Movie Reviews

I've seen a whole stack of movies lately and haven't taken the time to review them, mostly due to complete and utter exhaustion. So here are the belated reviews:

Monster
Rating: ***
This movie is extremely depressing but not as violent as I thought it could have been, although that may have been due to my leaning on the fast forward button. I am not a fan of violent movies; however, this one is based on a true story, not to mention that that true story includes lesbians. To summarize, it is about a prostitute who begins to murder her johns as a way to get more money to make her girlfriend happy. She is raped near the beginning of the movie by one of her johns, and that john becomes her first victim. She justifies most of the rest of the murders by convincing herself that they, too, are rapists. She uses that defence until the end of her trial (and perhaps her life, I don't know). She was executed in Florida in 2002. I am opposed to the death penalty, and this movie just furthered my conviction that there is too much going on in a person's life for people to be able to judge their actions in such a final way. This movie is depressing, but the acting is very very good. Charlize Theron definitely deserved the Oscar.

Brokeback Mountain
Rating: ****
Another cheery movie, but a very well done not-so-cheery movie. This movie is about gay cowboys who never do quite get it together enough to be full-time partners. They only see each other a few times each year. The acting is wonderful, the scenery is wonderful, and I think I want to be a shepherd now. I could definitely follow the order, "Sleep with the sheep every night."

The Weather Underground
Rating: *****
This is a documentary that I heard of on Netflix originally, although I recently discovered it at the library. It is about a violent group of anti-war protesters during the Vietnam Era. Several members of the group are interviewed on the film, which makes it all the more interesting. It's fascinating to hear their reasoning for becoming violent to protest violence. Although I do not agree with their reasoning, it is worth it to see how people can get themselves so wrapped up in their ideals that they no longer care about the everyday person. This is one of the most fascinating documentaries I have seen in a long time. I recommend it if for nothing else than a warning against extremism.