mynameisal

This movie is one of the worst movies I've seen in theaters this year- and I've seen Underworld (Okay, Underworld was worse). The cinematography and score were average at best and the acting wasn't going beyond borders either. I went to see this hoping to: a) catch a good film that would give intelligent commentary on social issues while showing off the beauty that is our global culture or b) have a nice long make out session. Instead, all I got was a crappy film and a cramp in my arm. Boo to this movie. The scenery was indeed beautiful though- it's a shame nobody mentioned that to the DP.

i just saw this earlier today at a screening at los angeles city college and i was absolutely floored. the acting was incredible (which goes to show how great karen is as a writer/director) and it was even a great film from a cinematic perspective. lacc was lucky enough to be granted a screening of the film on the grounds of the directors' previous study there back in the early to mid-90s. even though i was forced to stand for most of the movie (it was a full house), i really got into it. from the perspective of a film student, i greatly admired all of karen's talents; her cinematography/score fit the movie perfectly, the performances from the actors was phenomenal, and the subtlety was well-crafted to the point of elegance. overall a very powerful, personal, and amazingly done film. in conclusion, i plan on paying for a ticket to see it again when it premieres in may.

i recently saw the approx. 40min version of this film and i must say, knowing what is missing from the 32min version, that it is indeed far more impactful and superior. images of more fallen soldiers in white body bags appear and reappear throughout to the point of it being a reocurring theme. i'm sure it's just as brilliant without the extra footage, but if you can, try to see the extra footage. while i have not seen the true original (running approx. 50min), i'm quite positive it's even better than the one i was fortunate enough to see. a great documentary film all-around (even if some of it was staged).