Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Thomas Alfredson, 2011)

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Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Espionage, Cold War, Mystery, Based on Novel

Usually, I prefer to watch a film adaptation before I read the book. The disappointment of "things left out" and "not what I imagined" doesn't occur. But in the case of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, I wish I had. This film was so marvelous to look at and become absorbed in...but the plot and the language was utterly confusing. To really appreciate the investigation, the spy jargon, and the characters I believe you have to have read the novel. I found myself struggling to remember who was who, what was what, and why everything was happening. But I was devoted to my struggle- and that counts for quite a lot.

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Cave of Forgotten Dreams & The Big Chill

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Werner Herzog, 2010)

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Rating: Q=5*, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Documentary, Archaeology, Pre-History, Existential

This film is a fascinating look at the ancient cave paintings of Chauvet cave in Southern France. Much of the film is purely the images on the cave walls, etched by the hands of our ancestors tens of thousands of years ago. It is magical and moving, even spiritual. Werner Herzog captures the tangible and intangible through his camerawork, interviews with scientists and researchers, philosophical questions, and unusual music. If you enjoy a film that makes you think and question the meaning of life and art, watch this.

 

The Big Chill (Lawrence Kasdan, 1983)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Reunion, Witty Dialogue, Complex Relationships, Ensemble, Grief

I've always loved The Big Chill. Everything about this movie makes me feel good: the incredible script, the hilarious lines and terrific acting, the effortlessness of the cast interactions. This is a story about friendship and self-doubt and self-interest. Even though the film is a product of the early 1980s with reminiscence to the 1960s- it is timeless. Everyone questions him/herself. Everyone regrets, wishes, or hopes. Everyone grieves. In my opinion, this film should be watched on a regular basis. We all need to remind ourselves that we are loved and no matter how much things may chage, life is still grand.

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Warhorse

Warhorse (Stephen Spielberg, 2011)

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Rating: Q=7, P=5 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

WWI, Horses, Loyalty, Feel-Good, Epic/Journey

Stories like Warhorse, which is ultimately about the importance of loyalty, determination, and idealism during war, are sometimes dismissed by critics and audiences because they are often sappy or unrealistic. But movies are as much about feeling and personal connection as they are about accuracy or artistic quality, hence my rating system. The magic that Spielberg creates in Warhorse -the beautiful cinematography and sets, the epic-like story- deserves praise. This is undeniably stellar artistry but it is also a historical fiction (regardless if generalized or inaccurate) that reminds us that although the situations of the past were different, thinking about them help us understand the present. And the human spirit is constant- and will be forever.

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The Help & The Rum Diary

The Help (Tate Taylor, 2011)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

1960s, Civil Rights, Women, Complex Relationships, Based on Novel

I try not to read reviews and critiques to influence my viewing of a film. And I'm a firm believer in never expecting a film based on a book to be anything like the book. Why should it be? I've heard snippets from many that this film is too feel-good, not edgy enough for the subject matter, not true to the novel. That may be true. Racism is a serious issue and one that has been tackled far better in other films. Roger Ebert writes that Civil Rights and the maid/employer relationship was better shown in The Long Walk Home. Perhaps. But The Help does do something quite important: it engages the viewer supremely well. Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis give amazing performances: hardened and hopeful and completely inviting. In my opinion, we can't make every important film one that is extremely dramatic or depressing. Some of them have to be lighter to reach more people and to remind us that our difficult world does have some goodness and humor in it.

The Rum Diary (Bruce Robinson, 2011)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

1960s, Puerto Rico, Hunter S. Thompson, Binge, Writing, Travel

As I expected, this film is hilarious and insane. From paddling on the ocean in the dark to receiving inspiration from a lobster in a tank, Johnny Depp is perfect. I laughed heartily on more than one occasion and somehow got lost while watching. It works. Not nearly as trippy and Salvador Dali-esque as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Rum Diary is still a great escape film with edgy dialogue and wacky antics.

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