Change Your Image
sdoell
Reviews
I Origins (2014)
Good but with problems
To enjoy many good stories, you have to suspend disbelief. I enjoyed I Origins but would like to address some problems in execution rather than in the overall theme.
The overall suspense of finding the answer to the question of life and reincarnation overwhelmingly understated the agnostic, anti-theist, or atheist cases. This can be forgiven given that romance is much harder to portray with dead-sober rationals like these.
The filmmaker wisely chose to end the story with affirmation of the main character's existential beliefs without hard proof. This is essential to films like these. If they completely resolved the philosophical dilemma, the film would have been panned.
The most glaring error lies with the testing method he used on the young Indian girl with the same eyes as his ex-girlfriend. It was utterly unscientific from the start. Others have pointed out small errors in the plot and science of the film but this one is almost unforgivable. When he asks her to choose one out of three pictures, he relays if it is correct or incorrect to his wife which is obvious psychological manipulation of the girl. This would invalidate the test results. At the end, the girl even asks if she did poorly on the test clearly revealing the case. I can accept the better than 33% test results but the error in testing methodology left a sour taste in my mouth.
In hindsight, I realize it was done to allow quick analysis of the results thereby moving the story forward without extra scenes or dialogue. I have yet to determine whether or not it is acceptable. I will let it go. It's a movie, not a scientific treatise. I Origins is worth a watch.
Deconstructing Harry (1997)
Re-emergence of classic Woody Allen
Despite his use of more racy language, this film is a tribute to the witty dialog and plot development that really characterizes his career. Somewhat similar in ways to his earlier Stardust Memories, this film depicts all of his trademark qualities without being overly narcissistic. Unlike many writers and filmmakers who become self-absorbed and get carried away with pseudo-artistic self exploration, Allen seems to find the right balance between comedy and drama. He isn't trying so hard to be an intellectual that he bores you to death. He relates some simple and some deeply philosophical issues in the guise of comedy and good character development and this is what Allen does best. While not his best (then again he has so many good films to his credit), it is intelligent, witty, and entertaining. It is a must-see for his fans. I highly recommend it.
28 Days Later... (2002)
One of the best films of the genre
Not since the original 1978 version of "Dawn of the Dead" have I seen such a fine movie for this genre. The cast of lesser-known actors shows that great films don't need star power to succeed. I was completely drawn into the story and unlike most other films didn't find myself guessing when the hero was going to save the day. The plot development doesn't rely on the formulaic buildup of the hero but instead concentrates on the harsh cold realities of such an outbreak. It carries the film and makes it easy to sustain your disbelief as the story unfolds. This is the kind of film, like "Trainspotting", also a UK film, that defies the homogenized Hollywood motion picture machine concept. In short, another great film from the UK. I highly recommend it. Also, don't forget to watch the sequel "28 Weeks later" which is almost as good and stars Robert Carlyle.