Birdhasflown
Joined Mar 2005
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Birdhasflown's rating
"Body of Lies" begins with a stirring quote by poet W.H. Auden: "What all school children learn / Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return." As the war on terror ensues, it grows more difficult for America to fight actual terrorists. They live in worlds on the verge of utter disorder. The landscape of war is muddled with new technologies and materialistic comforts.
This stark difference in realities tarnishes understanding of Middle Eastern nations, creating a serious problem in the way the U.S. deals with them. This is what "Body of Lies" explores.
The film centers around two CIA agents, Ed Hoffman (played smugly by Russell Crowe) and Roger Ferris (a whiskered Leonardo DiCaprio). Hoffman calmly gives orders to Ferris via cell phone as he sits idly by his computer or at his daughter's soccer game while Ferris conducts missions across the globe. Ferris is willing to work with other nations in thwarting terrorism as Hoffman gives little to no consideration for adhering to the moral code of foreign diplomacy.
Hoffman is always eating or inactive. He's seen in one moment loading his minivan, the back door conveniently shutting automatically. Through Hoffman, the film paints a message that Americans' lazy lifestyles have seeped into the nation's foreign diplomacy. Ferris empathizes and reasons with foreign officials; Hoffman is merely apathetic toward them.
Ferris becomes conflicted with his own ways of dealing with suspected terrorists and advisers and the indifferent idealism of Hoffman. Ferris constantly aims to protect his informants while staying focused on his objective to find terrorists. Through his orders from Hoffman, Ferris sometimes treats both one and the same. This separation of ideals makes the film enthralling to watch.
A cloud of murkiness and shadow hovers over every frame. The sounds of searing violins rise up in moments of tension and eloquently highlight an ominous threat on Ferris. Hoffman seems to constantly go behind his back in carrying out missions which hurts Ferris' stability with his mission and foreign officials in Middle Eastern nations. The film centers on his relationship with a foreign adviser from Jordon, played mysteriously by Mark Strong.
The film has jarring action scenes, and the plot moves quickly. DiCaprio shines with authentic intensity and vigor in a role similar to his turn in "The Departed." He's batted around a lot in this film, and it is a testament to DiCaprio's immersion in his roles. Crowe has never played such a bastardly obnoxious character, which makes the viewer forget it's even him.
"Lies" is an intriguing viewpoint into American diplomacy to combat terrorism, often seen as aggressive and selfish. To Hoffman, agents are as expendable as the Islamic martyrs who give their lives for their ideals.
Can there be a just way to combat terrorism without becoming something evil ourselves? "Body of Lies" begs you to ask the question. How different are we from the terrorists we're trying to pursue?
This stark difference in realities tarnishes understanding of Middle Eastern nations, creating a serious problem in the way the U.S. deals with them. This is what "Body of Lies" explores.
The film centers around two CIA agents, Ed Hoffman (played smugly by Russell Crowe) and Roger Ferris (a whiskered Leonardo DiCaprio). Hoffman calmly gives orders to Ferris via cell phone as he sits idly by his computer or at his daughter's soccer game while Ferris conducts missions across the globe. Ferris is willing to work with other nations in thwarting terrorism as Hoffman gives little to no consideration for adhering to the moral code of foreign diplomacy.
Hoffman is always eating or inactive. He's seen in one moment loading his minivan, the back door conveniently shutting automatically. Through Hoffman, the film paints a message that Americans' lazy lifestyles have seeped into the nation's foreign diplomacy. Ferris empathizes and reasons with foreign officials; Hoffman is merely apathetic toward them.
Ferris becomes conflicted with his own ways of dealing with suspected terrorists and advisers and the indifferent idealism of Hoffman. Ferris constantly aims to protect his informants while staying focused on his objective to find terrorists. Through his orders from Hoffman, Ferris sometimes treats both one and the same. This separation of ideals makes the film enthralling to watch.
A cloud of murkiness and shadow hovers over every frame. The sounds of searing violins rise up in moments of tension and eloquently highlight an ominous threat on Ferris. Hoffman seems to constantly go behind his back in carrying out missions which hurts Ferris' stability with his mission and foreign officials in Middle Eastern nations. The film centers on his relationship with a foreign adviser from Jordon, played mysteriously by Mark Strong.
The film has jarring action scenes, and the plot moves quickly. DiCaprio shines with authentic intensity and vigor in a role similar to his turn in "The Departed." He's batted around a lot in this film, and it is a testament to DiCaprio's immersion in his roles. Crowe has never played such a bastardly obnoxious character, which makes the viewer forget it's even him.
"Lies" is an intriguing viewpoint into American diplomacy to combat terrorism, often seen as aggressive and selfish. To Hoffman, agents are as expendable as the Islamic martyrs who give their lives for their ideals.
Can there be a just way to combat terrorism without becoming something evil ourselves? "Body of Lies" begs you to ask the question. How different are we from the terrorists we're trying to pursue?
No other film this year is more somber, cold, and morally objectifying then Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country for Old Men," The Coen's latest opus is adapted by Cormac McCarthy's book. The Coen Brothers interpretation of the novel is an almost exact literate reflection of McCarthy's hard, unflinching vision of 1980s West Texas, as the vast and hot desert is as unsympathetic as the criminals who dwell in it. The Coen's genius speaks for itself as they rehash McCarthy's Western vision into vintage Coen film-making: a film-noir classic that reminds us how great movies can be.
The story chronicles welder and ex-Vietnam veteran Lewylen Moss (played by Josh Brolin) who uncovers a satchel full of money surrounded by shot-up SUV's and dead Mexicans while hunting for antelopes. Having a young wife and trailer to come home to, he takes the money of course. Soon he is tracked down by an assortment of criminals, including a psychotic expert killer, Anton Chigurh, played menacingly by Javier Bardem.
The film embodies an eerie if not unsettling portrayal of evil, as this ruthless assassin rids whoever crosses his path with no remorse or sympathy. He finds truth in the fact that if you cross his path, you are very much meant to be killed. The only thing that may save you is a coin toss, but you would have to be lucky for him to be that gracious. The killer carries a cattle gun, which is a device that shoots compressed air out of a hose. He uses this device to impale locks out of doors, and on people to. In one scene, posing as a police officer, and wielding the gun on his side, he politely asks a man to get out of his car, and prods the hose to his forehead killing him instantly. He did not want to foray the vehicle with blood.
Tommy Lee Jones gives the film a much needed reprieve from the violence and carnage as he plays wise and melancholy filled Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. He follows Anton's string of crimes and tries to ease Lewylen's concerned wife as he follows her husband's trail on the run. Sheriff Bell stands for all of us who endlessly contemplate evil's profound hold on the world, as it walks in many forms. For the entire film carries with it a nihilistic message. Its message is that sometimes the most we can do to fight evil is to remain diligent and strong, and the Sheriff, Lewylen and his wife Carla Jean realize this quite tragically.
The film's pacing is superb as the camera envelops the viewer into the reality of the situations, with steady camera shots where the actors show the actions on screen without the camera presenting it. Little to no music is present throughout the film, which makes for a more surreal experience for the viewer, as you feel you are with the actors as the actions takes place.
The film's themes of greed and how the good combat against evil make prevalent themes in Coen pictures. Another theme is how the stark imagery of the landscapes and settings connect with the conflict of the characters. The forlorn backgrounds of desolate, morbid landscapes mark their films with an eerie presence. For they give off an unsettling perspective of lands without end, where peace and safety from evil are no where to be found. This is beautifully crafted in the gaping desert of this film and the frozen tundra of North Dakota in the Coen's Academy Award winning "Fargo." If you are an avid film-goer and have been deprived of entertainment as well as profound meaning in films all year, "No Country for Old Men," is your ticket.
The story chronicles welder and ex-Vietnam veteran Lewylen Moss (played by Josh Brolin) who uncovers a satchel full of money surrounded by shot-up SUV's and dead Mexicans while hunting for antelopes. Having a young wife and trailer to come home to, he takes the money of course. Soon he is tracked down by an assortment of criminals, including a psychotic expert killer, Anton Chigurh, played menacingly by Javier Bardem.
The film embodies an eerie if not unsettling portrayal of evil, as this ruthless assassin rids whoever crosses his path with no remorse or sympathy. He finds truth in the fact that if you cross his path, you are very much meant to be killed. The only thing that may save you is a coin toss, but you would have to be lucky for him to be that gracious. The killer carries a cattle gun, which is a device that shoots compressed air out of a hose. He uses this device to impale locks out of doors, and on people to. In one scene, posing as a police officer, and wielding the gun on his side, he politely asks a man to get out of his car, and prods the hose to his forehead killing him instantly. He did not want to foray the vehicle with blood.
Tommy Lee Jones gives the film a much needed reprieve from the violence and carnage as he plays wise and melancholy filled Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. He follows Anton's string of crimes and tries to ease Lewylen's concerned wife as he follows her husband's trail on the run. Sheriff Bell stands for all of us who endlessly contemplate evil's profound hold on the world, as it walks in many forms. For the entire film carries with it a nihilistic message. Its message is that sometimes the most we can do to fight evil is to remain diligent and strong, and the Sheriff, Lewylen and his wife Carla Jean realize this quite tragically.
The film's pacing is superb as the camera envelops the viewer into the reality of the situations, with steady camera shots where the actors show the actions on screen without the camera presenting it. Little to no music is present throughout the film, which makes for a more surreal experience for the viewer, as you feel you are with the actors as the actions takes place.
The film's themes of greed and how the good combat against evil make prevalent themes in Coen pictures. Another theme is how the stark imagery of the landscapes and settings connect with the conflict of the characters. The forlorn backgrounds of desolate, morbid landscapes mark their films with an eerie presence. For they give off an unsettling perspective of lands without end, where peace and safety from evil are no where to be found. This is beautifully crafted in the gaping desert of this film and the frozen tundra of North Dakota in the Coen's Academy Award winning "Fargo." If you are an avid film-goer and have been deprived of entertainment as well as profound meaning in films all year, "No Country for Old Men," is your ticket.
Audiences know a good crime-saga when they see one, as American Gangster brought in $16 million dollars on Friday alone according to showbiz-data.com, setting itself to double the weekend take of last years destined crime-classic The Departed. The proof is in the pudding as famed British director Ridley Scott helms the true life story of drug lord Frank Lucas and the detective on his trail, Richie Roberts in Scott's greatest conceived film since Gladiator. Scott beautifully and brutally orchestrates Russell Crowe's determined and intense Roberts and Denzel Washington's smooth but fierce Lucas, in a sublime crime epic that transcends the genre.
Frank Lucas's boss passes away in the beginning of film, prompting him to step into his shoes. Denzel Washington embodies Lucas as a cool commanding criminal who wears business suits rather then super-fly fur coats and jewelry as he adheres to keep a low-profile. Lucas carries profound ideals such as "the loudest guy in the room is the weakest," and that the man who draws the most attention to himself is the one that ends up in jail. He is in a lot of ways the Michael Corleone of Harlem as his intelligence and poise promote fear in his enemies. Although a gentlemen, Lucas is not afraid to conduct vicious acts of violence as he walks up to rival mobsters in broad day light and guns them down. This is one of Washington's most multi-layered characters, and he pulls it off with ease.
In noticing the high quantity of narcotics in Asia during the Vietnam War, Lucas immediately gets on a plane for Bangkok to work out a drug trafficking deal to get pure heroin in the United States. By securing this "product" he cuts out the middle man, thus causing his power and control to grow. He executes his plan with fortitude as he quickly becomes the city's leading drug lord.
Lucas's rise to mafia kingpin paints an engrossing portrait of capitalism in its most distasteful form, as Lucas becomes $150 million dollars richer as his product baffles police, junkies, and other criminals alike with its potency and lower price; and the audience feels the same effect.
The late 1960s and early 70s are fleshed out with breathtakingly dark and menacing cinematography. Ridley Scott and cinematographer Harris Savides heighten Gangster's realism as its stage is set upon gritty, foreboding mirages of night clubs and alleyways, where desperate junkies, crooked cops, and criminals loom everywhere. Savides had conveyed such dark gloomy visions in The Game and Zodiac. The screenplay also characterizes the time period with authentic hard clenched dialogue of the streets.
The focus on Crowe and Washington's dichotomy leaves out many story lines. We want to have a better sense of Lucas's father relationship with his nephew, and we wonder what happened for Roberts to cause his wife to take away his son. Their unwavering livelihoods however distract Roberts and Lucas from their beloved families, as Lucas is determined through his police work, and Lucas becomes paranoid to protect his business.
Much like L.A. Confidential or Miller's Crossing, Gangster delves you into the characters daily lives, where you get a distinguished sense that the world of the criminal and cop are not too far apart. These conflicted worlds of the police officer and criminal are both littered with selfish depravity, greed, and envied power as Lucas and Roberts are surrounded by evil on both sides. This includes a crooked cop, who uses his power to blackmail both Lucas and Roberts, which makes for a captivating twist in this crime epic.
Ridley Scott personifies the brutal effect organized crime has on innocent people's lives. Distressing shots of dead parents OD from Heroin inhabit the screen as a motherless child cries alongside her. These apparent scenes heighten the film's realism even more. Lucas's "product," is becoming the city's epidemic as thousands of New Yorkers are able buy his affordable Heroin. These wrenchingly unsettling images prompt the viewer to cheer on honest detective Richie Robert's crusade to rid the city of drugs as he becomes the film's hero. Russell Crowe exemplifies the character's courage and integrity through much evil as his struggle becomes the film's most captivating storyline.
American Gangster is intelligent and engrossing as it eloquently takes us through the rise and fall of one of the most notorious crime figures in history. Before you know it, 3 hours go by and you wonder what hit you, maybe it was the gritty dark atmosphere of New York City that was so captivating or maybe it was the dualism of Crowe's intensity and Washington's fierce but commandingly cool attitude, Gangster is simply a crime epic for the ages.
Frank Lucas's boss passes away in the beginning of film, prompting him to step into his shoes. Denzel Washington embodies Lucas as a cool commanding criminal who wears business suits rather then super-fly fur coats and jewelry as he adheres to keep a low-profile. Lucas carries profound ideals such as "the loudest guy in the room is the weakest," and that the man who draws the most attention to himself is the one that ends up in jail. He is in a lot of ways the Michael Corleone of Harlem as his intelligence and poise promote fear in his enemies. Although a gentlemen, Lucas is not afraid to conduct vicious acts of violence as he walks up to rival mobsters in broad day light and guns them down. This is one of Washington's most multi-layered characters, and he pulls it off with ease.
In noticing the high quantity of narcotics in Asia during the Vietnam War, Lucas immediately gets on a plane for Bangkok to work out a drug trafficking deal to get pure heroin in the United States. By securing this "product" he cuts out the middle man, thus causing his power and control to grow. He executes his plan with fortitude as he quickly becomes the city's leading drug lord.
Lucas's rise to mafia kingpin paints an engrossing portrait of capitalism in its most distasteful form, as Lucas becomes $150 million dollars richer as his product baffles police, junkies, and other criminals alike with its potency and lower price; and the audience feels the same effect.
The late 1960s and early 70s are fleshed out with breathtakingly dark and menacing cinematography. Ridley Scott and cinematographer Harris Savides heighten Gangster's realism as its stage is set upon gritty, foreboding mirages of night clubs and alleyways, where desperate junkies, crooked cops, and criminals loom everywhere. Savides had conveyed such dark gloomy visions in The Game and Zodiac. The screenplay also characterizes the time period with authentic hard clenched dialogue of the streets.
The focus on Crowe and Washington's dichotomy leaves out many story lines. We want to have a better sense of Lucas's father relationship with his nephew, and we wonder what happened for Roberts to cause his wife to take away his son. Their unwavering livelihoods however distract Roberts and Lucas from their beloved families, as Lucas is determined through his police work, and Lucas becomes paranoid to protect his business.
Much like L.A. Confidential or Miller's Crossing, Gangster delves you into the characters daily lives, where you get a distinguished sense that the world of the criminal and cop are not too far apart. These conflicted worlds of the police officer and criminal are both littered with selfish depravity, greed, and envied power as Lucas and Roberts are surrounded by evil on both sides. This includes a crooked cop, who uses his power to blackmail both Lucas and Roberts, which makes for a captivating twist in this crime epic.
Ridley Scott personifies the brutal effect organized crime has on innocent people's lives. Distressing shots of dead parents OD from Heroin inhabit the screen as a motherless child cries alongside her. These apparent scenes heighten the film's realism even more. Lucas's "product," is becoming the city's epidemic as thousands of New Yorkers are able buy his affordable Heroin. These wrenchingly unsettling images prompt the viewer to cheer on honest detective Richie Robert's crusade to rid the city of drugs as he becomes the film's hero. Russell Crowe exemplifies the character's courage and integrity through much evil as his struggle becomes the film's most captivating storyline.
American Gangster is intelligent and engrossing as it eloquently takes us through the rise and fall of one of the most notorious crime figures in history. Before you know it, 3 hours go by and you wonder what hit you, maybe it was the gritty dark atmosphere of New York City that was so captivating or maybe it was the dualism of Crowe's intensity and Washington's fierce but commandingly cool attitude, Gangster is simply a crime epic for the ages.