Maximus Decimus Meridius - A Character Study

“Gladiator” has one of the strongest characters I have ever seen. Watching this movie recently after staying away from it for years because I knew it too well was a great re-awakening to the genius that is Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott. As we discussed the movie in class further revelations made. One of them was the fact that none of the main characters have much of an arc. Every single one of them are solid and stagnate in who they are, they will not change.  That is one of the main themes of this movie, how to stay true to yourself in overwhelming circumstances. The other theme I found was the concept of battle and how it can be fought. Maximus plays with both of these themes throughout this movie in such a way that it doesn’t seem unnatural, but realistic, enchanting, and powerful.

            In the beginning of the movie we are introduced to a man who is the finest general Rome has ever seen. He has led a massive army into countless battles for twelve years and has just defeated the last of the enemy. He fights because it is his duty. He is a general and he will do what is ordered of him. He is a very strong and resolute man with an army full of men that love and fear him. It is said over and over again that those who follow him would go as far as the ends of the earth for him. If he leads a battle, they are victorious. He is extremely skilled in the art of warfare and easily wins the respect of his men. With the Caesar (Richard Harris) looking to pass his powers to lead his country into a time of peace and to give the power back to the senate, he looks to Maximus because he knows the delicate and horrific nature of battle. After the murder of Caesar and Maximus’ family by Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the son of Caesar, Maximus must fight for a completely new reason.

            Maximus begins his new life of a slave when he is picked up by a trader and sold to an entertainer by the name of Proximo. Proximo buys Maximus and many more men only so that he can profit from their death. He will make them fight for their lives whenever he chooses. He makes them fight not for land, or glory, or fame, but simply for their meaningless lives. He makes them gladiators. They will fight when he says fight. Maximus now has been given orders to fight because it is entertaining to see a man die by the sword. After struggling with whether or not he will fight, he decides that he will not simply lie down and take the sword to the chest, but will fight for mere nature of survival. There is no glory to be won in these battles. Not yet. Even though he doesn’t have an army with him, he remains true, steadfast and brave. He faces his enemy head on, without fear. It is not overconfidence that makes his success, but nature as a man and a warrior at heart. He will fight for what he believes in. After a couple of battles as a gladiator, he rebels against the establishment that owns him. For the first time he chooses his battle. He chooses who he targets next. After he kills the last man in the ring, he throws his sword into the stands directly at the spectators and screams “I do not entertain!” Finally he stands up for himself in the face of those who control his very life. He is just the same man as I saw in the beginning of the film leading thousands of men into battle. Now he is fighting all by himself in front of retched men and women who want to see a snippet of the glory they have heard so much about in real warfare. He is no longer just fighting for his own survival, but now chooses to fight against their control over his life. But when the tables are through his rebellion and skill with a blade, the crowd loves him all the more for it.

            Maximus slowly starts to gain more and more power through the people that watch him fight. They begin to fear and respect him because he fights honorably, and extremely well. With the new Caesar on the throne bringing back the Gladiatorial fights in Rome, Maximus and his few friends are brought to Rome to fight in front of thousands of people in the biggest stage known to man: the Colosseum. Here Maximus fights for the chance to come face to face with his family’s murderer. If he can become famous enough and loved by those who watch him, he just might be able to be brought in front of Caesar himself and get the chance to strike out at the man who destroyed his life. Maximus fights for revenge. He wants to repay the damage done to those responsible. Battle after battle he fights and wins. He remains strong and loyal to those who love him. He is continuously reminding himself that although his family is gone, they can wait for him to finish his business and then come home. Maximus begins to gain power through the mob even though he is still considered a slave. In the last, epic battle of the movie, Maximus battles Caesar himself in the arena, one on one. The fight he has been waiting for. With anger welling up inside him more and more every day it takes all that he has within himself to fight smart. Due to a stab to the side before the batte by Caesar, Maximus is on the edge of death the whole time, and yet he fights. As he always has. He continues to fight even though the outcome looks as if it won’t be the ending he was hoping for. The swords are dropped and it becomes a fist fight. No longer are they fighting with the weapons of war, but with what God gave them. Maximus has nothing in his hands, but Caesar pulls out a knife and starts to fight unfairly. Which is an enormous symbol to how he fights every battle. Even in an uneven fight, Maximus comes out on top and kills Caesar. Only then does the fighting stop. Only then does Maximus lower his guard and literally falls to the ground. He is done. He fought with strength and honor.

            Even though Maximus traveled all over Italy, won a war, lost his family, became a gladiator, killed an emperor, he never changed who he was at heart. He remained the same throughout. His methods of fighting on the other hand were completely changing from battles for honor and glory to survival and revenge. He remained loyal at all times and fought valiantly in every battle. He was only concerned about those closest to him and the worries of his own life. All he wanted to do was go home. In every word, in every swing of the blade, it was just to get him closer to home.

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Gladiator

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. "Gladiator" is one of the first movies I remember watching and being completely enthralled by it. I didn’t even understand the political story, I just liked to see Russell Crowe kick some serious butt. As I got older I watched the movie again and again and after every viewing I find more things about the story that entice me beyond the epic battles that Ridley Scott was able to produce.

            A powerful, and exhausted Roman General, Maximus (Russell Crowe), who has just successfully ended a war after twelve years under Ceasar Augustus (Richard Harris), is offered the job of Ceasar after Augustus dies. Even though Maximus doesn’t want the job, the Ceasar’s son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), is extremely jealous and ends up killing his father so that he can become the next Ceasar before anyone figures out that the job was actually passed to someone else. This movie actually makes politics very exciting and interesting to watch. The delicate issue of whether or not the power should be held by Ceasar or the senate is played throughout this film and actually is entertaining. At the same time Maximus is a slave who is forced to fight for his life for pure entertainment. As he fights his way into popularity through the crowd he gains their approval and limited power of the Ceasar through the mob.

            Russell Crowe is at his best in this movie. Even today he is known for this role. A single man fights because he has to, it is his duty to fight and command in the beginning of the movie. After he is condemned to death, and his family is murdered, he chooses death over life but death will not take him. Not yet. Then he fights for survival in the ring as a gladiator. Once he realizes there is power in the mob, he fights for the chance to get revenge on the one who killed his family. Fighting is a constant theme in this movie but the reasons and methods keep changing. Commodus is constantly fighting a political battle against the senate and a mind battle against his family and himself. He fights his father in the beginning because he wants to be Ceasar. He fights the senators because they aren’t respecting him in the way that he feels he should be. He fights with his sister to get into bed with him so she could bare his child. He fights with himself trying to scheme a way into the favor of the people of Rome. There are so many ways that people in this movie are fighting and they all have different reasons and end goals. Even though fighting is constantly looked down upon in our society this movie shows that there are times for fighting. Even if it doesn’t look like the normal fighting, it has its uses. There is a time for peace and a time for war.  It just depends on how bad you will fight for peace.

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The Tree of Life

This is my second Terrence Malick film. The first being “Days of Heaven” which I just didn’t get. I became bored after the first 15 minutes. “The Tree of Life” on the other hand took hold of me in a way that I never thought imaginable. This movie is the very definition of visual storytelling.

            As a father tries to bring up his kids in a world where he believes only the strong survive, the freedom of a child’s life is hammered away. Brad Pitt portrays the loving, and yet abusive father of the three little boys. Even though there are times when we want to hate him because of how he treats his wife and kids, he soon redeems himself and we are brought to the deal with the real idea of a natural family. In real life there are very few people who are as evil in the sense that movies portray them. This family is very dysfunctional, sure. At the same time they work together in love and fear. I have never seen a normal family portrayed so realistically in a movie before. There are joyous times when you just want to sit forever with the family and be a part of their personal moments. Spontaneous events are captured and quickly become the centerfold for education and spirituality. Challenges were either met with trepidation, intrigue, or excitement. The boys were facing giants and were supposed to know what to do. They all challenge other members of the family as well as question the nature of God as far as they can. If only they knew. God does answer.

           

Job 38: 4,7 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth… when the morning stars sang together?”

God answers back by showing his power, his beauty, his majesty through the creations his hands have made. Who are we to question the deity that has the power to create life itself? We are shown the beauty of God’s constructive power being held up against the sharp contrast of the destructive power of man. Man will always fight for power and control with everything he has and yet will never fully contain enough of it. Even later in life when the boy is a man of his own, he still wrestles with the questions and principles that were taught to him by his own father. What is the true purpose of this life? Where did all the joy in life go? Terrence Malick presents his audience with a problem that man has. The constant questioning of God’s role in our lives is becoming a nuisance to him apparently. We either put the blame on God for the troubles in our lives, or we don’t praise him for the blessings that we are given. Man continues to fight for approval from each other instead of realizing that it doesn't matter in the end. Life is simple. It is a tree growing a garden. Even when we try to guide it and give it nutrients, it will grow only because it is in it's nature to grow. We cannot tell it to stop growing. It is in it's design. 

Filmmaking is the art of visual story telling, and Malick did just that. He uses the camera’s eye to tell this story. His use of light, spontaneity, and editing make "The Tree of Life" a true work of art. Malick doesn’t present an answer to the questions he brings up. He just likes to hold up a mirror to society and let us all take a good long look at ourselves. 

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Spitfire Grill

“The Spitfire Grill” is the first movie in a while I just don’t know what to think of. Most movies today immediately take off and grab the audiences’ attention within the first ten minutes. This movie was unbearably slow and didn’t pick up at all until the very end. Fighting against their rich accents and boring story, it was hard to stay awake.

            Percy Talbott (Alison Elliott) was just released from prison and finds work in the family owned Spitfire Grill, in Gillead, Main. As she tries to fit into the small community she can’t seem to be accepted. When the owner, Hannah Ferguson (Ellen Burstyn), falls and can’t take care of the grill, Percy takes over and with the help of Shelby Goddard (Marcia Gay Harden) they find a way to raise money to save the grill from closing. With the town beginning to fall in love with Percy, Nahum Goddard (Will Patton), Shelby’s husband and Hannah’s son, starts to recognize the shift of power in the town from within his grasp to Percy. A young girl such as Percy, who was in prison for killing a man, should not have such power over the town.

            Along with the drama within the town Percy finds a man living in the woods who she calls Johnny B. (John M. Jackson), that she desperately tries to hunt down and talk to. This man and what he represents in this movie is the only thing that I enjoyed. To Percy he represents the hope that she has in her future. The hope that one day she will be forgiven of her past mistakes. To Hannah he represents the hope that her first son is still alive. He never came home from Vietnam but they never found his body. To Nahum he is all that he hates. His jealousy towards Percy, his anger at his mother for never appreciating him, his jealously towards his late brother for being the town’s favorite, his attitude towards his wife.  Nahum will find any way to destroy the pact that he thinks Percy has with this mysterious woodsman. Within this character there are so many different representations of him and who he is even though he never speaks a word. In a lot of ways he is the “God” figure in this movie, and Percy is “Jesus.” Johnny B. is the one the town is always trying to find because they know he’s there and yet can’t find him. Percy is Jesus-like because she brings the town together in a way that they never knew was possible. She brings hope and happiness to a dying land in the promise of a brighter future.

            I’m sure there are many more hidden meanings to this movie that I have missed but after about half an hour of this movie I couldn’t find something or someone in this movie that I could latch on to. Their accents were extremely tough to understand at times, and after seeing almost nothing change for an hour I got bored of watching it. I stopped listening to what was really going on and didn’t pay attention to what the meaning of the story was. It has a great end and a meaningful story, but it takes a long time to get there. 

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Groundhog Day

If there were one holiday that you hated most, one holiday that you dreaded, one holiday that you tried to skip year after year, anybody would do everything in their power to stay as far away as they can from it.  What would happen if someone had to live that day over and over again, exactly the same, every time, forever?

          Phil (Bill Murray) is a self-centered celebrity weatherman who absolutely hates Groundhog Day but is forced to visit Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania every year to cover the story. This year seems to be the same boring story but when he wakes up the next morning and finds that he has indeed woken back up to Groundhog Day, hilarious insanity ensues. In the beginning of the movie it’s all about Phil figuring out how to deal with the fact that he is living out his worst nightmare and can’t find a way out. No matter what he tries it always ends up with him waking up on February 2 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He quickly finds ways to benefit from his dilemma and begins to take advantage of people. Phil is able to steal money, have one night stands with a woman, drive drunk and almost kill his friends, eat everything he can get his hands on, smokes, treat his coworkers like trash and never have any repercussions. After living for only himself he quickly becomes bored and lonely. A life lived with the only goal of benefitting yourself can be a very successful life, but in the end is it really worth it?

            Phil realizes that he is a very lonely man so he learns about everyone else’s life in the town. He shifts his concentration onto others instead of himself. He tries to save an old man’s life, he rescues a boy from falling out of a tree, he saves the mayor from choking on some meat, he replaces a flat tire for some old ladies, and on and on. He discovers the true beauty in life is in helping and caring for others. When he discovers this he finally finds a way into the life of his producer Rita (Andie MacDowell). He had been trying to hard to get her attention and find a way to end up with her in bed with him but couldn’t get it. As soon as he gave up on finding his own happiness and started concentrating on helping others he became the better man she always wanted. It was then that the two of them became one and fell in love. It wasn’t when they finally had sex, but when they were true to themselves and cared for each other. This is a great story that portrays the effects that a single man can have on an entire society just by his attitude. Phil’s attitude affected the way he treated people and how people treated him. When all that changes, his world can change.

            Bill Murray used his comic genius to traverse the emotional journey from self-centered bigot to an adoring passionate man who found the love he always wanted. "Groundhog Day" is a classic tale of self-discovery that will stick with you for years to come. 

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Unbreakable

What if super heroes actually existed in our world? “What if there was someone who couldn’t be hurt like the rest of us? Would they even know it?”

Elijah Price is a man who has been breaking bones and getting sick all his life. What keeps him going is the thought that if he is so weak and powerless, there must be someone on the other side of the spectrum, right? Maybe someone is immune to sickness. Maybe someone really is “Unbreakable.”

After a series of events causing hundreds of innocent lives to be lost and none surviving, one man “is miraculously unharmed.” David Dunn (Bruce Willis) walks out of a hospital without a single scratch on him after his train derailed. Something about Dunn just seems off the entire time. Dunn isn’t happy with his life, his job, or his family. He is searching for something to fill that void that keeps him from waking up and actually feeling like he is useful. When Price (Samuel L. Jackson) presents the idea of him being a real life “super-hero” it seems too far-fetched to even be considered. M. Night Shyamalan tells a unique story about a simple man trying to figure out the balance between absurdity and reality. He takes what usually happens within the firs act of a movie, and expounds on it for almost two hours. There are so many discoveries that take place within Dunn and Price’s lives that it needs to be told this way. This is not a story about a superhero, but a story of two normal men finding their place.

As an avid art collector, Price specializes in comic book frames or covers. With his vast knowledge and personal beliefs about the source of comics and the stories they tell, he takes on Dunn, somewhat as an apprentice, to help him discover his own calling. Throughout this movie there are countless references to comic books and how their stories are told, how their characters are revealed or portrayed, or how the artist uses shapes and colors to confuse or distract from the real nightmare at hand. Even though we are told how a comic book is built and told, it isn’t clear that this movie is portraying everything that Price is explaining to Dunn. Shyamalan’s use of mirrors and color is astounding in the way that it reflects how a reader would see a comic. Just like in a comic book, the action is framed. With mirrors Shyamalan takes that same idea and frames his action accordingly. He takes natural elements within a building or city and frames his characters and action around the thought that it should emulate a comic book. He even gives life to his characters by their wardrobe. A simple raincoat reveals a considerable amount of information about Dunn’s character. Dunn is dressed in dry, neutral tones and loose clothing while Price is dressed in brighter colors, tighter clothes, and longer coats. Within these costumes grows a believability of the characters underneath them. There are so many little nuances weaving their way in and out of this film that give so much depth to the story it’d be hard to find yourself getting sidetracked.

As soon as the movie is finished, all I want to do is watch it again. This time with the foreknowledge of the story, all the tricks Shyamalan is pulling out of his hat might just be easier to spot. With this knowledge it becomes a completely different movie. You realize the genius behind the camera. With such a brilliant story, high caliber actors, and an innovative man sitting in the director’s chair, you can’t stay away. You shouldn’t stay away. This is a must see.

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Away We Go

“Are we fuck ups?”

Burt Farlander and Verona De Tessant are two people dedicated to each other who are searching for their place in the world, as they are about to welcome a baby into theirs. “Are we fuck ups?” Why haven’t they done anything with their lives? Why don’t they have more things figured out by now? Questions dominate this story. When they can’t answer their own questions, they travel all around America to try and find the answers in their family and friends.

"Away We Go" goes through all the different types of family lifestyles within the span of ninety-eight minutes. With the kind of questions they are asking they go to all of their close family relatives, people they trust, and look at how they operate. What is the answer, what is the best way to raise a family? Where is the best place for a young child? These are the biggest questions facing any young family. Even though the couple isn’t exactly young their worries are that of a young couple. They aren’t the richest, and they aren’t the smartest. They don’t have many friends, and they don’t have that many opportunities awaiting them. However, they are in love. With love they will discover everything they need to know.

What makes this movie so wonderful is the portrayal of love in so many ways and situations. I have never seen this kind of love shown in a movie. It usually is the perfect love story when two people meet serendipitously and everything works out in the end for them both. This movie takes a different route by actually portraying love in the way that most people in the world can relate to. Verona (Maya Rudolph) is six months pregnant and all everyone wants to tell her is how big she is. Not exactly what a woman wants to hear. Burt (John Krasinski) isn’t the businessman of his dreams and hasn’t been able to provide all of the riches for Verona like he once planned for. These are broken people with real stories and real hurts. They have sacrifices that need to be made. With love as their guiding light they are able to make it through obstacles and tribulations. After seeing their friends and families, they discover that none of their lifestyles are what they want. They have to find a way to live their own life and raise their child in their own way.

Verona doesn’t want to ever get married. Burt wants to marry her with all of his heart. The marriage might not happen, but the love, the most important factor in a marriage, is there. They don’t have all of the answers to life. Nonetheless they will make it because they have each other and love. This movie could have been so cheesy in many ways, but somehow the comedy and drama were interwoven beautifully.

One of the last scenes of the movie explains everything in such a simplistic and graceful way. They had made promises to each other after everything they had learned and experienced over the past couple of weeks, and wanted to stop looking for the answers from other people and instead just live their lives as it comes. They can’t plan ahead for every kind of situation and there’s no need to. A home is something a family builds. It’s not something a family can find. 

“This place is perfect for us” Burt said.

Verona can only respond with “I hope so. I really hope so.”

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Places in the Heart

I was trying to figure out what “Places in the Heart” was trying to tell me while watching it and couldn’t seem to work it out. I didn’t really care too much about the characters for some reason. It wasn't until the very end of the movie when I put all the pieces together and figured it out. They were normal people fighting for survival in a land that kept pushing them back down. A widowed mother of two, a black drifter, and a blind man all try to work together for mutual benefit against a town that has done nothing for them except set up road blocks. Even though they had it all going against them they fought hard against the establishment and won.

After all they had worked for they had won. They finished on time and ahead of everyone else. However that didn’t seem to be the climax because there wasn’t a drastic build up of music, there wasn’t a crying scene, there wasn’t jumping and shouting and whooping into the air, it just passed us by like it didn’t mean anything. Then the real meaning of this story was revealed.

Throughout this story, people without the normal requirements or experience were put into situations that should have eaten them alive and spat them back out. Under normal circumstances everything should have been taken from them but in this case, Edna Spalding (Sally Field) fought. She had no one in her corner and all of the odds against her. There was no hope for her survival until Moze (Danny Glover) shows up and begins to help her farm cotton off her land. Then Mr. Will (John Malkovich), a quiet and moody blind man comes in to lend whatever talents he can. None of them are the type of person you would want to pick first for your kickball team. In spite of that for some reason they made a perfect team together. This is a story of seemingly worthless people who are able to overcome their social boundaries and expectations to break out of their limitations.

They all had their own problems they had to deal with. Edna had to overcome the death of her husband and face the predicament of raising her two children without having any sort of income. She had to find a way to make money and keep her family together. Moze had to somehow overcome the flood of racism in a small Texas town and find a job. He had to prove himself, not only to Edna, but to the rest of the town as well who was watching them, just waiting for them to screw up. Finally Mr. Will comes and has to overcome his own battles with blindness as well as finding his place in a world where a man’s importance is tied to his usefulness. They all had to face their struggles face on. They weren’t just going to sit by and let the world roll over them without putting up some kind of fight. This movie wasn’t about getting the cotton, or surviving the twister, or saving her husband, it was facing the challenges that life hands you and never running away. It was about leaning on others and trusting in them when no one else will.

Do not fear and do not doubt. Man is capable of terrible and amazing things. The ones who can actually stand up for what is right and fight no matter what the statistics tell you, will eventually win in the end. It’s all about faith in yourself and trusting in others. People are never as weak as they seem.

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The King's Speech

Stuttering can be one of the most crippling ailments a man can have. Without an effective way to communicate and presenting such a large fragility, stuttering can create a hermit of a man instead of the powerful leader that King George VI needed to be. Colin Firth plays the stuttering mess of a man who is trying desperately to find his place in the world. So much is demanded of him and he has felt nothing but inadequacy in almost every circumstance he has known his entire life. As we follow his inner-battle with stuttering we get a glimpse of how the eyes of his wife, his father, his brother, his therapist, his kids, and his country are all watching, waiting for him to be the king, father and friend they all know he can be. With the help of his friend and therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), he faces his stuttering struggles face on and in the process become a man worthy of the throne.

One part of this movie I did not expect was the cinematography. Danny Cohen was the Director of Photography for this and has in the past mostly been the cinematographer for TV shows, TV movies and shorts. Not exactly the list I was predicting for the cinematographer of this beautiful movie. There were so many times I was astonished by the decisions this man made. The normal cinematographer would shoot dialogues from over the shoulder of the subjects, but in this movie that doesn’t happen that often. There are so many rules that they seem to brake but it works somehow. Cohen was able to create a unique view of a story that could very well be considered boring. I would argue that if it was filmed in a “normal” way it would have been significantly less captivating and less successful.

As the wife of a world leader, one has to be used to being ignored and pushed back. They would have to get used to being pampered and never doing anything for themselves. Queen Elizabeth on the other hand looked as though she had always had that option, but never gave into that lifestyle. Helena Bonham Carter played the strong, caring wife to King George VI. She was in some ways stronger than he was. She was more of the leader in their relationship. He was always in the public eye, but she was always at his side holding onto his elbow slipping him encouraging words. She was his constant motivator and guardian angel. I have never seen Carter play this kind of character before. She always reminds me of Tim Burton and his style of storytelling, but in this movie she wasn’t anything of the sort. Her hair wasn’t up in her usual demented style, but soft and subdued. Her speech was supple and quiet. The air about her gave breath and life. I was amazed at how versatile Carter really can be. Watching her play the soft, and loving character instead of the aggressor only drew me in closer into the story.

The King’s Speech was nominated for twelve Oscars and won four. Every single one of them one well deserved. It won for Best Director (Tom Hooper), Best Motion Picture of the Year (Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Colin Firth) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay (David Seidler). This film took an unconventional approach to telling this story and it definitely paid off for them in the end. They took a potentially boring story and kept the world captivated by forcing us to step into the stutterer’s shoes and live a life with King George VI.

Final Grade: A+

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The Exorcism of Emily Rose

This might be the only movie in this class that I actually have seen before. So going into it with the foreknowledge of certain events and twists in the story, it didn’t grab me like it might to someone seeing it for the first time. It still is able to present an unusual and taboo topic of conversation that in a way is artistic, terrifying, and genuine. 

The director, Scott Derrickson, is a professed Christian in the world of Hollywood. If all of the rumors are correct about Hollywood being one of the most “un-Christian” places on the planet, then Derrickson’s life must be full of temptations and trials that many of us aren’t used to experiencing. This movie shows that type of struggle in the real life story of Emily Rose. A beautiful young woman, Emily Rose (played by Jennifer Carpenter), finds herself being tortured and tormented by six spirits. To help her fight the demons within she calls upon her priest, Father Moore (played by Tom Wilkinson). The two of them fight the battle of life and death on both the spiritual level as well as the physical. It was hard to watch at times to see the conditions Emily was left to after the demons tormented her. Her body was twisting in unnatural ways, her voice grew cold and she spoke languages she didn’t know, she physically punished herself under the guidance of the demons, her strength grew ten-fold when she was under the demons possession, and the list goes on. All of these things seem outrageous and incredibly fallacious, but when remembering that in the beginning of the movie it said that this story is based on actual events, it brings this story to a personal level. 

This did happen to someone named Emily Rose. There is spiritual warfare happening all around the world. It happens to every day people living every day lives. There have been thousands, perhaps millions of recorded events that describe people being possessed by demons. This movie was terrifying for it’s visuals and gripping storytelling, but it was paralyzing to remember after the credits roll that this happened to a real person. Is anyone safe? Emily was a professing Catholic. Why did God let this happen to her? Derrickson doesn’t give answer to that question. Has God used this story to reach to others like Emily had predicted? I think so. 

With this movie, a war, hidden to most people in the world, was brought to life. Derrickson told a story to Christians, agnostics, athiests, Buddhists, and Mormons, all kinds of people, and was able to entertain and enlighten every single one of them. He doesn’t hide behind his own fears, so he wants his audience to face the real, tough issues at hand and fight them head on as well. There is no backing out or hiding from this war like this movie addressed. Any person can be the next Emily Rose. People are always saying “that wouldn’t happen to me” and yet things keep happening to them. This is a battle that we cannot escape from but must fight whether we want to or not. Emily Rose new what resided in her and chose to fight it as best as she could. She fought longer than what was necessary but only chose to do so because she knew it would bring glory to God. How many of us would choose to suffer knowing that it would bring glory to God? I would hope that if I was put in that situation I would do the same as her. What Derrickson really did was allow us to see a life, a trial, and a choice that we aren’t familiar with. Even so we can learn many lessons of sacrifice and bravery through Emily Rose’s story.

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The Mission

I had never heard of “The Mission” (1986) before this class. Robert De Niro really brought it with this movie. His character went through so many changes. In the beginning he was a jealous brother who ends up killing his brother, then he is a emotionless wreck who doesn't think he is worth anything, then he climbs a mountain with hundreds of pounds tied to his back to pay for his sins, then he becomes a priest who still fights within himself and as well as those who are in charge of him, then he become a warrior for God. There were so many turns in his characters’ story and that was really interesting to watch.

The other issue that I saw was the fight over right and right. There are always different points of view to every issue and this movie plays with that perspective. Both sides to this movie were fighting in the name of God, and for what they thought was his will. Even within both sides there were different opinions. On Robert De Niro's side, his friend didn't want to fight but in everything be peaceful and never use violence, while De Niro wanted to physically fight off those who opposed him. On the other side there was a large army led by politicians and religious leaders, who bickered and fought over whether or not to use violence or to just let it be. In the midst of battle, some in the army were hesitant to fight because of their own personal feelings. Then the leaders of said army, who felt like they were doing the right thing because of the law.

It's all about perception. There are always at least two sides to an argument. Sometimes both sides are fighting in the name of God and in the end they both think God failed them. This is what happens when people put God's name on their actions. No one wins. It can be argued for both sides that they were in the right. That those who fought against the mission and eventually killed hundreds of civilians, priests, women and children, were in the right. It can also be argued that those who fought against the established government to protect their home and what they felt was sacred, were also in the right. 

So who wins in this type of predicament? Does anybody win? What kind of lesson can we take from this type of story? Is it really worth fighting for something if you know you will die for it? Is it worth fighting for something you don’t believe in? The end of the movie doesn’t explain a thing anyway. It keeps it open for discussion. I think that is this movies greatest accomplishment. Everyone who walks out after seeing this movie will immediately begin to discuss what side they thought was rightfully in the guidance of God. If any side for that matter. The personal struggle one has to go through to forgive themselves for killing a brother was shown throughout this film with Robert De Niro’s character. How many brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers were killed during that last battle? How many people seemed repentant after that? What this movie does is raise more questions than answers. What side does God choose? 

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Dead Poets Society

For the first week class we watched “Dead Poet Society" and I had never seen it before. It really blew me away with the power of words being shown in such a unique way. In the beginning it was just a way to get girls and a way to rebel against their school, but it turned into a way of life. They took the calling of Carpe Diem and lived it out to the fullest. For boys whose whole lives have been planned out by their parents this was the one thing that they had to be their own person. They kept bringing more into it and with that raising the stakes. It didn't become important to them because of the fact that they were reading poetry, it was that as a group they were doing something for themselves, that they wanted, that they pursued, that they loved, that they chose. For once in their lives they were able to make their own decisions and become the men they wanted to be. 

Under their own new law of Carpe Diem they lived life to the fullest and seized the day. If living that kind of life meant breaking some rules they didn't care. They were ignorant and stupid, but they were living their own lives on impulse. Not the lives that their parents were forcing upon them. Their parents wanted the best for their kids sure, but when the best comes right to their front door it’s kicked right out. So what choice do they have but to fight back? Drastic measures end up being taken in one case because the father makes him give up his dream and take away everything he knows and loves. The rest of the Poets realize their mistake. There needs to be the balance of freedom/carpe diem and law. Without that balance, a normal society would not be able to function. 

I commend those young men for being so outrageous and courageous in their decisions but I also condemn them for their actions. Growing up in such a educational society such as this, you would think that students might understand the delicate balance of freedom and law. I think the problem here is that with the system shoving the law down their throats and strangling their freedom, the boys begin to desperately crave the freedom that has been suffocating for so long. 

Robin Williams’ character stretched their minds and distorted their views of the world that they had grown up in. His intentions weren’t to encourage them to rebel or create havoc, but to inspire them. He took all the rules of the classroom and flipped it completely upside down. I wonder how often this should happen in real life to schools like this. Or churches like this. How often do we as Christians focus on the law that God gives us instead of enjoying another gift: freedom? Too often we force ourselves into boxes to contain our natural instincts. We put ourselves into metropolises filled with man-made beauties of metal that literally scrape the sky so that we have to crane our necks to even get a glimpse of the whole thing. When right next to us, on our own level, there is something so beautiful and complex that we don’t even recognize it. 

Human nature is a beautiful creation that has become tainted in so many ways that it can be hard to recognize in it’s truest form. Simple communication between each other has gotten so confusing that we can’t understand our own families decisions and actions. Communication is so much more than words spoken from one person to the other. It is more connection than actual communication. Through poetry these men finally discovered what it meant to communicate through connection and action.

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Water for Elephants

Robert Pattinson has finally won my approval after dedicating years of his life to the disaster that is the “Twilight” saga. Pattinson recently starred in the powerful film “Water for Elephants” by “I am Legend” director, Francis Lawrence. Pattinson shared the screen with Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon and Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz.

While Jacob, portrayed by Pattinson, is studying to become a veterinarian, his parents are killed in a car accident. After the bank takes everything he owns away in order to pay debts, he runs away and joins a traveling circus as their personal veterinarian to escape the life he lost. As he learns the ropes of the circus life and law, he finds love in the most unwelcome place: the main attraction to the show, the boss’s wife Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). He challenges the boss’s authority by making decisions on his own and becoming close friends with Marlena. After multiple threats and abusive tantrums, Jacob finally challenges the headmaster, August (Christoph Waltz), in a final epic battle between those who seek retribution and those who want to keep order under their control.

Pattinson really held his own next to two very big and accomplished actors. Frankly, he hasn’t gained the best reputation from being part of the “Twilight” series. Pattinson had to take whatever part he could to get into the movie business; however, it is discomforting to think that to really become a mainstream actor, he had to stoop to having “Twilight” on his resume. He has a lot of talent and a lot of potential. Nonetheless, he still has a long way to go. He is still nowhere near Reese’s talent level yet, but I think he will get there soon.  In “Water for Elephants” Pattinson made the character his own, never did I think, “What the heck is Edward Cullen doing here?”

This story is based off the book, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and to be transferred to a screenplay is always difficult. As with any adapted story, there are things that have to be dropped and some things that have to be added to make the story flow in a movie format.  For that reason, some movies suffer from lack of a better story. Despite that, the storyline in “Water for Elephants” was very understandable and relatable. It had a strong, unwarranted love story, an epic battle between employee and employer, weak animals fighting for survival against an evil uncaring master, and an abusive relationship between a power hungry drunkard and his wife.

 There are very few movies where I feel as if the “bad guy” is so bad that you literally want to watch them die slowly and painfully. Whether that speaks ill of me and my character or something else, so be it. I believe this may be one of those movies. August’s character was an extremely complicated character. At times I thought he would be okay, and at others I wanted to kick his teeth in. Traveling from these two extremes kept me guessing whether I hated him or not. I don’t think he is the best bad guy I have ever seen, but Waltz definitely made it a close call. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors on screen today.

This movie blew me away in some many different ways. The story was so tangible it felt more like it was actual historical events. I felt everything Jacob felt. He lived a perilous life, and pursued a treacherous love. If he is worthy of any of it in the end, I leave up to you.

Final Grade: A

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Source Code

With the similarity of “Source Code” to “Vantage Point” I was not excited to see it. “Vantage Point” was pretty much the same short story over and over again and quickly became annoying. “Source Code” on the other hand didn’t overdo the same basic story but instead kept the story moving by changing the stakes at every relapse.

From the director of  “Moon”, Duncan Jones delivers another action-packed adventure that never lets up. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Colter Stevens, a man who is somehow placed in a train right before it explodes by a top-secret government agency. They are able to plug his mind into anther person’s body and therefore go back into that person’s last minutes of life and try to stop the bomb from exploding on the train. Things get complicated though when he starts to fall in love with a woman on the train and his mission becomes more than to find the bomber.

In the beginning of this movie the laws of the world were set. Like in all movies, we are asked to believe the world we are presented. In “Toy Story” we believe that toys have life, in “Avatar” we believe that someone can be plugged into an alien body. In “Source Code” we are presented with a new world where we can safely assume that someone can be transported into the mind of someone who just died, take over their body to try and figure out what causes their end. It is a complicated story so far as the new world goes and how they try to explain the physics, but it isn’t too farfetched. The only problem is that when a movie presents new rules into the world, they must stick to it throughout the entire movie. In the end “Source Code” changed their own rules and didn’t stay within the boundaries that they had us all believing in. Sure it made for a happier and more romantic ending, but it just didn’t fit the rest of the movie.

Even though the science of the movie sometimes got confusing, it was just simple enough to be believable and make the movie exciting. Every time Colter Stevens was put back into the train after the bomb exploded, he moved further and further towards figuring out who planted the bomb. While in this reality, he is trying to figure out how to get out of this secret agency that is holding him in this mission until he completes his mission. At the same time he tries to figure out a way where he can save the people from the past from dying. The problem with his mindset (as explained by the physics of the movie) is that the people on the train have technically already died. This complicated story is under pressure from start to finish but keeps it moving by solving all the layers at the same time.  

I was constantly trying to find clues and unravel the multiple layers of the mystery along with Stevens. It was almost as if we were solving the crisis together. Gyllenhaal was a perfect choice for this role. We were completely under his spell and fighting for him to solve the layers of riddles his life has become.

“Source Code” was a very original and exciting ride that kept me thoroughly entertained, but they went back on their own rules, which was confusing and unnecessary. This is would be a good way to kick off the summer of movie blockbusters. I was constantly diving deeper into the story and trying to guess how the story would end. There are so many possible outcomes it is almost impossible to predict even the next ten minutes. With magnificent special effects and sound design, it would be a great movie to go see with a group of friends on the big screen.

Final Grade: B+

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Arthur

Big news! Russell Brand can act! He finally isn’t playing a stupid, drug induced character. Well… mostly. Brand shows off his true range of acting in his most recent movie, “Arthur”. He goes from a drunken, billionaire playboy to an affectionate, and responsible gentleman.

In this truly heartwarming tale based on the original story by Steve Gordon in 1981, Arthur, played by Russell Brand, starts out as a reckless alcoholic who squanders his parents’ wealth however and whenever he pleases. Having his chaperone Hobson, played by Helen Mirren, always by his side keeps Arthur somewhat contained and controlled. In order to keep his life the way it is he is forced to marry Susan, a woman that doesn’t love him but instead wants his money and power. Incidentally he meets Naomi, a woman who he actually does enjoy being a part of his life and enjoys hers to the fullest potential. This intrigues Arthur so he then begins to pursue a relationship with Naomi just as a wedding is being planned for him with another woman.

Helen Mirren plays Arthur’s caregiver and acts as his surrogate mother. She is tough, yet loving and firm with him, something he needs. She forms a character that could easily be plain and bland, but does it with so much life and depth that she ceases to be Helen Mirren but instead Hobson. Along with the help of Luis Guzman as Bitterman, the valet and best/only friend of Arthur, the two of them team up with Brand to make their own unbreakable family. This trio had to be believable and passionate to tell this story and the three of them nailed the relationship. Each and every character within “Arthur” has their own unique arc and development that all center around Arthur’s personal development.

Before walking in the movie if you would have asked me if I respected Russell Brand I would have said no. The movies I have seen him in don’t represent something that I would like to emulate or even represent great acting. This movie has definitely changed that. Brand shows a remarkable strength within keeping the mood humorous with witty comments, and yet not being afraid to tackle real dramatic emotions of other scenes. While being serious in some scenes and completely hilarious in others, I was never able to predict what was coming next.

Another great surprise for me was seeing someone I had never seen on screen before. Greta Gerwig plays Arthur’s true love interest, Naomi, and the only person Arthur can really relate to. Naomi is a simple and lovable character that has attributes we can all relate to. She isn’t anywhere near Arthur’s status in society and yet they compliment each other so effortlessly. She isn’t rich or powerful or demanding or perfect. She is someone who struggles believing in herself and that is something that makes her character so real.

The only disappointment was the ending. I won’t give anything away but the way it ended up didn’t fit the lesson of the movie. The whole time Arthur was fighting for love or money. Love or money. He can’t have both, he must choose one or the other. If they would have let him choose one or the other in the end it would have had a greater personal meaning. He ends up pretty much becoming the same person he was at the beginning of the movie, which was a huge letdown.

Final Grade: B+

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Hop

When a jelly-bean-pooping, clothing-wearing, drum-playing, magical, talking bunny appears on screen, I expect a story that not only has entertainment value, but characters that I just might care about along the way. "Hop" is not that movie.

With a cast like Russell Brand, James Marsden, and Hugh Laurie, it’s hard to imagine the reasoning behind their choice to be a part of this movie. Russell Brand is at a stage now in his career where he can actually choose the movies he wants to be a part of. Hop is his choice? I don’t understand it. The single funniest part in the movie was when Brand walks in as a Production Assistant on a TV talent show and proceeds to speak to his CG character. Aside from that I was laughing for all of the wrong reasons.

James Marsden has been in many movies recently that really show off his versatility as an actor. "Enchanted" is a great example of this. He was able to take a classic Disney-esque character and bring it into live-action and still keep it wild, believable, and fun. He is a great actor and is truly under valued. In Hop, Marsden was somehow able to erase all of those great memories I once enjoyed and replace them with a shallow, weak, phony performance.

The overall premise of the story was just too farfetched and almost nonexistent to grab my attention in any respect. Russell Brand’s character, E.B., is a rebellious bunny who’s dad is the famous Easter Bunny, voiced by Hugh Laurie. The Sr. Easter Bunny will soon be retiring, thus passing on the legacy to E.B. Instead of training for the job he is about to take over, E.B. decides to run away and pursue his dream of becoming a famous rock ’n’ roll drummer. When a random, lazy, unemployed character named Fred O’Hare, played by James Marsden, hits E.B. with his car, Fred takes him in and helps E.B. fulfill his dream. While helping E.B. get better, E.B. tries to come up with a solution to finding a replacement Easter Bunny. Fred randomly says, without any previous explanation, that it has always been his lifelong dream to be the Easter bunny. Earlier in the movie they explain that only a bunny can do the job, and all of a sudden they start to seriously think about letting him be the Easter Bunny.  Things just don’t add up here.

I am definitely not the film’s target audience, but if their target audience is the same age as the audience of Toy Story, Shrek, Lion King, and even Pooh Bear, they should at least try to make a story worth telling. The theater was full of families with kids in many different age groups. Throughout the whole movie, I didn’t hear any laughter beyond that of a small cough. Even from the kids. Besides my friends laughing at the awkward dialogue and random circumstances, there were not any really funny parts to the story.

The only positive attribute about this movie was it’s impressive CG. The interaction between Marsden and E.B. really was stunning. The small chicks were very fluffy and the bunnies fur looked almost photo real. As far as the actual character design went, I wasn’t enthralled. I was mostly annoyed with the stupidity of the chicks. For my girlfriend though, she fell in love with the cute, little bouncing balls of absurdity.

If you can ignore the fact that the plotline is extremely flat, and simply enjoy characters that look good (but sound idiotic) and bounce around the whole time, you might enjoy this movie. If this is not the case, please stay away from this train wreck.  

Final Grade: D

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New Green Lantern Trailer!!

When I first heard a Green Lantern movie was coming out I wasn't that excited. Then I heard Ryan Reynolds was the principle actor, I became a bit interested. I saw the first trailer and thought it was somewhat enticing. And then this came out this past weekend at WonderCon...

This blew away all my hesitations about it. The computerized suit that once was the center of most concerns looks amazing, Reynolds appears be a great Hal Jordan, the special effects, as far as the characters to the locations, all look spectacular. My interest has definitely peeked and I am very excited to see this as soon as I can. 

After multiple setbacks and Warner Bros. forcing out an early trailer that didn't contain any finished footage, the Green Lantern received almost nothing but negative feedback from the general public. Then to make things worse, they went over budget and had to push back the release date to June 17. It all seemed hopeless to turn this disaster around into something profitable. Rumor going around is the reason for the later release was to put extra effort into the suit of Jordan. Definitely a gamble throwing more money into this when nothing seemed to be working. In my opinion, after seeing this sneak peek, everything has been worth it. From what can be seen in this trailer, this will be one of the big summer movies people will be talking about for the rest of the year.

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Mr. Popper's Penguins Trailer

Jim Carrey in a scene with four live penguins.

Have you been wondering what the comic-genius Jim Carrey has been up to lately? Apparently he has been busy babysitting six penguins. Mark Waters, the director for "Freaky Friday" and "The Spiderwick Chronicles", is at the helm of this project. It seems like a fun little family movie that everyone from the age of 3 to 60 will enjoy. Who doesn't like awkward penguins running around? It also looks as if they will be using mostly live penguins on set as well as CG penguins for some sequences. Carrey is already a wacky actor, but when you mix that up with six live penguins, something either catastrophic or monumentally entertaining.

Unfortunately you have to go through Fandango to see the trailer.

To see it click here!

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New Captain America Trailer!

One of the sweetest posters I have ever seen...

Here is the newest trailer featuring the upcoming summer blockbuster "Captain America: The First Avenger." They reveal more of Steve Rogers before he is experimented on as well as what he will be doing once he becomes the first Avenger. I was never into comic books as a kid, but this movie really  seems like it would make sense to those who didn't read the original comics. There has been so much hype behind this movie from all sides that you can't help but get excited about it. Those who made it seem to be intoxicated by it and can't wait to release it to the public. I can tell you that I will be one of the first to see it when it finally comes out on May 6, 2011.


My only concern is how Chris Evans will look before he becomes all hot and buff. His body will obviously be replaced by a smaller actor, and his head will be put in with computer effects later. But this is an extremely delicate operation. They did this with Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and it seemed to work well there. But they also made Pitt look like he was in his seventies so that's a little different than taking Evans' original face and positioning it on another body. In this trailer it looks like it will work, but his head still looks a bit too big for that tiny body.


What do you all think?


The trailer is the first one. (posted 3/24/11)

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Battle: Los Angeles

What happens when you combine deadly aliens, poor writing, incomprehensible screaming, Bourne-like camera techniques, and loud, obnoxious battle sequences? Battle: Los Angeles.

When scientists discover asteroids headed towards Earth, basic evacuations begin. After the asteroids start slowing down before entering the atmosphere, it’s apparent they aren’t dealing with simple asteroids. After turning in his resignation letter to the army following twenty years of service, SSgt. Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) is forced to co-lead a team of marines into the heart of Los Angeles. Their mission is to save pedestrians stranded in a police station as an unknown enemy destroys their way through LA.  

Nantz narrowly survives alien encounters as he and his team fight their way to the civilians. When men start dropping left and right and with an advanced alien force coming from every direction, all seems hopeless. Few aliens die in comparison to the thousands of civilians and soldiers fighting for their life. With guns shooting wild and men constantly screaming at one another it’s hard to imagine a way out.

The majority of the movie is spent in battle sequences. The camera is shaky, intense and at times, overbearing. They present a unique alien species that I have never seen before, which was refreshing. The team move their way through the city and with each new location, they are able to adapt and fight. Through battles in houses, streets, freeways, sewers, and buildings, they keep the action moving and alive.

The most troubling part of the movie was it’s writing. Most of the dialogue in the movie was indecipherable because it was shouted from one person to the other. The characters were talking so fast and so loud that almost nothing was understandable. This was made especially difficult when they threw in army lingo that the average person doesn’t understand. To make it worse, the dialogue that was spoken at a normal level was not great. In the middle of the movie, Eckhart gives a speech to his men explaining to them why he fights. This is supposed to be this grand speech to get his men’s support, but instead it falls flat. There were many awkward moments where I caught myself picturing the writer scratching his head, trying to write something emotional and then asking his mom for answers.

Along with too many characters with needy plotlines, subpar special effects, poor casting, and Bourne-like camera techniques, this movie didn’t impress me like I hoped it would. However, even with all of its inadequacies and disappointments, I still had fun watching it. In my opinion, it is not worth paying money to see at a theatre. Recently, second-rate movies have had wonderful trailers, therefore my new rule for which I will base going to the theater is such: the better the trailer, the worse the movie will be. 


FINAL GRADE: B-

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RED

Bruce Willis must have had a boring year because this isn’t his usual movie. His most recent movie, “Red”, was full of explosions, large guns, punches to the face, and big movie stars, but it had a really rough time with it’s writing and basic plot line. Willis plays an old, down and out CIA retiree who is trying to get used to a life outside of war. When his retirement is threatened, he has to uncover who is after him and why they are out to destroy his peaceful life.

Frank (Bruce Willis) finds joy in his quiet life by wooing Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker), a woman who craves adventure in her boring life. They begin an unusual relationship via phone. Just as this romance begins to bud, turmoil ensues as his old team is targeted as well. As Frank punches and shoots his way through would-be assassins, he gathers his old friends who are retired and just as bored as he is. Through every battle Frank’s team never miss a beat and can solve every, and any problem that faces them.

Frank leads this team through their pasts as they try to figure out why they are being targeted. Joining his team is Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman), Victoria (Helen Mirren), and the crazy Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich). They blow their way through police squads, trained soldiers, the CIA headquarters, and eventually the secret service, as if it were child’s play. Whatever is standing in their way, they have the way out as well as a snappy comeback to boot.

The only positive attribute to this movie was John Malkovich. He looked like he had a blast playing his character. He was witty, funny, and after laughing for the first hour being how awful this movie was, Malkovich adds an even quirkier element of humor. If it weren’t for his character, this movie would have been funny for all of the wrong reasons on top of being extremely boring.

The writing and production is unrealistic and extremely over the top, but that can be assumed to be on purpose. In the beginning they may have tried to set that ridiculous tone, but it doesn’t stick. Knowing Bruce Willis and his extraordinary action adventure movies, everything he does is usually seen as believable. In previous movies, the circumstances were over the top but Bruce handled them like it was his normal routine. In “Red,” the two mentalities do not go together. It is only when Malkovich enters the picture that we finally understand that it’s supposed to be funny. This story is nothing but new writing with older movie stars in places where one would normally see a younger, sexier, less clothed actor.

The actors look like they are just hanging out and filming a movie in their backyard. Which can be a great feel to a movie. They have fun playing their parts and make it extra goofy and entertaining. Malkovich did such a wonderful job building off his character’s quirkiness and making it his own. What made this movie bearable was the fact that Malkovich was in it. It’s just too bad that for an entire hour we had to sift through Bruce Willis playing the same character he always plays before getting to the funny stuff.

FINAL GRADE: C

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