Change Your Image
BrianToo
Reviews
Unbreakable (2000)
So, what was that theme, again?
Saw the movie less than an hour ago, so maybe I need to give it more time. The best theme my wife and I could conjure up is "Too many comic books are bad for your mind!"
There are no true themes of "good vs. evil" here. There is a significant breakage and clash of stereotypes--a prophet is really a villain; an everyman is a hero--but it isn't handled with much aplomb.
I'm in the camp with the folks who see very much talent (actor and director alike) not going as far as it could have. Overall, a disappointment--but I'll recant if something finally "sinks in."
One Foot in Heaven (1941)
How little things have changed in 58 years...
Of course, it's impossible to tell how much of this story is dramatized and how much is real. And the gothic ideals of what a "church" should be are now very period--as they should be. But what makes this film work is the human nature presented through the characters. I say this because, as a (United) Methodist pastor, I know and have known the very types of characters represented in this film. And as one who sometimes wonders whether I'm fulfilling the mandate of my calling, this film was a welcome and refreshing reminder of maintaining my focus. It is probably a good insight for church members who want to get a glimpse of what life is truly like for a clergy person, then as now (though my parsonage is countless times better than what poor Dr. Spence had to live with!). A recommended dose of reality for the clergy-weary and the clergy-wary alike!
Eraserhead (1977)
Once more, with feeling...
When I first saw this film, it was a showing on the campus of the University of Michigan, where I was a student. Consequently, let's just say I was somewhat chemically impaired while I watched the story, such as it is. That was when the movie was only a year old. Already it had formed a strong cult following (in the Ann Arbor area, anyway). And while the movie didn't (and in many ways, still doesn't) make sense to me, I still retain strong impressions of events in the film--especially the "lady behind the radiator" and her special little dance (squish, two, three, four...) At any rate, having read ALL the comments posted here so far, I'm now convinced I need to find this flick and check it out one more time. Especially now, as a parent myself, I think it might be a whole new experience--without the controlled substance enhancements this time! ;-)
The Thin Red Line (1998)
No, I don't get it--maybe because it's not there.
Or maybe it's because I haven't read the book (or any of them in the trilogy, for that matter). But either way, I don't get it.
Is that a problem with me, or the movie? I choose the latter. Technically, the film is brilliant. Action scenes truly involve the viewer in the battles. The cinematography involves us in the location of Guadal Canal. I now feel as though I've been there, and understand something of the damage done to this peaceful-but-strategically-located island.
The problem is that the film isn't about war; it's apparently about human nature. Fine; all films should deal with that on some level. Unfortunately for us, though, this film--be it the director, script or actor--tends to reach beyond its grasp. Poetic lines (vs. genuine poetry) are interwoven not at pointed intervals, but instead as pointless interruptions. And what seems to desire to pass for wisdom is shallow and droll.
Nolte, Penn and the rest turn in honorable performances, given what they had in the way of script and direction. Indeed, at points the cast rises above the shallow circumstances in which they find themselves. They certainly cannot be held responsible for the film's final appearance, or its lack of impact (let alone import).
It's the images so haphazardly interjected into the film that break it apart, no matter how well the cast worked. The crocodile, the bird--well, there's a difference between "too deep for most people" and too weak to make a point. Where the imagery of "Apocalypse Now" added to the story and its effect, the comparatively lame attempts in this version of "The Thin Red Line" provide only a thin veneer, where real depth was needed.
Color me disappointed.
Lilies of the Field (1963)
A movie about faith, not race!
It was ironic to me that AMC chose to show this movie during "Black History Month," in that this film has very, very little to do with race or nationality. Apart from a few passing remarks, Homer Smith's (Poitier's) heritage is not an issue. What is an issue is faith--and whether those who claim faith can overcome fears, hesitations, and "practical" concerns to actually experience living that faith out (hence the title!). This film is a refreshing view of this universal struggle, in whatever terms we deal with it as individuals. A must see, in my opinion.