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Reviews
Man of Aran (1934)
Beautiful, Mythic, Deep
This is a magnificent portrait not only of a dying way of life (dying in 1934 and still dying) but a portrait of the human struggle to find life in the most desolate of places. The photography is magnificent, the pacing is perfect and the piece transcends culture and even the very idea of "documentary" film. But this is true of all of Flaherty's films. Flaherty wasn't a documentarian. He didn't purport to be a disinterested observer (whatever that is). He staged his films, this has never been in dispute and he never made any attempts to hide the fact. He referred to films he made as "travel films", a phrase common in the 1930s. Make no mistake this film is a piece of art.
The War Within (2005)
Thoughtful, well crafted and Engaging
I love this film. It works. It moved me, it frightened me and it shocked me. The idea of a fundamentalist suicide bomber living among his victims before his attack is one which strikes deep.
I didn't see Hassan simply as a machine or as a monster or as the incarnation of evil. I saw him as a man, like all men, capable of MAKING himself into a machine or a monster or the incarnation of evil should he chose to do so. And this film is about a man who makes that choice. Thankfully the filmmakers knew that the reasons for such a choice can't be explained in an entire lifetime let alone two hours.
All of the acting is refreshingly true. FIRDOUS BAMJI is heartbreaking. But AYAD AKHTAR holds it all together. His subtle portrayal is enough reason to see this film. He didn't take the easy road and serve as yet another facile illustration of how simple it is to tell the good guys from the bad guys.
This film asks those questions we in the West have been asking since September 11th. Most of them start with the word "how?" In art asking the questions as truthfully as you can is always better than providing the answers.