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movieisaw:

Plot: A documentary about a man who pretends to be a guru from India to try and prove that religion doesn’t work.  

Review: So I don’t get into the debate of whether there is a god. Mostly cause it’s too long but also because the movie starts out by saying that this is a journey about religion and whether it still works in our day and age. But that is quickly forgotten in loo of the hoax that the guy wants to do. Basically this guy when out to Arizona and convinced the people that he was a guru from India and had people follow him. If it feels like Borat that’s because it has shades of it. It’s also where the movie falls. The whole point of the film is in question and by the end you wonder if they looked at the footage and didn’t know what to do. Kumare wants to make people believe that we shouldn’t be listening to these religious heads and instead make up our own mind. His intentions are well meaning and that is one of the problems. 

Okay so the problem with the film is the hoax itself. The genius of Sasha Baron Cohen is commitment. Cohen does not break character no matter how bad it makes his subject or him look. It’s the only way for the film to be effective. The problem with Kumare is he can’t do it. He doesn’t want to hurt people so he is always standing back and it never works. This is never more relevant than when he is supposed to reveal himself but doesn’t. Another problem is the subjects themselves.  These people aren’t racist or bigots or even dumb (one is a lawyer) but are people lost and how have no one else to turn to. These are wounded people (a montage shows them talking about rape, incest, etc) so tricking them into believing into a guru seems mean even if the intentions are well meaning. Kumare wants to show people that god is all around us or that we are our inner peace but it’s hard to tell us which is which because much like the man himself, the movie wants to ask uncomfortable questions but does not want uncomfortable answers. This isn’t life and the fake guru ends up being more real than the real man behind it. 

Trivia:  Premiered at the South By Southwest film festival. 

movieisaw:

Plot: Two girls bond over their lack of money by starting a sex call line after being forced to move in with each other. 

Review:  This is a tough review.  It was pretty forgettable and it was one of those comedies that focuses so much on the plot that it forgets to put in jokes. In fact the main plot of the sex chat is actually the worst part. There are some good scenes like one with an employee with ulterior motives but on the whole the movie doesn’t focus so much on the logistics of the chat line and reduces it to different montages that slows the movie down. In fact by the third act, they have completely forgotten the chat line which would have been fine if they didn’t spend so much time on it. What the film does very well is the relationship between the two girls. Lauren Miller and Ari Graynor have great chemistry and they present a good and more importantly different type of friendship between two girls. It’s not trying to be a male relationship and it’s not just one based on plot, it feels real and that’s unique.  I really believed them to be friends and that alone made me stick through it.    

Trivia: Lauren Miller is also the writer. 

Overview: Meh

Plot: A group of girls rob a store to get money for spring break but once they get there they get in some trouble which is when a criminal by the name of Alien bails them out of jail but not of trouble. 

Review:  I think there are two different expectations for what this film will be.  The first is a fun, sexy, hangover type film starring beautiful Disney starlets. The second is some kind of film that has a message and is trying to get it across with it’s story.  I think both of these are wrong.  Let’s say this from the start, the film is quite addictive if you let yourself be hooked by it but also it is very hard to be hooked in this film. This is a Harmony Korine Film through and through and uses everything from time jumps, to framing changing, to repetition of dialogue to pointless scenes which makes it hard to enjoy. As a matter of fact even after I got into it, there were points where I was ready to give up on it and maybe that’s the point to take you to the brink.  But if it’s not the fun party time it’s advertised as, why isn’t it a satire or message film? Because I don’t think it’s trying to say anything.  The film isn’t realistic or silly enough to go one way or another and even though it hints at culture wars, the vapidness of this generation or the no consequence of party people it also never gives any kind of answers or raising any real questions. Korine is holding up a mirror but not to society, to Korine’s society and instead of going outward he goes inward for his themes and plot. This gives you a very intriguing look into Korine’s mind but also not much more. We aren’t see how teens today deal with crime or culture but instead how Korine thinks teens react to this.  And that’s okay, because that’s what he is trying to do.  So he succeeds in everything but meeting our expectations.  And I applaud him for it.  Although Korine is really the star of the film, James Franco as Alien turns in a classic performance and pulls out a character that I didn’t think he had the talent for.  It’s a 180 for him and he is amazing.  The girls range from very good (Selena Gomez) to dreadful (Vanessa Hudgens) but that may be in some small part to the improvisation and aimlessness of the script more than the actresses’ abilities.  But Gomez stands out and if she picks the right choices in the years to come is fated to be the next big thing. So I liked it. But if you are looking for a fun time or a look into a different side of American culture, you will have to keep searching. 

Trivia: This is my review from Movie I Saw blog but I wanted to use another poster cause I mean.. Look at this poster! 

movieisaw:

Plot: Bruce Wayne comes back to Gotham City to team up with Officer Gordon to become Batman. 

Review:  Listen I wanted to like this book.  The origin of Batman is one of my favorite stories and the original comic was pretty good. But damn, I hate to say this but: Nolan did it better. Now I know Batman Begins draws heavily from the original comic and the original comic is the staple of Batman’s origin stories. The problem with this movie is that it comes after the Dark Knight Trilogy, and the new 52, and the Year One Graphic Novels so this movie comes off feeling boring and uninspired. Although it was lose-lose because it’s not like they could change anything. I think this was one case of not knowing why this was made. Skip this one. 

Trivia: The original novel was written by Frank Miller. Back when Frank Miller didn’t suck 

Here is another poster for my film Last Days that includes all the festivals and awards we have won! 

(Source: quarantino)