Komal's+Film+Responses

 Two thumbs up for //The Shawshank Redemption //. Decidedly, Tim Robbins does have a baby face. And I think I would become a criminal to spend time in jail with Morgan Freeman. I can understand the problem critics had with the movie. Andy is just too damn good. It’s not cool, man. Also, I never thought about how unrealistic it was that the sewage just flowed out into a pond type area, but it is.

Because //Casablanca// has achieved the status of being a classic, few people would dare to say they didn’t like it. Even though Humphrey Bogart may not be relevant as the dashing maverick in today’s cinema, his amiable character is at once solemn, romantic and ethical. Elsa, who seems to perpetually be on the verge of tears, embodies the grace, glamour and drama of the time and bears a striking resemblance to Debra Messing. As for the blunders made, compared to the awesomeness of the movie, the lack of continuity in ONE small scene seems trivial. For someone seeing the movie for the first time, it’s unnoticeable, especially because you’re so engrossed in the fact that Bogey just got abandoned by his true love! All in all, //Casablanca// is phenomenal.

There is such longevity to //The Graduate//. Dustin Hoffman is exceptional in his portrayal of Ben Braddock. His circumstances and behavior are so relatable for all young adults; he is this twenty-something guy, fresh out of college with no idea what he wants to do with the rest of his life. He makes foolish mistakes and acts on impulse, only to reevaluate his choices when it’s too late to do much about them. But it is these uncertainties that make him so human and so likeable. Besides that, his affair with Mrs. Robinson, romance with Elaine, and the drama involving their spontaneous getaway are completely captivating. The music is yet another highlight of this film; Simon and Garfunkel perfectly illustrate Ben's mindset. Overall this movie is just really well made.

=//Chinatown//, it’s a shady place… = Corruption, incest, murder, partially severed noses, it all adds up to a pretty sketchy story. Roman Polanski is true to the film noir genre with enough plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seats. A terrific cast only adds to the drama; Faye Dunaway does well as the disturbed Mrs. Mulwray, but its John Houston’s Noah Cross that was really impressive; he is perhaps the most convincing pedophile I have ever seen on screen. Jack Nicholson proves to be softer than is expected from the “hard-boiled” private detective JJ Gittes but is, of course, a true rebel. On the whole, I was fascinated and shocked and disturbed all at once. I would also like to add that the slap scene where Mrs. Mulwray’s big fat orange cat is finally pulled out of the bag is the best part of the entire movie. **DO THE RIGHT THING ** Because Mr. Masson had told us the ending of the film would be controversial and that Spike Lee had meant to make a statement with it and all that I was expecting someone to die, actually I was expecting the Mayor to die. But it ended up being Radio Rahim. Mr. Masson made me feel very bad about not initially feeling all that bad about Radio Rahim dying. Initially I had felt worse about the events that followed. The entire town had been standing around Sal’s Famous Pizzeria, looking like they were ready to destroy Sal and his kids and you just knew something was going to set them off. And I was just completely thrown off when it was Mookie who did it by throwing that garbage can through the window. Mookie! Was he not supposed to be the protagonist in all this? Well, now that I think about it there wasn’t a protagonist really, and if you had to pick someone it would be Sal. But the point is I was shocked. Just minutes before all chaos broke out, Sal had told Mookie he was like his son and there was always a place for him at the pizzeria. Sal had been so good to Mookie, he trusted him and knowing that, Mookie did toake some liberties, but I had never expected that from him. I realize now that Mookie was confused, so maybe breaking the window wasn’t as much of an act against Sal as I had first thought. Obviously there are hundreds of different ways you can look at the situation and trying to pinpoint the blame is just fruitless. Everyone will get something different from the ending; it’s a profound, thought provoking film. Aside from the actual events, the cinematography really harmonized with the story. The sweltering heat was a perfect backdrop to the tension. And I liked the use of what I now know is called the Dutch Angle. And probably my favorite scene was the montage of racist insults. That was just awesome.

