American Beauty

As winner of the 1999 Academy Award for Best Picture over several other notable movies such as The Matrix, Fight Club, and The Green Mile, it's obvious to expect that American Beauty would be a well made film. The movie features a seamless blend between witty comedy and powerful, riveting drama. But what gives American Beauty staying power is its unique premise and empowering theme, which work together to challenge our traditional notion of "beauty" and what it means to be "beautiful." American Beauty has not been around long enough to be considered a classic, but it's continuity and relevance to modern society ensure that it will likely be considered one in the years to come.

The basic premise of American Beauty is of a family that is falling apart at the seams. Lester and Carolyn Burnham (Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening) have long been in a tumultuous and loveless marriage and are also parents to a disaffected teenage daughter, Jane Burnham (Thora Birch). Since the movie starts off by illustrating the obvious failures and problems within the family, the majority of the film is dedicated to how each character attempts to turn his or her life around. While American Beauty is meant to be a criticism of the typical American family, what I find to be particularly brilliant about the movie is that we are given characters who are anything but typical. Lester is an unmotivated father who can't be bothered to amount to anything in his life, but eventually becomes determined to change his lifestyle after developing an infatuation for his daughter's best friend. Conversely, Carolyn is shown to be absolutely maniacal and obsessive in her mannerisms, thus leading to her becoming overbearing and alienating her daughter. Each character takes a different approach to self-improvement; however, none of them go about such a process in any fashion that most would consider even remotely "typical." Because the normal American family is shown to have failed, it makes sense that unconventional methods would be required in order to achieve such improvement though. There's several different story elements in American Beauty to keep track of that make the film rather complicated and even harder to describe, but the way in which the story unfolds makes the movie incredibly captivating.

Although American Beauty is a thought-provoking and emotional drama film on the whole, the movie assumes a comedic tone at several points. Kevin Spacey deserves much credit here as his versatile style allows him to pull off both a humorous and dramatic voice at any given time. Spacey employs heavy use of sarcasm in his jokes that are indeed funny on their own merit, but even more entertaining when juxtaposed to Carolyn who is astonishingly stuck-up and pompous. In particular, the various dinner scenes and the fast food drive through clip really showcase this interaction between Lester and Carolyn, and the prevailing style of humour that the movie drives towards. Most quips are uttered during the first half of the movie, but the film is really well paced in that there will never be any scene that goes over the top in an attempt to convey humour, and there aren't any points where the jokes come off as flat and dull either. The blending of several different moods and themes throughout American Beauty without diminishing the affect of the overall message is a testament to how well made the movie is.

American Beauty deals with several depressing themes such as feelings of inadequacy, isolation, and helplessness. On the surface, one would be inclined to believe that the movie is rather disturbing and distressing since it essentially depicts much of what is flawed in modern society. However, American Beauty also shows that we have to power to change and better ourselves no matter what our predicament is. I am always impressed by movies that deal with grim and depressing themes, yet resonate with a positive message because they show that even in the worst situations there's always a light of hope. Because the movie starts with all of the characters at their lowest level of confidence and morale, their ascension and growth over the course of the film instills a feeling of happiness in the viewer because we understand where they began and the obstacles that were overcome in turning their lives around. However, it should be noted that the ending is quite bittersweet and is likely to leave you emotionally conflicted because it represents a rapid shift from the lighter tone that pervaded the earlier part of the film. The tagline for the movie "...look closer" pretty much sums up the movie's message that we have to move beyond insignificant superficialities and look for more subtle beauty if we are ever to going progress beyond our current plateau as is shown in the evolution of several key characters in the movie.  

American Beauty is a powerful and riveting drama that successfully blends several different moods and themes into one spectacular package. The shifts from comedic to dramatic scenes are well done and keep the movie moving forward so there is never a lull in the action. Although the movie deals with rather depressing themes, it still delivers an empowering message and provides a compelling criticism of the typical American family values. I recommend this movie to anyone looking to watch an intense and captivating drama; however, I caution that it does require some maturity in order to really grasp the premise of the film.

The Shawshank Redemption

Perfection. A word I almost never use when it comes to describing movies because there's always something that can be improved upon. However, such a word truly is warranted when describing The Shawshank Redemption as the movie is so powerful and awe-inspiring that all I am able to do is ramble on about the sheer feeling of amazement that this film evokes within me. The incredible acting and spellbinding storyline hold stronger here than in any other movie I have seen to date as there is never a moment or scene that feels out of place, overdone, or cliché. Normally, I'm quite skeptical when I'm told that a movie is phenomenal or outstanding, but that really is the case here.

The Shawshank Redemption is simply a story about two men who are imprisoned for life after committing murder. Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, and Ellis Boyd Redding ("Red"), Morgan Freeman, are faced with the seemingly hopeless and insurmountable challenge of dealing with prison life. The majority of the film takes place within Shawshank Prison, which makes sense given that both men must live out their lives in the facility, and by having almost the entire film centre around the prison we know as an audience that a prison essentially drains the life out of its inmates by confining and marginalizing them for most of their lives. However, what I love about this movie is that it shows that even in the bleakest of situations there is always hope that one can redeem himself through noble acts. Although much of the movie revolves around dark themes, it is able to resonate with a positive and empowering message at the end that we always have the power to change and overcome adversity no matter what life throws at us. In my opinion, this message is made even stronger after the film because we have seen the trials that Dufresne and Red have overcome, and by watching them surpass these obstacles, the heartwarming morals induced by the film are even more compelling because they are juxtaposed to the grim tone that pervades most of the movie. The story of The Shawshank Redemption may not seem outstanding on the surface, but the way in which it is told left me in a state of enchantment that I have never felt when watching any other movie.

Another strong aspect of The Shawshank Redemption is the way in which it debunks many of the myths we associate with the prison system. We often have the idea that the incarceration process is too soft on criminals and that we need to impose stricter and more rigid sentences upon convicted felons. However, the sheer brutality of prison life that is depicted in The Shawshank Redemption shows that perhaps we need to reevaluate this thought as such harsh conditions could possibly make the inmates even more hardened and emotionally disconnected with the world. The raping among inmates and the brutish behaviour of the guards only serves to worsen an already miserable state within the prison. When Dufresne states "the funny thing is - on the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook." we get the sense that maybe lifelong imprisonment isn't the best way to rehabilitate criminals. The chilling reality captured by The Shawshank Redemption really forces us to take a step back and reconsider the way we in which we deal with criminals.

While the storyline and writing of The Shawshank Redemption are outstanding, the acting performances delivered by both Robbins and Freeman elevate the movie even further. I found myself so enraptured by the film that I tended to forget I was even watching a movie in the first place, but rather that I had an amazing story unravel before my very eyes because everything seemed so real. There are many memorable quotes uttered throughout the movie, but some of the powerful points in the movie were shown just by looking at the blank stare of Robbins as he was able to convey a genuine sense of both optimism and sheer horror in response to the circumstances he was placed in. Furthermore, Freeman is well established as a brilliant narrator, but I also greatly enjoyed his performance as Red. While we get a good sense of Dufresne's character just from his own thoughts and actions, the narration and interaction provided by Freeman in the movie allows us to understand Dufresne even better because we are able to see through Red's eyes and feel as though we can sympathize with both characters. The movie really revolves around the bond between the two characters, and the depth of their friendship is a bright light in an otherwise dark situation in the prison. The acting in The Shawshank Redemption serves to liven an already brilliant plot, and really helps set this movie apart from other great drama films.

The Shawshank Redemption is a tale of the human condition and how we react to the situations life brings upon us. The movie shows that hope can be found in even the darkest of times and profoundly impacts the viewer with a true sense of awe and empowerment. I have yet to watch another movie where I am so marvelled by the fantastic storytelling and acting performances as this film really delivers a surreal experience. I recommend that absolutely everyone watch this movie at some point because it really has no equal and is well deserving of the #1 spot on IMDb's Top 250 Movies of All Time list. 

The Social Network

After being one of the most popular and hyped movies of 2010, I felt that now would be a good time to watch The Social Network again and see if the buzz was truly justified, or if it was simply overblown in the heat of the moment. The movie immediately makes a connection with most people as it's about the creation of Facebook, which is so widespread that I would probably struggle to name 5 people my age who don't use the site. Since the website upon which the movie is based is so universal, it's hardly surprising that the movie itself was really hyped and advertised before it even hit the screens, but there is substance behind all of the advertising as the writing in the film really gives it life and the sort of dramatic tension one might expect when there's a lawsuit worth billions of dollars involved.

The story of The Social Network is simply based on a true story of how Facebook was created. In a nutshell, Mark Zuckerberg is portrayed as a brilliant, but extremely narcissistic person who has the programming capabilities to create various websites. Eventually, he comes up with the idea of creating a social networking website with the goal of taking the entire college experience and putting it on the internet so that students can connect with each other in ways that were previously unimaginable. However, in doing this, Zuckerberg manages to alienate everyone close to him as he always holds his goal closer to heart than those who help him get there in the first place. While there has obviously been some artistic interpretation and revisions from the true story in the movie in order to make it more appealing to the viewers, it is interesting to get a sense of how Facebook grew to become the cultural icon that it is today even if the movie provides a liberal interpretation of what actually happened with the founding of Facebook. I enjoyed the buildup of the story and generally found the movie to be pretty entertaining, but the simplicity of the film's premise lacks a certain "wow" factor separating the good films from the great ones. 

The plot of The Social Network was certainly solid enough to evoke the kind of emotion you would expect out of a drama. However, one of my biggest issues with the movie was that Zuckerberg is portrayed as being an arrogant and selfish asshole for almost the entirety of the film, but in the last 10 minutes he suddenly has a change of heart and is willing to compromise with others and be kind. This might not sound like much of a problem, but it really frustrates me that he's shown to be so conceited and rude to others for the entire movie, and then at the last minute the film crew decides to pull a 180 and portray him as being a good guy with little explanation as to how and why this happened. It almost feels as though they could have made a second movie out of the last 10 minutes, but instead decided to cram it  in with the previous 100 minutes even though it doesn't make much sense within the context of the rest of the movie. 

In my mind, the greatest strength of The Social Network was the dialogue exchanged between Zuckerberg and various supporting characters. I found myself interested in what the characters, in particular Zuckerberg, had to say as each one was illuminated with a different personality. There was never any boring or meaningless dialogue that brought the movie to a halt, but the strong script also ensured that the audience could develop a deeper and more meaningful understanding of Zuckerberg and why he behaves in the manner he does. His witty lines clearly demonstrate his unbelievable intelligence in addition to his arrogant nature that pushes everyone away from him. Any given scene in the movie could be funny and switch to a more serious mood without it feeling awkward or out of place as Zuckerberg would always have several thoughts percolating in his mind and what he said usually set the tone for what was going on in the movie. The Social Network could have ended up as a drab and listless drama, but the witty and entertaining writing gives the movie a sense of purpose and really solidifies the simplistic storyline.

The Social Network isn't the most fascinating or captivating drama out there, but its strong writing really livens up a straightforward story. While the movie certainly doesn't provide a strictly historical account of Facebook's creation, it is interesting to get an idea of the popular site's origins in a more riveting format than simply reading about how it came to be. The ending of the movie didn't really fit into the overall context of the movie, but the buildup on the whole was effective enough that this wasn't a huge problem in the grand scheme of things. The Social Network is a very approachable film that can be watched by almost any audience, and I recommend it to anyone who's a fan of director David Fincher's previous movies or anyone looking for a new drama film to watch. 

Taxi Driver

Martin Scorsese has become one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed directors over the past few decades. It's not hard to see why as his movies have very effectively depicted humanity in a brutal and revealing light producing a certain feeling of tension and unease that has rarely been replicated by other filmmakers. Taxi Driver is no exception as it really set the trend for Scorsese's later films and does a truly remarkable job of portraying human isolation and the insanity that can stem from such feelings. To say the least, Taxi Driver is quite unsettling and really makes you feel as if you're in the movie because it feels so realistic and vivid.

Taxi Driver is completely focused around the main character with little emphasis put on the supporting cast. The story involves Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro), a young Vietnam War veteran who takes a nighttime job driving a taxi to keep himself occupied and avoid confronting the feelings of loneliness and inadequacy that torment him. However, his self-induced isolation only worsens throughout the film as he alienates others around him, and eventually descends into a state of madness since he is unable to develop a meaningful relationship with anyone. There is little interaction between Travis and other characters as the movie is trying to show just how lonely he is, and the boredom of his life is certainly a major cause of his moral decay. He takes it upon himself to "clean up" the streets of New York city by saving a teenage prostitute from her pimp, but his altruistic efforts at the end of the film are greatly outweighed by the horrifying cruelty he displays in trying to free the city. At first glance, Travis could be considered a hero of sorts as he is appalled by the state of affairs in New York city and feels that someone ought to wash away the streets and he shows signs of actually wanting to make a positive change himself. Unfortunately, this initial display of selflessness is soon lost as Travis becomes what he originally sought to eliminate. While the plot in Taxi Driver isn't overly complex, it's meant to be more of a background to the real purpose of the film, which shows that it's possible for anyone like Travis to be completely alone and take extreme measures to try and combat such feelings and even though his actions at the end of the film may be righteous in terms of motive, he certainly displays sociopathic tendencies in having little hesitancy or restraint in doing what he believes to be "right." Travis's transformation from a state of nervousness to genuine madness is truly horrifying to behold, and when you watch the movie you'll find yourself both appalled and marvelled by the developments that bring about the sudden change.

The aspect that really stands out in Taxi Driver is the mood and atmosphere of the film. The movie often switches between the personal life of Travis and snapshots of the city when he's driving around in his taxi. The flashes of the impoverished downtown New York streets give the movie an aura of authenticity as you see for yourself the ugliness and brutality that plagues the lower classes of society. America has long been perceived to be a land of opportunity; however, Scorsese immediately debunks this sense of positivity by constantly showing the destitute masses through the eyes of Travis. What separates Taxi Driver from other movies is that it's grim atmosphere is so intensely realistic that you immediately feel drawn into the film as an innumerable amount of comparisons can be drawn between current society and the one Travis lives in. The bright and shining lights of New York in the background ought to be a beacon of hope and prosperity, but instead they serve to highlight just how disgusting the streets have become as a result of continued neglect. Furthermore, the smooth jazz score for the movie really contrasts with the eerie tone that pervades the film's storyline and further serves to notify the viewer that things are not always as they appear. The overall mood of Taxi Driver appears to be quite simple on the surface, but just like in the streets of New York city, the turmoil bubbling below the surface is far more powerful and provocative.

Few movies have been able to capture the genuine sense of horror present in Taxi Driver. On the surface, the film appears to be fairly simplistic and empty; but the eerie tone provided by the atmosphere really brings the character of Travis Bickle to life as he comes off as being honourable, but also despicable in the way he attempts to carry out his actions. This is not a movie for the faint of heart, but if you are able withstand Taxi Driver's violent premise, you will truly be left in awe by the film's incredible authenticity.