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Reviews
Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997)
Outstanding - a must see film!
What Robert Altman did for Vietnam with M*A*S*H, Stephen Surjik (director)and Larry Gelbart (writer) do to modern media corporations with Weapons of Mass Distraction.
If anyone wants to know how the mega rich owners of big corporations are "screwing the little guy" and getting away with it, then you HAVE to watch this movie. The film uses biting satirical comic writing to deliver its message about how money and media power dominates the political process to the detriment of all but a very few people at the top. Imagine the screenplay being written by Voltaire or Jonathan Swift. Gabriel Byrne and Ben Kingsley's performances as the two greedy media moguls who will do anything, no matter how sleazy or illegal, to get their way, are brilliant. Jeffrey Tambor is fantastic as Byrne's personal assistant whose morals are as ambiguous as his sexuality.
A wonderful film, a savage attack on what happens when too much power is vested in the hands of too few. Watch it and wince.
The Piano (1993)
If Leonard Cohen made a movie - this would be it.
I found this to be one of the gloomiest, darkest, most depressing movies I have ever seen in a theatre.
Reasons why I hated this film:
1.The basic plot stems from the "all men are bastards" school of gender debate. 2.Holly Hunter's vastly over-rated performance. Since when did scowling and glaring constitute award winning acting technique? On the other hand, her accent was much better than Harvey's :-) basic advice for actors, if you can't do accents, don't, not everyone has Streep's ear and facility. 3. Dark, oppressive lighting and setting.
4. Nyman's score - if possible, even more over-rated than Hunter's performance.
Reasons why I like the film: 1.There were some beautifully filmed underwater shots.
2. It did, finally come to an end.
Overall reaction: If you want to make time stand still, this is the film for you, Einstien was right!!!
No Surrender (1985)
witty, funny, tragic, profound - a great movie
Just like in Josep Heller's book "Catch 22" this move, uses black humour to make some very poignant and telling observations on the ultimate futility of hatred and fighting. The underlying message shouldn't be seen as "Life is short - hat's the point?" it is more "Life is short what's the point in nursing sectarian hatred to the end of your days?". Some might see this as a film with a bleak outlook on humanity (at least the variety that hails from the northern part of my native country), however, I think that this film really has a message of hope when we see how Ray McNally's staunchly Protestan/Unionist character learns from the experiences and offers news year's greetings to his Catholic son-in-law. A New Year greeting that symbolizes a new beginning in his family and perhaps an inspirational model for us all, remember, when the grim reaper comes for us, he/she won't care whether we are Catholic/Protestant, Nationalist/Unionist.