Do men shy away from conflict and truth. This tough, sad, and insightful story addresses the topic. It's a chic flic, tear-jerker, woman are more insightful than men type of movie which carries important messages, in a movie well-acted with a realistic plot. Not sure how this missed an academy award, but it deserved one, on my top movies of all time
Reviews
5 Reviews
Everybody's Fine
(2009)
heart-rendering, important, insightful, top 100 movies of all time
6 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Well-done but one-sided
11 October 2014
The movie is well-done showing Mumia to be a bright man and excellent writer. The movie excerpts speeches and writings presenting a compelling picture. Speaker after speaker discusses his impact.
That said, the movie is unabashedly one-sided. It appears he killed a policeman and an even-handed movie would have provided a section from the policeman's family discussing the devastation to her family. Indeed, in this debate, each side seems to ignore the other. Certainly a family has the right to speak of the devastating loss and to argue a murderer should not be given a platform.
Some of the political discussions are one-sided too. No one can or should defend slavery or segregation and it is a blight on our heritage. But one can argue that vigorous law enforcement has made some much better cities for Afro-Americans and whites alike. Is Detroit better today because of lax law enforcement.
The Harlem of 2010 after Mayor Guiliani law enforcement platform is better than the Harlem of 1975, with restaurants instead of drug-dens, museums, art galleries, and sundry stores instead of blighted buildings, jobs instead of desperation. White it is not perfect, New York is a far better city than nearby Newark or, probably in part because of vigorous law enforcement.
The movie does note the sad increase in prison population, disproportionately impacting black men. How do you create a reasonably safe society, benefiting both Afro-Americans and Whites, without consequences or prisons. The movie is long on creating straw men and talking about problems, less about realistic solutions. Jamal rightly says that with a large 7 digit prison population we need to develop some realistic way of improving their lives instead of just warehousing them. I did not see the movie as providing those realistic solutions.
The movie rightly chronicles and condemns the horrors of slavery and segregation. Whether that telling helps and why is a tougher question. Holocaust survivors saw burning of Jewish homes and businesses, starvation, beatings, murder, desecration of bodies. Many went on to be extraordinarily successful and live fulfilling lives. While they could never forget the murder of parents or brothers or sisters, they would put that aside as they lived impactful lives. Jamal teaches the opposite and one can debate how productive that really is. There are differences between the Holocaust survivors and the descendants of slaves principally that the former slave's children endured suffering for generations. But after remembering history, where do we go from here is a legitimate question. With thousands of laws and government programs the seeming suggestion of the movie is that more are needed which can be legitimately debated.
The movie makes sense for people to see and is reasonably well-done. it provokes more questions than it answers, raises more problems than it solves, and is as a one-sided as the views on the other side the movie condemns.
That said, the movie is unabashedly one-sided. It appears he killed a policeman and an even-handed movie would have provided a section from the policeman's family discussing the devastation to her family. Indeed, in this debate, each side seems to ignore the other. Certainly a family has the right to speak of the devastating loss and to argue a murderer should not be given a platform.
Some of the political discussions are one-sided too. No one can or should defend slavery or segregation and it is a blight on our heritage. But one can argue that vigorous law enforcement has made some much better cities for Afro-Americans and whites alike. Is Detroit better today because of lax law enforcement.
The Harlem of 2010 after Mayor Guiliani law enforcement platform is better than the Harlem of 1975, with restaurants instead of drug-dens, museums, art galleries, and sundry stores instead of blighted buildings, jobs instead of desperation. White it is not perfect, New York is a far better city than nearby Newark or, probably in part because of vigorous law enforcement.
The movie does note the sad increase in prison population, disproportionately impacting black men. How do you create a reasonably safe society, benefiting both Afro-Americans and Whites, without consequences or prisons. The movie is long on creating straw men and talking about problems, less about realistic solutions. Jamal rightly says that with a large 7 digit prison population we need to develop some realistic way of improving their lives instead of just warehousing them. I did not see the movie as providing those realistic solutions.
The movie rightly chronicles and condemns the horrors of slavery and segregation. Whether that telling helps and why is a tougher question. Holocaust survivors saw burning of Jewish homes and businesses, starvation, beatings, murder, desecration of bodies. Many went on to be extraordinarily successful and live fulfilling lives. While they could never forget the murder of parents or brothers or sisters, they would put that aside as they lived impactful lives. Jamal teaches the opposite and one can debate how productive that really is. There are differences between the Holocaust survivors and the descendants of slaves principally that the former slave's children endured suffering for generations. But after remembering history, where do we go from here is a legitimate question. With thousands of laws and government programs the seeming suggestion of the movie is that more are needed which can be legitimately debated.
The movie makes sense for people to see and is reasonably well-done. it provokes more questions than it answers, raises more problems than it solves, and is as a one-sided as the views on the other side the movie condemns.
I Don't Know How She Does It
(2011)
Not compelling like the book, mildly funny
7 February 2014
The book is actually very good and I encourage anyone to read it. It is a compelling story of a woman facing enormous pressure in her personal and professional life and the stress she encounters trying to address these challenges. The movie dumbs this all down, with a saccharine, occasionally funny look at the working woman. It's not terribly bad to watch if nothing else is available, but if you are seeking insight into the challenges a modern woman faces go elsewhere.
If you want a mildly funny somewhat feel good movie and don't want to pay or Amazon or order on Netflix, consider this.
Someone else could definitely remake the book into a serious look at modern England and American.
If you want a mildly funny somewhat feel good movie and don't want to pay or Amazon or order on Netflix, consider this.
Someone else could definitely remake the book into a serious look at modern England and American.
Another Happy Day
(2011)
Incredible, profound movie
25 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Watch and see people's real lives. The acting in this movie is superb, as one sees a group of dysfunctional people interact. A teenager with a drug problem is accurately if sadly depicted, as are friends, a mother confronting his problems but accomplishing little, indeed aggravating the issues.
Perhaps the central point is how little some people know about interacting with others, as this dysfunctional family increases problems, aggravates family's members, and fails to understand one another.
Yes, this is depressing and it may well hit a little too close to home. But if you want an emotional experience that leaves you understanding a little more about human experience, see this.
This should win awards and I'd rank it as one of the top 100 movies of all time.
Perhaps the central point is how little some people know about interacting with others, as this dysfunctional family increases problems, aggravates family's members, and fails to understand one another.
Yes, this is depressing and it may well hit a little too close to home. But if you want an emotional experience that leaves you understanding a little more about human experience, see this.
This should win awards and I'd rank it as one of the top 100 movies of all time.
Do the Right Thing
(1989)
Incredible movie and time piece
21 October 2013
This is a classic, a movie which does everything, provide a great sense of a period in America, and provide a balanced perspective upon a difficult issue. Whatever Spike Lee's personal views, he does a wonderful job of providing real life characters on both sides of a racial debate.
You are there in the midst of a confrontation in a racially mixed area of Brooklyn, and see a rapidly-arising conflict from various perspectives.
What a great movie is. Well-written, true to life, realistic, the adjectives flow.
You are there in the midst of a confrontation in a racially mixed area of Brooklyn, and see a rapidly-arising conflict from various perspectives.
What a great movie is. Well-written, true to life, realistic, the adjectives flow.
Tell Your Friends