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Human (2022)
missing key was to make the audience feel for a character and root for them
It wanted to be non-over dramatic and a tight script. The main actors shone in closeups and emotional scenes. However, the missing key was to make the audience feel for a character and root for them. I think audiences in reel and real life need a clear positive characteristic to root for, and they can forget all the evils. Like they say, the world steps aside for the man who knows where he is walking. A Sarkar is admired for his adherence to his sense of justice even if he kills his own family.
For me to feel for S and all her travails with lesbianism, ignorance, habit of lying and childhood traumas, there could be more examples of how she is uncompromising on integrity. She does that finally, but in a very crying wanting confused way which didn't make me wager my bets on her even though i knew the story has to make her the Messiah.
Gauri and her long list of complex tribulations that she didnt spare any opportunity to repeat, also left me wondering. I admired her cool in the numerous betrayals she got because i was on the edge of finding her crying femininely for help. But what were her future goals about? She was blowed out by her first son dying but she didnt seem to make an all out effort to connect with her second son. She came from poverty but she didnt feel for other poor people. Her ambition was not the hospital but the addendum to Elixir that she wanted built on a children park land. She would compromise in all sorts of ways with Indian authorities from drug regulators to politicians but was unquestionably loyal to the Italian skin on the ten girl patients continuity. Was her bigger purpose to heal the traumatic patients, was it just expanding her name.
I feel in reel and real life, we need to simply and repeatedly state what we want and what we stand for, in order to be understood by others. Otherwise, we get lost in the laundry list of wishes we all flail around in.
Shôgun (2024)
Shogun is so good- i am hooked!
Yesterday's scene with the courtesan's dialogue are worth noting: "They believe this place is about physical pleasure. Which it is. But it can be more. The people she meets wish for a different life or circumstance. They want to be any place other than where they are. I offer you relief from this. And safety...to create one perfect moment that you wish to inhabit completely. Settle your eyes on what you desire. My unclothed form. Just as I am... with nothing between us. I ask you into my openness."
I find the sense of democracy vs ease of killing authorities fascinating. On one hand, kings are killed in fake-ambushes to usurp their power. On the other side, the wannabe ruler contorts himself to appear democratic and law-abiding publicly. I wonder if what is worse is the public believes it too? In that sense I applaud people like Trump who shows and uses his double-sidedness openly.
Stunning picturesque beauty that i cant differentiate from VFX.
Toronaga's multi-layered character is brilliantly portrayed with subtle reveal to the mystery in its culmination. The man i am shown to aspire as the ideal- i kind of still want to be like him despite it all.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Nolan does it again. A masterclass in movie making, my new all time fav
What acting by Cillian, Downey, Damon! Cillian's gazes revealed the conundrums he is fighting. Downey's silent plotting with lip service of a non-scientist getting denigrating treatment from Cillian- even I would feel vengeful. Damon's body posture spoke a million truths about his own undecidedness from getting Oppie to head the project to pushing for the bomb. What background score, and the most impactful was the story-telling back and forth. I could feel it for not only each of the three primary characters I named, but each scientist, wife, mistress, even Truman in a single scene and Kennedy who wasn't even shown. Dr. Hill's (already endeared for being the Mr. Robot man) spectacled game-changing testimony lit up my candle that was rooting for Oppie. It was Cillian's surrender despite the wife urging him to fight, honest acceptance of the cock and bull story he made to keep his friend's name masked.
The background of Commies best explained by the banter between Kitty and the scum of a lawyer. Who can differentiate between Russian communism vs American vs..
Most of all, Einstein's finale dialogues culminated my own feeling. While he got kicked out of his own country, Oppie faced a similar deal living in his own- the great USA. We take our achievements personally not realising its mostly the power of the seat we hold, till we hold it. Like the Mughal kings, only to be killed later by the enemies we made on our path to success. A Buddha would have neither made the bomb that stopped the war nor faced such ethical dilemmas and back-stabbing enemies. As Einstein said, in the end it's all for nothing.
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Stunning pace and script, and acting
What an end. I was rooting for Cary all through the movie. Though, I wonder why given he had socked her. Perhaps that's his presence and charm. When the tables turned multiple times for the roulette to land in his court, I was all bowed to the script writer. It wasnt luck, as Dinah exclaimed that she had planned it all along. It was the journey that Tracy was going through of getting out of her Goddess costume. Looking back, what patience did Dexton show in the face of Tracy kissing Mike in the dead of night, still trying to wingman him.
A 10/10 rom-com with a lesson on compassion, patience and humor. What a way to reach the climax with Tracy asking Dexton to prompt her on what to say to the wedding guests and how wittily he inserts himself as the new groom. Cant help smiling even now, much after the movie ended.
Patch Adams (1998)
8 for the witty humor
The way he bounces back on rejections from his roommate, the head doc, Carin etc. With humor was the most inspirational.
The humorous quotes I liked:
"I was awarded the William F. Thompson Scientific Achievement Award. I once drew a picture of a rabbit that got me two gold stars."
"I am starting to love the back of your head"- when Carin rejects Patch for the nth time.
"When I said I had a crush on you, you didn't say "No way, loser. I'd rather have a lobotomy by a leper."
"Never trust an atom; they make up everything."
"Humor is like a rubber sword; it allows you to make a point without drawing blood."
"I have two rules: kindness and laughter. Laughing in the face of rules, though, that's my third rule."
"An enema bulb? It used to be. This amazing piece of rubber when applied to your face can brighten another person's day. Even a suffering patient."
Not covering his own suicide backstory made it feel like an all hunky-dory story losing its realism. Even the bounce back from Carin's death was so rushed and without the tears it didn't seem heartfelt enough. I was perhaps sadder on the death of the character than they showed Patch to be for his love. Even though his humor was so atop that he swallowed his sorrows and that was the message of the movie, the rarity of that lost its affect on me. That's why the lower rating of an otherwise 8+ movie. A similar good time Charlie was portrayed far better in 3 Idiots with his relatable ups, downs and vulnerabilities.
Thiruchitrambalam (2022)
For Nitya
Nitya stole the show for me with her twinkling eyes and heavy body making her the cute friend who gets ignored. Dhanush was a repeat of the loser in Ranjhana, playing to his ugliness. Prakash Raj was stereotypical but the even uglier grandfather saved those interactions. From his delivery I learnt that expressions may emanate from the craters of pocked cheeks and aged wrinkles too.
The wit sprinkled in parts sprung up the movie like the 2nd girl asking why should they be in touch or Dhanush not denying that grandpa will die soon.
Past the cliches of a rom-com with a trope tragic backstory, it was a good entertainer rooting for Shobhana / Nitya.
Verdens verste menneske (2021)
What could have been a 9
Cute, beautiful, seductive, flaky, man's nature in a woman- this was the order of my perception of Julie as the move progressed. First look, her cuteness undoubtedly geta double-take. Her bare slim body is beautiful. Her passion is seductive. Her frog-jumping job and men every few months is flaky as her most steady partner acknowledges truthfully. The insightful turning point of the movie comes when she leaves him:
- "Why do I have to put everything in words. Why can't my feelings be my feelings without psycho-analysing it intellectually?" The words echoed leaving me insightful about the fairer sex forever.
- The concept of a couple's primal fight being the conflict of one wanting more connection and another more separation came to light. Just that against the stereotype, the guy was the needy one here. I felt sad for him. Even his desperate attempt of cunnilingus failed to avoid his breakup. Once a beggar, always a beggar- she will pity you. That's why bad independent guys get the girls- Mark Manson 101. Some girl, not necessarily the girl.
- She dumps him for being too intellectual to hook up with a simpler man, only to find him to be just a coffee-boy after the initial passionate days. Greener grass on the other side is the state of us all.
- Beware of beauties for more than a night-stand, they will bumble. The only other way to keep the trophy would be if our hero masked his needs and played the power game to keep Julie on her toes. A bit of gaslighting, less coaxing- keep the rollercoaster on so that she doesn't have the mind-space to think of getting out. But power games in love sounds oxymoronic and moronic.
The viewpoint of the girl getting her hots from being 'the one' to make her guy stand up was similar to the girl's about-turn from a sexless marriage in Sex, Lies and Videotape too.
Some beautiful background of Oslo giving an insight into the people and life there. Nothing exceptional- just another cold European country with well heated houses.
For all of her want 'to feel', the director didnt let me feel enough for her, to give a 9/10.
Bakushû (1951)
What makes women old hags
Similar to Late Spring but for me, even more nature-revealing. The young girl of 28 preferred the hardships with a known-widowed man over the cushy life with a unknown 42 year old. Not a detailed thought-out decision but more of a spontaneous one, pleasing the aunt- the future mother-in-law. I remember Dostoevsky's Karamazov showing a similar scene of the woman betrothing a man due for prison capture in return for a promise of everlasting love.
From a man's freedom yearning standpoint view, is the woman so helpless and so longing for safety that she will accept lifelong daily hardship in return for familiarity? Is she so intuitive that she believes she will be a mother to someone else's 6-year-old without even a conversation. A calculative planner like me will call her a bad gambler and prove it by showing you old nagging hags frustrated with life. They seem to disguise lack of experience as intuition, escaping from one bad situation of not being married to another of being married badly. Or perhaps deep-down nature has made them to solely care about rearing children- rest of the suffering around cheating or absent husbands is civilization-conditioned.
Another thought is that nature meant for men and women so stay separate- each achieve their goals differently in modern society. The woman playing the victim, the man playing the culprit.
Again, Ozu masters the art of not showing the to-be husband's reaction, ensuring the spotlight remains on our lead.
Banshun (1949)
Self-discovery
Her wide toothy-smile with an oblong face and large hairdo is stamped on my brain-reel forever.
"I don't need a husband to be happy, I am already happy with you, father." The movie shows the tryst with social norms where the daughter must marry away and the father left alone, despite none wanting it.
"Better to have a son, daughters married-off or unmarried are both not good." Indeed. Worse, if the father went against the grain, society may smell incest.
Hopefully from 1949 to 2023, the flexibility of humans to stay with whomever or even alone has expanded.
I found the side-role of the uncle also impactful- laughing off at the 27-year-old girl calling him filthy repeatedly for having married again. His ability to chuckle loudly as if he is ridiculing himself too but deep inside, he knows better, was inspiring to me. Here, the director Ozu addresses another touchy topic of soulmates vs more practical need-mates. If not for gender based social conditioning, one would be self-dependent. Further, like School of life says only those who are good enough being single can become a good partner. Knowing how to cook rice for men or stay in a safe community for women can be achieved without dependence on a single poker. Solitude is our share when the partner dies, or the nest gets empty, or in almost all cases no one around understands you because they don't even understand themselves.
On the flip side, it may be the same 'growing up' presented in most mythological stories that Joseph Campbell roars about. The father at 56 vs girl at 27 means the girl at 50 will be alone. Caring for an 80-year-old doesn't count as company. As James Cameroon depicts in his movies, it's the teenage boy's cocoon-shedding. It requires him to be thrown into a challenge beyond his ken or even his father to die so that he can man up. Similarly, the girl here is separated from the father by hook and crook to carry the torch to next gen.
The director was smart not to show us the man she marries, to avoid colouring our eyes with the judgment of how suitable or not the husband is and therefore siding or not with the girl's decision to not marry. She represents all the girls out there, who husbands are as nameless as a concept.
Self-dependence with good hospitals and insurance is the way forward in my view in the current society unless post self-discovery you find the right partner.
Tehran (2020)
Birth and death of a spy
Despite some usual masala, so fresh in many aspects:
- Why does one become a spy? I used to wonder why you would risk yourself not just as a soldier shaving the bullet, but as a secret-keeper who would get brutally totaled yet kept alive for the inside info. The characters of Tamar, the psychologist, and even the double-crosser in first season end answered it for me from both sides of the border. It's the personal wounds of what happened to one's spouse or family that firebrands a nobody to take revenge via espionage. The only method through which a massive change like a coup can be brought upon by playing cog in the wheel. The weapon of the weak but hurt.
- The metamorphosis of the honest, utmost loyal but apolitical head Iranian investigator. Like for our spies, finally the pain of repeated ill-treatment despite the sweat and blood given to the country drives the final nail in the coffin. A little taste of revenge by going to the other side empowers you to overthrow a tyrant regime. Perhaps loyalty to country means disloyalty to the current corrupt administration.
- Overall, keeping me on my toes, it walked me through the birth and death of a spy from insemination to a sudden onslaught of your own poison. Worse through your loved one being blown up leaving you wondering whether you should have been blown up too or start another cycle of revenge on your own country. Bottomline, be a universal citizen.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
Why remained unanswered for me
The plot with a carefree impotent man swooping into the life of a woman living a comfy but dry life was unique and gripping. With interview tapes of women talking about their sex lives, the writer raised it by many degrees. However, the editor or director swinging spotlight unnecessarily to the cheating husband took away the depth of looking into the woman. The jealous cheating sister in juxtaposition was useful in shining through the protagonist's antithetic personality, which probably was equally jealous the sister's loudness and freedom.
But why? If the story answered our most burning question of Why is one behaving the way they are, it would give us the much-needed release. Her quirky personality told me there's more to it than typical reasons of not having married for love or love losing its shine over the moons. Even just plain old need for change and dissatisfaction from good going would justify a lot. We would get our own closure to why we share such idiosyncrasies.
Another tangent was what the Manson and Peterson allude to- the woman getting her highs like in Mills & Boons from being the nurturer to the bad boy so that she is needed but he is not needy. After all, her challenging persona and seductive touch cures the guy's selective impotency. Win-win.
The more abstract answer would be leaving the questions like the fascination of watching those interviews or taking them in the first place, to the audience. I would walk away extrapolating that the guy is sensitive to women and wants to understand their needs to get aroused. He wants two understanding souls to consummate, not passionate bodies. My holier than thou version.
The Diplomat (2023)
Dialogues!
It has the typical recipe of a high-wire drama with high stakes, and it works for me. Somehow still couldnt feel empathy for Kate, but excellent dialogues and pace of events.
Scenes that hit me
- The stoic Hal Wyler, standing up to the stalwarts with his ego poker-faced. How he milks information from Austin's sister upfront- no sneaking, no kowtowing. Hal's ability to disrobe oneself in the spur of the dull moment and jump into the pond, automatically inviting her- a wanting partner to follow suit. Then upon her sexual invitation, to retort with his continued stoicism,
- Well, you know there are drugs for this.
There are. There are also wives for this.
- You are a bit of a downer, it turns out. No wonder we all mope."
To top it off, I hat-tip his audacity to casually yet immediately confess to Kate, "I got my dick handled by a nubile thing, and it behaved the way it always does when it's not you." Ballsy!
Chemistry between Austin and Kate
- Austin or rather the writers baited the French female Foreign secretary to feel for Kate by Austin side head-shaking away her comment: "I interrupted you. And then gave you a chiding shake of the head. Makes women furious. She clocked it too. You never have to mention it, but you'll have an unspoken bond built around your shared irritation. With me."
- Austin recognizing the female chutzpah and reframing it as 'endearing' was Eureka for me. The dialogue is memorable and record-worthy:
Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962)
Still can't take her beauty off my mind
Corinne Marchand - One of the prettiest ever! With so many face closeups throughout the movie, her acting required a mix of vain sadness that the movie was about. I could not get past her beauty, which could be my fault or her expressions or it's the very irony the director had in mind or like a Monet it's all open to interpretation.
Better dead than ugly- being a guy, I had never felt that extremely. However, just after that the scene of her trying different hats- each making her look prettier in new ways made the other shoe drop for me. It would be like Better dead than handicapped for me, who loves playing sports.
The part of meeting this stranger and then walking and bussing about with him was too artsy for me. Remembering 'Before Sunrise' on the lines of two strangers talking for long, I let that pass. The final scene was a dampener as it was meant to be. Indeed, the finality of pain is better than it's uncertainty.
Overall, I got the message even watching it at 1.8x.
Green for Danger (1946)
Sharp and sweet
The dialogues were so classy and sharp back then- what happened thereafter?
The detective was classy as they mostly are, with wit and self-deprecation. It's not about the story and guessing whodunit, but about the mystery created around characters and their reactions. Its cold open was grabbing, but somewhat cold close with a half-innocent murderer would disappoint the audience that wants a clear bad guy. If only the main doctor was more charismatic like Cary Grant, seeing him field the attacks- from both the ladies and the detective, it would have been a bigger delight. This one stayed on the sweet and cute side for me.
The Affair (2014)
Best drama series i have ever watched
Every episode is gripping, despite being a drama not a murder mystery.
Reviews and plenty. Here are my insights from The Affair
- This older man and house owner couldn't help being turned on by Allison despite calling her 'Kid'. Her own feeling as if she attracts men like a nympho. Noah hitting on every woman- that one you probably don't need to call him a nymph equivalent, that's just being a guy. As Seinfeld said, "Yes I am a guy, it would look like I am hitting on her if I am talking to her."
- Feeling for Helen- the cry for safety of children and the cry for freedom from the children and also the same cry for freedom by the children esp Whitney the rebel teenage girl. Every person seems screwed up. Unless as Osho says, we all get our share of danger and feeling alive. Marriage is a broken institution; children are better brought up in a commune when parents are also living such busy lives.
- Allison in S3 citing the reason for abandoning her daughter after 10 days of continuous sickness. Doubting one's capability for motherhood after a dead child from secondary drowning is a tough call. Is it an ongoing curse? Logic may call it a crime to abandon a child, but emotions and human brain goes through traumas which may be and are likely illogical. In her defense, she didn't abandon, she left the child with her father with all the due paperwork, going to work on and cure herself.
Duel (1971)
Madness or metaphor?
A 90 min movie that I watched in 40 mins. Like Tolstoy novels, the impact may have been deeper after suffering through seemingly countless measures of time. If I were living the time of the hassled driver being chased to death for 80 mins, I would also be panting and laughing crazily at the end. However, without the disclosure of what to expect, not that a crazy truck will give me notice next time I am on the road, it was a repeat of winding around roads in fury.
On a subtler level, of course this was a metaphor to how we get driven crazy by people in our lives. Instead of peacefully confronting them, we either burst out on other innocents or burn down the relationship by the end.
Perhaps after I sleep over it tonight, I will have a subconscious awakening from the movie's message. It's already sinking in deeper as I write this.
Alexis Zorbas (1964)
Book was way better
Zorba didn't impress me as much as I thought he will. I might not empathise with him because I am a big planner. I think the book was way better with deeper dialogues such as 'Let the people be. Don't open their eyes if you don't have a better world for them.' The scene of him sticking his neck out for the widow was the most touching and inspiring. I do wish parts of myself to be like him- independent, free-thinking, ready for wine today and no roof tomorrow. I loved it when he said he would play his music in his own time- no one owns that from him. I would also love to dance wildly and freely. But Osho's Zorba the Buddha is my real ordeal. Though seeing Anthony Quinn play that part well, I cant imagine how would a Zorba the Buddha behave. Would really like to picturize that one day.
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
good acting, weak plot and logic
Strong acting by Omar Sharif and Alec Guiness as the Zhivago brothers. The story has no real plot but wanderings of a family during the tough Russian times. Really tough- when I see such fight for food and safety I understand why capitalism has brought us to today's high levels of exploitation of nature to feed itself. The doc falling for Lara, I still don't get why. Doc's wife agreeing to their affair also goes unexplained- she was too eager and matchmaking herself, as if she is the one trying to get rid of him. The acting and staring into the eyes with such confidence by both the brothers took the cake for me.
It was a reco by the book 'Meet your happy chemicals' to feel crying. Using other people's tragedies to be more aware of your emotions, feel the endorphins.
Murder by Death (1976)
Neil Simon's another gem
Neil Simon's another gem. The metaphors are witty as always, mainly in the beginning though:
Conversation in a taxi is like a television set on honeymoon- unnecessary
Questions are like athlete's foot. After a while, very irritating.
The fog is as thick as peas soup
Cool, casual, light-hearted fun. Poking at human fallacies in places but not at the cost of entertainment- typical of Neil. I liked Mr Wang the most for his wit. I can use that way of speaking without pronouns and in the Chinese accent in some street-play one day. His calm seeing the fire on his bed was zen-like.
A good melting pot of French, American, Chinese etc. Stereotypes
Perhaps a more serious and sincere Mr. Twain would have commanded more respect for the shticks.
Kvodo (2017)
Gripping and grabbing to the bone
Alkobi's character is so well designed and portrayed. I feel for the father all the time and likely would have done exactly the maneuvers he did to save his son. Calculative, ballsy, sacrificing and yet looking for fairness all along - my older version. I could not help but binge through 4-5 episodes back-to-back even past midnight. No time wasted crying and wondering when the twist of fate is on your heels. Shai, the harebrained son, was the character I disliked the most. At first I thought it was his laid back acting, only to realise it's a laid back teenager who takes responsibility with a hot head rather than a balanced mind. I have seen spoilt brats like that and have blamed the parents for it. But this series made me worry if the freedom I give to my son may end him up like Shai. Or perhaps I am the one missing the plot. That was the beauty of the writing on the thin razor's edge that even now I can't decide which side I am on.
I was seeing this series to get a glimpse of Israel. I thought it was more tech savvy and modern than they showed. But then likely its like most developing countries engulfing both the east and the west within itself across the bridge.
The Outsider (2020)
Like Abseiling for me
Abseiling - the word that comes to my mind to review the mystical series. When I first started at the top of the edge, I was intrigued by the mystery. Then the normality of coming down a 100m rock came upon me, and in case of the series the super-normality of El Cuco. I dismissed the big deal of going down further in this activity. But then the rock-solid topography of the scenes gripped me hard. I kept wanting to clamber down like in a tunnel slide, to see where it leads, no matter how scary or supernatural.
Supernatural or sci-fi is a no, thank you for me. But this true crime just grew on me slowly like El Cuco. Sincere, integral emotions captured in close-ups, unique camera dolly-shots, and dialogues that spoke my mind on both sides of the edge. In such a taut plot, hardly have I seen such a large spread of deep character ownership. Each actor got his and her limelight. They shone so much that I was not bothered whether the story makes sense and what Newtonian proof can prove its fallacy. Like the lead cop's, my mind transformed from what hokey-pokey is this to I must first believe it to overcome it.
A Thursday (2022)
Good but could be better
Striving attempt by Yami. Gripping story with a good message. The feelings of the protagonist could have more deeply penetrated to the bone of the audience. That gets a natural standing ovation at the end. Else, most of us watch it from a distance as if it's happening to someone else, with the empathy like that given to victims mentioned in the newspaper.
Also, a typical sales and product problem. When the pretty females become actresses, they at least sell movie tickets to get people in the theater. But the product falls flat because they haven't been trained to show strong emotions. With an ugly but full of expressions actor like Konkana, our testosterone wont even buy the tickets. Male actors have it easier because the expectation to be handsome isn't there, so the acting of a Rajkumar Rao can shine. Madhuris with both combo are rare.
Summerhill (2008)
The only good film i know that showcases child led learning
A good movie, unique in showing the spirit of child led learning. A few striking differences struck to me- between the Western and Eastern approach. Almost like rule-following Suryavanshis vs more fluid Chandravanshis as explained by Amish Tripathi in his books.
1. The kids' court where majority passed rules and punishments didn't jive with me. It made decision making more efficient but did I make it more effective?
2. I am glad for some lawlessness in the vast country of India where government's OFSTED bureaucracy can't reach KLM. 😊
3. I like the admission of the strict mom that it's her want for orderliness and not the child's exploration that's the issue. Her adult personality wont change now but the girl should get to form hers.
I may be biased here. East or west, what is missing for me, and perhaps will be in any community-wide system unless one takes great efforts is a deep understanding of every individual. Even in community living, we come in contact over common activities and brush past each other superficially. How awesome would it be to have at least one other person who understands you super-closely, especially the budding child. What is making him tick or not tick? What was going on in the head of the trouble-maker that he bashed up a little boy? Where is the freedom-filled avenue to express the evilest of feelings inside us. The improv game they showed in the movie seemed one great tool for such catharsis.
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
My heart goes for the 3 ladies
Brilliant beginning with the tale of 3 soldiers exchanging war stories on their return. The director has taken care of smallest detail of their hopes, dreams and reality. Even the comedy of Al with his Chaplin moustache lightens up their miseries. The smart bloke who questioned war exposed the one-sidedness of the 3 men's naivety. The contrast of Al serving in the bank at thousands vs Fred selling perfume by reading the bottle at $32 a week was hard-hitting. No character was unreasonable and yet they all were. Gambling on depositor's money or gambling on the nation's future- wow, 1940 sounded repeated in the housing bubble crisis of 2008. Americans the optimist gamblers, and the world saviours.
The heart-rending dialogues and scenes were by the three leading ladies.
The double-hooked sailor's guilt was so lovingly and honestly dealt with by Wilma's statement, 'I will understand you if you let me. And if its too much for me, I will know, but only if you let me try.' - I could use that line in life!
My heart goes to Peggy and her mom, who was even more beautiful. I didn't see as much in Fred as Peggy did. Maybe an incident of integrity would have made me love him too. Makes me wonder what kind of mental count i keep on people's virtues.
But Mrs. Stevenson, she's swell! She stands out as the most giving, tolerant and loving person in this whole drama. She is the one feeling bad that she didn't have enough drinks in the house, when Al comes unannounced.
The fault is in no one, but our stars that cause such PTSDed veterans.
Patterns (1956)
Brilliant- Make your characters stand their ground
Great movie- same Van Heflin from Strange Love of Martha Ivers gripping you with his courageous integrity. This was another 10/10 for me after A Brief Encounter. How simply shot in a few office rooms and not a moment of boredom. And such an inspiring end. Ramsey's character reminded me of the writing tip- make your characters stand their ground firmly and let them battle it out. Audience doesn't want to see weakness- there's plenty of that in real life. I think Fred's way of handling the situation will give me courage for life now. What would Fred do in this situation, is what I would ask of me. Brilliant writing, direction, everything. Even the scene with Fred's wife challenging him on why he didn't correct Ramsey fully was so impactful.