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Fargo, a review by Eric

Fargo


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Based on a true story that took place in Minnesota and North Dakota in 1987.  The opening credits claim that the names of the survivors were changed but that "in respect for the deads the rest is told exactly as it occured".

It's about a frustrated loser who hires 2 guys to kidnap his wife and get his wealthy father in law to pay a ransom he will then keep. The story is interesting and I had never heard of it. 

The movie however is not very good.  It was obviously done with a small budget but I don't think it excuses everything.  The thing that bothered me is that the characters from Minnesota and North Dakota all looked kind of "idiotic".  They look cold, like nothing ever surprise them, almost like Zombie.  They also say "Yeaaaaah" at least once per sentence, often more, but pronounced almost with a German or Dutch accent.  I don't know if people in Minnesota really say "Yeah" all the time but in the movie it's very annoying, almost like the writer sometimes makes them say something totally useless just to squeeze another "Yeah" in there.

This is bad IMO because there's a scene in the movie where all those one word sentences with people answering "yeah" all the times makes the whole thing look like some parody that isn't even funny.

They may have told things exactly as they happened by respect for the deads but they could also have shown respect for the people involved by not depicting them as idiots.

My score: , but if you find it somewhere for less than 5$ bucks it can still fill a snowy saturday afternoon if one has nothing else to do.


P.S: After writing this review I checked the movie on Rotten Tomatoes.  To my surprise it got very good critics and scores averaging 85% by critics and 94% by the community so I guess one should base his decision on getting this movie or not on my review.

(From Eric's DVD watching. on October 4th, 2008)

Terra Sonāmbula, a review by Danae Cassandra

Where We Are:  Mozambique
wikipedia

What We Watched:


Overview:
In the midst of Mozambique's devastating civil war, Muidinga, an orphaned refugee, wanders the countryside in search of his mother.  His only companion is an elderly storyteller, and the only guide to finding his mother is a dead man's diary.  Together the storyteller and diary lead him on a magical, and sometimes macabre, journey across war-torn landscapes to find the family he lost.  Based on Mia Coutou's acclaimed Portuguese novel of the same name, Teresa Prata's transporting drama underscores the power of imagination in surviving, and ultimately overcoming, the catastrophe of war.

My Thoughts:
I'm a bit overwhelmed as to what to say.  This is a powerful film.  It has a lot to say about the effect of ongoing war on civilian populations, on the madness of madness of inter-tribal conflict and prejudice.  When the shopkeeper says that the kind of men he likes are those of "no color," it really resonates to conflict around the globe, not just Mozambique.

This is another low-budget film with amateur actors, but the two leads, Nick Laura Teresa as Muidinga and Aladino Jasse as Tuahir, are really good in their roles.  Jasse really brings Tuahir to life.  I was especially struck by the scene where he recalls life before the war, when he worked for the railroad, and how he brings that to life for Muidinga. 

This is, in part, magical realism, and as such can be read in multiple ways.  Tuahir and Muidinga journey in circles, ever-returning to the burned-out bus they first settle in.  Later the bus moves while they remain in it.  It is left to the viewer whether you believe in the magic, or it is simply their hallucination as the events of their lives overwhelm them.  Just as you are left to decide whether the story of Kindzu that Muidinga reads from the journal has happened as Muidinga reads it, or is it something that Muidinga is embellishing or making up.  The ending is equally ambiguous, letting the viewer end the story themselves.

This is a very compelling film, well made despite its budgetary limitations, but given the subject matter not for the tender-hearted.  There's also one scene that would offend most of my friends - - so let me also say that it's not for the easily offended.  It's a scene that could have been left out, but also makes sense in context.  Your mileage may vary, but that scene made me decide I could never show this great film to several of my closest friends and why I didn't rate the film higher.  Otherwise, recommended.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall:  3.5/5

(From Around the World in 86 Movies on February 18th, 2013)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

The Adventures of Robin Hood
This classic television series ran from 1955 to 1960, featuring the tales of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. Richard Greene stars as our gallant hero who fought the forces of the evil Prince John, his local official the Sheriff of Nottingham and any aristocrat or ne'er-do-well who threatened the common people and loyal subjects of King Richard. Robin and his band lived in the shelter of Sherwood Forest, fighting their foes and hoping for the day when their beloved King Richard will return from the Crusades to rule once again.

The Coming of Robin Hood
Sir Robin of Loxley returns to England from fighting in the Crusades to discover that the notorious Sir Roger DeLisle has been given his family's lands and castles, and has had Robin declared an outlaw.

My Thoughts:
This is a good classic series that is filled with action.... and has a nice bit of comedy mixed in as well. Granted this is a cheap set so the image quality could be better. But it is definitely watchable.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on October 27th, 2009)