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bhakta_allison
Reviews
Fireproof (2008)
Too heavy-handed re: Jesus & Christianity
I watched the movie on advice a close friend after mentioning a marital disagreement. I knew it would be religious in nature but wanted to honour my friend.
The movie would have been very good had the issue of "accepting Jesus as your lord and saviour" was not hammered into the main character, Caleb, constantly by his father and a subordinate. I found the issue of marital discord had to be viewed far deeper than accepting Christianity and then entering into a "covenant marriage" which happened at the ending of the film.
One major issue was this man's rage and demands of his wife respecting him no matter how badly he treated her. Caleb was used to running the show as his job as the boss of his firehouse. He did save a lot of people in his line of work so he expected not to have do anything at home even though his wife worked full-time and contributed to the living expenses. It was downright scary when Caleb got into Catherine's face demanding respect and threatening to leave her. Caleb, with his heavy machismo, never expected such a statement as he was used to doing whatever he wanted and showing such blatant disrespect and not caring about keeping his viewing of online pornography discreet. He enjoyed the extra from his wife working but still viewed her as a second-class citizen.
It did not seem that Caleb really cared about truly getting his wife's affections back and a reconciliation until he figured out that another man wanted this woman. It was only after he saw the card to his wife from the doctor is when this fellow truly wanted the lady. The first set of flowers was just a cheap way to try to "make up". Throwing the computer away was only another dose of grandiosity to try to prove loyalty and being "over" online women. Obsessions go far deeper than throwing a PC away which is useful for other things. Look at alcoholics or drug addicts who have thrown away their bottles or stashes only to be back on the stuff later.
Intimidating the doctor did not show Caleb was true to being a man of honour. All he did was what most males of the animal kingdom do: chase off the competition with brute force, which he was successful at doing since the doc wanted no drama. Once it came out the major source of funding for Catherine's mother's equipment came from her husband while the doctor donated a small amount, she went back to Caleb all teary-eyed.
That disappointed me. It did not seem that there was any real great love but only out of monetary gain. And, the doctor had shown no more interest after being threatened by the fireman. I was also disappointed how there was no real resolution to the problems the husband displayed such as his rage and issues with sexuality. How many people get "saved" and then go back to their old "sins"? Many right-wing politicians are found to have been listed with exclusive call girl services or to have had extramarital affairs.
A married couple does not need to have a god or Jesus as a part of their marriage to be happy and for success in their union. Love and mutual respect are enough. Males are going to peer at other women but that does not make someone a sex addict unless the activity takes up all of his time or makes his life unmanageable. My thoughts on that issue is the husband is showing loyalty by being discreet and not rubbing his wife's nose in it by showing how he is looking at sexier and hotter women.
Re: covenant marriage, I would want to warn anyone before doing so. No one ever knows what the future holds. Why should any person want to return to the days where so much degradation to find proof of bad behaviour was being done just to get out of the marital contract? Isn't no-fault better? No-fault does not take away the sting and hurt of a relationship that is no longer working or where love has gone but it aids in dissolving the marriage without having to "air dirty laundry for all to see".
I gave the movie a 6 because I did enjoy the hijinks of the fellows in the fire department and the story, despite the preaching, kept me interested. I am not a Christian and would not recommend this movie to anyone, though. Perhaps more Christians would use the "attraction rather than promotion" approach to get their message across. Fear of a hell does not do it for me.
Cheaters' Club (2006)
Good movie...
...but the ending was just too abrupt with husband calling to talk to his wife (Charisma Carpenter) right after Meredith said her good-byes. It is the typical cautionary tale of what happens when certain boundaries are crossed. I did like Meredith getting her comeuppance at the law firm. She was a hateful person who was cruel to those who worked under her. For once, the big shot got shot down. It was great for her to sweat when the firm partners showed Meredith was came up on the Internet re: her sexcapades and how the rest of the office laughed at her once she left the firm President's office. For once, Meredith knew what it felt like to be humiliated and played. Be careful how you treat others in business. Karma is not fun...
An Unfinished Affair (1996)
Another "Fatal Attraction"...
...yet I had hoped Sheila would get away with the crime AND the painting. Alex is a cold man just as his son said. I felt sorry for the son but had hoped somehow his FATHER would get implicated in the crime. Just as Alex's wife's mother said, the women tend to get hurt the most when it comes to involvement with married men. Alex did wrong by sending his father-in-law's most valuable art work to his mistress yet felt he could get away with doing what he wanted...in typical wealthy man fashion. When he would not get what he wanted (the art work) back from his ex-mistress, he resorted to crime and violence paying someone else to do his dirty work. Sad thing is the wifelet looked like she was going to take a man back who thought so little of her to sleep with someone else while it was thought she would die. I enjoyed the movie but had hoped for more of a "just deserts" ending for a change rather than the Family Reunion at the end.
Confessions of a Go-Go Girl (2008)
Thought Provoking
The movie does depict this life. What starts out as a part-time job or an adventure becomes a habit for easy money. Many women do go work more hardcore clubs to earn higher tips and have a hard time leaving the "life". School usually goes by the wayside. Sad thing about the movie is how it is so true how the men of the family are quick to judge their own daughters and inflict cruelty when they, themselves, are the first ones at the clubs. Of course, they have their excuses of how they "only" come to the strip clubs to entertain clients or for bachelor parties. The brother who was there for his own bachelor party was the first to call his own sister a "dog". I can see why the friend was hardened by the work and aimed to steal & get what she could from the men who pay for sexual entertainment. The double standards exists and it comes from our own homes such as with the young lady. Her family was quick to extort money from her when she did not want to attend law school but then scoffed her even though she more than "paid them back". I wish the movie did have an ending where she was more empowered rather than groveling at her family's feet or the acting teacher's door.
To Have and to Hold (2006)
Better than expected...
Typical movie of a moneyed man having an affair with a "lower class" woman. After all the chaos ensues and someone is dead, the man naturally calls his ex-lover a "skank" despite the fact that he enjoyed that "skank". Glad to see at the end how there was not an automatic reconciliation as in "Fatal Attraction". Hollywood tells women to take back these cads. Great how the wife kept her daughter and lived away from her husband rather than just take him back and blame the "skank". I do agree how Justine Bateman looked a little too old for her husband. I felt sorry for the younger woman. She was roped in by someone who she felt treated her better than the punky men she has been with and ended up dead in the process. Tom treated her like a prostitute once he was done with her. Again, glad the guy did not turn out to be the hero when the story was over.
Her Best Friend's Husband (2002)
Another side of this sort of story...
This is one of the first LMN movies I really liked and felt could have happened in real life.
I do not agree how Ms. Ladd's character was the villain or a bad friend to Amanda. For one thing, the wife no longer wanted her husband. Does anyone forget how horrible she acted on her birthday party after her husband gave her a nice gift of jewelry and how she was so quick to go onto a fast life without her family? The daughter quickly forgot how it was her mother's FRIEND who got her boyfriend-in-the-band on the charts when he seemed like a pretty greasy guy with no talent.
The movie does serve as a lesson. It is never advisable to go out with a friend's ex. Also, a woman should really think before throwing away a good husband. Good men are hard to find. Amanda is like a lot of women who will tell a decent guy to get lost and then expect them to pine for them. Life goes on. It is fairly normal for a separated or divorced man to move on a lot quicker than the ex-wives want and it is usually with someone they know rather than a stranger. I loved the slap scene!
An Unmarried Woman (1978)
Pitiful...
I did not feel pity for a divorcée who still lived as she did when the wealthy husband was still living at home. Like many people stated, let's see a movie where a woman actually had to struggle to pay rent and feed her kid(s) when the man walked out. I can see why the husband wanted a little more out of life while his wife just flitted about town enjoying herself while he worked hard for his family. His wanting a younger woman who was fun was normal while she was too tired for sex most of the time.
The therapist only encouraged depravity with the suggestion her client meet and experience as many men as possible. Casual sex did not seem to work for the divorcée so she hooked up with the artist far too quickly and was ready to give up her life for a man she really did not know. Even though the husband wanted to come back, the soon-to-be ex-wife did not think of her life and how she would become one of her pitiful friends. Instead, she was too infatuated with the sexual attention which was detrimental to her daughter.
The ending was bunk. I found it rude for the English artist to blithely tell his girlfriend/whatever to take a cab or something to get that huge painting home. She looked ridiculous walking the streets with it and the guy was gone...gone...gone! IMNSO, she should have taken back her husband. So what if he had an affair. How she behaved afterward was no better with bedding her co-worker and then the artist she knew for maybe an hour. All she was going to get as a single mom was a life of degradation.
Feminism was to show women to be strong but to not lose our self-respect by giving ourselves to any man who was interested.