Rate The Last Movie You Saw

The F Word (2013) - Michael Dowse

- Don't ask me why I watch this flick tonight. I don't even know why myself... It's cliché and so freakin' silly but It's the story of my life in one movie except for the happy ending so I didn't dislike it. Maybe I'm just too nice after all.

I Origins (Mike Cahill, 2014)

+

Daredevil (2003)
rewatch


I feel embarrassed on the behalf of everyone involved with this film... Colin Farrell seemed to be the only one who "got it" and embraced the camp of this movie, which was far from succeeding as a serious movie in any way, anyway.

The romance was pathetic and cringe-worthy, the CGI was awful and overused, the wirework obvious and outdated, the story was bad and had no proper middle or end, it was poory written and sloppy directed.

The few reasons this doesn't get a lower score is mostly small insignificant little scenes or short moments and then Farrell as Bullseye. Rest was so bad it made me blind to the fact that it may be worse than I actually rated it.

Sleepwalk With Me

I am a very big fan of Mike Birbiglia, and I think he is one of the funniest comedians today. I was surprised to see that this movie was actually based on a true story, and it made the movie much more interesting when you put it into perspective. Birbiglia stared in, directed, and wrote this movie, and he did a good job with all three. A very enjoyable movie.

The Man from Laramie (1955)

As happened with Hell Comes to Frogtown and Freeway what I thought was going to be just a paragraph or two somewhat got away from me.

The Wolfpack
(2015, d. Crystal Moselle)

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this one. This documentary focuses on the story of the Angulo family, with specific attention paid to the six brothers of the clan. What sets their lives apart from the norm and makes them prime material for a documentary is that they have been near prisoners in their own home their entire lives. Their father basically turned their New York apartment into a prison, keeping them shut away from the world, and only allowing them outside on the rarest of occasions. And even then it was for brief spells of time and under strict supervision where they were not allowed to talk to anyone. For any given year you can count the times they ventured outside on one hand. In fact there was one year they didn't leave the house on a single occasion. It's not a million miles away from stumbling upon a tribe in the Amazon rainforest that had never had contact with any kind of outside civilisation. Except this tribe had somehow been living in the middle of New York, one of the most densely populated, vibrant cities in the world. It boggles the mind. The film details their sort of 'coming out' so to speak. For most people their act of teenage rebellion is to get their ears pierced or to get drunk. For the Angulo brothers it is to reject their father's tyrannical rules and step foot outside of their front door.

The story is fascinating. The subjects are extremely likeable. As for its merits as a documentary however I have reservations. The Wolfpack is a film that raises a lot more questions than it answers, resulting in a very frustrating experience. It marks the directorial debut of the lady behind the camera, Crystal Moselle, and you're left to wonder if a more experienced hand could have delivered a more satisfying chronicle of the story. A more seasoned documentarian may have been able to dig down and get more answers. On the other hand however a more seasoned individual may not have been able to get this access or tell this story to begin with. Given the dictatorial nature of the father and the isolated nature of the boys a more probing, confrontational approach may not have gone down well. However it doesn't stop you from asking numerous questions about what we're seeing; how exactly could this happen? What drove their father to undertake such drastic action? What was the father's initial reaction when Moselle showed up with her camera? There are just so many omissions. We never really get the story behind it all, having to settle with vague allusions to incidents such as physical abuse that the father doled out to his wife and kids, but it's never followed up on.

There's also some troubling, unsettling moments and implications to be found. When one of the boys talks about his relationship with his father he talks about how it's impossible for him to forgive someone who has done what he did. The way he talks, the words he uses and the look on his face certainly leads your mind to imagine some very dark connotations. As his 'sins' are never fully expounded upon we're left somewhat unsure exactly what to think of their father. Was he trying to do what he felt was right to protect his family and his judgement was just shockingly bad? Was he quite simply an evil despot? Or was there some element of mental illness involved? He certainly seems extremely paranoid about the threats of the outside world whilst also coming across as fairly delusional on occasion as he talks about being like God and how his power is making people do what he wants. Let's just go with the most 'positive' of those options and assume that he was merely well-intentioned but made a horrible misjudgement. Even after that you then have to ask where is the line between allowing a parent to raise their children as they see fit and having to step in to protect the children?

So there are certainly a number of dark alleys the film could have explored. Moselle instead chooses to push some of the more positive, life-affirming aspects of the story however. Chief amongst these is probably the importance and influence that movies can have on our lives, though for very few people will that have been as true as it is for these six brothers. It's often said that movies act as a form of escapism. I'm guessing that sentiment has never been truer than it is for these siblings. Given their entire existence basically consists of a single four-bedroom apartment it is through movies that they gain their main experience of the outside world. Outside of their own family, the people that these brothers know best are the likes of Vincent Vega, Jules Winnfield, Mr. Pink and Batman. The boys love their movies, even going to great lengths to re-enact some of their favourite movies; Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, The Dark Knight etc. Hell even their fashion sense appears to have been inspired by Reservoir Dogs; watching the six brothers strutting around in black suits and shades it's impossible not to be immediately reminded of Tarantino's directorial debut. As for recreating movies they go to great lengths to create terrific-looking props and costumes. Their Batman suit, made from cereal boxes and yoga mats, is particularly impressive.

Beyond that the film focuses on the growth of the brothers as we watch them gradually get out from under their father's control and begin to live their own lives. The boys make for extremely likeable subjects. As a result of their isolation they seem like rather naïve and gentle souls. We revel in each one of their victories, no matter how small it may seem to the average person. When they do venture outside the way that they see the world can be very endearing, and is frequently moulded by their cinematic upbringing. For example when they walk through a grove of trees they comment that it's like a forest from the Lord of the Rings films, while a beach evokes Lawrence of Arabia. And on their first ever visit to an actual cinema (to view David O. Russell's The Fighter) one of the brothers talks excitedly about how the money he paid for his ticket is going straight to Russell and Christian Bale. Their development also seems to inspire their mother who likewise seems to grow in terms of strength.

So as a story it's fascinating but the documentary itself is frustrating. It introduces us to an amazing story but then leaves you wanting so much more. I also found myself wanting to see a lot more of the brothers' impressive efforts at reenacting films. The brief clips they show from the likes of Pulp Fiction are great fun. It's also a story that is just begging for a 'where are they now' follow-up a few years down the line.

JayDee's Movie Musings (Reviews - Frailty / Total Recall / Lone Ranger / Nightcrawler / Whiplash / Imitation Game / Birdman / Avengers: Age of Ultron / Mad Max: Fury Road)

Seven Days (2010)

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