A carefully crafted and subtle indie film about three separate women living in rural Montana faced with loneliness and dissatisfaction in their lives. Two with men who who will never appreciate them. All three women of tremendous strength who find a way to keep on trudging through a brutal existence. Reinforced by the stark background of a cold Montana winter.
Superb acting. Quiet brilliance from the director.
Reviews
49 Reviews
Lo And Nothing To Behold
21 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
May include spoilers. If you truly want to understand something of the history of the Internet and how it has influenced human civilization this documentary is not for you. I so wanted to be impressed...but this came off more like a Sarah Palin speech than a deep examination of the subject. Perhaps if each of the ten segments had been given an hour there would have been some meat to devour. As it's presented however, it's a huge fail. "Does the Internet dream?" Well, no. stupid question. Next? And what does A. I. or robotic technology have to do with the Internet? Altogether unrelated issues. Cyber security, a very significant topic was given a mere 15-20 min segment. Last, the segment about the California family who sued the Highway Patrol for posting photos of their daughters horrific car accident on line was just bizarre. The mother accused the Internet of being the anti Christ, while the living daughters acted like zombies in the interview. Yes, they were sent disgustingly insensitive emails by total strangers which is a very sorry happening, But the internet is a mere projection of humanity at large. There is good. There is bad. It's not the Internet that is responsible...it's people.
I spent $7.99 to watch this on Amazon video. I suggest saving your money.
Sent from my iPhone
I spent $7.99 to watch this on Amazon video. I suggest saving your money.
Sent from my iPhone
Fear the Walking Dead
(2015–2023)
Three Strikes Your Out
1 September 2015
I LOVE 'The Walking Dead,' a show I still can't believe came out of nowhere and took me in by storm. It remains one of my favorites. The acting, characters, plot (refreshing and unique), and sets are just spot on entertaining.
I've watched the first two episodes of this spin off and have been thoroughly underwhelmed. It is sooooooo S L O W. It needs professional writers. It need professional actors...but most of all it needs characters I give a damn about. If that can all materialize in episode three (which I rather doubt) then I will continue on. So far however, I think on all levels it's a complete fail.
I suspect AMC hires people to write glowing reviews because unless your TV watching standards are challenged, this show does not deserve a rating of 8.0 on The Database.
I've watched the first two episodes of this spin off and have been thoroughly underwhelmed. It is sooooooo S L O W. It needs professional writers. It need professional actors...but most of all it needs characters I give a damn about. If that can all materialize in episode three (which I rather doubt) then I will continue on. So far however, I think on all levels it's a complete fail.
I suspect AMC hires people to write glowing reviews because unless your TV watching standards are challenged, this show does not deserve a rating of 8.0 on The Database.
Cranford
(2007–2009)
Elizabeth Gaskill...The Alternative Austen
21 May 2008
First, I'm a big Elizabeth Gaskell fan. I had just reread Cranston last winter...so starting this series, I was really confused and frankly worried about the age of my brain...until I realized that the plot was an amalgamation of three different Gaskill stories. I'm not such a purest that it bothered other than not being aware of it at the onset.
Actually, I was just grateful that anyone was paying attention to Elizabeth Gaskill in the first place. No doubt there are those of us who adore Jane Austen but she always gets all the attention in movies and TV, what with the oodles of remakes and re releases and her immense popularity. But Gaskill is just down right hilarious to read...so hurray for the old new comer!
There's a wealth of material here and BBC put a lot of effort and time into making this a worthwhile production. I agree that the music was really sappy, but the script and the fine acting made up for it. Of course the costuming was fabulous! There were a lot of belly laughs surrounding the escapades of the ladies of Cranford...Mrs Forrester's cow, the misbegotten meaning behind gifts and letters, hair dying, much gossip, of course...even lace eating cats! As character would demand, Eileen Atkins was a tour de force as Miss Deborah...in fact, the entire cast was astounding! All together a remarkable entertaining miniseries!
Actually, I was just grateful that anyone was paying attention to Elizabeth Gaskill in the first place. No doubt there are those of us who adore Jane Austen but she always gets all the attention in movies and TV, what with the oodles of remakes and re releases and her immense popularity. But Gaskill is just down right hilarious to read...so hurray for the old new comer!
There's a wealth of material here and BBC put a lot of effort and time into making this a worthwhile production. I agree that the music was really sappy, but the script and the fine acting made up for it. Of course the costuming was fabulous! There were a lot of belly laughs surrounding the escapades of the ladies of Cranford...Mrs Forrester's cow, the misbegotten meaning behind gifts and letters, hair dying, much gossip, of course...even lace eating cats! As character would demand, Eileen Atkins was a tour de force as Miss Deborah...in fact, the entire cast was astounding! All together a remarkable entertaining miniseries!
In Treatment
(2008–2021)
Has teeth and knows how to use them!
13 February 2008
The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, and Rome ending, left a gaping hole in the heart of HBO for me.
I was ready to drop my subscription when I realized that Gabriel Byrne was going to be a key player in the new series, In Treatment.
WOW! I'm so glad I stuck it out...Gabriel Byrne...I first admired him years ago when he played in a robust movie called "Into The West" which I now own on DVD. He is one damn fine actor in a tour de force of a show that he can easily sink his teeth into.
Diane Wiest as the therapist's therapist is noteworthy as well!
The plot is addictive...I quickly became committed to the weekly patients, some of whom I really hate. The script is detailed, intense and very well written. The simple sets and the subtle camera action during emotional moments, serves well to keep one purely focused on the drama. And man what drama! Even though it has no comedy, In Treatment is almost destined to be another big hit for HBO.
Some one suggested Robin Williams should have had the part of the psychoanalyst...what? I hope that was a joke.
I was ready to drop my subscription when I realized that Gabriel Byrne was going to be a key player in the new series, In Treatment.
WOW! I'm so glad I stuck it out...Gabriel Byrne...I first admired him years ago when he played in a robust movie called "Into The West" which I now own on DVD. He is one damn fine actor in a tour de force of a show that he can easily sink his teeth into.
Diane Wiest as the therapist's therapist is noteworthy as well!
The plot is addictive...I quickly became committed to the weekly patients, some of whom I really hate. The script is detailed, intense and very well written. The simple sets and the subtle camera action during emotional moments, serves well to keep one purely focused on the drama. And man what drama! Even though it has no comedy, In Treatment is almost destined to be another big hit for HBO.
Some one suggested Robin Williams should have had the part of the psychoanalyst...what? I hope that was a joke.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
(2007 TV Movie)
An HBO flop
2 June 2007
Everything and everyone involved in this production was presented in such a way as to be a cliché, an unfortunate stereotype of the real events and people this show was based upon. It's really sad because I would have expected so much more from HBO. In past programs they have done such an excellent job of portraying an era, Rome being one very effective example. And it even more of a shame because the book this material is based upon was so thoroughly unique. I read "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" the summer of the year it was published. I was a senior in high school on my way to college and I was really taken aback by it's powerful and intense telling of those years in American history.
The book left such an impression on me. I felt so angry and mistrustful toward the traditional telling of history, or our "not" telling of history that I spend a great deal of time talking with my relatives and grandparents about their recall of native people they had known and worked with.
My paternal grandparents were from Topeka Kansas and my uncle had worked for a number of years at the Bureau Of Land Management, which had reservations as one of it's concern. My uncle eventually told me the reason he left, was he just couldn't deal with the wretchedness of the whole affair. He said the health of the Indians was appalling and that the money they were supposed to be getting never got to whom it should. It finally depressed him so much he transferred to another area of government. I always remembered my grandfather, who was not a wealthy man, donated much money to what he used to call "The Indian Missions". They were always sending him Christian paraphernalia as thank yous, which he kept in special alcoves and shelves in his bedroom. To my child's mind they were magnificently beautiful... most of them were plastic and many lit up in the dark. I used to sleep in that room when we visited in the summers. He always had a special place in his heart for the mission people, and since he was a really kind and generous man, I realized they must be too. In those days Indians were still outsiders and while my own family may have thought otherwise, many of the people who lived in that part of the country regarded anyone who was not white as sub-human. I never got to ask my grandparents about the Indians because they were dead by the time I read this book and got curious.
Anyway, that is all a tangent story. The fact remains that this production falls way short of the base material and is an HBO flop as far as I'm concerned. Maybe they should have made it a full fledged mini series and explored the richness of the characters further, particularly the Ghost Dancer, because it's a gripping story well worth big attention.
The book left such an impression on me. I felt so angry and mistrustful toward the traditional telling of history, or our "not" telling of history that I spend a great deal of time talking with my relatives and grandparents about their recall of native people they had known and worked with.
My paternal grandparents were from Topeka Kansas and my uncle had worked for a number of years at the Bureau Of Land Management, which had reservations as one of it's concern. My uncle eventually told me the reason he left, was he just couldn't deal with the wretchedness of the whole affair. He said the health of the Indians was appalling and that the money they were supposed to be getting never got to whom it should. It finally depressed him so much he transferred to another area of government. I always remembered my grandfather, who was not a wealthy man, donated much money to what he used to call "The Indian Missions". They were always sending him Christian paraphernalia as thank yous, which he kept in special alcoves and shelves in his bedroom. To my child's mind they were magnificently beautiful... most of them were plastic and many lit up in the dark. I used to sleep in that room when we visited in the summers. He always had a special place in his heart for the mission people, and since he was a really kind and generous man, I realized they must be too. In those days Indians were still outsiders and while my own family may have thought otherwise, many of the people who lived in that part of the country regarded anyone who was not white as sub-human. I never got to ask my grandparents about the Indians because they were dead by the time I read this book and got curious.
Anyway, that is all a tangent story. The fact remains that this production falls way short of the base material and is an HBO flop as far as I'm concerned. Maybe they should have made it a full fledged mini series and explored the richness of the characters further, particularly the Ghost Dancer, because it's a gripping story well worth big attention.
Casa de Areia
(2005)
Perspective Is Everything!
25 January 2007
Maybe it's a male/female perspective (the mother daughter relationships were so spot on), or an American/Brazilian difference in perspective, but I can not understand all the negative comments on the board regarding this movie! To me it is a haunting little masterpiece I will not soon forget. The standout acting, the stunning yet eerie landscape setting, the subtle plot, and the music are reminiscent of Kurosawa's deeply minimal but hugely philosophical dramas. Add to that, a brilliantly BIG viewfinder of a camera and a really superb space science sub plot this movie is almost epic. I was surprised by it's simplicity and astonished by it's depth. The director may be young but his soul is ever so old.
Time Out
(2001)
Akira Kurosawa On Downers
21 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Curious that one person discussed their total hatred of this movie (because of the upbeat ending) on the message boards and got really flamed for doing so. I wondered why was everyone going off on this person because he hated the ending? If the ending was supposed to be as he suggested...too unrealistically positive then I dislike it as well because it would not be in keeping with the character of Vincent. Maybe I am confused because I do not understand French and I was relying on the English sub titles but I got the impression that the end was actually very bleak because while Vincent is sitting hearing about the job of a lifetime...he is also being told that he has to invest his own personal moneys to have it work. I took that to mean that the job was a scam on a bigger level that what he had perpetrated on his friends. He said he wasn't scared because it was just more of the downward spiral that he was obviously never going to get out from under. To me that would be in keeping with his character...accepting a slow death. And even if it was a great job he was in no position mentally to make the most of it.
And oh I loved the cinematography!
The really sad aspect of this movie is how honest a reality this has become for many people in the world..with down sizing and out sourcing and the "Starbucks on ever corner of the road in the planet" corporate culture...ordinary people just do not matter a speck in the big scheme of things. We lived through the Dot Com bust here in the San Francisco Bay Area and many of our friends have never recovered financially. At one point 6 of our 10 best best friends were unemployed for eight months to over a year. They have all gotten work since but many are working at lesser paying jobs with little or no security. Add to that the fact that there jobs are not nearly as exciting as the old ones...driving to and from work can actually be the best part of their day.
And oh I loved the cinematography!
The really sad aspect of this movie is how honest a reality this has become for many people in the world..with down sizing and out sourcing and the "Starbucks on ever corner of the road in the planet" corporate culture...ordinary people just do not matter a speck in the big scheme of things. We lived through the Dot Com bust here in the San Francisco Bay Area and many of our friends have never recovered financially. At one point 6 of our 10 best best friends were unemployed for eight months to over a year. They have all gotten work since but many are working at lesser paying jobs with little or no security. Add to that the fact that there jobs are not nearly as exciting as the old ones...driving to and from work can actually be the best part of their day.
Mapp & Lucia
(1985–1986)
I've always said that finger bowls are entitled to doilies.
10 July 2006
If this is a "poor adaptation" then by all means I will have to get my hands on the original books because I really loved this production! It's an absolute hoot of a good time! I find it hard to believe it is over twenty years old! It's seems like it could have been made just yesterday.The character studies are pretty much timeless. London Weekend certainly didn't skimp on the sets or costumes and the acting was all around superb. It was a little difficult at first to adjust to Mapp and Lucia's exaaaaaggerated voices but by episode two I was laughing so hard...I no longer cared. As a comedy it succeeds on all levels but it's also somewhat intriguing as a period study as well. It recreates a time in post WWI England when people could be leisurely enough to care about the superficial things of everyday village life and when class was so important it actually dictated how people related to each other. Before the fall I guess you could say. Similar to east coast America before WWII or the over the top Regan years and eons before 9/11.
The cast includes the many favorites that others have already listed but I have to reiterate the brilliance of Nigel Hawthorne as Georgino mio and the endearing pair of Mary MacLeod and Cecily Hobbs as Godiva and Quaint Irene...in fact all the minor characters were brilliant and so believable I felt like they were family. I am truly sorry the series didn't go on to include all the books. All I can say is it must have been a lot of fun to act in this series and if you enjoy light hearted English comedy...you will really want to take a look at these episodes on DVD.
The cast includes the many favorites that others have already listed but I have to reiterate the brilliance of Nigel Hawthorne as Georgino mio and the endearing pair of Mary MacLeod and Cecily Hobbs as Godiva and Quaint Irene...in fact all the minor characters were brilliant and so believable I felt like they were family. I am truly sorry the series didn't go on to include all the books. All I can say is it must have been a lot of fun to act in this series and if you enjoy light hearted English comedy...you will really want to take a look at these episodes on DVD.
The Poseidon Adventure
(2005 TV Movie)
This whole movie is a spoiler!
13 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
OK. I liked the original in a really good B kind of movie way and I was feeling under the weather so I figured I would couch potato the night away with this made for TV movie...which turned out to be a worthless piece of Hallmark American family propaganda with some T&A thrown in for the men folk...first...Steve Guttenber ...who is this guy and why is he allowed to take up perfectly good acting space when someone even half as worthy is out of work? And the same can be said for the writer and director of this horrible miss-adventure! How can these people continue to get work in TV if this is the best they have to offer...no wonder cable is king! If only that was the worst of it...unbelievable stereo types and really bad special effects left nothing nothing but character development to save this show...but whoa....the characters were all so dreadful I really didn't care if any of them survived! I think the terrorist won this attack not by blowing up the ship but by leaving enough actors to torture us with this looser movie for three hours!
The Jacket
(2005)
Poor Man's Jacob's Ladder
16 May 2006
Poor mans Jacob's Ladder (one of the 10 best movies I have ever seen) but a lot more pleasant to watch as it is basically life affirming. You'll have to watch with a blind eye to obvious plot flaws...such as the the highly unorthodox treatment given the patient. And even if the premise is a familiar one...this is well done and beautifully filmed with a big surprise talent coming from Kierra Knightly...did not think she had it in her. Arain Brody is his usual intense and spiritual self...a good choice for this particular character. However, I fear he is being type cast which is a waste of his abilities.
As I remember...Jacob's Ladder was the first time I experienced a movie that portrayed psychosis in a way that I could identify with what it must be like for the person suffering from it....schizophrenia in particular. I have always wanted to watch it again to see if it has held up over time but it was such a painful experience...don't know when I can muster up the courage to re-watch it.
As I remember...Jacob's Ladder was the first time I experienced a movie that portrayed psychosis in a way that I could identify with what it must be like for the person suffering from it....schizophrenia in particular. I have always wanted to watch it again to see if it has held up over time but it was such a painful experience...don't know when I can muster up the courage to re-watch it.
Proof
(1991)
Another Winner From Down Under! Don't Miss!
4 April 2006
I am not a Russell Crow fan...and while I liked Gladiator...I always thought it would have been better without Crow. That said...I have always liked Hugo Weaving and until I caught this fantastic movie on IFC last night, I thought of him as a steadfast character actor with a terrific accent. Whoa! Think A-G-A-I-N !!! "Poof" sure proved me wrong...Weaving's acting was brilliant and I can give nothing but praise and admiration to the director, Jocelyn Moorhouse for her ability to make such a gripping movie on such a small budget. This movie is all about character development and she is an obvious master at turning the written word into emotional reality. This is a B-I-G (like in red wine) movie! Hugo Weaving's character, Martin is so real you want to touch him! As for Crow...he had it all when he was younger...what the devil happened? Moorhouse is keenly adept at maneuvering your sensitivities. Right from the start you are drawn in to the story...honestly empathizing with this unusual triad of desperately lonely individuals. Nothing about this story is contrived and I think that is where it gets it's power. It's a shame this movie did not get more play but a big thank you to IFC for bringing it to my attention!
The Hills Have Eyes
(2006)
The Dog Really Rocks!!!!
11 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
OK...so I expect the characters to do absolutely idiotic things..it's a horror movie...people are supposed to do idiotic things in horror movies!!!! And half the characters are supposed to end up dead...if that doesn't float your boat then you should stop going to see horror movies and quit giving bad reviews to movies you don't appreciate! It's simple really...don't vacation in Hawaii if you hate the beach!
Here we have the usual good guys/ bad guys plot and our unsuspecting little middle class SUV camper family learns how to get a grip and survive quite well under some particularly unusual circumstances. The plot is way stupid but the revenge is ever oh so sweet...especially when you start out Democratic and anti- gun and you end up kicking ass better than your red neck father-in-law! With a baseball bat no less...I was so happy the baby and the dog made it out...gotta love this family's dog!
The makeup was slimy and blood clotty, the music fitting, even the acting was better than most horror flicks I really liked the opening scenes of actual nuclear experiments and the scenes with manikins all around the abandon neighborhood...dolls and manikins are always creepy. There was also a good deal of humor in this movie...the American flag was used rather symbolically...but what I love love love best about this kind of movie is the wonderful audience participation...all the screaming and laughing and for warnings...what a great time when the entire audience takes part with such abandon...at the end of the day this is great family entertainment for weird ass families like mine...we took our teenage daughter and her boyfriend and everyone had a blast! Then we went out to a red and rare steak dinner!
Now that's family entertainment!
Here we have the usual good guys/ bad guys plot and our unsuspecting little middle class SUV camper family learns how to get a grip and survive quite well under some particularly unusual circumstances. The plot is way stupid but the revenge is ever oh so sweet...especially when you start out Democratic and anti- gun and you end up kicking ass better than your red neck father-in-law! With a baseball bat no less...I was so happy the baby and the dog made it out...gotta love this family's dog!
The makeup was slimy and blood clotty, the music fitting, even the acting was better than most horror flicks I really liked the opening scenes of actual nuclear experiments and the scenes with manikins all around the abandon neighborhood...dolls and manikins are always creepy. There was also a good deal of humor in this movie...the American flag was used rather symbolically...but what I love love love best about this kind of movie is the wonderful audience participation...all the screaming and laughing and for warnings...what a great time when the entire audience takes part with such abandon...at the end of the day this is great family entertainment for weird ass families like mine...we took our teenage daughter and her boyfriend and everyone had a blast! Then we went out to a red and rare steak dinner!
Now that's family entertainment!
Pride & Prejudice
(2005)
The BBC and A&E got it right in 1995...what's to redo?
10 March 2006
Doesn't hold a candle to the A&E/BBC collaborative mini series that came out in 1995 which was so wonderfully faithful to the book, had an outstanding cast and was seriously hilarious to watch. David Bamber of "ROME" was such a fantastic ass as Mr Collins, Alison Steadman was brilliant as the ditsy Mrs. Bennet...not to mention Colin Firth...who just may have portrayed the quintessential Mr Darcy...certainly one to emulate.
First, 127 min isn't enough time to devote to such a big story. Also Judi Dench was so lackluster it seemed as if she was forced by contract to act in this movie. Donald Sutherland was embarrassingly miscast. It seemed to me that Keira Knightley (how did she ever get an Oscar nomination for this role?) and Matthew Macfadyen were so one dimensional...nowhere was the vivacious humor and intellectual sparring that rocks the book? Too very dull for Jane Austin...rent or buy the BBC version...it's still so much better!
First, 127 min isn't enough time to devote to such a big story. Also Judi Dench was so lackluster it seemed as if she was forced by contract to act in this movie. Donald Sutherland was embarrassingly miscast. It seemed to me that Keira Knightley (how did she ever get an Oscar nomination for this role?) and Matthew Macfadyen were so one dimensional...nowhere was the vivacious humor and intellectual sparring that rocks the book? Too very dull for Jane Austin...rent or buy the BBC version...it's still so much better!
He Knew He Was Right
(2004)
Pitiful modernization of a Victorian masterpiece.
16 December 2005
Has the BBC, like American News programs, suddenly suffered a lack of viewer ship and in an attempt to connect to a dumbed down audience...decided to hip up (bastardize) the classics? You may think so after watching this rendition of "He Knew He Was Right." This mini series suffered from a severe split personality. It was as if the director couldn't decide if he wanted to make a classic or try to appeal to preteen girls. While watching this production I felt torn with what I sensed as a considerable gap between the Old World BBC and perhaps a New World BBC and unlike our current president...I like the Old Europe BBC.
On the one hand there were wonderful veteran players like Anna Massey, Bill Nighy ,Geoffrey Palmer, Geraldine James, and Ron Cook devouring up the screen with memorable performances...on the other... we are asked to accept a mere child actor, Oliver Dimsdale as Louis Trevelyan the main character. He was so out of his league as to be painful...why not enlist someone like Hugh Dancy or James D'Arcy to rally some real bite into the character of Trevelyan. Dimsdale came off as inept and weak rather than tragic or sympathetic. I wanted to push him off the highest peak at the earliest chance! Then we had to suffer scenes with the terribly miscast Misses French's...although David Tennant portrayed Mr. Gibson...the rivaling young women's love interest or "catch" with a great deal of humor.
Again a schizophrenia...the set design, cinematography, and costumes had the vigor of a traditional BBC production but the script seemed too contemporary for a Victorian classic...surprising from Andrew Davies who usually surpasses himself with a sharp talent to bring an audience into a different era. There was sufficient time to built the characters (the show is 240 min in 4 parts) but most fell terribly flat. I certainly hope this is not a harbinger to the next generation at the BBC because I will miss the old as much as I miss what used to be American news programs.
On the one hand there were wonderful veteran players like Anna Massey, Bill Nighy ,Geoffrey Palmer, Geraldine James, and Ron Cook devouring up the screen with memorable performances...on the other... we are asked to accept a mere child actor, Oliver Dimsdale as Louis Trevelyan the main character. He was so out of his league as to be painful...why not enlist someone like Hugh Dancy or James D'Arcy to rally some real bite into the character of Trevelyan. Dimsdale came off as inept and weak rather than tragic or sympathetic. I wanted to push him off the highest peak at the earliest chance! Then we had to suffer scenes with the terribly miscast Misses French's...although David Tennant portrayed Mr. Gibson...the rivaling young women's love interest or "catch" with a great deal of humor.
Again a schizophrenia...the set design, cinematography, and costumes had the vigor of a traditional BBC production but the script seemed too contemporary for a Victorian classic...surprising from Andrew Davies who usually surpasses himself with a sharp talent to bring an audience into a different era. There was sufficient time to built the characters (the show is 240 min in 4 parts) but most fell terribly flat. I certainly hope this is not a harbinger to the next generation at the BBC because I will miss the old as much as I miss what used to be American news programs.
Lorna Doone
(2000 TV Movie)
Pitiful for a book that took the Victorians by storm
4 December 2005
This particular version of Lorna Doone begins on a grand and exciting historical scale and quickly spirals downward into an average star crossed lovers tale in which a pretty boy...who can't speak or act...for reasons not be known in the script... falls in love with a pretty girl...who can't speak or act. They meet by accident and then in secret without any of the intensity that such a love would usually entail. They smile at each other a lot and run around a spectacular Whales country side while epic music plays in the background. There are a few good battle scenes...some rather beautiful but astonishing costuming...some off the wall wonderful but inaccurate hair styles for men...think Samurai warrior meets Middle Earth...some great acting from a few minor characters and Peter Vaughan...who unfortunately...for the viewer...but happily for him...dies about half way into the story. This movie won awards for photography and visual effects which is the reason I wanted to see it but the script lacked grit and believability. Not up to the usual BBC standards...did they collaborate with Touchstone or something?
The Four Feathers
(2002)
If this movie were a fish I would have thrown it back!
7 November 2005
Good God..this movie is mutant! Others have already covered the plot so I will just add this...you either have to be oblivious to great period drama and or ignorant of history to even remotely find anything redemptive about this picture. The director and screen writer must have learned motion picture making from the back of a matchbook cover. Given the past and current rash of international land grabbing, there is certainly room for another point of view...I may have expected a new take on British Imperialism from an Indian director, who did such intriguing work with Elizabeth R...but what a horrid disappointment to find no insight into what must have been devastatingly heartbreaking for the native culture...and what was the point of the subplot with the Tunisian (or was he Egyptian) comrade? The odds of this particular friendship were extremely remote, particularly given the shallowness of the main character. What possibly (except money or power...neither of which were in the offering) could have coerced this black man to give a second thought to the stupid white boy? Save for a few good battle scenes...if this movie were a fish I would have thrown it back!
Voices of Iraq
(2004)
Left Behind on the cutting room floor.
21 November 2004
O.K. I not at all ashamed to admit it...I'm the moderate liberal white female the red states love to hate. I was against this war before it ever started. And this movie didn't really change my mind. It is the right wing answer to Fahrenheit 9/11. It's not fair and balanced, unless you're Fox TV. However, in spite of it's partisan leanings the documentary was really compelling. The people are fascinating. However, while watching you quickly realize you are being lead by the nose, especially when the happy activities of the citizens are juxtaposed with quotes from major news journalists about the failures going on in Iraq. The next tactic was to show a disproportionate amount of footage of the torture Saddam had wrought on his detractors. Alright already, the whole worlds knew Saddam was a sadistic megalomania (BTW the pope is Catholic) but it still doesn't make him responsible for the 9/11 attacks or the possessor of WMD.
Curiously there is very little footage of American soldiers and a most perplexing scene in which insurgents are shown acting up only as long as American TV reporters were filming them. What was that all about? Is it to suggest that the insurgents only play out their terror if America is watching?
These trivial complaints aside, Voices Of Iraq has it's moments and will endear you to the people of Iraq...the children especially. They are so like kids anywhere in the world. Hams in front of the camera and filled with dreams of a happy future. Still...I am left wanting to see some of the Anti-American footage on the cutting room floor. The film glossed over the shame of Abu Ghraib and the fact that the insurgents may become a serious threat to the occupation. My hope is that we didn't promise these people a new life and not be able to deliver. It may be overly simplistic of me, but if we are struggling at home to assure our own children a decent education, health care, and economic security...how the heck can we can do it for someone else? How do we pay for it? (The Shrub administration said the oil fields would foot the bill, remember?) But now it seems the American people are footing the bill...and it's a BIG one. And how do we train the Iraqis to secure their own towns when we don't have coalition enough to do the job...or oops I forgot Poland? How long will Americans be willing to sacrifice their own children if the situation becomes a hopeless cause? etc...etc? Anyway, the movie is worth a viewing. Just like Fahrenheit 9/11 the end got a little prolonged. Voices Of Iraq is not rated (something I don't understand) because for the extreme violence it should be rated X.
A little aside...about two weeks before the presidential election Netflix actually sent out an email to all their customers asking if you would like to put this movie at the top of your queue. They had exclusive rights to DVD distribution while it was playing only in selected cities. It was the first and only time (I'm a charter member) I remember Netflix recommending a film via email. Different.
"Some people say" us blue state mothers are living immoral hedonistic sexually deviant unloving family lives (heterosexual married with children)...but I pray every day (probably to the wrong God) that all our children (red states too) can survive this war without mortgaging their future. I also hope the people of Iraq were not sold a bill of goods just so the fundamental faithful can have a foothold in the Middle East.
Curiously there is very little footage of American soldiers and a most perplexing scene in which insurgents are shown acting up only as long as American TV reporters were filming them. What was that all about? Is it to suggest that the insurgents only play out their terror if America is watching?
These trivial complaints aside, Voices Of Iraq has it's moments and will endear you to the people of Iraq...the children especially. They are so like kids anywhere in the world. Hams in front of the camera and filled with dreams of a happy future. Still...I am left wanting to see some of the Anti-American footage on the cutting room floor. The film glossed over the shame of Abu Ghraib and the fact that the insurgents may become a serious threat to the occupation. My hope is that we didn't promise these people a new life and not be able to deliver. It may be overly simplistic of me, but if we are struggling at home to assure our own children a decent education, health care, and economic security...how the heck can we can do it for someone else? How do we pay for it? (The Shrub administration said the oil fields would foot the bill, remember?) But now it seems the American people are footing the bill...and it's a BIG one. And how do we train the Iraqis to secure their own towns when we don't have coalition enough to do the job...or oops I forgot Poland? How long will Americans be willing to sacrifice their own children if the situation becomes a hopeless cause? etc...etc? Anyway, the movie is worth a viewing. Just like Fahrenheit 9/11 the end got a little prolonged. Voices Of Iraq is not rated (something I don't understand) because for the extreme violence it should be rated X.
A little aside...about two weeks before the presidential election Netflix actually sent out an email to all their customers asking if you would like to put this movie at the top of your queue. They had exclusive rights to DVD distribution while it was playing only in selected cities. It was the first and only time (I'm a charter member) I remember Netflix recommending a film via email. Different.
"Some people say" us blue state mothers are living immoral hedonistic sexually deviant unloving family lives (heterosexual married with children)...but I pray every day (probably to the wrong God) that all our children (red states too) can survive this war without mortgaging their future. I also hope the people of Iraq were not sold a bill of goods just so the fundamental faithful can have a foothold in the Middle East.
The Last Samurai
(2003)
Tom Mix In Chaps
30 October 2004
Ken Watanabe sure knew what he was doing to play in his first American movie aside a big Hollywood star but 'Ouch'...it must have been painfully unfortunate that it was Tom Cruise! Cruise seems to diminish every serious story he's ever appeared in...with the possible exception of Artificial Intelligence...think how much better 'Interview With A Vampire' could have been with out him!
And oh my...perhaps it's my female prejudice...few white men look good in hakama pants...got to face it...Cruse looks like Tom Mix in chaps when he dawns this particular item of native costume. As for the Samurai garb...he almost falls over on the battle field a few times in the heavy armor. He looked just like a child in an overstuffed snow suit! Not at all convincing as a feudal warrior. Give me a Kurosawa flick any day! Mr. Kurosawa is the Shakespeare of making any Samurai story (historically accurate or not) a metaphor for life.
However, I admit to being a sucker for anything Japanese. Especially when there is ancient history an/or scenery involved. That said...the battle scenes were brilliant! So too was the cinematography. Rural Japan in winter is a spiritual experience...and praise all that is holy that the director allowed this movie to be subtitled and not dubbed! And last...too bad something could not have derailed the degrading ending. The juncture between tradition and modernism is a most difficult transition when it has to be done in such a short period of time. It's a monumental task and the Japanese have succeeded remarkably better than others at it...it must be their roots!
And oh my...perhaps it's my female prejudice...few white men look good in hakama pants...got to face it...Cruse looks like Tom Mix in chaps when he dawns this particular item of native costume. As for the Samurai garb...he almost falls over on the battle field a few times in the heavy armor. He looked just like a child in an overstuffed snow suit! Not at all convincing as a feudal warrior. Give me a Kurosawa flick any day! Mr. Kurosawa is the Shakespeare of making any Samurai story (historically accurate or not) a metaphor for life.
However, I admit to being a sucker for anything Japanese. Especially when there is ancient history an/or scenery involved. That said...the battle scenes were brilliant! So too was the cinematography. Rural Japan in winter is a spiritual experience...and praise all that is holy that the director allowed this movie to be subtitled and not dubbed! And last...too bad something could not have derailed the degrading ending. The juncture between tradition and modernism is a most difficult transition when it has to be done in such a short period of time. It's a monumental task and the Japanese have succeeded remarkably better than others at it...it must be their roots!
Gold Diggers of 1933
(1933)
musical romance with humor, pageantry, and an ending number that came from outer space
5 May 2004
Saw this for the first time last night on TCM. A strange and funny big musical romance with humor, pageantry and an ending number that came from outer space. Weird and Wonderful. This was made the same year as the more famous 42nd Street.' These girls...Joan Blondell,Aline MacMahon,and Ruby Keeler are self sufficient and efficient at getting what they need to survive. The plot reminded me of the later movie, How To Marry A Millionaire' with Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall. It's the...where have I heard this story before...of three down on their luck women falling for three men with money...but of course they all have to start out hating each other first. I adore the scene where the show girls decide to trick the Boston banker society men and get their new luncheon hats delivered C.O.D. I also enjoyed the art work on the walls of the girls apartment and the fact that they all slept in bed together because they could barely pay rent on a one bedroom.
The story is greatly enhanced by the fact that it's pre-code and therefore pretty risque. Makes for some great laughs. And I do remember my flapper grandmother behaving terribly women's libby like long before they had a name for it. This movie is also made alluring by the genius choreography of Busby Berkeley. I just flipped over the dance sequence with the neon violins. While watching , at first I was stunned thinking they were painted with the glow in the dark phosphorescent material that caused cancer. I was happy to read on the Internet they were actually neon lights...can you imagine the expense and difficulty of dancing in the dark with all those wires?
There are several other really wild scenes including one in which the dancing girls get caught in the rain and strip down to nearly nothing behind a big silk curtain before redressing into metal corsets! Remember, this was before the days of LSD! But without a doubt the strangest scene came at the end when the main character sings the soulful jazz number called The Forgotten Man' about the WWI vets who all came home to find out there was a huge depression, there wasn't any work, and they were reduced to begging for food in bread lines. How this melancholy but beautiful tribute to the truth ever got slapped on to the end of this movie is a total editing security breach...but wow was it a powerful one!
I do not think this movie is available on DVD yet, but if you get to watch it on late night TV be sure it's on a station that does not cut or edit scenes because it's a piece of cinema history.
The story is greatly enhanced by the fact that it's pre-code and therefore pretty risque. Makes for some great laughs. And I do remember my flapper grandmother behaving terribly women's libby like long before they had a name for it. This movie is also made alluring by the genius choreography of Busby Berkeley. I just flipped over the dance sequence with the neon violins. While watching , at first I was stunned thinking they were painted with the glow in the dark phosphorescent material that caused cancer. I was happy to read on the Internet they were actually neon lights...can you imagine the expense and difficulty of dancing in the dark with all those wires?
There are several other really wild scenes including one in which the dancing girls get caught in the rain and strip down to nearly nothing behind a big silk curtain before redressing into metal corsets! Remember, this was before the days of LSD! But without a doubt the strangest scene came at the end when the main character sings the soulful jazz number called The Forgotten Man' about the WWI vets who all came home to find out there was a huge depression, there wasn't any work, and they were reduced to begging for food in bread lines. How this melancholy but beautiful tribute to the truth ever got slapped on to the end of this movie is a total editing security breach...but wow was it a powerful one!
I do not think this movie is available on DVD yet, but if you get to watch it on late night TV be sure it's on a station that does not cut or edit scenes because it's a piece of cinema history.
Heavy
(1995)
Undeniable Outside The Box Talent
28 April 2004
The most interesting thing about this first movie directed by the now know James Mangold, is that it's a window into what was to come. It has a lot of flaws. It plods along at a sluggish pace, the character of Pruitt Taylor Vince played by Victor Modino is so overly repressed that it's almost painful to watch, and it's all too obviously a low budget film...but there's this big BUT because in spite of the drawbacks it is still a movie that hits you hard emotionally. The loneliness these characters suffer is so real that it becomes the kind of film you remember long after you have watched it. I rented it on DVD when it was first released and then watched it again on cable last night, which only reinforced what I had already concluded. It's a movie worth a look. There's a very sympathetic role in here from a young unknown Liv Tyler. And the Shelly Winters character is in a class all by herself. She was perfectly cast as the dreadfully overbearing and controlling mother.
It's a hopeful start from a director I assume will work for many years to come. He has an undeniable talent for bringing out the reality of human emotions. Bringing me to mind of his later masterful film 'Girl, Interrupted' (1999). This director has willingly tackled a wide range of material. After 'Heavy' came' Identity' (2003), a solid who-done-it, and 'Kate & Leopold' (2001),which in all fairness I can not judge because I watched it on an airplane. My take on James Mangold is this...I am looking forward ( to his next two movies which are currently in production) and to a continuing career from a director who exhibits a lot of promise, especially when he strays outside the box.
It's a hopeful start from a director I assume will work for many years to come. He has an undeniable talent for bringing out the reality of human emotions. Bringing me to mind of his later masterful film 'Girl, Interrupted' (1999). This director has willingly tackled a wide range of material. After 'Heavy' came' Identity' (2003), a solid who-done-it, and 'Kate & Leopold' (2001),which in all fairness I can not judge because I watched it on an airplane. My take on James Mangold is this...I am looking forward ( to his next two movies which are currently in production) and to a continuing career from a director who exhibits a lot of promise, especially when he strays outside the box.
Laura
(1944)
Where's The Beef?
27 April 2004
After hearing the music and having viewed clips of scenes in this movie for many years, I finally watched it on TCM (without any commercials). Am I jaded, did I miss something and/or what's all the fuss over this movie? I figured out in the first 15 minutes who the murderer was and except for some great costumes this flick was regrettably disappointing. The music became insipid after so many rounds. The only notable acting was on the part of Clifton Webb ....Waldo Lydecker, who struck me as over the top gay...but of course being 1944...still in the closet. This is a famous movie and I was expecting to be astonished with it's masterful cinematography and script but neither were that outstanding. As for film noir, there are many better examples. The Third Man' and Notorious' come quickly to mind.
I think the problem with Laura is that the characters were so lackluster it was difficult to get involved with them. I really disliked Vincent Price in this movie. He was so unconvincing as a Southern gigolo type and he wasn't charming or good looking enough for us to think that Laura could ever truly fall for him. The investigating detective, Dana Andrews ....Lt. Mark McPherson was not exactly inspired, but at least he could act well enough to be convincing as a policeman. Lastly, Laura herself was really just a pretty face...the very pretty face of Gene Tierney but nothing like the Pygmalion of a woman she was supposed to be portraying. In fact she had more spunk and magnetism before Waldo Lydecker got a hold of her and transformed her into a proper lady. At least it's not listed in the top 100 of IMDB...I hate that when that happens!
I think the problem with Laura is that the characters were so lackluster it was difficult to get involved with them. I really disliked Vincent Price in this movie. He was so unconvincing as a Southern gigolo type and he wasn't charming or good looking enough for us to think that Laura could ever truly fall for him. The investigating detective, Dana Andrews ....Lt. Mark McPherson was not exactly inspired, but at least he could act well enough to be convincing as a policeman. Lastly, Laura herself was really just a pretty face...the very pretty face of Gene Tierney but nothing like the Pygmalion of a woman she was supposed to be portraying. In fact she had more spunk and magnetism before Waldo Lydecker got a hold of her and transformed her into a proper lady. At least it's not listed in the top 100 of IMDB...I hate that when that happens!
12 Angry Men
(1957)
12 Angry White Men
23 April 2004
It's hard to believe this movie is almost 50 years old...except that no women were on the jury. There was a minority juror, a foreign born citizen, a blue collar type, and several professionals, but no women which was really strange. (What? Like women could have been less logical or emotional than these men...most of them were idiots!) The characters were all something of a stereotype of themselves, but sometimes that is actually how juries are picked. Lawyers want a great diversity on a jury and I think that is why the court process works. The other problem I had with this movie was that unlike a Hollywood drama, where one guy is condemned by his fellow jurors for clogging up the quick trip home, in reality juries take their chore very seriously...at least that was my experience.
Those are not serious flaws with the movie, however. Jurors do get angry and emotional. It's stressful. Everyone is acutely aware that someone's life is depending on your being open minded and paying attention. A lot of folks on the IMDB kept writing that the kid in this movie was obviously guilty or obviously not guilty, but you have to remember that the judge is not asking you to decide if the person is innocent or guilty. You are asked if you can decide that beyond a reasonable doubt. So it's never so easy as take a quick vote and go home. You look at all the evidence and try to use logic to make your decision but in reality it is still a gut level decision. It's not crystal clear...especially when the lawyers present the jurors with so called expert trial witnesses. These people get paid to mess with jurors minds. At any rate, during the trial I was on, the jurors were on their toes enough to know when they had been snowed by expert witnesses.
The synopsis of this movie has been discussed in great length, so I will just add a few personal comments. The script is exceedingly well written, directed and performed. The dialogue was magnificent. It felt like you were watching the deliberation in real time from the way it was filmed. Riveting cinematography. Few movies can carry an audience for that long with just one room and a few characters. My Dinner With Andre' comes to mind.
The Lee J. Cobb character was so emotional and so over the top...he was difficult for me to swallow, a little too Freudian for a modern audience, but that is forgiven given this movie's age. The Henry Fonda character is the one all defense attorneys want on the jury. The supporting actors were all fine to watch.
My favorite lines was: "Pardon. But...Oh, pardon, pardon.' `What are you being so polite all the time for?" "For the same reason you're not. I was brought up that way."
8 ½ out of 10
Those are not serious flaws with the movie, however. Jurors do get angry and emotional. It's stressful. Everyone is acutely aware that someone's life is depending on your being open minded and paying attention. A lot of folks on the IMDB kept writing that the kid in this movie was obviously guilty or obviously not guilty, but you have to remember that the judge is not asking you to decide if the person is innocent or guilty. You are asked if you can decide that beyond a reasonable doubt. So it's never so easy as take a quick vote and go home. You look at all the evidence and try to use logic to make your decision but in reality it is still a gut level decision. It's not crystal clear...especially when the lawyers present the jurors with so called expert trial witnesses. These people get paid to mess with jurors minds. At any rate, during the trial I was on, the jurors were on their toes enough to know when they had been snowed by expert witnesses.
The synopsis of this movie has been discussed in great length, so I will just add a few personal comments. The script is exceedingly well written, directed and performed. The dialogue was magnificent. It felt like you were watching the deliberation in real time from the way it was filmed. Riveting cinematography. Few movies can carry an audience for that long with just one room and a few characters. My Dinner With Andre' comes to mind.
The Lee J. Cobb character was so emotional and so over the top...he was difficult for me to swallow, a little too Freudian for a modern audience, but that is forgiven given this movie's age. The Henry Fonda character is the one all defense attorneys want on the jury. The supporting actors were all fine to watch.
My favorite lines was: "Pardon. But...Oh, pardon, pardon.' `What are you being so polite all the time for?" "For the same reason you're not. I was brought up that way."
8 ½ out of 10
On Edge
(2001)
Satire on a shoe string!
19 April 2004
O.K. I never would have know about this movie had it not been for a friend. She knew I would like it and I really did. Maybe you have to have a daughter involved in a competitive sport like figure skating or horseback riding to see the humor of it all but to me the whole movie was brilliantly funny. Satire on a shoe string! Reminiscent of Christopher Guest (Best in Show 2000, Waiting for Guffman 1996 ), who I totally admire...it had my full attention. It's basically a pseudo-documentary drama-soap opera-comedy about young Southern California girls competing at a local then regional championship in figure skating.
There's a remarkable cast involved. Jason Alexander was highly convincing as a Ice Surface Engineer...i.e. Zamboni driver who has the scoop on all the poop. Then we have a really hammy Scott Hamilton playing a psycho skating judge who rants about the chaste and lofty ideals at the heart of the sport. God, he's so awful to look at (yellow teeth, thrift store clothing) that it's almost painful to watch him. His voice is drippingly saccharine all the while spewing complete nonsense. If nothing else he really nailed the gay figure skating persona in this judge. You just gotta love him.
There are some other well known figure skating personalities involved also...Tai Babilonia, Peter Caruthers, Steven Cousins, Randy Gardner, and Kristi Yamaguchi all play the part of the five regional judges. We all know judges can be arbitrary and vindictive not to mention down right blind, so it must have been a hoot for this group of professionals to get some deserved revenge however slight, by acting like their one time nemesis's.
All three lead rolls were perfectly cast and it would seem they must have had a lot of fun both on and off set. A.J. Langer as J.C.Cain, who raises Cain as a trailer trash Tonya Harding type. Marissa Winokur was the greatest as Wendy Wodinski,an overweight skater who has all the right moves but not the right grooves. She will remind you of Ricki Lake in Hairspray' 1988. And Barret Swatek as Veda Tilman,the perfect ice princess.
I could never tell if the movie was low budget or made to look low budget but it was incredibly realistic whichever the case may be and supplemented the overall plausibility of a mocumentary. The music was campy and diverse also aiding in the over all cogency of the humor. I really enjoyed this movie. Worth a fun rent.
There's a remarkable cast involved. Jason Alexander was highly convincing as a Ice Surface Engineer...i.e. Zamboni driver who has the scoop on all the poop. Then we have a really hammy Scott Hamilton playing a psycho skating judge who rants about the chaste and lofty ideals at the heart of the sport. God, he's so awful to look at (yellow teeth, thrift store clothing) that it's almost painful to watch him. His voice is drippingly saccharine all the while spewing complete nonsense. If nothing else he really nailed the gay figure skating persona in this judge. You just gotta love him.
There are some other well known figure skating personalities involved also...Tai Babilonia, Peter Caruthers, Steven Cousins, Randy Gardner, and Kristi Yamaguchi all play the part of the five regional judges. We all know judges can be arbitrary and vindictive not to mention down right blind, so it must have been a hoot for this group of professionals to get some deserved revenge however slight, by acting like their one time nemesis's.
All three lead rolls were perfectly cast and it would seem they must have had a lot of fun both on and off set. A.J. Langer as J.C.Cain, who raises Cain as a trailer trash Tonya Harding type. Marissa Winokur was the greatest as Wendy Wodinski,an overweight skater who has all the right moves but not the right grooves. She will remind you of Ricki Lake in Hairspray' 1988. And Barret Swatek as Veda Tilman,the perfect ice princess.
I could never tell if the movie was low budget or made to look low budget but it was incredibly realistic whichever the case may be and supplemented the overall plausibility of a mocumentary. The music was campy and diverse also aiding in the over all cogency of the humor. I really enjoyed this movie. Worth a fun rent.
The Magdalene Sisters
(2002)
The Nazi's Took Lessons From The Sisters Of Charity
15 April 2004
Enough has been said about the plot and characters by now that I am only going to add a personal note...which I strongly feel I must. I had to wait for this movie to be released on DVD before I got to see it....having waited patiently since I first read it won awards at the Venice Film Festival.
I am so grateful that Peter Mullen took this project on and that it met with such controversy because that was exactly what was needed for the film to get recognized and viewed by as many people as possible. The more people who see the film the better! The wonderful advantage of having waited for the DVD release is that it came with the brilliant documentary, Sex In A Cold Climate` which inspired the movie.
As a X-Roman Catholic and a survivor of what I refer to as my incarceration...an oppressive Catholic education/indoctrination by the Sisters Of Charity (1957-1958) and the Ursuline Sisters (1959-1969), both old orders of the Catholic Church originating in Europe. I can state with battle-scarred alacrity that behavior as depicted in this movie is not only factual but not nearly cruel enough to tell the true story. From my experience...the Nazi's must have taken lessons in depravity and wickedness from the Sisters Of Charity! These were old world religious orders with dogmas and superstitions that have not changed since Christ's time. The practitioners of this primitive cult like barbarism were mostly ignorant of anything resembling reason or logic not to mention...science. The comparisons to the Taliban is not all that far fetched. Of course there was one or two nuns who had an occasional bout of compassion, but they were not only a minority, they were also downcast within the system. I also realize that not all Catholic orders are of the same cloth as the strict Roman Catholic variety, but I was born into the Irish Catholic variety...one of the worst.
It took me years and a loving cheerful husband to undo the deep melancholia I felt from having grown up with this kind of repression. Now, as a middle aged adult my depression has amalgamated into a outspoken and healthy anger at a religious institution and church that has been allowed for millenniums to abuse it's power. The psychological methods employed by The Catholic establishment is so devoid of compassion and full of hate that had it still existed today in America it would be considered illegal. The only reason these zealot fanatics got away with their brutal treatment of innocent children for so long is because the people they tormented were brainwashed with eternity in hell for even thinking of questioning such God given authority. I spit on that authority!
This movie is not an exaggeration! And it's not restricted to the religious orders in Ireland. If anything it didn't go far enough in depicting the true story. Not enough nefariousness has been said of an institution that routinely turned it's eyes on child molestation and the persecution of women perpetrated by it's leaders. I am so glad that all these Catholic Church and School survivors are suing the church and therefore bringing the atrocities to light. And I applaud Peter Mullen for making such a forceful case against inhumanity in the name of organized religion of any flavor. Christian, Catholic, Islam, Jew...they're all the same...it's all about control and power...and too often it's an aberration of it's original intent.
I am so grateful that Peter Mullen took this project on and that it met with such controversy because that was exactly what was needed for the film to get recognized and viewed by as many people as possible. The more people who see the film the better! The wonderful advantage of having waited for the DVD release is that it came with the brilliant documentary, Sex In A Cold Climate` which inspired the movie.
As a X-Roman Catholic and a survivor of what I refer to as my incarceration...an oppressive Catholic education/indoctrination by the Sisters Of Charity (1957-1958) and the Ursuline Sisters (1959-1969), both old orders of the Catholic Church originating in Europe. I can state with battle-scarred alacrity that behavior as depicted in this movie is not only factual but not nearly cruel enough to tell the true story. From my experience...the Nazi's must have taken lessons in depravity and wickedness from the Sisters Of Charity! These were old world religious orders with dogmas and superstitions that have not changed since Christ's time. The practitioners of this primitive cult like barbarism were mostly ignorant of anything resembling reason or logic not to mention...science. The comparisons to the Taliban is not all that far fetched. Of course there was one or two nuns who had an occasional bout of compassion, but they were not only a minority, they were also downcast within the system. I also realize that not all Catholic orders are of the same cloth as the strict Roman Catholic variety, but I was born into the Irish Catholic variety...one of the worst.
It took me years and a loving cheerful husband to undo the deep melancholia I felt from having grown up with this kind of repression. Now, as a middle aged adult my depression has amalgamated into a outspoken and healthy anger at a religious institution and church that has been allowed for millenniums to abuse it's power. The psychological methods employed by The Catholic establishment is so devoid of compassion and full of hate that had it still existed today in America it would be considered illegal. The only reason these zealot fanatics got away with their brutal treatment of innocent children for so long is because the people they tormented were brainwashed with eternity in hell for even thinking of questioning such God given authority. I spit on that authority!
This movie is not an exaggeration! And it's not restricted to the religious orders in Ireland. If anything it didn't go far enough in depicting the true story. Not enough nefariousness has been said of an institution that routinely turned it's eyes on child molestation and the persecution of women perpetrated by it's leaders. I am so glad that all these Catholic Church and School survivors are suing the church and therefore bringing the atrocities to light. And I applaud Peter Mullen for making such a forceful case against inhumanity in the name of organized religion of any flavor. Christian, Catholic, Islam, Jew...they're all the same...it's all about control and power...and too often it's an aberration of it's original intent.
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