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To verdener (2008)
This is NOT just another "movie"
First, to expect this movie to be like every other movie is unfair. It does not exist for the sole reason to entertain you like "Die Hard" or "Shawshank Redemption." To say it was "melodramatic" is ridiculous. Why? Because this is what REAL JW's have to deal with, exactly. This is a recreation of their REAL world. I just watched it with a room full of exJW's, with multiple females in it having gone through nearly identical situations and even disfellowshippings. I know at least 3 others that have gone through the same. So it's really like saying some people's religion and even lives are "melodramatic." Well then, fine, if that's your prerogative having NEVER been a JW. This movie has tremendous value in it clearly showing you the overwhelming no-win complexity in choices that most non-JW (or maybe non-cult) people never have to struggle with. So, don't downgrade this highly accurate movie on that petty concept because of your ignorance. Not everything is about "movie" entertainment value.
Second, further along the lines of so-called mistakes in accuracy: * A) There ARE dark depressing Kingdom Halls. Having previously been a JW for 25 years and attending DOZENS of them, I can say that they do indeed exist and I have been in numerous. * B) Elders in a few other countries ARE allowed to wear beards. * C) whether they closed the prayers correctly in completely inconsequential. * D) Students ARE often encouraged to not pursue education. I know many JW's who sacrificed careers and education because of 1975 alone. I personally was directly asked 15 years ago when I would quit college to pioneer. It happens plenty and is in writing in the WTS publications about how good pioneering is and potentially bad education is (because the kids start to think for themselves and never come back!). So don't downgrade this highly valuable movie on a handful of petty concepts because of your ignorance. That's like saying the whole Ferrari is weak because of the lugnuts.
Really in addition to a number of other concrete or abstract aspects, this movie was in large part about her TRULY opening her eyes to the cult she was seemingly trapped in and standing up for herself enough, against everyone, to escape. Many of us exJW's have lost it ALL (friends, parents, children, spouse, career, health, retirement, education, etc) and fought through solitude, loneliness, pressure, etc. with integrity and more courage than most people will ever have to muster. She portrays this PERFECTLY and BEAUTIFULLY. So don't downgrade this highly accurate movie just because you haven't TRULY opened your eyes or mustered your own strength to leave in your own JW cult-controlled life, or if you never have been a JW yourself. That's unfair.
That being said...Please watch this movie. Everyone.
If you were a JW and went through a hard time (disfellowshipped or similar) then this movie may really touch you and help you feel understood.
If you need to explain to someone else what it's like to be a JW and all the crazy games everyone plays in the cult, then this movie is almost certainly perfect to do so.
If you want to understand that JW's are not just some nutcases that come knock on your door and are actually humans that are caught up in a difficult life of soul-crushing conformity and insanity-provoking mind-control, some of which is not really their fault (like if they were raised as a child in it and got wired that way), then this movie may really help you understand them and cut them some slack. It can be completely overwhelming to be a JW sometimes as perfection is expected/demanded and humans are not perfect. The pressure can be truly unbearable at times when you think your life and even those of numerous others around you may be LITERALLY decided upon based on your actions, doubts, and/or perfect conformity. And you may not have ANYONE around to share that with that will talk to you anymore. Literally look you in the eye and walk by as if you don't even exist.
The acting was truly superb by EVERYONE in the movie, as well as any other aspects of a "movie" that you expect, as the awards it earned shows. I am very grateful for the time and effort they put to get it right, instead of just "close enough" while trying to make a $.
Please watch this movie and think/feel what a small percentage of the REAL people in our world deal with on a daily basis. Everyone. This is NOT just another "movie," but so much more than that.
The Social Network (2010)
ironic
if the real mark really forced out his good friend like that in real life, i hope somehow this portrayed himself back to him in a way that he actually gets it farther than his settlement pocketbook.
ironic to me that yes with "500 million friends" Mark made some enemies too, but also that he really didn't seem to have many, if ANY actual friends. like many of the people i know who think online friends will pick them up at 3AM if they go in a ditch, or will borrow them a couple hundred bucks if in a jam. they won't. they are not friends. just some leftover display of a clicked hyperlink once in the past. the word "friend" has become as meaningless as "love" (as in: "I sure love hamburgers.") and this movie really impressed that upon me all the more. very well portrayed.
smart people often aren't.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
kill me please
why must i be a member of a society that thinks this film has value??? why don't' you people know how to determine value??? acting: 2 - i really like kidman and cruise otherwise, but they were TERRIBLE in this. Really really over-the-top local non-profit community-theater acting terrible. like i'm embarrassed for them and their agents should have been fired.
lines: 2 - who found this script and why didn't they burn it immediately. the dialog was just so high school.
suspense: 2 - could have been played at double speed and saved my life an extra hour. BORING. seriously, if any of these concepts are new to you in your marriage your lead one frickin boring life and/or one of complete denial of men/women/relationships/love/sex/everything. what's the big deal here??? what's new??? what's insightful??? people are sexual creatures? WHOA, WHO KNEW? duh.
secret societies: the only believable part of all this, if it wasn't for the ridiculously slow overdone acting/suspense nonsense. go watch Ninth Gate instead.
architecture/interior design: 2...wenty. i gotta say: very very nice! i loved the look of all the scenes. wish i had a mansion like that. the only redeemable part of this atrocious movie. that's why i gave it a "2" instead of just a "1".
don't watch this. don't waste your time. watch any other kubrick flick but this. it's THAT bad, or you are just THAT underdeveloped in your humanness. i learn more about life from any episode of jackass than i do this movie. this movie should be banned for the indecency of everything in it EXCEPT the nudity (and the cool architecture).
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
you gotta be kidding. I bet you like shiny objects too
I saw Kill Bill for the first time tonight. Time for me to do my part in informing my small sampling of the population within my email grasp of a few points: That is the weakest most pathetic excuse for a kung fu flick I have EVER seen, and I have seen a lot of kung fu movies. Absolutely pathetic fight scenes. PATHETIC and a mockery of all that is quality Asian fighting. After hearing so many people tell me that it was such a great movie for so long now, I have decided that from this point forward anyone and everyone that ever even hints at telling me that it has actual "kung fu" quality to it will personally offend me since they obviously have no idea what a real kung fu flick is (see: ANY Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or even some Bruce Lee movies, and just about any old kung fu rerun on some bad cable channel is better). Why personally offend me? Because if you insist on Kill Bill's kung fu quality I am sorry but I find it insulting to my own selection of associates that I would actually hang out with people of such 1) high ignorance and/or 2) poor taste.
To add to that, in case you are swept away by pop-culture mass-thinking and mass-conformity as most of the general population is, let me also point out that * the cinematography was only average and above so in maybe 10% of the movie at most, and that's me being very generous, * the acting was mediocre to average, only occasionally reaching above average, * the casting was just OK, * the over-abundance of gratuitous violence is like dumping the whole bottle of cologne or perfume on oneself instead of the appropriate dab, * and lastly, the only redeeming values to it were 1)the plot, 2) the soundtrack (pretty good, even though any potentially decent fight scene was completely wrecked by poorly selected corresponding tracks), and 3) the sword-making Japanese guy, who was very very cool.
I thought I would let you all know since apparently this type of drivel has been media-hyped enough to have taken advantage of those unfamiliar with higher levels of quality movies (see: Hero or Iron Monkey or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and tricked most people with its childish flash into using it as some sort of benchmark. If you don't agree, fine. But I suggest you go catch some real kung fu before you come to a "conclusion".
yeah, some people don't like me. i'm OK with that since I'm right and they're wrong.