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Reviews
Vera Drake (2004)
A Beautiful Performance
Imelda Staunton's performance as the title character in Vera Drake is one of the most moving that I can ever remember seeing. I think that it is a mistake to look at this as a movie about abortion. I did not feel that it took a strong stand, other than to illustrate that abortions were more available to the rich and powerful and that Vera did what she did out of a sense of duty. Whether what she does is right or wrong is up to the viewer to decide. I think her husband Stan provides the key to the movies moral position. He confesses to Sid that he is, of, course, angry at Vera for what she did, he will stand behind her because of who he is and who she is. So if this movie is not about wheter or not abortions are bad, what is it about? In my opinion it is really just a series of beautiful character studies, the central one being, how does a truly decent woman and her family deal with their world being turned upside down? I echo the sentiments of others who say that Staunton deserves to win a best actress Oscar for her role. I would also like to see some of her supporting cast nominated as well.
Signs (2002)
Too easy and formulaic.
*Warning Spoiler*
I can only assume that the real point of the story is Mel Gibson's character regaining his faith in God, as the rest of the plot is so thin that it can only be considered a convenient prop for the main story line. Unfortunately this piece of the movie doesn't work either. If his change of heart were to have any real meaning it should have been based on something of more substance than a string of coincidences such as his son's asthma protecting him from the poison gas or the baseball bat on the wall coinciding with his wife's dying words. Why not just have his Alpha-bits spell out "Hello Graham, this is God, and I do exist"? If Shyamalan had guts and was willing to forego the typical happy Hollywood ending, it would have been more effective for the family to face a much more believable sad end at the hands of the aliens, but for Graham to find his faith through the examples of his children and brother, the memory of how his wife faced death, and his own internal resources. On the plus side, Abigail Breslin was charming as Bo and I enjoyed the cinematography by Tak Fujimoto with the crop circles being frequently echoed by such things as the Hess' driveway, the baseball field in town and the throw rug in the living room. Overall 2 stars out of 5.
Antonia (1995)
Female-centric, not anti-male
This is a wonderful movie that shows how one woman and the people around her find happiness while rejecting the roles that society would force on them. There are good men such as farmer Bas and Simon, and perhaps even the priest in the end. This movie is not primarily about them however. It is about Antonia and her line of descendents: Danielle, Therese and Sarah. By rejecting stereotypes about the mentally ill, gay or other marginalized groups and accepting everyone for what they are, this family was able to find happiness in the face of hardship. Despite the despair of crooked finger, they prove that life is worth living. It is a complex movie. In the word of one of Therese's suitors, life is an intersection of relationships. The many relationships portrayed in this movie, most loving, some not, are what give it life and give the lives of these characters its meaning. I am a male and opponent of excessive political correctness. I was not offended in the least by this movie. The characters in it are wonderful. They happen to be mainly women, which is a refreshing change in a world where so often the female characters are only there as props for the male stars. I give it fourteen thumbs up!