Change Your Image
composertrevor
Reviews
Miral (2010)
A moving and well structured film
This is a Must See film. Julian Schnabel's 'Miral' is a moving and well structured film. Following the general structure of Rula Jebreal's book of the same title, we follow a logical journey through a number of lives and events that focus on the founding of the Dar El Tiffel orphanage by the wonderful Hind Husseini, and her mentoring of Miral, the daughter of a local Imam whose wife committed suicide. Set within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, both the novel and film offer no solutions, except a belief on both sides that peace can be obtained.
The film, based on Jebreal's own childhood and youth, sing the praises of education as the tool to escape ignorance and lack of opportunity. The orphanage becomes an escape from the harsh realities of the conflict, and offers a haven for the girls it fosters and teaches. The film isn't so much about the two sided conflict as being a story about women and education. Hind Husseini gained much respect in her lifetime, receiving awards, and giving public addresses about education for women.
The Education, Education, Education message is one that has become so important throughout all middle eastern countries, very much resonating with the advocacy work of people like Queen Rania of Jordan, Sheikha Mosa of Qatar and the education initiatives in the UAE. Regional conflict can only be quelled when a nation's people are well educated and informed, and this came through in the words of Hind.
This film is important and highly recommended.
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
Similarities with other films
Fifty Shades of Grey has a formulaic quality that puts it alongside films such as 'Maid in Manhattan' and 'The Devil wears Prada'. At the beginning, Anastasia presents herself to Christian Grey and his assistants in a frumpy outfit that hardly fits with the professional environment. In 'The Devil wears Prada', Andrea has an identical situation in being outside the fashion statements of Runway magazine as she also arrives at the office looking frumpy. Both characters get sucked into their respective new worlds - Andrea into the corporate fashion hypnosis, and Anastasia into Christian Grey's hypnosis. Just as Marisa crosses over into the world of Assembly man Chris. Marshall as the Manhattan maid, so Ana's situation is similar. In both cases, the basic human activity is girl meets boy.
Chemistry between Ana and Christian is not as flawed as some have asserted. Ana is slowly trying to understand the strange new world she is entering, and this develops as the film unfolds. Members of the BDSM world who say they wouldn't do what the film's characters do fail to recognise that everyone is different. What Christian and Ana do is unique to them, and so cannot be attached to a text book life style.
There are some reasonable sub-plots, small though they are. The two mothers and Ana's friends and family provide the contrast.
As a romantic/erotic genre, I wouldn't expect the film to be an intense set of character studies that might be found in other films. Fifty Shades of Grey works on its own terms, even if those terms are unique.
Anna Karenina (2012)
Creative and inventive, but another version of Anna Karenina?
I have been a fan of Joe Wright and his collaborations with Keira Knightly, and also with costume designer Jacqueline Durran and set designer Sarah Greenwood ever since their work on 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Atonement'. There comes a point in film making when studios, directors, producers and other team members have to ask themselves why they are making yet another adaptation of a timeless classic. The principal answer I can find here is that they have made a fantasy on Anna Karenina. I am all for creativity and invention, and this version certainly contained those elements. This version has to be viewed as a fantasy because that was the only direction a director and writer could go in after the other 'by the book' versions. There was also the issue of budget which made it necessary to focus on a mainly studio version. I think the old novels have had enough treatment by film makers, and that newer books work better. 'Atonement' is a classic example of how a recent novel can be enhanced by a film version. Overall, the film was colourful and inventive, with a good cast. Avoid novels that have already been adapted until a long time has lapsed.