Beasts Of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild was nominated for several Academy Awards last year; I believe Best Picture, and also Best Actress. I finally got around to watching it this evening and for once I'm left without words. They will come, but I'm not sure if they will be coherent. Perhaps that's because the movie itself was not completely coherent – part documentary, part fantasy – all drama. It was powerful, visually, emotionally and dramatically, but the message of the film, if there is one, eludes me. Maybe I just have to think about it for while longer... Perhaps that's the draw of this film, every viewer can decipher what it means on their own – it will mean something different to each one of us. Set in some apocalyptic-like, Louisiana Bayou, before and after Hurricane Katrina moved in, the poverty and raw emotion was at times difficult to watch. The brutality of the characters' situation was appalling, but probably real for many people. It made me realize that we are spoiled, and have little true understanding of the plight of other people on the other side of the levy. The little girl, who was nominated for the Best Actress Award, did a wonderful job, but I got the feeling that a lot of the time she was just being her precocious self and not really acting. You need to listen carefully to her narration, that's where the true story unfolds. The courage and perseverance of her character throughout was inspiring. The father was drunk, dying and self-destructive, yet he was still a redeemable character, loving and trying to protect his daughter in his own way. The minor characters, I believe all local Louisiana folks, were interesting and bizarre at the same time. I know very little of the true Louisiana culture, and wonder how accurate they were portrayed. You may not "enjoy" this film and it won't leave you smiling, but I guarantee that it will make you think. Definitely worth a rental.

The Company You Keep

The Company You Keep, a recent, Robert Redford film just out on DVD did not do that well at the box office, but it may be worth the rental. I found it decent, but not spectacular. It was billed as a suspenseful thriller, but was actually more of a slow-paced drama. The story however, was very interesting, based on true events during the late 1960s and early 1970s. A radical group of young people called the "Weathermen" had splintered from the popular anti-Vietnam War movement and became domestic terrorists. They did some bad things, bombings and such. They ended up killing a security guard during a bank robbery, before they went underground. To me, this story stream was worth pursuing, especially in our current world situation. Unfortunately, the movie focused on a few remaining characters 30+ years later when they were much older, in hiding, and mellowed with age and comfortable with their middle class suburban lifestyles. One of the Weathermen, Susan Sarandon, turns herself in for unexplained reasons, sending the rest of the group into turmoil. I kept hoping for some flashbacks to bring the characters into deeper focus, but instead the story centered on a young, ambitious journalist, Shia LaBeouf, and his attempts to investigate and uncover Robert Redford and the rest of the gang. Here, the story fell apart. He was completely unbelievable as an aggressive journalist. His acting was flat and uninspired, dialogue cliché. I've seen so many great journalists in films, so perhaps my expectations were too high. The facts and breaks in the case seemed to just fall into his lap. He was always two steps ahead of the FBI – which by the way, were also portrayed very cliché and unoriginal. Robert Redford has some bright spots in the movie, but not as a terrorist on the run, instead, as an aging father who loves his young daughter. There is no real suspense; the movie is much too predictable. The writers, producer and director missed the mark on this one. They should've focused on the background, feelings and emotions of the Weathermen more deeply, forgetting their paltry attempts at "thrill" and "suspense." I don't really recommend this film unless there's nothing better to watch this evening! Or, you adore Robert Redford.

Deadwood

Deadwood is a HBO Original Series that aired several years ago. The setting is the gold mining camp/town in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1876, just after gold was discovered and General George Custer lost the battle of Little Big Horn. Deadwood is part of the Wild West, not yet annexed into the Dakota or the Montana territories. The camp springs up overnight, the gold attracting every type of human being – prospectors, merchants, saloon operators, gamblers, prostitutes, drunks, gunfighters, criminals and common folk. I originally got this series to watch for research purposes – the Gunslinger's Confession takes place partly in Deadwood and the Black Hills during that time. The HBO series served me well for this purpose, but soon I was drawn into the entertainment value of the show itself. I found myself "binge watching" three or four episodes per night until I finished the entire DVD set (three seasons).

I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of the characters. The writing is superior. Every character is perfectly flawed and conflicted with desires and emotions that make them come alive on the screen. Just a couple of examples – Al Swearinger is the proprietor of the Gem Saloon, one of the original settlers in the camp. He has the foulest mouth and disposition imaginable. On the surface, he is ruthless and only interested in making a profit. He easily orders his henchmen to beat or murder any who cross his path. He's always angry, yet he cares for his whores and working boys with a fatherly affection that is wise and knowledgeable. It's clear that he loves them, and relishes their loyalty. Seth Bullock, another main character, reluctantly accepts the position as Sheriff. He's tall and handsome. He is the silent type. He had given up his job as a Marshal in Montana to pursue a more ordinary life as a hardware store proprietor in Deadwood. The reasons are not abundantly clear, but it is apparent through his actions and the slow unfolding of his personality that Mister Bullock has a dark past. He is torn between good and evil. He works to restore justice, protect the innocent, and make things "right," while at the same time he is prone to sudden unexplainable violence. All of the characters are wonderfully written and acted... The dialogue throughout the episodes is excellent, though sometimes a little bit hard to follow because of the attention to the late 1800s "authentic" style of speech – although, I have no idea how accurate the writers and actors are in their efforts. If you enjoy Westerns, especially the dirty and gritty type, this is a series you should watch. Be warned, this show is NOT for youngsters or the easily offended, the cursing is pervasive, sex graphic, and the storyline is grim and violent.

Oblivion

Another summer released science fiction film with mixed reviews... "Oblivion" was certainly not the blockbuster that Tom Cruise and the producers had hoped for, but it was entertaining and worth a rental—though probably not worth the price of admission at movie theaters these days. So, why the mixed reviews and limited success at the box office? Tom Cruise, a huge star, probably brought a large audience to the film, but unfortunately, he is beginning to appear much to type cast and one-dimensional. His acting is sometimes good, but often dismal. He is pinned in the same niche again. Like Morgan Freeman, who was also in the film, these guys seem to always play themselves, which works well if you've only seen them in a couple of movies, but when they play the same role over and over again, their characters become too predictable and tedious. The story, sadly, was also extremely "used" and uninspired. It felt like the writers went to a movie script garage sale, and purchased parts of several past science fiction movies and threw everything into a blender... Where is the originality? "Oblivion" was just a mixed up remake of so many other End of Earth, Survived the Apocalypse, Save the Human Race movies—there was nothing new. However, not all was lost. There were a few good twists in the plot. The action scenes were fun! Also, the depiction of the future was very believable and extremely well designed, filmed and rendered. I loved the gadgetry, architecture and some of the imagery. The computerized special effects kept me most engaged. The obligatory shots of a totally destroyed New York City – the Empire State building, Statue of Liberty flame, etc. – were tiresome, but overall everything was visually pretty cool. So, in conclusion, If you don't like Tom Cruise, you will probably hate this movie. If you do like Tom, enjoy! Science fiction fans will find the visual aspects of the movie worthwhile, but may groan, like I did, at the unoriginal story.

House of Cards

I finally got around to watching this series on Netflix and thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes the eight dollars a month I have been paying Netflix worth it—I hope they create some more original programming. Kevin Spacey, the main character, plays an ambitious Congressman from the Fifth District in South Carolina, and just happens to be from Gaffney (the small town where I lived for three years just after graduation from Clemson). He is the Democratic Majority Whip. There are 13 episodes to watch with lots of interesting characters, twists and turns, so I won't try to describe any of the plot. Basically, this series is all about the corruption and ruthless wheeling and dealing in Washington, DC. If HALF of the goings-on depicted are true, which I believe is entirely possible, our government is a nasty place—no wonder nothing ever gets done. The acting is superb. The dialogue and writing is very engaging. I particularly like how Kevin Spacey speaks directly to the camera at times. It's not too highbrow or complicated, so it's easy to follow the story from episode to episode. Very well produced. If you subscribe to Netflix, and enjoy political drama, then you will definitely enjoy this series. Well worth it! I