dedjim
Joined Nov 1999
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Reviews8
dedjim's rating
The Wachowskis don't have a lot of explaining to do, they have a story to tell and they are telling it. That it may have some "pseudophilosophical" content is not the point. They are telling an existential story and this piece was a necessary transition furthering that story. Animatrix was to the same purpose, plus adding some flesh to the bones of that story.
We stand at the turn of a man-made milepost-- the millenium-- witnessing the death, finally, of some very old man-made explanations of Why We Are Here. Can anyone doubt that the time for religion as a model of the universe is past (save the diehards who seek either the control or the succor that religion provides) Can anyone doubt that a new future is before us and we don't *really* understand where it is taking us? Can anyone doubt that we humans are *still* asking the same questions: Why... What *purpose*? Even hardcore athiests and pure reductionists are uncertain. (Witness, even Carl Sagan, who never saw a God he much cared for, laid more questions than answers at our feet.) No scientist worthy of the appellation can ever claim that mankind, at least in our current state, can understand What Is Going On.
We now have six billion people on this planet. We are doing Very Bad Things to one another. Old systems are beginning to fail. We, as humans, need to evolve a bit if we expect this all not to end VERY badly. Maybe the Wachowskis are just trying to tell a story about that uncertainty and fear and need to understand that many humans are feeling very deeply just about now.
And, to my mind, they are doing a pretty damned good job of marrying good story telling with amazing movie technology to do that. I'm looking forward to their conclusion.
We stand at the turn of a man-made milepost-- the millenium-- witnessing the death, finally, of some very old man-made explanations of Why We Are Here. Can anyone doubt that the time for religion as a model of the universe is past (save the diehards who seek either the control or the succor that religion provides) Can anyone doubt that a new future is before us and we don't *really* understand where it is taking us? Can anyone doubt that we humans are *still* asking the same questions: Why... What *purpose*? Even hardcore athiests and pure reductionists are uncertain. (Witness, even Carl Sagan, who never saw a God he much cared for, laid more questions than answers at our feet.) No scientist worthy of the appellation can ever claim that mankind, at least in our current state, can understand What Is Going On.
We now have six billion people on this planet. We are doing Very Bad Things to one another. Old systems are beginning to fail. We, as humans, need to evolve a bit if we expect this all not to end VERY badly. Maybe the Wachowskis are just trying to tell a story about that uncertainty and fear and need to understand that many humans are feeling very deeply just about now.
And, to my mind, they are doing a pretty damned good job of marrying good story telling with amazing movie technology to do that. I'm looking forward to their conclusion.
Lots of dissing for both Alicia and Benicio but it seems disingenuous. This is not a profound film but it IS a fun one. Nice photography, a plot that has a good rhythm and tempo, engaging characters that are well acted and clever film devices (for one, the conflict regarding her smoking that set up the plot complication in the first place). Walken is great as usual as a character both scary AND endearing. Spark a blunt, open a beer and enjoy this silly but fun little flick.
You just KNEW it wasn't gonna be a tidy ending after such an involved
story-telling. Never mind the lingering questions (How DID the sniper get all that information on him? Just by bugging the phone booth?) the film was a great ride. Sutherland, like his father, has such a wonderful and menacing voice and
appearance. He was perfect. I didn't know he was in the film and throughout the thing I was wondering where they got the great voice talent... I didn't recognize him. Colin Farrell did a great job of taking his character from a thoroughly unlikable lout to a truly sympathetic character. I'm still thinking about the use of the last phone booth in a world of cell phone ubiquity as a vehicle to force the confessions of a man who exemplifies the duplicity and mendacity that the
modern world takes for granted.
story-telling. Never mind the lingering questions (How DID the sniper get all that information on him? Just by bugging the phone booth?) the film was a great ride. Sutherland, like his father, has such a wonderful and menacing voice and
appearance. He was perfect. I didn't know he was in the film and throughout the thing I was wondering where they got the great voice talent... I didn't recognize him. Colin Farrell did a great job of taking his character from a thoroughly unlikable lout to a truly sympathetic character. I'm still thinking about the use of the last phone booth in a world of cell phone ubiquity as a vehicle to force the confessions of a man who exemplifies the duplicity and mendacity that the
modern world takes for granted.