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Reviews
Neighbors (2014)
A film about the noble man
It is not realistic to think students in the USA have the kind of money to spend on parties like we see in this film. So it has to be a metaphor. To my mind the parties represent modern daily life in the city. It mainly consists of noise, but also sex, drinking and eating.
Amongst all the noise, sex etcetera there has to be small pieces of truth and also some lasting principles. The two men Teddy, a student, and Mac, a young father, become neighbours somewhere in suburbia. While all the noise and stuff are going on, it appears that one of them stands by his convictions of honesty, loyalty and male bonding. The other does't mind backstabbing, corrupting and waging a personal vendetta with the help of the shallow life of noise, sex and drinking.
The final conclusion is very interesting. Just like in real life, the one who pursues the higher values, ends up betrayed by people who gave lip service to those values and he goes on alone, but probably not lonely. The other neighbour is more acceptable and "good for business". So he keeps on as "the more attainable goal" to be followed by the masses.
Who is the bad neighbour?
Locke (2013)
A man among men
Here I am, giving lectures to fathers about maintaining the different relationships in their lives. But alas!, how does one demonstrate the ideal, even if you might know such a person?
In comes this film Locke, demonstrating integrity, responsibility, caring, loyalty, firmness, perseverance, plus some more good things about being a man among men. Forget about Hercules, Braveheart and so many attractive and well muscled heroes. Here is a man who knows how to be alone, how to overcome rejection, how to lead colleagues, how to embrace his children,how to accept his wife as a person even when she acts unfairly, how to be fearlessly honest.
And yet he is not some miracle. He gets extremely frustrated an angry, but he can allow it to happen without picking on someone else.
What a movie!!
Don Jon (2013)
The lack of human bonding
I do not know much about the technicalities of film making, but I know a lot about what makes humans become what they are and I am often amazed about the insight writers and film makers display through excellent films like Don Jon. The lack of physical bonding between parents and their children younger than twelve, have tragic consequences for those children as adults. Don Jon exposes an example of such consequences: a deep feeling of isolation and an inability to belong to someone.
It poses the question: What is a home? A place where people eat and watch a game?; or a place where people have sex?; or a place where people can safely be themselves?
Then it also asks: What is a church?
Turning away from the problem of failing families,the film presents answers that are real and achievable. One answer is that trying to get real help from professional therapists will not change one into the person one should be. The real answer lies in friendship, in touch, in trusting the other, in accepting another person completely - shortcomings and all. No therapy, just accepting life and the people close to you.
Little Children (2006)
A film about people's needs
To me this is a film with an extremely deep message.The title says it all: although it is a story primarily about adults, the title points to "little children".
We humans are actually all little children who have a fundamental need for physical and emotional security. In order to find that security, we turn to others - sometimes even when those others are our children. It is for the sake of security that we marry. And if the marriage does not comply, we look for alternatives. If we have guilt feelings, we try to find security by blaming someone for the very thing we are guilty of. If we had a bad childhood, we want to regain security by trying to be young again. We lately also try to find that security with anonymous people on the internet. Every day we want to hold on to somebody who can say: "Come, I will make you feel safe." We easily reject the person who betray us, but we ourselves easily betray all those around us.
The moment we think that our security is under threat, we get hysterical and overreact. We get unrealistic and exaggerate to the point of being foolish. Yet the little security we do find in others - or think we find - is feeble and fragile. We can never be sure that the other person is a pillar of strength. We live in constant fear of something we cannot really define. And constantly we are aware of the need inside us that cannot be fulfilled. Eventually we are forced to make do with what little is available. But the need and the fear will not really go away.
All this I have seen clearly the day after watching the movie. In what way can we pursue real, deep down security?
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
This film does not stay behind once you have left the theater.
War is ugly. War starts in the minds of a few individuals. But they are not the people who actually die on the battlefield. Those who are fighting are innocent young ones who are motivated by the necessity of the situation that is created in the process. So the only important people then are those sharing the situation - a situation which is unnatural and should actually not exist. People are spiritual beings in the first place. Maybe that is why the friendship in a war situation becomes far bigger than the war itself. But the people who started the war in the first place, live on other spiritual experiences, whatever those may be.
Does it matter whether they are Americans or Japanese or whoever? I think the different worlds - the battle field and the political halls - are brilliantly portrayed in Flags Of Our Fathers. It gave me some insight into the mind-workings of the two different ways of existence, two different interpretations and reactions on the same event. Very clearly to me this film showed the futility of war. It brings nobody any good. Nobody wants to rejoice in something so destructive and bizarre. The so-called heroes are soon forgotten.
This film made a very special impression on me. It confirmed again that people actually live their daily lives from a very deep place in their hearts. Their words and actions are determined by what they really worship in that silent place inside them.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Here is nothing to learn
My impression of Americans is that they are big mouthed. But I cannot say that I know or even vaguely understand the American psyche. When I chose to see this film, it was to learn more about Americans. Surely there must be something to learn from a nation who leads the world and who keeps on producing leaders and leading discoveries for the rest of the world to follow. It also surely says a lot that a nation can succeed in extending it's culture around the world. I was aware of the fact that this film would portray a not-so-good-side of Americans. But I was curious to see what it was that made Americans so-called "bad".
What a disappointment! The "badness" of Americans portrayed in this film, could have come from any nation or country. We are all humans and in this film I could only see what people in general are like.
However, what shocked me was the blatant disrespect shown towards the people of Kazakhstan. I am from the Afrikaner group who are also often portrayed as backward and utterly stupid. Therefore I can sympathize with the Kazaks. This is not funny. It is prejudiced and unrealistic.