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peterhaily
Reviews
The Genius Club (2006)
Required Viewing
The archetypal 'thriller' film, The Genius Club is also one of the richest thinking-man works to come to the screen.
Each of its characters is extraordinarily realized; each has his or her own arc, his or her own vital part to play in the film's slow progression towards its dramatic finale. Typically, most great filmmakers put the film together using an exceeding degree of artistry; each and every shot, each action sequence, is exquisitely composed; and this is true with this film. Nothing seems contrived or out-of-place within the overall 'Genius Table'. Everything is beautifully conceived and in focus, both literally and figuratively.
The questions that are asked are:
1) Every war is a meaningless waste of life; 2) Why is there world hunger? 3) Does the media control our thought-processes? 4) Why does toner ink cost so much? 5) Is Capitalism and Communism essentially the same? 6) Why is there suffering? 7) Does God exist?
What's interesting and remarkable is how the questions are set up and seeded for the final one, namely, does God exist?
And thus the works of the past philosophers comes into play as well as the religious aspects (which I suspect has caused some critics to hate this film). But the profound thing about the final discussion among these geniuses is how they do in fact attempt to prove God's existence. Surely no one can deny that a 'moral conscience' is what has driven many atheists on a cold night to believe in God.
All aspects in this film work perfectly: acting, directing, art direction, costume design, cinematography, editing, sound, everything
I can only say that your patience with this film will probably be well rewarded if you take the time to give it multiple viewings. The filmmaker is most definitely not a socialist, unless I'm mis-reading him wildly. The film is most definitely Christian in tone and perhaps too evangelical for most people's taste. But I respect the filmmakers for not giving in to the 'group think' mentality that most movies finally succumb to. The sad thing is, I just can't see a project like this ever coming out of the Hollywood studio system, where art is just another commodity and marketing is the new god.
Ran (1985)
Great Epic!
I have used the images of RAN to bring myself up from despair, found myself having an incredibly similar visions in my own dreams to scenes in the movie, and felt inspired in my own work, recalling that this movie was made and did find an audience.
Clearly it's not a film for everyone. I think it takes a level of maturity that is a small minority in the American audience. For though who do connect with it, even with only parts of it, it is a memorable jewel, and like real jewels, rare, precious and enjoyed most by a discerning viewer. It is one of the films that has made my life richer. Richer in the same sense as having a day in front of an original work by VanGogh or watching Eve Ensler herself doing "The Vagina Monologues." There is nothing like it and we should be grateful for it.
This is a monumental film as most Japanese films are.
Indochine (1992)
great film!
This film was made with such breathtaking care that I don't expect to see another film that will move me with such intensity. The story line is told with painstaking detail in Vietnam against the back drop of war, and that's what makes this movie so poignant, you understand the characters, through the little details, so well, that you cannot help but feel that what you perceive is what these characters are feeling. I literally cried throughout 15 of the films' 90 minute runtime, not just a tear in the eye "oh that's too bad," but sobbing "OH MY GOD WHY, WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN?!" Catherine's character and the Vietnam girl play it to perfection.
I remember a comment kept running through my head, "this is not fair, it's not fair it had to happen to them, it's not their fault, dammit it's not their fault." This film is a representation of how good dramatic anime can be, if used correctly. There are no kung fu fights, or mysterious dragons, only reality. Such horrible wonderful reality that one will find that they cannot think about war in the same way as they did before. I know that this was the greatest war movie I have ever seen. It also might just be the greatest film ever. See it, don't walk, run, you must see this
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Hard-biting film
Anne Hathaway shines as the struggling office worker trying desperately to climb even half a notch on the social ladder. Anne thinks that working for a woman (instead of a man) would be different, but soon finds out that a female boss respects her no more than males did, and she even makes Anne go to a wretched party, then gets rid of her loyal assistant. In the end what is right remains right, Anne at last has arrived on top of the dog-eat-dog corporate world, and of course loses her man - the only thing right.
This movie can be grouped with "9 to 5". Although not made to be funny, the script is wonderful and ensures entertainment throughout. I had reservations going in, but it's well worth seeing the decadence of a lost civilization.