filmex-2
Lifetime Total
1+
IMDb Member
24 years
Reviews
Shooting the Past (1999)
Extraordinary Television!
For all the talk these days that the BBC isn't what it used to be, it would be hard to prove by this exceptional film. A brilliant examination of the power of photographs to chronicle, the mysteries and stories captured within their still frames, and the mystical and evocative powers moments frozen in time can manifest.
A superb creation from a writer-director whom I shall certainly seek out in the future. The entire ensemble is letter perfect, and the film does a wonderful job of alternately moving one to tears, then later creating tension that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Is it any wonder that US television films come off as hackneyed when compared to superlative efforts such as this. One of the best films I have seen this year in any medium.
A superb creation from a writer-director whom I shall certainly seek out in the future. The entire ensemble is letter perfect, and the film does a wonderful job of alternately moving one to tears, then later creating tension that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Is it any wonder that US television films come off as hackneyed when compared to superlative efforts such as this. One of the best films I have seen this year in any medium.
Whatever (1998)
A superb, non-glamourized coming-of-age film.
It wasn't originally my intent to comment on this film, but, after seeing some of the idiotic postings denigrating this fine effort, I felt compelled.
I was rather taken aback by the honesty of this tale. To quibble about the automobiles or the Hardee's cups shows such a lack of perception as to what was attempted here, that it truly boggles the mind.
The dissenting voices here clearly prefer the artificial, rose-colored-glasses view of high school as offered by "Sixteen Candles" or other films of John Hughes. But, for most, and maybe this realization only becomes apparent once one has some significant distance from one's high school experience, for most the high school experience is NOT a star-spangled memory a la "Ridgemont High", "Dazed and Confused", or even "American Graffiti".
These formulative years, more often than not, are times of discovery, of embarrassment, of confusion. and of long stretches of boring and mundane matters.
Writer/director Skoog captured, with no illusion whatsoever, the awkwardness of this period, with the realism and honesty worthy of of a Ken Loach or Mike Leigh. For most people, life is NOT "Ten Things I Hate About You", it is about self-discovery and awareness, and sorting out one's rightful place in the human equation. Skoog's two main characters superbly realized this human comedy.
Anna is a beautiful, talented young girl who has not come to grips with either her talent nor her beauty. She is so easily buffeted by the forces surrounding her, be it her bad-girl best friend or the men who are more than willing to introduce her to the awkwardness of sexual initiation, that it is often heartbreaking to watch.
The fact of the matter is that bad things happen to good people, and in watching Anna attempt to navigate her way through her voyage of discovery, the film subtly explores its themes with rare honesty.
The treatment of sexuality is amongst the film's strongpoints. The peer pressure to conform and the curiosity of the unknown is explored with sensitivity. The bare boobs approach of most teen films is abandoned here for a heartfelt examination of the myriad of forces that are involved in human sexuality...the various dynamics, be they sexual or power, that make the experience a lot more than just a procreative act.
These aren't "characters", these are living, breathing people with inexplicable, self-destructive urges as well as a completely realistic complacency that often allows them to be drawn into situations that are not in their best interests.
This is one of the finest coming-of-age films I have ever seen. If you are a mature, perceptive cinema lover without need for an artificial, romanticized approach to the teen experience, do yourself a favor and check out, "Whatever".
I was rather taken aback by the honesty of this tale. To quibble about the automobiles or the Hardee's cups shows such a lack of perception as to what was attempted here, that it truly boggles the mind.
The dissenting voices here clearly prefer the artificial, rose-colored-glasses view of high school as offered by "Sixteen Candles" or other films of John Hughes. But, for most, and maybe this realization only becomes apparent once one has some significant distance from one's high school experience, for most the high school experience is NOT a star-spangled memory a la "Ridgemont High", "Dazed and Confused", or even "American Graffiti".
These formulative years, more often than not, are times of discovery, of embarrassment, of confusion. and of long stretches of boring and mundane matters.
Writer/director Skoog captured, with no illusion whatsoever, the awkwardness of this period, with the realism and honesty worthy of of a Ken Loach or Mike Leigh. For most people, life is NOT "Ten Things I Hate About You", it is about self-discovery and awareness, and sorting out one's rightful place in the human equation. Skoog's two main characters superbly realized this human comedy.
Anna is a beautiful, talented young girl who has not come to grips with either her talent nor her beauty. She is so easily buffeted by the forces surrounding her, be it her bad-girl best friend or the men who are more than willing to introduce her to the awkwardness of sexual initiation, that it is often heartbreaking to watch.
The fact of the matter is that bad things happen to good people, and in watching Anna attempt to navigate her way through her voyage of discovery, the film subtly explores its themes with rare honesty.
The treatment of sexuality is amongst the film's strongpoints. The peer pressure to conform and the curiosity of the unknown is explored with sensitivity. The bare boobs approach of most teen films is abandoned here for a heartfelt examination of the myriad of forces that are involved in human sexuality...the various dynamics, be they sexual or power, that make the experience a lot more than just a procreative act.
These aren't "characters", these are living, breathing people with inexplicable, self-destructive urges as well as a completely realistic complacency that often allows them to be drawn into situations that are not in their best interests.
This is one of the finest coming-of-age films I have ever seen. If you are a mature, perceptive cinema lover without need for an artificial, romanticized approach to the teen experience, do yourself a favor and check out, "Whatever".