Change Your Image
Knightgil
Reviews
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Truly life-changing
I first watched LOTR when I was 10 or 11. At 30, it remains my favorite film series of all time. In fact, as I mature, my appreciation for these movies only grows deeper. It's like the great stories, Sam would say, that stay with you although you are too young to understand why. But I understand now. LOTR is not just a fantasy series, it is truly a movie series about life. It is grandiose in a way that no other film is, because it is never undeserved, it is never cliché, pretentious, cheap or fake, it is always authentic.
LOTR has a philosophical and theological profundity to it, this trilogy is not simple entertainment. It is palpable how much love, work and dedication went into it by all the people involved. I feel like this movie, more than a work of art, is a miracle. A true miracle. I cannot describe by words how meaningful Lord of the Rings is to me, I only know that it has always spoken directly to the deepest reaches of my very soul. In a world of cynicism, LOTR is unapologetically hopeful, sentimental and joyful, even in the face of all its darkness. It reminds us that there is a hero in all of us, that each of us can make a difference and change the course of history, no matter how small we appear to be. How we can make a choice between good and evil, hope and despair. If I'm alive today, that may very well be because of Lord of the Rings. For I have also encountered terrible darkness in my life, but LOTR has taught me to cling to hope against all odds, as no darkness lasts forever, and a new day will dawn. Indeed, LOTR teaches us how we should live our lives, it presents us with incredible role models such as resolute Frodo or loyal Sam, it teaches us what healthy camaraderie looks like and the importance of holding on to something, to persist despite your doubts, like Aragorn, or that you can always find a way to redeem yourself, like Boromir.
LOTR has a poetic, timeless quality to it, it is very elegant and eloquent, yet it is not elitist, LOTR as a film is an artwork that is able to be appreciated by anyone. It is neither an art film that only dedicated movie goes will understand, nor a cheap blockbuster made to appeal to the masses without any substance. It is truly a gift to humanity that we should be deeply grateful for and I hope that time does not erase the memory of this film. Going to the cinema to watch LOTR when it came out was a huge experience. Going to watch ROTK at the cinema when I was about 12 years old was the last time I was truly excited to go see a movie, and it felt like I was becoming part of an once in a lifetime, shared cultural experience that would never happen again. I'm happy to have been a part of that and I'm grateful that LOTR is a part of my life.
Peel (2019)
The curse of cynicism vs the power of innocence
So I turned on the TV and this movie was going on. It immediately caught my attention for some reason. As I watched on, it became clear that the tone of the movie is what caught my attention. Starting with the soundtrack, the choice of actors, and the overall theme, it has an optimistic, endearing, feel-good aspect to it that was severely lacking in most films I have been watching recently. It certainly contrasts with the most sombre, cynical tone not only of many moder movies, but also everyday life. For that reason I was instantly and deeply captivated by this movie. One could say the main theme of this movie is family, but I would much rather frame it as that contrast between our cynicism and that rare, childlike quality of innocence and purity.
While most of the movie characters seem to have an aura of cynicism about them, Peel's aura is of that childlike innocence. This is, of course, both a quality and a curse. It is a curse because it is clear how that innocence comes from a place of over-protection and isolation. Peel isn't like any other person his age. But rather than it being a factor of disconnection and social exclusion, he is the character most able to comnect with others in a meaningful way, while it is apparent how some of those that surround him push away connection. This becomes very clear with his interaction with his brothers. There is certainly a deep lesson to be learned from here. Peel is, at first sight, a dork. A maladapted, socially awkward, naive, infantile man. He is too sincere, too filterless, too unaware of social conventions. People like him often become targets of mockery and disdain. But his naiveté makes the cynicism of those he meets stand out so much, you start to question who the real dorks are. That cynicism becomes the real ugly beast, and it is so apparent that those that first push him away take it as a strength, rather than an ultimately self-sabotaging trap that comes out of a desperate attempt to defend themselves.
I suspect the viewers of this film will have similar reactions. Some will mock Peel, pity him, perhaps feel disgusted or even outright angry at him. Others will feel a protective instinct towards him, as if his naiveté makes him too vulnerable of being hurt, or his innocence too precious, having to be protected at all costs. Others still will relate to him in a very deep, personal way. Either way, I find it difficult to be indifferent to him. We all have known a Peel, or perhaps we wish we knew one. Inevitably this film will lead us to think of them in a very different light.
Light of My Life (2019)
Atmospheric, beautiful cinematography
Post-apocalyptic films can be action-packed and filled with incessant jump cuts. As so, this movie comes across as a breath of fresh air by taking a much slower pace and taking a less hollywoodesque, more artsy cinematography. Not every scene is action packed, and I really enjoyed that about this movie. Some critiques around here claim there are liberal undertones in this movie. Perhaps, but I didn't find it very obvious nor did I feel like the central point of this movie was ideological. Perhaps that's because I'm an European. (?) But then again, the same could be said about how many hollywood-type of movies promote an american exceptionalist, more conservative ideology, but because that is already the norm, it goes unnoticed. Supposedly apolitical movies can be the most political of all of them. Either way, I found some of that criticism over-the-top. It wouldn't be unreasonable for a parent to not want their only daughter to be messing around with guns. A parent that walks around with a gun is not a more protective parent than a gunless one. Only under the light of USA's obsession with guns does that criticism become understandable: where everyone has a gun, suddenly not having one in a post-apocalyptic scenario becomes a political stance. Again, perhaps because I'm an European that lives in a country where easy access to guns isn't the norm, I find it very difficult to even recognize such an allegedly ideological message at play here. Not saying there isn't one, but that to reduce the whole film to that seems incredibly short-sighted and hypocritical. Few people will claim that Zombieland is political for glorifying gun violence, so it is a testament to how gun-obsessed american culture is when a film is called political for having a character that is less than appreciative of his only daughter handling guns.
The film that I saw was more of an exploration of morality, humanity and the relationship between a parent and their children in a post-apocalyptic-world. And I'm pleased to have seen the movie through that lens. I found it relaxing and beautiful and atmospheric at that. However, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed with the ending, that I felt was too abrupt. The film had to end at some point and to end it without an open ending would perhaps be inappropriate, but I have to wonder what led to the movie being cut at that point. It doesn't seem to be very satisfying for the viewers, so I have to question if the director truly felt satisfied with it.
Contagion (2011)
Incredibly accurate
I was amazed to discover that this movie was released in 2011, almost a decade before the Covid-19 outbreak. If you didn't know the date you would assume it would have been written AFTER Covid-19, for it is so accurate to what happened during this pandemic. Being released so many years BEFORE, it seems prophetic.
As for the film itself, I honestly can't stand films that are filled with several top Hollywood stars. Whenever such a film shows up, I can't help but feel skeptical about its quality. A good film doesn't need to be filled with stars to be good, so I always raise the question: why does the director feel the need to hire so many of them? It might be a personal thing, but for me, it makes me find the movie less credible in a sense.
Ad Astra (2019)
Beautiful and relaxing
I remember going to see this film with a friend when it was released. She fell asleep. I stayed well awake. I guess this sums up the experience you can have with Ad Astra. Either you find it boring, empty, desinteresting and motionless, or a marvelous spectacle filled with emotion and beautiful imagery of our solar system. But Ad Astra is as much about space travel as it is about the relationship between a father and a son. In fact, it can be said that Ad Astra isn't about space travel at all, but about humanity and it's unique place in the vastness of the universe. It is poetic, profound and sentimental, as well as stylish. Brad Pitt plays the role wonderfully as well. I rewatched it a few days ago on the TV and would definitely watch it again in the future. It truly deserves to be watched at a theatre, though.
Eden Lake (2008)
A movie for
I shouldn't have watched this movie when I'm already depressed and disappointed with humanity. This movie feels way too real, and the problem seems to be exactly that: we don't go watch a movie to meet reality as it is, as often movies deliver fantasies. But reality can be cruel, depressing and traumatizing. This is not a sadistic movie that glorifies violence and cruelty for their own sake, it exposes those things as evil. They are real, for not every story in real life has an happy ending. The irony is that some people, like myself, being already too aware of how cruel, unjust and painful life can be, will leave this movie a lot more depressed and traumatized than we already were, while other people, who try as hard as possible who disconnect from reality or live in a reality that is too privileged to conceive the events of this movie as realistic, will see it as mere torture porn and will not be moved to act in ways that are more empathetic, kinder and courageous in their own lives. If you feel enraged after watching this movie, you should feel enraged at the real violence that many people suffer or have suffered, and not at the movie for depicting, and making you aware of, that violence. Life is just way too precious for us to become apathetic towards other people's suffering.
I will give this movie a 5, just because part of me feels so disgusted, hopeless, depressed, shocked and traumatized after watching it, but another part of me values the attempt that this movie clearly makes in trying to take the viewer out of their comfort zone, away from their apathy.
Malmkrog (2020)
Deeply interesting and intelectually stimulating
I watched this film on TV when it was about midway or so. I, being interested in philosophy, theology and psychology, enjoyed this movie. It's like an interesting after-dinner conversation with friends, only much more serious and intelectually intense. I found it relaxing and deeply stimulating. Of course, I expected this film to have bad reviews just because it's not the kind of movie that would appeal to everyone. And that is a shame. You can't have a movie like this without someone calling it pretentious. Seems like if it isn't a hollywood blockbuster, it isn't worth existing. I would watch it again, from the beginning.
Besides the philosophy, I enjoyed the setting, the visual style, and the small bits of personality of each character that, to me, made apparent that philosophy is a deeply personal thing, and you can't just separate a philosophical view from the person that exposes that view, with all their biases. There is this scene when one of the characters goes on in a particularly bigoted diatribe on the merits of european civilization and how people of certain other cultures are savages. This is one of those times where it becomes clear how we can end up rationalizing our biases into fully-fledged philosophical theories, rather than using our intellect to become more aware of said biases.
The Babadook (2014)
Babadook understands what makes horror movies so appealing to watch.
I like horror movies. I also like smart movies. Unfortunately, I find that 'horror' and 'smart' don't often go hand-in-hand when it comes to movies. Well, Babadook managed to close the gap and delivered a truly chilling, thought-provoking experience.
If you, like me, are a horror fan, at one point you've probably found yourself desensitized to all the jumpscares, gore and ugly faces, immune to the over-the-top but ultimately futile attempts to create a credibly creepy atmosphere and yawning at the predictable twists of "bland-horror-movie number 94841432". Babadook ain't it. Babadook is different. It understands that throwing monsters at the screen or killing characters that we all know are expendable isn't what makes a horror movie scary. It is whatever is lurking deep within the human psyche. Not only the primal instinct of survival, but also the things we value the most. Abstract things like love, compassion, trust, happiness, acceptance. What makes this movie terryfing is the ever-looming threat to those things that we hold sacred. The Babadook is merely a conduit in the grand scheme of things.