JTF's Talk

Sakebi (Retribution)

High Anxiety

Hey Flixster friends!
Just logged on to find many many messages. I've been MIA for a while-busy with life and other slings and arrows.Will try my best to get back to everyone-but it's gonna take some time...

Great movie by the way!
Finally saw Valkyrie-what a self indulgent piece of crap-all those intense close ups of the Tom Cruise-gag...

Hounddog

Three and a half stars primarily for Dakota Fanning's brilliant portrait of a poor,pre-teen Southern girl in the 1950's, lonely but adventurous and consumed with her love of Elvis. Her imitation of Elvis, complete with gyrating pelvis, is quaint and naively sexual. She loves Elvis but does'nt really know the source of her fixation.Her dream of getting a ticket and seeing Elvis perform, results in betrayal and a sexual assault. She stops singing...

This film was released in 2008 and thanks to the American "morality police" condemning it for child sexual exploitation-it slid under the radar. A shame really, because the little girl from I am Sam has grown up and evolved into a very competent actor with great emotional range and such potential...

The controversy over the film in preproduction resulted in the morality police succeeding in having it pulled from several theatres.The irony being that there is no sexually explicit/exploitative content but that does'nt matter to the bigots who condemned it because most did'nt even see it in all liklihood...

I recommend it despite the weakness of the film in general. The most interesting relationship the character has is with an aging black man who is her friend and protector and a blues man. At one point ,he asks her when she is going to get into the blues. She responds by saying that she can't sing the blues because she is'nt black. Well, ultimately her rendition of Hounddog becomes legitimate blues as she tries to come to terms with her victimization and familial deprivation- all thanks to the gentle benevolence of her black mentor. Cliched all to hell but watch the film for Fanning's performance.

I got in trouble a while back with my contention that Malle's Pretty Baby was seually eploitative of a very young Brooke Shield's. My position remains unchanged but this film showed how sensitive subject matter can be dealt with tastefully without exploitation.

The Secret Life of Bees

A heartwarming,life affirming film adaptation of the novel-and a good one at that.Dakota Fanning is amazing as the tortured Lily-a little girl haunted by the loss of her mother and the contempt and abuse at the hands of her father.She decides to run away and is embraced by the incredible August played by Queen Latifah and her 2 sisters,played by Alicia Keyes and Sophie Okonedo-both named May and June respectively. Jennifer Hudson also stars as Lily's friend and fellow runaway who was beaten for trying to register to vote.

Set against the social backdrop of segregation in the south, the film is a commentary on the human condition and particularly the strength and support that strong women can provide for each other.

Queen Latifah is one of the finest actors today and it is ridiculous that she has not had more roles like this one to show her skill and authenticity,her range of emotion and versatility.

Some might write this film off as "chick flikish" but it is a film for humanists highlighting the glory and strength of women together and the healing power of love and unconditional acceptance.

Hounddog

Three and a half stars primarily for Dakota Fanning's brilliant portrait of a poor,pre-teen Southern girl in the 1950's, lonely but adventurous and consumed with her love of Elvis. Her imitation of Elvis, complete with gyrating pelvis, is quaint and naively sexual. She loves Elvis but does'nt really know the source of her fixation.Her dream of getting a ticket and seeing Elvis perform, results in betrayal and a sexual assault. She stops singing...

This film was released in 2008 and thanks to the American "morality police" condemning it for child sexual exploitation-it slid under the radar. A shame really, because the little girl from I am Sam has grown up and evolved into a very competent actor with great emotional range and such potential...

The controversy over the film in preproduction resulted in the morality police succeeding in having it pulled from several theatres.The irony being that there is no sexually explicit/exploitative content but that does'nt matter to the bigots who condemned it because most did'nt even see it in all liklihood...

I recommend it despite the weakness of the film in general. The most interesting relationship the character has is with an aging black man who is her friend and protector and a blues man. At one point ,he asks her when she is going to get into the blues. She responds by saying that she can't sing the blues because she is'nt black. Well, ultimately her rendition of Hounddog becomes legitimate blues as she tries to come to terms with her victimization and familial deprivation- all thanks to the gentle benevolence of her black mentor. Cliched all to hell but watch the film for Fanning's performance.

I got in trouble a while back with my contention that Malle's Pretty Baby was seually eploitative of a very young Brooke Shield's. My position remains unchanged but this film showed how sensitive subject matter can be dealt with tastefully without exploitation.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas)

An interesting fictional story about a friendship that develops between 2 eight year old boys-one a captive Jewish child, the other an "Aryan" child of a camp commandent. The concept is quite novel and ultimately tragic against the backdrop of childish perceptions, true innocence and promises kept in friendship.

I have to read the book now- as the film seemed to suffer from poor editing and direction.So much potential but not enough film-maker discretion but I'm glad to have seen it.

Thereseinstadt was the Camp which the Nazi's put forth as a" model facility", complete with propaganda films on the "quality of life" for the inmates.It was chosen as the camp the Nazi's opened to the Red Cross as stories of the horrors of the concentration camps spread throughout the world.The Red Cross inspected Thereseinstadt and was comfortably impressed....HG Adler wrote about the true state of affairs there and in Bergen-Belsen (Auswitz). I read about this several months ago and it came back when the propaganda film was being shown in the movie.

La Ley de Herodes (Herod's Law)

Correctly reflects contemporary society in Mexico under the Institutional Revolutionary Party.

Munich

Not a bad Spielberg work.

My First Mister

A fine Albert Brooks film-a little more sentimental than others- but still contains the wonderful humor for which he is known. I really liked the film-not fully understanding J's macabre persona but enjoying the relationship blossom with R. Leeleee Sobieski is a fine young actress-I have'nt seen many of her films but will be looking from here on.Is it just me or is her voice EXACTLY like helen Hunt's?

The Haunting

This film was made in 1963 when I was a year old (haha). and 46 years later,it is still quite frightening and unsettling.Thanks to McKittrick for suggesting it!

I am certain that this is one of the films that thrilled and scared me half to death as a child, but I have no memory of seeing it before, except for the statue of St.Francis et al-that seemed familiar...

The black and white noirish cinematography was stirring and made for a very creepy atmosphere, along with the performances-particularly Julie Harris'. The setting was eerie and perfect for the story and I took Mckittrick's
advice and watched it with the lights out-until Eleanor climbed the spiral staircase! It is a testament to the film that almost 50 years after it was made-it can still scare the bejesus out of you.

A word about the remakes-cinematic abominations-well 2 words...