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Guam_Critic
Reviews
Brüno (2009)
Candid Camera Meets Most Politically Incorrect
Sacha Cohen continues his past plot model of tricking non-actors into believing he really is the character being portrayed. This model harks back to the 1948 to 2004 USA TV show "Candid Camera" where unsuspecting non-actors were tricked into unusual situations while being filmed. With Mr. Cohen, the goal is to be as politically incorrect as possible.
In Bruno, a flamboyant gay man from Austria has delusions of grandeur in his quest to be famous. Bruno aims his satire at various European and American groups from the fashion elite, California cinema industry, evangelical southern USA Christians, and cage fighting sectors of society.
* Did I laugh? Yes, at the extreme insensitivity and ignorance of this ridiculous portrayal of a fashion hopeful. * Would I recommend this? Yes, for adults who are ready for excessively crude and politically-incorrect mockery. * Should this play on TV? I hope not, even if edited down to 30 minutes. * Who does Sacha insult? Everyone portrayed: fashion, cinema and charity workers, people of African descent, evangelical Christians, martial arts enthusiasts, and of course, ordinary gay people.
Far North (2007)
Great photography. Realistic lifestyle. Tragic ending of a dark tale
Story of the sad lives of what might be two indigenous Siberian women interacting with Russian-speaking soldiers. It appears to take place off the east coast of Russia or the former Soviet Union. Though I have not read or researched the book (Far North and Other Dark Tales by Sara Maitland), the Russian speaking soldiers mentioned they want to get back to the "Mainland". Thus, it might take place on the island of Sakhalin, or the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The title of the book mentions "Dark Tales" and the already dreary setting ends tragically. So tragically, in fact, that I will not permit my family to watch it.
It contains disturbing scenes of what is now referred to genocide, allegedly being carried out by what appear to be Russian speaking soldiers against the indigenous east Asian hunter-herders. Time era appears to be post World War II judging by a transistor radio.
If you do not mind the tragedy, it is a good flick to see the cold mountainous subarctic.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)
We all laughed. My preteen said its good. Latino activists should avoid.
My preteen child says "Its good". We have been waiting a month to see this film, following the advertisements up to the opening weekend. I could enjoy the film because I can suspend a sense of reality as the plot unfolds.
A wise film goer should never expect reality from talking animals. Especially from Disney studios.
The movie is shot from the view of a wealthy Beverly Hills resident going into Mexico for the first time as a tourist. She does not speak Spanish, and is unfamiliar with places where people live on a dollar a day. So the film is filled with the false perceptions that a totally clueless and wealthy tourist would gain. We get to laugh plenty at her childish nature.
Politically-sensitive viewers should avoid this film, especially pro-Latino sympathizers. The lack of Political Correctness falls on both sides of this border. Although some aspects of Hispanic life are portrayed negatively, it is somewhat equalized since the heroes were Mexican (both humans and dogs) and the Anglo Americans were portrayed as clueless rich folk.
Go see it if you have small kids, enjoy animal adventure flicks, and are not upset by unrealistic portrayals of ethnic groups.
The Departed (2006)
The seamy side of the Megalopolis of the northeast USA
I rented this DVD in March 2007 after in won 2007 Oscars awards in Film Editing, Writing, Directing, and Best Picture. I watched it twice, with numerous "Replay" and "Slow" the second time.
Yes, I recommend renting the DVD of "The Departed".
To me it shows a realistic portrayal of the seamy side of the Megalopolis of the northeast USA. My father was raised in working-class Boston, and his description of the collaboration between corrupt police and organized crime matches what is shown in this film.
Unlike the majority of American films, this is realistic. It shows how life in the traditional cities near Boston interacts with small-time criminals. In many parts of the USA, like new suburbs of the Sunbelt, mafioso tactics like shown in this film do not reach down to working class citizens.
As shown by the Oscar awards bestowed by the entertainment industry, this film is an extraordinary achievement in the cinematic arts. My own time spent living in working-class neighborhoods of the old parts of NYC and Chicago shows this film has taking a boring scenario and spiced it up by showing the seamy background. This means understanding the complex dynamics of the denizens of countless neighborhood bars that function as restaurants and public meeting spaces. Guys like me are reluctant to enter these "pubs" because of the alleged fights that occur within, as shown in The Departed.
It shows the positive side of the patronage for those families who do owe allegiance to local crime bosses.