Change Your Image
frostywizard
Reviews
Daddy's Little Girl (2014)
We often lack perspective - especially when writing reviews
This film is intriguing in that it describes how i (think, at least) would feel if someone were to hurt someone in my family and "got away with it".
These are real life circumstances, and the acting is plausible in that these are everyday characters. We see them all the time in our daily lives, and shake our heads or applaud their behavior as we assess what we feel are their shortcomings or positive qualities. To dismiss this acting is to be simply out of touch.
Is it a great movie? Not in my opinion, but it embodies a realism and a sense of seeking justice in a society where we often fail to find any. In the wake of the great push by corporate America and our paid for politicians to strip away opportunities (in other countries as well) this movie helps to claw back a bit of the essence of our own lives, and provide at least a glimpse of hope. These feelings are palpable; this film is not about entertaining with fast action, glitzy cars and shimmering flesh; it wants us to feel something deeper.
Do you have to lose someone to identify with the themes here? Grieving people and those around them often *are* wooden when facing such losses. Seems to me that a 'good' movie like this can help you to understand. When we feel this helpless - this is a good mirror.
The House of the Devil (2009)
the skills of a director
I'll start by saying that this may not be a *great* movie, but it's pretty damned good.
To those of you who claim it's "boring" - I can only hope that your need for an instant adrenaline rush abates as your tastes and understanding mature. This will take time. What it's not is a constant action/bullshit Halloween/Freddie/Friday the 13th rehash, with one utter implausibility after another. I recall thinking about those films that if someone had murdered all of my friends and family, when I finally did catch him, I'd have hacked off his arms and legs and ground/burned/ scattered them. He could pull himself along by his chin, I suppose... and ultimately bite you to death. Yah. Never happens.
As with Hitchcock, and other fine directors... suspense is key, the subtleties, the nuances of intrigue build up along with our suspension of disbelief. Yes, we've agreed to overlook the obvious, because we want that entertainment, that persuasion to allow ourselves to be frightened.
The setting is interesting, not hokey. The setup is gradual and reasonable, from her taking the number from the board to accepting the offer of $400 for a few hours. Come on - you'd do it, and especially if you were scrambling to raise cash.
it's almost certainly low-budget, but not cheap. good footage, great architecture, and a pleasing patina. Easily watchable. And let's remember, it's at least 100 times better than the three examples mentioned above.
Yes, it's a little slow... but take your finger off the remote, and just watch it FFS! Football will start all too soon, and you'll have your frantic ADHD fix. :-)