Thinking Fool

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January 23, 2007

Playing at a Theater Near Most of You...

Children of Men
The Gist: For reasons that are never explained, women throughout the world are infertile and have been for the last twenty years. This undoubtedly leaves men at college campuses giddier than a group of Shiites at Saddam’s half-brother’s execution. However, the rest of the population is in great despair. Knowing that human beings will become extinct leads to mass consternation throughout the world – that or pharmacies simultaneously decided to stop filling Ritalin prescriptions. Enter Clive Owen, whose movies always do a nice job of making you feel dejected and dirty (much like a drive through Atlantic City). His ex-lover, Julianne Moore, tracks him down and asks for his help. It turns out that Moore’s anarchist organization, which enjoys using bombs where others would use op/ed pieces, has found a young African girl, whose belly is quite big (and it’s not from eating nachos). Somehow, this young woman has become pregnant. Actually, it wasn’t magic; she let a one-eyed snake roam around her captivating cave (at least, I inferred as much) and experienced the feeling that so many other young females experience after having unprotected sex, “What you talking about, Willis?” Moore’s anarchist organization wants to use the girl for political reasons – I’m not exactly certain what they planned on doing with her, though it probably involved blowing up things. But, Clive Owen ends up smuggling her across the country while trying to avoid being murdered by the anarchists. Sound good? It isn’t.
What Would Have Made this Movie Better: Oh, I’d say not making it in the first place would have been a great first step. Michael Caine is brilliant (isn’t he always?) as a retired hippie/ex-something (journalist?). He was the one bright spot in an otherwise very dark film.
Who Should See This: As Brother Fool noted, “If you are having a really bad day, then make sure you go see this extremely uplifting movie. You will be ready to slit your wrists for sure after seeing it.” Yes, sarcasm runs in the family.
The Verdict: D (without Michael Caine, it’d be an F)!

The Last King of Scotland
The Gist: A young Scottish doctor needs adventure in his life, so he travels to Uganda to lend his abilities to villagers. In the process, he somehow meets Idi Amin, who has recently become the country’s leader. Amin takes an immediate liking to the young doctor and asks him to be his personal physician. After the young doc accepts, he begins a tumultuous journey that leads him to witness Amin’s brutal, engaging, funny, and paranoid personality, and the many things that result. Forest Whitaker plays Amin and is nothing short of amazing. There’s a reason he’s winning all these awards.
What Would Have Made this Movie Better: Not much! The doctor is a fictional character, but all the rest of the stuff is fairly accurate from a historical standpoint. As with all history, parts are boring, but most is engaging to the core!
Who Should See This: If you like history or politics or simply amazing acting performances, then find a theater where this is playing and say, “One (or two or three or four) please.”
The Verdict: A-.

Posted by fool on January 23, 2007 12:00 AM

Comments

Posted by: LisaBinDaCity at January 23, 2007 10:18 AM

Posted by: teahouseblossom at January 23, 2007 11:39 PM

Posted by: CM at January 24, 2007 11:44 AM

Posted by: zuska at January 28, 2007 05:15 PM