♥♥Gone to pastures new. Thanks to all of you. You are a lovely crowd, but time does not ...
♥♥Gone to pastures new. Thanks to all of you. You are a lovely crowd, but time does not permit me to do the site justice any more♥♥
Member since:01.08.2003
Reviews:633
Members who trust:492
Why would I write a review of a film, when there are already 90 reviews on the site ? Do I think that I have more to say or that what I have to say is significant ? Well, yes, in honesty I do.
I watched this film yesterday and I was touched in a way that I cannot really explain, other than the fact that it demonstrated human frailty, and the way in which human beings interact and the negativity of relationships and the seeking of that ultimate happiness that is not in fact just the American dream, as it is not confined to Americans, but in fact touches on human needs in general.
The story tells about average people in average lives, and their situations are a little exaggerated to get the point across, but what comes from a story like this is a list of questions that I ask myself about my life, and about the lives of people around me.
It portrays a husband in an unsatisfactory marriage, where communication is a thing of the past. Of course, this is common and an everyday thing,
and when I look around me at people that I know, is not dissimilar to many couples, where one persons personality is stifled by another.
This is not a film about infidelity, or in fact about middle aged mens fantasies. It goes beyond that. It travels into the area of what people want from their lives, the little things that they had when they were younger, like optimism, hope, and that real buzz that runs down your spine and makes you feel alive and that someone gets lost in the mists of time, and about the facades that people raise in order to be considered "normal".
Take for example the husband played by Kevin Spacey. He sees a young beautiful girl and has thoughts about her. It is not "dirty old man" syndrome, but more remembering passion that has long since left his life., and the dreamlike state that you get when you first fall in love. In fact, as you get older, you tend to lose that WOW factor in your love life, and all he is really seeking is the sense of being alive, vibrant, passionate.
His wife (played by Annette Benning) is chasing a career and somewhere along the line came to the state where possessions are more important than passion, puts up a brave facade and is afraid to actually surface the emotional feelings that make a woman feminine and perhaps vulnerable.
Then amidst the chaos of sentiment, you have issues about teenagers, the way in which they portray themselves to be, and in fact what they really are. These are complex issues and what you see with a teenager by their behaviour and demean is not always what they actually are. I remembered whilst I watched the film that awful time in youth where you are not sure which direction your life is taking, and also the roles that teenagers take on in order to make themselves more acceptable to their peers. There is a neat comparison between innocence and naughtiness, and how this facade affects the people around us.
Then you have relationships between father and child, and are led into a spiders web where things are not always as you see them to be. In fact, the whole subject is dealt with in a subtle way, showing weaknesses in relationships, whilst hiding such strengths of beliefs and certain patterns of behaviour.
Certificate 18 Because the film deals with adult themes. Length of Film 122 minutes. Price £8.99 Directed by Sam Mendes and starring :
Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney, Scott Bakula.
SO WHAT DO I THINK OF THE FILM
The film marvellously shows a human being in raw form, i.e. who they are and who they wish they were, what they feel and why, and the ways in which human beings camoflage their real thoughts and hide from one another in ways that actually detract from their own quality of life.
I found the film, although exaggerated, had a wonderful meaning to it, and left me thinking about how unhappy people are and why, and the film demonstrated this in so many ways.
A big thumbs up from me.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2007 - Drama - Director: Mike Binder - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, Donald Sutherland, Mike Binder
Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Carl Franklyn, Carl Franklin - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Meryl Streep, William Hurt, Renee Zellweger, Tom Everett Scott, Nicky Katt, Lauren Graham
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
I love movies that make you think about people and the ways in which they interact with each other, so I would probably love this. I think it was really clever the way you explained what the movie meant to you without giving away anything about the plot. Kate xx
PrincessDi 09.01.2005 20:02
Not much about the plot here, but still enough to make want to see it. Might need some tissues though!?
Whinger 05.01.2005 18:51
Another very helpful review that tells it pretty much like it is - I totally agreed with your points about it not being about infidelity or lust - and I agree that there were principles at stake here in this excellent and highly memorable film. I must say that I did rate the soundtrack very highly indeed not least because of the way the theme music to the film (i.e. bits of that hauntingly moody piano solo) phased in and out throughout the films more pensive and meaningful moments!. Nice Review ! Tim
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