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naimawan
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Tin Star (2017)
Not Even Tim Roth Could Save "Tin Star"
Season 1 tricked me into thinking that season 2 might be worth watching. Despite disappointment, I stuck through season 3. It's sad when you want to root for antiheroes but, in the end, you can't because they're shallow and horrid, and you can't make yourself care. I love watching Tim Roth's work but this made me wonder why he signed on to this project.
Season 1 tricked me into thinking that season 2 might be worth watching. Despite disappointment, I stuck through season 3. It's sad when you want to root for antiheroes but, in the end, you can't because they're shallow and horrid, and you can't make yourself care.
Roma (2018)
I give "Roma" 1 star for cinematography
I have not submitted a review in years, but after watching Roma, I feel compelled to say that I disliked this movie for multiple reasons. Several 1-star reviews eloquently addressed those issues, so I won't restate them. I see movies like Roma as jedi mind tricks by the filmmaking industry to make viewers who don't love it feel they are not smart enough to discern its worth. For the record, I love indie, art house, foreign, and documentary films, but Roma was so boring I suggested that friends watch it with the sound turned off and just enjoy the visuals. Still, beautiful cinematography without an interesting storyline is an utter waste of time.
Front of the Class (2008)
Inspiring, well-done, true story
As I write this, I can hardly believe I'm writing a review for a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie -- not my usual movie fare. I sometimes watch Hallmark movies, then rarely think of them again. This one was different. I think children should be encouraged to see this movie.
This is an inspiring story about a courageous boy, and man, who developed Tourette's Syndrome at around six years old. It was difficult to watch the boy's discomfort, but eventually it occurred to me that because the kid grew up with this affliction from such a young age, he had adjusted to its constant presence. It seemed like torture for his parents to watch him endure this, especially his father who felt so helpless.
All of the actors performed their roles well. Patricia Heaton and Treat Williams were very good, as always. The principal (played by Mike Pnieuski) who helped to change the way young Brad was treated at school performed his small, but pivotal role, with nuance. But the two actors who portrayed Brad as a boy (Dominic Scott Kay) and as a man (James Wolk) were outstanding. I disagree with the reviewer who said young Brad seldom smiled while adult Brad never quit smiling or laughing. That person must have watched a different movie. Young Brad smiled a lot when goofing around with his brother or playing baseball; and especially when the principal helped him to gain acceptance at school. His face lit up like a Christmas tree! I watched adult Brad move through an incredible gamut of emotions -- anger, frustration, sadness, elation.
All that said, the true heroes here are the real people who persevered through this incredibly difficult situation -- especially Brad Cohen. He and his wife, Nancy, are exceptional role models, not just for people with disabilities, but for all of us. Brad Cohen never succumbed to self-pity or apathy. As a result, Tourette's Syndrome did not control him or stymie his success. We could all take a lesson.
Skin (2008)
The brutal, hateful legacy of apartheid keeps on giving!
I finally saw "Skin" last night. I won't recap the story here. I was fascinated by Sandra Liang's heartbreaking experience, but I missed the movie in the theatre. The actors – Neill, Krige, Okonedo and Kgoroge – performed their roles well. The film, overall, is not perfect. I agree that Sophie Okonedo was not completely believable as the teenage Sandra Laing, but that's a small quibble given Okonedo's gargantuan talent.
What really saddens me is that so many people are more concerned with debunking the notion that two white-looking people can (biologically) produce a black-looking child than with South Africa's brutal, hateful apartheid regime that tore this family apart, and turned a beautiful young girl's life into a living hell. All of my white friends summarily dismissed Sandra Laing's story and rejected the possibility that it could be true. For them, it's easier to question Sannie Laing's marital fidelity than to keep an open mind about polygenic inheritance (genetic throwback). They should know by now that we don't know everything about genetic curve balls.
The scenes that disturbed me the most were 1) Sandra enduring humiliating tests (measuring of her forehead and pencil stuck in her hair), 3) Sandra bleaching and seriously burning her skin with a dangerous homemade concoction of chemicals, and 3) Sandra's realization of her parents' deep denial of their own racism. It was painful to watch her attempt to survive relentless rejection. I'm convinced she loved Petrus in some way, but I believe she may have chosen to go with him at 15 years old to escape daily psychological and emotional torment.
Unfortunately, the "one-drop rule" and the notion of white racial purity (tying to white superiority) remain rampant today, and even in the good old US of A. We will likely solve world hunger and cure every disease imaginable before we eradicate that one!
Oh, and Tony Kgoroge is gorgeous. He has beautiful skin and a smile that could melt
well, anything! I loved watching him in "Invictus".
500 Years Later (2005)
Powerful! Should be required viewing for all black children—or any black person
This is as powerful and engrossing a film as I have seen in a long time. Its brutal, unvarnished truth is etched into my psyche. It articulates, more clearly than I ever have, nearly every belief I hold about the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, its unyielding legacy, and its continuing negative effect on black society. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving. I have only a couple of quibbles that prevent my ten-star rating.
First, I am offended by the inclusion of commentary from that hypocritical, self-hating windbag, Bill Cosby. Mr. Cosby continuously berates members of his own race for failing in ways that he has also failed, without attributing any blame to the curriculum of self-loathing in which black people have been indoctrinated for centuries.
Second, to routinely connect violence, drug addiction, and self-destructive behavior to the hip-hop community is just wrong-headed. Why are negative things in white culture (e.g., violence, drug use, severe tattooing and body piercing, obsession with goth and vampire cultures) overlooked—and often embraced—while hip-hop culture is held accountable for nearly all of the ills of black urban life?
This film mostly avoids the "victim" message, and reiterates the need for blacks to remember their history, good and bad. Jews perpetually educate their young about their history, and encourage them to never forget their own holocaust. Blacks also survived a holocaust, and we should never forget.
Paris, je t'aime (2006)
Paris, je t'aime...like, not love
To my mind, Paris, je t'aime started out with a bang, then faltered somewhat. Following are my favorite stories.
*** spoilers galore ***
In "Place des Fetes", an EMT tends to the fatal stab wounds of a street musician. While he dies, he recalls where and how he encountered her before. Sweet, and oh, so sad. Definitely the story that touched me most deeply--and my favorite.
In "Loin du 16o", a poor young woman sings a lullaby to her baby, only to have to leave her child there to care for some wealthy woman's child, to whom she sings the same song. It is very sad, and easily my second favorite segment.
In "Quais de Seine", a white teenage boy comes to the aid of a Muslim girl who fell, instead of being a cad, like his friends. The two strike up a conversation, and she explains why she freely wears the hijab. He follows her to her mosque and meets her grandfather, who is leery of him. Eventually, the old man invites the boy to walk and talk with them.This is a quiet, powerful message about xenophobia, tolerance and broadened world views.
In "Quartier Latin", a long-married couple (Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara) meet to discuss finalizing their divorce. There's much witty, acerbic banter, but underneath the flip comments, there is clearly sadness and regret.
In "Montmartre", a man irritated by horrible traffic--and his life--comes to the aid of a hypoglycemic woman who faints by his car, and they end up in a relationship. The guy was believable, and funny!
Honorable mention goes to:
1) "Quartier des Enfants Rouges", about an actress and her blind boyfriend navigating their relationship;
2) "Bastille", about a man who confesses he's leaving his wife only to learn she is terminally ill, falls in love with her again while caring for her until she dies, and then he's lost;
3) "14ème Arrondissement", about, and narrated (in clumsy French) by a lonely American postal worker vacationing in Paris, who learns to embrace both the joy and sadness in her life, and thereby falls in love with Paris;
4) "Place des Victoires", about a grieving mother (Juliette Binoche) who can't accept her young son's recent death, but gets one last sweet chance to say goodbye to him; and
5) "Tuileries", about a tourist (Steve Buscemi) who tries but can't avoid abuse and violence from a hoodlum in a Paris subway, and it's pretty funny.
The other segments were mediocre. Still, the movie is worth watching.
New York, I Love You (2008)
New york, I Love You, but...
I love watching movies shot in New York City, from The French Connection to The Visitor. New York, I Love You was an exception. I barely recognized the city except for a couple of gratuitous skyline and subway shots. Disappointing.
I'll start with the nauseating lack of diversity that is an integral part of NYC. Where were the gays? Where were the Dominicans. Where were the Puerto Ricans? Except for the Cuban ballet dancer attending his white-looking daughter, and being mistaken for her "manny", people of color were used as two-dimensional props--Haitian cabbie, bartender, street basketball player named Du-Rag (wearing a do-rag, of course)!
The vignettes are loosely connected by a videographer character. Some worked better than others. The first story about a Hassid woman (Natalie Portman) and a Jain diamond dealer (Irrfan Khan) finding a brief, but intimate, connection during a business deal on the eve of her wedding was touching. The director convinced me that was a moment they would both remember throughout their lives.
The story that flowed most naturally was about an elderly couple at Brighton Beach on their 63rd anniversary--the husband recovering from a broken hip, and the wife lovingly nagging him as long-time spouses are wont to do. The closing moments of this episode were flawlessly directed, and brilliantly executed by two pros--Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman. The story about a couple rediscovering something forgotten in their relationship was odd, but it worked--ably rendered by gorgeous Robin Wright-Penn and Chris Cooper.
Ethan Hawke's character was a bit too misogynistic for me to find funny or entertaining, and his dialogue with the woman, later revealed as a prostitute (Maggie Q), did not sound authentic. By the same token, I wasn't crazy about the treatment of the handicapped person's tale. James Caan's performance was very good, but it's hard to imagine the kids at the prom in the 21st century would have been so blatantly unkind. Perhaps I'm naive. The story starring Julie Christie and Shia Le Boeuf, written by Anthony Minghella, seemed deliberately cryptic and left me scratching my head. It was long on tone, but short on substance. Either it was brilliance, and I missed that, or it was overreaching. The others vignettes were forgettable.
I imagine short stories are incredibly difficult to pull off, because the writer and director have to grab the audience's attention quickly and effectively. Most of these did not work for me. Paris, je t'aime was not perfect, but it was far more successful.
Babel (2006)
Babel was pointless and exhausting to watch
I hated this movie. I thought I would like it because of Iñarritú (I loved Amores Perros) and Gael García Bernal (I've loved most of his performances). I was duped! It was awful! When it was finally over 2 ½ hours later, I could not have cared less about what happened to any of the characters.
*** spoiler alert ***
This "Crash" wannabe fell way short of its mark-- whatever that was. The links between the stories were extremely tenuous or non-existent. The point of the story eluded me. Was it that good people make bad decisions and have to suffer horrible consequences? This is big news? It's been done better. Was it that we are all connected in one way or another? Really? Again, done better. I am no prude, but I believe the plot line about the Moroccan boy watching his sister undress was gratuitous and unnecessary – as was the constant frontal nudity of the Japanese girl. To my mind, the best performances came from Adriana Barraza as Amelia, the Mexican nanny, and the Moroccan kids.
I cannot understand why this movie was nominated for so many (or any) awards. It was exhausting to watch.
El secreto de sus ojos (2009)
Not a total waste, just not worth the accolades
I watched The Secret In Their Eyes yesterday with a friend. I have not seen The White Ribbon or A Prophet, but if TSITE won an Oscar for best foreign language film, maybe I don't need to see the others.
This film is so flawed it's hard to know where to begin. As another reviewer pointed out, it was difficult to keep the time period straight because the characters looked nearly the same in present and past scenes. That made it difficult to keep track of the storyline.
*** spoiler alert ***
The "clues" that led them to identify the murderer were so thin it was impossible to take any of that seriously. I also had problems trying to figure out what happened in the stadium; and the aerial shot was gratuitous and superfluous--just for show. The ending was interesting, but I found more story holes there, too. Another thing that bothered me was the female lead character's ending up in an empty, passionless marriage. It's hard to imagine such a fierce, self-possessed, successful woman would have settled for that.
All that said, the acting was pretty good--especially actor who played Sandoval. He was engaging and pretty funny. It isn't a complete waste of time and money, just not worthy of all the accolades.