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Maik
Reviews
The Power of One (1992)
An american ending to an african story
It's been a while since I have seen the movie for the first time. Though I really liked the first two thirds of the film (up to the point, when Stephen Dorff takes over the main-character (but that has nothing to do with his performance)). I found, that the last part was strange and somehow out of continuity. The first part strictly sticks to the idea of experiencing Apartheid from the view of a boy, who is growing up in a system of classes and injustice and who himself fails to really belong to any of these classes. The last part however suddenly tries to be a lot of movies in one: Action, Romance, Patriotism and a Historic Anti-apartheid picture. And I think, trying to do too much, it failed to be anything of the above in the end.
The reason I'm writing this comment now is, that I am just done reading Bryce Courtenays novel. And I was really surprised to learn, that exactly after two thirds of the story, the movie totally goes its own way and ignores the course things take in the novel. The last part of the Novel is just as great as the first. If you liked the movie (or at least the first part) read the book, it's worth it!
To sum it up: I believe The Power Of One had the potential to be an outstanding picture. The music was great, the landscapes beautiful and the acting excellent (Armin Müller Stahl at his best). But unfortunately somebody tried to write an american ending for an african story and couldn't have failed worse.
The Cure (1995)
Once in ten years.
Honestly, I didn't think it would ever happen. But THE CURE (from 1995) did it. It managed to touch and impress me just like STAND BY ME from 1986, which still is one of my all time top-3 movies. Seems to me, that even in Hollywood it only happens once in ten years, that a cast as outstanding as (Phoenix / Wheaton / O'Connel) or (Renfro / Mazello) is available at the appropriate age and with the required ability, charisma, talent and guidance by a superb director.
Youth, friendship, growing-up and death. These are the driving forces of both movies. Both movies (at first sight) tell the story of a group of friends, who try to get to a specific place that is far away and who believe, that getting there will change their life for the better. But somwhere on their way along the train tracks (or down the Mississippi) they realize, that the fascination is not due to WHERE they go, but to the fact that going there is something THEY do - on their own - against their parents will - and maybe even against the natural course of things.
Both movies use beutifully set up pictures and symbols and a soundtrack that bypasses ones brain and goes right to ones heart. They both manage to walk the wire and not to fall on either side. Neither are the films artificially nostalgic or digging for tears on a cheap and low level (Kitsch, we say in german) nor are they to cold and heartless for the sensitive subjects touched.
THE CURE is 10 out of 10 to me. I just hope that THE CURE will never be overshadowed with the sadness, that River Phoenix' death added to the final scene of STAND BY ME.