Reviews

I am house/pet sitting for my parents and since there is absolutely nothing else to do way out here in the boondocks, I usually rent Pay-Per-View movies when I am here. They have quite a selection with Time Warner, much better than what we get with Dish. Anyway, I had the hardest time deciding on what to watch. I don't watch many movies anymore either because I do not have the attention span when around the kids and/or because just about everything out of Hollywood has been crap for the past few years. Tonight I chose a movie which was not crap. It was actually remarkably good. It is called, The Greatest.

Starring Susan Sarandon, Pierce Brosnan and Carey Mulligan, The Greatest is the exact kind of drama I was looking for. I had never heard of it before today, but my gut told me to rent it...and rent it I did. I felt like watching a good crier. Boy was it. I teared up countless times throughout the entire movie. It was heartbreaking yet endearing...it was so very real but a reality one never wants to endure...and the acting, I forgot who I was watching. Just fantastic.

It is difficult to write a review when you desperately do not want to reveal any spoilers. I will say this movie's basic plot is about a grieving family. A couple and their son must go through the horrible tragedy of losing their 18 year old son and brother. The boy also leaves behind a young woman he has deeply loved from afar for years. After his death, the family learns of her being pregnant and they take her in during the deepest moments of their grief. The roller coaster of emotion, the differences in reactions...it is all so natural. The entire film flowed beautifully. Just pure human.

In the beginning, Susan Sarandon's character as the mother, wakes from a seemingly peaceful sleep only to wake to the sound of the alarm having to remember all over again that her heart is broken. As soon as her mind is aware of her reality, she breaks down in gut wrenching agony. I always felt that one of the worst parts of loss is that whole part of having to remember it each and every time you wake up. It makes you not want to fall asleep at all. The father, played brilliantly by Pierce Brosnan, avoided these bursts of emotion by not sleeping, not feeling, not talking – very pragmatic and simply going through the motions of his daily life. The son, feeling invisible has his own struggles in coming to terms with a brother who he wished he had hated...then, maybe it wouldn't hurt as badly.

The young woman, Carey Mulligan – she is just gorgeous, comes into their lives completely unexpectedly. And her presence and the soon to be presence of the grandchild forces one parent to finally grieve and the other to finally begin to live again.

The words and the emotions displayed on screen were almost tangible and even recognizable. It was a reminder of not only how short life can be, but also how many different forms of love there are in this journey through life. We can love from miles away without a spoken word. We can love our children as though we need them to breathe. We can love our spouse like no one else can understand...through troubles and errors, with age and tragedy that one person can still be your right arm. There are no two loves a like. And because of that there are no two deaths alike. We will each grieve a loss in a different way. But we all experience these phases in life and there truly is no way around it. We will all have a loss which will leave us empty and hollow. We will all love another person more than what feels safe. And we will all have to pick ourselves up again regardless of what knocked us down.

The Greatest was a great surprise. I liked it so much more than I expected. From now on...my gut gets to pick the flick.

So on Saturday my husband and I decided to go to a movie. We originally went to the theatre to see Revolutionary Road but at the last minute I decided that Slumdog Millionaire would be a better choice to see with him and that I could see the RR next time when I go alone. I must admit – I had done a stellar job at avoiding trailers and interviews for Slumdog. I had no clue what it was about. None. And like I usually suggest – try to do this as often as possible. The less you know about a movie going in – the better. In saying that, if you have not seen the movie, I actually suggest you do not read more of what I write about it. Let the film be seen through fresh eyes.

Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, is one of the best underdog type movies I have seen. But because of that, don't think it is a straight forward or as common as those we are used to popping up in Cineplex's across the country. I actually think of this movie as a cross between Hoosiers, The Usual Suspects and Red Dawn. Except...it is nothing like any of those movies. So figure that one out!! SM takes place in Mumbai, India. The main character, Jamal played by British actor, Dev Patel, is a contestant on India's most popular television show, 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'. In India, this show is much more popular than it ever was in the US and the host is considered an idol. Jamal shocks the audience, crew and police by answering every question correctly. When they break for the day, just before the 20 million rupee question, Jamal is taken into custody on the grounds of suspected cheating. Believing that a 'slumdog' such as Jamal could know so much was impossible for those in charge.

After an entire night of questioning and what most of us would consider torture, Jamal goes on to explain what circumstances throughout his life brought to him the answers he needed to win the millions. Throughout the flashbacks, as he tells his story, the viewer delves deeper and deeper in to the lives of these gorgeous Indian children whom were orphaned in the slums of Mumbai. As they grew and faced obstacles the majority of the world could not even imagine we are given story lines which are very fresh and original to the typical American audience.

Within this movie there is the magic of rooting for the unlikely, for true love, for justice and for mere survival. I wanted to see Revolutionary Road that day because I was feeling pretty somber and actually needed a good cry. Turns out what I needed indeed was a good cry, but through a smile.

While I am usually reeled in by characters and dialogue when it comes to my favorites – with Slumdog, I was drawn in by the remarkable cinematography, film editing and soundtrack. The camera work is artistic without being obnoxious. At the beginning of the movie there is a series of aerial shots of the aluminum roofs which cover the slum homes. It was a marvelous view of the massive poverty in which we were about to witness. The direction was just flawless. This is an all around beautifully made film with a beautiful story about beautiful children. So I guess I give it two beautiful thumbs up ;-)

This past weekend I went to the Sundance Theatre in Madison, WI and experienced a movie which…well… knocked me on my butt (for lack of a better explanation). Before entering the fancy, upscale theatre, I knew nothing about the film I was about to watch. I had not seen a trailer or read even a single a word about The Life Before Her Eyes. A movie directed by Vadim Perelman and starring Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood and Eva Amurri was indeed about to surprise and envelop me in a way I have not savored in quite some time.

This will not be an easy review to write as I almost want others to go into it with the same blindness and blank slate which I possessed. I think that the lack of expectations or predictions really helped put it on an entirely different level for me. But alas, this is indeed a review – and review I shall. However, I will certainly do my best to keep spoilers at bay.

The Life Before Her Eyes was not only gorgeous and gripping visually with stellar artistic direction and cinematography, but was also soulfully beautiful. The writing was kept so familiar and recognizable. The acting was subtle and appropriate. I cannot think of a single complaint and I assure you, I will be seeing this film again and for more reasons than those I stated above. You will realize those reasons after watching it yourself.

As the film begins, we quickly recognize that Uma Thurman's character, Diana, is a 30-something married woman living the would-be storybook life as a mother and an Art History Teacher in the town where she grew up. We also learn that in her senior year of high school she experiences a horrifying and gruesome school shooting. Throughout the movie we witness the tragic heartache of this woman dealing with a great amount of survivor's guilt and post traumatic stress disorder – which Thurman portrayed authentically.

The story does go back and forth from "past" to "present" every few minutes and typically I would find this far too distracting and annoying. But Perelman succeeds at making these transitions very smooth and beautiful and at just the most perfect moments. The use of flashbacks and metaphors are a true gift the Director gives to the audience. He lets us think. And it was not condescending to the viewer in the least. We are given images and allowed to see their meaning for ourselves.

In the "past" visions, we see a rebellious Diana who smokes, has sex and smarts off whenever she gets the chance. We are also introduced to her best friend, Maureen, played by Eva Amurri. Their friendship is one many girls can familiarize with – and the ones that can't, wish they could. As different as Diana and church-going Maureen are – they are connected by the hip throughout the flashbacks…and forever by the heart.

Diana is a complicated mess of a teen who desperately needed the support and balance Maureen could provide. And as we see teenage Diana unravel, grown up Diana begins to fade into a similar emotional tunnel. And soon it is evident that the movie all comes down to a choice. A choice made by teenage Diana during that fateful day of the shooting. How does that choice affect her future? How does it affect Maureen's? The whole concept of "Wings of a butterfly…" has been done before, sure. But never in such a moving, gut wrenching and so strangely real way.

I used all of my tissue before the end of the movie. And this ending was one that not only dropped my jaw, but also had me using my sleeve as a Kleenex substitution. After sitting in the theatre regaining my composure and catching my breath, I was left in a very contemplative and thoughtful zone. I still cannot seem to get the movie out of my head, days later. If that is not a sign of a good flick, then I do not know what is.

For many years I have been called a liberal. I usually felt the need to defend these accusations as though being a liberal is an offense. And it is not really that I thought of liberalism as this horrible thing, but I truly did not believe I was one. Did and do I have some liberal views? Sure do. But one some topics I also can have a tendency to lean a bit to the right. Not too often, but it does happen – leaving me in this purgatory between liberal and conservative, democrat and republican. But I have to tell you that as I watched the movie, The Brave One, I could feel that liberal part of me lifting up, up and away. I was most certainly NOT a liberal while watching this movie.

The basic synopsis of the movie, which is often compared to the 70's hit "Death Wish" (which I had never seen) is this: a normally carefree, happy, fearless woman is brutally attacked causing her to almost "leave" herself and seek revenge in violent ways. This dichotomy inside of her left her feeling both numb and curious as to why she did not feel the guilt or shame she thought she should. This woman is played by the brilliant and encompassing Jodie Foster – a truly Oscar worthy performance without a doubt.

I have to tell you that from here on out there may be some spoilers of which are not obvious or shown in the trailers for the movie. So, if you wish to not know what happens – I would actually urge to you to stop reading at this point.

Towards the beginning of the movie Foster's character along with her fiancé are violently attacked in a very disturbing scene. So, right off the bat I was crying. I figured this was going to be a car chasing, shoot 'em up Dirty Harry type flick. I did not expect the water works – boy was I wrong!! This movie tore me up. The attack and the moments which proceeded it were quite heart wrenching. And again, I cannot say enough about the quality of acting in this movie. I really attribute my emotional reaction to that mainly. Because THANK GOD I have not been in a situation like that for it to be a bad memory recall thing…I really think that because the acting was so dead on, so real that I truly felt that I knew how she was feeling. You honestly cannot get better than that when it comes to talent.

After the attack, she is drenched in fear; afraid to leave her apartment, afraid of the steps behind her. All of these everyday things she never once thought about became struggles as the dread enveloped her. Because of this – angry that she now has to feel this way – she decides to buy a gun for protection. This is the first moment when I realized that not all of my ideals were as permanent and as clear as they once were. I always said that I would never own a gun. I hate guns. I even would like them to be illegal if ever possible. But when Erica, Jodie's character, goes to buy the piece – I am right there with her and know in my heart I would have done the same thing. Liberal Heather – where are you?? Throughout the body of the movie Erica comes across a couple situations where she is faced with the opportunity to rid the world of some very bad people. In the first 2 situations, she did what most people would have done with her courage. Sensible killings, if you will. The next two - she deliberately sought out. And through this whole period she becomes more and more withdrawn. She becomes a person she not only doesn't recognize – but also doesn't understand. She struggles with the duality of knowing that these people deserve their fate but also the fact that she knows what she is doing isn't right. This vigilantism she cognitively is aware is inappropriate – but she cannot help herself. Her anger – her sheer anger at what society has become motivates a stranger inside of her to take over.

So, this "liberal" gal from Wisconsin watches as this angry woman from New York empowers herself with a weapon and takes out the slime balls she comes across. And not only do I watch with approval and understanding…but I cheer – and not always silently.

The ending is certainly not what anyone would expect and I will not give that away even in a spoiler review. But I can say that I shouted "YES!" and clapped my hands as I bent forward on the edge of my seat and cried.

This movie made me feel so much. So much I hadn't expected – not only was it not expected of the film…but of myself. Did this movie change some of my fundamental ideals and judgments? You know what, maybe it did. It definitely showed me a side to which I was not able to truly understand before. It made me so sad for the people who have had such horrible things happen in their lives. It made me so angry that this country is filled with such crap. It made me feel vindicated when she pulled those triggers. And it made me afraid of whom I could become were a tragic event to occur in my own life.

I feel as though I perhaps see more into movies than either: a) what may actually be meant or b) what others may see in the film. This could be true with this movie as well, but I think it is the latter. With many movies it is difficult to give a real review without giving away much of what needs to be experienced first hand. That is definitely the case with Premonition. So, first I will say that the exhausting but powerful performance by Bullock was commendable. She was in every single scene and the toll must have been heavy. She pulled it off with gold stars. The story was very unique. The dialogue did not stand out as incredible, but you have to understand that this is almost a one woman show. So far I see no flaws in the writing. I will watch it again, but I think that most of the common confusions with the stories lines can be explained. The movie goes back and forth and you really need to pay attention and have a great sense of time. It can be tricky to figure out if what is happening is past, present or future. But if I could figure it out…I am sure anyone can. Now, I want to discuss what this movie said to me. It may however be a gateway to spoilers. So, if you plan on watching this movie and want to do so with a fresh head…do not read any further. Just know that it is a movie worth watching, you need to pay attention and definitely open your mind. Bullock's character in the film was a housewife with a husband and 2 daughters. She was a stay at home mom and it was clear that she had been experiencing some depression prior to the news of her husband's death. Through out the movie you go back and forth through moments when her husband is dead and alive. After she learns of his death, she experiences lapses in time when she seems to jump through timelines in her life changing little experiences here and there that impact the next timeline. Does that make sense? Anyway. She learns he was about to have an affair and for a moment, decides she prefers him dead and that even though she thinks she MAY be able to help avoid his death, she wonders if she should even do that. We learn during these times that their relationship was on its last breaths. They seem almost resentful and bitter towards one another. She then has a conversation with a clergyman and asks his opinion on what she can/should do. He basically tells her that she needs to find something to fight for…something to be hopeful about. She finally decides that she wants to not only save her husband, but their marriage. The night before she thinks he is going to die she explains to him (in very little words – mostly tasteful and romantic actions) that she wants their marriage to survive. They end up making love. The next day she wakes up and it is the day he is to die. She does what she can to stop it. She finally gets in touch with him on his cell phone and tells him that she knows all about the affair and that she doesn't care – she loves him. They exchange 'I loves yous' a few times and she sees his car ahead of hers right at the spot he was suppose to die. She tells him to turn around – thinking that will change the course and he would survive. But when he does this, a gas tanker hits his car – obviously killing him. She wakes at the end, you know it is months later and she has a pregnant belly. She was able to changes the details in her life. She was able to forgive her husband before he died; instead of him dying while they both lived in contempt of one another. She was able to come to terms with the possibility of his death; instead of the sudden shock. She was able to allow him to spend some quality time with his children; knowing she may not be able to stop his demise. And of course, she was able to create another child – one that would have never existed otherwise. But she was not able to change his ultimate fate. She was not able to stop his death. This is how the film spoke to me, being a depressed housewife and mother whose marriage has seen better days… We can change how we behave and react in our lives right now. We can decide to make our lives better for the moments we are in presently. We can make little changes that can affect us forever. But we truly have little control over our ultimate fate. And when it comes down to it – we all have the same fate; death. It can come when we least expect it. It can come after a long, hideous illness. But it will come. What we need to do is live our lives for the happiness and love that sit in our paths right now. RIGHT NOW. Not a new theory. Nothing I am saying hasn't been heard a million times before. But perhaps this needs to be drilled into our heads – though movies, music, books, news…we need to start living the way we deep down know we should. You want to know the meaning of life? This is it, my friends. As simple as that. Life is short. Live, love, give and appreciate. Period. Most of us won't have the opportunities the characters had in this movie. We need to take those opportunities now because instead of waking up to yesterday…we may not wake up at all.