Yes, I'm long overdue on a blog entry especially one on Mr. Holmes, but bear with me awhile longer, and in the meantime I'll do some film reviews.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
This film was hyped quite a bit when it first came out, and cinematically it's very visually stunning. Like Atonement every shot is beautiful, but also like Atonement it's hopeless and morally bankrupt. An interesting premise - it's supposed to be a celebration of a man who, against all odds, lives a full and complete life. But sadly Hollywood's definition of full and complete life entails losing your virginity to a prostitute and having an affair with a married woman (both of which seem to have little or no negative impact on Brad Pitt's character). There's a strong chord of "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" running through this film. Perhaps the one redeeming quality is the way Cate Blanchett's character (after making a myriad of annoying and sinful choices) somewhat self-sacrificingly cares for her former lover when he can no longer care for himself. But for most of the film it's as if the two main characters are standing there while reality goes on all around them - as if they observe it only, never participating, except in their relationship with each other. It just seemed selfish to me, so if you haven't already guessed, I didn't like the film.
He's Just Not That Into You
I loved this film. Hilarious and cringe worthy as women make a lot of very familiar mistakes. It is the kind of film I wish I had seen when I was in highschool as I could've learned an awful lot. What I like as well is the fact that the people who end up loving relatively unselfishly get their happy ending, and those who are out to live only for themselves, throwing what is right and good out the window to get what they want end up miserable and alone. Besides you have to love a film that drums into you the truth that you are the rule and not the exception, but ends by showing everyone can be someone's exception. Alex's advice to women is genius.
Finally, Gigi's hope in the essential existence of fairy tale is superb, as shown in this quote: Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up: if a boy punches you he likes you, never try to trim your own bangs, and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. every movie we see, every story we're told implores us to wait for it: the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. but sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. how to tell the ones who want us from the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. and maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. maybe the happy ending is just moving on. or maybe the happy ending is this: knowing after all the unreturned phone calls and broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment... you never gave up hope.
And if you hate chick flicks - this clip is hilarious
Marley & Me
Ok, not a lot profound to say about this film. It's cute, it's predictable, and it's interesting to see Owen Wilson play a serious role. Good fluff.
The Young Victoria
This film almost warrants a separate blog entry. You should see it if you possibly can. It's excellent in every way. But the hero of this film is not Victoria, though she is charmingly portrayed, but Albert. His unselfish love for the woman who was to become his wife, his wise humility, but most of all his courage to stand up for what he believed to be right and true no matter what anyone thinks, makes this a film worth seeing. To like Queen Victoria and appreciate Victorian England is very politically incorrect and has been for a long time, so it's lovely to see a film that portrays her so well. But at its heart this film is about a partnership, the partnership between Victoria and Albert, built on their love and honesty with each other, that enabled them to rule so well.
Seven Pounds
This film is horribly depressing. Yes, Will Smith acts well in it, but it just shows the despair of a non-Christian worldview. Without Christ, if true, crippling guilt overwhelms us, if we catch even a glimpse of how sinful we are, the result is often a panic striken urge to do penance and somehow find peace in good works. When that fails, and peace is not found, death is often seen as the only reprieve.
The Yes Man
This film is funny and mostly fluff. The one thing that impressed itself on me was how the weird friend essentially witnessed to Jim Carrey of his new conversion to what was essentially a religion, invited him to come along, the guru stirred up the crowds, and caught up in the moment, Jim Carrey's character "converted". He then goes through a process of "sanctification" in this new religion where he is tested to see if he'll stick with it, but in the end he attains "perfection" and can set himself above the rules of his new religion. It's sad to think that many see Christianity in exactly the same way. Full of weirdos and emotion driven rallies - that if you convert, it will only be a passing thing and eventually you'll know better and can pick and choose what you want to believe.
Last Chance Harvey
This is another great film and one I would wholeheartedly recommend. It's just a sweet, simple love story along classic lines. Plus, there's a small side story involving Polish neighbours, a smokehouse, and suspected murder.
The 39 Steps
This is the new BBC version and the Scottish scenery and settings are magnificent. The book is a cracker. If you've never read it, you don't know what you're missing - classic mystery by John Buchan. Both the old 1935 Hitchcock version and this one have major departures from the plot, but both are still quite good in very different ways, and both are filmed extensively in Scotland. Apparently there's a third one that came out in 2003 by the BBC - I haven't seen that one. The first Hitchcock film has a classic speech scene (you can see the whole film on youtube).
Well, that's all for now. Further blog posts on Geneva and U2 will be forthcoming...hopefully.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
This film was hyped quite a bit when it first came out, and cinematically it's very visually stunning. Like Atonement every shot is beautiful, but also like Atonement it's hopeless and morally bankrupt. An interesting premise - it's supposed to be a celebration of a man who, against all odds, lives a full and complete life. But sadly Hollywood's definition of full and complete life entails losing your virginity to a prostitute and having an affair with a married woman (both of which seem to have little or no negative impact on Brad Pitt's character). There's a strong chord of "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" running through this film. Perhaps the one redeeming quality is the way Cate Blanchett's character (after making a myriad of annoying and sinful choices) somewhat self-sacrificingly cares for her former lover when he can no longer care for himself. But for most of the film it's as if the two main characters are standing there while reality goes on all around them - as if they observe it only, never participating, except in their relationship with each other. It just seemed selfish to me, so if you haven't already guessed, I didn't like the film.
He's Just Not That Into You
I loved this film. Hilarious and cringe worthy as women make a lot of very familiar mistakes. It is the kind of film I wish I had seen when I was in highschool as I could've learned an awful lot. What I like as well is the fact that the people who end up loving relatively unselfishly get their happy ending, and those who are out to live only for themselves, throwing what is right and good out the window to get what they want end up miserable and alone. Besides you have to love a film that drums into you the truth that you are the rule and not the exception, but ends by showing everyone can be someone's exception. Alex's advice to women is genius.
Finally, Gigi's hope in the essential existence of fairy tale is superb, as shown in this quote: Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up: if a boy punches you he likes you, never try to trim your own bangs, and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. every movie we see, every story we're told implores us to wait for it: the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. but sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. how to tell the ones who want us from the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. and maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. maybe the happy ending is just moving on. or maybe the happy ending is this: knowing after all the unreturned phone calls and broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment... you never gave up hope.
And if you hate chick flicks - this clip is hilarious
Marley & Me
Ok, not a lot profound to say about this film. It's cute, it's predictable, and it's interesting to see Owen Wilson play a serious role. Good fluff.
The Young Victoria
This film almost warrants a separate blog entry. You should see it if you possibly can. It's excellent in every way. But the hero of this film is not Victoria, though she is charmingly portrayed, but Albert. His unselfish love for the woman who was to become his wife, his wise humility, but most of all his courage to stand up for what he believed to be right and true no matter what anyone thinks, makes this a film worth seeing. To like Queen Victoria and appreciate Victorian England is very politically incorrect and has been for a long time, so it's lovely to see a film that portrays her so well. But at its heart this film is about a partnership, the partnership between Victoria and Albert, built on their love and honesty with each other, that enabled them to rule so well.
Seven Pounds
This film is horribly depressing. Yes, Will Smith acts well in it, but it just shows the despair of a non-Christian worldview. Without Christ, if true, crippling guilt overwhelms us, if we catch even a glimpse of how sinful we are, the result is often a panic striken urge to do penance and somehow find peace in good works. When that fails, and peace is not found, death is often seen as the only reprieve.
The Yes Man
This film is funny and mostly fluff. The one thing that impressed itself on me was how the weird friend essentially witnessed to Jim Carrey of his new conversion to what was essentially a religion, invited him to come along, the guru stirred up the crowds, and caught up in the moment, Jim Carrey's character "converted". He then goes through a process of "sanctification" in this new religion where he is tested to see if he'll stick with it, but in the end he attains "perfection" and can set himself above the rules of his new religion. It's sad to think that many see Christianity in exactly the same way. Full of weirdos and emotion driven rallies - that if you convert, it will only be a passing thing and eventually you'll know better and can pick and choose what you want to believe.
Last Chance Harvey
This is another great film and one I would wholeheartedly recommend. It's just a sweet, simple love story along classic lines. Plus, there's a small side story involving Polish neighbours, a smokehouse, and suspected murder.
The 39 Steps
This is the new BBC version and the Scottish scenery and settings are magnificent. The book is a cracker. If you've never read it, you don't know what you're missing - classic mystery by John Buchan. Both the old 1935 Hitchcock version and this one have major departures from the plot, but both are still quite good in very different ways, and both are filmed extensively in Scotland. Apparently there's a third one that came out in 2003 by the BBC - I haven't seen that one. The first Hitchcock film has a classic speech scene (you can see the whole film on youtube).
Well, that's all for now. Further blog posts on Geneva and U2 will be forthcoming...hopefully.
