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Reviews
District 9 (2009)
Nauseating
This movie left me feeling very bored and nauseated from all the shaky camera work, over-the-top villains, blood and gore, repetitious foul language, and loud, disgusting noises. The main character was foolish and nerdy yet entirely unsympathetic, which made him totally unlikeable and uninteresting. The fact that he had a beautiful, loving wife was not nearly enough to make him a round or curious character in the least. In fact, it would have been nice if he'd been killed off very early in the film so that we could see her marry someone with a hint of personality.
In this movie, every piece of dialog that was supposed to convey excitement -- be it terror or joy -- sounded the same. "Oh f$#k!" or "F$#k you, f$#ckin' mother f$#cker!" I wondered if the script was written by a 15-year-old boy. I also wondered why in the f$#k Peter Jackson would ever allow his name to be associated with a project so foul and so pointless as this.
After the first half hour (10 minutes of which was mildly amusing background done in documentary style), I was already checking my watch and wishing that I could walk out of the theater without offending my friend who chose this stinker of a movie. Several of the people sitting in front of me left early and, oh how I wished I had, too. This movie had absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever, aside from the fact that it finally ended.
Edmond (2005)
Scary
This movie went from After Hours quirkiness to a full-blown American Psycho mind-blower.... however gradually. The racial hate language was quite disturbing and, frankly, I would like to be warned about that upfront via a MPAA advisory; it wouldn't stop me from watching any movie but would definitely help brace me for the assault! Macy is INCREDIBLE in this film. Julie Stiles was so lovable that I felt that I knew her and genuinely grieved for her character (though I'm not really sure why she seems so familiar -- I hadn't watched a single one of her other films! Where ELSE is she from???) After watching this movie with my hubbie, I'm thinking, "Dear, if you ever did anything like this... anything in the vicinity of this, I would not visit you -- not even once." And if I ever did anything like this, please have me committed IMMEDIATELY!!!
Free (2001)
Parker Lewis can lose after all
I caught this film during the middle of a Wednesday afternoon (when I should have been working). Though I turned it on as mere background noise, soon I was totally absorbed in it.
Mark is utterly heart-broken when his shallow, self-centered girlfriend breaks up with him. He turns to his equally shallow and self-centered best friend, Lawrence, to help him fill his hours. They drink at the bars while Lawrence picks up chicks. Mark seems totally uninterested. So why does Mark keep choosing to associate with these shallow people? They don't care one iota about him. What will it take for him to wake up and notice? Is Mark to blame for his own predicament? Is he just better off alone? I don't think so. He needs people, even if they aren't the best for him. He's just human. Very, very human.
After the break-up, the main character, Mark, also returns to the comfort of his childhood home and finds that his father is not treating him quite the same way anymore, now that he's all grown-up. Mark reacts much like a moody teenager would: He sleeps all the time... barely leaves his room, never communicates with his P's, hardly eats or bathes... He's getting under his dad's skin. What's wrong with the boy? Is Mark just plain lazy (as Dad suspects)? Or is he totally depressed (as Lawrence tells the girls in his pick-up line... "Meet my friend Mark. He's dark and suicidal.")? Dividing his time between writing the most god-awful screenplays and letting Lawrence attempt to mend his wounded male ego, all the while drinking far too much, Mark continues to wallow in self-pity and lack direction.
Of course we can all see that Lawrence is trying to turn Mark into something he's not. And *blecht!* Mark is just not good at writing movies! Mark is a deep, sensitive man trying to fit into a superficial world. And that's what makes this film work for me. It is funny (often in a dark comedy way) and very soulful.
Why is the movie called "Free" ? Well, you'll have to wait until the end of the movie to find out. Three people (3) and something else (an example of which is called "Free") are suddenly realized by Mark. If you pay close attention, you'll notice that these things have ALL been there the whole time for Mark -- he just didn't notice any of them until the end. Did you?
I hope these writers and director continue down this path and do more for us. Wonderful plot, writing, acting, cast, direction... everything was great! Well... the stunt sucked. You know the one... Falling into a table shouldn't look so put on and fake. But, I promise, that is my lonely ONLY criticism!
Wow! I loved it!
(Just a side note: Immediately I recognized the main character from the TV series, "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" but I spent the whole rest of the movie trying to figure out where the heck I saw the "Lawrence" actor before. Remember that gem of a movie called For Keeps? Well, he was "Stan" to Molly Ringwald's "Darcy.")
Super Size Me (2004)
Focus was/is on the kids
Morgan Spurlock's documentary, "Super Size Me," is an eye-opening look at the world of fast food, and the McDonald's company in particular. Through the use of humor and statistics (some frightening), we discover how the fast food industry has ingrained itself into the American psyche and has contributed to the ever-increasing rate of obesity in our nation. The most shocking aspect of this film was seeing the effect this has on our most valuable asset: today's children.
Until I watched this movie, I did not realize how many public schools have allowed commercial fast food restaurants to infiltrate their school lunch programs. When offered fast food for lunch every single day, accompanied by the vending machines filled with candy, chips and soft drinks, America's children are hard-pressed to find a piece of fresh fruit or a true vegetable on their lunch trays, unless they bring one from home. Parents who send their children to school without a packed lunch need to view this film in order to educate themselves about what their children are REALLY being served at lunchtime. Parents trust that the schools will feed their children well, and that trust is being betrayed on a daily basis. What adult would want to eat lunch at the same fast food restaurant every single day? What adult would think that is healthy? Yet that is exactly what we are doing to the children by allowing the commercial restaurants to provide the school lunches.
At the same time the children's Physical Education courses and recess -- i.e. exercise time -- have been dramatically slashed. Some kids get less than 20 minutes away from their desks each day. By contrast, when I attended grade school in the 1980's, we had P.E. class every day for a full hour plus three recess periods of 20 minutes each (less if we misbehaved). That's 2 full hours of exercise time during the school day! And it was a very important 2 hours; it was time to burn off our naturally abundant childhood energy, to strengthen muscles, to forge friendships with children who don't live near us, to learn the rules of new sports and games, and to build social skills like good sportsmanship, team-building, anger management, and leadership. I pity today's grade schooler who gets no time at all outside of the classroom to pursue these all-important activities.
As any parent knows, a child needs vitamins, minerals, fresh air, and lots and lots of exercise. Because so many of today's children receive none of these, it is no wonder that so many are overweight and prone to illness. Children who grow sluggish and sleepy from their fat-laden, fast food meals are often labeled "lazy" by their parents and teachers. Meanwhile, other children are anxious and restless for exercise, but they are given drugs instead of recess to help them sit still. These children need our help!
Thanks, Morgan. Your movie is both a wake-up call and a call for action.
Kelly Stuart, DietFacts.com Webmaster