Cin’s Movie Critiques

Guest Review by Dane Peacock

Children of Heaven

When we were young children, my little sister Joye always had her pretty blonde hair fixed in piggy tails. One day, while I was lying awake in my parent’s bed staring at Joye’s piggy tails, a powerful feeling came over me that I should get out of bed and get the scissors.

I was young and I can’t remember all of the details, but I remember thinking that this was one of my greatest ideas yet. After convincing Joye that she could be part it, she let me cut her piggy tails off. It was quick and easy. Afterwards, it sunk in that I could get in trouble over this. I tried to convince Joye not to tattle on me. She must have, however, because somehow my parents found out.

Children of Heaven is a very captivating tale about a boy and his little sister living in near poverty in a tiny apartment in Iran. In the opening scene, the boy, Ali, picks up his little sister’s shoes from the cobbler, but loses them on the way home.

Ali feels terrible and has to explain it to his sister, Zahra. She is upset, but promises not to tell, knowing that they do not have money to replace them, and to prevent Ali from receiving a beating from their father. They come up with a plan that Zahra will wear Ali’s sneakers to her classes in the morning, and hand them off to Ali for his afternoon classes.

After school, Zahra has to sprint through alleyways to where Ali is waiting, and then he must run the rest of the way to his class. He is late for the first few days, and is nearly expelled, but he becomes increasingly faster.

There are several moments in the movie that really tugged at my heart strings:

Zahra’s willingness to wear her brother’s big sneakers and face the humiliation of her class, her sprints through the alleyway, and her worrying as class runs long, all for the sake of her brother who had lost her shoes.

At one point, Zahra sees another girl wearing her old shoes and follows her home, only to find that the girl is also poor and her dad is blind. Zahra is able to look beyond her shoes and the two girls become friends.

Ali wins an award (a fancy pen) for doing well in school and he immediately gives it to Zahra for the sacrifices she is making for him.

Ali goes into the city with his father to earn extra money by gardening for people. They dream out loud of what they will do with the money. Ali suggests that the first thing they do is buy Zahra a new pair of shoes because hers are “torn.”

Everything culminates in multi-school race. Ali enters the race when he learns that the prize for third place is a new pair of shoes. Ali promises Zahra that he will place exactly third and win her the shoes. She believes him and has no doubt that he will do as promised.

The race involves dozens of children (think of a marathon), and Ali starts back in the pack. Thankfully, there are no annoying voice-over announcers, like in most Hollywood films. The race is told visually and it is one of the most intense scenes I have seen in a movie. By now, Ali’s own sneakers are completely worn out and he struggles through the race as he tries to place exactly third…

The last seen is very poignant as Ali returns home to Zahra on blistered feet.

I watched Children of Heaven with my family and we all enjoyed it. Jamin and Xander were engrossed the entire time, which is rare for them. The film is in Iranian and I had to read the subtitles out loud for Xander’s sake. The acting is very good, especially from the two young stars. It is a fantastic film for children. It is full of selfless acts that unfold naturally and are neither preachy nor forced. Highly recommended!

The Kite Runner

Khalid Abdalla. Directed by Marc Forster based on the best selling book by Khaled Hosseini. Rated PG-13 for strong thematic material, violence and brief strong language. 2007, Drama. Cami’s Critique:

I was invited to watch a screening of this movie while I was in Vegas. I went with my friend Amanda who always seems to find fun cultural things like this. The movie itself was pretty intense. To see a different kind of view of a country going through war was very interesting. Afghanistan is where this movie takes place and Amir is the name of the main character and that in itself affected me even more. Watching him grow up in a turbulent country on the verge of war with Russia with his best friend Hassan we see the daily life of these two boys. In the first few scenes of the movie we are swept through the streets of Kabul in a kite flying competition in which the two boys are winning. Other events of the day have a rippling effect that causes problems in the relationship. Soon after Amir moves to the US with his father to escape the problems in their country. It was also very interesting to see the lives of Amir´s family before they arrived and what they had to go through once they got to the US.

20 years later Amir is contacted by an old family friend pleading him to come back to Afghanistan. His journey back home turnes out to be a way to redeem his “fearful act of betrayal” to his friend Hassan. Scenes of the Taliban in action made my stomach knot up. It just sickened me to see such horrible hateful people and their actions.

We had the opprotunity to meet the actor who played Amir. He was in the theater to take questions and talk about his experience. I have never attended an event like that and it was incomparable. He added an entire new depth to the movie by being able to share his point of view as an actor. His comments on being an Arabic actor in the world after Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq were thought provoking.

I left the theater in tears. Sad for seeing the lives of two innocent boys so dissrupted and how hatred and war can tear friendships, oneself and a country apart.

This movie is sad but it´s so real. It´s heart wrenching but it opens your mind. One of the phrases in the movie was “be good again”. I really liked this idea and Amir´s actions help you believe that it is possible.

Guest Review by Rusty Keele

I remember well the day one of my best friends went missing. The officer came to my house to break the sad news. “Are you Rusty?”

“Yes.”

“I’m afraid one of your best friends has gone missing.”

“Amazing. I was just thinking that.”

He said that he needed my help and the help of my little sister, Cinnamon. We both nodded our heads enthusiastically, eager for the challenge. We grabbed all the gear we thought we would need, and then threw in our swords and staves – just in case.

The officer took us to the mysterious sagebrush wilderness that was just a hundred yards from our house. “There you go,” he said, pointing into the dark and tangled mess. “He is somewhere in there… I think.”

“No problem officer, this is nothing that Master Thor and his sister can’t handle,” I said raising my staff and working myself into a fit of wizarding power.

“Are you ready?” I asked Cin through the sheen of magical power surrounding my body.

She nodded, her eyes focusing to beady points of pure concentration as she raised her sword, “Let’s do this.”

Just as we gazed into the depths of the unknown our spell was broken by a call from our mother, “Come and eat!” The sagebrush forest faded from view, and concern for our imaginary friend would have to be put on hold, albeit temporarily, until tomorrow afternoon.

“Mmm – I’m starving,” I said as we walked back through the desert-y landscape to our house – our *real* house this time.

Opal Dream

Sapphire Boyce, Christian Byers, Vince Colosimo and Jacqueline McKenzie. Rated PG for mild thematic elements, language and some violence. 2006, Drama. Rusty’s Critique:

Kellyanne, the young daughter of an Australian opal miner, becomes sick when her imaginary friends, Pobby and Dingan, go missing. Her brother, recognizing the true cause of her sickness, tries to raise awareness of what is happening by putting up posters around town. As the community begins to divides itself, things finally come to head when an adjacent opal miner takes Kellyanne’s father to court.

I enjoyed this movie especially because it reminded me of my own childhood, except for that going to court part. But don’t let that keep you from watching it – it contains a great message of learning when to believe someone. A truly heart warming film for the entire family. Plus, who couldn’t do with a little more faith in things that make you
happy?

You can learn more about Opal Dream at IMDB and Wikipedia.

A Slipping Down Life

Guy Pearce, Lili Taylor. Rated R for language including sexual references. 1999, Drama/Romance. Cin’s Critque:

Beginning: bizarre. Characters: bizarre. Plot: bizarre. Setting: bizarre. Ending: bizarre.

A young woman in a small town becomes obsessed with a local rock singer (played by Guy Pearce, so who can blame her?). The movie really gets going when her obsession causes her to slice his name into her forehead. This causes a small uproar, forcing them to meet. Eventually they fall in love. Then they have trials, and we get to watch them unfold. We watch the characters learn and grow. Then they have a happy ending.

This is a “slice of life” movie. The first time I watched it, I was channel surfing and caught a glimpse of Guy. When it was over I rolled my eyes and thought what a waste of time it was. But then, I surfed onto it a few days later and couldn’t stop watching. Ended up deciding that I actually liked the reality of this one. It wasn’t all glammed up for people to watch, and was full of tangible emotion.

For bonus points: the soundtrack is kick-ass! Really, it’s just good enough to watch Guy Pearce perform as a musician. Combine his looks with a passionate singing voice and you have an irrefutable match. For a sample of that, click here. This link will take you to iTunes, you’ll need to click on the icon for “One Grey Morning” to have a listen. Enjoy!

Two Brothers

Two Tigers, and of course Guy Pearce as a hunter. Rated PG for mild violence. 2004, Drama/Family. Cin’s Critique:

If you liked Homeward Bound with two dogs and a cat, you’ll enjoy Two Brothers about two tiger cubs. Separated when young, each tiger is followed as they have different experiences, and ultimately are reunited. This is a heartwarming tale that my children really liked. Okay, okay, I liked it too…

Guy Pearce only makes a couple of brief appearances in this movie as the hunter that found one of the cubs when it was a baby, and checks on it here and there throughout the story. A good family movie!

The Count of Monte Cristo

Guy Pearce, Jim Caviezel. Rated PG-13 for adventure violence/swordplay and some sensuality. 2002, Action/Adventure/Drama. Cin’s Critique:

The classic novel by Alexandre Dumas is brilliantly brought to life in this tale of friendship, love, betrayal and revenge. Because of the false accusations of his best friend, Edmond Dantes is wrongfully imprisoned for treason, and thought to be dead by all that love him. After 13 years he escapes the island prison of Chateau d’If, and carries out his masterfully planned plot for revenge.

This is a true adventure, full of swordsmanship and swashbuckling. And all with a perfect ending! Guy is remarkably evil, playing a character you love to hate. He was actually stabbed by Jim Caviezel in one of the sword fighting scenes. Truly, if you have not seen The Count of Monte Cristo, get your butt to the movie store today and bring it home for entertainment suitable for the entire family.

Till Human Voices Wake Us

Guy Pearce, Helena Bonham Carter. Rated R for a scene of sexuality. 2002, Drama/Romance. Cin’s Critique:

This one was a bit odd, however, I pondered it for days, so that always gets a bonus point in my book. (That, and a love scene with Guy Pearce!) You’ll recognize Helena Bonham Carter who plays Bellatrix Lestrange in the new Harry Potter movie. She has a dark and mysterious beauty.

Till Human Voices Wake Us is the story of a man who returns to the Australian town he grew up in to bury his father. While there he meets an unusual woman who reminds him of someone he once knew. The substance in this movie comes from the flashbacks the character has to his childhood. The story there is told in bits and pieces, and builds into almost a mystery. What happened to him when he was young to make him the man he is now?

It’s an eerie and slow paced movie, with beautiful cinematography, and a very unique story to tell.

The Time Machine

Guy Pearce. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence. 2002, Science Fiction/Drama. Cin’s Critique:

Based on the book by H.G. Wells, The Time Machine is about a man in the 1800’s who invents a time machine to try and alter the past. When he realizes that is not possible, he travels to the future instead. First to the year 2030 when the human race is trying to colonize the moon, and then 800,000 years into the future where humans have evolved into two separate races.

Guy was excellent as a nerdy mathematician, Alexander Hartdegen. I loved the romantic and tragic beginning to the movie, which led him on a quest to save the woman he loved. The special effects were pretty good too, especially the time forwarding sequences.

I have heard from those who read the book that they hated the movie, so apparently, there were some changes. I enjoyed this one very much, obviously because my “Guy” was in it, but also because it was a great story and an entertaining movie.

Swimming…it’s a new hobby for me, and I’m surprised I love it so much. I’ve built up my endurance a little and am swimming about ½ mile each time I go, quite an improvement to the four laps I floundered through at the beginning of April. I know I’m getting better because the Polynesian guy I see there quite often came up to me the other day and sternly asked:

“How was your swim?”

“It was good,” I answered, “I’m getting better.”

His firm reply: “I can tell.”

(I decided to take that as a compliment!)

The Guardian

Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action/peril, brief strong language and some sensuality. 2006, Action/Drama. Cin’s Critique:

After his team is killed in a horrific rescue mission, a rescue swimmer takes a teaching position at the US Coast Guards “A” school. There he deals with his troubles, as well as helping a promising student overcome his own past, and they both learn lessons about life, love, loss, and self-sacrifice.

I could watch this movie ten times a day and never get tired of it. The intensity of the rescue scenes had me on the edge of my seat. The tenderness and complexity of everyday human life was captured with bits of humor, shock, and tears throughout the film. While this was a big budget movie, it wasn’t too over the top, and I thought it was magnificent. Swimmer or not, you’ll probably enjoy The Guardian.

Memphis Belle

Matthew Modine, Sean Astin, Harry Connick Jr. Rated PG-13 for language and war themes. 1990, Action/Drama. Cin’s Critique: 4 *

This is the story of the “Memphis Belle”, a WWII bomber plane with a crew of ten young men who make dangerous bombing missions into Europe. The plot is focused around the idea that they will be making their 25th mission, and if they complete it successfully, they will be finished with their duty in the war and go home. The story hovers around the young men, their fear that their luck will run out, and the way they work together.

Full of action, drama, and moving relationships, Memphis Belle is one to put on your list of movies to watch. This one has stood out in my mind since I first watched it in high school. It is inspired by true events, but many facts were changed in the movie. Read more about the real Memphis Belle on wikipedia.com.