akdubois-34734 Reviews

Lion (2016)

Dickens meets "Central Station"

[5/10 · 1 January 2017]

I'll be honest, I cried throughout this movie. The Dickensian themes are unrelenting: little poor boys risking their lives to buy milk, mother has to carry rocks for a living, unkind strangers. For a white man to make a film like this is risky at best. The villainy of almost everyone the main character encounters is so over-the-top, it practically reeks of racism. Dev Patel's easy, aryan good looks surly boost the ratings and popularity with white viewers, but it also recalls a past where actors like Caesar Romero played an Indian servant in "A Little Princess." I'm sure many Indians will dislike the fact that their entire country is portrayed as heartless pedophiles. Even "Central Station," the wonderful Brazilian film of a similar theme (mother is killed and little boy has to fend for himself) is peppered with humor, and in the end, homespun humanity. I'm sure Saroo Brierley told his story truthfully, but his bitterness for India shines through. Even Dickens had the heart to explain his villain's behavior (most of the time), but this movie doesn't explain or show the dynamic that would lead to a child falling through the cracks. "Central station" builds the story and characters in a way that seems to be outdated now in films. This movie and others come across like extended previews— snippets of information with no real, intensive insight into anything or anybody. All the characters seem hollow, Hollywood prototypes. Yes I cried, it's certainly a film full of sadness and brutality, and yes those issues should be addressed in Indian and everywhere else. But this white man's version left me feeling a little funny, like I was being manipulated.

My Joy (2010)

Beautiful Allegory

[10/10 · 31 December 2016]

This is a rich, beautiful, sad film. A really brilliant take on Putin's Russia. As for the critics who think it's a "mess" or doesn't have much to say, "POOH" to them. Again I have to say this: just because you don't understand something doesn't make it a bad work of art. I've noticed a lot of people on this website really lash out at films they don't understand. It doesn't make you look smart, believe me. I don't know if I fully understand what this movie is saying, not being from the Ukraine, but that just makes me want to re-watch this beautifully made film. It obviously isn't for people who need constant action or a Hollywood ending, but I think the world will survive without another film like that.

Where Are We? Our Trip Through America (1992)

Subtle, Powerful Comment on America

[10/10 · 3 October 2016]

This a wonderful, funny and subtle comment on 1990's America. I grabbed it because New Yorker Films is such a tried and true choice for good films, and this one didn't disappoint. This movie may be a little too subtle for some, but it is definitely a well-crafted, carefully curated collage of interviews and interactions with a fascinating cross-section of humanity. A gay couple of East Coast extraction living in San Francisco travel through the south meeting all kinds of folks along the way: a poor black woman making minimum wage after working for middle class whites for 18 years, a couple of young teens expecting a baby and deciding on what mobile home to buy, and a casino owner who could be played by Billy Crystal. In between the funny stuff, the film-makers weave a story about the make-up of America and they do it with heart and sympathy. This could have easily become a snark-fest about ignorant Southerners, instead Friedman and Epstein take the high road and simply let the subjects speak for themselves. The journey is peppered here and there with gay-relevant issues (Aids and homophobia), but it is certainly not an insular film. If you like "Sherman's March" and Errol Morris, you will like "Where Are We?"

En el hoyo (I) (2006)

Slow start, wonderful finish

[10/10 · 26 June 2016]

This is what a documentary should be. Don't give up on it if you feel like it's too slow at the beginning— there is such a rewarding pay-off. This is a timely film right now with all the contention about immigration and refugees in the world. You'll get to know a handful of constructions workers making an elevated highway in Mexico city, but you feel like every stranger you see after this has a very rich and hidden life. This is the reality for so much of the world, and it worth realizing if you are one of the privileged ones living in the US or Wester Europe. Juan Carlos Rulfo clearly got to know these people very well, and cares about them a great deal. So will you.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)

One of the Best adaptions of a Book I've Ever Seen

[10/10 · 4 September 2015]

Having read this book when it came out 10 years ago, I was very curious as to what anyone would do with a movie version of it. I have to say I am not usually a fan of books-to-movies, since books are almost always better, but this movie passed with flying colors. Barring a couple of changes, which I won't go into, the movie stayed very true to the book. It's an incredibly honest portrayal of a time (the 1970's) and a girl (little Minnie) lost and confused in that time. The acting is really wonderful, the writing wonderful, the directing wonderful. It is not a happy story, but it has a power and truth that is really refreshing and inspiring. The sex scenes might be disturbing to those who are prudish, especially in light of the fact that it is portraying underage sex, but they are in no way distasteful or gratuitous. In fact, compared to the book, I would say the movie plays down the sexual aspect. This film does a good job of portraying the hangover of the 60's—the 70's were indeed a time of promiscuous sex (just before aids emerged) and drug abuse. It was a time when heavy drinking and recreational drug use weren't seen as particularly problematic. Ultimately, I would say this is a story of neglect (not only by parents, but by a culture) and the resulting feelings of being lost at sea. I would compare it to another great set-in-the-70's movie, "The Ice Storm." The set dressing and overall feeling of being in the 70's, the clothes, etc., is top notch—if you lived through that era, you will enjoy this movie for that alone! This is a refreshing, truthful, heartfelt film.