Hey Guys,
I was watching "Love, Actually" yesterday, and I started thinking why don't we see more movies like that? What I mean, is why is it that so many movies contain violence? I think "Love, Actually" was the first movie I'd seen in quite a while that didn't contain any trace of violence. Why is it that people find violence so appealing? (myself included I'm a huge "Die Hard" fan and I've seen Transformers at least seven times) Furthermore, I can't remember the last time a movie was spreading a message of love instead of just mocking it, like the thousands of fluff filled romantic comedies that hit the cinema every few months (case and point 27 Dresses). We feel that violence is treated more seriously in movies like "The Departed" or "American Gangster". Films like those win Oscars because people are aware that these movies are set firmly in the real world. Love, on the other hand, is often sensationalized in movies like "Titanic". Love stories like "Atonement" often receive attention because they tug at our heart strings. We want Leo and Kate to be together. We don't want to see Leo sink to the bottom of the ocean, but I don't know that we take them seriously as people. We feel that, in the back of our minds we don't believe that love actually works like that, yeah it's makes us sympathize with the characters but then we forget about them and carry on with our lives. All we're saying is maybe there should be more films like "Love, Actually". Films that entertain but also show all levels of love. I mean, how many movies do you see with a couple like Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson?(as they are in the move) They're not crazy in love, but they are comfortable and they raise their kids and live their lives. They're not Leo and Kate, they're just ordinary people. We see many different types of violence but only one shade of love. Those are our thoughts. we'd love to hear yours. Take it easy guys.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Movie Minute
Hey Guys,
This is my first post I hope you like it. I thought I'd start by reviewing "Revolutionary Road". For those of you who haven't seen the movie, it stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio and is directed by American Beauty's Sam Mendes. The movie is about a 1950's couple who are slowly being crushed by the "hopelessness and emptiness". In short, I liked it. Yes, we really don't get to feel sorry for these characters, not like Mickey Rourke's "Wrestler", but I don't think that it's necessary for the audience to be intimate with these characters. It helps, but I thought that this was still an interesting portrayal of some tragic characters. I liked how Leo's character was an insecure bully. It was fun to watch him play such a weak character instead of his usual hero/tough guy character. To me this movie understands the "tragic character rule" that is: characters start off happy, and then because of some tragic flaw are slowly but inexorably killed or broken. This is what happens with the Wheelers they start off happy with the promise Paris then they fall, painfully and absolutely. For instance, Frank loses his nerve at the lure of his promotion it makes him fall back into his comfort zone, maybe it's just me but I find that people don't just change their lives like they do in the movies, people like things to stay the same for as long as they can. We see this in Frank, in that way I think he is a ratable character. Also, I just like the insecurity from Leo it's refreshing to see him play a character who doesn't know how to get what he wants. Winslet, also gives a solid performance as Alice Wheeler a desperate and stifled suberbean house wife. I think she's the most sympathetic of all the characters. I get the impression that she's a person who's not done living, but her circumstances force her to stop. She strikes me as being to early for the Hippie movement and all that free spirited stuff. Her character is not original, but I feel sorry for her anyway. There are a few complaints I have with the film: first, where the hell were the kids they appeared, for like, three scenes then never turned up . Second, Michael Shanonn's character was interesting, but I felt like he was hitting the audience over the head with the guy. He's obviously the rebel character, and I just though that it was a waste of a character. It would have been better to put the rebellious element as an undertone scattered among the characters, instead of so blatantly personifying it in one character. Third, I think the breakfast scene ,towards the end of the movie, would have been a very effective stopping place, because it provides such a sharp contrast to the previous scene. Besides, we get the sense through out the film, that people don't really talk about things they just sweep them under the rug. Well that's it for my first blog leave lots of comments (hopefully all good). Please remember this is just an opinion.
This is my first post I hope you like it. I thought I'd start by reviewing "Revolutionary Road". For those of you who haven't seen the movie, it stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio and is directed by American Beauty's Sam Mendes. The movie is about a 1950's couple who are slowly being crushed by the "hopelessness and emptiness". In short, I liked it. Yes, we really don't get to feel sorry for these characters, not like Mickey Rourke's "Wrestler", but I don't think that it's necessary for the audience to be intimate with these characters. It helps, but I thought that this was still an interesting portrayal of some tragic characters. I liked how Leo's character was an insecure bully. It was fun to watch him play such a weak character instead of his usual hero/tough guy character. To me this movie understands the "tragic character rule" that is: characters start off happy, and then because of some tragic flaw are slowly but inexorably killed or broken. This is what happens with the Wheelers they start off happy with the promise Paris then they fall, painfully and absolutely. For instance, Frank loses his nerve at the lure of his promotion it makes him fall back into his comfort zone, maybe it's just me but I find that people don't just change their lives like they do in the movies, people like things to stay the same for as long as they can. We see this in Frank, in that way I think he is a ratable character. Also, I just like the insecurity from Leo it's refreshing to see him play a character who doesn't know how to get what he wants. Winslet, also gives a solid performance as Alice Wheeler a desperate and stifled suberbean house wife. I think she's the most sympathetic of all the characters. I get the impression that she's a person who's not done living, but her circumstances force her to stop. She strikes me as being to early for the Hippie movement and all that free spirited stuff. Her character is not original, but I feel sorry for her anyway. There are a few complaints I have with the film: first, where the hell were the kids they appeared, for like, three scenes then never turned up . Second, Michael Shanonn's character was interesting, but I felt like he was hitting the audience over the head with the guy. He's obviously the rebel character, and I just though that it was a waste of a character. It would have been better to put the rebellious element as an undertone scattered among the characters, instead of so blatantly personifying it in one character. Third, I think the breakfast scene ,towards the end of the movie, would have been a very effective stopping place, because it provides such a sharp contrast to the previous scene. Besides, we get the sense through out the film, that people don't really talk about things they just sweep them under the rug. Well that's it for my first blog leave lots of comments (hopefully all good). Please remember this is just an opinion.
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