Here’s my first review of a Netflix movie…..
City of God is the story of a photographer in Rio de Janeiro. It starts off, backtracks to his childhood and goes all the way up to the current situation and then ends. This is a story about life in slums in one of the larger cities in one of the larger countries in the world. It shows a bit about what it’s like to live on the streets and be a hoodlum vs. getting a job and trying to be a respectable citizen. This may not be a film for everyone just because of content. It’s nothing too terrible, just life on the streets and gangs running around doing their thing. This is a film that most definitely makes me feel grateful for living where I do, growing up with privileges that many around the world will never get a chance to have. So if you haven’t seen this one go out and rent it.
Archive for June, 2005
Bendog and I watched this the other night and I thought it was awesome. I remember watching previews over in Delta with my venerable roomate - Ben - and we both thought it looked pretty good. This one stars Don Cheadle, Ryan Gosling, Kevin Spacy, Jena Malone and Chris Klein. The story line goes something like some kid stabs and kills a retarded kid. Nobody knows why. Everybody is trying to get to the bottom of the story. The suspect happens to be the son of a famous writer who has never really taken the time to help raise his son and a teacher seems to be the only adult male actually looking out for the guy. Meanwhile you have Klein playing the role of an almost abandoned child taken in by a caring family. Interestingly enough, he seems to be the one who cares about, looks after, and tries to protect that family the most. The only problem is that nobody seems to care. The real heart of the movie is Leland’s thoughts and ideals. His philosophy on life. You find out why he did what he did. Is this boy a devil worshiper? Is he insane? Is he not quite all there himself? I guess that’ll be something you’ll have to decide. This gets two thumbs up from me.
I didn’t really want to see The Alamo when it came out. The previews didn’t make it look all that great, and the story isn’t really my favorite story in American history. In fact, I wasn’t all that familiar with the story anyway.
But lately I’ve decided to see if I like Patrick Wilson as much as I suspect that I do, so I’ve been renting the few movies that he’s in. The Alamo was one of them.
I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. It was a nice historical drama. Nothing spectacular, but nice. I wouldn’t put it at the level of The Patriot, one of my favorite American History war dramas, but it was pretty good.
Billy Bob Thorton was fine in it as Davy Crockett. The moment where Crockett plays his violin with Santa Ana’s men is probably completely fictional, but it was a nice movie moment. Jason Patric did a nice job as Jim Bowie, a character I’d heard of but never really known much about.
As for Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston — he wasn’t really a major part of the movie until after everyone at the Alamo was dead, but you can see why Texans love Sam Houston. Actually, this movie lets you know why Texans love Texas.
Historically, The Alamo wasn’t exactly right on. However, I do know a bit more about the story and am willing to find out more. It’s an entertaining movie that makes Santa Ana the bad guy instead of the Mexican army, that makes heroes out of people who wouldn’t normally be heroes (like Travis, the Patrick Wilson character), and that questions heroes that are already folklore in their own era (Davy Crockett).
I wouldn’t rush out to rent The Alamo, but I wouldn’t warn you off of it, either.
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