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A few things I've seen lately:
1. Haywire
I'm not sure why this movie failed at the box office (rotten tomatoes: 80% of critics liked it but only 43% of the public). It was the best action movie I've seen and a pretty damn good just as a movie.
Things I liked:
-Brilliant use of sound, most notably the absence of sound. There were fights during which all you could hear was the noises and it made the scenes much more intense and interestingly intimate. In one part she's telling a story and the flashback has no dialogue. None from the characters in the scene and I don't think much, if any, voice-over. It's all pictures. I heart it.
-Realistic fight scenes. Not balletic, not beautiful, but convincing in a "this is how I would survive in as efficient a way as possible using whatever methods were at my disposal". They were messy and direct. She also fought "like a girl" meaning using her strengths to her advantages (my thighs are stronger than my arms too).
-Character development. I liked that the main character didn't talk much. She's a freaking assassin/special ops kinda person, why would she be chatty? Yet while being incredibly independent and (necessarily) ruthless she also maintained some normal (restrained, but normal) emotional and/or romantic relationships. Without it being cliched and ridiculous and sappy and sentimental. I don't think I've seen many female characters granted this level of respect. Also props to the actress who I believe was a fighter who crossed over into acting.
-She screwed up. While being incredibly competent (god so hot) and confident (also hot) sometimes things didn't go to plan and she couldn't outrun all 85 guys chasing her. And she would do smart, savvy things that made sense for the character. The writing was really smart.
-A subtle plot. Not everything was revealed at once! It didn't treat the audience like we're stupid! (Maybe this is why people didn't like it?) You had to pay attention and maybe think a little! There was some exposition at the end, but also blanks you had to fill in yourself *gasp*
I went in expecting a fairly entertaining, fun action movie and was very impressed. I doubt it's still in theaters, but would *highly* recommend. (If you saw it and didn't like it, I'm really curious to know why.)
2. A few nights later I watched a documentary on war photographer James Nachtwey. (Google him!) We have some of his photographs at work and they are often used for teaching. My boss lent me the movie, it was made about 10 years ago. It was fascinating to learn about this man who has devoted his life (at the cost of a fixed personal life) to his work and to bringing attention to devastating events worldwide. But 90 minutes of war in Bosnia, Rwanda, Palestine, Guatemala, etc., and images of incredibly poverty from Africa and southeast Asia, people living in trash heaps and next to railroad tracks, and starving children. It was rough going. One of his photographs can be incredibly moving so seeing film of so many of these situations was intense. It was a lot of human suffering to witness, even at such a remove. You may know some of his work--it was his images of 911 that were published in TIME.
3. This week I went to a talk by the Guerrilla Girls. (Well, one Girl). Feminist, activist artists who dubbed themselves "the conscience of the art world," they've been creating public works of art (mostly posters, stickers, and banners) that challenge sexism and racism in the art world since 1985. They wear gorilla masks and adopt the names of dead women artists to hide their identities. By the time I was in school they were already canonized (I've taught them in intro classes), so it was fun to see one of them present in person. My exhibition includes some of their posters and I tagged along the tour we gave Frida Kahlo this morning.
1. Haywire
I'm not sure why this movie failed at the box office (rotten tomatoes: 80% of critics liked it but only 43% of the public). It was the best action movie I've seen and a pretty damn good just as a movie.
Things I liked:
-Brilliant use of sound, most notably the absence of sound. There were fights during which all you could hear was the noises and it made the scenes much more intense and interestingly intimate. In one part she's telling a story and the flashback has no dialogue. None from the characters in the scene and I don't think much, if any, voice-over. It's all pictures. I heart it.
-Realistic fight scenes. Not balletic, not beautiful, but convincing in a "this is how I would survive in as efficient a way as possible using whatever methods were at my disposal". They were messy and direct. She also fought "like a girl" meaning using her strengths to her advantages (my thighs are stronger than my arms too).
-Character development. I liked that the main character didn't talk much. She's a freaking assassin/special ops kinda person, why would she be chatty? Yet while being incredibly independent and (necessarily) ruthless she also maintained some normal (restrained, but normal) emotional and/or romantic relationships. Without it being cliched and ridiculous and sappy and sentimental. I don't think I've seen many female characters granted this level of respect. Also props to the actress who I believe was a fighter who crossed over into acting.
-She screwed up. While being incredibly competent (god so hot) and confident (also hot) sometimes things didn't go to plan and she couldn't outrun all 85 guys chasing her. And she would do smart, savvy things that made sense for the character. The writing was really smart.
-A subtle plot. Not everything was revealed at once! It didn't treat the audience like we're stupid! (Maybe this is why people didn't like it?) You had to pay attention and maybe think a little! There was some exposition at the end, but also blanks you had to fill in yourself *gasp*
I went in expecting a fairly entertaining, fun action movie and was very impressed. I doubt it's still in theaters, but would *highly* recommend. (If you saw it and didn't like it, I'm really curious to know why.)
2. A few nights later I watched a documentary on war photographer James Nachtwey. (Google him!) We have some of his photographs at work and they are often used for teaching. My boss lent me the movie, it was made about 10 years ago. It was fascinating to learn about this man who has devoted his life (at the cost of a fixed personal life) to his work and to bringing attention to devastating events worldwide. But 90 minutes of war in Bosnia, Rwanda, Palestine, Guatemala, etc., and images of incredibly poverty from Africa and southeast Asia, people living in trash heaps and next to railroad tracks, and starving children. It was rough going. One of his photographs can be incredibly moving so seeing film of so many of these situations was intense. It was a lot of human suffering to witness, even at such a remove. You may know some of his work--it was his images of 911 that were published in TIME.
3. This week I went to a talk by the Guerrilla Girls. (Well, one Girl). Feminist, activist artists who dubbed themselves "the conscience of the art world," they've been creating public works of art (mostly posters, stickers, and banners) that challenge sexism and racism in the art world since 1985. They wear gorilla masks and adopt the names of dead women artists to hide their identities. By the time I was in school they were already canonized (I've taught them in intro classes), so it was fun to see one of them present in person. My exhibition includes some of their posters and I tagged along the tour we gave Frida Kahlo this morning.
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