feature: the Return of the Monologue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps the show's most unique feature: Spacey looking directly into the camera and sharing thoughts with the viewer.</span> An interesting device that lends a sense of candor to his character, while also breaking the barrier between screen and viewer. It calls attention to the fact that this is theater, contrived for us to watch. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We feel "in on the joke" with Spacey. </span>A testament to how cynical we have become. Will the series endeavor to show that there are still pure motives despite this sense that it is all a stupid game?<br /><br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2013/feb/01/review-house-of-cards-episode-one-netflix" target="_blank">Read The Guardian's John Crace's comparison of this to previous House of Cards</a></div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-65173031687332648952013-02-01T19:05:00.000-06:002013-02-01T19:05:36.642-06:00The Veracity of Self—Life of Pi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ang Lee has given us a film for the ages,</span> fitting for our century, and it will be remembered for its vision, veracity, and honesty, particularly about god and religion.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rduTEOCPLVc/UQwmpw8WsyI/AAAAAAAAAsk/xrcpOtanSAc/s1600/life-of-pi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rduTEOCPLVc/UQwmpw8WsyI/AAAAAAAAAsk/xrcpOtanSAc/s400/life-of-pi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER: Mild (some scenes may startle children)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL: DO NOT MISS THIS FILM! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/lifeofpi/" target="_blank">Be sure to view these trailers!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/life-of-pi-illustrated/id427500548?mt=11&name=trailers&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank">See the book by Yann Martel</a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4Zr_cOcjBc/UQwnwRiziZI/AAAAAAAAAss/RTGYDOasjig/s1600/life-of-pi-pic-e1358136686575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4Zr_cOcjBc/UQwnwRiziZI/AAAAAAAAAss/RTGYDOasjig/s400/life-of-pi-pic-e1358136686575.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">For all the reasons already given by others</span>—its use of 3D technology in a balanced, sophisticated way, its breathtaking artistry, its surround-the-viewer with an ocean adventure sweep—Ang Lee's Life of Pi is a good film. But these things by themselves do not make it the masterpiece that it is.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UnQ_k0XTKmk/UQwrA8W1CzI/AAAAAAAAAs0/f-T13Q-wAnk/s1600/Life-of-Pi-Bioluminescent-Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UnQ_k0XTKmk/UQwrA8W1CzI/AAAAAAAAAs0/f-T13Q-wAnk/s400/Life-of-Pi-Bioluminescent-Water.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Pi is a timely film about all of the Big Questions</span>: the meaning of suffering, religions and god, and the stories and myths we tell ourselves as a human race in order to survive and flourish. It pits us face to face with a natural world that is both stunningly beautiful and horrifically dangerous. It asks us to examine just why we are on the journey we are on, and whether god is really at the heart of it.<br />
<br />
Piscine Molitor Patel is an inquiring boy who is open to the contribution of religion (over and against his family's barbs at the dinner table).<span style="font-size: large;"> He explores Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam, feeling devoted to them all.</span> At the same time he introduces us to a world of sound and color in India, where dance forms and family customs are not our own. So there is at the outset a very global, diverse feel to the story.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dSSRaNAf6no/UQwuM7RXuCI/AAAAAAAAAtM/AU29eRviy20/s1600/121121_MOV_LifeofPi.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dSSRaNAf6no/UQwuM7RXuCI/AAAAAAAAAtM/AU29eRviy20/s320/121121_MOV_LifeofPi.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7QIQo31lmo/UQwu7BEqYAI/AAAAAAAAAtc/8W9R0l6pqrE/s1600/life-of-pi-image03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7QIQo31lmo/UQwu7BEqYAI/AAAAAAAAAtc/8W9R0l6pqrE/s320/life-of-pi-image03.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Pi is an emotional film</span>, but its emotion is genuine and not gratuitous or manipulated. <span style="font-size: large;">The tiger is not a pet;</span> it is a danger constantly, and there is a message about not sentimentalizing nature here. The tiger leaves without a word, even after Pi has done so much for it. Pi's heart is broken over this; and words from his father echo from the beginning of the story: "The tiger is not your friend." For a film with a clear love of animals and of their grandeur, this is a remarkable and unusual twist.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ydaoiAaYjI/UQwuo4PvI7I/AAAAAAAAAtU/8W3pYk4hKZQ/s1600/709970_156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ydaoiAaYjI/UQwuo4PvI7I/AAAAAAAAAtU/8W3pYk4hKZQ/s1600/709970_156.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Pi is a call to bravery.</span> My sons saw the film and had to be brave along with Pi during the story. They are not ready to digest the meta-narrative about religious story-telling, but they could understand that Pi held out through unbelievable odds. This kind of virtue-instillment is an important feature of film. <span style="font-size: large;">Good films help encourage us to keep persevering under great stress;</span> they help us to see that the turns of fate will be as fortunate as terrible, and that we can find and redefine ourselves in that struggle.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">***SPOILER ALERT***</span> Please, if you have not seen the film, stop reading here, and go experience this film for yourself.<br />
<br />
The adult Pi (Irfan Khan) explains to a journalist (Rafe Spall) that by the end of the story, the journalist (and by extension, we the viewers) will believe in god. This is a brave gauntlet to throw down at the beginning of a film. I worried throughout that by setting itself up in this way, it could only disappoint in the end, either by becoming all about proselytizing a religious view, or by simply biting off too much topically.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oFvI_gDm4ek/UQwteXzHYlI/AAAAAAAAAs8/biETrlVrHEM/s1600/Life_of_Pi_reporter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oFvI_gDm4ek/UQwteXzHYlI/AAAAAAAAAs8/biETrlVrHEM/s320/Life_of_Pi_reporter.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XXF6784EhWU/UQwtlMKeuNI/AAAAAAAAAtE/JCSRvMx7hK8/s1600/Irfan+Khan+in+Life+Of+Pi+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XXF6784EhWU/UQwtlMKeuNI/AAAAAAAAAtE/JCSRvMx7hK8/s320/Irfan+Khan+in+Life+Of+Pi+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">At the end of the story, Pi relates a harrowing tale</span>, one that was far less beautiful and far more traumatic. Rather than being trapped at sea with animals, he had been trapped with his family and an evil, cannibalistic cook.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S5EnhaQFeis/UQwy9GL6PpI/AAAAAAAAAuA/w9Ha5zvDabE/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S5EnhaQFeis/UQwy9GL6PpI/AAAAAAAAAuA/w9Ha5zvDabE/s1600/images-1.jpeg" /></a></div>
(An earlier scene in the film becomes an important touchstone at this point, when that cook was shown to be a mean and miserly person. Gerard Depardieu's face was so memorable that even though he does not appear again, mention of the cook works to recall this scene. A fair bit of expert storytelling here.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The cook kills his family</span> in order to survive at sea; Pi is forced to watch his mother devoured by sharks. He makes up the images of the animals to stand in for these people. The hyena that so unceremoniously kills the monkey and the zebra on the lifeboat is the cook.<br />
<br />
The conclusion is inescapable: <span style="font-size: large;">"So you are the tiger?" </span>the journalist asks. The tiger was a self-projection of Pi's. A way of making sense out of a reality his mind could not grasp in its shock and trauma. "Which of these two stories that I have made up, do you prefer?" Pi asks. "The one with the tiger," says the journalist. <br />
<br />
Pi concludes: <span style="font-size: large;">"So it is with God."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1pdJAwLh_EY/UQw1Sd-cThI/AAAAAAAAAuI/6ZogqgQAW80/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1pdJAwLh_EY/UQw1Sd-cThI/AAAAAAAAAuI/6ZogqgQAW80/s640/images.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is perhaps the best, simplest, and kindest treatment of the explanation for religion I have ever seen. </span>What gives rise to the religious and mythmaking consciousness of humankind? Why do we desire it? <span style="font-size: large;">Our desire for paradise is literally represented in the film by a magical island</span>, the island that Pi finally arrives at after being driven to the depths of his being, after praying mightily to god to save him. Yet the island turns out to be poisonous. "What it gives during the day, it steals back by night." This is a singular and stunningly astute commentary on Pi's own religious motives: <span style="font-size: large;">he was looking for Eden, and yet finally realized he had to leave it</span>, that he was on his own. What religion purports to give on the one hand by way of comfort and explanation, it steals back on the other by weakening the mind and soul, making it dependent, leeching energy while it promises security. We must leave it or be slowly poisoned by our own fantasy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1sRakorTnms/UQw2ghmZbrI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/GBaUl41R2Mg/s1600/life-of-pi-3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1sRakorTnms/UQw2ghmZbrI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/GBaUl41R2Mg/s320/life-of-pi-3a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The tiger walking away without a word of goodbye is heartbreaking because it is Pi's own former self, the one that he had to call upon in order to survive such an ordeal. <span style="font-size: large;">The wild tiger, one with nature, fierce and able to brave anything, is gone</span> now that Pi is back in civilization. But in another sense, this represents <span style="font-size: large;">the grief that humanity in an age of enlightenment must face, </span>as it sheds its religious illusions and moves to a higher plane of consciousness.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yo_tuloSwO0/UQw7M58A6dI/AAAAAAAAAug/QMW0b3eenXQ/s1600/life-of-pi-ang-lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yo_tuloSwO0/UQw7M58A6dI/AAAAAAAAAug/QMW0b3eenXQ/s320/life-of-pi-ang-lee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The fact that Ang Lee captured all of these themes in a simple story viewable by children is astounding.</span> We hope this film garners many awards, as it deserves to do, and that Yann Martel also gets credit for telling such a remarkable tale. They have once more elevated storytelling to the art form it aspires to be.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gscrX7Y4b4M/UQw4lTHKuqI/AAAAAAAAAuY/ApQiw54f6Ao/s1600/life-of-pi-whale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gscrX7Y4b4M/UQw4lTHKuqI/AAAAAAAAAuY/ApQiw54f6Ao/s640/life-of-pi-whale.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Life of Pi helps us, ever so gently, to revise our view of our own religious stories, </span>admitting as Pi Patel does that we love them and that we invented them because they are prefereable to the mundane and brutal reality we face. In this sense Pi's coming of age is something we must all go through. In doing so we will suffer. We will be brought to the edge, but there we can achieve a <span style="font-size: large;">veracity and luminosity of self</span>, represented by all the fiercest and most phosporescent images of this film. Like the whale in the ocean at night, <span style="font-size: large;">we can see our soul before us</span>, and truly possess its infinite beauty and strength.Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-46907770812818782872013-01-21T18:25:00.001-06:002013-01-21T18:25:46.254-06:00Grit and Gristle of Love — Rust and Bone<span style="font-size: large;">Rust - </span>the creaky underside of things, the sense of aging, of loss, and the label for something no one wants<span style="font-size: large;">. Bone - </span>the thing that gets broken, in fighting, in loving, in the process of living.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony/rustandbone/" target="_blank">View Trailer</a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dW37TiDmftQ/UPtmv6UW61I/AAAAAAAAApI/GxmEWHEUz5c/s1600/rust-and-bone-new-quad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dW37TiDmftQ/UPtmv6UW61I/AAAAAAAAApI/GxmEWHEUz5c/s320/rust-and-bone-new-quad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER: Moderate</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL: Recommended</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: large;">A memorable and unlikely title for an unlikely pair in this film.</span> Both terms indicate the grit and gristle of the love story in this film, about struggle, loss, and a very physical brokenness followed by healing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRVUQQXPvmU/UP3ZSA-H9HI/AAAAAAAAAro/quneMiYK0Nk/s1600/matthias_schoenaerts_rust_and_bone_a_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRVUQQXPvmU/UP3ZSA-H9HI/AAAAAAAAAro/quneMiYK0Nk/s400/matthias_schoenaerts_rust_and_bone_a_l.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Jaques Audiard gives us a visually stunning and originally told story, with a wide range of images from the quiet and sublime to the violent and gritty, which induce a rhythmic, hypnotic effect. </span>Yet somehow the story also stays grounded, never leaving the practical, the flesh-and-blood, and the honest cause-and-effect of choices.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LNMn5P8mdcE/UP3S1hLdSjI/AAAAAAAAApo/P3Rh0FH_09I/s1600/Marion-Cotillard-in-Rust-and-Bone.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LNMn5P8mdcE/UP3S1hLdSjI/AAAAAAAAApo/P3Rh0FH_09I/s320/Marion-Cotillard-in-Rust-and-Bone.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Marion Cotillard delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as Stephanie. </span>At first plucky and energetic, Stephanie's loss of her legs plunges her into an eye-sunken depression; she must be rehabilitated by Matthias Schoenaerts' character Ali. Cotillard portrays this arc with unnerving accuracy, going from headstrong to immobile, from self-doubting back to confidence. Both her missing legs and the wearing of prosthetic limbs were done with painstaking care.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qcFjacDT7uM/UP3WIn9boMI/AAAAAAAAAq4/H17KZPSi5LY/s1600/Matthias-Schoenaerts-in-Rust-and-Bone-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qcFjacDT7uM/UP3WIn9boMI/AAAAAAAAAq4/H17KZPSi5LY/s320/Matthias-Schoenaerts-in-Rust-and-Bone-3.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Ali must keep ahold of his son. </span>His story revolves around a messy world of street fighting and shady back-room money-making, ostensibly to take care of his son, but also to feed his own immature sense of manhood. He breaks his hands on other men's jaws—another kind of disfigurement—but eventually he must channel his instincts in a better direction.<br />
<br />
Stephanie does not judge Ali for his primal instinct to fight; she respects it. She is extremely tough, and in this way she affirms herself and him. She calls him out on his immaturity with women, but he is nearly deaf to what she says. Yet he comes around. He realizes, in a climactic moment achieved with a hushed but intense whispered cry over the phone, that he loves Stephanie and does not want her ever to leave. <span style="font-size: large;">This is the deepest kind of love, born of mutual loss and unbelievable struggle</span>, and the respect each has for the other's pain.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-skWYEX2qxaI/UP3TEkNwRbI/AAAAAAAAApw/hpct-NYXFz8/s1600/120518CannesRust_6193657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-skWYEX2qxaI/UP3TEkNwRbI/AAAAAAAAApw/hpct-NYXFz8/s320/120518CannesRust_6193657.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The bulk of the orcas was fearsome. </span>The cinematography of the orcas was an absolute highlight: an earthquake-like accident, with whole pieces of a platform falling into the water in a cataclysmic scene. This is balanced by the healing and dance-like exchange between one of the whales and Stephanie near the end.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4t_1ZW-PSw/UP3YUrsXYaI/AAAAAAAAArc/CXAPnRTzSR0/s1600/Matthias-Schoenaerts-and-Martion-Cotillard-in-Rust-and-Bone.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4t_1ZW-PSw/UP3YUrsXYaI/AAAAAAAAArc/CXAPnRTzSR0/s400/Matthias-Schoenaerts-and-Martion-Cotillard-in-Rust-and-Bone.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The sex is excellent</span>, not because it is graphic or especially titillating, but because it honest, real, and done with full view of Stephanie's deformed body. After her sexual encounters with Ali she is able to recover her sense of herself and even go back to the site of her accident and her former career as a dolphin trainer. Through her healing process we are shown <span style="font-size: large;">how our sexuality can help bring us back from despair</span>, and we are shown how a disability does not detract from sexuality.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ifz_k54qhJk/UP3UqpKL_AI/AAAAAAAAAqU/76ERUHfKPYA/s1600/rust-and-bone-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ifz_k54qhJk/UP3UqpKL_AI/AAAAAAAAAqU/76ERUHfKPYA/s400/rust-and-bone-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Rust and Bone is a very moving film about <span style="font-size: large;">healing through pain and struggle</span>, and about affirming ourselves rather than wallowing in guilt or shame as we move through our worst mistakes and losses. No metaphysical or religious answers are given for the suffering we go through. But it is a meditative film on the body, its power and its longings, and its connection to our consciousness. This film will be remembered for its contribution to the <span style="font-size: large;">understanding of the human body and its capacity</span>, no matter how beaten down or disfigured, to recover and to bring with it the human spirit.Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-53183795333266254822013-01-18T23:17:00.000-06:002013-01-18T23:43:49.670-06:00Rise of a New Way—Zero Dark Thirty<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"I am the motherfucker who found this place."</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0OOkftn1wU4/UPoghLxqmkI/AAAAAAAAAlo/2tUjnf382-U/s1600/zero-dark-thirty1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0OOkftn1wU4/UPoghLxqmkI/AAAAAAAAAlo/2tUjnf382-U/s400/zero-dark-thirty1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
DEPTH: 4</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ACTING: 3</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PLOT: 5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ORIGINALITY: 4</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PRODUCTION: 5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ENTERTAINMENT: 5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
DEMAND ON VIEWER: Moderate</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
OVERALL: Recommended</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dmoFxKdTsOM/UPoiVMPYkRI/AAAAAAAAAmU/2zFZh84hqis/s1600/zerodarkthirty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dmoFxKdTsOM/UPoiVMPYkRI/AAAAAAAAAmU/2zFZh84hqis/s400/zerodarkthirty.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rH34agACWgM/UPomVdsMOXI/AAAAAAAAAnI/4pMUie97A5I/s1600/zero-dark-thirty-jessica-chastain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rH34agACWgM/UPomVdsMOXI/AAAAAAAAAnI/4pMUie97A5I/s200/zero-dark-thirty-jessica-chastain.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is not too soon for this film.</span> </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">About more than Osama Bin Laden, about more than Barack Obama, more than 9/11, more than military tactics, more than an individual's courage in the face of overwhelming odds, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Zero Dark Thirty is about the rise of a new age, one where the leadership of women makes the difference.</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5N9zNQmY2G4/UPohUN7UsuI/AAAAAAAAAl0/8v6w2aMlHcQ/s1600/zero-dark-thirty-2012-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5N9zNQmY2G4/UPohUN7UsuI/AAAAAAAAAl0/8v6w2aMlHcQ/s320/zero-dark-thirty-2012-01.jpg" width="320" /></a>Jessica Chastain, as CIA operative Maya, in a iron-hard performance of grit, courage, determination, and intellect suberbly delivers that surprising line—<span style="font-size: large;">I am the motherfucker who found this place</span>— in front of a cadre of stiff suits in the White House around a model of Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Maya convinces her colleagues and ultimately the rest of the world that she had found her target. More than that, she convinces the men in positions of influence to set their careerism aside and focus on the thing that most needs doing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OpjlLixYOF0/UPoo5Z30uwI/AAAAAAAAAno/BLlhiVSOpLg/s1600/zero-dark-thirty-2012-pic03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OpjlLixYOF0/UPoo5Z30uwI/AAAAAAAAAno/BLlhiVSOpLg/s320/zero-dark-thirty-2012-pic03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Jason Clarke begins the film as the ruthless interrogator Dan, and while Maya has a hard time stomaching his practices, she is a realist and does not back down. She outlasts Dan psychologically, staying on after he moves to back to Washington an inner poise and endurance even greater than his.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Let us not miss the point about torture: it is a merciless practice.</span> We are asked in the film to weigh it. And yet, there is real movement in the film away from torture as the story progresses. The CIA is forced to find other ways to get their information, and respect the far less gladiatorial but more quietly persuasive ways of Maya. I find it completely mystifying why Bigelow is being taken to task over this. Perhaps a more careful viewing of the film is in order.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfyzIPuxJJc/UPoqZOrqYmI/AAAAAAAAAoI/_KT54yPDT2Q/s1600/zero-dark-thirty-osama-bin-laden-shot-movie-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfyzIPuxJJc/UPoqZOrqYmI/AAAAAAAAAoI/_KT54yPDT2Q/s400/zero-dark-thirty-osama-bin-laden-shot-movie-2012.jpg" width="400" /></a>One of the unique features of the film is that while we know the ending, we do not know the result of the penultimate plot. The location of Bin Laden's courier was won with the sacrifice of lives. This creates terrific tension in the film, right up until the actual capture. The final scenes are depicted with an honesty (how could they have crashed a helicopter?) and a rhythm that has the heart beating well after the film.</div>
<br />
Zero Dark Thirty reminds us that we are truly in a new age, one where tactics like waterboarding begin to take a back seat, and where <span style="font-size: large;">the good-ol-boy institutions are not effective anymore on their own</span>, one where a woman can not only lead soldiers, but lead using every device, keep everyone focused on the goal to the exclusion of all else, and experience the utter loneliness of that kind of leadership.<br />
<br />
It was a real goal, not a fantasy. <span style="font-size: large;">One that was really accomplished, not just dreamt about, by a woman in the prime of her career.</span> This fact makes the heroism and suspense of Kathryn Bigelow's film a sharp and poignant commentary, one every American should see.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vu81EADFFbs/UPorxGi3blI/AAAAAAAAAoo/ad4bIPInq3g/s1600/SUB-24ZERO-articleLarge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vu81EADFFbs/UPorxGi3blI/AAAAAAAAAoo/ad4bIPInq3g/s320/SUB-24ZERO-articleLarge.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-70766030084491240072012-10-21T23:44:00.000-05:002013-01-18T23:45:50.695-06:00Ego and Id—The Master<span style="font-size: large;">An exceedingly strange, thrilling and disturbing film</span>, The Master is a like a dark pool, mysterious and rippling with refracted light, now revealing, now concealing what it is really saying.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FL8zFYqc70s/UIRHzdoc6vI/AAAAAAAAAiI/unGayuIaK7g/s1600/220px-TheMaster2012Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FL8zFYqc70s/UIRHzdoc6vI/AAAAAAAAAiI/unGayuIaK7g/s400/220px-TheMaster2012Poster.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/themaster/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">View Trailer</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER High </span>(length, non-linear, and difficulty of comprehension)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL Selectively Recommended </span>(this is not a film for those who want a straightforward story or a feel good.)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qOcAD1EGJTg/UIRR7wfe5hI/AAAAAAAAAis/jwobGrXKmQA/s1600/master201293103705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qOcAD1EGJTg/UIRR7wfe5hI/AAAAAAAAAis/jwobGrXKmQA/s400/master201293103705.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_628051139"></span><span id="goog_628051140"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Playing the dark, base, animalistic persona of Freddie Quell</span>, Joachin Phoenix upstages even the inestimable Philip Seymour Hoffman as he turns out a singular performance with a character as real and as unforgettable as his other two major roles in Gladiator and Walk the Line. There is constant tension in the film based on the unpredictability of his character against the formal, high-society cult that has been built by Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J-q7LXF4qPg/UIRTT2vMm9I/AAAAAAAAAi0/sSI4uaLVQ8c/s1600/la-ca-0831-joaquin-phoenix-043.jpg-20120913.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J-q7LXF4qPg/UIRTT2vMm9I/AAAAAAAAAi0/sSI4uaLVQ8c/s400/la-ca-0831-joaquin-phoenix-043.jpg-20120913.jpeg" width="400" /></a>Quell has something like post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in the war. He goes from job to job, getting in trouble by reckless behavior such as mixing alcoholic drinks using paint thinner and poisoning people. He happens by a boat with a group of high-class New Yorkers, and is welcomed by their leader, Dodd.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v3zmR0azaek/UIRUXdd8-NI/AAAAAAAAAi8/0ztQEwl02Zc/s1600/the-master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v3zmR0azaek/UIRUXdd8-NI/AAAAAAAAAi8/0ztQEwl02Zc/s200/the-master.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Immediately there is chemistry between Quell and Dodd; one of the fascinations of this film is to ask why this is so throughout the course of the story. <span style="font-size: large;">Is Quell the Id to Dodd's ego? The animal to Dodd's spiritual nature?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TyBwx_7jEkM/UIRgCdafWHI/AAAAAAAAAkA/W5fBxHPlSC0/s1600/Th_AH2_MovieMain1_0927_t620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TyBwx_7jEkM/UIRgCdafWHI/AAAAAAAAAkA/W5fBxHPlSC0/s400/Th_AH2_MovieMain1_0927_t620.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cxUvCtazT_s/UIRhdYMXyJI/AAAAAAAAAkI/ctYjrBhFDns/s1600/The_Master_Paul_Thomas_Anderson481.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cxUvCtazT_s/UIRhdYMXyJI/AAAAAAAAAkI/ctYjrBhFDns/s320/The_Master_Paul_Thomas_Anderson481.png" width="320" /></a>Dodd loves Quell's alcoholic drinks even while maintaining that Quell is "naughty" and should stop boozing. Quell in turn loves Dodd's repetitive questioning process. <span style="font-size: large;">Based loosely on scientology, it is evidently aimed at the recovery of memories and past lives.</span> It seems to help Quell calm down. Close ups of Quell show a haggard and lined face becoming smooth again. But ultimately Quell cannot be quelled (choice of his name is very ironic.)<br />
<br />
At one point Dodd has Quell pace relentlessly back and forth between wall and window as part of the "process." This is frustrating to Quell but ultimately helps free his trapped and repressed guilt over abandoning a woman earlier in his life. <span style="font-size: large;">These strange encounters permeate the film with a kind of unreal trance-like quality, believable and yet at the same time alien.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ou5Fxabrjic/UIRV67bM_5I/AAAAAAAAAjE/rg9Xby-2ycE/s1600/joaquin-phoenix-the-master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ou5Fxabrjic/UIRV67bM_5I/AAAAAAAAAjE/rg9Xby-2ycE/s400/joaquin-phoenix-the-master.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KVfZXdhdIbU/UIRXWBxM8xI/AAAAAAAAAjM/7OwHZ_djitA/s1600/TheMaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KVfZXdhdIbU/UIRXWBxM8xI/AAAAAAAAAjM/7OwHZ_djitA/s200/TheMaster.jpg" width="200" /></a>In his saner moments Quell is a photographer. His role is (albeit unconsciously) to both document and expose the cult to a harsh glaring light. We see, through Quell's eyes, Dodd's inconsistencies, Dodd's own animal nature, and the ridiculous elements of Dodd's practice. The irony is that Quell is perhaps the least self-aware person in the story, or so it seems at first, and yet he practices great kindness in the end by passing on some of Dodd's more positive and helpful questions.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9vhuSEAw1Q/UIRhtAiuwCI/AAAAAAAAAkU/HVKtlB8vP4I/s1600/jailcells-thumb-510x275-52798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9vhuSEAw1Q/UIRhtAiuwCI/AAAAAAAAAkU/HVKtlB8vP4I/s400/jailcells-thumb-510x275-52798.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The megalomania of Dodd is both mesmerizing and creepy, and yet at times he seems genuine and effective in reaching an unreachable person like Quell. The two are clearly dependent on each other. It reminds me of Hegel's discussion of the master-slave relationship. One is dependent on the other, and one's very existence arises out of the other's. "I'm the only one that likes you!" Dodd yells as they are both in jail.<br />
<br />
The jail scene is the most riveting of the film. I do not know how it was physically possible for Phoenix to ram his body around that cell, slamming into the top bunk over and over, without becoming injured. All the while the "rational" Dodd looks on passively, suavely. It is hard to miss the statement here that these are twin sides of the same character.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i9WmXD1tGiM/UIReG7Duc7I/AAAAAAAAAj4/X5OHqeVGfb8/s1600/adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i9WmXD1tGiM/UIReG7Duc7I/AAAAAAAAAj4/X5OHqeVGfb8/s320/adams.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Amy Adams deserves special mention. Her performance is a subtle blend of submissive and controlling body language, and her barely contained emotional fervor is pitch perfect for her role as Dodd's wife. She sits in judgment over both Quell and Dodd, <span style="font-size: large;">introducing another element of mastery—sexual. </span>Clearly Dodd's sexuality is kept in check by her; and her own sexuality is fraught with repression. She seems to be eternally pregnant as well, bringing up the constant presence of that more primal element of society and particularly religion, the guarded use of sex within the family for procreation and protection of the fold.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zj4doGFCz3I/UIRipp3waSI/AAAAAAAAAkc/2H6aefLEnPM/s1600/the-master-processing-and-family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zj4doGFCz3I/UIRipp3waSI/AAAAAAAAAkc/2H6aefLEnPM/s400/the-master-processing-and-family.jpg" width="357" /></a></div>
<br />
After an ambiguous scene depicting what seemed to be a fantasy of Quell's, where members of the cult were unashamedly nude during a song and dance session, it is Dodd who gets punished by his wife Peggy (Adams). <span style="font-size: large;">It is as though Quell and Dodd were collapsed into a single mind, </span>perhaps together with all males, high and low class alike. Dodd is punished in a very challenging scene in the bathroom where Peggy masturbates him and acts the part of an aggressor.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-az-RAOnnYfY/UIRdKTzACHI/AAAAAAAAAjw/VuyoTE7J33o/s1600/The_Master_Paul_Thomas_Anderson-70.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-az-RAOnnYfY/UIRdKTzACHI/AAAAAAAAAjw/VuyoTE7J33o/s400/The_Master_Paul_Thomas_Anderson-70.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This film certainly helps to explain the prevalence of cults and fanatical movements, but it also helps illuminate the darker (and sexual) parts of our own natures. We all pretend to be rational, but we all have ways of covering over our flaws. We all feel that our own logical positions are airtight, and yet they may be just flights of our own imagination. We think we are in control, and yet Quell is there within, at the edge of our consciousness, waiting to jump out. What issues do each of us face require a master to help us modulate, fix, or move through?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aYQtiq5rahQ/UIRluJioBcI/AAAAAAAAAlA/GrX6szwOStA/s1600/Joaquin-Phoenix-in-The-Master-2012-Movie-Image-600x324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aYQtiq5rahQ/UIRluJioBcI/AAAAAAAAAlA/GrX6szwOStA/s320/Joaquin-Phoenix-in-The-Master-2012-Movie-Image-600x324.jpg" width="320" /></a>Near the end of the film Dodd says "If you can figure out a way to live your life without a Master, you will be the only human being ever to do so." This kind of line at the end of a film causes one to go back and re-evaluate just what was the subject of the film in the first place. For a society at the edge of evolution, perhaps we are also at the brink of falling overboard, because we do not know ourselves as well as we think. Perhaps we ought to reckon with our sexuality rather than pretending to be "rational" in order to control it. Perhaps it is not so bad after all to be looked after by a Master.</div>
</div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-61775579397466035492012-09-26T21:34:00.000-05:002012-09-26T21:34:00.561-05:00Fresh Innocence — Moonrise Kingdom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A dollhouse world more honest than our own.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiERFq5JAMs/UGEQv9Egg6I/AAAAAAAAAhs/l-wL0r5HN98/s1600/MOONRISE-KINGDOM-POSTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiERFq5JAMs/UGEQv9Egg6I/AAAAAAAAAhs/l-wL0r5HN98/s320/MOONRISE-KINGDOM-POSTER.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH 5</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING 5</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT 5</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY 5</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT 5</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION 5</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER Mild-Moderate </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">(Must be patient as story unfolds at a slightly slower pace than many films.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL Highly Recommended!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N8wkVA4_8s" target="_blank">View Trailer</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SsglDhCY-DM/UGEQVB-Sh9I/AAAAAAAAAhk/63gdMic2HGI/s1600/video-moonrise-anatomy-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SsglDhCY-DM/UGEQVB-Sh9I/AAAAAAAAAhk/63gdMic2HGI/s640/video-moonrise-anatomy-articleLarge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R76CwJAAqmA/UGEQRCVzmmI/AAAAAAAAAgs/L_THMEN8yhI/s1600/Moonrise-Kingdom-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R76CwJAAqmA/UGEQRCVzmmI/AAAAAAAAAgs/L_THMEN8yhI/s320/Moonrise-Kingdom-008.jpg" width="320" /></a>In Moonrise Kingdom we get to see the wisdom and innocence of youth — from the dollhouse opening scene to the boy scout island adventure, from the first kiss to the serious commitment to elope. <span style="font-size: large;">Wes Anderson has created a magical world that is also somehow more honest and agreeable than our own.</span> Kudos to the adolescent actors Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward (and why don't they get billing on the poster??!!) who carry the film with their unashamed naturalism and grace, and who outshine even the likes of Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, and Tilda Swinton!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1PDsrSgNp0/UGEQShdlDzI/AAAAAAAAAg4/aC0EkQWVGlA/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1PDsrSgNp0/UGEQShdlDzI/AAAAAAAAAg4/aC0EkQWVGlA/s400/images.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This is good storytelling and finely crafted scenemaking at its best. You will feel better after seeing this, I guarantee it. It has a reassuring quality to it, as though commenting about <span style="font-size: large;">something way beyond its era</span> (1960s), something having to do with our own time, of rediscovering fresh innocence and shedding the clumsy embarrasment of our forbears.<br />
<br />
Below are some examples of the artistically placed scenes, and some of the tropes, such as looking through the binoculars, putting on masks and costumes (and removal of the same, along with clothing), the quirky yet oddly endearing adult habits, and the diligence of the ever studious scout.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kl-4SObfImA/UGEQS1FyFuI/AAAAAAAAAhE/PhLw3Kbd-GA/s1600/moonrise-kingdom-kara-hayward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kl-4SObfImA/UGEQS1FyFuI/AAAAAAAAAhE/PhLw3Kbd-GA/s320/moonrise-kingdom-kara-hayward.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7k2wJiTV7R4/UGEQSFTUlpI/AAAAAAAAAg0/tAOshRqbelw/s1600/bill-murray-moonrise-kingdom-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7k2wJiTV7R4/UGEQSFTUlpI/AAAAAAAAAg0/tAOshRqbelw/s320/bill-murray-moonrise-kingdom-image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EwYBCQopa9A/UGEQTsdxRrI/AAAAAAAAAhM/Z9gQXZPM3pY/s1600/moonrise-kingdom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EwYBCQopa9A/UGEQTsdxRrI/AAAAAAAAAhM/Z9gQXZPM3pY/s320/moonrise-kingdom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--JaagDDYbi0/UGEQUGkzrpI/AAAAAAAAAhU/BBZJtYc_Ap8/s1600/moonrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--JaagDDYbi0/UGEQUGkzrpI/AAAAAAAAAhU/BBZJtYc_Ap8/s320/moonrise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-trE8fVdUzFY/UGEQUgu8_KI/AAAAAAAAAhc/ybyEUlWxyEk/s1600/tumblr_m6e4iofgCq1qzzh6g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-trE8fVdUzFY/UGEQUgu8_KI/AAAAAAAAAhc/ybyEUlWxyEk/s320/tumblr_m6e4iofgCq1qzzh6g.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
See this film! In the meantime, there is another fantastic review of this film at <a href="http://dreamsandvisions.squarespace.com/movie-reviews/2012/6/7/moonrise-kingdom.html" target="_blank">Moving World</a>, a fine film blog that Deeper Film aspires to!Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-28681157355132826982012-09-24T19:03:00.000-05:002012-09-24T19:07:38.545-05:00Morality and Sacrifice — The Dark Knight Rises<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Much more than your average superhero comic-book film, this one is worth seeing for its moral worldview and its deep character portrayals.</span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-774cqubMw4g/UGB1v7oTySI/AAAAAAAAAe0/pUY5iZ_RFCc/s1600/THEDARKKNIGHTRISES_WARNERBROS_PHOTO22_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-774cqubMw4g/UGB1v7oTySI/AAAAAAAAAe0/pUY5iZ_RFCc/s400/THEDARKKNIGHTRISES_WARNERBROS_PHOTO22_720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEPTH 4</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ACTING 4</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PLOT 4</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY 4</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION 5</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT 5</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">DEMAND ON VIEWER Mild-Moderate</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OVERALL Selectively recommended (may be unpalatable for some children)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/thedarkknightrises/" target="_blank">View Trailer</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBe4I-8bgrY/UGB37PdFYwI/AAAAAAAAAe8/3nYixbxMhqk/s1600/gary-oldman-the-dark-knight-rises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBe4I-8bgrY/UGB37PdFYwI/AAAAAAAAAe8/3nYixbxMhqk/s1600/gary-oldman-the-dark-knight-rises.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This movie is a fun, wild ride, </span>and while it has certain deficiencies—most glaringly the absence of a villain as mysterious and disturbing as the Joker—it is a solid capstone on a well-made trilogy, and it offers some <span style="font-size: large;">powerful lessons in personal sacrifice, virtue and in understanding one's fear.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZWzW6RoSqU/UGB-9RlVYVI/AAAAAAAAAfs/vBdx4PdUlt8/s1600/blake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZWzW6RoSqU/UGB-9RlVYVI/AAAAAAAAAfs/vBdx4PdUlt8/s200/blake.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GbQI-nMva2I/UGB-cfL9HZI/AAAAAAAAAfc/IF-eBLd0fRY/s1600/michael-caine-alfred-dark-knight-rises-e1347645173582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GbQI-nMva2I/UGB-cfL9HZI/AAAAAAAAAfc/IF-eBLd0fRY/s200/michael-caine-alfred-dark-knight-rises-e1347645173582.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sqIRBCRHtKs/UGB-lhjBGpI/AAAAAAAAAfk/Lw0q-386bD8/s1600/lucius-fox-bruce-wayne-morgan-freeman-christian-bale-the-dark-knight-rises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sqIRBCRHtKs/UGB-lhjBGpI/AAAAAAAAAfk/Lw0q-386bD8/s200/lucius-fox-bruce-wayne-morgan-freeman-christian-bale-the-dark-knight-rises.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The production pyrotechnics combine with a solid plot and great character acting to deliver a film in league with director Christopher Nolan's first two installments. Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine — <span style="font-size: large;">these are some of our best film actors</span>, and any story with them would be worth seeing. This is one of the finest performances I've seen from Caine. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anne Hathaway also complete the well-rounded cast, along with a brief return visit from Liam Neeson. <span style="font-size: large;">Each of these characters comes with a rich and complex worldview</span> that gives them roundedness and solidity, and makes them intriguing to watch on screen.<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n_vCbeodYOI/UGB_eYoSCZI/AAAAAAAAAf8/6A1ZUyWiZN8/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n_vCbeodYOI/UGB_eYoSCZI/AAAAAAAAAf8/6A1ZUyWiZN8/s200/images-1.jpeg" width="200" /></a>One thing I really enjoy about Nolan's work is that he can accomplish much within the space of a few minutes, without sacrificing quality or interupting the flow of the story. He achieves a rhythm with <span style="font-size: large;">carefully edited and precisely calibrated scenes</span>, making them at once more memorable and able to deal with many plots and subplots simultaneously.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v6Jr2FMTa0M/UGB9kMw2-WI/AAAAAAAAAfU/L-YZJ5xKdy0/s1600/THEDARKKNIGHTRISES_WARNERBROS_PHOTO5_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v6Jr2FMTa0M/UGB9kMw2-WI/AAAAAAAAAfU/L-YZJ5xKdy0/s200/THEDARKKNIGHTRISES_WARNERBROS_PHOTO5_720.jpg" width="200" /></a>A surprising and original twist comes in Nolan's <span style="font-size: large;">combination of batwoman and catwoman </span>into one role. Anne Hathaway delivered this duality perfectly; her presence offered the kind of sexual frisson and moral ambiguity that give the Batman story its edge. With a single look Hathaway can communicate a range of emotional reaction, such as at the unexpected return of Bruce Wayne after his imprisonment, where she makes the shift from her betrayal of him to support and even love.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3PKYl5DVxY8/UGB_d_lSxbI/AAAAAAAAAf0/h_2FZE2W7Fc/s1600/THEDARKKNIGHTRISES_WARNERBROS_PHOTO2_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3PKYl5DVxY8/UGB_d_lSxbI/AAAAAAAAAf0/h_2FZE2W7Fc/s200/THEDARKKNIGHTRISES_WARNERBROS_PHOTO2_720.jpg" width="200" /></a>As for Bane (Tom Hardy), he was simply not scary enough. Nolan did such a fine job of creating the devil incarnate in the Joker, that no future villain could ever match it. Bane is a too-obvious character created to seem invincible. His face looks like a skull, he has a strange voice, he is inhumanly strong, and can affect people by touching them. Still, he came off a bit flat, despite the effort to make him seem complex (as the rescuer of a child from the prison pit). </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Bane is the self-styled representative of the 99% (a surprisingly relevant premise), and the moral lesson of the film centers around this conflict, as Bane takes down the stock market and sets up a kangaroo court. Batman wishes not to resort to violence and anarchy in resolving these kinds of class struggles. <span style="font-size: large;">Batman is no revolutionary,</span> but he does what it necessary to preserve order. For those who worry that the film is too violent for children, this lesson is quite clear even to children and is actually a memorable way to teach nonviolent resolution of conflict.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yxkdbxBXLBA/UGDrzhZz9yI/AAAAAAAAAgU/H3pqhVxXc6M/s1600/tdkr-f1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yxkdbxBXLBA/UGDrzhZz9yI/AAAAAAAAAgU/H3pqhVxXc6M/s400/tdkr-f1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The best lesson of the film comes in Wayne's imprisonment. <span style="font-size: large;">Stripped of his batman armor, he returns to his roots as a person struggling with core beliefs</span>, and living in a very primal state. The scene in the pit recalls the original training sequence in Batman Begins, a nice literary device that makes the story feel contiguous with the earlier films.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Dark Knight Rises offers an important lesson: we must not deny our fear or our weaknesses, but rather <span style="font-size: large;">recognize their power to connect us to our true humanity</span>, our ability to sacrifice, and get us to do what we thought was impossible for the sake of our common welfare. These virtues are not easily found in films, especially not in this genre. For their effort at putting forth these lessons in an entertaining way, the director, cast and crew deserve accolades, and this film deserves to be remembered.</div>
Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-59031423804032674032012-06-19T23:05:00.000-05:002012-06-19T23:25:27.062-05:00Epic Adolescence — Prometheus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There is not much to say about this inane film, except that it exhibits adolescence in epic proportion.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HRXVfnez394/T-FFGvRIoQI/AAAAAAAAAd0/Y_744q-bBIg/s1600/Prometheus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HRXVfnez394/T-FFGvRIoQI/AAAAAAAAAd0/Y_744q-bBIg/s1600/Prometheus.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
DEPTH: 2</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ACTING: 2</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PLOT: 1</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PRODUCTION: 4</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ORIGINALITY: 1</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ENTERTAINMENT: 3</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
DEMAND ON VIEWER: Mild</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
OVERALL: Not recommended</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/prometheus/" target="_blank">View Trailer</a></div>
<br />
I have a particular dislike for films that pretend to be philosophical but are really only adolescent comic-book explorations. Matrix comes to mind, with its poor combination of a pseudo-intellectual Keanu Reaves furrowing his brow over a pseudo-metaphysical discussion about reality and perception.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P2_GjPfZRZ8/T-FJ_EGt8BI/AAAAAAAAAeI/X0AL5BEwHmo/s1600/Fassbender-PROMETHEUS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P2_GjPfZRZ8/T-FJ_EGt8BI/AAAAAAAAAeI/X0AL5BEwHmo/s320/Fassbender-PROMETHEUS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Prometheus out-Matrixes the Matrix on that score, with plenty of bad acting, bad directing, and bad plotting to go around. By the end of the film, one has had one's fill of gratuitous alien-goo, unconvincing recoveries from outlandish trauma (how about an alien c-section?), and those big exoskeletal spaceships that have been in vogue in science-fiction films forever. To top it off, the crew is a bad copy of Star Trek.<br />
<br />
Why do these pretend-philosophical films bother me this way? I see plenty of bad movies (a recent one being Sherlock Holmes, for example. "Make it count!" Please.) Most of them generally don't pretend to be profound (Jack and Jill, anyone?). That's perfectly ok by me. Not so here. In Prometheus we are led on by questions about the creation of mankind, about why we are here, and whether an artificial intelligence (AI) could have a soul. We see vast potential in the commentary of AI David (Michael Fassbender): his relationship to the humans may resemble the humans' relationship to a possible alien creator. He is rational and detached, and yet at times sinister in his uncaring. He takes a cross from Elizabeth, she wants it returned, because she believes in God, and he does not.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqfQNDD9Mc8/T-FI2LU52GI/AAAAAAAAAeA/1gJXHaUxbrs/s1600/prometheus-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqfQNDD9Mc8/T-FI2LU52GI/AAAAAAAAAeA/1gJXHaUxbrs/s400/prometheus-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
These are profoundly interesting, deeply sacred and important topics; but none are handled with respect in this film. Seeing it one has the feeling of trampling over a bed of orchids, or<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> spoiling a fine pinot by eating a greasy cheeseburger</span> with it. The superficiality of it is almost breathtaking.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PiH-6cqOP4c/T-FKWPf9RJI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/BnotjKeHfNo/s1600/Prometheus-900-600-600x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PiH-6cqOP4c/T-FKWPf9RJI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/BnotjKeHfNo/s320/Prometheus-900-600-600x400.jpg" width="320" /></a>Question: Why spend so much money, time, and effort on such a pseudo-epic, and pay attention with so much artistry to the finest visual details, if all you are really interested in is voyeuristic death-and-gore scenes? Low budget zombie films accomplish this much more effectively, and do not pretend to be anything other than they are: camp-cult candy. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Neither is it entertaining to watch a contrived plot unwind around contrived acting.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Here is Frank Rich on <i>Alien,</i> Ridley Scott's earlier foray into philoso-gore:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">“It is depressing to watch an expensive, crafty movie that never soars beyond its cold desire to score the big bucks … Scott knows how to push the buttons that make the audience squirm, but he achieves nothing that could not be accomplished equally well by sending electric shocks through a theater’s seats.”<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span><br />
<br />
Eerily familiar commentary. Evidently, nothing has changed in 30 years. Please, Ridley Scott and every other filmmaker who can command so much of the world's attention with a film, spare us any more of this drivel; it is neither entertainment nor art.Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-43706172045789317432012-05-20T21:36:00.000-05:002012-05-20T21:36:00.116-05:00Sex at 16 — Are All Men Pedophiles? — Julien Dubuque Int'l Film Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Do you find me attractive? Answer: why yes!</span> So says biology and nearly all civilizations in human history. And most men (if they are honest). </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fzSDYlEqksc/T5NEmn_yUiI/AAAAAAAAAXA/O53Fyg2767Q/s1600/Are+All+Men+Pedophiles+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fzSDYlEqksc/T5NEmn_yUiI/AAAAAAAAAXA/O53Fyg2767Q/s400/Are+All+Men+Pedophiles+Poster.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCJBwkcStjc" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Are All Men Pedophiles Trailer</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Editing: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Narrative: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Research/Content: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Production: 5</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
Demand on Viewer: Moderate-High (mature/difficult theme)<br />
Overall: Very needed for discussion<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Pedophilia is both a dangerous and widely misunderstood phenomenon. </span>How to make sense of it? Such is the task of this remarkable film, one of the unsung successes screened at the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpKmiw9-Qsg/T5NE6-IKYNI/AAAAAAAAAXI/SbXRBJJSDz0/s1600/ARE-ALL-MEN-PEDOPHILES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpKmiw9-Qsg/T5NE6-IKYNI/AAAAAAAAAXI/SbXRBJJSDz0/s320/ARE-ALL-MEN-PEDOPHILES.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Director Jan-Willem Breure <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span>bravely swims upstream against conventional wisdom in this close and fine-tuned examination of human sexuality and the complex body of knowledge under the simple heading "pedophilia." With interviews of professionals in the field as well as perpetrators and victims of pedophiles, a solid and wide-ranging portrait of this fascinating problem is painted.<br />
<br />
Among some of the more thought-provoking lines: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> "Mary was 12 or 13 when she had Jesus"</span> and "Pedophilia [the post-pubescent kind] will eventually come to be accepted."<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zCYon0aCyJ0/T5NFRO9j7ZI/AAAAAAAAAXg/BXMrlGCtdaU/s1600/Are+All+Men+Pedophiles+Psychologist.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zCYon0aCyJ0/T5NFRO9j7ZI/AAAAAAAAAXg/BXMrlGCtdaU/s1600/Are+All+Men+Pedophiles+Psychologist.jpeg" style="cursor: move;" /></a>The best distinction this film makes is that pre-pubescent children and post-pubescent children are dramatically different, and should be categorized as such when trying to understand the biological phenomena of sex, including readiness for sex as well as attractiveness to (normal) opposite sex. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The number 18 is shown to be an arbitrary starting point</span> for legal consensual sex. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Consider the following analysis from PRWEB on this film:</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">We live in a society that condemns pedophiles, though biological instinct and world cultures throughout history suggest that an attraction to adolescents is as natural as it is unavoidable. The fashion industry on the one hand sexualizes ever-younger girls while those who act on these instincts are reviled. According to Jan-Willem Breure, the apparent hypocrisy at the heart of society forces the question: What do we mean when we talk about Pedophilia? Are All Men Pedophiles?</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0hhkHFwyJM/T7hWBp762ZI/AAAAAAAAAdg/E9FL11iRJk4/s1600/medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0hhkHFwyJM/T7hWBp762ZI/AAAAAAAAAdg/E9FL11iRJk4/s320/medium.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Where do you draw the line? </span>Your answer might be blurry after seeing this well-made and thought-provoking visual essay. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thanks to JDIFF and the screening team for allowing this one through, it was edifying and provoked much discussion afterward. This film proves that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">only rational thought, not following the herd morality, </span>can lead us to better, safer, more compassionate humane world.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3090119780320645202.post-21879132386614581202012-05-19T20:41:00.000-05:002012-05-19T20:48:56.733-05:00Change of Fate — Adjustment Bureau<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Can our passions change fate?</span> Will God change his mind and "adjust" the plan because we feel passion? These are age old questions put to good use in Adjustment Bureau.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/adjustmentbureau/" target="_blank">View Trailer</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VT7JSR2Stwk/T7hBzt8EgTI/AAAAAAAAAcY/22WsVvMyAco/s1600/11155711_det.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VT7JSR2Stwk/T7hBzt8EgTI/AAAAAAAAAcY/22WsVvMyAco/s1600/11155711_det.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">DEPTH: 3</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ACTING: 3</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">PLOT: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">PRODUCTION: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ORIGINALITY: 4</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ENTERTAINMENT: 5</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
DEMAND ON VIEWER: Easy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
OVERALL: Recommended for date night or "mindless" entertainment</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-20y9FvRVc30/T7hDR6Q7IpI/AAAAAAAAAcg/a6fGwf9F6Y0/s1600/adjustmentbureau_damonblunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-20y9FvRVc30/T7hDR6Q7IpI/AAAAAAAAAcg/a6fGwf9F6Y0/s400/adjustmentbureau_damonblunt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Three things are great about this film:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--I7DiVBNzY8/T7hKCAju4II/AAAAAAAAAdM/vRi_ozV-qDY/s1600/adjustment+bureau+emily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--I7DiVBNzY8/T7hKCAju4II/AAAAAAAAAdM/vRi_ozV-qDY/s320/adjustment+bureau+emily.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;">Yankee stadium accessible from a random door. Every kid's dream!</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Male-female chemistry between<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Matt Damon and Emily Blunt </span>(who is about as elegant and desirable as can be in this film), and</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">John Slattery</span> (best known as Roger Sterling on Mad Men). Slattery's casual and debonair style is entertaining and quite subtle, a nice feature in the film that sadly disappears toward the end.</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M5MAeOiqgNw/T7hH6SiylAI/AAAAAAAAAcs/hjJBHb03RNA/s1600/The+Adjustment+Bureau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M5MAeOiqgNw/T7hH6SiylAI/AAAAAAAAAcs/hjJBHb03RNA/s320/The+Adjustment+Bureau.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When the senator (Damon) discovers he must stop seeing a girl because a group of dapper-suited men say so, he discovers a layer to existence most of us never get to see. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mGR8UPdfS7s/T7hJaXW7eZI/AAAAAAAAAc8/6cAl1lK7akU/s1600/esq-adjustment-bureau-hats-030411-xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mGR8UPdfS7s/T7hJaXW7eZI/AAAAAAAAAc8/6cAl1lK7akU/s320/esq-adjustment-bureau-hats-030411-xlg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
These angels mean for him to follow The Plan, but it turns out that even they are being tested, by the "chairman." </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P89cjvnMZZs/T7hJsOmPRiI/AAAAAAAAAdE/jfq4jD2RyoQ/s1600/the-adjustment-bureau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P89cjvnMZZs/T7hJsOmPRiI/AAAAAAAAAdE/jfq4jD2RyoQ/s320/the-adjustment-bureau.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2WEruTZsno/T7hIz1gDNHI/AAAAAAAAAc0/IcmB0mnfjEs/s1600/adjustment3-b_untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2WEruTZsno/T7hIz1gDNHI/AAAAAAAAAc0/IcmB0mnfjEs/s320/adjustment3-b_untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
See this film for its discussion of free will vs. fate, and its affirmation of the way a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">powerful love can turn the tides</span>, even after years of mistakes, separation and even the gods trying to get in the way! </div>Edward Obermuellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14141070292438833803noreply@blogger.com0