Click on the title to take you to a very well done commentary by a New York Times writer. It sets the tone for what is what I consider one of the best vampire movies ever made. It is also an exceptionally well-made piece of moviemaking. The meticulous attention to detail strikes me. The matter-of-fact way the horrors are carried out is characterized as humorous by the Times writer, but to me the ordinariness of the horrific acts chill me beyond that characteristic, and into a more ethereal realm. Is it the fear that such things do indeed go bump in the night and are not just studied whimsy from fertile imaginations?
The picture included here appears almost too colorful for the starkness of the winter environment in Sweden, where the film is made. The color of filth and blood seem almost welcome.
It's too bad that the adult subject matter make it very improbable that too many children of the age bracket of the children in the film will see how well bullying is portrayed. Just the portrayal and having others witness what bullied children are subjected to could help them.
There are so many layers to this movie that it would take a long long time to explore them all. It would be fun, educational?, and spiritually satisfying to try. The author of the book has me intrigued about how much better the book might be. I can't imagine how it could be better.
If you have enough fortitude to watch some spectacularly graphic scenes of horror, you must see this film. Thanks go to our local alternative movie house, The Harbor Theater, for bringing it to a local big screen.
Labels: bullying, horror, isolation, relationships, vampires, winterscapes
Year of the Dog (2007)
I watched this movie last night, not really knowing what to expect beyond the blurb on the back of the netflix jacket. It sounded somewhat like a romantic comedy with a little depth to it. Good watching fare for a Saturday night. I just looked at imdb.com and see they offer you a chance to look at trailers for movies now. I hate movie trailers! They either mislead you on the plot or give away too much of it -- or both. The trailer I watched was both. Don't determine whether or not to watch it based on the trailers at imdb! I advise you to skip them and go straight for the film.
I will say that this is not a movie for everyone. It has some emotionally intense scenes in it. It also has a strong political agenda, which I won't go into because it will give away part of the plot.
The movie was somewhat confusing, as if it couldn't make up its mind what it wanted to be. I guess you could say it is a black comedy with an agenda. And that is perfectly OK. I wish we had more of these kinds of movies to choose from when we go looking to pick one out! It's a movie with balls, or should I say teeth, as, you can see from the title, dogs feature prominently in Year of the Dog.
I would also like to say that the film has much deeper veins exposed in it. If you have seen "Ordinary People", there is a similar feel to it. Whereas Ordinary People is focused more on the past and the now, Year of the Dog is focused more on the now and the future.
The writer and director of this film has/have a lot of courage in fearlessly treading where few dare to go with the politics. Besides having courage, the presentation is effective in that the vehicles are painfully real. There is no schmoozing or stylizing the characters you see.
The film is confusing, courageous, ambitious, humorous, and inspiring. Please have an open mind going into it, hang in there until the end, and you will feel the magic of this sleeper.
P.S. Speaking from a social work student perspective, this film would be an EXCELLENT film for a psychology class to watch and analyze. There is a lot more going on in this movie than what is mentioned above. The relationships between the characters is worthy of analysis.
Labels: pets, relationships, soul-searching
