sorinpsg Reviews

Waking Life (2001)

A unusual animation astonishingly full of precious thinking

[10/10 · 25 December 2004]

I was quite disturbed by some of the comments of your contributors getting such a negative perception of this movie.

Certainly it is not something for easy movie watchers,who prefer soaps or comedies with a predictable plot.

This is a movie with no plot,an animation which sometimes might be exhausting for your eyes,but filled with so much thoughts,that one single philosophy book might be unable to contain.And if you watch more carefully the dream like animation,you'll see that animation is well expressing the thoughts and moods of the numerous characters,contribu- ting to the unique message ,interactivity between dream and reality.

You should better watch this movie with the pencil in your hand,noting so many memorable quotes,which your quotes column only scarcely represent.But you can find on the internet pages giving many commented quotes from this unique movie.I highly recommend to take your time to interpret from your point of view the valuable thoughts expressed by the characters and this will help to better understanding of the message.

I refer just to opinions expressed by the professor on existentialism:It stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's actions.We are all made up of individual choices and decisions that we make throughout our lives.If we wisely choose the right decisions,then we can have almost total control of where our life will take us.

Going concrete on above thoughts I pondered about the attitude of many people both in my country as well as in other democracies not to go voting when elections are held,this as they say,in the name of freedom of choice and of breaking social slavery.Certainly we may respect their choice.But strangely the same mass protesting by their absence at elections,always are the most fierce critics of the election results and of the further developments in their society.A minority votes,perhaps it is misinformed or uninformed,at the end the results reflect only their attitudes,So many more social problems are created.If you can put the blame on someone else for the consequences of your non-acting,you will face the consequences and have no possibility of correcting by your vote even the most irresponsible political behaviour embraced by a minority.

I just tried to show by the above,how some phrases from this astonishing movie can lead those willing to ponder about,to interpreting various important issues of our post - modernist democracies.If you are willing to make this effort,the movie will offer you a wide variety of valuable thoughts to be interpreted,what no single philosopy-or sociology book can give you.Highly recommend Linklater's unusual animation,which I consider a great movie to watch again and again.

It Runs in the Family (2003)

getting older and older might be sometimes difficult to match

[6/10 · 11 December 2004]

My interest to watch this movie,was primarily due to seeing three generations from the Douglas-clan acting together. It is definitely not a movie you watch twice,the plot is predictable,one might even say that a plot does not exist.

But the whole atmosphere of this big family,with their happy moments,sorrows,quarrels is well pictured.

I was impressed by old Kirk,who at his age acts quite well. Watching him behaving like an old man who still wants to play a role and be a decision maker in his family,made me think of the sometimes sad aspects of getting older. The scene when he danced with his wife,before her upcoming death ,is moving. Also himself jogging and being thrown down to earth by youngsters passing by, who are neglecting his fall. He is hurt,but he does not cry,he takes it with dignity. The uneasy life of an old man ,who has his difficulties but refuses to be a looser. And he certainly gets the sympathy of the audience through this.

We cannot neglect the old people around us,trying to live further in this speedy and sometimes selfish world ,which gets less sensible towards them and finds less time to comfort them. But this movie could make us more indulgent with old people. This could be the message of this movie,besides being an occasion to watch acting three generations of the Douglas family.

Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

Real life is not a dream but hardship,pain and only sometimes filled with moments of happiness

[21 November 2004]

A great movie in my opinion,not the usual melodrama-stuff,as some might believe reading just the plot.

The story of Beverly and Ray could be that of anyone of us.

Their marriage enforced by her pregnancy and consequently due to unwritten rules of puritanism governing a small Connecticut community,brought together two rather unexperienced and immature teens. Her behaviour after giving birth to Jason,conflicts to a certain extent to that of a normal mother.But was she a normal mother? We need to understand her! This pregnancy linked her to a unwanted man and brought life unexpectedly to a child.It blocked her dreams of going to high school and college,so her behaviour is justified to a certain extent.

Two scenes,at the end,I consider as masterpieces.

First her meeting together with the grown-up son at Ray's house,after years of separation,finding there a still drug addicted person,physically and even mentally finished.Ray feels guilty for all pain inflicted to her,but the only thing he can do now is to sign that paper authorizing her to publish the story of their life.

Secondly the scene of Beverly and Josua reunited as mother and son for a short while,embracing near Ray's house,before going each one a separate way.Josua to his beloved,she calling her father to catch her up with the car and go to home of her parents.

The last scene is particularly moving,father and daughter driving home in the car,sing that lovely song "Dreams".This might be bout all the unfulfilled dreams of her life,or perhaps an illusion that all her hardships were nothing else than a dream.No dreams whatever,all she lived was true life.And this was a serene,nice end ,after so much drama unfolding in her life!

Me & Mrs Jones (2002 TV Movie)

Even high players in politics remain humans

[21 November 2004]

Not a great movie,sort of comedy with some drama-like developments and a plot containing certain exaggerated events not happening in reality..but it's fiction ,the script writer wants to make us laughing and exaggerates somewhat(like breaches of security not possible in today's dangerous world at such high levels,as well as a love story not possible under given circumstances!).

To be retained from this story,is shown power of the press making its way successfully into highly guarded political environment,in search of "victims" which could sell their tabloids.

Also that ,even a Prime Minister,regardless if a woman or a man,remains human,with daily problems facing normal people,such as grief,happiness, and a possible secret love life,The message is,we remain humans,notwithstanding our social position,as high as it might be.This I consider the real message of this movie,saving a comedy which otherwise could be quickly forgotten about.

S1m0ne (2002)

Simone -it's a nice lie and the story of show business manipulation

[7 November 2004]

Watched recently on HBO this movie,which for AL Pacino is certainly a much different role from the usual ones he used to play.

I liked the idea ,of this artificially simulated star,it might be credible to certain extent in the real world.The whole success of Simone lies certainly in the secrecy surrounding her,this creating for the moviegoers and the show business as a whole,that sensational taste which often contributes to success.

I agree that some parts of the film might be not credible(so when tha playwright's former wife being in a separate car does not see that the puppet of Simone driving near her husband is a fake),but the whole philosophy of the movie is interesting.

The final part,when "killed" Simone is brought again to life by a anti virus device,is certainly in line with our overhelming computer-dictated 21-st century.

I can recommend this movie,as it is more than sf and comedy.