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Reviews
Intouchables (2011)
Crude movie with very few redeeming values
This movie plays for shock effect as well as titters. It is filled with rude remarks to women - in fact, Driss seems to think that women are only good for one thing. But it is passed off as funny in the movie. Well if I were that poor secretary in the movie - I feel it is just about sexual harassment. His attitudes toward fat women or "ugly women" are equally crude.
Yes, it puts more of a kick into the life of a quadriplegic, but on a crude level for the most part and with adolescent behaviors.
Driss laughing at the opera - especially because it is in German - is ruining an experience for the whole theater of people who want to enjoy it. And there is Driss driving the sports car through Paris, speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, making high speed turns - it looks so "professional" from the driver's seat, but imagine if you were in that traffic with him - it is incredibly dangerous - forget about Driss - for the other people on the road.
I kept waiting for Driss to wake up and find his better self, but no this is not that movie - there is no transformation.
No. This is a guy movie - and I mean that with all the derision used on "chix flick"
Do Rahain (1997)
Disappointing
This movie takes an important and current issues - side steps it with sweeping generalities and characterizations. Most of the time is focused on romance, very little on the political situation. The main character is a serious and courageous journalist. How does she fall in love with a man who acts so rudely and acts so selfishly?
The movie begins with her reporting on the tribal uprisings and she acknowledges the injustices the police and state are wrecking on the tribal peoples. The leader is shown as a contemplative man fond of poetry,animals and children as well as the rights of the indigenous people. At the end, he is shooting a man he knows to be innocent in anger and threatening the woman reporter with death. The film is playing both sides - the government is wrong then the leader of the uprising is a criminal. The army who is bent on assassinating the leader is suddenly open to talks with him
The Loving Story (2011)
This is one of the most boring documentaries I have seen.
The Lovings were plaintiffs in an interesting & important case involving interracial marriage that,in the end, went to the US Supreme Court and changed history. Unfortunately, HBO has taken this story and made a terrible documentary of their story and the case. Actual footage of the Lovings and those in their story is used throughout the movie These are "home movies" in the worst sense - nothing much happens, the sound is terrible and it appears the movie makers insisted on using EVERY scrap of this footage, unedited and regardless of whether something was happening or not. There is no narration and this footage is left to "tell the story" along with a few segments of comments from today by the ACLU lawyers and Lovings' daughter. The Problem is that the way "the story unfolds" thru the footage is SLOW, boring, drawn out and irritating experience to watch. For years, I have been interested in the Lovings' case and their story. I have seen a TV movie about them and their case. I was interested to see actual footage of the real people during their ordeal - but after 5 or ten minutes i was truly bored What a wasted opportunity to make an important and great documentary
Anand (2004)
starts off OK
I thought this romantic comedy started off well but went on way too long!
The same thing happened over and over and over
The movie should have edited down.
It could have been slimmed down from its 2 hr 40 min length to 90-100 minutes.
That said, I really admired Roopa's strong character
I loved the scene between Roopa and her mother-in-law.
I would have enjoyed more character development in Anand
He is still acting like a spoiled rich guy after living with working people for most of the movie.
The songs and dancing were good. I particularly liked the songs in the rain.
Independent Lens: The Longoria Affair (2010)
Excellent
Watch this after watching the documentary "A Class Apart" (on American Experience PBS) if possible to understand the full context. The Longoria Affair occurred in 1949 when a decorated WWII veteran body was denied services at the local funeral parlor because he was Hispanic.
This film returns to the town were this occurred and examines attitudes of whites and Hispanics about the event and racism when a Hispanic man tries to have said funeral parlor declared a national heritage site. Various locals are interviewed and the film maker lets them speak for themselves with little commentary.
It is eye-opening; 1949 to 2010. Are the white residents of today being defensive about the past? Are they being defensive about their prejudice against Hispanics? Are the resident Hispanics completely resigned? Why are the whites so opposed to the national heritage designation? Why do they accept the re-naming of the local post office instead?
I've driven through this small south Texas town several times. I never knew it held such history.