Saw a couple of movies in the theater today (never hopped movies before, but I figured it was an important teenaged experience), so here are my reviews--because everyone does it.
A Mighty Heart: Political movies seem to just flash information at the audience to make the proceedings seem "real" and give the characters something to look at and emote to. Pakistan is beautifully portrayed as a city stuffed to bursting, but the plot unfolds the exact same way every political mystery unfolds (if you can call something a mystery when you’ve seen the ending all over the news). While the sum of the parts may be trite, some of the parts (Jolie’s scream...those who have seen the movie know what I’m talking about) go beyond political melodrama to real human drama. FOR: Those who enjoy "politics" movies.
Evan Almighty: It starts well enough, with Steve Carell and Morgan Friedman and a decent concept. Then, we get family values. The most interesting part of this family film for me was the portrayal of the teenager in the family. The teenager in this movie is seen as just a "larger kid". He smiles with the kids, gives hi-fives, plays with them, and is an integral, sulk-and-glare-less guy. But we all know what makes a teenaged guy: a lower voice and trendy clothing! Infantilization continues on screen... FOR: Steve Carell fans only. Don’t bother.
AND: Finished the book Glasshouse by Charles Stross (http://www.amazon.com/Glasshouse-Charles-Stross/dp/0441014038). Sure, its trashy Sci Fi (it begins with sex with a four-armed, blue woman), but explores interesting territory including the idea of "the singularity," when humans build intelligence greater than their own, in this case by turning people into code and re-building them with modifications. It's also a great exploration of memory--the main character has had his own wiped, and through the novel the relationship between a person's memories and their identity is explored nicely. A quick read, good FOR: Those who enjoy sci fi, psychology, easy fiction.
This sci fi ideas in this novel are pretty good--check out the article A Digital Life in ScientificAmerican.com: http://sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=CC50D7BF-E7F2-99DF-34DA5FF0B0A22B50 about the problem of memory and the prospect of digital memory.
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2 comments:
Hi Brian, This my first blogging experience. Took me a while to figure out how to post a comment.
I was interested in your analysis of THE GLASS HOUSE..especially your thoughts on memory and identity. Ever since I remember being aware of thinking about "who am I??" I felt alien in my family --an empath without borders. Perhaps that is normal for twins..there is no I only a we from the moment of conception. My understanding of relationships is one of merging colors. When I am alone, walking or thinking to the rain, like today...then I am one set of colors...each person is has their own color combinations. When I am with family , friends, or those who are less than friends, our colors overlap. Sometimes I like who I am, sometimes I don't. Then comes choice. What do I allow "us" to do with with the 'me' I want to be.
And since we all change from moment to moment, day to day is there really choice or the playing out of other lifetimes that determines the mix of our colors???
Just thoughts inspired by your blog.. Why did you select silentgraffiti ? Words have a voice even if written in stead of spoken. What represents graffiti?
from robin broken wing on the mend.
Brian, Soft night is beautiful, speaking to the soul, wrapped in veil of velvet. It was not on the blog that I commented on yesterday.
I identified myself as 'other'. But somehow the google goddess thought I was anonymous. never mind.
Last night I read Melanie Jackonson OUTSIDERS. Another powerful take on identity with the fey, dragons, goblins, trolls, humans in entangled and combined.
If you don't know her, check her out on google.
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Melanie Jackson is a fourth generation Californian who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband and a pet cat. She is a member of the Clan Gregor Society of Scotland, the McAdams Historical Society, and is the co-founder of CYBER CLAN, the Internet home for tech-inclined clanfolk. She is a connoisseur of poetic doggerel and an enthusiastic gardener.
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I hate the hypocracy for the 4th of July.I love what America should stand for. The paranoid crap we are being sold tastes like ashes and goose dropping.
Be safe, breathe deep, enjoy the moment.
robin on the run
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