My Week of 7/5 - 7/11

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father - 2008 - Kurt Kuenne


There is no question that this is a very moving work. I feel kind of like a jerk for saying it but, as a film it is not made well. On a technical level the use of sound effects and animation are amateurish and pull you out of the film. Once you get past the flaws, there is a story worth telling. I did as I was told and avoided any prior knowledge of the story before seeing the movie but, I have watched enough Dateline and 48 hours Mystery that I got an uneasy feeling about ten minutes in. The twists and turns of the story will likely come as a suprise to a less jaded viewer. I will not give anything away about the film here and I also will not put up my standard IMDB link as it spoils at least one major plot point.

I can easily recommend this movie as even it's weaknesses come from the love and devotion of the director.





Equilibrium - 2002 - Kurt Wimmer


We have seen the type future that is presented in Equilibrium in many films and books over the years. State control over every aspect of life in a sterile city of
steel and concrete, a monochromatic wash over the world that we see around us today. On the otherside of the conflict is, inevitably, a group of free spirited people striving to bring back the old ways. It does not matter that the new world order brings with it a level of peace that would never have been possible if people were left to there own devices. You know who to root for and you know who is going to come out on top on the end.

What it lacks in story, Equilibrium makes up for in fantastic action. Gun Kata is a gift that the world still has yet to fully embrace. Wimmer found and elegant way of making the hero overly skilled without resorting to having him be inately better than everyone else, just make shooting everyone in the room into a martial art.





Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone - 2007 - Kazuya Tsurumaki


If you have seen the Neon Genesis Evangelion television series then the story will be familier as this first of four "rebuild" films covers the plot of the first six or so episodes. On the other hand if this is your first exposure to Evangelion then you are in for something interesting. Our hero, Shinji Ikari, is recruted by NERV, an organization under the U.N. charged with protecting the world from Angels, where he is forced to pilot a giant robot by his father, the head of NERV. The story is full of sad people, big robots and Judeo-Christian symbolism





Primer - 2004 - Shane Carruth


Still the greatest film about time travel ever made.





Tyson - 2008 - James Toback


If you are not a boxing fan then the thing you will take away from this film is that the two most influencial events in Mike Tyson's life were when he first met Cus D'Amato and then the day Cus died. Cus was the one positive force in Tyson's life and his death was a loss that Tyson clearly never got past. Tyson also has a view of women that is, at best, unhealthy. Tobeck chose to go with the standard talking heads style documentary only this time we are only giving one voice, Tyson's. No pretentions of neutrality are made, this is Mike's side of things.