Change Your Image
vinov1260
Reviews
The Sacrament (2013)
In Defense of Found Footage Format
For those of you that are saying, "You'd be better off watching 'Jonestown: Life and Death in the People's Temple.'" I mean...you're not necessarily wrong, but saying so diminishes some of what I thought was really clever about this film: the found footage format.
In Guyana (as they say multiple times in the documentary you are all so well defending), Jim Jones talked all the time over the loudspeaker and TAPED everything. I think the found footage angle on this film pays an interesting tip of the hat to that aspect of Jonestown life. The reason we know so much about what happened in the massacre is: A. The congressmen brought a film crew with him and we have footage from them and B. Jim Jones audio-taped the mass suicide. Those that survived the shooting at the airstrip took the film with them. The audiotape was discovered at the site of the massacre. (Therefore, it's not really problematic that in this film, one of the cameras was left behind).
Did I feel like the FF angle felt forced at times? Of course! But I've seen it done WAY more awkwardly in other films, I just have to give this one credit. I thought the movie was inspired and paid tribute to many Jonestown victims throughout(i.e. the guy speaking out against Father in the meeting, the note slipped to the media). It's really hard to recreate something so tragic without feeling campy, especially in the horror genre and I think they did a good job. I do wish that (as in Guyana), a few of the cult members actually survived and escaped with them, I'm not terribly sure why they chose to eradicate everyone. But...in all, I enjoyed it.
Fly Me to the Moon (2007)
Lazy writing; Tsk Tsk
While the 3-D animation (the highlight of the show) did it's job well, most other elements fell flat. It was as though the filmmakers thought "well, it's gonna be 3-D so we don't have to work that hard on the plot or character development." And the fact that it's a children's movie is absolutely no excuse. The public is drawn to three dimensional characters (Shrek, Nemo's Dad) just as much as they are drawn to three dimensional graphics. The only dimension any of the main characters showed was two dimensional Scooter who twists the plot from time to time with his compulsion to eat everything in sight.
And the absolute kicker? Buzz Aldrin's appearance at the very end (after watching a very robotic cartoon version of the same historical figure for an hour and half) comes on the screen and ruins everyone's good time by calling the film's main characters "contaminants" and announcing that the situation put forth on screen was actually an impossibility.
???!!!??? Did you just wanna tell the kids the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus don't exist while you're at it?
In the Valley of Elah (2007)
Well Constructed, A bit one sided
Having a script by Paul Haggis these days means the movie is definitely going to be interesting and thought-provoking and In the Valley of Elah is no different. But, I was surprised that the same author who wrote the well rounded, fair-fought Crash would pen a film that pointed such a judgmental finger at our military.
It's true the longer the Iraq conflict continues, the more Americans are joining the anti-war bandwagon, but whatever happened to "Don't hate the player, hate the game?" I myself am against the war, adamantly so, but I would never deign suggest our soldiers who are putting their lives on the line are a mindless group of monsters with no feeling or remorse, as Elah does. It's true those boys (and girls) come back from war different, but the lion's share are effected by post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological guilt complexes and many demons that they feel "they can't talk about." Those that do become brainwashed to ultra-violence are sick and need help. Not judgment.
The Village (2004)
I'm going back-and this time with a notepad
**POSSIBLE VAGUE SPOILERS**
I have studied creative writing for 8 years now and never in that time have I ever wished that an author could go back, make some changes and re-release a film that has already opened. But this film begs for a re-write.
Let me start off by saying that I think Night is a superb talent, with a great deal to say about our culture, with distinct reference to religion and spirituality. This film does not fall short of that standard. It's ideas on the things we as humans will do in the cusp of fear (i.e. giving away your life savings to a televangelist so that you don't go to "HELL")are the dreams of coffeehouse conversationalists. The theme of this movie has/had the overwhelming potential to affect social change, BUT, Night seems to have dropped the ball halfway through the screenplay.
Don't get me wrong. I am completely willing to go along with the idea that there are these rustic, menacing hogs-head type creatures in red robes threatening the safety of an obscure village--just so long as the characters follow through with that same fear. The problem is, simply put, there is just not enough at stake for ANY of these people, except Ivy's character. And that just doesn't make it a fair fight. If I lived in "The Village," the first things I would ask myself are:
1. ARE YOU FOR REAL?
Has anyone actually SEEN these things kill before? And how do we know there is an "agreement" between them and us? Do they speak English? I want to speak to a supervisor.
2. CAN WE KILL THESE THINGS?
Why is this not a matter of simple pest control? Why convince yourself you're beaten before you've begun. We know they have knives and reference is made to the advent of a handgun, let's bring it on!
3. WHY DO WE STILL LIVE HERE?
If these creatures are "Unbreakable," I wouldn't want them in my backyard, would you? Yeah, let's leave. This issue is addressed briefly in the film, but the manner in which the characters deal with it makes me not believe they want to live there at all. If The Village is the BEST alternative for them to live in, they should be willing to risk their lives and/or KILL in order to preserve such a way of life. They simply aren't. If they were my elders, I would have skipped town a long time ago.
The way in which these questions are fielded in the script leaves much frustration. We, as the audience, are just asked to go along with far too much. NO!! As an audience member, I feel myself as though I am a resident of that Village and as a resident of that Village, I say it's mutiny time. But no one in the movie was mutinous.
Can a sequel fix this?