Karol, a hairdresser copes with his ex-wife divorcing him whilst taking all his money. He ends up amassing a greater fortune than he had before through what I can only glimpse to be Machiavellian tactics. He then takes revenge on his ex-wife Dominique by framing her for his faked death. Karol isn't exactly the cold hearted type. When he visits Dominique in an institution (which I'm a little confused about how he's able to do considering he's supposed to be dead), he has an emotional reaction. I'm still confused what compelled him to care after he'd avenged himself; but maybe that's the point Kieslowski is trying to make. Karol also seems more sympathetic for the pain he caused her as opposed to Dominique's indifference to Karol's suffering. One might say that Karol felt he was doing what was just even if his methods were exploitative. 'White' has a strong theme but it's components are so mundane that the film never transcends them. It's not bad just forgettable.
Reviews
21 Reviews
Another Solid Episode
29 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Raylan Givens tries to help his ex-wife by assisting her husband in solving a dispute with loan sharks over owed debt. Raylan comes to find that some conflicts can be solved effectively peaceably. Another Solid Episode
Entertaining
28 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Raylan tries to diffuse a precarious hostage situation which he diffuses with ease and Boyd Crowder is released from prison due to Raylan's Compromising relationship with Ava Crowder and an inadequate justice system. An entertaining episode that leaves the plot wide open for exploration.
Good.
26 March 2018
Quite The Mystery
24 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Steven Avery's Attorney's try to prove Steven Avery's innocence through cross-examination of forensic experts and witnesses. The Attorney's also address the fact that members of law enforcement are proficient at framing people since they investigate crimes where the assailant attempts to hide evidence. Though this is a valid point, I feel it is somewhat misguided. It may be true that theoretically speaking law enforcement could be engaged in corruption, but this phenomenon is relatively rare. Furthermore, anyone with a high school education and a forensic crime scene handbook could commit an impeccable frame job/murder; cops just happen to have the most proficient capacity to do this. Some people also claim that Manitowoc County law enforcement was intentionally conveyed negatively; I'd have to disagree. Law enforcement is infamous for being hostile towards the media. Overall I think this case is quite the mystery. Following the evidence muddies the narrative of Teresa Halbach's murder. It's a decent episode but In my opinion I believe this documentary would've been more effective if it were made into a film. Episodically speaking it only serves to fulfill the last episode which makes every episode before the last hardly re-watchable.
Blade Runner 2049
(2017)
A Perfect Film
23 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Blade Runner 2049 is a very multifaceted and complex film that offers commentary on not only artificial intelligence but human emotion. Joi remarks at the quarter way mark in the film that 'K' is made up of genetic code and she's made up of binary code. This is a very important part in the film because it details a major theme. Computers and humans aren't that different. An experiment to test this theory is to try to distinguish replicants from humans in the film just based on their behavior (it's futile by the way). This point is also hammered in when 'K' is tasked to kill a certain human. He's reluctant stating that humans have souls. Lieutenant Joshi then remarks that 'K' has been doing alright without a soul. Whether you believe in the existence souls or not shouldn't impede the understanding of the message that soul's aren't necessary to be human. About a third of the way into Blade Runner 2049 'K' learns living & dying for a personally meaningful cause enriches life beyond innate modular human/machine functions. The complexity of this movie is what makes it so perfect. It requires multiple viewings to take in the breadth and layers of visual, auditory and thematic structure. I could talk about this movie all day but instead i'll leave you with the strong recommendation to watch it.
It takes a vampire to kill a vampire
22 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Hellsing Ultimate is a multilayered anime that uses religious symbols to make a point against religion rather than support it. In the Vatican's fight against evil they justify killings by saying that the killings were done in the name of god. The Hellsing organization seem to be locked in a holy war that's more reminiscent of a mob war. this isn't entirely a bad thing; it makes the experience feel more cerebral. the visuals are also quite stunning, almost ecstatic, but they're not perfect. I grew up on anime in the 90's and I find CGI to rarely contribute positively to the viewing experience. I think this even though 'HU' features the best CGI i've seen in any anime to date. The acting is also hit or miss. Strangely the English actors sound better than everyone else in this episode. There's also a ton of fan service when it comes to Seras. she's very sexualized but isn't a vacuous character because of it. she's what moves the stories message along. When Alucard prompts Seras to drink his blood she refused saying essentially that if she did she felt she'd lose something important (my guess is her humanity).
Ugetsu
(1953)
"Success always comes with a price in suffering."
22 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This is a buddhist film, just not a secular buddhist film. I think the message Kenji Mizoguchi wanted to convey was that living in the present and appreciating what you have is the only way to reach nirvana. the scene where Tôbei, Genjurô and their wives are making their way to Nagahama in a river so foggy that they can only see directly in front of them is an allusion to their ignorance of the suffering they will endure. unfortunately, despite the two wives being central to the story, they only serve as accessories to the two brother's Tôbei and Genjurô's development as characters. the movie's message is a very moral one, yet one I personally don't agree with (sometimes what you have is really paltry) which makes the movie's subpar cinematography and indistinct music rather blatant. It's not the worst Japanese drama of it's time, but it doesn't hold a torch to innovators like Kurosawa and Kobayashi's work. Ugetsu in my opinion is overrated and hardly watchable a second time.
Hitler's Circle of Evil
(2018)
Nothing New
19 March 2018
Hitler was a genocidal maniac with seething resentment towards Jews but I'd like to have come to that determination on my own. Documentaries like this are the reason impartiality is so rare today in historical and journalistic works.
Super Speedway
(1997)
Racecar Driving Bliss
19 March 2018
I never considered myself a car person but seeing this movie changed that. For a film produced in the late 90's the film work was ahead of its time capturing captivating first person shots of Andretti speeding down the raceway. It also documents the competitive nature of not only the act of racing but also the construction of the car itself. Watching the engine endure rigorous durability tests scratched that itch for my love of mechanization. Plus Paul Newman is a narrator; need I say anymore. I highly recommend this documentary. It isn't just about the bliss of Driving race cars but Driving cars in general. An impeccable documentary that hints at the meaningfullness cars occupy in our culture.
Dying Laughing
(2016)
Recommended for fans of Stand-up
19 March 2018
After the shock of Robin Williams death the world was alerted by the complexities of being a comedian. Being a stand-up comedian is both complicated and rewarding. At times it can be self-deprecatory and lonely. This is what I gathered from "Dying Laughing". Making others laugh is a great experience to these comedians but when that stimulus isn't there it can leave a void that can only be refilled by external social gratification. It's an interesting documentary for people who enjoy stand-up, but seeing How I'm not one of those people I found it rather boring and pretentiously narcissistic.
Cryptic or Jumbled?
19 March 2018
I enjoy many elements of David Lynch's work from the cinematography to the soundtracks and unique characters. Twin Peaks has all those elements except it's not focused enough to transcend its components. Lynch goes from light hearted humor to investigating dark enchanted caves. This is very enthralling on the first viewing but it doesn't compel the viewer to revisit the episode. Also the acting is incredibly poor at times. A decent viewing experience.
Not Good
19 March 2018
The takeaways from this episode are that masculinity in men is bad and femininity in men is good, whatever those things mean. If you want proof of this just examine the way Kota is made out to be the symbol of a model male yet is considered completely spineless. Potential is really wasted here. Lucy is also potrayed to be a symbol of innocence yet her body count is more impressive than every character in "Elfen Lied" combined.
Anime For Feminists
19 March 2018
Thematic Vacuity
19 March 2018
There's a lot to like here, but no message. This episode was solely for entertainment, albeit good entertainment but not very meaningful. Maggie's development as a character is really the only thing that makes this episode feel like it isn't completely vacuous.
Occam's Razor
19 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
House and his team of doctors try to figure out what is causing a young college student's illness. They draw up all sorts of diagnoses and tests just to find out that the young college student was receiving gout medicine for his cough causing all sorts of complications. In this case the simplest explanation really was the best.
This was a very interesting episode with a simple message; don't over analyze things too much.
The Commodification Of Vigilantism
18 March 2018
Elliot learns that society's indoctrination into consumerism makes them slaves to corporatism and commodification
The message is a general theme of powerlessness. From powerlessness on an individual level glimpsed in Elliot's fight for unity between himself and Mr. Robot to the brainwashing of society at large. It's also a statement on the absurdity of corporate bureaucracy. Irving finds this out when he can't cash in his voucher for a free meal at a food chain because the meaning of "on your next visit" is loosely defined by what the cashier deems a "next visit" is. The visuals are also stunning with a brilliant one take that reminded me of the six minute one take in "True Detective" also produced by "Anonymous Content" This is a good episode that's therapeutic in a Deleuzian kind of way.
Tell Your Friends