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Reviews
A Single Man (2009)
As simple as that
Tom Ford's debut as a filmmaker is absolutely stunning. It tells the tale of the every-day fight of our neighbour, old love, us and how they or we get by the day, living it as well as we can, sowing our own lives a day at a time. And after all the struggles, after all the pain and cut fingers, we are reminded of the fragile nature of the work of art that we create. Even when Goerge decides to change thread, get on the next bus maybe, his heart races ahead of him and he is confronted with the precariousness of it all.
An outstanding performance by Colin Firth and surprises from some of the other actors. Intricate visuals, perfect choice of music. To me - this film is one of the best of the year. One that actually tells a story, that still amazes and makes one think about the simple yet heavy task of 'being'. It's surprising how even an insight into a day of someone else's life can change perception of reality. Tom Ford gives us a moment of clarity, starts from a few seconds and stretches it till it becomes a moment as light and lucid as a fine silk veil.. "And just like that, it came."
The Canyon (2009)
Where's the twist?
Where's the twist? As I was watching the movie, I kept waiting for that little something that would make The Canyon something different from the countless 'stranded backpackers / explorers in danger' movies we've all seen. And while watching the protagonist kill her husband and the helicopter arrive, frankly - I was disappointed. There's nothing to tell about this movie. Nothing really happens in it. No personal intrigues (except for one of the couple's first fights), no true heroism, no wit from the characters.. Nothing, except for the fact that it's the Grand Canyon, that there's a pack of wolves hunting, and that the two 'survivors' are lost and looking for a phone signal. The script is everything but profound. Nothing happens. The lack of action does not make one think about anything really.
The hungry wolves is a recurrent theme. Since its beginnings (if we don't count myths and legends about wolves) with the amazing Jack London, there hasn't been a book or movie that has been able to recreate something more intriguing, something more vital. The Canyon is just a repetition of a superficial fact. It offers nothing more than the recount of a pack of wolves following two hungry and weakened humans.
Yes, the girl and the guy are lost, and yes, the girl is courageous and has the guts to cut her husband's leg off. She's strong enough to keep going and supporting him even when she knows he's not going to make it alive. She just keeps going. But the end, when she just falls apart after having attacked several wolves and killed one - is plain disappointing.
As to the director and the script author - I don't understand where they're going. The movie does not offer exceptional special effects, the story's boring and offers no insight whatsoever as to what it feels like when you're trapped in the canyon. Yes, humans are fragile, but didn't we know that already? Isn't there any better way of showing it? Isn't there a little twist to add? A little something to ponder about?
The Cove (2009)
The Cove - the true image of humanity
I've been against whale hunting and dolphin killings (any animal killings really) for a long time now, and never has there been a documentary or movie that has satisfied me, because they never show the true situation.
The Cove is one of the best documentaries if not the best on the subject. After seeing this - I'm reminded again of why some people just don't deserve to be part of the planet and environment they just smother and kill for profit, for money, for greed.
The director of the documentary, Louie Psihoyos (one of the leading photographers in the world who has been working for National Geographic for 18 years now and worked for all the leading magazines and channels in the world), shows, with the help of a very courageous team and Ric O'Barry, not only the outraging cruelty of the Taiji (and there's hundreds of others like them) fishermen and the hypocrisy and total non-respect of the Japanese government, but also the true image of humanity. Or at least - part of it. Hundreds of thousands of people (in the government, the Yakuza, fishermen and others like them) participate in this mad slaughtering purely for profit. They're literally swimming in a pool of blood and desperate dolphin cries for money, to satiate their greed.
And I have just one thing to say about this - I don't want to be part of it.
Respect is a notion that has faded away, overwhelmed by the addictive power of money - little pieces of paper and metal that in reality have no value whatsoever. Respect for nature, for the power that has given me, you, everyone a life has sadly disappeared. The filmmakers and the OPS team have shown though that there's still hope of reviving a chord in all of us that will help stop this madness. By showing us the truth of what goes on in Taiji and hundreds of villages like Taiji, they will revive in everyone a sense of justice, and I dare hope - a sense of revolt and desire to help those in need. There have been hundreds of accounts of dolphins saving a human life. Where are we when they need us? There's just one question and one answer that matter. Where do you stand?
I know where I stand, and it's not besides a hook and a spear. It's in front of a dolphin about to get spiked. The message is clear - we have got to come together and show our support and condemn those who have no respect for life. We have to punish those who commit plain murder and we have to free those wild dolphins and never ever use them for our own amusement and entertainment. They don't deserve to be treated like our property because they don't belong to us. We cannot take without giving back, and it's time we started to give back.
Play Dead (2009)
Unwatchable
It's been a long time since I last saw a movie this bad.. The acting is very average, the story is horribly boring, and I'm at a loss for words as to the execution. It was completely unoriginal. O, and this is as much a comedy as Clint Eastwood's a pregnant Schwarzenegger!
One of the first scenes (the one with the television show - where the hell are you?) got it right - the cast was 80% of let's face it - forgotten actors. If they were hoping for a career relaunch, then I think it might never happen with this on their CV! The script had the potential, but neither 80% of the actors nor the director (who's an actor and clearly should stick to being an actor) pulled it off. Fred Durst was the only one who seemed better than any of the rest.
I'm sorry, but if you ever consider watching this - I highly recommend you turn to something less traumatic, because not only it's a total loss of time, but also a weak example of what bad cinema looks like.