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Reviews
The Four Feathers (2002)
could have been better
The story is about a young handsome British officer and gentleman who has some objection against the next colonial war to be fought. His friends and his fiancee now give him a white feather as sign of his cowardice. But then, o marvel, he hears about the fate of his comrades somewhere in the Sudan, and he doubles over there to save them. This does not succeed totally, but he manages to regain his self confidence and overcome his cowardice. He also finds time to escape from imprisonment by the Madhi followers. One by one he returns the white feathers to the original presenters and in the end, he also gets his fiancee back so things are good again. It is clear he won, and the that the guys who did their duty lost.
What could have been a nice movie about some colonial conflict depicted against the late 19th century's society gets bogged down in a silly love affair. Acting is quite good, but it seems that the story has been made a bit subordinate to the main characters and their deeper psychological thingies. It would have been nice when the director had dared to make a real colonial warfare movie, which is rather not-done these days I think, instead of a politically correct one like this: colonial warfare is bad, but going there and saving your comrades is good. It is easy to say this 100+ years after the events happened. All in all, 5 out of 10. I had expected more.
The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
Catholic Taliban
My expectations of the movie were a bit higher than what I actually watched. The first half of the movie is strong and gripping. When the story of the girls and their situation was told, one word came to mind: (Catholic) Taliban. And I do not mean the bearded backwoodsmen from Pakistan and Afghanistan armed with AK-47s, but devote (male) Catholics from Ireland waving with bibles, amulets and the like. I feel sorry for the girls and women who were subjected to this Catholic tyranny, where as a female one could only be a saint, or a whore. Men on the contrary where allowed to misbehave, and getting away with it. Well, after going to confession to some equally hypocrite priest. However, the strength of the first part, the accusation of the Catholic church, is reversed in the second half of the movie where the story becomes more focused on the individuals. Individuals are needed to tell a story of course, but the story got a bit lost by focusing to much, in my opinion, on the individuals. Had the end changed more in line with the first part, i.e. the accusation, than I would have rated this movie 8/10, whereas now it is 7/10.
However, let this not withhold you from seeing this great movie on a somewhat neglected subject in (Catholic) history.
Loverboy (2003)
what life do we want to live?
Made this year for TV, Loverboy is an example of a Dutch movie with a (psuedo)-criminal subject as theme. One scary little detail is that such things happen in reality, and as such is not just fiction.
possible spoilers ahead in synopis
There once was 17 years old girl, unhappy with her life. When alone she dreams away on the sounds of MTV/TMF, about rich people who are happy, who have fun, who can do whatever they want. She wants that life. Then there appears mister nice guy. Not on a white horse, but in a black Mercedes cabrio. He fancies her with presents (mobile phone, jewelry), and they look a happy couple. At least, she thinks, but silly silly girl, mister nice guy is not mister nice guy at all. He perfectly manipulates her, using her weakness of being let down by him, and she starts working as a prostitute for him, to pay back the expenses he made to buy her fancy goodies. He has some serious debts, you must know... However, silly silly girl she is, she still is convinced he loves her. But she overhears a conversation between mister not-so-nice guy and his, also not so nice, friends. She decides to quit her profession, and returns to her elderly home. Home sweet home at last.
I rated this movie 7/10. The theme is original, and also actual. Furthermore, though I am not a psychologist, the movie somehow addresses the problem of the lone child influences by the sweet tunes of MTV, singing about a life with parties, fast cars. When at a certain moment a mister nice-guy appears, who promises her parties and fast cars, one may doubt his intentions. I didn't rate the movie 8/10, since the characters are relatively one-dimensional. Not a bad view after all.
Mothers beware!
Das Experiment (2001)
a good movie, albeit some cliches
possible spoilers ahead
I rented this movie from the local videostore after having read about it in the newspapers. The critics were positive so I gave it a try.
The story and idea behind 'Das Experiment' is like the Big Brother type of TV shows shown nowadays on television: isolate a few handfull of individuals, divide them into guards and prisoners, and observe them with cameras 24 hours a day. Sometimes it goes right, but in the case of this movie it escalates with several people killed and wounded. And that is what made this movie in my eyes worth seeing, that it demonstrates how ordinary people transform in little sadists when given a uniform to wear, and some other to shout at, especially if one of the guys wearing a uniform is persuasive towards the others, and when there is no control.
However, some cliches are apparent in the movie, I will name two: the scientist who set up this experiment wants to continue at all cost, and the guard who initiates the abuse of the prisoners is the type of creepy fellow you expect to behave the way he does in the movie. But perhaps these are only cliches because there are true cliches.
I rated this movie with 8 out of 10.