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l_hendrex
Reviews
An American Rhapsody (2001)
This movie makes me cry every time I see it!
I am not an avid movie watcher, so I had never seen this until my daughter checked it out of the video store. From the very first scene until the final credits, I was mesmerized. There was not a single scene that I did not find captivating. At the end I was sobbing like a baby.
I think that a quality necessary to make a story this gripping is that it has all the elements that are common to the human experience - but with circumstances that make everything exaggerated. It is easy to identify with what these characters are going through, but at the same time, the situation is so unique as to stimulate the imagination and cause the viewer to see the world through different eyes. The story is both familiar and strange at the same time.
The acting was outstanding, especially the performance of the little girl who played Suzanne at age 6. It amazes me that a child so young could pull off a performance with this kind of depth and insight. I also loved the couple who played her foster parents - the foster father was just oozing with personality and character. The actors who played Peter and Margit did a first rate job as well.
I really wish I could find out more about the true story this was based on. My only criticism of the movie was that so many questions were left unanswered...Did the grandmother ever see Margit again? Did Suzanne ever again visit her Hungarian foster parents after her trip to Budapest at age 15? Did the culmination of this story really solve the family's relationship issues for good? Did Margit ever have the courage to return to Hungary and face the ghosts of her past? My daughter says that the mark of a good story is that it leaves you wanting more - so that must mean that this is a really good story.
After seeing it forthe first time, I watched the video 4 times before letting my daughter return it. I hope Eva Gardos writes a book about her life someday. I would be willing to read a detailed account of her experiences. What a yarn! Whew!
I Am David (2003)
A young boy escapes from a concentration camp and goes on a journey.
I loved this movie. The soundtrack was awesome, and the boy who played David is a very engaging actor. He is so convincing as a child who has never known anything but brutality, suddenly finding himself in the free world, and learning to relate to people who are normal.
Joan Plowright is one of my favorite actresses, and as always, she was a joy to watch in this story.
It really is too bad that more movies of this caliber are not made more often. I am not really a person who can sit still for most movies. It took my daughter five days to rope me into watching this one, but in the end, I was really glad she did. Since we were watching the DVD, we were able to see the deleted scenes - they were as good as the movie itself and I couldn't understand why they were taken out. I wouldn't mind owning it this flick.
I also would love to own the soundtrack.
Benny & Joon (1993)
A Movie Worth Owning!
Benny and Joon first came out when my daughter was eight years old and she immediately fell in love with Johnny Depp. Now she is 19, and still watches it every few months or so.
The first time I saw it, I thought it was cute but paid little attention beyond that. Over the years this story has grown on me until now I appreciate it almost as much as my daughter does. I think it is well worth owning.
The plot is multifaceted, but my favorite aspect is the ability of two people to recognize qualities in each other that no one else can see. They bring out the best in each other because they have complete faith in each other. The beautiful John Hiatt song, "Have A Little Faith In Me" is a perfect expression of the sweet relationship between Sam and Joon.
I also think it is interesting that even though Joon is supposed to be the one who is mentally ill, Benny actually uses her as a crutch and an excuse not to face life. In the scene where Joon tells him, "You need me to be sick", she shows insight that few of the "sane" characters display. It made me do some thinking about what it really means to be insane. In the end, they both are healthier when Benny learns to allow Joon to take responsibility for herself.
Private Potter (1963)
An experience with God common to man but rare in movies
Perhaps I'm not the best person to comment on the entertainment value or the artistic content of this movie, because my jaw just kept dropping as the story being told unfolded. I think a high percentage of mankind have experiences with God similar to what the character of Pvt. Potter had in the movie. When a person resists God the way Pvt. Potter did at first, it can be an unpleasant experience. But if the person accepts God-the way Pvt. Potter finally did- the peace can be beyond explaining. Pvt. Potter was totally at peace even about going to jail at the end. However, continued resistance will cause God to withdraw and cause the person to confine the experience to a convenient file in the brain--which most people do, thus explaining the lack of movies/stories/books on the subject. I am speaking from my own experience and from watching others who I know experienced the same thing. I just couldn't believe that anyone in the movie industry made this kind of movie. WAH/LHH