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Reviews
Eye of God (1997)
Compelling
This film is beautifully crafted. Rarely has a jagged time line film been so engaging (films like Memento and 21 Grams copy this style, and only 21 Grams does it well).
Far from the over-produced fluff Hollywood is famous for churning out - you shouldn't expect your food to be chewed for you here. This is a movie for thinkers. Granted, very early in the film, you know what has happened, but this isn't a "whodunit" or a murder mystery so much as a highly evolved character study that moves with the grace of a swan in a dream. Despite the brutality, despite the violence of the content, the sublime performances and the delicacy of the director's touch enchant you. This is rockabye baby, until the cradle falls from the tree.
The acting, from all of the characters, is utterly flawless. You don't even see acting at all. It's hard not to feel like a voyeur peeking into this small town reality. The ending, as some others have commented, may be traumatic for those who have survived similar experiences. There are some visually brutal sequences and the camera is NOT merciful. You WILL experience everything right along with the characters... ...and then you will be left in silence.
Whitewash (1994)
Hard-hitting children's film with a message
This film chronicles the story of two young Black kids being raised by their grandmother in the Bronx. One day, on the way home from school, the children are assaulted by a racist White gang. The gang members hurl shockingly brutal racial epithets and the startling confrontation is culminated when the young boy is beat up and the girl is sprayed white. The film continues by showing how the community responds - the media, the classroom, the family itself. My initial response to the film was horror - I was watching it with my 8-year-old daughter and was extremely surprised at the coarse language. Yet, it is very real and I was pleased at the conversation that we were able to have afterward. My daughter told me that she felt the theme of the film was "being strong". I highly recommend the film, but the viewers must be braced for the powerful reaction younger audiences may have.