I know some people can enjoy this movie, there is an audience for this kind of stuff... but I'm not one of them. Beloved is marketed as an epic about the struggle of an ex-slave trying now to lead a normal life in a new, free, land. And that is what it's about... to an extent. What they don't tell you is that it has some pretty bizarre stuff in it too.
OK, the film opens in the household of Sethe (Oprah Winfrey), an ex-slave who is raising a daughter, Denver (Kimberly Elise). The house is clearly haunted. Why else would the walls glow red while stuff flies through the air (including the pet dog)? Well, one day a fellow ex-slave, Paul D(played by Danny Glover) shows up in front of Sethes' home and has a talk with her, talking about the old days at "sweet home" (the plantation on which the two used to work). Sethe invites him into her house and Paul witnesses the whole shebang of spooky stuff, glowing walls and everything. Nevertheless, he decides to stay there, and the two grow closer together.
Cut to a river. A lone figure makes her way across, covered from head to toe with bugs. She soon makes her way to Sethe's front yard. Sethe sees her and in what I guess is fear... runs behind the house, crouches, and... well... takes a whiz. OK, now let me stop here for a second and explain one of the key reasons that kept me from completely liking this movie. Sometimes there are images that are there for no other reason than for their shock value. Unlike the violence in Saving Private Ryan (which was clearly there for a reason), these graphic images in Beloved (except for a few) are only there for shock value and do not further the plot in any way. I mean, come on... there are plenty of other ways to show fear then having a woman crouch down and p*** right in front of the camera.
Anyway, back to the plot. Sethe takes the young girl in to live with her. The girl is clearly not normal, she has problems moving, yet she can lift a rocking chair over her head with one hand, and her speech is slurred and never completely clear. Sethe asks the girl her name and she simply responds, "Beloved".
Beloved seems to know a lot about Sethe and seems to be very curious about her past. Through conversation and flashbacks we find that there is indeed a connection between the two that ends up revealing huge pieces of Sethe's dark past, and also answers quite a few of our questions in the process.
Now, Beloved is not a great film. To some people it may be, but the weirdness factor doesn't seem to go with the rest of the movie. Another thing is that the film is dragged out... it's about 3 hours total, but trim away many of the unnecessary characters, subplots, and dialogue and it could've been a more effective movie. The film seems to try too hard to prove to you that it's important, and it ultimately makes watching it that much more disappointing.
Now there are some plusses in here. The score is excellent and is probably the best film score in a movie so far this year. The cinematography is also worth noting. But what saves this movie from being mediocre are the excellent performances. Oprah Winfrey is truly a talented actress and I would love to see her in more films. Kimberly Elise also was a nice surprise, especially as the film nears its end and she realizes the need to become independent, and Danny Glover is always good.
Although Beloved will probably get its share of Oscar nominations this year, it is not in my opinion an Oscar worthy film. It's not really a bad film, but just not as good as it makes itself out to be.
OK, the film opens in the household of Sethe (Oprah Winfrey), an ex-slave who is raising a daughter, Denver (Kimberly Elise). The house is clearly haunted. Why else would the walls glow red while stuff flies through the air (including the pet dog)? Well, one day a fellow ex-slave, Paul D(played by Danny Glover) shows up in front of Sethes' home and has a talk with her, talking about the old days at "sweet home" (the plantation on which the two used to work). Sethe invites him into her house and Paul witnesses the whole shebang of spooky stuff, glowing walls and everything. Nevertheless, he decides to stay there, and the two grow closer together.
Cut to a river. A lone figure makes her way across, covered from head to toe with bugs. She soon makes her way to Sethe's front yard. Sethe sees her and in what I guess is fear... runs behind the house, crouches, and... well... takes a whiz. OK, now let me stop here for a second and explain one of the key reasons that kept me from completely liking this movie. Sometimes there are images that are there for no other reason than for their shock value. Unlike the violence in Saving Private Ryan (which was clearly there for a reason), these graphic images in Beloved (except for a few) are only there for shock value and do not further the plot in any way. I mean, come on... there are plenty of other ways to show fear then having a woman crouch down and p*** right in front of the camera.
Anyway, back to the plot. Sethe takes the young girl in to live with her. The girl is clearly not normal, she has problems moving, yet she can lift a rocking chair over her head with one hand, and her speech is slurred and never completely clear. Sethe asks the girl her name and she simply responds, "Beloved".
Beloved seems to know a lot about Sethe and seems to be very curious about her past. Through conversation and flashbacks we find that there is indeed a connection between the two that ends up revealing huge pieces of Sethe's dark past, and also answers quite a few of our questions in the process.
Now, Beloved is not a great film. To some people it may be, but the weirdness factor doesn't seem to go with the rest of the movie. Another thing is that the film is dragged out... it's about 3 hours total, but trim away many of the unnecessary characters, subplots, and dialogue and it could've been a more effective movie. The film seems to try too hard to prove to you that it's important, and it ultimately makes watching it that much more disappointing.
Now there are some plusses in here. The score is excellent and is probably the best film score in a movie so far this year. The cinematography is also worth noting. But what saves this movie from being mediocre are the excellent performances. Oprah Winfrey is truly a talented actress and I would love to see her in more films. Kimberly Elise also was a nice surprise, especially as the film nears its end and she realizes the need to become independent, and Danny Glover is always good.
Although Beloved will probably get its share of Oscar nominations this year, it is not in my opinion an Oscar worthy film. It's not really a bad film, but just not as good as it makes itself out to be.