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Reviews
Fail State (2017)
Long overdue feature length expose into the systemic corruption of the US higher education system
Our education system has been continually betraying taxpayers and students by taking away their protections and protecting the industry predators. This film does an excellent job at recounting the history of how the greed of private interests worked to undermine the once noble pursuit of going to college.
Watch this film, share this film. It is imperative that we not only find relief for the generation of students affected by this fraudulent debt, but also put an end to the debt incurred by future students.
Our grandparents did not have student debt, so why are we ok with 44 million students and taxpayers now living under 1.5 trillion of it? This money is not going into the betterment of the system- it is going to the fat cats on wall street and corrupt loan companies. So why defend it? We need to understand the causes that led to this and realize that we can undo the damage if we act now.
Many top economists agree that cancelling all student debt in the country would be vastly more beneficial to the economy than allowing it to continue to persist and burden those living with it. Search online for "The Macroeconomic effects of student debt cancellation" by the levy institute to learn more. We can fix this- but first we have to understand how it was made and how it should not even exist in the first place. It was a result of the government and accreditors failing to protect students because they were themselves making money off of the corruption.
The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
A breath of fresh air, easily the best 3D animated movie of the year
Since it wasn't made by Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, or Sony, many people will sadly overlook this beautiful film. Yet it is one of the most outstanding movies this year. Hands down. It is amazing.
Despereau is visually magnificent, with interesting and varied character designs, outstanding animation, and an enchanted world which feels more like a storybook than anything before it. The soft lighting and muted color palette give the movie a more serious tone and wondrous atmosphere compared to other recent "brighter" animations such as Bolt or Wall-E. When you watch The Tale of Despereaux, it feels like you are watching an important film with a message.
The voice acting is excellent, with Matthew Broderick and Dustin Hoffman giving heartfelt performances as the main characters. All of the other characters are equally as good, though. William H. Macy and Kevin Kline also give masterful, subtle dialog that really makes their characters come alive. Most importantly, Sigourney Weaver serves as an excellent narrator setting the tone of the movie beautifully. She has a very maternal, calming voice which makes you feels as if you are a kid again, being read to before bedtime.
Despereaux feels like more of a wholesome movie than anything else in recent memory. Unlike Bolt or Wall-E, which both had MAJOR problems structurally, Despereaux delivers a very well crafted story where subplots intertwine, heroes evolve, lessons are learned, and evil is triumphed over. It is unlike any other recent animations, which dumb-down the story and rely on slapstick.
Most importantly it has a message. It is a movie that parents should be proud to take their children to.