Posted by Michael on 21 Feb 2011 | Tagged as: Movies
British historical drama The King’s Speech is one of the top contenders for the Oscars this year and anyone who has seen the film will be able to tell you why: The film is unexpectedly entertaining.
Why is it unexpected?
British historical dramas are known to be a lot of things: stuffy, artistic, cinematic, graceful, dramatic, costume-laden, and beautiful. Do notice how I did not say funny, goofy, engaging, and widely appealing.
Amidst the British drama are periods of humor and they come about quickly and appropriately. Whereas humor in British movies can be lost in American audiences, The Kings Speech succeeds in putting a smile on Mr. or Ms. Jones’ face.
Colin Firth, who plays a stammering George VI, is not brilliant, however some would argue otherwise. His performance, without a doubt, merits an Oscar nomination because the part was played about as well as anyone could play it, and a stammering character certainly carries with it a challenge to the artist.
The King’s Speech, also starring Helena Bonham Carter and Australian Geoffrey Rush as the king’s voice coach, started the awards season with a disappointment, winning only one Golden Globe despite having seven nominations.
The movie about the start of Facebook The Social Network took top honors at the Globes with four at Hollywood’s first major pre-Oscars show last month. It is expected to win the Oscar at least for Best Picture.
1. There are at least a couple of scenes that are very funny.
2. The film is engaging from start to finish.
3. The story is based off of real events.
4. You will feel better if it actually wins the Oscar.
5. You will walk away thinking it was one of the better films you have seen in a long time.
Clearly, this movie will attract a different audience than the Facebook movie or even the Coen Bros’ remake of the classic western True Grit. Sometimes it pays to step outside your genre and great productions like The King’s Speech is worthy of such a risk. Go see it as soon as you can, it is worth it. 4 out of 4 stars.
Strong in all three categories:
Posted by Michael on 13 Jan 2011 | Tagged as: comedy
I can’t say that I ever have been a big fan of Will Ferrell. Despite how you feel about him as a comic actor, you should give this movie a try. This is what I did, and I was pleasantly surprised. Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Samuel L Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, and Michael Keaton star in this funny buddy-cop movie that, refreshingly, does have a plot. This could be another overly clichéd cops and robbers flick but I think the producers were aware of how tired the buddy-cop genre has become, and they work off of that as best as they can. Also, Will Ferrell is known to scream or shout a lot in movies. He does this in this film but only to prove a point to Wahlberg’s character that anger isn’t the answer, and it’s funny. So at least Ferrell isn’t shouting solely for comedic merit, and he does it minimally.
I would recommend this movie for the following 3 reasons:
1)
This is one of those movies where it doesn’t matter if there is a well developed story, but if there is one, that is a bonus. The film has many gags and many jokes, and this should be a good thing to most viewers. There are many random jokes with a few running gags and for this genre, it works!
2)
The supporting cast is on their game. I love movies where you can tell they put a lot of effort into the casting and the supporting cast can be just as, if not more, fun than the lead characters.
3)
Like any comedy, a few jokes may miss or seem forced and that is the same for this film; however, I believe there are more hits than misses and in the end, you’ll have a smile on your face and overall be glad you spent 110 minutes with these actors/actresses.
For me, a comedy shines in its originality of writing. If the writers do their job and the cast has the right timing (and the film is edited for comic timing), then this is the most important thing. Much of the comedy in the movie comes from random references that seem to come out of nowhere, and that randomness, if not overdone, is hilarious. Also, the characters have quirks or features that are funny. Will Ferrell is this paper-pusher accounting type who looks about as interesting as a generic can of baked beans. Mark Wahlberg’s character is the opposite—angry, dramatic, and macho. You could imagine the look of shock on Wahlberg’s face when he meets Ferrell’s wife, the strikingly hot Eva Mendes. This is one of many jokes that are just plain funny and its fun to watch how the joke plays out throughout the film.
So, if you are in the mood for a light, goofy movie (not for the children) and just want to laugh, then go see The Other Guys. On DVD and Blu-Ray everywhere. 3 out of 4 stars.
Cinematography: 6 (stylish with some surprisingly good action sequences)
Story: 5 (good, it works for this type of movie)
Acting: 7 (funny, great timing, but it is a comedy so, we do not expect much)
Posted by Michael on 10 Dec 2010 | Tagged as: comedy
What good can come from tragedy?
Here is a question we often ask ourselves when we have gone through rough times in life. Sure enough, national tragedies such as the September 11th attacks can be fodder for such discussion. With so much prejudice and downright racial profiling going on these days, it is important to watch film that can bring about such themes in meaningful and entertaining ways.
My Name is Khan not only achieves this, it goes beyond expectations without seeming heavy handed.
I’ve been meaning to write about this film for a while now.
This is a film that most of you have likely not heard of, in part since it is not an American film. The films of India (Bollywood) are known for many things including extravagant sets, locations, melodrama, boy-meets-girl unoriginality, extremely long film length, and elaborate sing and dance numbers.
My Name is Khan, fortunately, does not fit into the stereotype. Although this is a long film (2.5 hours), there are no dance sequences or singing. What you do have is a pretty touching story and some great acting.
This is basically Forest Gump meets Rain Man meets Slumdog Millionaire. It is basically about an Indian man with Autism that comes to America—and his journey of how he affects others and how others affect him. Much like Forest Gump was a sweet and good-minded individual with innocence in his eyes, Khan is the same. While Khan is also slow and socially awkward, he has the added issue of not being a white American in a world where racial lines are frequently drawn for all the wrong reasons.
The cinematography is beautiful and we can see that the producers certainly have an eye for art as well as telling a poignant story.
Americans are able to check it out on DVD through their Netflix or Blockbuster store (which is how I found out about it).
1) Unlike many foreign films, many parts of it is in English.
2) This is an eye opening experience for some people as it touches on very real and relevant subjects addressing American culture and how we view Middle Eastern and Indian cultures.
3) It is often funny and entertaining. Just because there are serious subjects in the storyline doesn’t mean it can’t be funny and goofy at times.
4) We care about the characters.
5) We feel many strong emotions throughout the film: Laughter, anger, sadness, shock, and so on.
6) You can bet many people you know haven’t seen it so you can be the one to tell your friends to check it out.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is fun, smartly written, and spellbinding in so many ways that movies these days are not. While you may not be a fan of Michael Cera and his uniquely meek style of uttering his lines, do not let that stop you from a fine film such as this.
One problem with producing a movie based off a comic book is that much of the effect of the original medium is lost in translation. This film does a fantastic job of making you think you are watching a comic-book coming to life. The sound effects, tongue-in-cheek gratuitous graphics, stylish editing, and complicated visual effects make you feel like you are watching a movie that is some sort of hybrid genre. The producers achieve it without it looking lame or overly animated—it comes out strangely organic. The film has something in it for everyone age 13 and up. There is action and fighting (no blood or gore), romance, comedy, artistic cinematography, original music, wild visual effects, and solid writing.
Those of us who played Nintendo back in the 80s and 90s or even have some experience with old-school video games will enjoy the little sound effects and graphics that are sprinkled throughout the story.
Another neat thing about the film is its 90s nuances. At one point the Seinfeld theme segues into a scene with laugh tracks and quick witted banter. This comes out of nowhere but is thoroughly entertaining. The movie is so fast paced that the viewer does not have a chance to question the reality of what is happening in front of them. Instead, we accept the world we are visiting.
I watched this on Blu-Ray and there were a tremendous amount of extras and bonus features. There are multiple audio commentaries by cast, producers and the director. There are bloopers, behind the scenes vignettes, and detailed segments showing how the visual effects were constructed. I recommend this fascinating material if you have some time to kill after you finish the film.
As a fan of cinema, I have to recommend this movie on its technical merit alone. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the story and the acting was well performed, but the photography and visuals were beautifully put together. The editor must have gotten a raise after this movie, and I rarely talk about the editing in film reviews.
I stress the originality of this film above all else. It is romantic, exciting, and funny all at the same time. Anytime we see a genre-bending film that works, definitely gets bonus points in my book. Some movies try too hard to be original or stylish, this one does not. The tone of this movie is such that the crazier the effects, the better the punchlines and worthwhile payoff in either vision or script. One of the characters has these cartoonish effects where light comes out of his eyes like a super hero out of an X-Men comic book but then we find out he gets his powers from his vegan diet. Needless to say, the character is thwarted by getting tricked into drinking a latte with real milk (not soy milk) and so the Vegan Police come to take his powers away. I don’t care who you are, that’s funny.
Check out this movie on DVD or Blu-Ray. I could see it over and over again. 4 stars out of 4.
Acting: 6 (good, but not Oscar worthy or anything)
Some people go for a particular actor. Some go to see attractive people. So go for explosions. Some go to be scared or to laugh. Some just go because it’s good to get out of the house here and there.
Why do I go? To escape.
We all need to escape from the everyday activities of life every so often and just be immersed into some other world for a couple of hours. The new action movie Unstoppable is a good escape. Denzil Washington stars in this very simple film about a train that accidentally gets unmanned and is heading straight for populated towns that might get heavily damaged from a massive train stuck at full throttle, carrying dangerous cargo. Is there a complicated plot? No. Does there need to be? No. Don’t you hate it when writers ask questions only to answer them immediately, like some sort of Donald Trump-esque, narcissistic blow-hard? Absolutely.
Unstoppable is an old-fashioned thriller in which you do not have to think, you just have to be up for a ride. It never tries to be anything more than what it is: a movie about an unstoppable train.
Why would you see a movie where you already know the whole plot? Oh crap, I’m asking myself questions again.
This is a popcorn movie. This is a fun, good-natured movie with a happy ending. Most importantly, this is an entertaining movie!
Now, Tony Scott directed this which means the camera will be all over the place and do what most people would call a ‘stylish’ technique of cinematography. This isn’t just point and shoot. Tony Scott gets the action from all the angles. I was almost expecting to see a scene shot from the inside of Denzil’s nostril. (Yes, I am totally exaggerating.)
Tony Scott’s energy is certainly not a bad thing. Action movies need to be all over the place, as long as the audience can piece it all together in the end.
The movie is slightly over an hour and a half, and after seeing many films lately over the two hour mark, it is refreshing to get in a quickie. Short and sweet. The movie gets to the point with no extraneous characters, very few deaths or acts of violence (strange in an action film) and only some vulgar language. PG-13 is appropriate but Unstoppable falls on the mild end, it could have been PG if they left out a few curse words and minor things like that. A PG movie can have intense scenes of action, can’t it? Hmm, well I might be wrong, if intense action is not appropriate for a PG rating.
Unstoppable is fun. It is merely a light escape. It won’t make you think for hours afterward and it won’t provide any cocktail party discussion. You do get to see a couple of guys try to stop a big-ass train and you are rooting for them the entire time.
The movie is what it is, and I respect that. 3 out of 4 stars.
Plot: 5…..Basic action narrative, not bad and not innovative.
Acting: 7…..Better than most action movies.
Cinematography: 7…Tony Scott is basically doing what he does best.
Technically I know it is a two-word phrase but I couldn’t resist the analogy of a common expression, career politician, with the vile curse word women (and men) have particularly been against for decades. There have been so many attack ads for the candidates in California (and I suspect all over the country) that I almost don’t want to even turn on the television. The big match in this state is the former CEO (Meg Whitman) versus the career politician (Jerry Brown). Both seem to have negative connotations when it comes to voters, and this I find to be intriguing.
The problem of being a CEO turned politician
This is the same thing, as I see it, as the celebrity phenomenon. Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and others who came from the movies into politics likely had no business going into that line of work. I mean, if you were applying for a job as a salesman, and you had work experiences only as a painter, the sales office would probably look at you and say, “You are not a good fit for this position.” So why is it that movie stars, or business people with little to no experience in legislation or judicial affairs, get to run without people scratching their heads in confusion? Just because you ran a tech company in the 90s and made gazillions of dollars, how does that make you qualified to run a government? “Well I have leadership skills,” they might say. That may be true, but that is also something you put on your resume to make yourself appear more competent than you really are. Right? I think so.
The problem of being a career politician
I dislike the phrase ‘career politician’ because it is used negatively as if there is something inherently wrong with being a politician. Granted, politicians have a reputation for being unethical, slimy bastards that fake emotions more than an Orange County housewife at a homeless shelter. Granted, politics is a tricky and often nasty line of work. Still, to call someone a career politician like it is a bad thing seems wrong. That’s right, John Smith is a politician and it has been his career. Because politics has been on his resume, wouldn’t he be a qualified candidate for the position? No! He is a c-word. The next time the CEO insults the other candidate by calling him a career politician, he should say, “Oh yeah? Well you are a career CEO! I spent my life working on bills that will benefit our children and our children’s children. You spent your life increasing the profit-margin of a corporation and dancing like a monkey for the shareholders.” Boo-ya.
So when it comes down to it, we have a money-loving, dancing monkey against a hypocritical, unethical bastard. Good times.
Every so often I take a break from writing about film and pursue a topic in current events that I feel is worthy of some attention. Election times of the year remind us about how good (or bad) our governmental system is and we need to respect the hell out of it as much as we can. If we look to the negatives, which is easy to do, then we might as well all start moving to Canada. At least we Americans would get better health care.
Other than vote, the only thing I really can suggest to improve our political climate is to do your homework, see which positives are the greatest for the propositions or the candidates, since the negatives are often plentiful and depressing.
Only then can we be happy about our country, our leaders, and our lawmakers. I want to continue to be happy when I see bald eagles. Don’t you?
I do not love to be freaked out of my mind. Do you?
You want to see something creepy? Go see Paranormal Activity 2, it is, so I have read, more like Paranormal Activity 1.5: The same type of movie where things move in a house and we are all like, “omigosh, it moved!”
I’m not one for scary movies, and this article is not about those gory, ultra-creepy, nightmare inducing flicks that some of us love as a definitive culture of cinema. I am arguing for another genre altogether:
What a concept. This is not to be confused with the dark comedy, because those films are funny for perhaps negative perspectives of life often using cynicism or sarcasm to make a point. The comedic dark movie is a feel-good black comedy, if that helps to clarify. I am not talking about the slasher films that are so bloody and poorly acted that it is funny. I am not talking about spoof films like Scary movieeither. There can be something very funny about the macabre and directors like Tim Burton would agree.
In the spirit of the season, I recently watched the film The Addams Family, which I haven’t seen since the 90s. Here is such a movie in which we see so seldom: Humor in refreshingly unusual places.
Based on a one-panel New Yorker cartoon which started in the 1930s and then a television series in the 1960s, the story is about a family that is, what I would call, cheerfully dark. Far from seriously evil, this group looks at life in very positive ways: If you are happy, then this is great. If you are gloomy, then this is fantastic. If you are screaming during the night, it is just simply your personality.They have a way of looking at any experience with a smile and a wink, and I love this idea.
Despite the ghoulish atmosphere, the family is good-natured and tight-knit. The entry in Wikipedia notes that they are “a satirical inversion of the ideal American family” with a bizarre lifestyle that seems completely normal to them. If this isn’t a great premise for comedy, I don’t know what is.
Even though the film is from 1991, it employs ideas that are still entertaining and perhaps even more relevant in 2010. For example, there was a great scene where the Addams children (Wednesday and Pugsley) are selling lemonade at an old-fashioned lemonade stand. A girl scout comes to the stand and asks if the drink is made from real lemons because she only consumes all-natural, organic, foods with no preservatives. She says she will buy some lemonade if they buy some of her cookies. Wednesday then asks her if the girl scout cookies are made from real girl scouts.
Classic.
Another enjoyable aspect of this particular story is that of the two main characters: the husband (Gomez) and wife (Morticia). Gomez, played by the phenomenal Raul Julia, and Morticia, played by Anjelica Huston, are a great couple, deeply in love. The fact that they are both eccentric in dark ways is interesting when the characters engage in dialogue fueled by intense romance. Their actions in any other movie might be considered extremely perverse or sexually deviant behavior-but it is sweet and cute in this film. Because it is strange in other movies, it is expected in this one and this phenomenon makes the viewer happy, not confused. The fun of the movie is in its outright absurdity of their values, and that it works well for them.
Filmmakers such as Tim Burton have proven that there is material out there for this genre and I wish more producers would get on the bandwagon and contribute to the art. Maybe this will be the new fad at some point? Maybe it will always be a quirky fantasy land for weirdos like Burton, but it definitely has potential to be more than what it is, especially come the Halloween season.
So if it is getting a bit too chilly for your taste and rather not brave the weather this Halloween for the party, bar, or pumpkin patch scene, check out a movie that is light on fright, and heavy on delight.
I am not a fan of Jackass and, as some of you noticed from my article on Sex and the City 2, sometimes entertaining writing can originate from subject matter that is found to be appalling. I always try hard to make a convincing argument for every film I enjoy or dislike. For Jackass, I offer you several points that I think are worth bringing to your attention as film (or media) watchers.
Okay, here we go:
Point #1:
I like some slapstick. I grew up with Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons. I love those cartoons and hope my children and my children’s children watch those same cartoons. These cartoons had a point and, while simple, were well written. They were not disgusting or offensive, just watching a hungry coyote put together Acme products, such as rocket powered roller skates, to hopefully catch that fast-as-all-hell bird.
The franchise that is known as Jackass is an idea, it is a fad, and it is an MTV TV show for a year or two. Is it a feature film? Is it something worth spending 10 dollars a ticket on a Friday night? Good lord no. Is it sad that the latest film has made over 50 million dollars? What does that say about our country? Yes, we barely have enough money to pay our bills, but I really want to pay to see people get their nuts smashed or flung into piles of poo.
Point #2:
I understand that watching perverse acts and disgusting stunts can be entertaining for some people. Do we really need to see disgusting acts in 3-D? Haha. I mean, seriously, why not just pay your friend at the bar 5 bucks to stick his genitals in a bear-trap? He’s already drank 3 beers and done a few shots, he won’t feel much. This way you save some money by not going to the theater and its also in 3-D! Right? Of course, right.
Point #3:
This is not a date movie. If your girl enjoys this kind of film, run in the opposite direction as fast as you can, realize that that relationship is not going to happen, take that time to take up needlepoint, go skydiving, learn a trade, accept Jesus or some other deity, go on a roadtrip, hell even try Match.com, but know that that girl is messed up if she finds comfort in watching a bull ram a guy through a window. Ah yes, she’ll laugh, and you’ll say, “oh, I love this girl, she is as perverted as I am!” But then 5 months later you have a fight and you break up with her, only to find out that her enraged disposition will take those perverse acts that are in her head, courtesy of Jackass, and you are now the proud victim of some horrible physical contortionist act. Hey, I told you not to go out with her in the first place, didn’t I?
These movies should ONLY be for goofy college students that have enough plasticity in their bones to actually try some of these things themselves and survive with nothing but a smile and a good story for the fraternity brothers. I know these are generalizations, but if you are a group of girls and you are going to see this film, you are probably in the minority and you likely have issues, and I pray for your boyfriends.
Point #4:
This thing is popular. Why? Does it have good writing? Does it have good acting? Is there beautiful cinematography? I think we all know the answers to these questions. Jackass is popular because, at best, it is a guilty pleasure. It’s like when you go to the county fair and get chocolate covered bacon, coated in powdered sugar, and deep fried a few more times. You eat it and it might taste good, but you know you’ll have to get triple bypass surgery at some point in your life to make up for it. Jackass is nothing more than chocolate covered bacon: it may be funny and enjoyable, but at what cost? Perhaps the cost of a few intelligence points?
I think we have learned a very important lesson here. Just because it gained a following as a cable TV show doesn’t make it a candidate for cinema. If you disagree with me, then I DARE you to pay 10 bucks a ticket and sit at the theater during the entire running time of Jersey Shore: The movie! I hope what I just said remains to be a joke. Knowing the way Hollywood execs are going, it’ll be the next big multi-million dollar franchise. At that point, someone at Paramount (or whatever studio gives it the green light) needs to die a horrible and gruesome death.
Some of you will gladly pay good money to see pain, fecal matter, and bloody injuries come at you in glorious 3-D. For those people, I imagine you will get what you pay for and it will be a good film for you. For the rest of us, check out any other movie that is playing—almost any one will do. Please? Do it for your country? Do it for the troops? Do it for your children? Go see the Social Network, its entertaining and not bad for your mental health.
-Bromberg
Posted by Michael on 19 Oct 2010 | Tagged as: Movies
Which comes first, your passion or your family?
Alright, so the cop-out answer is, “My family is my passion.” Let’s say you have a definitive purpose in life. For example, you spend your whole life fighting against Cystic Fibrosis, cancer, or some other nasty disease by raising money, lobbying for specific health legislation, or supporting research.
Perhaps your favorite animal is the wombat and you spend your entire life promoting wombat awareness leading save-the-wombat campaigns and touring nature centers and college campuses giving a detailed lecture on wombat history or wombat anatomy.
Maybe you are like me and you just like using the word ‘wombat’ in a sentence.
The point is that it is difficult to put anything above the cause that you have invested your whole life in as a passion. Obviously your passion and your family are both very important, but what if one got in the way of the other?
Almost 16 years ago (October 24th, 1994), one of the great actors of the twentieth century passed away at the young age of 54. Some of you know Raul Julia from his work in the Addams Family films as Gomez Addams. Others know him from his role as a political activist and prisoner in the 1985 movieKiss of the Spider Woman. This movie, by the way, was one of the best acting jobs I have seen by him (and of course the Oscar winning performance of William Hurt). The intriguing story is character driven and deeply psychological.
I recently re-watched a movie most of you have likely never seen called The Burning Season. This was an HBO movie that came out in late 1994 about Chico Mendes. The film illustrates the true story of how a Brazilian rubber tapper led his people in protest against government and developers who were striving to clear rainforests to make room for cattle ranches and other for-profit ventures. Julia played Mendes, the main character. Whether you are an environmentalist, a teacher of Latin-American culture, or simply a fan of cinema and outstanding acting, the movie is not one to miss.
Sidebar.
As I am writing this, I in the computer lab of a state college in California. I am overhearing conversations around me and it almost seems scripted and overly typical of the college student demographic. I hear words such as “beer-pong” and “walk-of-shame” and I am reminded of those special four years of my life. It would seem that some things never go out of style. But I suppose I should save this rhetoric for when I write an article of a remake of Animal House, which they will inevitably make because, unfortunately, there is money to be made with remakes even if there was nothing wrong with the original.
Back to the article.
I do believe many of you are reading this scratching your head at the idea of having a passion in life. Frankly, for much of my life I have been the sort that is “Jack of all trades, master of none.” There was a movie that came out a few years back called Adaptation starting Nick Cage, Chris Cooper, and Meryl Streep. The movie very creatively related the idea of how one can go through life being passionate about things, and while the things may change over time, the same powerful intensity of passion is there regardless. Meryl Streep’s character longed for the temperament—the type of person that is able to be so passionate about whatever it may be.
The interesting thing about The Burning Season is that Mendes is so passionate about his community and their future, when it comes time to decide between them and his own family, it becomes a problem. The dilemma here is that if you leave town with your family, you are alive. If you stay with your people in your hometown, you will be assassinated because of your position of being a freedom fighter. Why would you choose your community over your family? If you can save your community, you are helping their children and their children’s children have a brighter future. Is it selfish to your family if you stay and get killed? Is it selfish to your people if you leave and let them face government problems without your leadership skills? Good lord.
Try to find a copy of Burning Season if you can. The story of Chico Mendes is on par with such environment versus big business films as Avatar, except that the former is based on a real story, not a special effects extravaganza, and has excellent acting.
I was taking a Spanish class about 12 years ago when the film was introduced to be by the teacher. I recommend it for anyone although there is one minor scene with nudity that should be edited for younger audiences.
Another difference between this and a film like Avatar is that those movies just assume the premise that trees are good and destruction of nature is bad but then fails to explain why. The Burning Season not only gives some staggering statistics to help us understand the gravity of rainforest preservation in terms of global importance, but it shows what realistic struggles such a dilemma can engender. The film shows that Mendes was not a warrior and not a fighter. He only wanted to talk through the problems. There is no grand battle scene like there was in Avatar; The Burning Season is about people, their lives, and how their land means everything to them.
Check it out if you can find a copy. Otherwise, do see some of Raul Julia’s other fine works, including The Kiss of the Spider Woman. 4 out of 4 stars.
Posted by Michael on 07 Oct 2010 | Tagged as: Movies
Your loved one gets raped and killed. You find out who did it.
Now what?
Sure, some of you may quite easily say that you would call the police and have the person arrested-but, as you know, the justice system is not perfect and if the person were to get out of prison after a short period of time-then what? Hmm. Quite the quandary.
Some of you might be bold enough to take the Samuel L Jackson approach and just shoot the bastard because, hey, by taking your loved one’s life, they should not be able to live freely on their own. Right? (see A Time to Kill, a fantastic film based off a John Grisham novel)
Some of you may just let the justice system do its thing and hope for the best, whatever the outcome may be, and then accept it.
Some of you are reading this thinking, “I don’t know and I wouldn’t know unless I was actually in that situation.”
There is a recent film that tells the story of how a man dealt with this dilemma and his solution was, interestingly enough, none of the above.
It is one of those rare murder mysteries that challenges your intellect, as opposed to a predictable “whodunit” or similar formula-driven format. Throughout most of the film, we know who did it, but we do not know if he’ll get caught or what may happen to him. Furthermore, the film isn’t so much about crime scene investigation, but rather about the psychological effects of a horrifying experience such as this.
I recommend this film for 3 reasons:
1) I love a thought provoking film. This film works well because it not only is character-driven, but the premise takes the viewer to a place that is unexpected and oddly satisfying.
2) I love a murder mystery that is not predictable.
3) I love a film that stays with you long after you see it. Sometimes film can bring up philosophical issues that make you think about your life, or at minimum, give you cocktail party discussion fodder for the next few weeks.
Even if you do not choose to see this movie, ask yourself what you might do? What is the right thing to do? Is there a right thing?
The movie gives us the perspective of the investigator and of the victim’s lover. The investigator gets emotionally involved in the case and it helps him reevaluate his own life in ways he never could before.
I feel like we can learn more about who we are as individuals when we ask ourselves difficult ethical questions such as these-questions regarding decisions that we hope we never have to make.
The Secret in Their Eyes recently came out on DVD in USA. Go rent it if you want a good story with an interesting ending. 3.5 out of 4 stars.
The movie is in Spanish (with subtitles), but if the movie is well done, I really do not care what language it is produced, and I strongly suggest that you won’t let something like that stop you from otherwise a fantastic escape into film.
