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The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Funny, Bizarre and Disturbing all at Once
This was a film that I had seen once before several years ago. It was riotously funny and heartwarming to watch at times. The film's over the top characters and acting made for campy entertainment.
However, there are so many stereotypes here that I think it takes from the pro-LGBT message. The anatomically female characters are so horribly depicted that it made for some painful watching. That is with the exception of Marion (Sarah Chadwick), Tick/Mitzi's wife, who is lesbian or bisexual herself.
Mitzi (Hugo Weaving), Bernadette (Terrence Stamp) and Felicia (Guy Pierce) have casino gig in Alice Springs, about 1800 miles from Sydney. Felicia purchased a hooptie bus that acted as a makeshift tour vehicle and christened it Priscilla. From then on, the film documents the adventures and travails of the trio until they arrive in the Northern Territory.
Their first misadventure occurs when they go shopping and drinking at the Palace Hotel. The place was anything but a Palace. They encounter Shirley (June Marie Bennett), a scruffy looking woman who informs the trio that they are not welcome because of their appearance associated with their orientation. Bernadette in turn responds with some nastiness of "her" own and calls Shirley a "mullet" and tells her that the only satisfaction that she'll ever get is when she lights her lady bits on fire. Later on, "Bernice" and "Shirl" go toe to toe in a drinking contest, where she loses to Bernadette. The message here is: haters never win and a transgendered woman's as strong as any biological female. However, females have a lower tolerance for alcohol than males.
There are other snags along the way such as the malfunctioning bus, which serves as a metaphor for the little engine that can. The "girls" suffer anti-gay bigotry where Felicia is almost mobbed by a group of angry macho men. It is around this time when Bob (Bill Hunter) and Bernadette fall in love after courtship.
I can see the moments where the film chastises people who do not allow others who are different to live and be themselves. These characters are so exaggerated, even for drag queen standards. This bold face type portrayal underscores the point that gays are often targeted for expressing themselves. The film shows how dull and unsophisticated conservatively minded people are.
The only people who express empathy are the Aboriginals, whose names we never find out. In the film they're just desert dwellers who play along with the queens. The trio appear uncomfortable (especially Tick/Mitzi) being with the indigenous people. The reasons for this apparent discomfort are unknown, but there's the underlying message that native peoples are not seen in "civilization." These people behaved with more humanity than the other townspeople that they encounter until Alice Springs.
Cynthia (Julia Cortez) was the stereotypical Asian mail-order bride depicted as a vulgar lunatic whose purpose in the film was like that of a minstrel character who has one special trick: shoot golf balls from her vagina. Bob justifies treating his wife roughly because "she's always making a fool of herself." In addition to this, Cynthia's a lousy cook. She can't do anything right, except for that one thing. Her presence in the film acts as a contrast to Ralph/Bernadette by sending the message that heterosexual relationships are a joke. Bernadette is portrayed like a better lady than Cynthia and eventually snags her husband, Bob. He also treats Bernadette much, much better than Cynthia. Bob's very fascinated to be dating a former Les Girl (showgirl).
There are several instances where the film and characters negatively depict the female anatomy and personhood, yet these men have earned their living impersonating women and lip synching to songs sung by women. The male characters live unhappily because they appropriate and disfigure the same thing that they aspire to be: womanhood.
The end scenes with Benjamin (Mark Holmes), Marion and Tick's son, as as heartbreaking as they are troubling. "Benj" is a loving and understanding boy, yet he knows too much about his parent's intimate affairs for a child his age. He knows of his parents lovers and has a blase attitude about the situation with Mommy and Daddy. The scene with Benj sitting on top of a man's shoulders while watching Daddy Mitzi and Felicia's drag show was disconcerting. Children are not supposed to be in bars and casinos where adults drink, smoke, have sex and curse.
Despite these things, I decided to rate the film 7/10 because this an honest and unsanitized look into the LGBT community. That helps me to better understand them and some of their issues. It's important to not sugarcoat things in order to make others feel better about themselves.
Cabaret (1972)
Life is a Cabaret: Sad with Few Happy Moments
When I was younger I liked this film because of its high-energy performances. After I watched this film last night, I had a change of heart because I gave myself the opportunity to analyze the characters.
The leading characters have no redeeming qualities, while the supporting cast added a silver lining. More on this later.
Liza Minnelli's dancing and singing are on point and were delightful to watch. Cabaret inspired a slew of imitators. It is easy to see where many dancing female pop stars got their moves and act from. Bob Fosse and Liza Minnelli deserve a lot of credit for their body of work.
Onto the negative aspects of the film. Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) is a walking stereotype of a cabaret act and veers on being caricature. She is so desperate, vapid, needy, promiscuous and is not a lot of fun to be with outside of the cabaret and parties. Ms. Bowles has unresolved daddy issues that contribute more to her personal failures more than she acknowledged.
Brian Roberts (Michael York) starts out as a fly on the wall who has plenty of wiles of his own. He seems conflicted about his sexual orientation. He knows that he may be gay, but had a few affairs with women knowing that he went against himself. Mr. Roberts is resolute about social issues (e.g. growing Nazism and anti-Semitism), and this is where he shows his might.
The film is much more sympathetic to Brian than Sally. We never get to see how Sally was affected by the growing right wing movement in Germany. Instead, she is depicted as too much of a superficial escapist to even care, which is worse. Brian's character gets to show all of his facets, not just his sexual and fun-loving side.
Cabaret's brighter spots is the Master of Ceremonies (Joel Grey). Under the guise of humor, he tells the truth. He is the quintessential court jester of Shakespearean times. The MC keeps the movie from turning soppy and unfocused. His mischievous appearance only adds more to the fascination. Grey's work cannot be underestimated.
Fritz (Fritz Wepper) is pretty one dimensional, but because the film addresses anti-Semitism, his presence gives the film a greater heart. His relationship with Natalia (Marisa Berenson) is a big turning point for each other as Nazis take hold of Germany.
When one contrasts Natalia with Sally, we the quintessential virgin-whore dichotomy that is as old as dirt. Natalia is "good" because she is virginal, sweet, conventional and cultured. Sally is "bad" because she is loose, dirty, vulgar and overly sexed. These women do not intersect. In fact, Natalia's critical of Sally's overt sexual expression.
Baron Maximilian von Heune's (Helmut Griem) presence introduced another facet of Brian's personality. He has a price just like Sally and can be a rent boy under the right circumstances. Fancy items like cashmere sweaters and gold cigarette cases come with a price. However, the film treats Max and Brian's affair much more subduedly and respectfully than Sally.
In the end, Cabaret did not leave me happy, with the exception of Fritz and Natalia's marriage. Overall, it was not a feel-good movie, despite the cheerful dancing.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
What Silver Lining? Are These People "Crazy" To Begin With?
I just watched this film and the one pressing question that I had was were these characters really mentally ill to begin with? They described behaviors that are undesirable yet ambiguous. In our family's culture, Pat Jr. (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) are not "crazy". This would be normal considering the traumatic events of both parties.
Pat walked in on his wife having sex with the school principal and beat him bloody. Pat was mandated to stay eight months at a mental institution instead of being sent to jail. Pat comes from a comfortable enough family for them to pay an attorney to "facilitate" this as opposed to serving jail time. Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro) is a restaurant owner. Given Pat Jr's. predicament it is easy to see why the poor old man's broke.
Pat Sr. appears to be OCD, but he's harmless. Yes, he does appear to have a gambling problem and the film made light of that which is troubling. Gambling addiction is just as bad as drugs just because there's no illicit substance in the middle. Robert DeNiro's performance is very humane; I felt empathy for Pat Sr.
Dolores (Jacki Weaver) breaks my heart because I can see the pain in her eyes when dealing with the two most important men in her life with "mental health issues". Her voice is ignored and the men do whatever they want. She's the one who should be listened to.
Tiffany's nightmare began when her police officer husband had just purchased her lingerie and was killed in a car accident on his way home. Tiffany's way or mourning was to sleep with every person that she could as a means to forget. While this may be objectionable to some, this alone does not make her "nuts". I have a social science background and this script and direction only portrays depressed people with some anxiety features (e.g. OCD) at best. Considering the circumstances, this could be temporary for some of them. Across other cultures, these people are relatively normal considering what's happened to them. So perhaps this is white American suburbia's take on what "mental illness" really is.
The film suggests that the mental health system seeks to stigmatize and institutionalize people who don't tow the line. Perhaps the reason why the cops came over to the Solitano residence regularly and did nothing was because they may have felt that Pat Jr. was just going through a "rough time" after his wife Nikki (Brea Bee) left him for the school principal. This, in my opinion, is a reflection on the sad reality on the way some law enforcement handle matters of domestic violence. To this end I will not criticize the film makers.
I do not like the way that Tiffany's character was treated. There were so many closeups of her breasts, hips and rear end. She's supposed to be seen as a grieving widow, even if she describes herself as a little loose. She was objectified through the lens of men as if she's asking for "it" for being so sexual and having a hot body. Even Pat objectified her from time to time. In their final dance scene Pat practically simulates oral sex on Tiffany in front of the audience with his soon to be ex-wife, ex-sister-in-law, friends and family. Is the director trying to say that mentally ill people are so not with it that they would do something "crazy" like recreate sex in public, that is exhibitionism? By the way exhibitionism is a paraphilia and not a mood disorder.
The annoying kid who always came to the Solitano residence with his video phone to "conduct" mock interviews and ridicule Pat Jr., Ricky D'Angelo (Matthew Russell), disturbed me. What a lack of manners. Even when I was that age I knew better than to bother others, especially people with "issues". This obviously shows that this kid has no culture whatsoever and who is responsible for that? That's alone to make anybody crazy.
I could not understand why Nikki showed up the Pat's dance competition if she had a restraining order against him. Isn't she supposed to be scared? Also, would her new man approve of this considered that he received a bad beat down? Then, she even had an intimate conversation with her ex afterwards. Nothing in her looked like a domestic violence victim. This portrayal totally undermines the women who may be going through this for real.
It was refreshing to see the director use racism as a parallel against the discrimination and that the mentally ill experience in the Asian Invasion scene. That was actually touching because Dr. Patel was one of the people assaulted, and he was a good source of support to Pat Jr.
Although I am not from Philly, I spent time in Massachusetts and New Jersey, and there are things that I could definitely relate to. One of them were the bushy deciduous trees, traditional styled homes, Pat dunking a biscotti into his coffee, the passion for hometown football, late night diners, narrow streets lined with parked cars and antique looking schools.
David O. Russell captured the nuances of these details perfectly. I just wish the rest of the film would have been more cohesive and compelling. I will say that the all of the actors are great in their own right, and each add their grain of sand to the whole plot.
The Words (2012)
Corny Movie with Good Moral
I am having an extremely hard time finishing this film. The Words deals with ethical matters in the context of intellectual property. The premise for the story is interesting enough, but the delivery is saccharine.
Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper) is an aspiring writer and stumbles across another author's work. Dora (Zoe Saldana), is Rory's sweet and dutiful wife who supports Rory every step of the way. Saldana and Cooper work well together and are so lovey dovey it's too much, but that's not a bad thing per se. It just takes the grit from the harsher realities of the film. This is where the film feels disjointed; the sweet love between Rory and Dora is placed against the star crossed love of The Old Man (Jeremy Irons) and his wife post WWII.
I found that Clay (Dennis Quaid) and Daniella (Olivia Wilde) are totally miscast for their roles and I could have done without them. Clay's narrating was boring and he hardly looks like a college professor. The Old Man's narrating is more nuanced and heartfelt, though still boring at times.
I get the sense that The Words tried hard to be an art movie yet still be mainstream. Very few scripts and directors can craft an art movie that sells big or maintain that balance without faltering somewhere. This is why there are so many mainstream movies that follow the same formula; Hollywood knows what we like and gives it to us like crack.
Pirate Radio (2009)
Pirate Radio: The Boat That Sank
I was searching for movies about censorship for a class assignment. Fortunately, this film arrived at my library long after I completed my work. There was no chemistry in this movie between the characters. They do not inspire emotion from me good or bad, which is the worst thing that can happen in a movie. The conservative and female characters are one dimensional. Women take a backseat in this film unless it is to present their youth, beauty and of course, sexuality.
I understand that films do not necessarily need to be completely accurate, but the portrayals do need to be realistic. What I got was every man's wet dream, young and hot women ready and willing to drop their panties no matter how ugly, grimy and fat you may be. Although the sexual revolution of the sixties opened up people's attitudes towards sex, the film portrays it in a flippant manner. There is a skilled way to present sex in a humorous manner without being disrespectful. I love sex jokes by the way. Unfortunately I had to stop watching this hot mess before I wasted precious minutes of my life.
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)
Better Than What I Thought It Would Be
The images of New Orleans were stark, beautiful and true to life. I did not realize that this was a black comedy until midway into the film, which was a pleasant surprise. Terrence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage) has recently been promoted to lieutenant after Hurricana Katrina. He injures his back at work after rescuing an inmate from a sure death after rising flood waters. After this pivotal event the Lieutenant goes on a downward emotional spiral and begins to hallucinate and behave eccentrically due to his mounting drug use. If this took place six months after the Storm, how can there still be flood waters? Maybe this was for theatrical and symbolic effect. Cage gives a wonderful performance here, drug ticks and all.
Terrence is in a relationship with Frankie Donnenfield, a prostitute (Eva Mendes). They both use drugs and in a strange way, console eat other. Cage and Mendes have great chemistry, and their love story is very credible. Who else can love a corrupt yet strangely likable drug addicted and now partially disabled cop? Even though Frankie is a prostitute, Herzog does not dehumanize her and never shows her at "work". Instead, he focuses on the emotional and physical effects and consequences of prostitution without condemning her.
As can be expected, almost all of the characters are morally corrupt with the exception of Binnie's grandson, Daryl, a witness to the homicide of a Senegalese drug dealer. This is New Orleans, The Big Easy after all. The film's depiction of New Orleans is spot on considering that it's a Hollywood production. I appreciate the fact that most of the characters did not affect the New Orleans dialect unless they could pull it off well or were Southern themselves. These just happened to be people living in New Orleans for whatever reason.
Genevieve (Jennifer Coolidge), Pat McDonagh's (Terrence's father), is an alcoholic like her husband and is always "sh!t face on beer". Frankie comes to stay with them after being marked by a john with mob ties. Genevieve and Frankie get into a "fight". Before I saw the ending, I thought that this fight scene was weak and almost funny. Afterwards, I understood why the fight was meant to not be convincing; Genevieve dopes in addition to her beer habit and Frankie doesn't have the face nor nerve to really beat Genevieve up for "disrespecting" her.
A big part of the movie is devoted to the capture of suspected murderer and drug dealer, Big Fate (rapper Xhibit). He allegedly killed the Senegalese man and his family. Big Fate formed part of the N.O. ecosystem.
The one character that I do not see a point to was Stevie (Val Kilmer). He's been in several great films, but here he is just a hanger on.
The ending's funny and happy, strangely enough. Suddenly, all of the bad things that made the film "dark" at first turn happy. I had a very good time watching the film and appreciate it for what it is.
The Hangover (2009)
It Really Felt Like a Hangover
I rented this movie with an open mind. When it comes to movies, my memory can be fuzzy and all I remember when this film was released was that it was about a trip (travel and drug) that went awfully wrong. These characters had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I suspect that the film's subtext is what the story is really about rather than the sophomoric antics that initially give the movie a comedic flair.
For starters, Alan (Zach Galifianakis) is a registered sex offender whose sister is getting married to Doug (Justin Bartha), the groom. He even tries to make a pass at his unreceptive future brother-in-law, Doug. Doug suggests that a sexual relationship with Alan would be borderline incestuous and politely declines. There are scenes that suggest that Alan is into bestiality, is bisexual, and a drug addict with ties to drug dealers.
Doug is the insipid nice guy who reluctantly accepts Alan into his circle of friends.
Stu (Ed Helms) is a nerdy and spineless dentist with an Oedipus complex. His relationship with Melissa is that of mother and son, not future husband and wife. Out of all the men, Stu lost it the most during their drug and alcohol trip. He married a local stripper with a newborn and is very quick to turn his back on the morals he pretends to uphold.
Phil (Bradley Cooper) is the quintessential pretty boy who is a douchebag. He is a grade school teacher who fathered a child with a married woman. Phil hates his job as a teacher and for the most part has no soul. His attitude really irked me because there are many men who are that way. He's the ringleader of the pack even though Stu and Doug are the ones with the money. I'd say Phil has the makings of a hustler; he pretends to know it all yet knows nothing and is more than willing to use your assets to make this possible.
The scenes with Mike Tyson are crazy! There's a lot of symbolism in his role. The men literally chase the tiger (slang for cocaine use). Tyson, a man with a troubled history, plays the role of an avowed animal lover. The band of "brothers" (in reference to Alan's failed blood brother ceremony atop the roof) behaved more like animals than the ones Tyson keeps. By the way, he was gently cradling a French Bulldog at home.
Mr. Chow is highly stereotyped as an effeminate "Chinaman" with "small Chinese balls" who is also a homosexual. His presence was troubling and it was not due to his "orientation".
The only reason why I gave this movie 3 stars was because of the beautiful images of Las Vegas. The cinematography's lovely in these scenes.
Overall, my impression of this movie seems to be a closer look into the relationships of bachelors and the dark secrets that they keep. It feels like more of a black comedy if one looks at the film from this perspective.
Casi divas (2008)
Entertaining Look at Contemporary Mexican Life
I checked out this DVD at the library. I was expecting it to be a ditzy comedy about young debutantes with a lust for fame. While this may be somewhat true, Issa Lopez depicted the characters as human beings. The movie revolve around 4 young women and the Diva, Eva Gallardo. The women's paths cross when they audition for a reprise of "Eva Enamorada".
There is Yesenia, an intersex woman who may be bisexual (depending on one's interpretation). She is a hairdresser in a lower class community in Mexico city. She deals with a lot of gender discrimination. Her family is loving and supportive, though a bit chaotic (in a funny way). She wants to transcend her mundane life as a famous actress.
Ximena Lizarraga is a rich girl from Guadalajara. She is very insecure about her body because she was a chubby child. Her childhood love interest ridiculed her. She subjected herself to 4 surgeries and rigorous diets in order to have a model figure. She wants the leading role in order to vindicate herself and exact revenge on those who called her 'foca' (seal in Spanish).
Catalina is a maquiladora worker from Juarez. Initially her biggest motivation to be the next "Eva Enamorada" is for safety reasons. Her life in Chihuahua is hell, and she unsuccessfully crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. A few of her friends have disappeared. The local thug, Satan, is an organized criminal capable of anything.
Francisca is an indigenous woman from Oaxaca. She is a rural woman with strong family values. Frank is proud of her heritage and has strong convictions about Mexico's treatment of its Native Indians. She is the only literate person in the village. She travels to the audition to make her family proud and hopefully shatter negative attitudes about dark skinned people. She learn a lot about herself as a woman during the auditioning process.
Eva Gallardo is a 30ish soap opera diva who is unapologetic about throwing tantrums on set when things do not go her way. She has a dark past that always haunts her, and makes her insecure. She has a love-hate relationship with Alejandro, the producer of Eva Enamorada. They often engage in mudslinging; and in a strange way that is the way that they show love for each other. She does anything to knock out potential competition.
It is true that these characters are stereotypes, but all comedies are based on stereotypes. This way, everybody gets it and can laugh at each others differences. The movie strikes a delicate balance between a drama and a comedy (a dramedy). I enjoyed the way that the movie did not have a one size fits all happy ending. One or two characters had a 'happy ending' and the rest had the Cinderella experience (think about what happened at 12 midnight).
In our fame obsessed society one could take this as a commentary on celebrity. Even though we all know that an actor's job is to be on TV, it is easy to sometimes believe the hype that one is bombarded with. Their bodies are imperfect; and they have blemished backgrounds. They are just like us, only with an army of PR experts, makeup artists, fashion and computer designers (i.e. Photoshop) and a little more money.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
First Rate Actors, 90s Clichés
I will try to not parrot what has already been said about the movie, for better or worse. I have nothing against the actors of the feature film. They were the best of the best in that genre and generation. My issue is with all the product placement and overall marketing that the film is bombarded with ranging from Reebok, Apple Jacks, NFL and I don't know how many other products. If one is not discerning, one can fall for it and feel like ESPN is the ultimate authority in sports and that the NFL is the best thing that there is. I won't question the integrity of these entities because that's not what this review is about. The cameos from real life corporate executives further reinforced the marketing at play her. I just think that it would have felt more artistic and original to have come up with a pretend organization resembling the ones mentioned so that the viewer is not resold on the idea that big corporations truly benefit humanity and actually constitute a culture.
For a movie about redemption and love, there is the underlying message that money and materialism is the agent that facilitates can destroy and redeem you. This may be true, and I am no bleeding heart; but movies should not always reinforce the obvious.
One of the more positive aspects of the movie was seeing the Tidwell's as a normal and married black couple rather than bickering losers having illegitimate offspring. You could see Crowe's sensitivity and trying to elevate the dialogue without being soppy.
I think what made this movie so zeitgeist was that it captured and incorporated the rampant and materialism of the 1990s. This decade was more greedy than the 80s because suddenly actors and athletes had the fattest paychecks simply for being entertainers. They suddenly became royalty. This decade was the beginning of the endorsement culture that blew up in the 2000s. The general public truly believed that bigger was better and resented being told otherwise. SUV's, designer clothes, limitless credit cards, supersized meals and Venti sized coffee's were almost a requirement.
If you want to see a well acted film you will not be disappointed. I recommend looking at the movie with a grain of salt and detaching oneself from the underlying capitalist and elitist message that it sends.
Sex and the City (1998)
Sex, drugs and rock and roll
This show would have been more entertaining if these women were a rock band since we all know the way they live. Instead, the show presents these poseurs as modern and sophisticated women. They are more like Neanderthals who just discovered what sex is about.
The show depicts a candy coated depiction of what sex in New York City is really like. I would have respected the show if they would have depicted the consequences that come with libertinism. Things like STDs, unplanned pregnancies, drug overdoses, domestic violence, loss of reputation, legal troubles, the target of sexual crimes, family troubles and emotional consequences come to mind when I think of the effect that this type of behavior elicits.
SATC sent a horrible message to girls and young women that I hope they never fell for. Regardless of your gender, casual sex is not cool. Nobody likes a player or a ho. They inevitably become the target of hatred and low passions.
I know that the show was supposed to be a comedy, but there's nothing funny about self absorbed women who are 20+ years into their adolescence, regard sex like an Atari game and the lead character's a scrawny, trashy looking chain smoker. We all know what cigarettes do. I'm surprised Carrie Bradshaw didn't get emphysema with as much as she smoked. Since the show came out in the liberal '90s, I know that telling the truth would make you the villain and not the hero.
If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010)
Liberally Biased Docu Film
The only reason why I put up with Spike Lee for 4 hours was because I wanted to watch an educational film about New Orleans. I currently live in the area and wanted to get a perspective for what the natives went through when Katrina descended.
Spike Lee had the potential to make his best docu-film ever. There is plenty of material to draw from here. Instead he turns this film into a mostly black film. Blacks and the occasional whites aren't the only people who live here though I realize that they make a sizable majority. The segment on the Vietnamese was too short and there was no mention of the Hispanics who helped rebuild the city. Lee failed to mention how some blacks would target Hispanics because they carry cash on them and were scared to call the cops on them due to their immigration status. NOLA also has a Muslim and Middle Eastern community. This isn't counting other ethnic and religious communities. Poor blacks weren't the only people affected by the storm, but it makes for great ratings. His myopia and ethnocentrism is mind boggling. I can't believe he made it this far.
I am not a conservative, but the liberal bias in the film is over the top. The poor and pitiful portrayal that many segments of the black community received is highly inaccurate and makes them look impotent waiting for the government to rescue them. It inadvertently perpetuates stereotypes of them and the liberal whites who pity them and carry a guilt complex that they need to cleanse every time they help them. I know that the Feds provided a poor response and that is reprehensible. I also take issue with MS receiving a greater share of funds. I think that NOLA's reputation precedes it. NOLA has always been a city of strong contrasts in class, society and race. The recovery since the storm has only made this more apparent. The recovery post-Katrina has brought out many inadequacies that need to be fixed. After the worst of the storm passed the people could have been more proactive and helped each other more. Instead the corruption that NOLA is known for came back.
I believe that an effective documentary gives both sides air time. This is what documentaries are about. If you want to make a film all about your ideas you should make a movie.
I'm glad I wasn't the only wondering what the hell was a foot fetish guy talking about finding a woman with a house (aka freeloading freak) doing in a documentary.
I wish he would have put a segment on the animals left behind who died in the storm and the ones who starved after-wards.
I think the Haiti segment was perhaps a metaphor for how blacks always get the shaft, even from Mother Nature. Tragedies happen to all of us, but how we handle them is what defines us. We don't allow tragedy to make us.
The oil spill segment was better. That is truly tragic for all living being, especially the animals who cannot speak for themselves. I found the BP poetry segment pretty cool, Bitch Please! I liked the poetic, musical and football segments as they gave levity to the film. Maybe Spike Lee should have used his artistic insights to make a fun Katrina film.
Wendy and Lucy (2008)
An accurate portrait of Oregon
I approached Wendy and Lucy with an open mind. I once lived in Oregon, the Portland area to be exact. I was thinking, "This movie better have its facts straight on the Pacific Northwest". I think that the Walgreens that was in the film is one that I used to go to by Lombard and the houses looked like they were in the Northside of Portland. I was impressed by how accurate this movie was on the depiction of the cold and closed off that inhabit Oregon. Not everybody that I came across in Oregon was this bad, but most people attitudes stunk in the time that I was there. The people that I met who were supposed to be leaders and beacons of light were only angels of darkness. I went through something similar though we never became homeless like, but we almost did. We had to rely on our own pluck and determination and prayer. Watching this movie helped to put some closure with my issues with Oregon.
Before Wendy pulled out the road map on the Northwestern states, I knew where she was just by looking at the trees. I remember those train tracks, the lonely and stuck in time look of the neighborhoods, the overall retro 'ness' of the Portland area and the depressing feel of the city.
The story starts out with Wendy as a drifter from Indiana on her way to Alaska with Lucy, her dog. Wendy is poor and no one extends a hand to help her out. When her car breaks down, I noticed a blue house with a man sitting out by the porch who was observing her for a while and did nothing to reach out to help this stranded woman. After Wendy steals some dog food due to a lack of money, the young grocery clerk incites the manager to call the police even though the elder looked like he was willing to let her go with a warning. Lucy is left tied to a bike rack while this happens and Wendy goes to jail. This event sets off a chain of negative events in her life en route to Alaska.
Wendy went to kennel to find Lucy the next day. I saw Lucy in hiding in her kennel at the pound even though Wendy didn't see her. Maybe she was so stressed that she didn't see Lucy. By the time Wendy finds out about Lucy, it's too late because Lucy's in a foster home. Wendy's lost the little bit that she has and cannot afford to recover her dog. That's the ultimate tragedy in this story.
The story is a social commentary on how cut off we've become from each other and sends the message that we need to help out our fellow brother. It also shows how poverty begins with people not having access to work, food, shelter, money and a chance to improve their life. The movie sends the message to not judge others because we may not know what their life is truly like. Just because you see someone who looks dirty and poor doesn't mean that they're a piece of trash who is not worthy of help.