Sadies Reviews

Road Trip (2000)

American Pie on the Road

[10/10 · 28 April 2000]

Funny movie. If you liked American Pie, you'll definitely like this movie. I was laughing all the way through.

Breckin Meyer emerges from the "tag-along" character to mainstream hunk. Tom Green is hilarious as an quadruple-super-Ithaca University student. Bit of insulting humor, but nonetheless great enjoyment.

The Birth of a Nation (1915)

The Birth of a shattered Nation

[1/10 · 24 April 2000]

This movie depicts how "freedmen" were savage and uncontrollable and that as slaves they were "fun and loving." The depiction of a white guy portraying a black man, chasing an innocent girl to her utter death is insulting. "Birth of a Nation," placed perverted and infantile stereotypes on blacks, in order for audiences to be provoked by their fabricated lewd behavior.

This movie was definitely used as a device to provoke audiences into being pro-slavery. It is not hard to miss, from the depiction of black voters acting "retarded" to the rude black man coming to court barefooted and eating a chicken. The movie is horrible.

I watched this movie in my US History class of 31. Everyone was so ashamed of having this represent American heritage. Many people were so aggravated and repulsed that they couldn't watch the rest of this movie. I don't understand how anyone could think this to be the great American movie. I can not help but be ashamed of it. The movie's title "Birth of a Nation" is supposed to represent American pride, today I should think it represents a Nation that was a mistake.

Anywhere But Here (1999)

A family coming to age

[9/10 · 2 December 1999]

Being a freshman in college, this movie reminded me of my relationship with my mom. Of course, my situation doesn't parrallel with Natalie Portman and Surandon's situation; but my mom and I have grown up with the typical mother and daughter fights. There is always the mother telling you what to do, or not being the kind of mother you want to be. I was balling my eyes at the end of this movie. Surandon's reaction of her daughter going to the East coast, miles away, after all they've been through reminded me of how I felt, being from a small city in the West coast, going to New York.

The movie is meant for women who have children that are now all grown up. It is very touching, I was moved by the movie. Every feeling out of the characters in this movie was utterly real, you didn't get any phony sentimentality. I was sitting through the credits at the screening of this movie, alone, wishing my mother was sitting next to me so I could hug her and thank her for everything. This movie is a bit corny of course, but everything is trully momentous. Its all about what a mom can learn from her child; and what a child learns from her mother. 8/10

The Jewel in the Crown (1984)

The Jewel never shines

[5/10 · 2 December 1999]

This movie is supposed to be about a British family living in India. Based on the book "The Raj Quartet." Mini series is way too long. Characters are very static; you don't care for them at all.

One thing you do see, is lots of symbolism; rigidly put in there. You definitely see a lack of the British intervening with Indians; ironically, British are ruling in India at this time, yet they don't know how to live in it. This lack of making yourself at "home" is a theme in the story. You barely see any Indians in the story, and yet the story takes place in India.

Story begins couple years before India's independence in 1947. Great symbolism, of the concept of Britain being the "mother and father" of India, actually being false. You notice Mrs.Layton cannot even take care of her own two girls; if they don't know how to be parents to their own families, how prepared are they to actually rule India?

Many themes/symbolisms are pointed out within the movie. The Jewel is supposed to be India. The Crown means Britain. India is in Britain, too bad, the movie lacks its shine.

A movie that has good themes, but it just doesn't make ends meet. 5/10

Earth (1998)

Partition between 2 countries; destroying love, friendship, and innocence

[10/10 · 16 October 1999]

I find it quite ironic how 2 countries who separate due to their religion status; deals with it thru defying their religion (killing people, torturing people, etc). But it happened, and the people living at this time amongst this chaos, has stories that they need to tell. Like an anecdote from some animosity or experience that they need to alleviate themselves from by writing books.

This movie is based on the fiction novel "Cracking India," by Bapsi Sidhwa. And although this book is fiction, it is based upon Sidhwa's life experience. The adaptation of this book, "Earth," is very much alike this book.

The movie is about a young girl, Lenny, who has polio. She cannot play with and like other children, so she spends all her time with Shanta (Ayah), who takes care of her like her own mother. Lenny, is from a Parsee family. Parsees in India, have always been invisible within the time of the Muslim and Hindu uproar. They do not get effected by the war; Parsees are very wealthy. Yet, Shanta is Hindu; and during the division of Pakistan and India, Lahore remains on the Pakistan side. Yet Shanta doesn't want to leave Lahore, because she had been w/Lenny's family for a long time; and she felt safe within a Parsee household. Yet she is beautiful and is loved by many men; most importantly, by 2 Muslim men. Yet, before Partition really causes problems, Lenny, Shanta, and the two men who love Shanta, are all together as friends. They did not see or predict how the environment at that time would change them all; and destroy their friendship. But it did.

"Earth" has very graphical images of the horrors during Muslim and Hindu riots. It made people angry, it made people want revenge. There were children who were lost, because their parents were killed by a Muslim or a Hindu. Is this justice? The movie seperates revenge from justice. Justice isn't revenge, because the actions taken aren't just.

A very good metaphor that keeps me thinking and thinking in the movie. This is when Ice Candy man tells Lenny why she is afraid of the lion in the cage; Its because the lion wants to come out it wants revenge, it wants to be free, but once the cage is open, what would happen? Lenny in the end of the movie asks, "who's guarding the lions?" Ice Candy Man answers "nobody." This is symbolic to how no one was controlling this bloodshed between the Hindus and Muslims. Once the cage is open, revenge and hatred comes out; this is the price for their freedom.

I liked how the narrator was Lenny, why? (Besides the fact this is based on Sidhwa's book).Because she is a young girl, she just turns 9 years old. What she experiences in this movie is not supposed to happen to an 9 year old. She is young, but in the end; she becomes an adult; she has seen and gone thru what innocence isn't supposed to see.

The anecdote? Well if u see the movie, you'll see why this time and the politics at this time affected this girl at her stage in life. The everlasting regret and feeling that you have betrayed someone so close to you, because of a tragedy effected by the actions and response by people about the Partition of Pakistan and India.

The Thin Red Line (1998)

The mind is trully Powerful

[5 October 1999]

I enjoyed how the movie really showed the power of the mind. In two aspects, the movie shows how war is not only risking one's physical health but also his mental health. You see this one soldier scared as hell, but soon war rubs on him and he gets crazy wanting to kill. But this movie also depicts how the mind can be powerful; it can save you. The mind manages to bring Private Bell to peace, tranquility, and serenity; it makes him hope. Out of all the horrors in war, Bell manages to use his mind to take him somewhere he wouldn't at that moment be able to go to.

The movie also portrays the other minds of other characters. You are able to know what that character is thinking at that moment. This movie values the mind of each individual. Some terrific scenes that conveyed vast amount of emotions. 4 Stars.

The Exterminating Angel (1962)

Luis Bunuel's movie ranks at the top with Kafka

[10/10 · 2 October 1999]

This surrealistic movie is a satire on the upper class. It was way too funny and a classic. A movie with repetition to emphasize the story line. This is about people brought together at a dinner party, invited because of they are all upper-class people who are well known among one another. Yet for some reason, they can't leave the mansion. An invisible barrier that holds them back. They all have some excuse not to leave. And after the food and water runs out, they spend however many of days (they don't fully explain) together, starving and putting up living with each other.

All the actors start getting fed up with each other. One lady gets disillusional. You start to realize, they have nothing in common. That the only thing they had in common was their wealth. But what happens when you are stuck in one place, and wealth really starts losing its worth? You then see how out of place they all are amongst each other. Afterall, in the very beginning, they were all bad mouthing each other. Bunuel mocks their phoniness.

Material things in the house, loses their meaning. They start peeing in expensive things, they don't seem to use toilets. A man is shaving for no reason just keeps on shaving without noticing it. A women keeps seeing a hand moving she gets psychotic.

Randomly, we see some sheep in a kitchen. This represents the whole "out of place" theme. That these people are the sheep. At the end of the movie, after all the mess at the house is taken care of, we see that disaster is about to happen again; and you have nothing else to think except for "sucks to be you."

This movie is hilarious and you sometimes get agitated with the characters. I highly recommend it. Especially for Luis Bunuel lovers who remarkably made movies in many other languages besides Spanish.

10/10

Citizen Kane (1941)

A phenomenal story about a man who had everything, except for his youth

[10/10 · 2 October 1999]

This is a true masterpiece about a man who had everything and yet nothing. A bit Fitzgerald; in which it does come from the same era of "the lost generation." Citizen Kane depicts an era of mass civilization and a very materialistic America.

But this movie has a bit more of Holden Caufield in it. As we know, Holden, is a depressed young man, who tries to find his path to follow in life. So he goes to the Big Apple; searching and failing. Then he realizes that his path is "youth." He wants to be "The Catcher in the Rye," and capture the youth from falling toward a world where civilization is corrupt.

Citizen Kane depicts a man who has utterly everything and can get anything. In a way they exaggerate Kane's wealth, in order to show that even a man who has everything cannot be happy, without security. This man is an unhappy man, who's material life encompasses him. He can't enjoy what he can have, because he can have everything.

"I don't believe any word can describe a man's life." This is ironic; because the word "Rosebuds" symbolizes Kane's life. A man who is at his deathbed, grabs everything that had meaning in his life. Kane recognizes this, when he holds the snow-paperweight. It takes him back to one winter day, that would inevitably change his life. The one day where he loses his innocence and his pure sight; once he is introduced with a life with money (after he is taken custody to stock market pirate).

I can see how people can see this movie as boring, this movie was a bit long-winded, but it is surely not a bad movie. There was a reason to say everything, and indirectly allows you to appreciate the strong relationships any individual has with there family and friends. For those who ONLY like action packed/visual effect movies, you have no idea what youa re missing out on.

10/10

Get Real (1999–2000)

Get Real, needs to Get Real

[1 October 1999]

I see potential for this show, but it just isn't hitting that mark. First of all, the show is trying to hard with doing new things with the camerawork, that it gets to overdone rather than "cool." They emphasize on the unimportant stuff (with the camera). It just doesn't work. The storyline is good, but some of the things they do to make this movie just blows. It's not a tv show that you would make a great effort to watch. You don't feel any deep connection with any of the characters. I don't feel any sympathy for any one of their problems, and I don't get much out of any of them that makes me want to watch their pathetic lives for the rest of this season.

For all of the better shows that premiered this season, I give this show 6/10.

Passions (1999–2008)

Breath in, Breath out; You'll leave me Pukin' for life

[1 October 1999]

I've been a big fan of "Days of Our Lives" for the last 5 years, and I've watched "Sunset Beach" since it began. So of course I decided to give "Passions" a chance.

"Sunset Beach" never started well; it sucked, but gradually it got better. "Passions" there is no excuse to wait for it to get better; it won't. The show is sooooo~ corny.

"Timmy is scared . . . Timmy wants Tabitha to make Timmy feel better, Timmy~ blah blah . . ." Dude Shut up!

And what is wrong with Tabitha! I hate how they degrade Juliet's acting ability. Her character is stupid. And she's not even scary; she's so stupid you wanna laugh at her. Okay, I know some soaps have some weird "non-realistic" stuff. Like Days has Stefano and "Guiding Lights" cloning, but they at least managed to blend it in well. The T-team (Tabitha & Timmy) is just so idiotic that I think the writer wrote their parts in his sleep.

As for every other character; there are no strong and bold people; except for Theresa. Theresa seems to be one of the only people that keeps the story going. And Miguel has charisma. But if Kay is supposed to be bad, I don't get any agitation by her.

The story line is weak. I really wonder how they are going to keep the storyline going.

Everything is so fake, from the degration of using Princess Diana to the "fighting the darkness of evil" (which happens to be the funny-to-laugh at T-team). And ok, this "stalking" thing got way~ out of hand. Everyone is making such a big deal because this girl keeps spilling stuff on him? So now he wants to put her in jail and she has to run around in a disguise? Give me a break! Going to Tahiti could be worse than that!

Everything is dumb, Another World left for this? What a joke.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

A good Hollywood movie; but not such a great War movie

[4/10 · 1 October 1999]

The first half hour of this movie blew me away. I couldn't comprehend how a movie could put so much realism.

It wasn't until the conflict of "Saving Private Ryan" that I became a little disappointed; because at this point, we move out of Europe to a little town called Tinstletown.

The problem I have with this movie is that people accept this movie as a documentation. Is this a true war story? I think its more of a true patriotic idealistic propaganda. So here's the lay out: hundred and thousands of men go to war to "save their country;" this part is good. Yet out of a midst of war, would the government really save a soldier for the spite of the mother? 3 of her sons die; but it's supposed to be ok because they "laid their lives down for their country (at least this is supposed to be the theme of the movie)." So what's wrong with the forth son; he's doing the same. It contradicts the theme. Secondly, what about every other soldier; they all have mothers, families, & pregnant wives, too. It just doesn't happen that way. Thirdly, one woman wouldn't recognize that 3 brothers died out of thousands of deaths she's writing up; and she wouldn't ask a man to save the 4th son with him executing it. "Ryan" welcome to Hollywood.

The movie as a movie is good. It is excellent. But its nothing more or nothing truer than what actually did happen to these soldiers in war. I've noticed many people I've discussed this movie to, take this movie so literally that it makes me agitated. Sometimes the only way we like to deal with war is to believe some of the things we see; that it was good to save Ryan by killing the enemy, that war means so much patriotism. But this is just one aspect; it isn't the embodiment of war. There are too many other things that war has to tell. (Oliver Stone made a trilogy based on 3 different sides/aspects about war).

I know some men who fought in war. They watched the movie shocked by the first half hour, they were literally sweating. The next moment they were thinking and remembering their time in war. They all thought the storyline was a bit dreamy. And the response I got was this: "I don't recall anyone who was like Tom Hanks. We were all Matt Damon's, who didn't know between right from wrong."

I mean at the end of the movie when old Private Ryan goes "was it worth it?" The camera starts showing his loving wife, his children and grand children (by the way . . . what was up with the big chested triplets?) and of course the audience is going to be all teary eyed "yes it was worth it." Come on 10 other individuals could have been alive if it weren't for him, but I forgot, we need patriotism in these movies. I'd suggest anyone to read books on war, by people who've been there, like Tim O'Brien, because those books actually make you think.

As a Hollywood movie, I give this movie 9/10; But as a true war movie, I give this 6/10; the first half hour "10/10"

The Red Violin (1998)

Never were words and music so Powerful

[10/10 · 1 October 1999]

Never were words and music combined so beautifully and powerful. "The Red Violin" is about a legend that takes you through time.

Its story begins when the violin is made by a violin maker, as it gradually travels around the world for centuries till the present. Each individual who becomes emotionally and musically involved with this violin, tells a story that captures the heart of the audience. I mean really captures the heart; it moves it, destroys it, and provokes it.

The violin represents that one perfection that everyone strives for. The conflict is what do you do with it once you have it and how does this perfection effect you.

There are some things in this world that are priceless that just can't be explained unless you've experienced it. "The Red Violin" is exactly that. This movie makes your emotions and mind think; unlike many movies that do the thinking for you. It makes you want to value things more and it shows you utter Beauty. If there was anything more than beauty, this movie would be it.

It makes you wonder why Titanic got best picture. Although this movie was made a year ago, I'm pretty sure this is a movie we will see at the Oscars; if the Academy keeps its eye open. If I could, I'd give this movie infinite amount of stars.