Change Your Image
mmfigueroa
Reviews
The Fever (2004)
Nice idea, great cast and acting...
... but not happy with the personal guilt trip!!! (most probably intended)
This is a personal reflection on how what we do every day, what we buy, what we wear can affect someone somewhere in the world. As a upper middle class living in a city Europe 'the woman' (Vanessa Redgrave) lives a happy life until starts hearing strangers and friends talk about injustice and inequalities in the world.
At some point she's prompted to travel (it seems that she's never been out there in the WORLD!?) to a small X country where a revolutionary government is running the show and then to a neighboring country where a dictator is in power to see the difference and compare them. All goes well until she's back home and she can't get out of her head those poor oppressed people. In other words she got: THE FEVER.
Unfortunately there's a big-long-guilt ridden monologue that blames all in the self. Yes its true that we as individuals contribute in one way or other to others suffering but IMO it's necessary to put it in context and compare it to the impact of a big business or government have on it, and ultimately the responsibility lies in society as a whole.
The cast couldn't be better and the acting is great, from the Human right activist to the fiery rebel to the foreign correspondent and the every day people that are part of the woman's life. The settings also make you feel somewhere out in the world from cosmopolitan cities to places where the streets are not paved, houses are falling apart and people are v. poor. The film also includes animated sequences sprinkled along the plot to illustrate the past of this woman, that gives work very well giving a sense of childhood memories.
Highly recommended movie (see it before the holiday shopping season begins :)
Manderlay (2005)
Engaging but simplistic conclusion
I was engaged through out the plot and enjoyed viewing it. However the "closing the circle" idea at the end didn't really click with me.
It's true that most times violence comes back to bite us, but usually is an spiral not a back to square one. What I mean by spiral is that this violence may manifest itself on different ways after a period of time, where old practices may be eradicated and new ways of violence may appear on the group.
I attended a screening on the Virginia Film Festival and we had a panel discussion afterwards. The photographer for the movie was present but didn't really explore this topics, or anything related to the movie...
Anyways it was fun the idea of the chapters/story-telling style of the movie and the acting was good overall.
Though I don't agree with the conclusion still recommend you to see it and make your own conclusions.
Cheers!