Change Your Image
hypertyson
Reviews
Rain Man (1988)
100% perfect portrayal of SAVANT SYNDROME, not autism.
This film is superb, and Hoffmans portrayal of a man with Savant Syndrome is spot on. And people should bear in mind that the number of autistic people who also have savant syndrome is around 5%, so special skills such as Raymond's are extremely rare. As someone who has studied Autism and who has corresponded with Dr Darold Treffert MD, the worlds leading savant expert and consultant on the movie Rain Man, I wholly endorse this films portrayal of Savant syndrome itself, an autistic person forced into society against his will, and the way in which some people would seek to abuse the gifts of savants.
Platoon (1986)
Thought amongst madness
The beauty of this film for me is that Stone gets across the random confusion and madness, but also the guilt and savagery and emotional fragility. Quite an accomplishment in a film which has the overwhelming theme of contradictions between body and soul.
Maybe Stone should have let the action speak for itself rather than have Chris give moralising speeches, but thats the only complaint and its a minor one.
The Krays (1990)
Good on character, bad on real facts
The violence, loyalty, fear, blood and traditions are all present and correct. The Kemp bros., especially Gary, give superbly sinister and dangerous portrayals of the twins. You can't fault it's accuracy on who the twins were or how they grew up. However, the events shown are lacking in relevance to how they really happened and are taken from the point of view of Gang members who so obviously lied during their trial. The film also lacks on the other gang members, no member is named as being Tony Lambrianou or Freddie Foreman, for example. Although this is secondary to the twins themselves, for people who know the real story it does make it a little less enjoyable.
The Killing Fields (1984)
Unforgettable
Very few films have the capacity to change the way we think and feel about the world around us. This is one of them. The image of Pran walking through hundreds of skeletons will stay with the viewer for life.