Summer break has begun and I’ve been catching up on some movies, so I thought I’d do some capsule reviews of recently seen films:
Hot Fuzz is a film by the same group, star Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright, that made Shaun of the Dead, a very funny and entertaining film. I made the mistake of watching this one in parts, the first hour sets up all the jokes in the second hour, so I was disappointed by the first hour finding little of it funny. But the second hour more than makes up for it by satirizing cop/action films mercilessly. That being said I think they could have cut to the chase in amore efficient fashion, but completely watchable.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a realistic look at Irish war with Britain in the 20s from a small town’s perspective by veteran filmmaker Ken Loach. The cinematography is gorgeous-it brings to life the lush Irish countryside and the characters come alive as historical types. Cillian Murphy is impressive in his role as radicalized country boy drawn in to the conflict. It takes an investment as viewer since the film clocks in at over 2 hours.
Darwin’s Nightmare is a fascinating and depressing look at globalization in the world as the film focuses on the fishing practices of Lake Victoria and the sociological, economic, and ecological fallout. The people who live there fish and ship the fish to Europe and Japan; however, they cannot afford to eat it themselves. Rampant poverty is manifested through street children sniffing chemicals, young women engaging in prostitution, and the ecological effects of introducing a fish that was not native to the lake and the effect it ahs had on the at ecosystem. It is not a pretty picture, but that is how most of the world lives to serve the first world.
Sherrybaby is a sort of acting tour de force by Maggie Gyllenhaal, since she single-handedly carries the film. The other performances seem small in comparison. It is the story of a onetime junky trying to get her life back on track so that she can reconnect with her daughter and take over as her legal guardian, but it is harder than she expected and she realizes that she cannot do it alone. It is always pretty, but believable and unpredictable especially the ending, which has no clear resolution.
This Film Is Not Yet Rated is an engaging look at the politics and implications of film ratings by the MPAA. An unfavorable rating can be financially disastrous for a filmmaker since it won’t be shown in certain markets or carried by certain chain retailers. Furthermore, the people who do the ratings have no particular standards and seem to find violence less offensive than nudity. There’s a little too much Michael Moore like shennanigans, for example, sleuthing around the offices trying to find out who the members of the board are. However, it is successful in revealing who the memebers are. The appeals board has members who have a financial stake in the marketing of films, so that is also a flawed aspect of the process. It is a provocative look at the uniquely American institution.
Comments