Big Fan

Big Fan tells about a crazed Giant's fan whose run in with his favorite player, QB Quantrelle Bishop, turns ugly. Paul, played by Patton Oswald, who is surprisingly good, loves his dear Giants so much that he calls into a sports’ radio talk show after each game and reads his enthusiastic thoughts about how AWESOME the Giants are while his mom yells at him from the next room. He and his equally nut-job friend watch Sunday’s game while sitting in the parking lot with a TV plugged into their car battery. The disturbing incident involving the QB, is what leads to the rest of the events of the movie, so I won’t tell them here, but suffice it to say that his reaction to the bizarre events are unexpected and squirm producing. In fact, that is one of the things I liked about this movie. It is unpredictable. You do not know what is going to happen, and I kept wondering if we were going to get a gratifying Hollywood ending. It’s no joy ride, just so you know. Paul is a sad, aggravating character whose actions defy reason. Also, there are way too many long, intense, music-filled scenes that are supposed to show us some grand theme? Emotion? Not sure, but these scenes seemed gratuitous. Despite these flaws, Big Fan makes an important statement about how our society can make idolatry into the reason for living. And that’s the really disturbing part.

Defiance

Defiance tells about the four Bielski brothers who lead a group of Jews to safety in the woods from the German Soldiers during WWII. This actually happened: A group of over 1,000 Jews, mostly women and children, hid in the woods protected by some rather thuggish armed men. Of course the lead savior/Bielski brother is played by the studly Daniel Craig who makes some rather remarkable inspirational speeches to a group of beleaguered Jews. Liev Schreiber plays the brute second brother who is bent on revenge and breaks off from his older brother and fights with the Russians violently killing his way through the countryside. (There were several extremely violent parts that I had to fast forward especially when he was on screen) Besides the Bielski brothers there are some lovely women on screen, Mia Wasikowska from In Treatment (she was so good in that if you ever get a chance to see the 1st season of In In Treatement)and Alexa Davalos who seemed a little too beautiful to be covered in dirt in the woods. The movie doesn't hang together that well and there some too sentimental moments in a movie that tells about such a grim period in history and it is very violent. But, with that said, Defiance tells about such an amazing piece of history about a community that survived despite incredible odds that I am glad I saw it. And had to find out what was the “real” story of the Bielski brothers after I saw the movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielski_partisans

Bright Star

Bright Star tells of an intense three-year romance between the Romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. Beautiful Fanny’s passion is for making fashionable clothes and needlework and Keats, of course, is in love with words. Sometimes movies about great artists don’t even delve into the work that makes them great. Not so with Bright Star. The poems and the visual beauties written about are the center of the movie. Poems are recited, like parts of Endymion (“A thing of beauty is a joy forever”) and the poem about Fanny, "Bright Star". Plus, the actors (Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish) read from love letters written when they are separated. The movie is sumptuous, with each shot there is so much to look at, Fanny’s stunning dresses or a white room filled with butterflies. There is one playful scene where John and Fanny are walking behind Fanny’s sister trying to hide their affection for each other, and each time the girl turns around they stop moving, like they are playing freeze tag. Sure some may find this movie a bore, intense conversations about poetry and love in the time when a valentine was cause for a passionate yelling match between two suitors. But, I enjoyed the movie thoroughly, and am even now compelled to read some Keats:

The First Stanza Of "Endymion"

A THING of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways::
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
'Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read:
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.

Grand Torino

Less is more, squinty Clinty. About a month ago I saw Grand Torino, a Clint Eastwood movie that had the potential to be a beautiful small movie about a clash of cultures (old crusty white guy v. Hmong family) but instead it turned into a melodrama depicting a vision of urban America as vile and violent. I really was looking forward to a rare look at Hmong in the U.S. and the movie did highlight their unique immigrant situation, but Eastwood went for big drama at the end rather than slice of life. Too bad. Another good movie gone ennh.

Departures, Guest Entry

Mary asked me to write a movie review which is quite unusual, as I don't watch all that many movies, and I'm jaded enough that it takes a lot to get me to rave over one. But Saturday night I had the opportunity to see 'Departures', a Japanese film well worth watching.


Here is what one reviewer had to say:


Winner of the 2008 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film: "DEPARTURES" is an exquisite look into a man whose professional career takes an unexpected turn into the world of preparing dead bodies for funerals. The movie is a brilliant and seamless blending of several different themes: how people deal with loss and tragedy (the funeral scenes are quite moving); how the living cling to life through food, music and human contact - and how they instinctively avoid anything to do with dying until it is unavoidable, and how indeed it can be quite messy in several different ways. "moving and absorbing.


My take? One of the best movies I have seen, if not ever, then in a long,long time. The story line was interesting and, as mentioned in the above review, there are several themes addressed within a novel arena. On one hand, it is the story of a young man in the midst of traumatic and transforming career and personal change, and the way he and those he loves deal with it. But the major theme is death. The funeral scenes are sad, funny, but most of all transfixing: a look at the compassion and ceremony surrounding preparation of the dead in a culture somewhat different than our own. I left feeling warmed, hopeful, and enriched. Pretty hot stuff for a six dollar Saturday night in Zumbrota.


My one major complaint was the quality of the subtitles. They were in white lettering which often played against a light background, making some of the lines unreadable. The viewer was still able to understand what was happening, but it was distracting at times, and I would have liked a clearer, easier read.

A reviewer of this film on the website 'Spirituality and Practice' wrote: English novelist and poet D. H. Lawrence once observed: "The human soul needs beauty even more than it needs bread." When we left this film, we exclaimed, "It is just so beautiful!

by my friend Julie

The Fall, Guest Entry

A description of this movie will not do it justice. It wasn't until I saw the trailer that I really wanted to watch it, so if you're in doubt, go online and see the trailer....

The setting is a hospital in 1920's Los Angeles. A wounded stuntman strikes up a friendship with an immigrant girl. He begins to tell her an epic story, which comes to life in stunning brilliance (as imagined by the girl, which makes for some funny moments.) The stuntman has been betrayed by his girlfriend and is permanently disabled, so the story gets darker and darker, and the stuntman uses the story to manipulate the little girl. The story is unlike any other; the imagery is strikingly beautiful. Get your hands on it--you won't be sorry.

by Mary's pal, Deb. Thanks Deb.

Cassandra's Dream

I wasn't very enthused about Woody Allen’s latest dreary drama: a tale of two brothers who choose to become killers as a way to save themselves from financial ruin. The characters didn’t seem real or their actions plausible. I think the point was supposed to be that the lead characters were stupid and wouldn't it be funny to see them try to kill someone. But it isn’t funny. It’s just kind of painful to watch. I like seeing Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor, the brothers, in everything they do, but this flick what was a dud for me. It certainly was no, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen’s prior movie. That movie was so fun and alive. Cassandra’s Dream is more blah and dead.