Quick Takes

The Social Network ****/****

Get Low ***/****

It's Kind of a Funny Story **/****

Despicable Me **.5/****

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 ***.5/****

The Hereafter

I wouldn't call The Hereafter a commentary on death or the afterlife.  It presents the possibility of an afterlife, but focuses on effects of death on the living.

Opening scene, life destroyed with one disasterous wave, an inescapable death.  Imminent doom could be seen clearly and nothing could stop it.

Loneliness surrounds death.  Those dealing with past near death experiences are on the outside of a community that thinks they are crazy.  Those who know too much about death are alientated by what they know.  Those who have lost loved ones are dealing with a gaping hole in a life that otherwise continues on the same.

Ultimately, three people carrying the weight of these problems find each other and bring a little peace and understanding to move forward.

***/****

Recent Rewatch

I really enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon when I first saw it back in January and I have been calling it one of the best movies of the year.  Thus, I wanted to watch again to make sure this film I saw almost a year ago was truly deserving of top honors in my mind.  In short, it was.

How to Train Your Dragon is breathtakingly beautiful to watch and delivers great comedic lines.  The relationship formed between the two main characters is strong, loyal, and loving.  It is real true love between them as they embrace each other in the face of fear and death and set an example that others become willing to follow.  The film contains deep themes of feeling like an outsider, finding one's place in society, seeing people for who they really are, sacrifice for another, and benefits of abandoning fear.
I love that an animated film is capable of this and this is when it should be praised.

The fyc posters that Dreamworks launched are great.  The above poster is perfect in my opinion and really displays the heart of the film: two who turn away from fear to believe in the good of the other despite what they have believed their entire lives.

Sasha Stone on How to Train Your Dragon

I absolutely loved How to Train your Dragon. It was the first great movie of the year in my opinion. HTTYD beautifully told the story of two outsiders forming friendship, finding understanding, and bestowing sacrificial love. Since Toy Story 3 opened HTTYD has been largely overshadowed by the critically-acclaimed and publicly-loved Pixar giant. I agree that Toy Story 3 functions quite well as the closing of a triology of films most people my age grew up watching. I was quite satisfied with its ending, entertained by the funny and touched by the ending of an era. Although, I maintain that HTTYD is the best animated film of the year.

Sasha Stone @ awardsdaily.com sums up my feelings on HTTYD quite well:

I think I fell in love with this movie when Toothless decided not to eat Hiccup. That is the moment when the film becomes other than what you expected. But the most memorable of all was when Hiccup envisions, draws and eventually makes a tale for his dragon friend. The moment he finally takes flight we realize that this isn’t really a movie about dragons at all; it is a love story. More than that, it’s about fear and ignorance exposed. The film takes some heavy themes and fashions them into an entertaining film, but those themes exist throughout. How to Train Your Dragon remains the best animated film of 2010 — a stand-alone achievement with wonderful writing and cinematography, if you can call it that.

I saw The Social Network opening night (beginning of October?) and am planning on seeing it again this weekend. I have not written on it yet and will do so after the second viewing. I found the movie wonderfully timely and a bit nostalgic delivered via its well-crafted script. Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg was intricately acted, executed sharply right down to the last detail. Though, I decided I could care less if Eisenberg's Zuckerberg detours from the real life Zuckerberg. I would be completely fine if the majority of the film was fiction holding on to a few choice events in history. The reason being is the story is one of creation - the capability of a genius mind, the ties formed, the lengths one will go for success, and a loneliness that haunts in a crowded room.