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Reviews
1976 (2022)
The Official Story
Chile, 76 follows the lines of The Official Story, an earlier film that also traces the transformation of an Upper middle class woman who slowly is awaken to the atrocities of the fascist coup. To people who think that is not enough explanation, it would be good to read up on the assassination of Allende aided by the CIA. To folks who don't understand why the leading character changes her political position, if you know the history, its clear. She begins to understand that her privileged lifestyle is built upon the backs of the poor, her husband is involved in the rooting out of communists at the hospital, and for once, she feels that she is doing something useful, treating the young man who was shot for his political position. For a woman who grew up in a patriarchal society in which she could not be a doctor, whose life was restricted to acts of charity, this is a game changer. If you are familiar with Chilean films made of this period, you know that the Pinochet regime was based on not seeing, not seeing your neighbors disappear, simplistic explanations, violence, abuse. Its not meant to be an American thriller, so if you want a though provoking film, this is it.
New Amsterdam (2018)
How medicine should be practiced
I'm not sure how a series depicting the sorry state of health care in this country could be anything but political. On this score it does an excellent and very needed job. When a vet who did for tours of duty is going to die because the VA won't pay for his full medical bill, that is political. The same goes for almost every episode. I have a PhD in American studies, but am not sure what "critical race theory" really means except that it tell the truth about inequality in this country which continues to this very day. The world is indeed in a terrible state, as is health care in America. I put off going to the hospital with pneumonia until it was almost too late because I was afraid of not being able to pay the bill. On the other hand, this tv series is uplifting because it show dedicated doctors who care about changing the system, care more for their patients that buying a second house. The point is that this is a terrific series, and everyone should watch it.
La vita bugiarda degli adulti (2023)
Making a difficult transformation from book to screen into an elegant series
I watched the previous series My Brilliant Film, and loved it. But perhaps because it was one episode a week, and the series only once a year, it was much harder to keep the characters straight than the current The Lying Lives of Adults. I understand the underlying themes quite well-the hypocrisy of the left attempting to understand the working class, who were too busy trying to survive to care about Marxist theory; the ways that academics are sometimes shallow, reading and talking about politics but very seldom carrying out their beliefs; and finally the ways that friendships between women can survive betrayals, harsh words and lies. Some of the characters from the earlier series are also transposed with different names into this one. Its a beautiful series which has done what it accomplished, transformed literature into film. My only wish is that Netflix didn't dub in so many of their foreign features. It is sometimes flat and doesn't follow the subtitles.
Conversations with Friends (2022)
who should review introverted films/series?
After reading some of the reviews, I'm wondering why most Americans bother watching European films/series in which most of the focus is on the dialogue. No one is murdered, there are no frantic car chases. But what there is happening appears to be very beautiful, a look inside two young women, very different, who react in different ways to a charismatic couple who they get into a complicated relationship with at the beginning of the first series. For me its been absorbing, thoughtful, and therefore making me think too.
The Mauritanian (2021)
a very difficult movie to watch, but necessary
I was particularly interested because I'm from Albuquerque, and remember hearing Nancy Hollander speak about the case. I also remember all the people who refused to believe that this was happening. What's important to remember is that the perpetrators in the government were never held accountable, and Gitmo has not been closed. His verdict was appealed under the Obama administration, a liberal presidency. What else is important to remember is that this was not an isolated incident but needs to be put into a context with the secret torture what was going on in Chicago prisons, and probably elsewhere too. If this is ever going to end it has to be acknowledged and put into the larger picture of anti-Asian violence, murder of unarmed people by the police, etc etc etc etc.
Nuestras madres (2019)
Beautiful, important film
Its important to watch movies like this to remember that this war against the people was partly funded by American dollars but very few people knew or cared that it was going on. Apparently that is still true. The young man is helping his people because he has lived that tragedy and because he feels for the women who have lost everything. His mother went through unbearable torture and survived. That's what this film is about, the survival of the women and the difficult investigations to find the bones of their families. Anyone who gave it low reviews because it lacked a story has not lived through tragedy now do they want to hear about it.