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Easy Rider (1969)
ridiculous plot with redeeming qualities
this film is about two hippies who are riders Wyatt and Billy (Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper) that go to Mexico to buy cocaine, sells that to "Connection" (Phil Spector), then go on a journey on their bikes to, what they hope, New Orleans, in time for the Mardi Gras. along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker (Luke Askew), who lives in a commune with a whole bunch of other hippies. they stay there for a day or so, before hitting the road, but not before the hitchhiker gives them some LCD. as they get into the next town, they are arrested and thrown in jail, where they meet a lawyer named George (Jack Nicholson), also locked up, but who manages to get the three of them released. George rides with Wyatt, and whilst stopping to camp out, they get George, who is hard on his liquor, to try marijuana. the three of them stop at a small restaurant, where there are on-lookers, including local men and a police officer making mocking, racist, and homophobic remarks against them right from the get-go. from there, the police officer gathers his men to stop them from leaving town, so just as they think they are free, they catch up to them.
I won't mention what happens then, but it certainly has one of those unexpected endings, and a rather silly one at that. one of those films with a message, with the observation that Americans talk a lot about the value of freedom, but are actually afraid of anyone who truly exhibits it. that is true, as has been the case with Americans, however, the problem that I had with it is that some of the scenes were too over-the-top, and disturbing, like in the scene with the two prostitutes, that really didn't need to be in the film. I know this film has many followers, and I know that with such a vote as I've given, I may receive some thumbs down for not having "loved" the film, but this is my honest opinion.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
an honest review about this controversial film
it seems as many reviews on here aren't reviewing the film but are reviewing it's topic, which depicts the last days of Jesus, and therefore there are different opinions based on their religious or non-religious views, or based on the brutality in which this film portrays the crucifixion of Jesus like they think it is trying to brainwash the viewers into becoming a believer/Christian. this film isn't about any of that.
it attempts to be different than other films about Jesus in its portrayal, as others depict his life in English, a language not used amongst them, and using whips as scourging rather than a Roman flagrum, which is similar to using a cat o' nine tail. as great there have been films to illustrate Jesus' life, such films as Jesus Christ Superstar, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Jesus of Nazareth, The Messiah, Jesus (with Jeremy Sisto), to name a few, they never went to such lengths as this film went. is this film better for it? that's debatable, but something I am in favour of, and here's why..
I went to view this film with my sisters as soon as it hit the theaters here, despite my mother's disapproval. she had heard of the woman who had a heart attack and died, at the scene of Jesus' scourging, and has never seen this film as a result. when viewing the film, one can see why. some scenes are hard to take. Mel Gibson went through quite an effort to research the Aramaic language, one that has been lost for quite some time, and it's understandable that someone would think it not accurate. however, no other filmmaker has attempted this, and at the same time, a film that also features Hebrew and Latin combined, as the languages were at the time with the Jews and Romans. as mentioned earlier, the film also uses the Roman flagrum, and that's where the brutal scene is. we see skin falling of James Caviezel's back when they scourge him, and with that, a lot of blood. it's a hard watch, but a realistic one at that. along with this, we also see sightings of the devil as told in the bible, and the events of Judas after he wants to take back what he said, which after the refusal, it is said that he went crazy, started to see things, and hanged himself. the film shows he being tormented by the children, and we also see him hanging himself to the point he is hanging. the scene that impacted on me the most is when Mary (Maia Morgenstern) and Mary Magdalen (Monica Bellucci) are left to clean up Jesus' blood. for me, that was the hardest watch, as I truly felt sympathy for Jesus' mother, and was drawn to tears. I didn't know if it was just me crying at that scene, but as I looked around the room, I did not see anyone who was not crying. everything else in the film, it didn't affect me because I was prepared for it. James Caviezel is great as Jesus, and I rather liked the performance Hristo Shopov gave of Pontius Pilate, and Giacinto Ferro gave of Joseph of Arimathea, and that of John and Peter (Christo Jivkov and Francesco De Vito). the overall cast were quite perfect for their roles really.
For me, this film is a true gem, and it's one that is loved by my dad, my sisters and I alike. so much so, that since its release in 2004, we haven't missed a year of viewing this film, as it is a film we watch every good Friday. I especially love it because it skips right to the final days, rather than retells Jesus' life, as that does get repetitive-seen it all before. Finally a film that is brave enough to go that extra mile.
The Rite (2011)
One of the better movies about exorcism out there
this film separates from other films about exorcism because it goes into depth about real exorcisms through the observations of the journalist Matt Baglio who wrote the book entitled The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, and the experience based on that of Reverend Gary Thomas. A novel that explores the misconceptions of what exorcism is about, from disbelievers in demons/the devil, least of all in possession by them, who takes a course at a Vatican university, one as requested by his bishop, the other studying in journalism, and who both changed their view on exorcism altogether. however, just because they did this doesn't mean one should make judgment against them in a negative way, because that's not what it's all about. nor is it about believing, or glorifying god. there've been many exorcisms in the past, and Baglio was present in over twenty of them. it's simply about a story of how these people came to believe in this evil taking the form of demonic possession. however despite this, it is rare to find a film that explores what real exorcism is like for priests dealing with them. how one interprets that is up to the individual to decide. often novels are better than the film, but does that mean the film deserves a poor rating? certainly for this film, i believe not. it's really good for what it is.
onto the film, it isn't a horror movie as much as it is suspense. it's about a young male, Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue) who originally enters a college for the education of the priesthood to get a free college degree. after his ordination, he writes a resignation letter to his superior Father Matthew (Toby Jones) due to a lack of faith he has had since childhood after the loss of his mother. however, Father Matthew recommends he go to the Vatican City instead and take a course in exorcism and that if he still wants to resign after that, he's free to leave, despite Father Matthew believing the priesthood to be Michael's true calling after an experience he saw him in. in Rome, Michael meets a woman named Angelina (Alice Braga), who he later learns is a reporter writing her piece on exorcism, as she believes in the supernatural/demonic possession after the experience of her brother at his age of nineteen. Father Xavier (Ciarán Hinds) teaches the class, but upon seeing that Michael is a skeptic, tells Michael to see Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins) to see if that will change his mind. Father Lucas has a demon-possessed young pregnant girl, a 16 yr old by the name of Rosaria (Marta Gastini), where it is later discovered that her father raped her, and that it was the cause for the demon to possess her. that demon also takes shape of a mule. Father Lucas blames himself for her later death, and suddenly the same demon who had killed Rosaria enters him. before this, mysterious things start happening, like the incident with the frogs. and the incident with the bracelet that keeps coming back to Michael. and the knowledge of a little boy about something that hadn't happened yet. there are flashbacks of Michael's life with his father (Rutger Hauer) and a weird phone call Michael gets about him. from then it's about whether he believes. throughout the film he doubts, as he tries to convince himself of an explanation behind every situation he encounters.
what perhaps some people would not like is that it feels as though the makers are more leaning towards it being real, and perhaps don't approve of the ending. Anthony Hopkins is great, but it's Marta Gastini who shines in her role. Colin does well for his role. i don't think this is a film that will change one's mind in demonic possession nor restore faith/reconnect with the church, and it will certainly be a disappointment to people who love watching films about exorcists, but for those who don't set expectations, perhaps their opinion about this film will vary