mardikas777 Reviews

90 Day Fiancé (2014– )

Why are the most intimate moments of peoples' lives on public TV?

[1/10 · 24 March 2015]

I mean, I get that it's their choice, but I still feel like a pervert when I see footage from a camera that is recording, say, some couple's struggle with their first time having sex. I keep thinking that the main reason for the awkwardness of many situations in the show is because there is a ******* camera present. My viewpoint is strongly biased, because I am editing subtitles for the show, which means it's not my choice to see this thing. I'm seeing it because I have to. I felt the urge to let it be known what I think of the show - not because of the people that it shows, I have nothing against people who get married like that, nothing against interracial marriages, nothing against taking risks in one's love life. What I have a problem with is the fact that there exists a show that takes something that's in my mind supposed to be extremely private, intimate and special, and makes it a reality TV product with all its exaggerations and needless problematizations. And who in their right mind would let a camera in their bedroom... ever? Damn, it pisses me off...

This show should not exist. But I guess that that goes for many other reality shows out there.

A Serious Man (2009)

"...then what?"

[10/10 · 21 April 2010]

This is one of those movies that require more than one viewing. Plus, I am sure that it is MEANT to be interpretable in multiple ways. Some might sense in it a kind of hopelessness, maybe, or even pointlessness. Misfortune never really ends, it is one of the important elements that make this movie "seriously" enchanting, even insane. I find this film encouraging and inspiring. Not only because it is created with supreme sense of atmosphere, not only because of its poetic language - I find it inspiring mainly because the overwhelming misfortune in the movie had a paradoxical effect on me. It wasn't in my opinion a display of Gods wrath. The main character, Larry Gopnik, was not really guilty of anything, it was just that he was a serious man, maybe even too serious. My own interpretation of the movie lies with the quote at the beginning: "Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you". This point seems to be too simple for most intellectual people to comprehend. Everything that happens after the quote is a "fable" that illustrates the quote.

From the dialogue between the Korean student and Larry: "Clive Park: If I receive failing grade I lose my scholarship, and feel shame. I understand the physics. I understand the dead cat. Larry Gopnik: You understand the dead cat? But... you... you can't really understand the physics without understanding the math. The math tells how it really works. That's the real thing; the stories I give you in class are just illustrative; they're like, fables, say, to help give you a picture. An imperfect model. I mean - even I don't understand the dead cat. The math is how it really works."

That is a beautiful example of the mind of the professor.

The imagery in the movie is, as I already said, pure poetry. It stunned me both visually and conceptually. The picture was in perfect dialogue with the message. I believe that is why "A Serious Man" can be both funny and serious (and therefore very enjoyable).

The Secret (2006 Video)

The effusiveness can be misleading.

[6/10 · 28 October 2009]

Although on the surface this movie is a bit excessive and in my opinion over-simplifying, there is a point in the roots of the main idea. I say "roots" because the way it is represented here is rather ludicrous, here it is a "secret" that is being revealed, something like a magic key that is handed over to the viewer during the viewing.

One of the important thing with "The Secret" is that it can turn ones attention to the fact that what we are is significantly influenced by our overall attitude toward ourselves. It can be a useful reminder, although - unfortunately - it doesn't work with things that are out of our reach. It is not about sending thoughts or images to the universe (not in the way it's described) rather, it is about keeping one's options open and being aware that there are endless ways to interpret the circumstances one is in. And that these ways of interpretation are indeed a matter of choice that DO influence the future.

As I said, the film can be a sort of reminder that might urge the viewer to reassess the potential of his- or herself. I believe, though, that an intelligent viewer can see that "the secret" is not something you should just believe in (like trusting that the Universe gets you what you desire). It functions (in a way) through different (and more down-to-earth) channels/explanations.

6/10