Every season brings in another professional sport and marks the end of the last one and in that season I myself probably only watch four to five games a year. Obviously I am not a huge sports fan, I know few enough of the players on Cavs and even less for the Indians or Browns (being born in Pittsburgh I am really more of a Steelers fan anyway). The point is though, that because I am not such a big sports fan I normally do not like most sports movies but for some reason 42 was special. Maybe it was the fact that this movie was well acted, written, and directed or maybe it was just a good story, regardless I very much enjoyed it. I also recognized Alan Tudyk (though not his name, that I did have to look up) whom I remember from Firefly so it helped that he was in here as well.
Perhaps more than the cast, acting, or directing was the fact that this movie was not so much about a team winning a game as it was about a man challenging the racism in the 1940's society. Jackie Robinson did a great service not only to African Americans by furthering the civil rights movement, but also to everyone else by helping to shape a society that we can all be proud of. Mr. Ricky tells Jackie that it was because of him that he could love baseball again, and in a way it is because of him that we can all love America again.
Robinson also claimed that a person's life was measured by the effect it has had on others. While it is not the only thing that matters it is definitely the most important and by measuring in such a way Jackie has definitely lived a very successful and meaningful life.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Cinderella Man
I am actually very surprised by the number of good and even great movies we have been able to watch in class as I assumed that like going to the movie theater, around half of the movies would not be so great. I'm going to be totally honest though and admit that Cinderella Man was the first movie that we watched in this class that I was not overly fond of. It was not a bad movie so much as it was just, at least for me anyway, something forgettable. I never became to attached to the story's protagonist and his issues and to some extent I didn't really care about his struggle as much. Of course what Braddock was going through was sad on a rational level but that was it. In many but not necessarily most movies there is something that allows you to connect to the protagonist and his struggles. Whatever that emotional piece is I did not find it in Cinderella Man.
The movie's title is "Cinderella Man". A comparison to a Disney princess is the last thing I would normally expect when talking about a boxer, yet in this case the title is fitting. It refers to the unbelievable and almost fairy-tale like story of Braddock's rise to fame and glory in a time of almost complete hopelessness.
The one scene that I did find to be emotional in this movie was when Jim explains to his son why he can never steal. People often speculate about how they would act one way in a given situation but I believe often it is hard to tell unless you were actually in that situation. There are certain things I would not do purely for the sake of my own survival, among them murdering an innocent person, but I would be willing to steal to save my own life.
The movie's title is "Cinderella Man". A comparison to a Disney princess is the last thing I would normally expect when talking about a boxer, yet in this case the title is fitting. It refers to the unbelievable and almost fairy-tale like story of Braddock's rise to fame and glory in a time of almost complete hopelessness.
The one scene that I did find to be emotional in this movie was when Jim explains to his son why he can never steal. People often speculate about how they would act one way in a given situation but I believe often it is hard to tell unless you were actually in that situation. There are certain things I would not do purely for the sake of my own survival, among them murdering an innocent person, but I would be willing to steal to save my own life.
The Godfather
The Godfather is considered by many to be a classic and one of the greatest movies of all time. While there are a few classics that I personally have a hard time enjoying, the Godfather was not one of them. I have heard more about this movie than almost any other and naturally I went in with high expectations. Amazingly I was not disappointed. To me the best thing about the Godfather was that it focused on developing a good well though out and detailed plot and characters rather than focusing on large special effect filled battle scenes like many modern movies tend to do. I enjoyed both gladiator and brave heart but both of them used more than their fair share of action and special effects, unlike the Godfather.
One of the coolest parts of the movie was that it was told from inside the family rather than by a bystander or other character. Remarkably it is still possible to relate to some of the characters as they are portrayed as much more than simple criminals. In fact, the criminal aspect of Vito Corleone is merely a small piece of his character and his primary concern is for his family.
While Vito himself may not be the most honest or moral people in the world he is the lesser of two evils when pitted against the other heads of the mafia. While there is no doubt that he was not a great person I could not help but feel sad when he died. As I stated before when I think of Vito I think of him more as a caring father or grandfather and as the "Godfather" only as a secondary role. While I do think he was in a sense almost "evil" I do not think that the world was better without him. I think the world would be better without the mafia but I think that Vito himself would only be replaced by someone more ruthless and cold.
Despite being criminals the Corleones were a very close and devoted family which is an honarable quality and something less common today.
All in all I do think that the Godfather deserves its spot as a classic and has definitely made my top 10 movies of all time, probably even my top 5.
One of the coolest parts of the movie was that it was told from inside the family rather than by a bystander or other character. Remarkably it is still possible to relate to some of the characters as they are portrayed as much more than simple criminals. In fact, the criminal aspect of Vito Corleone is merely a small piece of his character and his primary concern is for his family.
While Vito himself may not be the most honest or moral people in the world he is the lesser of two evils when pitted against the other heads of the mafia. While there is no doubt that he was not a great person I could not help but feel sad when he died. As I stated before when I think of Vito I think of him more as a caring father or grandfather and as the "Godfather" only as a secondary role. While I do think he was in a sense almost "evil" I do not think that the world was better without him. I think the world would be better without the mafia but I think that Vito himself would only be replaced by someone more ruthless and cold.
Despite being criminals the Corleones were a very close and devoted family which is an honarable quality and something less common today.
All in all I do think that the Godfather deserves its spot as a classic and has definitely made my top 10 movies of all time, probably even my top 5.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Kill The Irishman
Kill the Irishman was a very different movie from all of the others that we have seen up until this point. What made this movie different was that it occurred less than a mile from where many of us go on a daily basis (at least for me anyway). So for that reason I feel like I got some thing out of it that I did not get out of Gladiator or Braveheart but unfortunately there were a few things I did not like about it as well.
I have no doubt that he is a great actor but I did not find Ray Stevenson to be as interesting or inspiring as the stories protagonist as I had hoped he would be. Though I personally I am not a big supporter of Mel Gibson to his credit he was very good as William Wallace in Braveheart and Russell Crowe was great in Gladiator. For whatever reason I just didn't find Kill the Irishman to be on the same level as the previous movies.
After watching Kill the Irishman I would have to describe Danny Greene as being complex and in a sort of grey area. By no means is he morally admirable but neither is he as corrupt as many of the people around him. There is a piece of me that wants to say that he experienced some sort of moral epiphany or that he had a true desire to change and that is why he ended up in opposition to those who would surely kill him yet I can't bring myself to say that. I think his motivations were based in pride and in a concern for his own well-being more than for any moral high ground or change.
I have no doubt that he is a great actor but I did not find Ray Stevenson to be as interesting or inspiring as the stories protagonist as I had hoped he would be. Though I personally I am not a big supporter of Mel Gibson to his credit he was very good as William Wallace in Braveheart and Russell Crowe was great in Gladiator. For whatever reason I just didn't find Kill the Irishman to be on the same level as the previous movies.
After watching Kill the Irishman I would have to describe Danny Greene as being complex and in a sort of grey area. By no means is he morally admirable but neither is he as corrupt as many of the people around him. There is a piece of me that wants to say that he experienced some sort of moral epiphany or that he had a true desire to change and that is why he ended up in opposition to those who would surely kill him yet I can't bring myself to say that. I think his motivations were based in pride and in a concern for his own well-being more than for any moral high ground or change.
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