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October 30 The Box Tonight I went to the cinema and saw The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, and Frank Langella.The movie is set in 1976, and is directed by Richard Kelly, who also directed Donnie Darko. The movie is based on a short story called 'Button, Button' by Richard Matheson.  A man leaves a package on the doorstep of the house of Arthur and Norma Lewis, an average middle-American couple. Inside the package is an ornate device with a red button on it. Accompanying this is a card declaring that Mr Steward will arrive at 5pm. Neither Arthur nor Norma know anyone by the name of Mr Steward. At 5pm Mr Steward arrives and offers Norma a deal. Press the button, and one million dollars in cash will be given. However, there's a catch. If the button is pressed, someone, somewhere, will die. Norma does not know who that person is. Arthur arrives home later, and the decision-making process begins. What ensues is a very poor emulation of a good old-fashioned thriller movie. The script is extremely loose, with parts of the movie seeming more like a 'fill' than an actual part of the storyline. There are a number of loose ends that are not tied up. The acting is a little wooden, and the music often detracts from the film, rather than enhancing it. At some points in the film I laughed, when clearly the action occurring in the scene should not have elicited such a response. Early in the movie I needed to go to the restroom, and instead of just keeping my needs at bay, I walked out of the cinema for approximately five minutes. When I got back, I hadn't missed anything important. This is a clear sign that Richard Kelly should've shortened the film and made the characters a little deeper than the shallow representations that ended up on screen. The storyline left me quite frustrated. I actually felt like I had wasted two hours of my life for a movie that I could definitely have missed, and would've been none-the-wiser. Indeed, the short story seems more appealing to me. However, fans of Kelly will see this movie. They will adore the cliched motifs. They will value the methods of suspense used to heighten the movie. They will marvel at the underlying themes of morality, guilt, justice, and life on other planets. This is the first film that I have seen under the helm of Richard Kelly. Perhaps it will be the last, if his latest offering is anything to go by. If you want to escape, and don't mind being frustrated at the outcome of the movie, then invest your hard-earned cash. At least I know that I didn't waste money on the tickets, as they were free. I'm not sure that I will want to give away my 2-for-1 coupon that came with the free tickets. That's almost as tough a decision as pressing a button on a box. October 28 Capitalism: A Love Story I've just come home from seeing a preview screening of Michael Moore's new film Capitalism: A Love Story. .jpg) This is the first film I've seen by Michael Moore. I had an inkling of what to expect, but I certainly did not expect the brusqueness of which Michael Moore points the finger at the U.S. Government for causing the financial demise of hundreds of thousands of Americans, and set in motion a global economic downturn. Capitalism is classed as an economic and social system whereby profits made from products are given to the private owners of a company. Labourers in the company are paid a wage, but do not share in the profits. Investors, usually by way of the sharemarket, benefit from a share of the profits also. Michael Moore's take on capitalism in America is somewhat more brutal than the above definition. In fact, the depth with which Moore illustrates the evils of capitalism, is nigh on the verge of causing a ripple effect. Perhaps this is what he had intended with this film. Moore uses archived footage, comedic voice-overs, interviews with victims, priests, members of the U.S. government, news footage, and other pieces to create a collage that combine to form a particular view on capitalism. That view is not a good one. Indeed, after seeing the film, I am more convinced of how the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. I guessed that the film was going to touch on the global economy, as this is the 'hot topic' of the media. What I hadn't realised was the benefits that some companies received even after making extremely bad decisions, which led to their company collapsing, stock values plummeting, and the stock market reaching an almost all-time low. What adds fuel to the fire here is the 'reward' that companies have gained for essentially being the catalyst for our current global economic situation. There are also glimpses of the pure evil of capitalism, where companies are benefitting from the deaths of it's employees. Jobs which should be paid a higher rate are not. Banks are foreclosing on loans which people cannot pay (often refinanced homes that were previously possessed in full by the owner/s), and so homes are being evicted, to embarrassing and shameful outcomes for those living there. The bottom line, for Moore, is that capitalism sucks. There is nothing good about capitalism. Money is god, and at the moment, there doesn't seem like much can be done about it. However, this is where Moore pulls his punches. He issues a challenge to viewers to stand up against capitalism. While this is indeed a movie made by an American, for Americans, we in Australia can take the message to heart. While our country has tighter regulations on banks and companies, there are still plenty of 'little guys' out there who are being shunted by big companies, so that those big companies can corner the market and thus have a greater hold on the profits that can be gained. We have people rushing out to get home loans that they usually cannot afford, because the new home-owners grant has been raised. Once they fall into the trap of getting a loan that they can't afford to pay back, their house is sold from under them, often to profit, due to the continuing price rise in houses despite the economic downturn, and the home owners are in a much worse position from which they started. One thing that Michael Moore fails to touch on in his film is the value and benefit of education. What needs to happen in order for capitalism to not take such a hold on people here in Australia, as it has in America, is for people to be educated on handling finances. In particular, the dangers of credit need to be revised. It is one thing to stand up against capitalism, it is another to shake the hold that it has on the common person. On a whole, this film has its merits. There are some biases in data representation, and a clear slant on the point of view of the victim, but the film still has validity. I would recommend this film to anyone who uses money. Ironically, after seeing the movie, a parking fee of $41 had to be paid, as the car was parked before 6pm. Capitalism wins the day. Dinner - $13. Movie - free. Parking - $41. The irony - priceless. October 10 10,000This blog has now received over 10,000 HITS!!!! Thanks for your continuing support. I'll try to keep things interesting. |
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