The Pope's Toilet: OOPS!

Unfortunately I was not able to watch this movie. It seemed to be an interesting film but I was absent and was not able to view it due to other activities I had to attend during the time of the film.

Tsotsi: Reflection

Tsotsi was released in 2005 and is based on a man by the name of Tsotsi who lives in Jamaica. He affiliates himself with violent crimes and is constantly getting away with his actions. He lives in an unfortunate part of Jamaica where everyone lives in 'shacks' and where gang violence is a reoccurring issue. In this film, Tsotsi commits a crime that will change his life and the lives of other countless people.

This film does a great job in showing a side of Jamaica that many of us rarely see. In America, Jamaica is a place of luxury and vacation. Tsotsi shows how the people of Jamaica truly live. It shows that this is a country of poverty and crime. However, like most places there is typically an area where the rich people live. In this film you are able to see how one might live in Jamaica if they are rich or if they're poor.

I really liked this movie. It gave the audience a roller coaster ride of emotions and was intriguing. If it were a book; it'd be a page turner. There was always something happening that kept you on edge and you always wanted to know what would happen next. It is a great film and would defiantly recommend it to people.

Nuovo cinema Paradiso: Reflection

Nuovo cinema Paradiso was a descent film. It was a little too long for my liking but it had good meaning. It's an Italian based film that was released in United States in 1990. According to various websites it is a film that is recognized world wide and has received several awards, one being an Oscar.

This film is about the life of a boy named Toto. Ever since he was no more than 4 years old he always had a love for movies and film. Due to his passion towards film he met the man who changed the film reels and ran the movie theater. He and the young boy become very close and grow older together. It's a very touching film and you were able to see how something as simple as a movie theater can bring so many people together.

Culturally, you are able to get a good sense of the Italian way of life. Throughout this film it shows how the Italian people tend to be close to their families and like to grow old in the same town where they grew up in. Through this movie you get a sense that they are very emotional people and are open about their feelings. You go through a roller coaster ride of emotions while watching this movie; sadness, happiness, suspense, you experience it all. I do enjoy this movie culturally because you are able to see every angle of the Italian culture. Italy is a truly beautiful country with great history and geographical sites which are portrayed throughout this film.

I would recommend this movie to other people. It was not one of my favorite films that we have watched in this class, but it defiantly had good meaning and portrayed the struggles of growing up very well. You also got a sense of the Italian culture and how their lives change over time. This film shows a lot of Italy which really adds to the movie.

The Host: Reflection

The Host was not a very good film. I have never been interested in Scifi sort of phenomenas. This film was basically about a family who goes out in search of a missing family member of their own. However, they are battling against a sea monster who has been running around South Korea killing people and bringing them to its 'home'. If you are someone who is interested in cheesy, weird Asian films than this is the movie for you.

Culturally The Host showed a lot of South Korea that you wouldn't see unless you have been there yourself or watch foreign films. You are able to get a sense of how they live, what they eat, and what their city life is like. They live very similar lives to that of an American but like most cultures they follow certain customs that some of us may find out of the ordinary.

Like I had stated earlier life in South Korea is much like that of an American. This film shows people going to work on what you assume is a usual 9 to 5 shift. It shows people walking around in park and simply enjoying life until, of course, the giant sea monster attacks. In the movie the cause of this sea monster is due to pollution in the city's river. Perhaps this film suggests that in South Korea pollution is a reoccurring issue in their country and made this film to sort of 'poke fun,' if you will. There are many people who live in this country so I could only assume that pollution is an issue. In this film you are also showed the city and how many people relay on public transportation, like that of New York City. There are high rise towers everywhere and many people running around in a rush with somewhere to go. Even though this movie was awful, you were able to get a sense of what their way of life, what they like to eat, etc.

I would not watch this movie again. Like I had stated before the acting was mediocre and the plot was awful. I would not recommend viewing this film unless you enjoy watching films that consist of a sea monster attacking South Korean people for about two hours.

Napoleon Dynamite: Reflection

I considered even blogging my thoughts about this film, Napoleon Dynamite. It is a movie that is recognized nationally and perhaps even globally. It was released in 2004 and since then has been loved by millions. I remember the first time I saw this movie, I thought it was hilarious and I honestly couldn't get enough of the awkward humor. However once it exploded into this new phenomenon I started to get a bit sick of the "dude, my lips hurt real bad," comment.

As many of you may already know this is a film about a teenager by the name of Napoleon Dynamite. He lives in Idaho and lives an 'odd' life if you will. It's just a story about his life, his family, his friends, his school and all that he goes through. One main thing I really enjoy this film is that it's probably the only film I have seen without some sort of violence, sexual content etc; with the exception of child films.

I would recommend this to someone who hasn't seen the film and who has a weird sense of humor. For most people I have talked to about the movie, there is a bittersweet relationship with it. Either people love it, or they find it annoying. I still think people should view it if they haven't already, just to see what the hype is all about.

Les Triplettes de Belleville: Reflection

I actually enjoyed the uniqueness of this French based film, Les Triplettes de Belleville. It was interesting how throughout the entire movie there wasn't any conversation but only actions and emotions. It was as if the movie made it so its viewers could imagine what the characters were saying.

This film had an interesting plot. Basically it was about a boy who's parents passed away and he channeled his anger and frustration through cycling. He trains his whole life until he becomes good enough to compete in le Tour de France. During the Tour he falls from exhaustion and is picked up by a bunch of French mafia gang members. This is a story about how his grandmother goes on a journey to find her missing grandson. It's a very interesting film.

Throughout this film you see an exaggerated version of how both the French and American live. You get the idea that the French are proud of their cuisine and their people. Where as this film sort of makes fun of Americans and their way of living. It makes fun of the American people by making them outrageously over weight and writing things on their shirt like, 'I like big.' I thought it was humorous.

I would recommend this movie to a friend. However I would only recommend it to a type of friend who has patience and who appreciates different outlooks on films. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who enjoys your typical Hollywood action movie. Otherwise, this film is a one-of-a-kind and should be watched by foreign film lovers.

Fargo: Reflection

Fargo was released in 1996 and after it's release it soon became a nation wide hit. This is basically a story about a man (Jerry) who works at a car dealership and is suffering from financial problems. Due to his financial issues, he begins to loose his good judgement and starts to go to extremes in order for him to recieve the money he owes. What he does, is he basically hires two hit men to pretend to kidnap his wife so her wealthy father will pay the men what Jerry owes. Of course, things do not go as planned and blood is inevitably shed over the money, and much more.

Personally, I'm not sure why so many people enjoy this movie. Perhaps it is because it pokes fun at Minnesotans and their stereotypical accent? Maybe it's because the plot is so outrageous it attracts large amounts of people? Whatever it is, I have never been fond of this film. I do enjoy the humorous side of the movie, but the plot itself I think could have been better. I have no problem with blood and guts, but I think this movie could have also done well without it. The first time I had ever seen this film, I didn't even know this movie had any killing in it whatsoever; it was my understanding that it was just a simple movie making fun of people from Minnesota. Shockingly there was much more to it than that.

I would recommend this movie to others despite its gruesome scenes. Since it is a film loved nation wide, I think people should see it just so they can simply say 'I've seen it.' Otherwise I wouldn't voluntarily watch it more than once. Many people I know enjoy this movie, but I'm personally not a fan of it.

The Son's Room: Reflection

Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the entire movie due to priorities I had to attend. However, I was able to watch the beginning and the ending of The Son's Room. This is an Italian based film that aimed to show the good, the bad, and the ugly in any average family. It focused on the life of the father, the mother, the daughter and the son. It went on to show how each of them lived their lives and how they interacted with one another.

It was a good film in that it showed the Italian culture very well. You were able to see how a typical Italian family might live and that they are not much different than that of an American family. Like any family, they had their good and bad times. However, something very tragic ends up happening to the son affecting the entire family and the rest of the movie. You go on to see how this family chooses to cope with what has happened and how different their lives become.

Like I had stated earlier, I was not able to watch this entire film so it's hard for me to give a full summary on the movie. It's also difficult to tell whether or not I enjoyed this film to all its potential. However, from what I saw I wouldn't recommend this film to a friend. I found it a bit boring and the plot had no originality. It was a predictable film from what I had saw and it didn't keep me intrigued to keep watching. Otherwise, this film showed the struggles and the good times of a typical Italian family and how they chose to cope with these issues.

Noi Albinoi: Reflection

Although this movie was dark and a bit degrading, I really enjoyed it. Noi Albinoi translates to, Noi the Albino. It is a film based in Iceland about a young albino man by the name of Noi. You will soon notice that Noi sees life through an interesting angle. In the movie he is portrayed to be extremely intelligent, however he finds school to be somewhat of a bother and hardly ever shows. He lives a very simple life in Iceland and doesn't let the pressures and stereotypes of society let him change how he wishes to live. This film shows how life in Iceland is very simple and the people who live there are always entertaining themselves. This movie follows Noi and his urge to get something more exciting out of life in such a cold, small and miserable town in Iceland.

This film has a simple style of directing and uses little, if any graphics at all. Throughout the movie you are following Noi in his everyday life. What I really enjoyed most about this film was that everything Noi did related to certain outcomes within the movie. For example, Noi didn't do well in school, therefore he was expelled. Once he was expelled, his grandmother became worried about his future and hired a fortune teller. The fortune teller said he saw death in Noi's future, and the movie continued on from there.

I would recommend this film to people. It is a quieter film and differs from many of our usual Hollywood films. It will give you a different look at other lifestyles and the way people choose to live. It shows little parts of Iceland that you would have probably never seen before the movie, and also truly reveals the natural beauties that Iceland has. Noi Albinoi is a great film.

Run Lola Run: Reflection

Run Lola Run was an interesting German film. It was not a film I would personally recommend to a friend or a film I would watch again. However, the film did have a clever and interesting concept. The concept of this film was to show that every second in our life counts, and that the decisions we make in life affect not only ourselves but the people around us.

In Run Lola Run, there is a couple who were involved with a drug deal. The boyfriend lost the money he was suppose to give to the drug lords, and called his girlfriend, Lola for help. She had twenty minutes to come up with 100,000 (German) dollars. In this film it showed numerous ways that she had recieved the money and only one way was the 'right' way. It was just interesting to see how many decisions that she made affected the future and everyone she was surrounded by.

I think this film had a lot of potential, but the style of directing was what lost its audience. I was interested in the type of music it continued to play over and over again. I also wasn't fond of the random cartoon clips that this film also displayed in random sections. In all, this film did show the local side of Germany that many of us aren't aware of. It showed different people and different building that all make up an average city in Germany.

The Color of Paradise: Reflection

Unfortunately, I was not able to do research before viewing this movie due to time restraints. However, the Color of Paradise was indeed a good film. It was an emotional roller coaster at times but did have some great scenes. In summary, the Color of Paradise is about a blind Iranian boy whose father neglects him. His grandmother and sisters however find him very entertaining and treat him no differently. His father eventually grows selfish and falls in love with a woman. He gives the woman and her family all he give and fails to mention that he is a father to a blind boy (He doesn't mention his blind son in the chance that the woman's family does not approve). Months later, his father sends his son away to become a carpenter, later realizing he had made a terrible mistake. He goes back to bring his son home, and on the way back something tragic happens to the young boy.

All of students in my class didn't think the Color of Paradise was a very good movie. I personally think this is because the older a movie is, the less adolescents tend to appreciate them. The Color of Paradise is somewhat of an older movie, and does require a bit of attention. Although, none of that seemed to bother me and I found that this film had many lessons that most of could learn from. It shows that greed and selfishness has and will never get us anywhere. It also proves that everyone is equal, despite their differences. I really enjoyed how the film ended as well, even though it was a bit depressing.

Eariler in the movie, the blind boy mentions that God must not love him because he has chosen for him to blind. He says that he is constantly reaching out into the open air in hopes to feel God, but never does. At the end of the movie all of this is proven differently, in a very clever way.

Persepolis: Reflection

At first, I thought Persepolis was going to be a boring film. I thought it would carry too much political issues and lose its audience. However, as the movie went on I really enjoyed how they it had through the point of view of a family during a crisis of war. Eventually, I found myself becoming very interested in the plot and I started to enjoy that the movie as a cartoon. I feel as if having it as an animation film made it possible to show and emphasize certain aspects of the film that could not be showed in a 'regular' film.

One thing that I really enjoyed this film was that it touched based on issues in Iran that many of us are no aware of. I became more aware of the issues in that country and was able to actually comprehend the issues simply. It clearly showed everything that was going on and how the citizens of Iran handled the war. I highly recommend this film to everyone. I think Persepolis shows both sides of the Iranian war along with other politcal issues that country faces extremely well. It was very creative and you can tell that there was a lot of thought put into the film.

Persepolis: Review

Persepolis is a French film that is based on the political issues in Iran. According to various sources this film does a good job is covering the before, during, and after of the war and struggles that are in Iran. I'm interested in seeing how well the film incorperates the cartoon theme with the intense, political plot that it carries. The film makers of this movie have chosen to take upon a task that I find rather daring and cool. Not too many films exist of this kind in our movie-making world so I'm really looking forward to seeing how it is.

Maria Full of Grace: Reflection

I enjoyed Maria Full of Grace because it gave its audience a dose of reality that many of us are completely unaware of. To me, it's hard to believe that these sort of events are happening everyday. This is film about a young girl and her friend who live in Columbia who are sick of the terrible working conditions they work in. They are easily persuaded into becoming a 'mule', or a drug trafficker into the United States. This is a story that shows all of the troubles they must go through in order to live this new life they had chosen.

I would highly recommend this movie to a friend, not only because of the stomach-turning plot, but because this film ended perfectly. It had an ending that was unpredictable, which many of us Hollywood-movie viewers are not always used too.

Maria Full of Grace: Review

I have seen Maria Full of Grace in the past. I do not want to get too far into the film because like I have stated in my earlier blogs, I don't like to give away the film. This is a great movie, although it is a bit graphic. This is a story that focuses on two women who will go to great lengths in hopes to one day live a happy life. They grew up in Columbia and wish to one day live in the United States.

They are told that by helping traffic illegal drugs to North America, they will one day be able to live the life they so longed for. This is a movie about their struggles and how they will do whatever it takes to one day be happy. To me, it's crazy to think that this sort of thing is actually happening. It's a very moving film and has won many awards in recognition of its plot and much more. I do look forward to viewing this film again.

Shall We Dansu?: Reflection

Shall We Dansu? was an 'okay' film, if you will. I did enjoy the plot of the story but compared to most of the films we have watched it did lose my attention. This was typical, predictable movie in which a man is bored with his life and wanted to finally try something new. On his daily commute to and from work his subway route always passes a dance studio. The studio seemed to always be of some interest to him, until one day he decided to finally go try it out.

The curious man found that he has a love for dancing. He continues to dance at the studio until he becomes fairly good. Before joining the studio, he was a very stiff, awkward man who had no rhythm whatsoever. He also chose not to tell his family or his fellow co-workers what he has been up too, because apparently within in the Japanese culture that sort of thing is not greatly accepted. To summarize, this movie showed how the Japanese lived and what was culturally accepted.

Throughout the film it seemed as if participating in any other activity, other than work, was not okay. This film showed that the Japanese people are extremely polite but live in an old school enviroment. It seemed as though they believed that men must work and the women must stay at home or have a small job; but they were not to work in an office like a man. Atleast, that was the connection I saw within the movie. Even though I was already aware that the Japanese people are huge worker bees, this movie did do a great job is showing how their jobs literally are their lives and nothing else. It showed how one man wanted to get out of the dull life he and millions of others had made for themselves to go and dance.

Shall We Dansu?: Review

When most of us think of Shall We Dansu? many of us may think of the 2004 film starring Richard Gere. However that Hollywood film is based off a Japanese film, Shall We Dansu? which was filmed in 1996. I did not read too far into this film, but it recieved 7.8 out of 10 stars on the internet movie database website. In summary, this is basically a film about two people who live completely different lives that find one another at a ball room dance class. This film focuses on their journey through dancing and through both of their lives. I am looking forward in seeing the original Shall We Dance? (More to come in my reflection!)

Please Vote For Me: Reflection

Please Vote for Me was a great film. As many of us know, China is a communist country so the idea of a democracy is foreign to some. Teachers at an elementary school in China had the idea to introduce democracy by having that year's class monitor be voted for. What I found most interesting, was the fact that regardless of what age category or who where democracy is; people tend to react the same way. As you can see in this movie, there are third graders bribing their classmates, there are arguments and almost anything you can imagine that happens within in a democracy occurs throughout the film with these children.

I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to a foreign-film junkie. Not only are you able to see democracy at its finest but you are also able to see the way of life of the Chinese. Before this movie, I was not aware that China had a law in which each household can only have one child due to over population. It was just interesting to see how similar each family was to say, an average American family. It was an interesting documentary with a great plot.

Please Vote For Me: Review

Please Vote For Me was released in 2007. I usually don't like reading too far into reviews about movies because I like for movies to be some what of a surprise when I watch it. However, based off a couple of websites this film did recieve good critiques. In summary, this film is about a class of 3rd graders at a Primary school in China that learns the meaning of democracy when an election for class monitor is held. Three students are picked by their teachers, and the teachers ask the class to pick a student for whom they think is best fit for the job.

It should be an interesting film; it has an interesting plot. I will be back in a few days with my reflection on the film!

Betrayal: Reflection

To my surprise, Betrayal wasn't as intriguing as I thought it would be. The storyline was extremely interesting, but in my opinion the directing itself wasn't very good. It didn't attract its audience well.
Betrayal is a documentary film based on one Hmong family who lived in Laos and moved to America after the war during the 60's. They moved to America in hope to find a more comfortable, happy life but to no avail. This was a Hmong family of 11, one mother and 10 children. Their father came in and out of the picture on occasion, but due to the war he was always away from home. The mother of 10 took all of her children to America in hopes to begin a new life, to also make money and to no longer live in fear. Once they arrived, as time went on more and more of her children began to grow more distant from her. They grew up, some got married, some joined gangs and many do not keep in contact with their mother, except for one of her sons. In summary, when you watch the film you will get a feel as to how terrible war is, and how it tears so many families apart.
Although this documentary did not catch my attention in the beginning, I was very interested on the historical aspect of the film. You learn about things that are not written in history books about what else the U.S was doing during 60's; other than the Vietnam war. Betrayal did do a great job in not only touching base historically, but in watching the family grow and showing how war truly effects everyone.