Movie Reviews
Two movie reviews this time!
"The Kite Runner" - I haven't read the book this is based on, but I really enjoyed the culture shock. The beginning and the end of the story takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan, it was a modern, clean place for the son of a wealthy man, wealthy enough that the father has a servant and his son even has a servant, the son of the father's servant. The problem is that the servants are both Hazara, a minority ethnic group.
At first it seemed the two boys were devoted friends, but after an incident involving older boys, it seems that the rich man's son is not a very good friend, and the two separate. Later, the Soviets invade and the rich man with his son leave and end up in California.
Years later, the grown-up son buries his father and returns to Kabul to take care of family business, but this time Kabul is run by the Taliban and is dirty and corrupt.
Even though it has a happy but not-quite-believable ending, it is hard to like the rich man's son until the very end.
The movie does a great job of imparting a feeling of despair in a country controlled by monsters.
There is an attempt at realism, it is filmed in western China, very near to the borders of Afghanistan, using actors and non-actors and speaking Dari, the language of Kabul.
As a side note, I discovered on the internet that the movie's release was delayed because of fear of violence. There is a rape scene involving the Hazara boy, the film producers were made aware that the boy's lives may be in danger if the people of Afghanistan saw a bootleg of that movie. The film production company moved the boys and their families to the United Arab Emerits for their own protection.
I give this movie an 8 out of 10, for great story-telling and amazing scenery.
"Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" - This movie is based on the 1979 Seven Sondheim play, I won't give away the story, but I will say that it is rated 'R' for violence and blood. That will sadden the Harry Potter fans, cause this movie has three characters from the Harry Potter movies, Alan Rickman who plays professor Snape, Timothy Spall who plays Peter Pettigrew, and Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Bellatrix Lestrange. Another shocker for the Harry Potter fans is the fact that it is a musical, even though the previews on TV don't reveal that!
And then there is blood, glorious blood. Buckets of blood. And murder most foul. Lots of murders. And three murderers! This movie may cause spontaneous orgasms in Goth kids.
The makeup is leftover from other TIm Burton movies, but the acting and singing is not bad. I give this movie a 7 out of ten. I just hope parents aren't stupid enough to take their young kids to see this one.
"The Kite Runner" - I haven't read the book this is based on, but I really enjoyed the culture shock. The beginning and the end of the story takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan, it was a modern, clean place for the son of a wealthy man, wealthy enough that the father has a servant and his son even has a servant, the son of the father's servant. The problem is that the servants are both Hazara, a minority ethnic group.
At first it seemed the two boys were devoted friends, but after an incident involving older boys, it seems that the rich man's son is not a very good friend, and the two separate. Later, the Soviets invade and the rich man with his son leave and end up in California.
Years later, the grown-up son buries his father and returns to Kabul to take care of family business, but this time Kabul is run by the Taliban and is dirty and corrupt.
Even though it has a happy but not-quite-believable ending, it is hard to like the rich man's son until the very end.
The movie does a great job of imparting a feeling of despair in a country controlled by monsters.
There is an attempt at realism, it is filmed in western China, very near to the borders of Afghanistan, using actors and non-actors and speaking Dari, the language of Kabul.
As a side note, I discovered on the internet that the movie's release was delayed because of fear of violence. There is a rape scene involving the Hazara boy, the film producers were made aware that the boy's lives may be in danger if the people of Afghanistan saw a bootleg of that movie. The film production company moved the boys and their families to the United Arab Emerits for their own protection.
I give this movie an 8 out of 10, for great story-telling and amazing scenery.
"Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" - This movie is based on the 1979 Seven Sondheim play, I won't give away the story, but I will say that it is rated 'R' for violence and blood. That will sadden the Harry Potter fans, cause this movie has three characters from the Harry Potter movies, Alan Rickman who plays professor Snape, Timothy Spall who plays Peter Pettigrew, and Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Bellatrix Lestrange. Another shocker for the Harry Potter fans is the fact that it is a musical, even though the previews on TV don't reveal that!
And then there is blood, glorious blood. Buckets of blood. And murder most foul. Lots of murders. And three murderers! This movie may cause spontaneous orgasms in Goth kids.
The makeup is leftover from other TIm Burton movies, but the acting and singing is not bad. I give this movie a 7 out of ten. I just hope parents aren't stupid enough to take their young kids to see this one.