01 April 2010
IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING
It's obvious that I haven't made any new blogs for quite a long time. I'm sorry if anyone actually misses them but I'm currently putting the extra creative energy I do have into a fictional book I'm writing. Recently, I've had a lot of ideas and a strange boost of motivation to start it so we'll see how it goes. This blog may, or may not continue someday depending on how things go with the book. In the meantime, thanks for reading while it lasted!
09 March 2010
AND THE WINNER IS...
As a part of my duty as someone who blogs about films, I forced myself to watch the entire four hour long 82nd Academy Awards show. The show was kind of a mixed bag filled with awkward, embarrassing moments, but it was mildly entertaining. The hosts, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin along with Ben Stiller's appearance were the highlights of the evening.
I was pretty disappointed that a couple of my favorite films of 2009, District 9 and Up In The Air, didn't win any awards but at least they were still recognized by being nominated. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the movie Moon, which was overlooked for any nominations, which is really too bad because Sam Rockwell was brilliant in that movie. Overall, the big winner of the night was an Iraq war film called The Hurt Locker, raking in a total of six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.
The Hurt Locker follows the story of a United States Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team of three men who deal with life in the war zone. Defusing explosive bombs, taking hostile gunfire and suicidal insurgents are horrific things these guys are forced to deal with throughout the film.
I first saw this movie back during the summer of 2009, when it was released in theaters. I really liked it but I don't remember it as a movie that's quite deserving of all of those awards, when considering its competition. Due to the clean sweep at the Academy Awards, I watched the movie again to give it another chance to convince me that it really is one of the best films of 2009. Did watching The Hurt Locker a second time allow me to further appreciate it or was it the exact same movie that I remembered it to be?
The Hurt Locker
Unfortunately, I'm afraid the latter is the case. This movie does succeed at making one think, but personally, it doesn't make me feel much of anything. While watching it, I found myself emotionally detached because I felt like the movie itself lacked heart. It may sound silly to be looking for 'heart' in a war movie, but I don't think it's unreasonable. Saving Private Ryan was a fantastic war movie which was directed by a filmmaker who had a clear passion for making an entertaining movie with an emotionally moving story. We Were Soldiers and Black Hawk Down are a couple more war movies that come to mind that are like that. To me, those films succeed where The Hurt Locker falls short.
Make no mistake, this is a very good war movie. In fact, it's the best movie that's been based on the Iraq war so far. Notably, there are some great suspenseful scenes and the actors do a fantastic job with their characters. There really are a number of good things to like about this movie.
As someone who has been deployed to Iraq before, I can relate to this film in many ways. Thankfully, I never got involved in anything too crazy while over there, but I did experience a few scary moments. The Hurt Locker may not be a perfect film, but it's portrayal of how life is in Iraq for soldiers is right on, I can vouch for that. I recommend seeing this movie if you're into war movies at all or if you would like a glimpse on how life is for many who are deployed in Iraq.
Does The Hurt Locker deserve the six academy awards it won? Well, when it all comes down to it, does it really matter? Not really. A film doesn't change because of awards it does or doesn't have. It's as good or as bad as it was before any kind of awards ceremony. A great film will be remembered for being great, not for being a winner of "that one award" during "that one year."
The Hurt Locker: 8/10
I was pretty disappointed that a couple of my favorite films of 2009, District 9 and Up In The Air, didn't win any awards but at least they were still recognized by being nominated. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the movie Moon, which was overlooked for any nominations, which is really too bad because Sam Rockwell was brilliant in that movie. Overall, the big winner of the night was an Iraq war film called The Hurt Locker, raking in a total of six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.
The Hurt Locker follows the story of a United States Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team of three men who deal with life in the war zone. Defusing explosive bombs, taking hostile gunfire and suicidal insurgents are horrific things these guys are forced to deal with throughout the film.
I first saw this movie back during the summer of 2009, when it was released in theaters. I really liked it but I don't remember it as a movie that's quite deserving of all of those awards, when considering its competition. Due to the clean sweep at the Academy Awards, I watched the movie again to give it another chance to convince me that it really is one of the best films of 2009. Did watching The Hurt Locker a second time allow me to further appreciate it or was it the exact same movie that I remembered it to be?
The Hurt LockerUnfortunately, I'm afraid the latter is the case. This movie does succeed at making one think, but personally, it doesn't make me feel much of anything. While watching it, I found myself emotionally detached because I felt like the movie itself lacked heart. It may sound silly to be looking for 'heart' in a war movie, but I don't think it's unreasonable. Saving Private Ryan was a fantastic war movie which was directed by a filmmaker who had a clear passion for making an entertaining movie with an emotionally moving story. We Were Soldiers and Black Hawk Down are a couple more war movies that come to mind that are like that. To me, those films succeed where The Hurt Locker falls short.
Make no mistake, this is a very good war movie. In fact, it's the best movie that's been based on the Iraq war so far. Notably, there are some great suspenseful scenes and the actors do a fantastic job with their characters. There really are a number of good things to like about this movie.
As someone who has been deployed to Iraq before, I can relate to this film in many ways. Thankfully, I never got involved in anything too crazy while over there, but I did experience a few scary moments. The Hurt Locker may not be a perfect film, but it's portrayal of how life is in Iraq for soldiers is right on, I can vouch for that. I recommend seeing this movie if you're into war movies at all or if you would like a glimpse on how life is for many who are deployed in Iraq.
Does The Hurt Locker deserve the six academy awards it won? Well, when it all comes down to it, does it really matter? Not really. A film doesn't change because of awards it does or doesn't have. It's as good or as bad as it was before any kind of awards ceremony. A great film will be remembered for being great, not for being a winner of "that one award" during "that one year."
The Hurt Locker: 8/10
03 March 2010
ANIMATION NATION
Since 2004, Walt Disney Studios has released ten major animated films, eight of which were computer-animated and two that were hand-drawn. That statistic alone tells you that computer-animated films like Toy Story and WALL-E have become very profitable for Walt Disney, which is why today, most animated movies are no longer hand-drawn. Now, with the recent rise of popularity in 3D technology, one can only expect to see even more of these computer-animated films to be made in 3D and even less hand-drawn films to be made at all.
While I do prefer hand-drawn animation over computer-animation, I do enjoy computer-animated films every once in a while. There is nothing wrong with them and this blog post isn't an argument that computer-animation is flat-out worse than hand-drawn animation. I would just like to simply shed some light on a couple filmmakers and animated films that definitely deserve some more recognition. It may be true that hand-drawn animated films are barely being made in the states anymore but that doesn't mean they aren't being made elsewhere. In fact, there is still one place in particular where it's in absolutely no danger of becoming a thing of the past.
"You guessed it!"
Hayao Miyazaki is the most prominent Japanese filmmaker of animated films, in a nation where that traditional art form of hand-drawn animation is held in the highest regard. Many people have drawn comparisons between him and the legendary American animator, Walter E. Disney. While these two men are very different people, the impressions they've made in the animation industry are both profoundly deep. At age 69, Miyazaki has been working in the animation industry for over 45 years. In 2005, he was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. He has over ten feature-length films under his name, including classics like My Neighbor Totoro and Sprited Away which, by the way, is Japan's highest grossing film of all time.
Reportedly, Miyazaki has signed on for at least two more feature-length films over the next three years. However, he has been in and out of retirement over the past few years, so we would be very lucky to get anything more from him after those two he has planned. So after Miyazaki's inevitable retirement, which Japanese filmmaker will become the next trailblazer in the animated film industry? I'm betting on a man named Mamoru Hosoda.
Although well into his 40's, Mamoru Hosoda is still a relatively new filmmaker. Despite the low number of films he's directed, a lot of people have been very surprised by how capable of a storyteller Hosoda has proven to be. Recently, I got a chance to watch his 2006 film titled, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
This movie is inspired by and is a psuedo-sequel to the novel "Toki o Kakeru Shōjo" by Yasutaka Tsutsui. It's actually implied that one of the side characters in this film is the protagonist of the original novel. It should be noted that this movie was intended to stand as it's own complete story, you certainly won't be missing anything critical if you don't read the novel first.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time focuses on a high school girl named Makoto Konno, who inadvertently gains the power to travel back through time. Once she realizes she has this new-found power, she begins to use it on frivolous things, like getting a perfect grade on a test or reliving a single karaoke session for ten hours straight. She eventually begins to realize how the small changes she chooses to make can negatively affect others. This is a heartwarming movie that's appropriate for all ages and while it may not have the most detailed animation I've ever seen, it's still very charming and beautiful. In 2007, this film won the Animation of the Year award from the Japan Academy Prize Association. If you haven't seen any Japanese animated films before, this is a great one to start with.
After three years of production, Hosoda's latest film called, Summer Wars, was released theatrically in Japan last August. Unfortunately, I haven't seen it yet so I can't summarize what it's about but like The Girl Who Leapt Though Time, it's a blend of drama and comedy.
Summer Wars
This film has received very high praise among both movie-goers and critics and it seems that Hosoda has hit yet another one out of the park. This success only further establishes Hosoda as a historically important animated film director and as a person who is capable of following in Miyazaki's footsteps. Summer Wars was released on DVD and Blu-Ray today in Japan, but us poor folks in the United States and UK will have to wait until September to get our hands on a copy. This is definitely a film worth looking forward to seeing this fall.
For those people who still appreciate the beauty of hand-drawn animated films, you may have to start looking abroad to Japan to find new ones these days. It may take some time and research to find your own favorites but if you're just starting out, you can't go wrong with a Hayao Miyazaki or Mamoru Hosoda film.
One last thing, I recommend watching foreign films (animated or not) subtitled instead of dubbed. You may not be able to understand the language, but the performance of the original voice actors is better 99% of the time. You can hear the energy and emotion that comes through in the original performances, unlike a dubbed over recording, which usually comes off sounding flat or just plain bad. I would only choose a dub over subtitles if there were young kids who were wanting to watch a foreign movie... or, you know, if I was blind.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: 9/10
While I do prefer hand-drawn animation over computer-animation, I do enjoy computer-animated films every once in a while. There is nothing wrong with them and this blog post isn't an argument that computer-animation is flat-out worse than hand-drawn animation. I would just like to simply shed some light on a couple filmmakers and animated films that definitely deserve some more recognition. It may be true that hand-drawn animated films are barely being made in the states anymore but that doesn't mean they aren't being made elsewhere. In fact, there is still one place in particular where it's in absolutely no danger of becoming a thing of the past.
"You guessed it!"Hayao Miyazaki is the most prominent Japanese filmmaker of animated films, in a nation where that traditional art form of hand-drawn animation is held in the highest regard. Many people have drawn comparisons between him and the legendary American animator, Walter E. Disney. While these two men are very different people, the impressions they've made in the animation industry are both profoundly deep. At age 69, Miyazaki has been working in the animation industry for over 45 years. In 2005, he was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. He has over ten feature-length films under his name, including classics like My Neighbor Totoro and Sprited Away which, by the way, is Japan's highest grossing film of all time.
Reportedly, Miyazaki has signed on for at least two more feature-length films over the next three years. However, he has been in and out of retirement over the past few years, so we would be very lucky to get anything more from him after those two he has planned. So after Miyazaki's inevitable retirement, which Japanese filmmaker will become the next trailblazer in the animated film industry? I'm betting on a man named Mamoru Hosoda.
Although well into his 40's, Mamoru Hosoda is still a relatively new filmmaker. Despite the low number of films he's directed, a lot of people have been very surprised by how capable of a storyteller Hosoda has proven to be. Recently, I got a chance to watch his 2006 film titled, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
The Girl Who Leapt Through TimeThis movie is inspired by and is a psuedo-sequel to the novel "Toki o Kakeru Shōjo" by Yasutaka Tsutsui. It's actually implied that one of the side characters in this film is the protagonist of the original novel. It should be noted that this movie was intended to stand as it's own complete story, you certainly won't be missing anything critical if you don't read the novel first.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time focuses on a high school girl named Makoto Konno, who inadvertently gains the power to travel back through time. Once she realizes she has this new-found power, she begins to use it on frivolous things, like getting a perfect grade on a test or reliving a single karaoke session for ten hours straight. She eventually begins to realize how the small changes she chooses to make can negatively affect others. This is a heartwarming movie that's appropriate for all ages and while it may not have the most detailed animation I've ever seen, it's still very charming and beautiful. In 2007, this film won the Animation of the Year award from the Japan Academy Prize Association. If you haven't seen any Japanese animated films before, this is a great one to start with.
After three years of production, Hosoda's latest film called, Summer Wars, was released theatrically in Japan last August. Unfortunately, I haven't seen it yet so I can't summarize what it's about but like The Girl Who Leapt Though Time, it's a blend of drama and comedy.
Summer WarsThis film has received very high praise among both movie-goers and critics and it seems that Hosoda has hit yet another one out of the park. This success only further establishes Hosoda as a historically important animated film director and as a person who is capable of following in Miyazaki's footsteps. Summer Wars was released on DVD and Blu-Ray today in Japan, but us poor folks in the United States and UK will have to wait until September to get our hands on a copy. This is definitely a film worth looking forward to seeing this fall.
For those people who still appreciate the beauty of hand-drawn animated films, you may have to start looking abroad to Japan to find new ones these days. It may take some time and research to find your own favorites but if you're just starting out, you can't go wrong with a Hayao Miyazaki or Mamoru Hosoda film.
One last thing, I recommend watching foreign films (animated or not) subtitled instead of dubbed. You may not be able to understand the language, but the performance of the original voice actors is better 99% of the time. You can hear the energy and emotion that comes through in the original performances, unlike a dubbed over recording, which usually comes off sounding flat or just plain bad. I would only choose a dub over subtitles if there were young kids who were wanting to watch a foreign movie... or, you know, if I was blind.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: 9/10
25 February 2010
TMR - FEBRUARY 2010
- THE MONTHLY ROUNDUP -
February 2010
THE LOOSE ENDSFebruary 2010
- Topics: Relationships, breakups, dealing with the past.
- Movies: (500) Days of Summer [10/10], In Bruges [9/10]
OH DEAR GOD
- Topics: When and where to talk about politics, insensitive people.
- Movies: None.
MOVING IS LIVING
- Topics: Moving, the airport experience, chance meetings.
- Movies: Up In The Air [10/10]
VAMPIRES AND BUTTERFLIES
- Topics: Foreign films, Japanese animation, films based on books.
- Movies: The Diving Bell and The Butterfly [9/10], Let The Right One In [9/10]
22 February 2010
THE LOOSE ENDS
A week before I moved to North Carolina, my ex-girlfriend messaged me out of the blue. It had been almost two years since we broke up and we've only talked briefly a few times since we split. Those conversations never went over too well, as we would always end up taking potshots at each other. She and I never did get back to hanging out or being real good friends or anything like that. When she messaged me this time though, things seemed to be a little different. There was no animosity, no bitterness, or anything like that between us. We both just wanted to tie up the loose ends.
We decided to see each other once more before I moved away so we picked out a day and met at a coffee shop to talk for a while. It was really nice to see her again, but it was even nicer to lay everything to rest without any arguing or cruelty. I consider myself a pretty lucky guy to have been able to make everything right between us before I left for good. From what I've observed from others, not many people who have been in past relationships get that kind of opportunity like I did.
If you have been in relationship that didn't work out and you were never able to set things straight with the other person, that's alright. What really matters is when you look back at any past relationship, if you're able to retain a positive experience from it.
When it came to deciding what movie I should go with this topic of relationships and breakups, I didn't hesitate to pick (500) Days of Summer. It has quickly become one of my favorite movies since it was released back in 2009. It's as honest and grounded as modern romantic comedies go; like the film's trailer says, it is not a "love story" but rather a "story about love."
Like usual, I'm not going to give anything away as far as spoilers go but if you have ever been in a relationship and haven't seen it yet, you really should get around to it.
In Bruges
I also wanted to briefly touch on a movie I saw recently for the first time called In Bruges. In this film, two hit men, played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, are ordered to lay low for a while in the city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a job. While waiting for a call from their contact, the two men spend their days getting used to the local customs in the city. Meanwhile, one of them is forced to confront his past and tie up his very own loose ends.
The main characters are well-developed and memorable and the film itself is a perfect blend of dark comedy, drama and brutality. In Bruges was a limited release in 2008 and despite the critical acclaim it received, not too many people saw it. If you happened to miss this one like I did when it came out, go check it out.
(500) Days of Summer: 10/10
In Bruges: 9/10
We decided to see each other once more before I moved away so we picked out a day and met at a coffee shop to talk for a while. It was really nice to see her again, but it was even nicer to lay everything to rest without any arguing or cruelty. I consider myself a pretty lucky guy to have been able to make everything right between us before I left for good. From what I've observed from others, not many people who have been in past relationships get that kind of opportunity like I did.
If you have been in relationship that didn't work out and you were never able to set things straight with the other person, that's alright. What really matters is when you look back at any past relationship, if you're able to retain a positive experience from it.
Maybe a past relationship made you a better person in the long run. Maybe it made you grow a little wiser and learned a few lessons about life and love. Or maybe you just remember the good simple memories when you think back on it. Whatever it is, if a past relationship has made some kind of positive influence on your life, then it holds some value despite the breakup, the heartache, and the time invested.
(500) Days of Summer
(500) Days of SummerWhen it came to deciding what movie I should go with this topic of relationships and breakups, I didn't hesitate to pick (500) Days of Summer. It has quickly become one of my favorite movies since it was released back in 2009. It's as honest and grounded as modern romantic comedies go; like the film's trailer says, it is not a "love story" but rather a "story about love."
Like usual, I'm not going to give anything away as far as spoilers go but if you have ever been in a relationship and haven't seen it yet, you really should get around to it.
In BrugesI also wanted to briefly touch on a movie I saw recently for the first time called In Bruges. In this film, two hit men, played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, are ordered to lay low for a while in the city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a job. While waiting for a call from their contact, the two men spend their days getting used to the local customs in the city. Meanwhile, one of them is forced to confront his past and tie up his very own loose ends.
The main characters are well-developed and memorable and the film itself is a perfect blend of dark comedy, drama and brutality. In Bruges was a limited release in 2008 and despite the critical acclaim it received, not too many people saw it. If you happened to miss this one like I did when it came out, go check it out.
(500) Days of Summer: 10/10
In Bruges: 9/10
21 February 2010
OH DEAR GOD
Today, I had the pleasure of having someones political views shoved down my throat. Of course, people often express how they feel about the political state of the country, it's not an uncommon occurrence. But the thing that made this different was that this guy was a preacher, and you guessed it, he was preaching when this happened. Now, I'm a really easy-going guy and I can tolerate stupidity from people in fairly high doses (thank you, military) but I was so appalled by what he said that I had to get up and walk out of the church with only about two minutes into his sermon.
Now, this isn't a political blog, nor is it a religious one, I'm not writing to change hearts and minds on any kind of issue. People can think and believe whatever they want and I'm okay with that. However, when I go to a Christian church and the preacher opens his mouth and begins to speak, I expect to hear things about Jesus, the Bible, salvation, faith, and sin - not so much about president Obama, gay marriage, abortion, conservative talk radio and Fox News. I guess that caught me a little off guard. I went from thinking, "Hmm, this guy seems really, really conservative," to "Wow!! Did he really just say that?!" I was able to make my exit quietly without any audible reaction but I know some people who aren't quite as restrained, such as my sister, who probably would have flipped out on the spot. It's a good thing she's not visiting this weekend.
"We lost the war on abortion. We lost the war on gay marriage." That's the line he said when he completely lost me. Excuse me, but please don't include me on this so-called 'war' of yours.
I'm not super liberal by any means but these are very sensitive subjects to people and to have a preacher like this openly proclaim that we're all in a grand battle against these things is a bit ridiculous. I am aware that Christianity frowns upon abortion and homosexuality but there is a time, a place, and more importantly, a manner in which this kind of stuff can be discussed. From the pulpit, in front of the entire congregation and with absolutely no tact is an example of how not to handle this.
I probably could have made a giant list of my favorite inappropriate things which he said but unfortunately, I missed out on most of the sermon because I was too busy outside laughing as I recalled the few absurd things I did hear. After about fifteen minutes, I walked back in and was able hear the last bit of the sermon. Not much to my surprise, the preacher had a few more things to say about politics. He mentioned the "insanity" of the way things have been going in this country, due to our president's administration. He also said how he can't "watch Fox News or listen to talk radio anymore without taking a tranquilizer," because it gets him so fired up, apparently. As you can imagine, it came as a big shock to me when let it be known that he watches Fox News.
"Fox News, don't panic - it's NOT what you think."
In retrospect, I wonder if me standing up and shouting, "GLENN BECK GITS 'R DONE, YEE-HAW!!" would have garnered a round of applause, or at least a nod and smile of quiet admiration from the preacher.
Now, this isn't a political blog, nor is it a religious one, I'm not writing to change hearts and minds on any kind of issue. People can think and believe whatever they want and I'm okay with that. However, when I go to a Christian church and the preacher opens his mouth and begins to speak, I expect to hear things about Jesus, the Bible, salvation, faith, and sin - not so much about president Obama, gay marriage, abortion, conservative talk radio and Fox News. I guess that caught me a little off guard. I went from thinking, "Hmm, this guy seems really, really conservative," to "Wow!! Did he really just say that?!" I was able to make my exit quietly without any audible reaction but I know some people who aren't quite as restrained, such as my sister, who probably would have flipped out on the spot. It's a good thing she's not visiting this weekend.
"We lost the war on abortion. We lost the war on gay marriage." That's the line he said when he completely lost me. Excuse me, but please don't include me on this so-called 'war' of yours.
"Well played."
I'm not super liberal by any means but these are very sensitive subjects to people and to have a preacher like this openly proclaim that we're all in a grand battle against these things is a bit ridiculous. I am aware that Christianity frowns upon abortion and homosexuality but there is a time, a place, and more importantly, a manner in which this kind of stuff can be discussed. From the pulpit, in front of the entire congregation and with absolutely no tact is an example of how not to handle this.
I probably could have made a giant list of my favorite inappropriate things which he said but unfortunately, I missed out on most of the sermon because I was too busy outside laughing as I recalled the few absurd things I did hear. After about fifteen minutes, I walked back in and was able hear the last bit of the sermon. Not much to my surprise, the preacher had a few more things to say about politics. He mentioned the "insanity" of the way things have been going in this country, due to our president's administration. He also said how he can't "watch Fox News or listen to talk radio anymore without taking a tranquilizer," because it gets him so fired up, apparently. As you can imagine, it came as a big shock to me when let it be known that he watches Fox News.
"Fox News, don't panic - it's NOT what you think."In retrospect, I wonder if me standing up and shouting, "GLENN BECK GITS 'R DONE, YEE-HAW!!" would have garnered a round of applause, or at least a nod and smile of quiet admiration from the preacher.
15 February 2010
MOVING IS LIVING
Moving around a lot is something I've always dealt with throughout the years. Over the weekend, I undertook the ninth major move I've had so far. It's not something I particularly enjoy doing, due to all of the packing and unpacking, but I've grown accustomed to dealing with it. After nine times, I've gotten used to saying goodbye to friends and starting over in new places.
As a result of moving around so much, I've spent a good amount of time in airports. Checking in luggage, going through security, and navigating through the terminals are all things that come second nature to me. While these may remain troublesome obstacles to some people, I'm able to breeze through each of them with a smile on my face. I find myself in a place of tranquility amidst the storm of people rushing around to make their boarding times. To me, airports bring a promise of new opportunities and new experiences.
"Heaven or hell?"
While it is true that most of the people you see in airports will hold little to no significance in your life, there is a chance that you could have a pleasant conversation with someone you've never met before. I'm not saying you should run up to everyone you see and say, "Hello," but if the opportunity presents itself, why not say something? At the very least, you can pass the time waiting on a flight with a good conversation.
One time while waiting for a flight to San Antonio, I noticed a pretty girl in the same waiting area that I was in. Feeling adventurous and with nothing to lose, I decided to strike up a conversation with her. Well, it's been over five years since that conversation and we are still very good friends to this day, despite never actually living near each other. An off-chance meeting with a stranger turned into one of the best friendships that I have.
Up In The Air
Recently, I finally got the chance to watch Up In The Air, a film by Jason Reitman, who also directed Juno and Thank You For Smoking. Without getting into spoilers, this film is about a man named Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney) who makes his living flying around the United States, firing people. When corporations need to downsize but hate dealing with the mess that comes with it, they hire a man like Ryan Bingham to take care of it.
This is a movie about relationships, family, isolation and the value of human connections. All of the characters are easily relatable in their own way and I often found myself reflecting upon my own life while watching it. I highly recommend this one!
Up In The Air: 10/10
As a result of moving around so much, I've spent a good amount of time in airports. Checking in luggage, going through security, and navigating through the terminals are all things that come second nature to me. While these may remain troublesome obstacles to some people, I'm able to breeze through each of them with a smile on my face. I find myself in a place of tranquility amidst the storm of people rushing around to make their boarding times. To me, airports bring a promise of new opportunities and new experiences.
"Heaven or hell?"One time while waiting for a flight to San Antonio, I noticed a pretty girl in the same waiting area that I was in. Feeling adventurous and with nothing to lose, I decided to strike up a conversation with her. Well, it's been over five years since that conversation and we are still very good friends to this day, despite never actually living near each other. An off-chance meeting with a stranger turned into one of the best friendships that I have.
Up In The AirRecently, I finally got the chance to watch Up In The Air, a film by Jason Reitman, who also directed Juno and Thank You For Smoking. Without getting into spoilers, this film is about a man named Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney) who makes his living flying around the United States, firing people. When corporations need to downsize but hate dealing with the mess that comes with it, they hire a man like Ryan Bingham to take care of it.
This is a movie about relationships, family, isolation and the value of human connections. All of the characters are easily relatable in their own way and I often found myself reflecting upon my own life while watching it. I highly recommend this one!
Up In The Air: 10/10
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