So delightful! I love opera myself for the feelings so this was awesome. I'm also happily remarried after being widowed at age 50. Yes, this was very sweet, uplifting. Even if they only have a short time together, it's worth it. Some people never have that kind of love, not even once in their lifetime.
Reviews
6 Reviews
Owl and the Sparrow
(2007)
Lovely story of loving hearts triumphing in a cold world
10 January 2011
I don't know anything about movie composition, shots, lighting etc so my rating about the movie storyline and how it affected me, not about the technical production by the director. Clearly, the story talks about young children trying to make it on the street in a large city, a heart-rending proposition in most cases. Frankly, I cared about the little girl from the opening sequences on and I got more and more worried about her blundering about on her own... Through her lucky fate and her own pluckiness and "goodness of heart", she makes it on the streets for about a week, manages to worm herself into the heart of two unrelated strangers and actually brings them together! That little girl had amazing insight into the hearts and minds of adults. Miracles do happen, heart-melting events do happen, moving stories do happen. The story is totally vietnamese, features vietnamese scenes from the country and the street, children trying to fit into the adult world, and adults trying to make sense of their own lives. Great story!
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
(2009)
Yes, I cried rivers too...
29 December 2010
For me, this was more wrenching than "Old Yeller" as love and loyalty from a canine towards his human. This story was told in such a simple way and its raw depiction of plain canine love wrenched me emotionally. Few movies have the power to reduce me to tears like this nowadays.
All the actors are excellent. Richard Gere as the human who follows his heart and bonds with the dog early on. The puppy and the grown dog(s) that act out the loving hearted Hachiko... Such pure love from another species... How can we as humans not feel touched by such devotion and loyalty? How can we, as a species, not feel awed by the trust that our dog friends bestow on us so freely? The movie did a very fine job of depicting the special bond in this human-canine duo. I loved it!
All the actors are excellent. Richard Gere as the human who follows his heart and bonds with the dog early on. The puppy and the grown dog(s) that act out the loving hearted Hachiko... Such pure love from another species... How can we as humans not feel touched by such devotion and loyalty? How can we, as a species, not feel awed by the trust that our dog friends bestow on us so freely? The movie did a very fine job of depicting the special bond in this human-canine duo. I loved it!
Before Sunset
(2004)
Lovely romantic story
12 September 2004
I saw this movie with my husband. He is usually a die-hard fan of action thrillers, special effects and horror movies but he allows me to coax him into seeing a really thoughtful movie every once in a while. So this was my choice for the evening. Neither one of us had seen the first movie, "Before Sunrise", although I knew of it by reputation. Well, my husband absolutely loved the movie! He sat up and became totally engrossed in the story, frequently patting my hand at intervals as he identified with the the characters in the story. He forgot about the dreadful uncomfortable movie seat. He let up a big sigh of disappointment when the credits came up... Personally, I grew up in Paris, France, I came to the US for graduate studies and I had an environmental protection career for 20 years. So I could strongly identify with Celine, a young woman of French origin with a patina of US graduate schooling and a career in environmental protection work. Her vulnerability shines through her modern chatterbox exterior. The acting is absolutely superb, with the intimate extended conversations drawing us into the characters' lives. Certainly, this movie can stand on its own. For Jesse and Celine, the opportunity to pick up once more their romantic relationship is here! A smart couple would not let the moment pass. I doubt that they would just have a quick passionate affair... I think that the characters already know how lonely their souls can be without true love and commitment and they are emotionally ready to grasp this chance of a lifetime. They have been around long enough to know how rare their type of romantic feeling and connection can be. They will cherish their unique relationship and nurture it forever. My husband and I agreed that the movie could only be watched by couples of "a certain age", rather than young couples still searching for life's meaning. Only people who have lived through the throes of searching for a lifelong mate, then living through the disappointments and joys of struggling relationships, can recognize and appreciate what true love is and how important it is to go with one's heart and seize the moment.
I am 48 years old and have a wonderful romantic relationship with my husband. We are each other's first and only love. Even so, we have worked very hard to keep our marriage alive and mutually passionate. Over the past 25-30 years, both of us have noticed that satisfying relationships are very difficult once people hit their thirties and forties. We have noticed that many older couples never work out their differences and end up bitter and disappointed with life. Many acquaintances of our generation are divorced or still single, never having experienced the sweetness and stability of a true romantic and committed relationship. Romance can be found all the time, from fleeting moments to short-term relationships. One sees it all over the place nowadays, in TV shows and movies, as well as in most modern relationships. However, I would like to emphasize the lasting contentment that a loving commitment brings to one's soul. This is a rare and unique blessing that is missing from too many relationships nowadays, and I find this immeasurably sad. This is a classic movie (excellent story line and top of the line acting) which goes into my list of top romantic movies of all times.
I am 48 years old and have a wonderful romantic relationship with my husband. We are each other's first and only love. Even so, we have worked very hard to keep our marriage alive and mutually passionate. Over the past 25-30 years, both of us have noticed that satisfying relationships are very difficult once people hit their thirties and forties. We have noticed that many older couples never work out their differences and end up bitter and disappointed with life. Many acquaintances of our generation are divorced or still single, never having experienced the sweetness and stability of a true romantic and committed relationship. Romance can be found all the time, from fleeting moments to short-term relationships. One sees it all over the place nowadays, in TV shows and movies, as well as in most modern relationships. However, I would like to emphasize the lasting contentment that a loving commitment brings to one's soul. This is a rare and unique blessing that is missing from too many relationships nowadays, and I find this immeasurably sad. This is a classic movie (excellent story line and top of the line acting) which goes into my list of top romantic movies of all times.
Hero
(2002)
Very moving reflection of the Chinese spirit
27 August 2004
This visually stunning story illustrates key Chinese cultural concepts and behaviors. The twining of calligraphy, a literate art, and swordsmanship, a martial art, into a spiritual guiding principle within one's heart is a very basic tenet of Chinese accomplishments. The idea of revering high-level ideals above one's own personal goals and the willingness to sacrifice oneself is also very Chinese. The idea of deeply respecting one's enemy as an equal versus the political need to kill any potential opponents in order to establish unity is also a fundamental aspect of Chinese history and politics. As a matter of fact, Chinese people have a ubiquitous cultural tendency to compete constantly and to seek individual glory, frequently leading to dissension among the land. The sub-plot of Snow and Broken Sword's love story is also an interesting story, frequently illustrated in the Chinese psyche: how a woman can sometimes become caught up in one's own emotional perception without understanding her mate's vision and thus ultimately destroy each other... All scenes are breathtakingly haunting and gorgeous, whether the intimate indoor scenes, the outdoor scenes, the fight duels, the army maneuvers, or the face to face conversation with the Emperor Qin. I was moved to tears by the ending, the self-immolation of Nameless own free will... Martyrdom for the greater good is very much a part of the Chinese psyche. Thus, our Hero, he who is well-named.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
(2004)
Awesome unique story told in a fascinating East meets West vision
17 April 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler Alert! I agree with the comments already posted, about the first movie being more Asian Kung Fu and rampage action killing scenes, and the second movie giving more characterization and explaining the entire story.
This movie kept me riveted on my seat the whole time, whether an action fight scene broke out, or the characters just kept talking. Each actor is fleshed out as an interesting, complex individual, including Budd, Elle, Pai-Mei, and most of all, Beatrix and Bill.
This is a very complex movie with many layers and elements and I am still digesting and processing the scenes. What did I like? What did I not like or not understand? What do I remember as striking?
Well, there is an ongoing sense of razor-sharp, never yielding cold-steel purpose portrayed by Uma Thurman's heroine. Not just the self-dialogue voice-over as she drives to meet her final targets. The intense fury in her eyes as she is caught in a death trap and her violent struggles; the endurance she demonstrates as she undergoes the tough physical training (think of Demi Moore as a soldier, it's even more intense) and most importantly, her mental acknowledgment of the superior master; her focused calm while she tries to get out of the death trap; in her exhausted state, her drive to hike back many miles in the desert to find the killer (Madsen). This is a woman who will never ever give up. I like this determination as portrayed in the movie. That's guts! One striking scene is the heroine striding across the street to the diner, dirt flying off her in the dim lighting, and her superhuman determination to keep herself together and to keep going.
The mental submission and acknowledgment of the grand master is a key to Asian Kung Fu movies. Beatrix's mental toughness and ability to endure any impossibly tough circumstances gave her the edge in every life and death situations she meets. Beatrix's submission and respect of the grand old master is what gives her the edge over the other assassin, Elle. Elle lost her temper and lost first one eye, now the second. And finally, Beatrix is the only student of Pai-Mei's who earns his respect and learns the famous death punch. So, the serious determined good student wins at the end. I kind of like that ending. If you will recall, the central theme in Hidden Tiger Crouching Dragon was the female warrior girl who could not accept anyone being her master and ended wreaking havoc on everyone's life.
However, I found several scenes a little confusing. For example, how come the gun shot from Budd took her out in one volley, stunned her, but there was no visible gun shot wounds or after effects? How is that possible? Also, the shirt and jacket she was wearing showed no wounds in the back, so I was very confused about her ability to bounce back from that incident. Even with her kind of determination, how did she overcome serious bleeding wounds? If she was such a good assassin, why was it so easy for a man with a gun to take her out in one shot? The other scene in the hotel room where the Asian female assassin tries to shoot her shows that Beatrix is very fast and not that easy to kill. So I find it difficult to understand how she gets toppled over in one try by Budd. That was an anticlimax for me.
Why does Budd turn into a "modern" loser, when he seems to have the same assassin skills as Bill? Budd says that he deserves to die for participating in Beatrix's execution, yet he has no wish to let that happen and he takes care to execute Beatrix again, in revenge for breaking his brother's heart. Why does Budd keep the samurai sword inscribed with Bill's loving caption but tells his brother that it was pawned off? He seems very ambivalent about his life and his relationship with Bill. Clearly a complex kind of man.
Why is the scene at the Two Pines Chapel shot in black and white? Apart from the fact that it's a different technical style and look. I was wondering if it was meant to cast that entire episode of Beatrix's life as a scene that is almost surreal, or unreal in her mind, not part of the existing colorful intensity of her current life.
At the end, when Beatrix tries to reach the sword and gets a couple of warning shots from Bill, it seems incongruous that Beatrix, a well-trained assassin, is not be able to get at a weapon on the first try. It seems that anyone with a gun can easily gain the upper hand on the sword and knife style of killing.
On the other hand, Beatrix demonstrates that at close range and in a tight spot, she does not need weapons, she has awesome powers with her FINGERS! alone. So the old school fist fighting skills still triumph over the gun shooting style, that's the secret power.
What does the scene in the classroom flashing Beatrix Kiddo as a school pupil mean? The only thing I got is that her last name is Kiddo, it is not an affectionate nickname from Bill as we might have thought earlier.
I had a little trouble understanding every single word said by David Carradine so I will have to see the movie again. His acting is very compelling in this movie, the best I have ever seen. He comes across as courteous and guarded, then relaxed and playful, then intellectual and tender, that's awesome. Yes, the scene between the two of them is very powerful. The death scene is very different from most final scenes in a revenge story. There is a feeling of deep respect (of each other's killing skills) and love between the two antagonists, almost like in a Samurai fight. When he realizes he is dying, she touches him with a final gentle pat. He gets up and meets his death in a gentlemanly, courtly manner, with great courage, very "old school" as his character says.
As a woman, I had difficulty understanding why Beatrix felt she had to kill Bill at the very end. Yes, Bill executed her and her friends in a fit of passionate hatred at the beginning of the story But Bill also kept the baby alive and raised her tenderly. So could this act of love be his redemption, and could the heroine forgive him, and why not let them live happily ever after? Then I realized that his parenting style was very strange, he discussed the child's stomping of the goldfish like some of us exclaim in delight at a child mastering the ABC's and he lets the child watch assassination movies at bedtime. That's why Beatrix rejected him and his lifestyle, she could not allow him to live, it had become a choice of zero sum game, a life and death choice between his twisted lifestyle and the innocent child. It reminds me of the Samurai execution in Tom Cruise's 2003 movie, where the winner Samurai watches the loser and helps him die, but with deep respect, dignity and love.
The scene with the Mexican octogenarian was very interesting. At first, it was not too clear why there was such a consummate conversation going on when the director might have used a voice over saying that Beatrix obtained Bill's address by looking up an old acquaintance. I had to think about this scene for a while to ponder the significance. The meaning is this is Bill's background, his childhood parent figure and this explains the kind of person he is. A murderer, a man who uses other women and men for his business income, a man who is used to lording it over women and who will not take no (rejection) as an answer and will abuse, maim and kill at the drop of a hat. See the shot of the serving woman with the grotesquely split lip, that's what happens to those who do not comply in that world Bill knows best.
Anyway, what are the hallmarks of a good movie, in my mind? that it should be technically excellent, visually compelling, and the story should not only entertain but also give me plenty to think about after the movie ends, and this is one of very few movies that meet my standard.
This movie kept me riveted on my seat the whole time, whether an action fight scene broke out, or the characters just kept talking. Each actor is fleshed out as an interesting, complex individual, including Budd, Elle, Pai-Mei, and most of all, Beatrix and Bill.
This is a very complex movie with many layers and elements and I am still digesting and processing the scenes. What did I like? What did I not like or not understand? What do I remember as striking?
Well, there is an ongoing sense of razor-sharp, never yielding cold-steel purpose portrayed by Uma Thurman's heroine. Not just the self-dialogue voice-over as she drives to meet her final targets. The intense fury in her eyes as she is caught in a death trap and her violent struggles; the endurance she demonstrates as she undergoes the tough physical training (think of Demi Moore as a soldier, it's even more intense) and most importantly, her mental acknowledgment of the superior master; her focused calm while she tries to get out of the death trap; in her exhausted state, her drive to hike back many miles in the desert to find the killer (Madsen). This is a woman who will never ever give up. I like this determination as portrayed in the movie. That's guts! One striking scene is the heroine striding across the street to the diner, dirt flying off her in the dim lighting, and her superhuman determination to keep herself together and to keep going.
The mental submission and acknowledgment of the grand master is a key to Asian Kung Fu movies. Beatrix's mental toughness and ability to endure any impossibly tough circumstances gave her the edge in every life and death situations she meets. Beatrix's submission and respect of the grand old master is what gives her the edge over the other assassin, Elle. Elle lost her temper and lost first one eye, now the second. And finally, Beatrix is the only student of Pai-Mei's who earns his respect and learns the famous death punch. So, the serious determined good student wins at the end. I kind of like that ending. If you will recall, the central theme in Hidden Tiger Crouching Dragon was the female warrior girl who could not accept anyone being her master and ended wreaking havoc on everyone's life.
However, I found several scenes a little confusing. For example, how come the gun shot from Budd took her out in one volley, stunned her, but there was no visible gun shot wounds or after effects? How is that possible? Also, the shirt and jacket she was wearing showed no wounds in the back, so I was very confused about her ability to bounce back from that incident. Even with her kind of determination, how did she overcome serious bleeding wounds? If she was such a good assassin, why was it so easy for a man with a gun to take her out in one shot? The other scene in the hotel room where the Asian female assassin tries to shoot her shows that Beatrix is very fast and not that easy to kill. So I find it difficult to understand how she gets toppled over in one try by Budd. That was an anticlimax for me.
Why does Budd turn into a "modern" loser, when he seems to have the same assassin skills as Bill? Budd says that he deserves to die for participating in Beatrix's execution, yet he has no wish to let that happen and he takes care to execute Beatrix again, in revenge for breaking his brother's heart. Why does Budd keep the samurai sword inscribed with Bill's loving caption but tells his brother that it was pawned off? He seems very ambivalent about his life and his relationship with Bill. Clearly a complex kind of man.
Why is the scene at the Two Pines Chapel shot in black and white? Apart from the fact that it's a different technical style and look. I was wondering if it was meant to cast that entire episode of Beatrix's life as a scene that is almost surreal, or unreal in her mind, not part of the existing colorful intensity of her current life.
At the end, when Beatrix tries to reach the sword and gets a couple of warning shots from Bill, it seems incongruous that Beatrix, a well-trained assassin, is not be able to get at a weapon on the first try. It seems that anyone with a gun can easily gain the upper hand on the sword and knife style of killing.
On the other hand, Beatrix demonstrates that at close range and in a tight spot, she does not need weapons, she has awesome powers with her FINGERS! alone. So the old school fist fighting skills still triumph over the gun shooting style, that's the secret power.
What does the scene in the classroom flashing Beatrix Kiddo as a school pupil mean? The only thing I got is that her last name is Kiddo, it is not an affectionate nickname from Bill as we might have thought earlier.
I had a little trouble understanding every single word said by David Carradine so I will have to see the movie again. His acting is very compelling in this movie, the best I have ever seen. He comes across as courteous and guarded, then relaxed and playful, then intellectual and tender, that's awesome. Yes, the scene between the two of them is very powerful. The death scene is very different from most final scenes in a revenge story. There is a feeling of deep respect (of each other's killing skills) and love between the two antagonists, almost like in a Samurai fight. When he realizes he is dying, she touches him with a final gentle pat. He gets up and meets his death in a gentlemanly, courtly manner, with great courage, very "old school" as his character says.
As a woman, I had difficulty understanding why Beatrix felt she had to kill Bill at the very end. Yes, Bill executed her and her friends in a fit of passionate hatred at the beginning of the story But Bill also kept the baby alive and raised her tenderly. So could this act of love be his redemption, and could the heroine forgive him, and why not let them live happily ever after? Then I realized that his parenting style was very strange, he discussed the child's stomping of the goldfish like some of us exclaim in delight at a child mastering the ABC's and he lets the child watch assassination movies at bedtime. That's why Beatrix rejected him and his lifestyle, she could not allow him to live, it had become a choice of zero sum game, a life and death choice between his twisted lifestyle and the innocent child. It reminds me of the Samurai execution in Tom Cruise's 2003 movie, where the winner Samurai watches the loser and helps him die, but with deep respect, dignity and love.
The scene with the Mexican octogenarian was very interesting. At first, it was not too clear why there was such a consummate conversation going on when the director might have used a voice over saying that Beatrix obtained Bill's address by looking up an old acquaintance. I had to think about this scene for a while to ponder the significance. The meaning is this is Bill's background, his childhood parent figure and this explains the kind of person he is. A murderer, a man who uses other women and men for his business income, a man who is used to lording it over women and who will not take no (rejection) as an answer and will abuse, maim and kill at the drop of a hat. See the shot of the serving woman with the grotesquely split lip, that's what happens to those who do not comply in that world Bill knows best.
Anyway, what are the hallmarks of a good movie, in my mind? that it should be technically excellent, visually compelling, and the story should not only entertain but also give me plenty to think about after the movie ends, and this is one of very few movies that meet my standard.
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