"It's Kind of a Funny Story"

A Movie Review:

A 16 year old boy decides he wants to jump off a bridge and kill himself. Instead of doing that, he goes to the ER and begs the doctor to help him now, right now. So, the doctor decides to check from into the Psyche Ward. He ends up with the adults because the teen ward is being renovated.

I loved this movie. It was so well acted! There were all these unknown actors making you believe them and some you will recognize. Just superb performances.

It dealt with all the usual stuff that has to be mentioned when a situation comes up like this -- the teen really has no *real* reason to do this, other people have bigger problems, friends are going to react maybe badly when they find out you think the way you do but maybe they will still be your friends if you try to be honest, parents don't get it, being kind feels really good, and your parents will be there for you if you just ask, and so forth.

But I applaud the way the subject matter was presented. Honestly. There was so much honesty in the conversations even when questions asked were not answered. I adored this movie.

Let me know what you think. I know that the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes weren't great but I think they are so wrong this time. Kudos to the leads in this movie. They can be proud of their work. Even that crazy Zach Gilifianaski.

Sherlock Holmes - the movie

I read that Sherlock Holmes was second to Avatar at the Box Office ~ And, I heard from those who didn't expect to enjoy it, that Avatar was very good.

My family opted for Sherlock Holmes. And truthfully, it is because we are Robert Downey, Jr fans. I mean, obviously, you cannot look for the real Sherlock and Watson in a Guy Ritchie film, right? (If, indeed, dear Holmes had been like a tiny dose of Downey, the books would not manage to be found anywhere in the world, as people would love and hoard them, so.)

We did enjoy the film, and knew half the way through that we were watching Part 1 ~ lol ~ not that your mystery won't be solved, so to speak, but much is left for more fun later.

And being the Sherlock Holmes in this movie takes a lot of energy! It appears to be a very exhausting part! When people criticize these parts, I think, 'good grief, you try it!' (I feel that way when people say they are annoyed with Brad Pitt's character in Inglorious Basterds - yeah, right - you try to talk like that for a whole paragraph! Tough assignment, that!)

Anyway,
I did enjoy the movie on the big screen, but more I enjoyed my family going out together and laughing together and poking each other, and hearing the whispers of ' I knew it! ' -- So, if you miss the big screen, enjoy the rental.

But I was surprised at my feeling toward Jude Law, whom I do not care for as an actor - he was brilliant with Downey - His Watson to Downey's Sherlock....They were the coolest representation of the one not having what the other one has, and needing it to survive. One can tell easily that Holmes is terribly dependent on Watson, and Watson most forgiving to everything about Holmes.

I think Rachael McAdams was too young for the part, but oh well, hotties rule.

It was fun. A no-lose, IMO, regardless of where you see it or with whom.

Turtles Can Fly ~ The Movie

I just watched this film, and it was amazing. The story is a hard one. But, truth told is often brutal and ugly and makes you cry.

This is a story of children in a refugee camp that is located in Kurdistan and what they do to survive which is disabling land mines. It takes place just before the American invasion. There are no trained actors in the film. These children are real.

A quote from the director, Bahman Ghobadi:

"This is the first film that has been made in Iraq after the fall of Saddam. Prior to anything, here, I should confess that from a Kurd's point of view, I'm very glad that Saddam's dictatorship has finally fallen. That is when I have decided to make a different kind of film.

I traveled to Iraq along my film and camera crew in order to take a variety of images from different subject matters. We captured many shocking images, if we chose to display all of them, they would be so unbearable to the audiences. Whatever is seen in the film is absolutely and truly documented and the comedy and funny parts have mostly come from the local people and some from myself."

There were no Special Features to tell me about the makers of the film and the fantastic young actors, so I Googled for information and was surprised to find that, although, the film was given many awards (scroll down) and a 90% on the Rotten Tomatoes film thermometer, some people thought it was supportive of the American invasion of Iraq.

This is where my dumbness begins to show as I cannot understand, how, if one watched the film, they would get this idea.

My emotions on this topic run deeply and wildly and my expressions may not be coherent, so I have linked others who give information better than I ~~

Roger Ebert gives a great detailed review.

This article from a London Film Festival writer Shahram Heidar gives information I was happy to read:

With financial help from friends and colleagues, the blind toddler has been operated on his eyes in Baghdad and hopefully soon will regain his eye sight. We also supplied health insurance for the handicapped kids so that they would also receive a little financial help for the rest of their lives. The young girl who acted in the film lives in "Soleymanieh" and holds a job at the local TV channel and the youngster boy who played "Satellite" desires to become a director. He is to accompany me in my next film as first assistant director.

We have a responsibility to children in this world, do we not? I did not support the invasion in Iraq; an invasion that would eventually became a war that would be called a war on terror, an abstract term for fear, and then would become what looks like, endless, and God knows I hope I am so wrong about that.

Man has spent much of his time on this planet robbing the innocence of children. I do not understand this concept, and I am grieved at the thought.

Watch this film if you think you can stand becoming emotionally connected with the world.

Rendition

I have no business being up this late, watching a movie, but I got into this one. Rendition is a film in the category of Lions for Lambs. It gives you information, but now, what are you going to do with that information?

I view a lot of movies this way. Some people watch a film and say, 'what happened there?' And, I view the film and know, it's for me to decide what I think, and now, what am I going to do?

I can't pass any remarks regarding any real and actual truths regarding the details of this story although it is alluded to be based on the true story of a man named Khalid El-Masri (you can read the Wiki entry here, but warning, it's rough reading).

I read in one of the reviews of this movie that some people had walked out on the film because of the subject matter. I have no details of what exactly they were offended by or who the people were who were offended, so, I'm not to helpful to you there.

The story is based around a terrorist bombing and a man who is suspected of taking a phone call from a terrorist group who is reportedly involved in that bombing. The man, Anwar, is detained and tortured.

The story then reflects upon the reactions of the people involved and gives us a brief look at their situations, showing different reactions for different reasons as the story unfolds for them.

The CIA Agent (Jake Gyllenhaal) is experiencing his first involvement with *getting information* from suspects held without benefits of any rights afforded to them.

What struck my heart most in the film was seeing how the younger generations are just lead into the ideas of the older generations because, well, those are the ways
we live, right? Whichever culture it is, dictates their beliefs as correct on the next culture, right?

I'm not saying that any one's belief systems are right or wrong. I'm saying there are young people who come up and want to go another way than those of their elders. In some cultures, that is not only discouraged, but told to the young they are wrong and there will be no changes without serving eternity in hell.

In watching the film, something resonated with me when a woman in the film, the mother of a troubled young teen, says, "They don't live in the old ways. They live in the new ways." But the father can't change. He's too deep in his life and *the ways* and rules of that life. He can't put it down for a second to even listen to what his daughter may have to say. These people love each other, but differences cannot be tolerated.

Sometimes, the new ways, are not necessarily wrong, but, sometimes, I wonder, can't people see their ways could use a make-over? But, certain people in the generations have such a problem with change. They view any difference in lifestyles they were living, as wrong. It's such an old story. Perhaps it will not turn out to badly when it doesn't involve violence, hate, shame, threat of alienation from love, or, as I mentioned before, fear of hell through all eternity, or any kind of fear.

Some people may watch this film and feel like there was no character development. I don't think there was supposed to be. It was not really about these people. It's about what happened to them, what they experienced, and then it's about You. It's about you -the collective *you*. What you think. What you want for this world. What are you willing to change to make things better in this world.

And yes, we are all responsible for what is happening in this world.

Every single last one of us.

Lions for Lambs

This is one of those films that dropped off quickly from the box office being given really bad reviews. Actually, I don't recall one good review.

I saw it last night. I liked it. I didn't like what it said, though; the film is on a topic that can make you uncomfortable. It said, pretty much, if you do nothing for your country, just what do you expect? If you talk the talk without walking any kind of walk, what do you expect? Do you believe what the media writes? How do you know it's true? Where have you been? What have you done to say you know what is right?

It asked all those questions and more.
Who is accountable?
Are we accountable for nothing in our country?
It's almost like you can't even say, "oh well, I vote." Then, it's "well good for you...now, what do you really know about what you are voting for or whom?"

There are overlapping stories in the movie that show we are all one if you look hard enough. A political science professor (Robert Redford), a Republican Senator (Tom Cruise) and a journalist who has seen and heard probably all the bs (Meryl Streep) try to cope with the places they are in life right now. They are different ages and have seen different times, but all can and are affecting the world right now.

I found it thought provoking.

Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise and a very good unknown supporting cast.

Part of the bad wrap was the fact that the film was said not to be entertaining, that it went around in circles, well, know what? So does the world, just keeps spinning 'round.