barblin2002's Reviews

Man on Fire (2004)

6/10

19 August 2006

Warning: Spoilers

This film is about revenge, involving killings. Creasy(Washington) had done something he regretted and did not know whether he should continue to live. In despair, he was introduced to be a bodyguard for a girl Pita (Fanning), then he started to feel the meaning of life through the friendship of Pita. In a kidnap act, Creasy was gun down and Pita taken away. When he woke up and got to know that Pita had been killed, he determined to take revenge. After a series of man hunting, he had to exchange his life with that of Pita.

I don't think it is a good idea for Washington to take this role for he does not belong to the flock of violent fighters. He can be an intelligent FBI agent (the Siege), paralyzed police officer(Bone Collector), rot policeman(Training Day), skilled boxer(Hurricane), warm father(John Q), but and a Big But, he is no violent fighter, because there is not much to act, full stop! Besides, he used to act for a mission he looked for justice and he was the justice. But now he threw away the bible and did things against it. It is a bad thing for a Christian to do! Where is his Christian spirit? I suggest he keep his eyes open for the right script next time.

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Philadelphia (1993)

10/10

He Has Overcome.

4 June 2006

We all know the plot of this film. However it is this scene when the leading role, Andrew, explained the opera aria from Andrea Chenir that makes me rediscover the richness of this film.

In the anguish, Maria Callas sang "Look, the place that cradled me is burning." However, the music switched from sorrowful to extremely hopeful "It was during this sorrow that love came to me." and "Live still, I am life. Heaven is in your eyes. Is everything around you just the blood and mud? I am divine. I am oblivion. I am the god... that comes down from the heavens, and makes of the Earth a heaven. I am love!... I am love."

Andrew's lawyer, Joe, had originally hurried Andrew to practice Q & A, but in the end, he was stunned by Andrew's expression about the opera aria. He then understood that Andrew had reached the state of mind that he had no regret whatever would happen because he had brought the earth love, like the opera aria had depicted. Influenced by this state of mind, Joe went home hugging his daughter and wife, and all the worries in real life were put aside at that moment.

Andrew has overcome his unfortunate experience, and even death.

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The Human Stain (2003)

8/10

The Depth of Human Heart

13 October 2005

In the beginning I thought this was just an old man and young woman love story. However, when the story was unraveling, I found it was trying to tell about the absurdity of human values.

The young Coleman tried to seek the highest position he could get no matter what price he was paying. Years after he reached his goal, he fell in love with a woman in the lowest society( in the film Nicole Kidman could not well portrayed this woman described in the original book Kidman was too pretty for this role). The fact that the old Coleman was fascinated by this woman is not because of her beauty or anything else; but because of his need to relate and to reveal. The terrible secret in his heart! I think the Clinton related comments in this film was just to misguide the audience, to let us think this is about a sex scandal. On the surface it is, but deep down it was really about the torture of secret and how the man relieves it from his heart. There is no other way out.

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The Bone Collector (1999)

9/10

Completely in his hand

13 October 2005

This is a very powerful film which shows that a man can be physically paralyzed but mentally controlling. Through this character, a seemingly unsolvable case was opening to us, and a young female cop gaining her confidence and the sense of work through his continual encouraging.

To the very end, the leading role even had to face his own incapability by fighting with the enemy. It was a most gripping moment. Densel has successful portrayed this mentally strong and calm character, to whom the audience give respect and pity at the same time.

Probably for contrasting the role of Densel, the female character was too sentimental to me. This is the only complaint from me.

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