The We and the I (2012) On the last day of school, a group of teenagers experience petty jealousies, bullying, and sexual insecurities. In other words, it’s a typical day for an adolescent finding their way in the world. The problem is, I didn’t care about any of the characters. Most of them were broad… Continue reading Ernest and the we and the I am Sam
Tag: Forrest Whitaker
The Genius made a deal with the devil to avoid dying on the battlefields of Earth
Faust (2011) Mauricius agrees to help Heinrich Faust win the affection of his beloved Gretchen in exchange for his soul. There are plenty of better adaptations of the Faust legend, including the 16th century play by Christopher Marlowe. This film by Alexander Sokurov can’t decide if Mauricius is the devil or just a very talented man… Continue reading The Genius made a deal with the devil to avoid dying on the battlefields of Earth
Out of the south pacific, into the fifth estate
Out of the Furnace (2013) Russell Blaze (Christian Bale) goes to prison after he kills a little boy in a drunken accident. When he’s released, his dad has died, and his girlfriend, Lena Taylor (Zoe Saldana) is now in a relationship with the city police chief Wesley Barnes (Forest Whittaker). Russell’s brother, Rodney Blaze (Casey… Continue reading Out of the south pacific, into the fifth estate
In prison; escaping from prison; going to prison
Caesar Must Die (2012) This film about prisoners in an Italian suburb staging a production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar won the Golden Bear at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival. The director used actual prisoners in the cast, which makes the film interesting, but it didn’t do anything for me. The Last Stand (2013) Ray… Continue reading In prison; escaping from prison; going to prison