rosalyn-1 Reviews

Shopgirl (2005)

Feels real, good writing

[9/10 · 24 May 2006]

I really want to commend Steve Martin for writing this piece. It really feels like something that could happen.

Movies and books are idealized pictures of the world, and too often the characters are more of symbols for emotions than real people. The characters in this story acted in ways that I have seen real people act, and having lived in the Los Angeles area before, I could really believe this setting and these emotions.

Shop girl is about a woman from Vermont who has moved to LA and is working in a department store. She makes Art at home from photos that she takes of herself, and she is bored, lonely, and desperate. She meets two men at work (one poor and a complete loser, one rich and boring).

The story doesn't push you to think that one person is a good guy, and one person is a bad guy. Like life, everyone has shades of grey, so where the girl ends up in the end is a consequence of who is willing to commit to a relationship. In the end, it is not about sex, or wealth, or age, but about becoming a couple. Two people who influence each other and share life.

A subtle, yet important truth that is ignored in most fiction today.

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

A well acted fairy tale but not an insight on Japanese culture

[7/10 · 1 April 2006]

I watched this movie twice on DVD and it is an enjoyable film. The acting was just excellent. I'd like to especially point out Gong Li as Hatsumomo who steals the show whenever she is on the screen. This is her English Language debut and she is sure to go on to be an even bigger international star.

The movie was beautifully photographed and costumed, and the dancing was cool, although the pivotal dance by Sayuri shocked me because it seemed out of place in this work. The winter dance definitely had roots in the modern dance movement, which had started at that time, but had probably not permeated Japanese society yet. Also, later forms of Japanese modern dance such as Butoh stress extremely slow flowing movement that the director and choreographer did not seem to like. I did quite like the huge shoes though.

Overall the movie was an enjoyable fairy tale about Geisha, but it does not reveal the true inner life of a Geisha any more than the movie "A chorus Line" reveals the true inner life of a Broadway actor and actress. The gritty non-photogenic realities of life were no where to be seen. It is a man's view of a woman's world, like "Fight club" written by women. Women's concerns like unwanted children or periods were no where to be seen, but then again that is just as well, because as they said over and over in the "making of" videos, "This is not a documentary".

And yet, watching this film makes me want to see dramatized the personal story of a real Geisha such as Ikumatsu (Geisha to the revolutionary leader Kido Takayoshi). She sheltered him during the Japanese civil war, and after the war he did the surprising act of marrying her.

The Prince & Me II: The Royal Wedding (2006 Video)

If you loved the first film, you definitely won't like this one.

[3/10 · 30 March 2006]

The original Prince and Me wasn't the biggest blockbuster film out there. In a sea of other princess films, many people who would have liked the film probably missed it. I was surprised to find that I liked it so much, but in the original film the chemistry between the main actors was good and the character actors played their parts very well. (I especially liked Miranda Richardson as the Queen and Ben Miller as Sorren.) So it was a big shock to me to find that those actors weren't in this film.

In fact, the only people that I can find who are the same between the Prince and me 1 and 2 are the main actor Luke Mably (Prince Edvard), and one of the producers (Mike Elliott). Not even the director or the writers are the same. When so few of the original cast and crew are willing to work on the sequel, I assume that there must be something wrong with it.

I saw almost no chemistry at all between the two leads in this film, and although the actor playing Sorren did his best to imitate the original (for which I was grateful) he was not as sarcastic or funny.

In fact, if you have seen the first one, it is impossible to keep yourself from comparing the two and finding that this film fails to live up to the original on all points.

The costume design is nowhere near as good. The writing is about par with a made-for-TV movie. And the characters are so flat, you can see their edges fluttering in the wind. The only ones worth watching in this film were the lead, Luke Mably, and Paige's dreamy medical school friend . I found myself coming up with better plot complications than the movie had, and the last minute save and destruction of the rival was just sad.

The CG butterflies were worse than the original. No, I can't find any point that I preferred to the original. In fact, the major reason for seeing this film is to make you realize how incredibly good the first movie was across the board.

If you've never seen the Prince and Me before, then this movie is probably OK but not exceptional. For true fans of the original though, this is sure to be a disappointment.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Larger than Life

[3 January 2004]

In the modern era, we tend to prefer stories about individuals and their personal struggles, but this has not always been the case. The Lord of the Rings - Return of the King is about big struggles and bravery and how an individual can affect the course of history. It is full of dangerous choices and people rising up to take on roles that are greater than themselves. Some succeed, and some fail, but everything that they do is larger than life.

Having read the book several times, I came into this movie with some trepidation, but I smiled through most of the movie because the grandeur of it all was just so incredible. There were many small story points that were changed or not mentioned, but it was so wonderful to see what was there that I forgave it all.

In the story, Frodo must finish his quest to destroy the ring with a false guide, and a growing paranoia that makes him distrust his true friend Sam. Gondor must prepare for battle with a steward who has already given up the fight. Aragorn must take up the mantle of the king and find a new army, and all must show bravery against an army of evil orcs, trolls, Oliphants, and Nazgul on flying steeds.

I can't recall another movie with as many stirring speeches, hard choices, and grand images. The computer program, Massive, more than justifies it's promise creating huge battle scenes that could not be filmed any other way.

The opening is a bit dark for younger viewers. It shows the murder that Smeagol committed to get the ring. Also of concern are loud music, scary monsters including a giant spider, and violent battle scenes. Even so, this movie justifies its rating for not being afraid of using grand words and images to discuss a grand subject. It doesn't back away from the enormity of setting in Tolkien's work. It creates a sense of awe in the watcher that make one watch open mouthed as each new magnificent scene unfolds.

Three Colors: Blue (1993)

A passage through dark water into light

[15 December 2003]

This movie is one of my favorites.

The disturbing topic of a woman who can't deal with the loss of her husband and child transforms into an essay on the impossibility of isolation. It is a quiet, personal movie that spends most of it's time with the main character played excellently by Juliette Binoche.

The color blue is very evident in the film,and a fade to a simple blue screen is used to show times of deep emotion. Although the characters are set in a specific time and place ( France just before the formation of the EU ) the focus on the personal journey of grief transcends the setting.

I like the way this film changes from a story about a death to an affirmation to life. I like the way that little things like mice in the apartment loom large in the thought of our main character, where as what others consider important such as finishing her husband's symphony seem very minor .

It feels like diving deep through cold dark water to finally swim toward the light. One passes through emotional turmoil to come out the other side. I found it a very satisfying.