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Sufat Chol (2016)
OK Film
Overall, I give this film a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5. I did not really enjoy it, but there were parts that I did enjoy. I thought that all of the actors were very talented and good at playing their roles. I liked the story line and how the film incorporated both traditional and modern elements. For example, the fact that Layla was in an arranged marriage is very traditional. However, the charters often had iPhones throughout the film, which was interesting for someone like me to see, as someone who lives in the US where technology is extremely important and a part of everyday life, but I would never even consider an arranged marriage as a part of life- because it is not, and is so rare for me to even see. So, for this film to have BOTH of these things as an important part of life was cool and definitely a new (global) perspective. Although, I did find the story line really confusing at times and what was going on. I think that it would've helped and been less confusing if the man that Layla was in love with and wanted to marry was a more prominent character. There was a lot of talk about him (good and bad) but once he finally showed up in the film towards the middle, he only popped in for a little and left (me) with the impression that he was going to make things better for him and Layla by convincing her parents to let him marry her (which didn't happen but I wish it did!) Speaking of the ending, I did not like it! I just wish there was a LITTLE more dialogue! I wish Layla would've looked at her sister who was peeking through at them, and reassured her that everything would be okay, because the three little sisters were really the real victims in this film, as well as Layla since they were all caught in the middle.
Omar (2013)
Really Good Film
Omar and his friends were involved in an Israeli soldier's death, and as a result he is forced to work as an informant for the Israelis, and betray not only his friends, but the love of his life, Nadia. However, with his love life on the line, things get extremely complicated and paranoia becomes the main theme. Overall, I really liked this movie, and actually prefer it over Hany Abu- Assad's other film, 'Paradise Now". While both story lines in each film are complex, this one was easier to understand. Although this was a typical love story, it didn't necessarily end happy, which I thought was an interesting twist, as Omar did not actually end up marrying Nadia. Throughout the film, Omar and Nadia were inseparable, and so in love. As Omar was pretty much forced by the Israelis to work as an informant, Nadia's paranoia caused her to become skeptical of her boyfriend who couldn't reveal if he was working with them or not (even though he was forced to!) Nadia became closer with Omar's friend, as Omar watched secretly, but it was hard to tell if they were flirting or not, (I wouldn't be surprised because she was upset at Omar at the time) but she never took anything far or seriously with him. Then, when Omar's plans of marrying her were shattered when his told by his so- called "friend", that he got her pregnant, (which actually wasn't true) Omar was devastated, and his paranoia set in. He didn't think to confront Nadia, (which I think would have just cleared EVERYTHING up), but instead he just kept quiet and let Nadia marry his friend. Years later, he ended up learning that Nadia never cheated on him. Sadly, it was too late because she was still married and had kids. Although I was sad they didn't end up together, it made this movie stand out from the rest of romantic movies! My favorite scene was the very end, when Omar shot the Israeli, and completely betrayed him. For some reason, I wasn't really sad when he did this, because the Israeli had been pressuring and torturing Omar throughout the entire film as his informant. When Omar randomly shot him, it was almost like Omar was freed, and his way of standing up to him.
Paradise Now (2005)
Pretty Good
Life turns violent when Said and Khaled, who are best friends, get recruited by a terrorist group to bomb Israel because of past conflict. However, their mission is almost spoiled after one of the men gets separated from the other, but after complications they reunite, only to find that Khaled has had a change of heart. He tries to get his friend to come back home with him and to not kill, but Said has his mind made up, and goes for it. Overall, I thought that the storyline to this movie was clever and interesting. However, I didn't really like it because it was super confusing and (in my opinion) unclear at times. I found myself really lost as to who was who, and what was going on. Part of this may be because Khaled and Said switched opinions so fast and spontaneously. For example, Khaled was very on board to carry out the terrorist attack on Tel Aviv, when Said was not. Then suddenly, Khaled had a change of heart and decided to not go through with it, and Said became so caught up and focused on it, he did end up going through with it even though he had to do it alone! I wish that this film was a little different in the sense that it was more lucid. I found that I also had to focus a lot on the dialogue, because this was one of those films that if you miss something, you miss a lot and will end up confused. My favorite character was Suha because she seemed to be the most level- headed out of all the characters. After all, she was the one who ended up convincing Khaled not to attack, and her points that she made about being "equal" were so so true and valid even in real life when it comes to terrorism and bad things people do. Towards the end, I liked Said less and less as I started to like Khaled more and more, because (I think) Said ended up attacking Tel Aviv, and Khaled did the right thing to just go home.
Tuya de hun shi (2006)
I did not enjoy this film
This film was about how the main character, Tuya divorces her husband, Batoer, and is forced to make a better life for herself and kids with a new man. She faces conflict when she is offered a new life from two men who want her: it's either a wealthy old friend who promises to give and pay for anything she needs, or her lonely neighbor who proclaims his ultimate love for her, who has just left his wife. Personally, I did not enjoy this movie one bit. It was slow, confusing and the plot behind it (I found) was plain and silly. If it were not for the fact that this film is Mongolian and the cultural differences, I feel likeI have seen this plot over and over again in many other films. Although it was interesting to see their way of life, I found this film more like a documentary than a movie. I was not impressed by the actors all that much, but I thought the kids were really cute. This film confused me a lot in terms of what was going on, but I noticed there was a lot of alcohol, which surprised me since they seemed to live very naturally and off the land. I also noticed that during the day and while the characters were going about their everyday life, they wore baggy, plain and neutral colored clothing (probably mostly to keep warm)!! The only times they were color were in their headscarves, and during the ceremony at the end! I found this cool, since obviously color and fashion is important to them when going to important events, like it is for us. I wouldn't have guessed them to just all of a sudden dress up in nice colors, fabrics and jewels, since I was so used to seeing at the characters in grays, blacks and browns. At times I felt bad for the animals because they were so heavily depended on, and didn't seem to get much love; but on the other hand, this was their only way of life, and animals are not looked at the way we look at them in the US.
Xi you fu yao pian (2017)
Great Film
Journey to the West was such a great film! It was one of my favorite foreign films I have seen. I really thought it was super strange, but I have to give the producers/ directors credit because it really was so bizarre in a unique way; I had not seen anything like it! I thought that the actors were also very talented, even the extras, and sometimes that isn't always the case in action movies because I often find that when extras try to act scared, it is obvious they are acting. It was probably extra hard to act in this film as well, since the actors had to initially react and be afraid of a creature that hadn't been put into the frame yet (since the beasts were only computer graphics). I really do not know anything about computer graphics or digital design, but from my view, this aspect of the film was really well done. I didn't really find any part to look "fake", and of it even came close to that, it was more funny than noticeably fake. This is also probably the most comical foreign film I have ever watched; many others I have seen are not, so this was a nice break from all the dramatic and serious films I am used to watching Culturally, I thought that Journey to the West was very interesting, including the fact that demons are a part of the Chinese culture (or were at one time). Since these particular "demons" were not real neither in the film nor real life, whether the actors believe in them (for the sake of their culture) or not, it was a break from the other foreign films I've seen, to see a film centered around such fictitious beasts. Although I did my really understand what was going on for some of the film, my attention was definitely kept and never once was bored. My only complaint would be that it was very hard to understand and keep up with (at least in my opinion).
Qin ai de (2014)
Wouldn't Watch Again
I thought this movie was okay, but definitely not my favorites! I thought it was very interesting that it was based on a true story, and unlike other kidnapping movies, it was very, very unique. I thought that the actors were really talented, especially the kids. However, it was really confusing (at least for me). The movie often switched between main characters which I thought was kind of strange, but subtle. For example, there was the little boy as the main character in the beginning along with his parents, but then it switched to the lady who "adopted" him later. I felt really bad for all characters in this movie, and although Peng was returned to his real parents, there were so many problems and traumatic things that had happened that couldn't be undone. First, Peng was stolen from his family, then moved to a rural area where his name got changed, then stolen back by his real parents (whom he didn't even remember!) One thing that I didn't like was how mean the real parents were to the widow who "adopted him". Since her late husband told her that he adopted Peng, she thought he was actually hers, so she went through that loss too, of losing her child even though it wasn't actually hers and her husband had abducted him. I wish that his real parents would have bonded a little more, since they were going through the same things! Although this story followed the journey of Peng's abduction, he also had a sister that the lady's late husband supposedly "adopted" as well. (But I think that she was really abducted too). Where did she come from? Where were her parents? Why didn't the movie even touch on this? I think it would have been interesting to involve her story too, even if she wasn't returned to her parents in the end. Although I felt so badly for the fake adoptive mom and widow, I thought she was a bit annoying. She seemed to believe everything her husband told her, including that she was infertile! Also, how could she not know something was up when her husband brought home two strange kids without any paperwork or struggle? Also, part of me wishes we could have met the husband before he died, because he seemed like a very interesting and scary character. I did like the ending, even though it wasn't really much of an ending. I liked the scene of the widow crying on the hospital floor because it really showed so much emotion and despair, and I liked how the lawyer was looking back at her because he seemed like he really grew to like his client compared to the beginning of the movie.
Okuribito (2008)
Pretty good film
I really liked this film, despite some confusing elements and details. I liked it because I have never seen anything like this. It was on a taboo subject; death and funerals. It was really amazing to me to see the different traditions when a loved one dies in Japan, taking into account religion compared to the US. In some ways, I wish that we embraced deaths little more, and were not as uncomfortable with people dying as we are. I found that in Japan, the family is more touchy with the body, which makes more sense to me than how we are (which is hesitant) because we once loved these people! This movie makes me remember that death is just a part of life, and is okay. Like the main character, Daigo, said "What's wrong with it!? Death is just a part of life! You will die, and so will I!" I liked this part of the film because it's when his wife found out that he was an NK Agent and she was disgusted. I liked how Daigo stood up for himself and insisted that it's really not that weird, since death is so common and they are people we love. Personally, I do not frown upon morticians, death ceremony leaders, etc., because I think that it's a brave thing to do, and to frown upon this is a bit rude to the deceased. In my opinion, just because a loved one is dead doesn't mean that we should become hesitant around them during funeral ceremonies. The parts that were a bit confusing about this movie were the parts with the salmon and octopus. I thought it was a little confusing at the beginning when they were prepping the body and it came out that the person that had died was transgender. I only found this confusing because I don't think it was relevant to the movie, and since this was the very first scene, I thought maybe it would tie together in the end, but it didn't. Other than these parts, I thought the story line was really interesting and I loved the ending.
Ajeossi (2010)
Confusing!
After his wife and unborn baby are hit and killed by a truck, Tae Sik Cha finds himself wrapped around the finger of a little girl, who is at the mercy of her neglectful drug- addicted mother working as a dancer. Although she steals and robs, she only wants a friend, and seems to find one in Tae Sik, but he doesn't in her. However, when she is kidnapped by the Korean mafia (who kill her mother), he goes to extreme and bloody lengths to save her from getting her organs sold on the black market with many other kids being held captive. But the ending really confused me; what happened to So Mi? And what happened to Tae Sik? And why did he tell her he was going to hug her "just once"? I would usually say that these types of suspenseful, unknown endings are what makes the movie, but this time for me it only added to the confusion of it. Also, the amount of violence was insane, and so unrealistic in my opinion. I am not usually squeamish when it comes to violence, and I usually do not mind it, but I surprisingly found myself feeling literally sick with all of it! The part about this movie that struck me the most is the fact that they were killing people for their body parts! Usually people are murdered for money or out of hatred or defense, but I never thought about people being killed so their organs could be sold. I was also super surprised when Tae Sik's pregnant wife was hit by a car after just getting out from an ultra sound! At first, Tae Sik looked so different that I did not even recognize him, (nor did I realize that this scene was a flashback) but then I realized that was probably because he had transformed as a person after everything happened with his family. He let his hair grow shaggy so that it covered his face, and when he shaved most of it off I think that was really a new turning point for him, almost as if he had let go of the sadness and anger he felt about his wife being killed. Even though it doesn't seem like much, for me I think that cutting off your hair represents change, and wanting to change yourself to get ready for a new chapter in life, which is what he was getting ready to do because he was trying to save So Mi. To be honest, I don't think I would ever go to the lengths he did to save her, but I can't help but think that maybe the little girl reminded him of what he would have had if it wasn't for his wife and unborn child's death. Maybe So Mi represented his own child, and filled that void he had for so long.
Whale Rider (2002)
Interesting
I have very mixed emotions about this film. I enjoyed watching it because there were not very many slow scenes. However, it did seem a bit forced in terms of the acting. I did not really particularly like any of the character's roles, because they just seemed to be trying to hard to act in my opinion. If I had to choose a favorite character though, it would be the little girl because she was so under appreciated, it was almost (literally) unbelievable, and unrealistic. Her grandfather was so mean to her, but to me, it was a bit unclear as to why exactly, and why he did not somehow grow to love her. I was also confused about who her father was. In the beginning, I understand that her mother died during childbirth along with her twin brother, and that the man with the long hair at the hospital was her father. However, when the movie fast forwarded after a few minutes about ten years later, I was completely lost as to which man (there were two that looked the same to me) was her father and which was her uncle! As the movie progressed, I grew tired of the grandfather's lousy, mean behavior towards his granddaughter, and his moping. I don't understand how he became so upset when he saw the whale on the beach, yet seemed to have a cold heart of stone when it came to people around him who loved him very much! I really wish that the grandmother would have divorced him during the film, like she kept telling the little girl she would. I think that there should have been more character development for the grandfather's role, because that could have made it more intriguing, and given the audience some insight into his mind. I also wish that the little girl would have had a best friend, or someone she could have stuck with throughout the film, because everyone seemed to be so against her that I wanted to just jump in and hug her! Overall, this film is interesting because of the Maori culture aspect, but I would not recommend it, or watch it again. My favorite thing about this film to be completely honest was their accents.
Merantau (2009)
Great film
This was such a good movie! I really enjoyed every aspect of it, including the cinematography. I thought that it was super interesting and intriguing when many of the scenes were filmed under neon lights at night. I also thought that it added to the emotion that the director wanted the viewer to feel while they watched. Such as the red neon lighting, in one of the last scenes, when Yuda was fighting the two really bad guys and their gang. This subtle addition really put me a bit more on edge and made me really want Yuda to win since the lighting was so intense. However, I did not understand the part when all the kidnapped girls were banging on the door to get out, as Yuda was dying, and Astri's voice seemed to almost save him. How could he hear her whisper "help" when she was in a crate with dozens of screaming girls? In my opinion, this short part was a bit unclear and very unrealistic. I was also a bit confused as to why Yuda, Astri and her little brother were wanted SO bad? It seemed like they didn't really ever do anything wrong yet their life in the movie seemed to be a big chase, so I felt bad for them. It also seemed that in this movie, almost every single woman was looked at as property, and a sex object, which made me pretty sad. After Astri was sexually abused by one of the bad guys, I couldn't help but feel awful for her. Throughout the movie, she seemed to be a tough cookie, and put up a good fight. After being raped though, she was in complete shock, as this incident seemed to be her breaking point. For obvious reasons, I did not like the ending, but I appreciate how realistic it was.
El club (2015)
Confusing, but still good
"El Club" had a few main themes, those being religion, irony, secrets and guilt. A lot of viewers have actually said that this film was made to expose the Catholic church and make it look bad. I agree with this statement, because so many events that happened in it were ironic, because there were things done and said by priests (whom this movie focused on) that would not typically qualify as 'holy' in my opinion. El Club is about four old, retired (and at least one gay) Catholic priests living in a house, ("the club") in a secluded, beachy and foggy area in Chile. The house is run by a woman surprisingly, whom is a retired nun, making up all the rules, one being that there was no contact with the outside world unless they were in their circle of religious figures. The group loves racing dogs, which seems to be a shared passion for all of them, (which I thought was a bit strange and random.) They have a strict schedule that forces free time to mold around their duties of praying. However, the reason this house is secluded is because the men are secretly there to ask God to forgive them for their sins, which are actually horrible crimes. These priests are guilty of child molestation, abuse, kidnapping, etc. Early in the movie, a new priest comes into the house, but his sins follow him. A now grown man stands outside the house yelling about the very graphic and horrendous sex abuse he endured as an altar boy from this new priest. However, the priest cannot seemingly stand his guilt, and quickly shoots himself in front of everybody. This is when I realized that this movie is extremely messed up, because later when the police were questioning the others in the house about why he was dead, the nun and other priests lied to cover up the abuse and crimes he had committed. When a new director comes in he sees the dysfunction, and wants to shut down the home. This film then follows the journey of their dog racing, trying to save the home, and the life of the angry man who was abused sexually by the dead priest. I liked this film, but I liked it less and less as it progressed. I found the point of the ending very confusing and it honestly lost me. This was possibly because there was very little dialogue between characters, and when there was, it was short. It ended with men killing the race dogs, blaming it on the man whom was abused and then him being ironically brought to repent his 'sins' in the house with the other four priests. I really loved the beginning, however, and my favorite scene was when the man was outside the home screaming the sex abuse he endured to his molester. I found this very interesting, because not only were the poor man's words very graphic and "unholy" but, as he was yelling them, the priest (his molester) was denying it to his housemates. I thought that when he grabbed the gun he was going to shoot the man yelling outside the house, but actually shot himself, which I was not expecting. I also liked when the nun was cleaning up his blood, she was singing very peaceful church songs. This film was very bizarre, weird and sexual, which I found ironic. I wish that the director had left out the theme of the dog racing because it just confused me and made the main theme of secrecy between priests less prominent and blurry.
Rebelle (2012)
Cool Film
during it. I liked the different personalities of each character and how they contrasted from each other, but during the beginning I was a little confused as to what was going on. At first, I was confused because I thought that the movie somehow went forward in time right before Komona got married. I could not believe that not only was she 13/14 years old and willingly getting married, but also fighting in war and killing her family! However, the subtitles helped when it would say her age, because then I realized that it did not go forwards, and that this was just a really really different way of life and culture! My favorite character was Komona because she was so strong. I felt so bad for her because if I was forced to kill my own parents, I would probably kill myself since I would not be able to go on knowing I did that, even if I WAS forced. Not only did she have to kill her family at a very young age, she had to go on with life- and she sure did. I felt really bad for her because she suffered so much loss, and I wish this film showed a little more of her emotional side and a little less war. On every thing about this film that I found super intriguing and cool was all the albinos! I did not expect to see the scene where dozens of them were all together, like a little village. I found it kind of ironic how Magicien was searching for a super rare white rooster, and he was kind of like the super rare white rooster since he was albino.
Simshar (2014)
Great Film
I really liked this movie more than I thought I would. Even at slower parts, I was never bored. My favorite part was when the mother and the little brother were at home, looking out the window at the rain, probably wondering where their family was. I liked this part because the filming was really pretty and well done, like the rest of the movie. I didn't like when the commercial fishing boat, the Leca, didn't rescue Moussa, Simon and Theo. At first, when they spotted the boat I thought that that was it, and they were going to be rescued because Moussa and Simon got so excited. But when the captain wasn't too enthusiastic about picking them up, it kind of made me sad, because they were so close- but so far away. I can understand why the captain didn't save them though, since they were trying to focus on their job and there were just too many immigrants that if they saved all of them "they'd be coast guards not fishermen." I also didn't like when Moussa let go of the raft, basically knowing he would die once he did. I felt bad for Simon when he did this for several reasons. I felt bad because Moussa had just left Simon alone with a young boy who was very ill and dying. Also, Simon couldn't go and chase after Moussa because he had to stay and hang onto the raft with Theo, so he probably felt helpless. However, if I was in their situation, I would probably let go rather than hang on. If I was in their place, I would be so scared and probably lose all hope to fight for my life. I was amazed they made it as far as they did but after a while, got kind of painful to watch because I was just hoping they would be saved by a miracle.
Un homme qui crie (2010)
Great Film
Although this movie was fairly slow-paced, I did not mind it because it really made the movie that much more personal. I don't think that we realize how much time alone as humans we actually have, and how much silence we actually have in our lives, and this movie was basically a reflection of that. It seemed slow because we are used to seeing fast- paced American movies that are made to keep your attention. During this movie, I was not entertained the entire time, but that is okay, because we are not entertained in everyday life all the time. I felt bad for Adam because he was so sad, and I could tell he felt really bad for sending Abdel into the military. Although I do not agree with his choice to do that, I can understand why he did it, since he was in a bad state of mind, and also very poor. Sometimes people make choices in the moment for their own benefit, that they do not know will turn out badly, which is what I think Adam did, but he didn't mean to make things worse. I didn't like, however, when Abdel's girlfriend was crying on the bed and he covered her mouth, muting her screams. At first, I thought he was trying to kill her or hurt her in some way, which made me uncomfortable. I did like the scene when he put Abdel's body into the water, and it faded out. I thought that was a really pretty and peaceful way to end such a thoughtful movie.
Kinyarwanda (2011)
Very Moving Film
I liked this film, and my favorite part was when one of the men said "do not mistake the actions of God with the actions of man", which I thought was interesting, especially for a religious figure to say, since people often mix up the two. I also noticed that there were a few different stories going on, which I had never seen before! I thought that the director putting titles before every story was so helpful and reminded me of a documentary, which also made the film that much more realistic. I thought it was probably a bit more realistic than Hotel Rwanda, too, which was pretty obviously an American film. The ending in Hotel Rwanda was a little happier and did not have nearly as much gore, I think I liked Kinyarwanda a little more. I appreciate the realistic aspect, and I find it interesting when films do not follow the Hollywood plot line that I am so used to and that I expect! I also feel that we owe the victims the truth, and putting a happier spin on the Genocide like Hotel Rwanda, is kind of degrading, since it's just simply not what happened. We did not really see any character deaths in Hotel Rwanda (other than when Paul drove down that road) yet people were dying everywhere and it was so brutal. We also did not get to see the extent of the brutality in Hotel Rwanda. I did think it was sweet when the girl forgave the man for killing her parents, as well because I did not expect it.
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Good film
Hotel Rwanda was a well- made film, with some famous actors. It was interesting to see Hollywood actors in a film that seemed foreign, although it wasn't. I did not know very much about the Rwandan Genocide, or the history of other Genocides. Overall, I liked this film, but it was definitely not my favorite because I did not understand it as much as I did the other films; I found myself lost during some parts. My favorite character was Paul because he was so determined. Paul was such a big part in this movie, since he showed that he was not only a good person and hero to his family, but those living in the hotel.His issues made my stressors and issues in my life feel like nothing. Not only was dealing with the genocide, but he was living in the middle of it, AND had to manage an entire hotel! Although it was not his fault by any means, It must've killed him to see all of the families and their children sleeping in the hallways of his hotel every time he was trying to get by them. He must've felt some responsibility and guilt for them having to sleep on a cold floor, especially since he had a wife and children of his own he probably thought of when he saw these people. I also liked his wife, Tatiana a lot as well, because she was so devoted to Paul, and she seemed to keep him in line. I liked that she was a loving wife and mother, but also was not afraid to die for her kids or Paul, since she was so tough. Although we saw struggles of both Paul and Tatiana through their eyes, I would've liked to see more of the kids' struggles and how THEY viewed what was going on. I kind of wish that there was more interaction between the kids at the hotel and Paul and Tatiana's kids, because they were a big part in the movie too since they were so vulnerable. The difference in this movie compared to most of the others, was that there was not violence in the sense that the community was so troubled such as guns and gangs, but because of war and the genocide. So what is the crime really like in Kigali, Rwanda? The crime that is most prominent today is theft and vandalism, at a rate of about 36%, which is considered low.Next, at a rate of 26%, is drugs and people dealing drugs. Violent crimes are less common than petty theft. Interestingly, violent crimes are less likely to happen to a foreigner than a local, as well! A study done in 2015 shows that there has been an increase in robbery in homes, but it mostly happens when people are not in them. Overall, Kigali is a pretty safe place, compared to the other countries in the films we have watched.
Voces inocentes (2004)
Emotional Film
I liked this film, however it was not one of my favorites so far out of all the films we have watched. I noticed that there were no sex scenes, in contrast to the other foreign films, which had a lot. It did have a lot of violence, similarly to the others. There was a slight difference between the type of violence in this film than the others, and that was that the characters were not fighting the violence, they were trying to get away from it. This is partly because they were innocent people in a war, not angry people in gangs. This also goes to show why the movie was called "Innocent Voices", because not only were they innocent families, but also children bring a sense of innocence as well. My favorite character was Chava's girlfriend because she seemed to make him so happy, and of course, she was really cute. Although the movie was very heavyhearted, she brought some lightheartedness to the feel of it, since we did not really experience her struggles, so we only really saw her when she was happy and being sweet to Chava. I was surprised when the children's school was stopped so that the kids could be recruited. I did not realize how many child soldiers are forced into war, which makes me feel so ignorant! I was also surprised that none of Chava's family were killed during one of the many attacks, since in the other films, one of the main characters often dies.
Cidade de Deus (2002)
great film
This was one of my favorite movies we've watched thus far. I really thought that the acting was so well done, and the scenes were filmed really nicely, and were pleasing to the eye. my favorite scene was probably when the whole group of teens were at the beach, and Rocket was jealous of Tiago, since he wished he was dating his girlfriend at the time, Angelica. Then, I thought it was really neat when Angelica dumped him for Rocket, and I felt happy for him that he got the girl of his dreams. My favorite character was Benny, because although he was associated with Lil Ze, he was, in Lil Z's words "too nice". He would let people off easy, which showed his sensitive side, as well as when he fell in love and decided he was going to leave the violence behind for "his girl", rock music, and a farm. Benny was really the only main character that I really felt sad about when he was shot, since he was so different from everyone else, as he seemed to be more human. I felt badly for Angelica as well, as they really wanted to get their life back on track together, and grow old. My least favorite character was Lil Ze, because he was just simply the "bad guy" of the film. I did however, have a bit of sympathy for him because his insecurities showed when he'd try and let loose. For example, whenever he tried to talk to girls, and he was rejected, you could tell how insecure that made him. I really disliked how instead of stopping to pursue the woman, he'd just force them into sex and assault them one way or another. I would give this movie five out of five stars.
Una noche (2012)
Loved it
This has been my favorite film out of the three that we, as a class, have watched. I really enjoyed it because I felt as though the movie never really lost my attention; I always was excited to know what would happen next. There was just so many themes- and so much suspense! The themes in this movie particularly intrigued me, and interested me, because I could relate to them in terms of American society a little more than the other movies. The fact that the males seemed to act sexist towards the females, like when Raul pushed himself on multiple girls on multiple scenes when they declined him. Even when Lila, Elio and Raul were rowing to Miami, Lila barely rowed, as if it were a "man's" job. There was also quite a bit of bullying along with this, like when the girls in the street were making fun of Lila for the hair on her arms. Another main theme was homosexuality. There were so many references and slang terms used in this film, and most of the characters treated homosexuality as a joke and something gross that is not to be spoken of. I thought it was really interesting and surprising when Elio kissed Raul while he was sleeping, and how his sister completely accepted it, and Raul did not. This makes me wonder if Cuba is as evolved as we are when it comes to accepting homosexuality. There was also a lot of sex in this movie, and sexual advances, such as, again, when Raul pushed himself on multiple females, trying to force them to get together with him. Elio and Lila's mother was also cheating on their father with another man, and Lila actually saw them, which must've been hard on her. Raul's mother was dying from AIDS, yet was still prostituting herself, which Raul also walked in on her with a client, similarly to Lila's situation. During the movie introduction that Mac did, he mentioned that two of the actors went missing during the filming of this film, and once they were found pled for a political asylum. This interested me, and made me wonder; what does this mean? A political asylum is defined in the dictionary as "the protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their native country as a political refugee." So, this basically means that one can apply for asylum and can be granted refugee status. One can apply if you have fled your home country in fear for your life, and do not want to go back. The actors, Javier Nunez Florian (the character of Elio) and Anailin de la Rua de la Torre (the character of Lila) were the pair who went missing during the filming of this movie, while at an airport in Miami. Even their costar who played Raul, did not know where they were or why they had disappeared, which caused director and the entire film crew to panic. Thankfully, three days later, the two (who played twins in the movie) were not only found, but also were pleading political asylum. Interestingly, these two happened to be in a romantic relationship outside of the set!
También la lluvia (2010)
Good film.
I thought that the most interesting part about this film, was how there were truly three different stories taking place, for the most part, irrelevant to each other. The story of the water crisis in Bolivia which launched the protest, the filming process, and the actual plot of the film being made, which was about the Bolivians. I think that an important aspect of the film was how drastically the two main characters changed! Sebastien and Costa were generally pretty selfish regarding their film they were making. However, I think towards the end, Sebastien began to understand that sometimes life is more important than a film! When Costa explained to him that he had to go the hospital to try and save the little girl, instead of finishing the film, I think it really opened Sebastien's eyes, as he would've been out of place and selfish to try and stop him from saving a life. I also think that a good and worthy discussion topic for this film would be the bad light that was shed on the government who were taking the Bolivians' water. However, I can understand both sides of the crisis; although it's not fair for their water to be taken away, it is the only rational option. If there is a water shortage, I think the government HAS to come in and take over the situation, because ultimately they are trying to do what is best for everyone, and the people of Bolivia alone could not manage the water crisis, since it's such a huge and fragile job. At the beginning of this film, I didn't really like it because I was a bit lost and confused as to what was going on, and why there seemed to be multiple different stories taking place. Then, the film grew on me, and I started to understand what was going on. Also as the film went on, for me, it got more interesting and more action started to happen. This film also put into perspective, once again, how lucky we are to have been born in countries such as the U.S, (or in my case, Canada!) For the most part, we have all the resources we need in order to survive, and do not have to worry about whether or not we will be allowed or denied access to a basic survival need, like water. I feel so lucky not to be somewhere like Bolivia, because I cannot imagine the stress and trauma the Bolivians go through, just fighting for water! To us, water is a simple thing and is available at all times. What do you think you would do if we got our water suddenly taken away from us? What do you think Americans in general would do? Do you think they'd start a big protest like the Bolivians?
Sin nombre (2009)
Interesting film
Since I am immersed in American culture and society, I almost never watch international films, as I have never really taken the interest in doing so, or even had an opportunity to. This film is really the first international film I have ever seen, and I am glad I watched it. I enjoyed the film overall for a lot of reasons. I thought it was interesting how the viewer is forced to feel sympathy for immigrants when watching, as it shows the reality and how sad this struggle is for people like Sayra and Casper. I think that usually in American movies, immigrants are portrayed as very tough and criminal, and you assume that ALL immigrants are involved with drugs and gangs, which is NOT true, and this film really showed just how emotional the journey is for them. In contrast, in this film, you get a chance to know the characters and really understand that they are people struggling, but only in a different way than us, and we are NOT any better than them. I also liked the bond between Sayra and Casper, and for me, when Casper was shot and killed (by a little boy)! I really felt burdened by the utter sadness and loneliness Sayra was left in, when she was sobbing in the water, surrounded by violence. Although there was chaos around her, it was interesting that she found a secluded, shady place under a tree/ bush where the water was still and calm to completely break down into hysterics, and I think the irony of that made it all the more real and emotional. I think that American movies often have a happy ending to them, and are expected to by Americans. However, I appreciate how in this international film, the ending is NOT happy, and it is overall a very serious and upsetting movie, which, I think, that if it were American, it would be less emotionally heavy, more comical, and end happily, with probably not as many or no deaths at all. However, this is not usually how reality is, and it was for sure a different perspective for me to see, and I would not change the ending.
If you were in the shoes of a Mexican immigrant traveling alone, would you join a gang if given the chance if it meant you could potentially keep you safer?
Do you prefer the stereotypical "American happy ending" or a more realistic ending like in this film?