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Man Push Cart (2005)
3/10
Has much potential, but couldn't quite pull it off
28 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
**SPOILERS ALERT**

Man Push Cart is a heavy, slice-of-life look at a Pakastani immigrant's daily routine selling coffee, donuts and bagels from a cart in Manhattan. His wife died a year earlier, his in-laws have his son, and Ahmed has yet to rejoin life as he continues to mourn. Ahmed meets a series of people as well as a kitten who can pull him out of his dreary existence, but each of these are slowly pulled away from him as Ahmed chooses to remain in or cannot let go of the life he has carved out for himself in the last year. I can be satisfied with an unhappy ending if there is resolution in the film, but this one does not have it. If the back story of Ahmed's wife and why he had to leave Pakastan were explained, this movie would have been phenomenal. Unfortunately, this does not happen, and I was left feeling unsettled with numerous questions and just worn down by the painful existence of Ahmed without understanding why he lives the life he leads.
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10/10
Tight, Taut Drama that Keeps Essence of Novel
14 April 2003
I remember seeing the movie when it came out and being sucked into a compelling mystery. In order to redeem himself and find some a way out of his own downward spiraling guilt (despite being cleared by the Army), Denzel Washington tracks down the truth behind Meg Ryan's nomination for the Medal of Honor. All actors were in excellent form, particularly Meg Ryan for playing against type. I guess one of the reasons why this movie didn't do better was America's lack of acceptance of Meg Ryan of anything besides the Girl Next Door; cute and perky.

After seeing the movie, I went ahead and bought the book. Even though I knew the ending, the book drew me also as each character relays what happens. I recommend the movie and book to any who are interested in a drama not about the ethics of war, or if it was justified or not, but about the decisions people make and the aftermaths of those decisions.

Just a thought: Perhaps one of the reasons why this movie didn't do as well is it that it doesn't leave the Army in the best possible light. Three Kings did not either, but that was done more as a serio-comedy with light hearted tones and outrageous incidents that had a mocking flair to it. Courage Under Fire is a straight drama about tortured individuals. Well done and highly recommended.
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