Wednesday, December 11, 2013

One of the most important element in political propaganda is the use of unsung heroes who become the representation of people who are controlled by the government. The tools of socialism or communism is generating illusions of success thru media and superficial events that serve as decoy to hide the reality/ This common in democratic governments who needs this to avoid crisis.

In the film Hunger Games: Catching Fire we see a stablished government ruthless to their people and eager to create this illusions buy using the winners of the latest Hunger Games Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who comes from district 12. Most of this districts are poor and the use of this heroes are perfect to boost moral and excitement while the government keep enforcing and fighting rebellions. This film is stronger than the first one, you can feel better the message about rise against a ruthless President in order to get better quality of life, by fighting the real enemy, non democratic governments.

Hunger Games is entertaining and fun to watch.
The Human suffering or struggle it's been depicted in so many ways by filmmakers. Perhaps the most chilling was developed by Steve Mcqueen in 12 Years of Slave.

The topic of slavery is represented in so many genres, like sic fi in Cloud Atlas, animated in The Prince of Egypt, Historical drama like Amistad and Glory or even black humor in Django Unchained.

No matter the connection about slavery in film, 12 Years of Slave is one the most difficult films that have seen this year. The story is about Solomon Northup free black man from New York, that is abducted and sold to slavery. He end up in several cotton plantation in Georgia. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Solomon, with an all star cast from Michael Fasbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupia Nyong'o Sarah Paulson and Brad Pitt. The two and a half hours covers those 12 years on Solomon, his struggle to stay alive with dignity.

Ejiofor is fantastic on the movie, like the rest of the cast deliver a powerful film. Beautiful shoot and edited.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Book Thief is the story of a girl and her relationship with her frostier parents during a Nazi Germany. The book is an Australian author Markus Zusak.

The beginning of the movie have Liessel (Sophie NĂ©lisse) on the train with her mother and her brother when suddenly her brother died, he is been buried in a near town, during the funeral one of the undertaker drop a book, which Liessel picked up as a memento of her brother, however she cannot read.

The narrator is the "death" and this narration allow the audience to understand some certain future of the main characters. In fact set the tone of the movie that we are about see. The film is starred by the marvelous Jeffrey Rush and Emily Watson as the foster parents of Liessel .

The story of the film explore the cruelty of the nazi regime and also the destruction of cultural artifacts such as books. Liessel become attracted to books and after several visits to Lisa Hermman, The majors wife, which are her foster mother costumer, she decide to borrow books without permission. That's how she earn her nickname, The Book Thief.

The film is good, is definitely a tearjerker for most of the audiences. Jeffrey Rush is great in the movie. The music by John Williams is beautiful.

The problem with The Book Thief length tend to make it so melodramatic, also the combine narration of the death and Liessel, confuse you, to the fact that you don't understand who is telling the story.


Time travel is one of the biggest mysteries in the whole world. Human beings keep searching for that powerful weapon to control destiny and be able to manipulate success and defeat failure.

Movies explore this phenomenon in so many ways, travel to the past with the intention to change the future and avoid world war against machines (Terminator, Terminator 2) Travel to the past and the future in order to create a better possibilities to a family and also avoid extinction (Back to The Future and their sequels) Time travel control to avoid criminals to manipulate or alter of the past (Timecop) and even time travel in the search for a better life in a better time period( Midnight in Paris)

In the film About Time (Richard Curtis) Time (Domhnall Gleeson) discover from his dad that the member of his family are capable to travel thru time. His father (Bill Nighty) warned him that the power to control time is delicate, also explain the consequences of doing so. Time move to London pursuing a career as a lawyer, and that's how he met Mary (Rachel McAdams) The attraction is instant. he collect her information to call her again. Back home his landlord, a playwright is depressed because his opening play was a disaster because his main actor forgot his lines. Time decide to go back in time to help him. Suddenly he released that he altered his future with Mary, because we never met her. After a whole series of time travels he finally was able to met Mary in the right moment and blend the present and potential future for him and Mary.

Tim, realize that you cannot change future constantly to make it perfect, without alter others destiny, from Tim sisters alcoholism, to some other family members future.

About Time is not a great film, is just a romantic comedy, with some tone of drama. The movie explore another side of time travel, the consequences of controlling this ability, the chaos if manipulating destiny and avoid living life day by day, expecting the unexpected. That's the real message of this film.
Life is simple, but also complex, you cannot make your life perfect, you have to enjoy it the best way possible.