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junling1
Reviews
Unsilenced (2021)
A powerful movie that shocks you
This movie is incredibly powerful. The stories are well told. The pace is fast, and the oppression and torture of prisoners is shocking. Sadly it's still ongoing in China today.
There is power in truth telling and Chinese government was so afraid of truth. But a group of normal people are defending truth with their lives. I recommend this movie to everyone who wants to understand China.
Office Space (1999)
Story about an non-assertive man and American workplace
I am disturbed by the message of this movie. Toward the end of the movie, arson and stealing are extolled as a good way for retaliation. I wonder what this movie teaches to our children. The moral message is simply not right.
This movie reflects the workplace conflict such as the interference from a boss and his disrespect for the worker. He encroached on their weekend time, he pestered the worker on a small mistake, and he can fire anyone immediately.
Our main character is an extremely nice, non-assertive guy. He is simmering inside, toward his bosses, his co-workers, and his girlfriend. When he became much more assertive due to hypnosis, things turn around for him. He assertively cut off his abusive girlfriend, he aggressively asks a woman out, and he refuses his boss's unreasonable demand. All turn out to be well except he carries the simmering anger from his previous life (before hypnosis), and his anger of the company's firing of his co-workers. That led to his scheme of ripping off the company.
So the lesson is a simple one: Be assertive. If you don't like something, don't tolerate it. We don't need hypnosis to be brave and go after what we want, or do we?
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Banal joke and fake documentary
This movie is so banal that I almost want to vomit at some scenes. It started from a fake village, with a fake reporter, on a fake mission.
I cannot understand why this movie is so hyped. Are those jokes funny? They are simply bizarre.
By the way, I have to write 10 lines about this movie in order to submit this comment. Why 10 lines? Do we have spell 10 lines to make a point?
For people who are looking for comedy, I highly recommend Little Miss Sunshine. There are some jokes and laughters there. But they are genuine and humane. Overall, Borat is an awful movie.
Must Love Dogs (2005)
True and moving, a movie that touches your heart
As a woman who went through the same experience as the main character, I feel every thing in this movie is so true. Everything, literally everything. From the woman's loss from her divorce, to her dating frenzy, and her heartbroken by a shallow yet good looking man. Tears came to my eyes when I watched this movie. Yes, the movie itself is funny, exaggerating to be a comedy. But the message is so true that it hurts. This is why I love this movie. It dares to be true.
I love almost every character in this movie, except some reservation for John Cusack. I love Diane Lane, for her fragility, her passion for life, and her standard of being respected in love.
People who made bad comment might not have gone through this divorce-dating process. If you have, you would know all the pain and all the laugh in this movie is very very true.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Manufactured Emotion and an unrealistic tale
I read comments on this IMDb, most with 10 out of 10 rating. Therefore my expectation was high, but I came out with an annoyed and disappointed feeling.
The characters are very likable but the story is very weak. The love between these two main characters is idealized, in my opinion. First of all, such love cannot survive over 20 years. In the movie they are still deeply in love with each other. While such love is plausible but it is simply not real. With 50% divorce rate in this country in mind, and as someone who has been through such process, I see how love can change over time, drowned by daily mundane tasks and familiarity between two people. It is a miracle that a romantic love can survive 10 years, not to say 20 years. In the movie, the two main characters maintain their love through secretive meetings once a while. Such love may be able to survive because it contains no daily context, and no struggling through life through shared effort together.
I do like the music and cinematography very much. Every shot is very powerful. However, the writing and story is so weak that a skilled director cannot save it.
The Island (2005)
A feel-good movie that is intelligent and fun
This movie is very gratifying and fun to watch. When I walked out the theater, I still feel this sense of well-being, happiness and feeling of beauty. What makes me feel good is not just good finally triumphed over evil, or that basic humanity is preserved, but also the youth and beauty of our main characters that resonates in my heart. I love watching McGregor and Scarlett Johansson together. What a lovely pair. When they sail on the ocean together, I feel like seeing paradise in my eyes.
The story is flawlessly told, and actions are well directed. I feel connected with almost everyone in the movie, even the bad guys.
It is very rare that a movie makes me feel so good after watching it. The island has achieved this, and I thank the director for giving me such a wonderful and high-quality time.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
A very entertaining and information-loaded documentary
This movie is so powerful and so well made that I am left in awe. As a movie, it is a masterpiece of art, compelling, moving and funny. As a documentary, it is full of information and well-done investigations. This movie revealed many facts that we never heard from mainstream media. Those facts are deeply troubling, but apparently true (No one has come out to dispute the fact in the movie).
The best part of the movie is the Iraqi footage. We never see them on our TV. These footage revealed how common Iraqi people suffered in this war and how they turned to hate America. It gives us uncensored view on the mood behind insurgence. Sadly, this is still happening as I am writing. "Violence generates violence", and Iraq is the most telling example.
Whether you are left or right, go to see this movie. Make your own judgment. It is good entertainment, and a very informative view on our world today.
Runaway Jury (2003)
Powerful and Excellent movie
I thoroughly enjoy this movie, from the start to the end. It's attention gripping and deeply interesting. Each actor delivers in this movie. They are believable. I love John Cusack's character for his composure and cleverness. I love Gene Hackman for his portraying of a bad guy who seems powerful and invincible. This movie is also brave in touching the gun violence issue. It reveals the shocking fact that how one person can purchase 40 assault weapon in one month, and how criminals can easily get access to guns. We see the devastating fact that high school students are shot down, and people in their workplace are gunned down. The excuse of second amendament does not explain why we should have so many loopholes in gun law, that allows criminals to get guns easiy, and allow assault weapons (which are not good for hunting or self-defense, and the only use is to kill people) floating around. I applaud this movie because it has heart and soul. The movie theatre was full when I walked in. I was surprised that so many people came out to see this movie. After the movie, I understand more: 30,000 people die each year from guns, which means 300,000 people have died from gun violence in the last 10 years. If one person has about 5 family and friends, we have at least 1.5 million people who has lost their loved ones in gun violence. How terrible it is. Yet, only today we have seen a movie to speak out on this issue.