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Reviews
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Outrageous, but 'cringingly' hilarious
If you like the outrageous and the absurd you will probably like this movie, a quirky mixture of satire and slapstick (Norman Gunston on steroids). Despite the in your face style and lack of any substantial storyline, it is comes together quite well and is largely carried to great heights by the ability of S.B.C. to immerse himself in his bizarre Borat creation, purportedly a Khazakhi journalist on a cultural fact finding mission in the US, but in reality a degenerate clown whose real nationality is irrelevant other than being out of reach for most Americans. His acting is so well disciplined that SBC does not let any amount of social discomfort perturb his portrayal. The resulting outcomes from a series of inappropriate interactions with unsuspecting Americans are illuminating, and hilarious in a cringing way.
The foundation of the movie is that very few people (at least none that made the final cut) recognize Borat as a fake, and his behavior either elicits the caveman in them or in the case of the more genteel, being at a loss with how to cope. These failures are an attempt by the creators to indict the US for being ignorant, bigoted and pompous, and to some extent this succeeds. Nevertheless, Borat is so outrageous that you're left with little doubt that most peoples would stumble under the onslaught of his antisocial proclivities. Understandably some of the 'victims' become very upset and this adds to the tension that SBC plays on so well. This satirical slant with a liberal lashing of ridiculous situations and comments, the competing Kazaki neighbour, the cow in the house, the sister, the chicken, the bear, 'the shape shifting jews', the wrestle, the attempted kidnapping; all make it a silly but great overall package.
Well done, good laugh. My favorite bit...the national anthem..'Kazakhstan number one exporter of potassium Other countries have inferior potassium'...magnificent.
Open Season (1974)
Memorable for its disturbing imprint
This was one of the first really well "designed-to-disturb" movies that I ever watched. The impact to the viewer is not achieved through overly-graphic violence, although it is violent in nature, but by craftily inducing empathy for the desperate situation of the hunted, juxtaposed with the bleak portrayal of raw and unrelenting evil exhibited by the group-thinking hunters. This is well done through a meandering sequence of action shots and brilliantly framed by the contrasting peaceful and beautiful North American scenery and a curious and intriguing score. This is not a movie of memorable dialogue but one of highly disturbing action sequence in a sustained act of cruelty. Unfortunately the evil and its impact are far too believable for comfort. The Vietnam allusion and vigilante character (Holden) are peripheral to the essence of the movie and if anything detract, seemingly there to provide an excuse for the exposure of the evil and some end resolution for good, respectively. Whilst this may have been at one point central to the message in the creator's mind, as it worked out neither is warranted given the core impact of the film.
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
expose of the incredible strength of some unlikely individuals
A beautiful film. This site already contains plenty of detail on the basis of the film and its roots in the former Australian Government policy of attempting to remove aboriginal children from their homes and assimilate them into white culture in the 20th century. Whilst this theme is central and powerfully exposed in this movie, it is not the most striking aspect or what makes the film great. What makes it great is the Shackeltonesque triumph over adversity of ones so young.
If you have ever spent half an hour exposed to the sun in the Australian desert it is hard to believe they survived 9 hours, let alone 9 weeks walking under it. The scene on the "infinite" salt plain begins to give real insight and was the highlight for me. The fact that even the fence quickly wilted in that vast no man's land, yet the kids eventually got across it, was powerful imagery. Ironically, even though the film spends much time following the trek along the fence, I thought the production let itself down just a little in understating and somewhat sanitizing the enormity of the conquest. I would have liked the bitter and unending adversity brought out a little more. A few more scattered scenes zooming/panning through the heat haze viewing to and from infinity depicting the inconsequential size of the creatures attempting to conquer the desert could have imbued the immensity of the conquest a little better. A touch more aboriginal music through those scenes would have also better conveyed their connection with the desert. So only 9.5 but nevertheless, still truly a remarkable depiction.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Visually and auditorily stunning masterpiece
The film lays some claim to being the best fantasy film ever created. It is visually and auditorily stunning. This epic adventure is of gargantuan proportions and carefully crafts a crescendo in tensions where good only triumphs over evil at the last and against overwhelming odds in the world of middle earth. The scene of one of the later battles involving the elephantine creatures provides an almost overwhelming sensory input when watched in a well set up theatre environment.
The multi-dimensionality of the characters, landscape and the forces on both side creates a beautiful complexity which captures the imagination and adds to the emotional impact of the film. Masterpiece.