Land Of The...
21. Joy (dir. David O'Russell, 2016)
I originally watched this a couple of weeks ago, mainly because I like Jennifer Lawrence, and also because her previous collaborations with O'Russell have been good. And it is pretty good - the story of Joy Mantango, who went from near-broke housewife to millionairess inventor via a cable shopping channel - is well thought out, well written, and well directed. Like all O'Russell's films, there are equal parts of comedy and tragedy, and if you liked his prior releases, you might want to give this a try.
22. Where To Invade Next (dir. Michael Moore, 2016)
Michael Moore is possibly one of America's most interesting, and most irritating filmmakers, due to his starting from a big premise - Ban guns! Don't invade! Bring in free healthcare! - and then pulling in all sides of the argument. However, this films falls down quite badly. Whilst I completely agreed with Moore that America could learn a lot from European countries about education, prison reform, holidays, and workers' rights, there is also the fact that there is a lot about America that's really pretty good. It also failed to note that part of the reason for free tuition in Slovenia, and the Finnish education system, is due to the massive taxes. Plus, whilst I like the idea of a two hour lunch break, he also failed to note that in Italy the cities, such as Rome, are moving more towards a London/NYC style. A slightly odd film, that frustrated me more than it educated.
I originally watched this a couple of weeks ago, mainly because I like Jennifer Lawrence, and also because her previous collaborations with O'Russell have been good. And it is pretty good - the story of Joy Mantango, who went from near-broke housewife to millionairess inventor via a cable shopping channel - is well thought out, well written, and well directed. Like all O'Russell's films, there are equal parts of comedy and tragedy, and if you liked his prior releases, you might want to give this a try.
22. Where To Invade Next (dir. Michael Moore, 2016)
Michael Moore is possibly one of America's most interesting, and most irritating filmmakers, due to his starting from a big premise - Ban guns! Don't invade! Bring in free healthcare! - and then pulling in all sides of the argument. However, this films falls down quite badly. Whilst I completely agreed with Moore that America could learn a lot from European countries about education, prison reform, holidays, and workers' rights, there is also the fact that there is a lot about America that's really pretty good. It also failed to note that part of the reason for free tuition in Slovenia, and the Finnish education system, is due to the massive taxes. Plus, whilst I like the idea of a two hour lunch break, he also failed to note that in Italy the cities, such as Rome, are moving more towards a London/NYC style. A slightly odd film, that frustrated me more than it educated.