eight out of ten
If you've seen Crash then this movie is best described as an "international Crash" See how two wealthy Americans, A Morrocan shephard and his family, a Japanese tycoon and his deaf daughter, and an illegal Mexican nanny are all more connected than even they realize.
The movie follows all the stories and each one is inspiring and each story for the most part is well told and well acted. The issue I had with the film is that though all interconnected the Japanese theme was not as closely connected as the others were. The oversexualized Japanese girl and hr scenes made the movie no longer a movie I could recommend to anyone and everyone, but now a movie that I must caution contains extreme full frontal nudity. And is not brief nudity. So be warned about that. Infact if that story line was not there at all this was a ten out of ten movie for me.
I just loved the story and its message. About how it showed that we are all one people. How there is goodness in everybody and how sometimes the choices that we seem to not understand are sometimes incomprehensible to the people themselves but more are usually still well meaning and well intentioned.
It addressed stereotypes against Muslims and against Mexicans. And it showed a different view point. A view point I am aware of but many Americans are not.
I've read some negative reviews who say this movie beats you over the head. I dont think it does. I think people are angry aout the message because it shows people in a humane manner who the media wants us to see as one dimensional beings. But no one is one dimensional.
This movie explores this brilliantly.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Friday, November 10, 2006
Borat
seven out of ten
One of the few times in recent memory that I have seen a movie on opening night. I forgot how exciting it can be! One guy even came dressed as Borat!
The movie was funny and got the laughs that I thought it would. What I really liked about it was that though he was an idiot and offensive in every way, you knew that he was fictional. Yet the sad part was the unaware people he filmed? They thought he was a real person and gave him the most bigoted and hypocritical responses I ever heard. In some ways Borat showed that when he came to the US he ddnt necessarily find people who were all more refined than his native country, just a little less obvious. But for some the bigotry was bured just steps below the surface. I think for this reason Borat is an intelligent film but I dont know how many saw this message or how many simply laughed at the stunts. I think more dd the latter because at one point n the move there is a very inapproprate lewd scene between the two men which I DID NOT NEED TO SEE. But that is what got the most laughs. f that part had been edted out this would have been at least a 9.5 on my review scale.
I recommend it but only if you can handle some lewdness or have the quickness to avoid it by coverng your eyes when it comes up. Note: ts when he's getting out of the shower! 'nuff said!
One of the few times in recent memory that I have seen a movie on opening night. I forgot how exciting it can be! One guy even came dressed as Borat!
The movie was funny and got the laughs that I thought it would. What I really liked about it was that though he was an idiot and offensive in every way, you knew that he was fictional. Yet the sad part was the unaware people he filmed? They thought he was a real person and gave him the most bigoted and hypocritical responses I ever heard. In some ways Borat showed that when he came to the US he ddnt necessarily find people who were all more refined than his native country, just a little less obvious. But for some the bigotry was bured just steps below the surface. I think for this reason Borat is an intelligent film but I dont know how many saw this message or how many simply laughed at the stunts. I think more dd the latter because at one point n the move there is a very inapproprate lewd scene between the two men which I DID NOT NEED TO SEE. But that is what got the most laughs. f that part had been edted out this would have been at least a 9.5 on my review scale.
I recommend it but only if you can handle some lewdness or have the quickness to avoid it by coverng your eyes when it comes up. Note: ts when he's getting out of the shower! 'nuff said!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Water
eight point five out of ten
*** warning: spoilers****
I liked the concept of Water and its storyline. I liked its subtlety, its almost "a day in the life of" feel. The story follows a child bride, 7 years old, whose husband dies before she even meets him. She is sent off to a convent for widows where she is to spend the rest of her days in it. The actors were not necessarily particularly gripping save the widow Shakuntula who was the one widow who actually tried to create change. Upon researching the film I learned that the entire cast was recast from the original one because of the amount of time it took between riots over the film in India.
1) My family on my dad's side has been Muslim for about 600 years. That means before that we were most likely Hindu. That means that there is view likely an insensate of MINE who lived like this. Or threw herself upon the flames and died with her spouse. It was weird to watch it because it was a perspective that I guess papal whose family was in the revolutionary war and see such movies might feel a sense of "I can relate it" I could sort of relate to this. I wondered if someone who came before me, suffered in this way. It made it seem more real.
2) The subjugation of women and using religion as the means to do so she has no way to fight back lest she face the scorn of society is horrific and it upsets me off that this still occurs to this day. One main reason they did this according the movie was they did this so the woman would not factor in when the property disputes arose.
3) The little girl broke my heart. Such a beautiful little girl. And her life ruined. You look at those really old women. And you think. They were once chlorine and they grew old living here.
4) The prostitution was shocking. I could never imagine a convent for widows who are shunned from society to be a simultaneous brothel as well. I found it SOHO heartbreaking that one of the men who bought these women JUSTIFIED IT saying that it is a privilege for them to get to sleep with a brahaman caste man.
5) DID the little girl end up going to the home of narayan's father????? IS HE WHO RAPED HER? How could you rape a child? It broke my heart.
6) I am doing my term paper for my international human rights class on bride burning in India and one of the topics I'm discussing is child marriages. The reason child marriages are so common is b/c in India you have to pay the man a dowry of a sum of money an goods to marry your daughter. The younger the girl and the oilier the man, the less the dowry that needs to given. That is why there Ares many child brides. This practice has got to be stopped.
Anyways those are my thoughts on the movie. It was quite powerful. Very depressing. I can't belie it ages on to this day.
*** warning: spoilers****
I liked the concept of Water and its storyline. I liked its subtlety, its almost "a day in the life of" feel. The story follows a child bride, 7 years old, whose husband dies before she even meets him. She is sent off to a convent for widows where she is to spend the rest of her days in it. The actors were not necessarily particularly gripping save the widow Shakuntula who was the one widow who actually tried to create change. Upon researching the film I learned that the entire cast was recast from the original one because of the amount of time it took between riots over the film in India.
1) My family on my dad's side has been Muslim for about 600 years. That means before that we were most likely Hindu. That means that there is view likely an insensate of MINE who lived like this. Or threw herself upon the flames and died with her spouse. It was weird to watch it because it was a perspective that I guess papal whose family was in the revolutionary war and see such movies might feel a sense of "I can relate it" I could sort of relate to this. I wondered if someone who came before me, suffered in this way. It made it seem more real.
2) The subjugation of women and using religion as the means to do so she has no way to fight back lest she face the scorn of society is horrific and it upsets me off that this still occurs to this day. One main reason they did this according the movie was they did this so the woman would not factor in when the property disputes arose.
3) The little girl broke my heart. Such a beautiful little girl. And her life ruined. You look at those really old women. And you think. They were once chlorine and they grew old living here.
4) The prostitution was shocking. I could never imagine a convent for widows who are shunned from society to be a simultaneous brothel as well. I found it SOHO heartbreaking that one of the men who bought these women JUSTIFIED IT saying that it is a privilege for them to get to sleep with a brahaman caste man.
5) DID the little girl end up going to the home of narayan's father????? IS HE WHO RAPED HER? How could you rape a child? It broke my heart.
6) I am doing my term paper for my international human rights class on bride burning in India and one of the topics I'm discussing is child marriages. The reason child marriages are so common is b/c in India you have to pay the man a dowry of a sum of money an goods to marry your daughter. The younger the girl and the oilier the man, the less the dowry that needs to given. That is why there Ares many child brides. This practice has got to be stopped.
Anyways those are my thoughts on the movie. It was quite powerful. Very depressing. I can't belie it ages on to this day.
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