A man once said, “If you want peace, prepare for war”, but it’s without a doubt, no one ever retorted with “At what price?” Often times, war is rationalized by those who continue it and those who support it. Collateral Damage, Friendly Fire, and the like are terms used to further downplay the futility of war. I am not a pacifist by any definition of the word. I do not adhere to the mindset of such an ideal, but when it applies to “Munich” and the films ultimate pacifist message, I tend to agree with him and Kushner. “Munich” has been one of the most controversial films of 2005, and in the long run, of all time, and will have you stepping back to re-think not only the 1972 Munich tragedy, but war in general. Spielberg and Kushner through the events of 1972 use that as a template to express their feelings toward the modern world at war. Do the ends justify the means? Does going after terrorists end the war, or does it subject us to even more war?
Tag Archives: Crime
A History of Violence (2005)
I’m not–a fan of Cronenberg. Yes, I admit it, and no I will not turn in my lifetime membership card, I am a film buff through and through, bitch. As the saying goes, “those who don’t remember the past, are doomed to relive it”. The question is, can we ever leave behind a violent past, or are we doomed to relive it? And does violence in any form ever go away? I was not expecting anything in particular with this film, but I was expecting a bad film. Surprisingly though, this is not a bad film. In fact it’s a great film, and at many times an excellent examination of violence as a concept and as an everyday aspect of our lives. Cronenberg’s direction is on the mark. If you’re expecting an action thriller with gunfights, and fist fights, and sex, well–there’s some of that, but it’s rare, honestly. What you will get though is a thorough, engrossing, and tight explanation on violence, and the cyclical nature of it.
Ripper 2: Letter from Within (2004)
The original film–well it was far from original–I’ll say the first film, was quite possibly one of the most ludicrous slasher films I’ve ever seen. One thing is for sure, I’ve never seen a slasher movie so intent on being taken seriously, and I’ve never seen a slasher film so intent on posing as a murder mystery, but it was so filled with lapses in logic, that I could have gone on for pages on its sheer stupidity. Here’s a film that further widens the gap between fantasy and reality adding a “digital twist” to its story. Are these studios so dumb they use the digital angle as a fail safe? Need a sequel to “Mangler”? Add a digital twist. Need a sequel to the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series? Add a digital twist. It can happen.
Man of the House (2005)
Maybe it’s because I expected junk, but I didn’t hate “Man of the House.” Sure, it’s typical, and routine, and bubbly, and that should equal a bad review, but I didn’t have a miserable time. I admittedly had fun, because “Man of the House” in spite of its many faults, was a fun movie. It’s like a carnival ride, fun and then forgotten. And it helps that the film has some really sexy girls in it. Five. You can make the argument that I liked this because of the girls, and you’d be partially right, but I also had fun thanks to Tommy Lee Jones, who lends the film a really welcome comedic bent.
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (Sophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage) (2005)
In 1943, German teens Sophie and Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst along with many others, were convicted of crimes against their country during the end of the second world war. Sophie, Hans, and Christoph were convicted and executed after being caught distributing leaflets and pamphlets speaking out against Hitler and his army. What’s depicted in “Sophie Scholl” is the utterly heroic and courageous war fought by these three people to survive and send out their messages of impending defeat to the Nazi’s. “Sophie Scholl” is a brilliant and utterly magnificent exploration not only in to the battle of these freedom fighters, but also an insightful glance at the last breath of the Nazi regime. I insist I’ve yet to see an awful depiction of the holocaust, and I stand by it. “Sophie Scholl” can be added to that list as one of the best depictions of Nazi wrath, and defiance ever made. It’s a masterpiece, pure and simple.
Hostel (2005)
“Hi! I’m Eli Roth, I’m that film school reject people like Quentem Tarantino and Takaki Miike are saying is a genius! I make moving pictures, moving pictures that really suck, but see people don’t know that, because I just pass it off as art, and then my mentor pats my head, critics praise me, complacent horror fans worship me, and I disappear in to my house.” There were two movies that came out in 2005, two similar attempted nihilistic horror entries that were both very gory, very unique, and made at the displeasure of the MPAA, and both struck chords with horror fans. Except this one.
Four Brothers (2005)
I was surprised to discover how much I really enjoyed “Four Brothers.” Even for a remake. “Four Brothers” is a worthy successor to the original film, and with a dose of cheese every so often it really accomplishes the slight camp from the original film. What made it a more enjoyable experience is that Singleton and the writers turn this in to a modern western. Gladly, this is a modern western in every sense of the word with some great elements from the genre, and some of Singleton’s style thrown in for good measure. Like a cowboy on horseback, Wahlberg’s character Bobby makes his entrance in to the inner-city of Detroit with old school soul playing in the background. Wahlberg becomes the basic drive here (the replacement for John Wayne) who enters back in to his stomping grounds from a life of business to mourn the loss of his foster mother who was killed viciously in a store robbery.