Change Your Image
ddarko777
Reviews
The X Files: Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man (1996)
Villains are people too
Probably my favourite episode of the series!
This episode is a milestone in the the evolution of the "Cigarette Smoking Man" (CSM), whose name is later revealed to be C.G.B. Spender (possibly an alias). CSM is first portrayed in the series as a mysterious, sinister man shrouded in secrecy and lurking in every dark corner. As the show progressed, we began to see that this "evil" man believes what he is doing is for the greater good of mankind. A welcome, but expected, character development. 'Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man' continues to elaborate on CSM's moral perspective but also tokes deeper into the heart of the character; it exposes his insecurity. He is lonely and longs not just for the touch of a loving woman or the warmth of family and friends, but for society's acceptance. We discover that he's been alone since the moment he entered this world and that his only connections to a "normal life" are his estranged friendship with Bill Mulder and his auto-biographical work of fiction which has been rejected from every publisher he has submitted it to. CSM struggles with the choice to be a "great man" or to sit back and enjoy life's simple pleasures. His motivation to become a shadowy figure is not only based on his ideology and patriotism but on his desire to integrate with society in some way and to give his solitary life purpose. At one point CSM types up a letter of resignation upon being told that his story is finally being published (a trashy, pornographic rag called "Roman A'Clef"). However, we see him throw away his last shred of hope for a normal life when he discovers that his story has been disrespectfully mutilated by the publication. His broken submission is expressed wonderfully as he sits on a street bench next to a homeless man picking at leftover chocolates in the trash.
"Life is like a box of chocolates. A cheap, thoughtless, perfunctory gift that nobody ever asks for. Unreturnable, because all you get back is another box of chocolates. So you're stuck with this undefinable whipped mint crap that you mindlessly wolf down when there's nothing else left to eat. Sure, once in a while there's a peanut butter cup or an English toffee but they're gone too fast and taste is fleeting. So you end up with nothing but broken bits of hardened jelly and teeth-shattering nuts. If you're desperate enough to eat those, all you got left is an empty box filled with useless brown paper wrappers."
Not wanting to face the worthless wrappers in his empty box, CSM stands up and walks away, alone, as the homeless man picks up the left over bits of hardened jelly and teeth-shattering nuts titled "Roman A'Clef".
The great thing about this episode--apart from the character development--is that the flashbacks are a combination of Frohike's claims of CSM's past and CSM's memories of those events. Though factual gaps or inconsistencies may exist, the heart of the story hits home both for the viewer and the Cigarette Smoking Man. So much so that he decides to spare Frohike's life while quoting a line from his own book: "I can kill you any time I please... but not today." We as fans are free to believe whatever "facts" we wish from the story and to discard the rest, while still having discovered something true about the man.
Note: It's also interesting to note that the actor who plays young CSM is the same actor who plays CSM's son Agent Jeffrey Spender, even though Agent Spender is not introduced until the next season.
Knowing (2009)
ugh...
Wow. I'm definitely in the "give-me-back-my-two-hours" camp on this one. Based on the trailer I already had pretty low expectations for this movie (Cage's recent filmography did't help here either), expecting something on a similar level as "Next". In other words, I expected a movie based on an interesting concept that would be butchered into something gaudy but which I would ultimately accept because I have an active imagination. "Knowing" delivered exactly that for the majority of the film but the ending is what robbed me of enjoying it on even this level.
It becomes clear at the end that this movie is basically a trick. It lures you in with the promise of being a somewhat amusing film to watch on a rainy day, when nothing else is on. But as it turns out, this is all meant to grab your undivided attention so that it can preach to you.
The ending seems to be someone's notion of the reconciliation of science and religion but from a Christian angle. I would be fine with this if that were the subject of the entire film or if some thought provoking ideas were presented. Instead the movie just slaps you in the face with it at the end and says "here you go, this is what you should believe" and then draws the curtains. End of argument. No opportunity to really think about or debate the possibilities, the movie is simply over. The last idea fed into your head (right after attempting to emotionally disarm you with derived sob scenes) is that these alien-angel hybrids--who somehow possess knowledge of the future--are our gods and believing in them will deliver you into salvation.
Ugh... this is like when someone innocently befriends you, asks you to come out to a "get together" one evening which turns out to be a Bible study or sermon. And not even a particularly good sermon. Cheap and deceptive.