princy

Expecting a large audience at a local major cinema, I purchased the tickets for the movie two hours in advance, and even showed up 30 minutes before the scheduled start time expecting a huge line-up. Anyway, me and my three companions ended up with about a half dozen other people in the cinema to watch the movie. There are a few possible reasons for this that I can think of. First reason, the critics negative comments regarding this movie have put a lot of people off wanting to see it. Second reason, the looming recession is putting people off forking out for over-priced movie tickets. Third reason, Australians aren't as interested in this movie as the producers would have liked. And so on.

What ever the reasons, IMHO this isn't a must see movie. The story is shallow, the CGI looks cheap, the acting is second rate, and the characters are two dimensional. For a movie that took so long to make and cost so much money to produce, the end result isn't anything special.

This movie is a sad sign of the times. If you compare this film with any of Scorcese's other work you will notice some remarkable differences. Gone is the gritty realism which has been a trademark of his work, and replaced by formulaic acting and storyline. I mean could you really compare the comic book character of Daniel Day Lewis to anything DeNiro has done in Scorcese's films? As for the obligatory love interest between DiCaprio and Diaz, Scorcese has never resorted to using romance as a filler to pad-out the story in his films before. As for the performances of these two actors, Leo was mediocre as usual, and Diaz was only slightly better.

What this movie did for me was re-affirm the direction Hollywood film-making has taken in the last few years. In order to reach the mass market, many Hollywood movies are being pitched at a very low level and as a result films such as Titanic, Pearl Harbor, and Gladiator are churned out. These films achieve the desired goal of earning mega-dollars at the box office, but as a result are made up of uncomplex storylines, stereotypes, and two dimensional characters. When you compare these movies with films such as The Godfather or Silence of the Lambs which were complete with characters and storylines of depth and complexity, it is easy to see from here the direction Hollywood is taking.

What this movie also re-affirms for me is a suspicion that Hollywood is buying up award votes. Apart from receiving a Golden Globe nomination for best picture, Cameron Diaz has also been nominated for her part. Her Golden Globe nomination (and I'm sure an Oscar nomination will follow) is right up there with Nichole Kidman (Moulin Rouge), Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love), and Marissa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny) as one of the most undeserving nominations given to a female actress. As a result, I am convinced that this movie will go along the same tracks as other "simple-minded" movies such as Titanic and Gladiator where it will be showered with Academy Award Nominations that it clearly won't deserve.

If this movie had been made by any other director I would have brushed it off with a laugh, but the fact that it was directed by Scorcese is sad. Was he only complying with studio heads in order to make this film? I only hope this is a one off for Scorcese. I would hate to think that the likes of Taxi Driver and Goodfellas will not be seen again. All being said, at least foreign films are still being made where they they are driven by the characterizations rather than a lame plot. I can still watch them.

For years now Australian Aborigines have wanted a public apology from the country's government for the stolen generation. They have yet to receive it (if ever they will). This movie gives people both inside and outside of Australia an understanding of the plight of the stolen generation as well as showing a dark part of the country's past.

Full credit to the cast, crew, and production company for making this film.