Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Brokeback Mountain

Set in the 1960s, Ang Lee's Academy Award-winning adaptation of E. Annie Proulx's short story of the same title, Brokeback Mountain records the relationship between two male cowboys, Ennis De Mar and Jack Twist. They meet each other one day when the both take a sheep-herding job, and even though Ennis is engaged to get married, they eventually have sex. Afterwards, they leave each other and start families, but their lives intertwine throughout the years. This movie has lovely cinematography and good acting. The main problem most people seem to have about it is that Ennis and Jack didn't 'love' each other enough. It's true that their relationship was conflicted and sometimes downright weird, but that's the way some romances are. Did they care about each other? Yes. Did they love each other? That's up to you to decide. Some people claim that it's a bad model of gay love; others say that it just shows what a immoral thing homosexuality is. Well, you know what? In real life, people's feelings towards each other aren't clear cut. If Ennis and Jack were real and not just characters, they wouldn't be sitting there saying "Uh-oh! We better work on our love life so people know we really love each other and are not just acting out of homosexual lust!" The fact that their relationship was ambiguous made it more believable, in my opinion. All in all, a well-done film. Obviously don't see it if you're homophobic or dislike downers. (Rated R)












Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street



Tim Burton directs this artfully-made but grisly musical, set in 19th-century England,. A corrupt judge (Alan Rickman) falsely imprisons a barber named Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) out of lust for his wife, Lucy.


Years later, Barker escapes, is rescued at sea by a young sailor, Anthony, and returns to London. There he finds Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who owns a failing meat pie shop. He is told by her that his wife, after rejecting Judge Turpin's advances, was raped and later killed herself. Not only that, but Judge Turpin has his teenage daughter, Johanna, and is raising her as his own child.


Vowing to get revenge, he changes his name to Sweeney Todd and reopens his barber shop, with violent intentions. Well done in every respect, Sweeney Todd is totally Tim Burton- dark sets, macabre story, and miserable, bitter lead characters. All makeup and set designs are pale and bleak, except for the bright, dreamlike flashbacks. In one scene, Mrs. Lovett sings a number about her hopes and dreams for the future. In the fantasy sequence that follows, the background becomes more brightly colored and optimistic, but the characters' makeup remains the same, perhaps reflecting the futility of her fantasies.


Definitely not for every taste, this film is highly recommended for anyone looking for something a little different or who has an interest in sick and twisted cinema. Do not watch this if you are squeamish. When my family watched it, my mom had her head down her shirt for a good amount of the movie. If you are turned off by substantial amounts of blood and violence in movie, it's a fair bet that you won't enjoy it. (Rated R)