A modern-day dysfunctional family struggles through life’s toughest challenges by coming together to celebrate the family. Each individual has his own “American Dream” and fails to accomplish it. As individuals, they failed, but they come together to succeed in a new American dream where the family comes together to help each other and become a functional family.
The individualistic dreams are more shallows dreams based around one big shallow dream of winning a beauty competition. This family is the only one that realizes the beauty competition has to do with inner beauty like family love and bonds, and the film demeans the physical and superficial American Dream.
The grandfather’s death symbolizes the family’s overcoming of death, and it brings them together. The director uses humor around the grandfather’s death to present the idea of hope and moving on with life.
There is also comedy in other parts such as the van they drive. The van represents all of the problems within the family. With each issue within the family, there is an issue with the van such as the horn going out or the car not starting. The van is a practice for the family to combine and solve a problem together. The innocence of the young girl is the driving force for the rest of the family to protect her from the real world and the failures it has brought to them.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Hoax (April 6th)
This modern film depicts the actual actions of Clifford Irving as a man versus himself comical drama set in the 1970s. Irving’s dream of being rich and famous represents the new American Dream and how it fails to make one happy. We see a man clouded by his desires and unable to tell the distinction between truth and fiction. He fabricates so much so often that he begins to see events and people that are not there. We get to know more about Cliff than any of the other characters in the film because we can hear his thoughts and see how he acts alone. The director makes the viewers feel like we personally know Clifford Irving.
We see a flawed man who begins to see his lies as true events which demonstrate man’s weakness when he loses control of himself. Irving has himself on a pedestal with power over other people like the President, but the power he lost friends and family over only destroyed him in the end. Striving for the American dream of fame and glory, Irving loses sight of the dream he was already living with a wife who loves him and a best friend who would do anything for him. This portrays how modern society has lost sight of the original American Dream with superficial dream of power.
At first, the film is more comical and light, but as Irving continues deeper into the lies, the film becomes more depressing and serious. The title of the film represents how Irving viewed his scheme as a game he could win, and he had fun until reality set in. The more man lifts himself up, the harder he falls from being only human.
We see a flawed man who begins to see his lies as true events which demonstrate man’s weakness when he loses control of himself. Irving has himself on a pedestal with power over other people like the President, but the power he lost friends and family over only destroyed him in the end. Striving for the American dream of fame and glory, Irving loses sight of the dream he was already living with a wife who loves him and a best friend who would do anything for him. This portrays how modern society has lost sight of the original American Dream with superficial dream of power.
At first, the film is more comical and light, but as Irving continues deeper into the lies, the film becomes more depressing and serious. The title of the film represents how Irving viewed his scheme as a game he could win, and he had fun until reality set in. The more man lifts himself up, the harder he falls from being only human.
The Namesake (April 4th)
A combination of Bollywood and Hollywood, this movie tells the story about a couple from one culture raising a family in another culture. The film begins with an Indian man and woman meeting formally in India and becoming engaged to move to the United States and raise two children. Director Mira Nair emphasizes the family bond as the strongest bond existing and continuing from generation to generation.
We also see the family growing culturally and physically when the daughter marries an American man. The son, Gogol, struggles to find his individual identity only to learn that his family love and history gave him his identity. The film uses Gogol and his family’s story as a representation among many immigrants family struggle in a new country. The children of the immigrants want to fit in with their surroundings, but the parents are used to another culture and try to teach their children about their background while accepting the new culture as well.
The story is also a coming-of-age story where Gogol learns that every story can have two sides like his name. A visual technique used to portray this is in the airport when Gogol looks at the digital flight schedule at the airport that looks different from different angles. After Gogol learns the truth about his name, he realizes his father’s desire for Gogol to have the opportunity to choose how to live his life. He learns that people have more than one side to them too. Gogol has several failures to understand his father’s wisdom which represents the every man’s life lessons.
We also see the family growing culturally and physically when the daughter marries an American man. The son, Gogol, struggles to find his individual identity only to learn that his family love and history gave him his identity. The film uses Gogol and his family’s story as a representation among many immigrants family struggle in a new country. The children of the immigrants want to fit in with their surroundings, but the parents are used to another culture and try to teach their children about their background while accepting the new culture as well.
The story is also a coming-of-age story where Gogol learns that every story can have two sides like his name. A visual technique used to portray this is in the airport when Gogol looks at the digital flight schedule at the airport that looks different from different angles. After Gogol learns the truth about his name, he realizes his father’s desire for Gogol to have the opportunity to choose how to live his life. He learns that people have more than one side to them too. Gogol has several failures to understand his father’s wisdom which represents the every man’s life lessons.
300 (April 14th)- extra
The unique part of this movie is the graphics combined with the editing. The story is a basic war hero story, but the graphics give it a unique edge. It has a comic book feel similar to that of Sin City where the blood has a cartoonish look, and then there is a lot of physical movement through the air. The comic book appearance is a new style of editing in the film industry. The slow motion effect also adds to this style. The colors made the setting appear like a mythical tale being told, and it ends up being a story told by one of the soldiers to build up the other Spartan soldiers before battle. The narration also refers to the common form of historical storytelling before people wrote books about such events. The music adds a lot of character to the film with use of guitars and computers along with classical instruments to create a new and intriguing sound that motivates the actions in the film.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tiger and the Snow
This film has a similar feel to that of A Beautiful Life, but the story is completely different. Director Roberto Benigni demonstrates a man’s struggle to keep the woman he loves alive. He uses an actual event as the cause of his struggle. Even in the worst cases, Benigni manages to use comedy to look at the optimistic side of everything. Instead of giving up on the one he loves, he travels far and lies to beat the odds of her death. Also, he looks past the problems of mankind to see the beauty in life.
I remembered Children of Heaven and Babel when I saw this movie. Much of it is set in Iraq and religion and spirituality is brought up. The story of Babel is used to represent the reason for war between cultures. Many critics dislike his attempt to use comedy in the Muslim world, but I believe that he succeeds to bring a new positive perspective. Benigni brings optimism in the least likely places where many people such as the author Faud who gives his life up.
The title describes Benigni’s character Attilio. A tiger is usually not in a place where it snows, and a man does not go towards the place of danger but away from it. Attilio goes to an unlikely place where there is a war and the threat of death lingering nearby.
The film is also used to remind us about the innocent loss in wars. In the scene where he is in prison, we sympathize with him knowing he was an innocent bystander of war. The perseverance and achievements made by Attilio present life as full of miracles and surprises that come with love. Benigni pushes the idea of love back into a society where war ad politics have been pushing it out.
I remembered Children of Heaven and Babel when I saw this movie. Much of it is set in Iraq and religion and spirituality is brought up. The story of Babel is used to represent the reason for war between cultures. Many critics dislike his attempt to use comedy in the Muslim world, but I believe that he succeeds to bring a new positive perspective. Benigni brings optimism in the least likely places where many people such as the author Faud who gives his life up.
The title describes Benigni’s character Attilio. A tiger is usually not in a place where it snows, and a man does not go towards the place of danger but away from it. Attilio goes to an unlikely place where there is a war and the threat of death lingering nearby.
The film is also used to remind us about the innocent loss in wars. In the scene where he is in prison, we sympathize with him knowing he was an innocent bystander of war. The perseverance and achievements made by Attilio present life as full of miracles and surprises that come with love. Benigni pushes the idea of love back into a society where war ad politics have been pushing it out.
Ushpizin-March 29th
This orthodox Jewish film portrays the hidden miracles in life that come from the most unexpected places. The title means “holy guests”, yet the characters are escaped convicts who only want things without giving back. The continuous trials end in a happier and more fulfilled marriage between Moshe and Malli. Moshe has to face his past and go through the worst with his wife to gain her best trust and love along with a family. The convicts end up joining the Orthodox religion after ridding Moshe of all of his past sins.
The film depicts a culture closed off to most of the world, and makes the viewers want to join the main characters during their Sukkoth rituals. More and more miracles occur during the film, and each one is almost forgotten until the biggest one at the end. Director Gidi Dar shows how the least expected and difficult events can be the most rewarding.
The couple learns the deeper meaning of the traditional holiday in a country surrounded by crime and death. The director focuses on a small society where hospitality is a necessity. Dar displays a universal bind between mankind though kindness; he displays how people can come together to create miracles and a better society of friendship. Moshe depends on the holiday food, a citron, to answer his prayers. When the two guests use the fruit in a salad to return the kindness to Moshe, he misunderstands the meaning of the fruit for the holiday and gets angry at the destruction of the physical fruit. He realizes the use of the fruit was worth the money because it represents the convicts attempt to help and give back to a friend for kindness. The birth of the baby boy portrays a new hope for society to come together in faith and friendship.
The film depicts a culture closed off to most of the world, and makes the viewers want to join the main characters during their Sukkoth rituals. More and more miracles occur during the film, and each one is almost forgotten until the biggest one at the end. Director Gidi Dar shows how the least expected and difficult events can be the most rewarding.
The couple learns the deeper meaning of the traditional holiday in a country surrounded by crime and death. The director focuses on a small society where hospitality is a necessity. Dar displays a universal bind between mankind though kindness; he displays how people can come together to create miracles and a better society of friendship. Moshe depends on the holiday food, a citron, to answer his prayers. When the two guests use the fruit in a salad to return the kindness to Moshe, he misunderstands the meaning of the fruit for the holiday and gets angry at the destruction of the physical fruit. He realizes the use of the fruit was worth the money because it represents the convicts attempt to help and give back to a friend for kindness. The birth of the baby boy portrays a new hope for society to come together in faith and friendship.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Babel (March 2nd)
The first part of the film I noticed was the title. The bolded white words on the DVD menu are slightly crooked. After viewing the film, I decided to look up the title knowing it was part of a Bible story. The story marks the separation of people by making new languages after the people try to build a man-made tower, Babel, to heaven. God punished them by confusing their words thus creating new languages. The title can represent the crooked ways of human beings.
The discontinuity of time actually connects the movie as a whole bringing three stories around the world together. This represents man’s connection with each other even through cultural and distant differences. The ending f the film indicates man’s continuous struggle to get through the confusion of life. There is some closure with all three scenarios, yet none of them satisfy the viewer. The Japanese father realizes something is wrong with is daughter which is a step, but the issue is not directly addressed or fixed. The parents in Morocco make it to the hospital, but we do not see the wife recovered or returning to the United States. Their marriage is saved, but we do not see the family reunited. The Mexican nanny finds the police who find the children, but she is deported to Mexico. Babel shows the corruption within mankind today. We are all connected in one sense, yet we let our pride interfere and create more chaos and confusion.
The film makes a political statement about political issues in the world today. The director shows the clouded perception of what is moral and amoral in today’s society.
The discontinuity of time actually connects the movie as a whole bringing three stories around the world together. This represents man’s connection with each other even through cultural and distant differences. The ending f the film indicates man’s continuous struggle to get through the confusion of life. There is some closure with all three scenarios, yet none of them satisfy the viewer. The Japanese father realizes something is wrong with is daughter which is a step, but the issue is not directly addressed or fixed. The parents in Morocco make it to the hospital, but we do not see the wife recovered or returning to the United States. Their marriage is saved, but we do not see the family reunited. The Mexican nanny finds the police who find the children, but she is deported to Mexico. Babel shows the corruption within mankind today. We are all connected in one sense, yet we let our pride interfere and create more chaos and confusion.
The film makes a political statement about political issues in the world today. The director shows the clouded perception of what is moral and amoral in today’s society.
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