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Reviews
Breaking Bad (2008)
Very, very good for TV
I HATE roughly 95% of all television shows that I've ever seen. It offends my intelligence, my world view, and pretty much everything else I hold dearly. Breaking Bad is still television...but its *good* television. Sure, there are some cringe-worthy moments. The presentation of the Salamanca brothers was down-right uncharacteristically cartoonish and silly, with their melodramatic silence and oh-so-menacing expressions. But I forgive Breaking Bad. Jesse is irritatingly familiar, the scumbag bro you hoped you wouldn't see at parties, played to perfection by Aaron Paul (I'm hoping its not one of those "Keaneau Reeves" scenarios, where he is actually ALWAYS an airhead). You just wanna smack a bro, at times. But I got over it, even grew to like this character at times. Funny, the way the writers play with us, so deftly injecting and removing our sympathies at the drop of a pork-pie hat. Without spoilers, I've had issues with some of season 5 as well, as some of the subtleties in Walt's development, some of his lines, seem to have been exchanged for the more predictable and cheesy TV/Hollywood tropes. And yet...I am still counting the months until July, when we'll all be put out of our collective, suspenseful misery. Hopefully, in a good way. Because, despite these and a few other missteps, I haven't been this engaged in a TV show since I can remember.
For some reason, likely a surplus of spare time that we won't go into, I've now watched the first 4.5 seasons, twice. I am notoriously picky, and an infamous hater of most things that appear on the small screen. Why? Because TV most often lacks the focused creative genius that is allowed in film. There is no independent venue for TV, as there is for film. Either you're palatable to the larger American audience, or you don't make it past the pilot episode (assuming you aren't shooting for the dreaded network TV stations, where creativity and intellect are sacrificed at the whims of advertising dollars. I think I've vomited on the keyboard.) Amidst all of the prerequisite cartoon violence and melodrama, there are some absolutely poignant moments--and having watched a father of the same age (and similar life situation) encounter cancer--with a less spectacular outcome--I quickly noted that Walt's experience, sans descent into Scarface, was hauntingly realistic. The struggle of each character's encounter with existential malaise and disappointment, the will to survive, and the will to power, amidst all of the fantastic fictional elements, are incredibly real--and not just for Walt, but for almost every single character on the show; from Hank to Marie, Gus, Skylar, Mike, etc. Though I may not even agree with Gilligan's philosophical premises about the nature of morality (or maybe I do...I'll see how this ends!), I applaud the refreshing way in which it is being explored. Our protagonist constantly makes the wrong choices. Or were they wrong? We aren't exactly sure. Is there redemption? We don't know that, either. Now, again, you can bicker about the merits of this quandary, but the point is that this show is engaging enough to keep us guessing.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Spoilers!! And the Biggest Cinematic Letdown of my 39 Years, unapologetically written from the perspective of my rambling inner brat
SPOILERS: Grief is one of those processes that do not sink in immediately, and one that best describes what I feel after sitting through and processing this movie. As the big plot twist Is finally revealed after a few teases-did he just-oh wait, there he is!! Phew....WHAT!-I found myself smiling, maybe wincing and grimacing at my fellow movie-goer, as if I'd just consumed an entire lemon. I was sort of in denial. "no. Nahhhhhhh. Nope, they can't be THAT stupid. They didn't take a 40 year legacy, one of the greatest cinematic icons of all time, and drop it into the trash like a moldy zucchini in the back of the fridge. So...he's immortal, right?" But, here we are. And, much in the way that the film fumbled through most of the potentially emotionally powerful scenes, leaving any impact squandered, (especially the moving-saber tip-off when Emo-Rem is about to bisect SNOPE, an undevelopped villain-who'll probably get fleshed out in some other prequel-remember, every plot hole is now an opportunity for future shameless cash-grabs) the impact was ruined because this is simply bad writing. It's a crap idea. Relying on Luke (and Leia's) well and wonderfully developped characters to drag us into the theater, while barely breathing life into the new generations, and then having them ripped away from us, leaving us with character dynamics with almost NO emotional depth-no, they're not doing this. A few days later, it sank in that they had in fact done exactly that. After a few glimmers of hope and promise that we were getting to embrace the world of Skywalker again, to see what this childhood deity had blossomed into, I was enraged that he was just another cheap plot device-and these seem to be the cheap nostalgic fumes that the sequels are now running on. Another scene where beloved character X swoops in (Wookie, droid, what have you), queue day-saving music and high pitched droid noise-wookie/tribble scream. Star Wars was always hokey, based on plot lines and far superior filmmakers' work, yes, but it pulled is into its new world and made us love it. Seeing the trailers for these films used to choke me up, as they represented another chance to revisit that galaxay far, far away and a piece of my childhood-character and actors who weren't master thespians of their time (okay, well, one or two exceptions, haha). There was the possibility to bring the heart and soul of those original films into a new, turbulent era. The fact that whatever morons made this film aspired to nothing more than resuscitating a global brand for another generation, is an artistic tragedy. A promising new cast, and perhaps the biggest hero in cinema history, and it's all been reduced to recycled devices, and a 2 1/2 hour product placement for its own legacy. CGI space battles will never match the impact of the models-watching the Making of Star Wars specials impacted my imagination as a child, to see all of the creative seem and stuffing of every giant puppet and exploding green screen star base, now replaced by lazy paint-by-numbers explosions.
Please fix this. Get a director who's heart and soul are into this.
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Wanted a bit more
Not quite a waste of time, per se; as a lifelong Bostonian/New Englander,etc.I do enjoy these peeks into the Affleck version of surly New England narratives, as a bit of nostalgia, sights, sounds, and accents that sometimes even succeed at making me homesick when I'm away. But this could have been so much more. The plot was intriguing, the actors were adequate, and the atmosphere was heavy, but ultimately, it didn't deliver the gut punch or epiphany I wanted, despite a few viscerally touching scenes. It felt a bit hollow if you take out that reoccurring, central character in these kinds of films: New England itself. Sometimes filmmakers rely on their interpretation of "place" a bit too heavily, at the expense of story-telling and filmmaking skills in general, and I think Manchester is a victim of such gimmicks. Another thing that bugged me: the music. While finely curated as a soundtrack, the organ and choir numbers made potentially dark and somber scenes feel more than a little heavy-handed and completely distracting. Several other curious choices, without giving away too much. In all, I'm still happy I watched the film; it just could have reached higher heights, and given the hype, it didn't approach my expectations.
Breaking Bad (2008)
Very, very good for TV
I HATE roughly 95% of all television shows that I've ever seen. It offends my intelligence, my world view, and pretty much everything else I hold dearly. Breaking Bad is still television...but its *good* television. Sure, there are some cringe-worthy moments. The presentation of the Salamanca brothers was down-right uncharacteristically cartoonish and silly, with their melodramatic silence and oh-so-menacing expressions. But I forgive Breaking Bad. Jesse is irritatingly familiar, the scumbag bro you hoped you wouldn't see at parties, played to perfection by Aaron Paul (I'm hoping its not one of those "Keaneau Reeves" scenarios, where he is actually ALWAYS an airhead). You just wanna smack a bro, at times. But I got over it, even grew to like this character at times. Funny, the way the writers play with us, so deftly injecting and removing our sympathies at the drop of a pork-pie hat. Without spoilers, I've had issues with some of season 5 as well, as some of the subtleties in Walt's development, some of his lines, seem to have been exchanged for the more predictable and cheesy TV/Hollywood tropes. And yet...I am still counting the months until July, when we'll all be put out of our collective, suspenseful misery. Hopefully, in a good way. Because, despite these and a few other missteps, I haven't been this engaged in a TV show since I can remember.
For some reason, likely a surplus of spare time that we won't go into, I've now watched the first 4.5 seasons, twice. I am notoriously picky, and an infamous hater of most things that appear on the small screen. Why? Because TV most often lacks the focused creative genius that is allowed in film. There is no independent venue for TV, as there is for film. Either you're palatable to the larger American audience, or you don't make it past the pilot episode (assuming you aren't shooting for the dreaded network TV stations, where creativity and intellect are sacrificed at the whims of advertising dollars. I think I've vomited on the keyboard.) Amidst all of the prerequisite cartoon violence and melodrama, there are some absolutely poignant moments--and having watched a father of the same age (and similar life situation) encounter cancer--with a less spectacular outcome--I quickly noted that Walt's experience, sans descent into Scarface, was hauntingly realistic. The struggle of each character's encounter with existential malaise and disappointment, the will to survive, and the will to power, amidst all of the fantastic fictional elements, are incredibly real--and not just for Walt, but for almost every single character on the show; from Hank to Marie, Gus, Skylar, Mike, etc. Though I may not even agree with Gilligan's philosophical premises about the nature of morality (or maybe I do...I'll see how this ends!), I applaud the refreshing way in which it is being explored. Our protagonist constantly makes the wrong choices. Or were they wrong? We aren't exactly sure. Is there redemption? We don't know that, either. Now, again, you can bicker about the merits of this quandary, but the point is that this show is engaging enough to keep us guessing.
Kôdo Giasu: Hangyaku no Rurûshu (2006)
Not as interesting as the 1st series
...and yet, I'm still watching this silly thing. Masterpiece? Hardly. This is not tight-wound, original, well written or engaging enough to be called that. Okay, so, I have high standards. I was watching Kurosawa and Truffaut films on Hulu before I stumbled onto this thing last week, but I'm hardly an anime novice at this point. FMA is my idea of a masterpiece. You actually care about characters, the plot keeps you in its pocket, and you practically mourn the coming of the final episode. With R2, there are plenty of plot twists, at the right time, to keep one sufficiently hooked; yet they aren't as plausible or rewarding enough for me to really recommend that anyone else get duped into this mess. The moral ambiguity of the characters is a great idea, but that sort of stopped giving us reasons to care about any of them anymore, as its more concerned with strategy at this point. Don't get me wrong--the first series, though not in itself unique or visionary, was quite engaging at times, and the unraveling of the character and story lines was intriguing. This futuristic post colonial world and its present-day parallels, as well as the world of Lelouch and his struggles with Geass, and the internal conflict that accompanies it, were all very entertaining. But from here on out, the show has become tired and formulaic, even repetitive, though it tries so hard to be more. Just as you are tiring of more flying machines, explosions, narrow escapes, etc., they give us the tiniest inkling of an engaging plot twist, just to keep those of us more interested in intelligent plots, character development, (and not aroused by cartoon ladies with water-balloon boobs), on the hook for something rewarding. But some of the twists are just too implausible, silly, or even confusing to give a turd about...and still, I'm going to watch the whole thing if it kills me. Or, perhaps, puts me to sleep.
The Guard (2011)
Visual style, atmosphere and colloquialism don't make up for this
I've been on a huge binge on Irish film, lately, so I'll get that out of the way, as well as the inevitable *this is not "In Bruges"* comparison. No, not remotely as well-crafted as that or the thousands of other similar films of odd-couple cops, "fish-out-of-water" stories (as the film itself acknowledges). Some great actors are here, yes, of course, but there have just been too many buddy cop movies, and this offers absolutely nothing new to the pile. Yes, the imagery and tragic-comic, often dark charm of Ireland, its history and its people is actually a wonderful thing, and is superficially present here, but not in any deep, new or meaningful way, aside from a few pointed lines here and there. The most unfortunate thing is that there are many interesting ideas, pieces, a few lines of dialog, but they lead nowhere, there is nothing cohesive and it seems like the filmmakers are overestimating the quality of their filmmaking. How obvious was the bit with the sergeant's std? I'm hoping this film belies some as-of-yet undeveloped talent, which will emerge, because I like this genre, I have a love for Irish films, literature and culture, and hope that, perhaps this filmmaker can ad to the canon as his brother has...
Samurai Chanpurû (2004)
Classic Anime
This is one of those animes that has me telling myself, "damn! Did I really already watch all of the best series?? Is there nothing else like__________?". I hope I'm wrong, but if you're looking for something that scratches your anime itches, here you are. Action? Traveling/Adventure? Samurai? Character development? Great 90's era hip-hop/R&B soundtrack? Comedy? Beat-boxing? Social satire, lamenting the bygone era of open sexuality in Edo-period Japan (think Ancient Greece), due to contact with the bizarre puritanical morals of Westerners? Check all of those off your anime list. Assuming your "anime requirements" list is like mine, which is wicked awesome. And watch it. It is becoming clear to me that the old adage, "they don't make 'em like they used to" is becoming sadly true of anime in the 21st century. The more I watch, the more that I realize how badly most series often suffer from formulae. In my own mind, I'd proclaimed anime to be the "Anti-Hollywood", where engaging plots were developed, engaging characters were developed, unique ideas were possible. It was everything American TV wasn't interested in being anymore. Samurai Champloo is one of the few series that still fit my idealized depiction of anime.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Watch this
I was, at first, unable to engage with this story. At times, I actually hated some of the mechanical aspects of this filmmaking. There was the fast cutting blur/barrage affect, reminiscent of NPR's Radiolab episodes, which threaten to make your head spin. We knew, from the start, that the main character had been murdered, and the likely suspect. The characters seemed almost obnoxiously....normal. I watched the first ten minutes or so, and fell asleep, unable to become involved in the lives of this "everyman" and his family, in a story I'd thought I'd already heard the sad conclusion to. I tried again, and what I experienced was something akin to an existential fist to my stomach. This film is one of the greatest explorations of film, into the depths to which humans can sink, as well as how the safeguards of society, meant to protect us can fail so tragically-- and yet, how two people who have suffered more than I could imagine are able emerge from the wreckage not only with their spirits intact, but with a fighting mission to change (at least a small part of) the world. The way in which the events unfold is beyond heartbreaking; perhaps because I'd seen a similar custody battle occur in my own family (without the murder; but similar in the sense that a mother that is demonstrably, beyond a doubt, unfit for parenting can sometimes be protected by a well-meaning but skewed system), that increased the impact and brought out my empathy, coupled with my disbelief and thankfulness that nothing like this has happened in my sphere of existence. Regardless, this film will crush you and then breathe life back into you, if you aren't desensitized to human tragedy, that is.
Haibane Renmei (2002)
Good...but not at all as good as I wanted it to be.
I wanted to LOVE this anime. I had huge hopes for it, having come across it in so many "top anime" lists written by people that weren't 14 year old boys (or those with the same mentality). I watched the first two episodes and was completely taken in by the atmosphere, the gorgeous animation that created the perfect ambiance; the process of Rakka's "birth" and transformation, the mystique surrounding the wall and the outside world. There was an exciting yet mellow sense of nostalgia with a touch of darkness and mystery. And that was pretty much it. There was hardly any plot, hardly any character development, and the moralizing was pretty run-of-the-mill "be good and you will become enlightened". I stopped caring pretty quickly. What a waste of such gorgeousness! I really thought this was going to be like a warm and fuzzy yet captivating anime blanket that I could hide in, when I tired of boy wizards and over-wrought sci-fi, or male-centered, fan servicing high school dramas. But this was majorly disappointing to me. Perhaps I brought my film-snob attitude with me to the world of anime, as the last great hope--that you can have action/adventure or sci-fi and fantasy that are beautiful, well made and actually thought provoking. Having plowed through almost every critically acclaimed film I could find from around the world, I found anime and thought, wow! Character development? Engaging stories? Social satire? Different cultural philosophies? Sign me up! And while I've found some that delivered, I've started to become a bit disappointed. I was waiting to watch Haibane Renmei for a while, as if holding out for the right time to savor this mysterious realm, all to myself. But it never quite delivers what I'm looking for. And I'm not saying I think there is something wrong in enjoying this anime; it just didn't hold my interest, didn't engage me, and I eventually stopped caring about the characters, as the air of foreboding mystery sort of dissipated altogether. Oh well, back to the internets to find something else.
Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune (2010)
Personal, Historical, Devastating
Documentaries can offer more than just their subject matter; they have the power to thrust a personal story of a well known or abstract figure into a greater, historical, microcosmic portrait, or to turn a historical triumph or tragedy into something we can experience almost personally. This film seems to accomplish both of these feats. I've respected and enjoyed Phil Ochs' music and message, in the sense that the melodies are pleasant and heartfelt, and the message is in turns earnest and bitingly sardonic. To a person growing up with punk music like myself, this seems like a logical precursor. But this film takes the story of another widely forgotten musician and gives us a portrait of a wildly ambitious human being, a flawed hero, and the explosive world around him. As a rampant idealist myself, the story is both encouraging and all too heart-breaking. It hits all of us would-be activists and creative, motivated, inspired, loving seekers of change, right in the heart. In the end of this narrative, the world didn't bend for this one ego, after all; and it may have helped crush the very soul of this talented "egomaniac" (as a friend calls him).
And yet, he fought anyways. Ochs straddled a thin line between impassioned activist and self-indulgent artist, and in the ensuing battle, between integrity and ambition, between idealism and caution, he lost his family, his voice, and his own sanity. Yet there's a fascinating counterpoint that one can draw from this film: we can clearly see which side of this battle that artists like Dylan fell on--the personal, apolitical side which made broad illusions but focused on staying more accessible (though less and less vital) than Ochs and his blatant, confrontational intelligence. But I think that this is the true yet sadly forgotten and maligned legacy of the 1960s; not the crappy, burned-out stoner rock, psychedelic escapism and superficial "groovy love" garbage, but the real radicals trying to affect change, and their various approaches, successes and failures. And this is where the film serves as an important historical/cultural record. We all know about Civil Rights, the War, and the anti-war movement, as separate events. This film ties them all together with one singular character, who is himself, successor to another forgotten tradition; the activist/troubadour. But he is never really a hero, but a human being, and this is another strength of the film: it doesn't seek to merge all of the "Phil Ochs" narratives into a consolidated image, but each friend, family member or acquaintance is allowed to recall their impressions of Ochs and the folk scene, stories which are often, at times, very much at odds. Was his suicide a natural progression from his alcoholism? Was it a family history of mental illness? Or did his "defeat" at being no more than an ineffective pop artist, in the shadow of real heroes such as Guevara and his executed Chilean folk hero, crush him? We get different impressions from different stories, and the film doesn't try to answer all of the questions. It gives you music, words, live performances, juxtaposed with the scenes of the real life change, the volatile condition of the world, as it happened around an artist. And it was this change that began long before the self-congratulatory hippies spent their summers of self-love seeking chemical bliss. The modern parallels are frightening and, quite frankly depressing, as it looks as if my generation will never produce anyone so high-profile and well known, with that much intelligence, courage and heart. And if they do exist, the media industries certainly won't bother giving them a voice. We now live in a world that seems to sit back, and look cool and detached as the same injustices take shape all around us. And if that doesn't make this film more relevant than ever, I'm not sure what could.
Antichrist (2009)
Um..not sure.
I put this on at 2am to help me fall asleep. That didn't really work out. I liked the tone of this film, the cinematography, the sets, etc. I think my biggest problem may have been the actors or the acting. I guess I didn't think Dafoe is good; a bit too "B"-class. He's got a weird kind of off-beat looking face, so he ends up in B-movies and offbeat films a lot; I just don't think I enjoy the way he acts. He is kind of...black. Which is fitting for this film: there isn't a lot of dynamic character development in this movie, which can be difficult to adjust to. The philosophical themes and concepts are the centerpiece here, not the individual characters and their human nuances, other than those that bolster the main ideas. That's all well and good; I enjoy this kind of approach sometimes, and I like some of Lars von Trier's work (especially Riget, though it was a bit more light-hearted). I just didn't really have an opinion on either one of them. All of the gore and sexuality, the exploration of the concept of misogyny (depicting misogyny does not make one misogynist)....if you are seriously offended by that than you are a.)very innocent, and that's nice, I'm happy for you, now turn off the TV before you grow up jaded, or b.)you are close minded or conservative and just plain unwilling to challenge yourself, which is also okay. We just won't make good friends, probably. But, anyways, I just didn't like the acting--which COULD be a directional problem or an actor problem. Or, just my problem.
Ôran kôkô hosutobu (2006)
Hilarious satire about class, gender and pop-culture (mostly Japanese); but mostly, just hilarious.
What a surprise! I've just recently gotten into anime, always trying to find new and unique dimensions to this genre; had seen a few of the classics and essentials. I assumed this would not be something for me, until I watched the first episode and there I was, a 33 year old, bearded American guy, laughing his butt off at a "teen comedy". Though I don't know much (or care much) about shoujo(?), I LOVE a good satire in any medium and this, folks, is up there, at times, with the best. The themes are familiar to Americans: the "plain-Jane", rebellious type, gets dolled up; the girl masquerades a boy for some reason; the lower-class student strives to survive or "pass" amongst snobby rich peers; the fish-out-of-water scenario. But here, they are combined in a very well conceived and, at least in our cultural context, highly subversive cocktail made from all of these generic themes.
And it is quite an intoxicating and addictive cocktail. I even find myself thinking, "dear gawd, I can't tell anyone about my taboo love-affair with this show, can I?", but then I realize it is usually 5x more intelligent, well written and poignant than anything on American TV since the Simpsons of the early/mid 1990s.
Hagane no renkinjutsushi (2003)
Careful; there's no turning back from anime-geekdom after this one.
I blame this series for single-handedly turning me into an unrepentant anime geek. And I can't wait to start Brotherhood! Yeah, I stayed up late watching. Yeah, I made mp3 files out of some of the songs. Yeah, I'm in my 30's. What of it? I teared up in parts, laughed in others. But mainly, it was the humanity, the themes of family bonds, forged and broken, the heartache of familial loss and betrayal, that drew me in. The story-telling and character dynamics are infinitely more involved and engaging than any Hollywood or Harry Potter amateurism, more exciting than Lord of the Rings and other big-budget show-offmanship adaptations. As a life-long film snob, I'd often relegated "cartoons" to the category of escapism or family entertainment...and while FMA IS this, it is also so much more. It has heart, it has political parallels to so many recent events and geo-political dynamics, it has philosophy and a sort of Buddhist bent ("all is one" etc.). Yes, it is fully deserving of that tired word "epic", as much as anything recited by Homer. Yes, I'm saying that. The dubbing in this series was also when I realized that dubbing DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AWFUL. Many series fail here, but FMA gets it right, for the most part. After all, while I prefer my non-English live action films to be subbed, as dubbing is effectively an insult to the actors on the screen (my opinion), I always find dubbing to detract from the very visual nature of anime. Its exhausting to keep your eyes darting up and down while trying to process all of the intense details, facial expressions and background work that go into every scene. Anyways, just watch it. Even when it seems to lose steam (as all stories kind of have to), keep watching it! Then quit your job.
Der Untergang (2004)
Interesting Perspective
While this movie wasn't exceptionally flashy or stylistic, its pretty unique in the cannon of "Nazi films". As an under-informed American, these facts and this perspective were new to me, even as some one that has studied WWII and the Nazi state extensively, in university and independently. I feel that, unfortunately, there will be detractors about any movie about this or any other emotionally charged and polarizing subject matter. There are no universal aesthetics the filmmakers could use that would please everyone; the caricature of the Nazis as monsters and the German civilians as blind followers has preformed the rest of the world's opinions as to what is the most "accurate" portrayal of this subject. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to forget the caricatures and Riefenstahl's immortal presentation of these historical figures, and see them as flawed, deluded and twisted human beings. Because these WERE humans, and I find that to be the most important thing to remember when learning about Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, The Great Leap Forward, the hard-line Islamic take-over of Iran, the removal and extermination campaigns waged against indigenous people in the New World...name your tragedy, and there is a logical "noble" philosophy behind it, being adhered to with blinded fervor. It was carried out by human beings, not monsters, not madmen. People following a deadly and cold line of logic to a bitter and bloody end. That was what this movie made all the more clear to me.
Lan feng zheng (1993)
Important take on History.
I had to add a review of this movie, mainly because of certain reviewers choosing to criticize the politics instead of the actual film. To all of you budding western Mao-apologists...before you debate the merits of this story and the veracity of its presentation of life, you should consider learning Chinese, going to China, and talking to people. You will learn two things: 1)this period of time was hidden from an entire generation and is only now being discussed, re-examined and virtually condemned by China. 2)The culture of fear, paranoia and brutality among ordinary citizens is very real and its memory, and vestiges of it, still exist in those old enough to remember that era. Understanding this film is key to understanding the century of virtual trauma that China underwent, at the hands of others and then at the hands of its corrupt, megalomaniacal leaders and even its own people. And if one finds the tone a bit dark, remember: at the time of this film, the Tianamen square crackdown (that still is largely unknown in China...none of my college or high school students had ever heard about it...) was only 4 years old. China today is full of hope and looking forward, but still afraid to speak about the past.
Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011)
More facts this time, accompanied by narrow, aesthetically and culturally unappetizing Utopian "solution"
The first time that I watched this movie, I liked it, for the most part. When I returned to watch its predecessors, my opinion of the whole project diminished quite a bit.
The reason: the simple presentation of "facts" which are dumbed down, reinterpreted like so much religious dogma, and presented in flashy, attention grabbing packages. This is the sad state of the transfer of "information", from Fox News, Xinhua, and other corporate/state outlets, to those with whom I tend to sympathize, such as Michael Moore and the makers of this very documentary. The idea that facts alone are not enough for viewers anymore, that they must be duct-taped together and peppered with sensationalism and explosions, angels and demons, reflects pretty poorly on our society and the state of its ability to think critically without the crutches of mainstream or underground media. Just like Zinn's book, A People's History, the hard facts, primary sources and easily researchable quotes are supplemental to what we have been indoctrinated with, and they ALONE are terrifying enough to warrant a critical reevaluation of everything that we have accepted about the world. And just like Zinn's admirable work, the "solutions" offered and shameless political bias serve to drive an immediate wedge between this work and the "unconverted".
My second issue: the solution itself. I agree that world trade, on the scale that we have come to rely on by no accident, is unsustainable and pointless; but once again we have one more perfect cure-all coming from those most noble Western ideologues that brought us capitalism, totalitarian communism (and that extinct specimen that we called "democracy"). Yes, ye unenlightened masses of the Rest of the World, we have the solution for you. Leave your petty and foolish and primitive cultural nuances at the door, and step into your new, self sustaining, sterilized cubicle. You'll never have to leave your town ever again for anything. Your desire for variety will be replaced with the eternal happiness of bounty and wealth, and you'll have nothing left to need. Your spiritual conceptions of the world have all been negated as harmful and divisive, because we have interpreted them for you as such-because OUR spiritual world views brought and propagate war and proselytizing, you are only allowed faith in science. Upon seeing those models, I couldn't help but think, why the hell would I want to live there? What about the beautiful renewable, terraced, rice-growing hills of China, or the sculpted fields of Tuscany? Our choices are sterile towers or factory farms?