Entry 11

Hi all, well look at this; I’m actually blogging again so soon after the last one. This is more general though. Just wanted to tell you about the movies I’ve watched this week. I’ve discovered the local video store and just can’t seem to get enough of the great deals they have there. So...the first movie was ‘The Secret’ (no not the self-help vid). This movie stars David Duchovny – of ‘The X Files’ fame – and a relatively new young actress, Olivia Thirlby, who has been gaining notoriety since she stared in ‘United 93’ in 2006. I first saw Thirlby in ‘Juno’ in which she played the best friend. Her performance didn’t stand out to me, so I was interested to see how she would perform in a leading role. Well, in my opinion, she was fantastic. ‘The Secret’ is a story about a not so perfect family, well a beautiful marriage and a moody teenage girl with a life she would prefer her parents not to know about. The mother and daughter are in a car accident and somehow the mother awakes in her daughter’s body. If at this point you are concerned that the movie might be a little too sci-fi or perhaps spiritual for your taste, rest assured, the focus of the film is the characters, not the hows or whys. The film really doesn’t delve into how this could possibly happen, the stance is more like ‘This can’t be happening, but it is so what do we do from here?’ The portrayal of such an impossible storyline is superb and raises various questions concerning trust, family, and the often blurry line between right and wrong. The film really is an exploration into the lives of three individuals all changed by one event. The mother is thrust into her 16 year old daughter’s life, forced to view their world from a teenager’s perspective. The father must question what it means to have his wife inside the body of his daughter. And while the character of the daughter is absent for the majority of the film she does add to its conclusion. The standout for me really was Thirlby, who plays both a 16 year old and a 36 year old. The dialogue between her and Duchovny is so real at times, which adds to the quality of the film. Overall, I thought this movie was extremely well done. It was intriguing and raises questions regarding morality without crossing the very obvious line, which so easily could have been crossed. I would highly recommend watching this if you like a good story that makes you think. 4.5/5 stars for this one.

The second movie I watched was ‘Little Children,’ this stars Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connelley. This movie was odd, let me say from the start. Not odd in a bad way, just odd. I guess it is more of an Art House film of sorts. The focus of this film really is social realism. The film is narrated by an undisclosed voice over, but told primarily from the perspective of Winslet’s character, Sarah Price. Sarah is unhappily married, and has a strained relationship with her 3 year old daughter. Sarah meets Brad at the park where they both take their children. In an effort to shock her fellow playground mothers Sarah approaches Brad and suggests they shock the mothers with a hug. One thing leads to another and soon enough Sarah and Brad are engaged in an intense affair. A storyline that runs concurrently is that of the local pervert, who sort of links in with other characters that tie in with Sarah and Brad, and is a topic of conversation in the worlds of both primary characters. This is an award winning film, which looks closely at, I would say reactions. Its focus seems to be on the reaction of each character, however small that role might play in the film, to certain events and topical issues. If I had to use one word to describe this movie I would say it is interesting. I think I would recommend this only to those of you who have an affinity for art. Watch it if you are interested in the human condition. And if you do watch it do not expect a wholly satisfying conclusion. Don’t get me wrong, the end fits perfectly with the story, however, it certainly isn’t typical Hollywood. 4/5 stars for this one.