Sicko

It appears that Director Michael Moore accomplishes his intent to expose the unfairness in the healthcare insurance and pharmaceutical industries. His approach was to profile patients and the barriers they faced to deliver his message. By using real people and their stories, and not hired actors, contributed to the reality of the various unfortunate stories of these people. They suffer through so many circumstances and obstacles that shouldn't be suffered through. I find this movie very touching and really angers me at some points. One in particular was a woman who was fighting for her husband who had bone marrow cancer, and to find that his brother was a perfect match. The hospital wouldn't do the procedure because health insurance wouldn't cover it. This really shows the lack of caring and not fulfilling what they're trained or educated to do. One physician was really affected and disgusted by this situation when it was taken to court. I agree with Kurt Loder's article on MTV saying the director cherry-picked each story, but who wouldn't? As the director, Moore has the authority to take his movie in whatever direction he wants. I feel all his stories were touching and opens your eyes to how precious life is. Medical costs can leave people broke and homeless. One couple had to pack up what would fit in two cars and leave everything else behind to go live with their daughter due to their medical costs. Another situation featured the husband who had 3 heart attacks plus rehab, and the wife with cancer, and their medical costs left them so broke. They both had very good jobs and put all their kids through prestigious colleges only to find themselves seeking help from their children. Kurt Loder makes additional comments about Moore's socialistic views and his thoughts about government regulation. Obviously Loder doesn't agree with these views, because it seems as though he mocks Hilary Clinton's attempts to reform the medical program in the United States. Loder also cites some instances in other countries like Canada and references "Dead Meat," in which their medical systems are not perfect either. I realize that when people try to make profound statements in their documentaries there will always critics who argue against them. I feel Moore showed us a side that needed to be shown. As I watched the documentary, it became apparent to me just why he named the movie the "Sicko." This definently draw attention to sick patients as well as the sick health system, that is probably in need of some reform.

The Matrix

In my opinion, “Matrix” is a movie that is entertainment for any movie-goer because it has something for everyone. Obviously, fans of science fiction movies would like it because of the twists in the plot and the special effects which are incredible. The stop-action of the bullets by Neo is one example of this. The directors also use slow motion, then suddenly fast action. There are so many entertaining components that contribute to the success of the storyline such as suspense, action-packed events, and romance. The directors are creative in how they unravel their story. I, like the rest of the viewers, was led to believe that this was an ordinary story with ordinary characters, such as the character played by Keanu Reeves. Then the directors allow the story to unfold. It’s not an ordinary story. They used a great deal of detail in drawing in their viewers with camera angles that lead your attention to something from above or below, hazy and dim lighting, calculated action to excite the audience, and pulsating music to help add to the drama. I noticed that the color black is used a lot, especially in the clothing, and several of the characters wore sunglasses. To me this hides their eyes and facial expressions. Even though this movie has an ending, the directors leave it wide open for sequels, which seems to be pretty common. In reading the review by James L. Ford, I found his comparisons between Buddhism, Christianity, and The Matrix very interesting. After viewing the movie, I would not have looked so deeply into the philosophical and religious nature of the message in the movie. Ford states that The Matrix is an example of myth-making which can lead to foundational thinking in some religions and building or adding to new cultures. To me, I don’t think the common viewer would analyze it like this. This movie contains a lot of symbolism but it isn’t strong enough to educate the audience on religious theories.

The Dark Knight

Even though "The Dark Knight" has one of those typical Batman plots of good versus evil and is somewhat predictable, it captures the audience's attention with actors who totally immerse themselves into their roles. In my opinion, this is exactly what Heath Ledger did in his role as the Joker. I liked the way he interjected occasional humor and sarcasm into the role. One review from the Internet Movie Database states that Ledger took the role of the Joker in a direction he had never been taken before, as a psychotic and demonic killer with no moral attachment to anybody. But the Joker did see Batman as a true value because he was source of entertainment to him. The Joker lived with no rules, but Batman lived only by the rules. The second reviewer from Rotten Tomatoes, claims that Ledger delivers a fearless performance as the insane Joker. Ledger is very convincing when he manipulates both the mob bosses and city officials. The reviewer adds that Ledger creates a very believeable and sinister character to the point that he's annoying to watch when he's continually smacking his lips with glee and uses that stagger in his walk. The textbook discusses the responsibility that actors have in taking on a role. Their goal should be to make the audience believe in the reality of the character. Quoting the book, "they must be able to project sincerity, truthfulness, and naturalness in such a way that we are never aware that they are acting a part." Ledger achieved this in his portrayal of the Joker. His acting was so good it didn't appear to be acting at all. While Ledger's performance certainly merited recognition and an academy award, the entire cast of actors definitely contributed to the success of the movie. Some viewers may argue that the movie plot is just too dark. Their opinion may be based on witnessing the death of good characters such as Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes. There were several cliche statements made throughout the movie that had good messages and insight such as, "The night is always darkest just before the dawn." The one statement that made me smile was, "Madness is like gravity; all you need is a little push." That was perfect coming from the Joker. Also, the references to the two-headed coin had significant messages. People have to make their own luck. Life is always about a 50-50 chance. Like Dent, at the end of the movie, the coin was shiny on one side but burned and tarnished on the other side.


www.rottentomatoes.com
www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/

Slumdog Millionaire

“Slumdog Millionaire” certainly isn’t a typical love story. It unfolds in a very captivating fashion. The director, Danny Boyle, uses the poverty, crowded conditions, crime, and religious unrest of India to set the stage for this movie. Critics of the movie might think he over dramatized the conditions. I think his intention was to make his audience really feel strong emotions for Jamal, Salim and Latika, as well as the rest of the poor population of India. Emotions range from pity, sadness, depression, anger, to hope and happiness. Although I was aware that India is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, I didn’t really comprehend the poverty that existed. Once the main characters were orphaned as young children, they had to fight to stay alive. The director uses an interesting approach to tell the story by using the game show’s questions to relive all of Jamal’s memories of growing up and all the challenges he faced in the process. Another interesting approach was the way the director uses camera angles. There were a lot of aerial shots to show roof tops of the city, the train system, the narrow streets, and crowds of people. This helped illustrate the over populated living conditions. He also uses a lot of close-ups of the faces of his characters to draw on the strong emotions they were feeling. Just because of Jamal’s status in society, the police automatically thought he cheated. After Jamal goes through their interrogation and the police finally believe him and let him go back to finish the game show, the sense of triumph is so great at this time. To me, it was as though he had already won in the game of life, not just the game show. Another significant scene is when Salim helps Latika escape to be with Jamal. Prior to this, Salim had always protected his little brother, Jamal, then he betrayed him. Now, he was redeeming himself. I thought there was some symbolism when Salim filled the bathtub with money knowing that he probably was going to be killed for helping Latika escape. He then climbed into the bathtub with his gun in hand waiting for the others to storm in and shoot him. To me, it was “blood money” to show that the way these criminals earned it was corrupt. In the Time magazine article, “Slumdog to Top Dog”, Boyle says, "Slumdog is just a hybrid of the words underdog and slum. Some people found it insulting, when actually it's a triumph for a kid from that background and a vindication of his resilience." I would agree that this is a very appropriate title for the movie. At the end, Jamal totally has many different classes of people supporting him from the studio audience, the game show technicians, and people in the streets, all sharing in his success and triumph.

Amelie

Chapter 5 refers to the director's interpretive point of view. This is very evident in the movie "Amelie." I feel like the director is manipulating the audience's viewpoint in many different ways. He uses the camera to be the "eye" in this film. His work is very captivating because he uses multiple composition techniques. The camera angles he uses include over the shoulder shots, objects that are in sharp focus in the background, and he also focuses attention on specific objects and their movement such as in the scene when the fish escaped from its fishbowl. In addition, he pays attention to visual composition by incorporating vertical and diagonal lines. An example of this is when he uses leading lines and unusual perspectives to draw our attention to buildings, streets, the swimming pool scene, etc. This is a great method to draw viewers in. Color is another technique that the director makes strong use of. I did some research on the meaning and symbolism of colors. Going back to the fish scene, the color orange was vibrant. Orange is said to be a power color, as well as one of vitality and endurance. That poor little flopping fish was just that. As in the movie, "American Beauty", red was by far the most dominant color displayed. According to my research, on the positive side, red is a warm color and symbolizes passion, vitality, energy, and prosperity. On the negative side, it could mean anger and danger. I think the director's intended use of red was positive. He wanted to illustrate the energy and passion of Amelie, as well as some of the people in her life. Red pops out in so many scenes where other colors were neutral or dark, and the settings were backlit or softly lit. When you see Amelie's mother at the beginning of the movie, she's wearing red. Amelie, herself, wears red throughout the movie. Her home is decorated with a lot of red accessories. I interpret this as symbolic of her passion to change people's lives in her own unique way. I have never seen a movie quite like this. Until, the movie was nearing the end, I didn't anticipate a love story evolving. I thought the director was very creative in how he established the love interest in Amelie's life and the storyline unraveled. I've never seen a movie quite like this where this approach had been used. I can understand why there might be some people who would be critical of it because they don't take the time to decipher any of the details and symbolism that the director laced into the movie. I have a new appreciation for foreign films. I think the program objective of this film is that anyone can do anything that they really desire, sometimes they just need a little help from someone else, and I think that was Amelie's role in this film.

American Beauty/A Beautiful Mind

American Beauty
1. The setting for this movie is a suburban area and is a very appropriate choice to set the stage for all the events that happen throughout the movie. The homes, school, and other buildings are typical of the average city suburb. It’s a common setting for most people to relate to but not necessarily relate to all the events that surround it.

2. A suburban area is a logical location for a movie that is supposed to represent a location that the majority of Americans can identify with. The look of the neighborhood is supposed to be typical of the normal family. The house, its backyard with a garden, a couple of cars in the garage, and kids, all represent today’s American family. However, I don’t think the characters in this movie were the average and ordinary people. The main family characters all had personal issues. Actually, the families in this neighborhood were all a little dysfunctional. Their problems were apparent almost immediately as they were introduced.

3. The costumes are those that today’s modern family would wear. Each character’s costumes are designed to tell the viewers what their personalities are like. For example, the teenager that Lester fantasizes about dresses the part of someone with loose morals.

4. The director uses lighting to emphasize the moods and events that were occurring. For example, it was dark and raining when Lester discovered his wife’s affair, as well as the other tragic events that were soon to follow such as his daughter’s leaving with her boyfriend, and Lester’s own shooting.

5. The lighting used is meant to help create the moods of the characters and establish an atmosphere for the viewers. At times the lighting is natural but the majority of the scenes are shadowy and dark, creating a mysterious element to the scenes. This helps capture the viewers’ attention.

6. The obvious color in this movie is red. It’s everywhere – red roses, rose petals, bus stop signs, clothing, the paint on the wall, and Lester’s hot dream sports car. The symbolism of the color red means so many things to different people. Red is one of those colors that grab attention. It could mean love and passion, heat, warning, stop, danger, power as in the red carpet for celebrities, or anger, just to name a few. With all these meanings, it could be good or bad. In this movie, there’s a definite mix, but I think red means the different levels of power that each character has to control their own fate. I don’t think they realize it though and things end tragically.

A Beautiful Mind
1. The movie’s setting is predominately centered at an academic location. The opening scene is a classroom at Princeton University. It is of a professor telling his graduate students the importance of mathematics and science for the future. This setting is very important to the overall effect of what the whole movie is about. If the action isn’t in the classroom, it’s in the university’s library, John Nash’s (Russell Crowe) dormitory room, or his office, and later at MIT. In addition, there are several scenes at the psychiatric hospital which profile Nash’s treatment of his schizophrenia. Several scenes take the viewers back to Princeton throughout Nash’s lifetime. Nash’s goal in life was to come up with something, an original idea that would distinguish him. His fascination for numbers and codes eventually led to high achievement in mathematics and a Nobel Peace prize.

2. This story is based on a true story although it is not uncommon to magnify storylines to make things more interesting. The main set location was at Princeton University. This is where it all began for Nash. We first were introduced to the competition and stress that the graduate students felt in trying to accomplish or discover something that no one else had. Then, it was at a Princeton dormitory that we first met Nash’s imaginary roommate, Charles. Charles was so real to him and he was real to the viewers until later on in the movie when Nash’s mental illness was revealed. MIT was another very significant location in the movie. This was where Nash was first employed to teach after he completed graduate school and where he met is wife, Alicia. His wife stood by him through all the most difficult times throughout his life. The most touching scene is when he is presented the Nobel Peace prize and he takes out the handkerchief that Alicia gave them on their first date during his acceptance speech. He says something like love is in the mysterious equation that solutions can be found. To me, this summed up what life is all about.

3. The costumes are chosen to reflect the time periods of the characters’ lifetime. The movie starts in the late 1940s, with scenes in the mid 50s, into the 70s, and as years go by into the 1990s when Nash receives his award. By doing this, the director gives the viewer the feel of each time period.

4. The lighting for the movie is appropriate. It appears natural most of the time with the remainder soft and diffused when Nash was in his office working on his numerical equations.

5. Natural lighting makes for a more believable atmosphere and setting. If the director would have chosen something more direct and harsh, I think the effect would have given it more drama and would take the viewers’ attention away from what the whole story was about.

6. The only colors that I recall in the movie are earth tones like brown and tan, and occasionally gray and black. The majority of the clothing were in these colors. These are conservative colors to me and set the tone for the movie. There was nothing flashy as far as colors go and this was probably the intention so it wouldn’t distract viewers from the movie’s message.

Good Will Hunting

Chapter 3 of the text focuses on the elements of a good story. It raises the question about what makes a story good. The movie "Good Will Hunting," is structured around a central character and has a unified plot. The movie has continuous action and as a viewer, I felt that it has somewhat of a predictable ending. "Though the movie tells a straightforward story, there are enough offbeat touches along the way to balance out its more predictable aspects"; this quote from Rotten Tomatoes really captured my thoughts about the somewhat predictable ending. However, the action in this movie was not necessarily physical activities such as fighting or chasing as the book mentions. It is very emotional at times and psychologically based. It kept me interested with the varying emotional scenes, including what I thought was a definite climax in the movie towards the end. The scene I am referring to is when Dr. Maguire finally gets through to Will and makes him realize that all of what he went through as a child was not his fault. Will finally realizes that it was time to take control of his own life and face his internal struggles. I think Matt Damon did a great job of projecting the qualities of his character and immersing himself into the role of a person with so much internal conflict. The dialogue is graphic and some viewers would argue that it could be offensive at times, but I felt it is what makes the movie. I feel it reveals alot about the characters in the movie and their personalities. It also makes the movie credible because this is how real life can be for some people. This element of credibility also contributes to making a successful story. Another aspect that the book touches on is the significance of the movie title. It wasn't until the end of the story that I understood the meaning behind the title. In the article "Too smart for their own good," there is alot of discussion about being good, what comprises being good, getting good grades, landing a good job, and getting into a good school. All these "good" things are measurements of success by society. Will Hunting, because of his abused childhood, had suppressed his good, if not great, academic abilties. Will is a good person, therefore came the appropriate title. My opinion on "Good Will Hunting," is that it is one of the better movies I've seen and I really enjoyed it. Movies that make me reflect on characters and themes are definitely worth while. Additionally, movies with strong elements and storylines such as this tend to grip their viewers and keep them interested til the very end. The different emotions I experienced are a testimony of a movies value. (I still think Titanic was deserving of its academy awards, otherwise I wouldn't have seen it in theaters four times).