citzsold Reviews

My Pet Dinosaur (2017)

Great for kids under 10

[3/10 · 2 January 2019]

This is an interesting attempt with better acting than some daytime television. The problem is not the acting, necessarily. It is the details that surround everything. The military shows up, and the fellow says he is a colonel. His rank shows him to be a SFC. There is no unit patch, no name tag. These are just uniforms picked up before being issued. Very basic. Soldiers don't wear covers, just wander around. Things just don't match up with the show. There are parts where you could excuse it, and say it's a kids movie, but the lack of effort is so obvious. They just seem to have gone down to the local Michael's store to buy equipment for the scenes. Just too many holes. I have seen worse (Trollz), but this is a low.

I apologize. This is an Australian film, which actually makes more sense. The bad attempt at American dialect, the subpar acting, the storyline that doesn't hold together. If you've watched Australian mermaid movies on Netflix, this is right in line.

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Should be called "How to be a man"

[10/10 · 6 May 2016]

This film is the definitive book on the creation of masculinity. This film defined it for me when I first saw it in high school. Now, when I try to help others understand performance, I go back to this for men, and "Mona Lisa Smile" for modern feminism. I regret not taking the chance to pick up a parking meter head that a woman was selling at a garage sale. What better inside secret that I am a "Luke" fan. Luke becomes Christlike. This was an interesting prism to look at the film through when teaching at a religious school. It also speaks to the culture that crated it, in the 1960s. Another film that everyone should take time to watch.

Dear White People (2014)

For the film, 7. For the attempt, 9.

[8/10 · 6 May 2016]

This film, contrary to the title, is not a letter to white people. This is a view in to the inner conversations that take place in black culture. As a white man, I am not normally privy to these conversations. Many people with my pigment feel that black culture is a singular being (odd, since white is clearly not a singular culture). This is a conversation between blacks about where they belong as a minority culture in a white society. The movie has some interesting talking points, and should be credited with attempting to start a conversation on race. I don't think it took hold enough. The movie is an outgrowth of Morgan Freeman's character in "Glory", when he grabs Denzel Washington and gets in his face, "Who you calling. . . There white boys out there dying. . . " Take time to watch it, and listen to how a group talks to itself. If you are white, it isn't a story against you. The conversation isn't about harming you. it is about black people trying to understand what being black means post Civil Rights. There is no loss in not being a part of the conversation. This film is absolutely no threat to me.

Sometimes in April (2005 TV Movie)

So much better than "Hotel Rwanda"

[10/10 · 6 May 2016]

I have been showing this film in Sociology since I first watched it. Even after multiple viewings, I can't help but tear up multiple times, when I watch it. As of yet, I haven't been able to finish "Hotel Rwanda". A dislike for biographies is a part of that. Part of it is the "happy" feeling at the end, when you realize that he helped people (similar to Schindler's end scene with the rocks placed on his grave). We lose track in some dramas based on tragic events, rationalizing the tragedy by cheering the heroes, and walking away. We feel an uplift, but we forget that the victims are still out there, the loss is real, and the events can be repeated if we don't work to stop it. The film is not perfect, although Idris Elba carries this film so well. The scenery is Rwanda, the actors are African. This is not polished because reality is not polished. It is a beautiful thing. The fact that Idris Elba was unknown when this film was made was so much more powerful, because no one got excited to see "that actor". You took him as he was, and the story carried the day, not the actors. The enemy was faceless, because it was monolithic. Whites were pushed to the side, because this truly was an African event.

If you want to watch a Rwanda genocide film, this is the one.

Dear Frankie (2004)

Gerard Butler!

[10/10 · 6 May 2016]

Emotionally, one of my favorite movies. I absolutely fell in love with Gerard Butler and Emily Mortimer in this movie. I haven't read the positive review, but instead read the negatives. This movie is real, the acting is very human, not overplayed in any way. I appreciate the work to humanize the roles. As a parent, I understand the storyline of hiding the truth. The movie is not guessable (which I absolutely adore). This movie goes to where it wants to go, not to where you want it to go. It is not an easy film to watch, but it is a movie you should watch. I want very much to quote the hospital scene whenever I get a chance. It just isn't appropriate.

My Name Is Khan (2010)

Bollywood's version of America Post 9/11

[9/10 · 6 May 2016]

As a middle school teacher, I think there aren't many better movies for showing how 9/11 effected our migrant community. The movie is a bit broad, and it is definitely not flag waving, but it tackles real issues, and is emotionally taxing. The lead actor is very, very popular in South Asia, Africa, and China. Many of my students whose parents are from other countries easily recognize the actor. My students are at a point where they are very concerned with others opinions, and are not sure of their place in the world. This film allows my students to empathize with other cultures. It makes my students whose parents are foreign feel less alone. If you are looking for a great American drama, this is not it. If you want a window in to how the rest of the world lives, views America, and how they sometimes feel left out, this is it. I have yet to have a parent, a student, or a fellow teacher watch it and say, "blah".

Glory (1989)

Great Classroom Resource

[10/10 · 6 May 2016]

I have shown this film for years. Being a veteran, being a history teacher, and having an interest in gender performance, I watch this film from several perspectives. The creation of masculinity in the film is a safe window, distant from our modern wars and lives, but the similarities are striking. The racism amongst the black soldiers, between Union soldiers, and the layers: A great conversation starter and ender. What a wonderful piece of work. This movie is wasted on those that don't have the background knowledge to properly dissect it. The scene about getting off his high horse. . . Awesomely powerful. This is not just a piece of history, but a reflection on the post Vietnam quest to define American masculinity. Do not miss the opportunity to watch this, and rewatch this, and rewatch this.