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Reviews
Little Boy (2015)
A challange to become a better human being.
Little Boy 2015
Setting: WW2, American men wanting to contribute by going off to fight the war, and people being left behind.
There are several stories, and several themes interwoven.
There is a story of a little boy who hopes to find a way to get his dad to come back by making a deal with God, as explained by a quirk of luck by a father Oliver.
Father Oliver gives Pepper a to do list, to help him "grow his faith".
The boy accepts the challenge, and is willing to do whatever.
The challenge is one every one of us grown ups can take on as a serious request: Fight the inner battle to become a better human, purify your heart by changing it.
All the cards are stacked against the little boy, discimination, bullying, we get shown a painfully good look at the sorry state of affairs of the heart of our fellow men.
The movie accepts this challenge at the comfortable Hollywood level, and fails to pick up the challenge at the level Christ took it, but that is for us to do.
The gauntlet has been thrown down, challenging u to pick it up, and shaming us and showing us exactly why we need to.
One of Us (2017)
Can you get out?
One of Us
"Born into the Straightjacket" could have been the title.
This documentary on the lives of three people who decide to leave the Chassidic community, and how hard that was....is heart breaking. How fair is this to the victims, those that want to leave? We can feel strongly, but is that enough to dare to question, and how much?
Seeing that made me realize again how strongly I am for Anabaptism, (only baptize when you are grown up) you don't get to baptize kids, being born into a religion is very close to abuse by definition. You cannot see, compare, choose. There is no choice, and this is very unfair.
Also, the movie shows other dark sides to religion so strongly, I think most people who watch this will get the feeling that religion is like a cancer.
When the motivation to preserve a faith takes such a toll, and neglects the rights of those who may want to make different choices, the real value is demeaned, and is it is shown to be a prison or maybe we should call it a cancer?
Religion may help people to feel like they belong, and it may help wih the fear of ding, but at this documentary shows the true cost, religon is damaging.
Powder (1995)
Absorbing. Powerful, moved me to tears. Recommend highly. Rare Gem. Unforgettable.
About: Prejudice, isolation of the unique and different, and all sorts of effects of the human condition come out. Highly inspirational.
For an emotionally mature audience. If you want fast paced action, please skip. No covering up by flashy CGI. Real acting.
Storyline:
Powder is the name given to an albino kid named Jeremy Reed. The story of the strange case of Powder unfolds naturally, artfully. And what a story it is.
What if? What if there was somebody who was more advanced intellectually and emotionally sensitive than all of us? The movie Powder helps you imagine what that would be like, and what we would run into. Powder shows us the best and the worst of our humanity, our limitations and our potential. And it does so beautifully, with appropriate drama. Questions about the meaning of life. It has a strong believable spiritual dimension without any fluff or bullshit. It shows the depth of compassion, and the shallowness of fear.
Cast The acting is exquisite, very believable. Sean Patrick Flanery powerful performance of the tender and awkward Powder. Mary Steenburgen plays the social worker that finds him. Jeff Goldblum's character says "when technology surpasses our humanity". Upon seeing the movie a second time, the power of the music to move you and me becomes more obvious. Subtle, gentle, moving.
Partly in the line of The Green Mile, a story about strongly evolved human empathetic qualities.
For those who like to be stimulated to think and wonder about a possible future, and the shadow side of your collective fears, an absolute must see. This is not an SF movie, but like good SF, it asks the pertinent questions and it makes you think.
Gandhi (1982)
Epic, Must see & Very Inspiring
Gandhi is the best movie I have ever seen
Quote by Gandhi: I know a way out of hell....
Epic & inspiring.
This movie has inspired me and changed my life in so many ways. I became vegetarian. I felt I too should contribute and make a positive difference to the world. I became a therapist. I realized life was about striving to become a better human being. The music of this movie was my first exposure to Indian music. The raw emotions in the music ripped me apart. No sugar coating, this is real.
I hope every man, woman and child gets to see this movie in their life, for Gandhi can move us towards becoming better human beings. I should be part of school curriculum, just like Shakespeare and the Pythagorean theorem.
The movie connects us to very tangible themes in our life - inequality, oppression, racism, and authority and lawfulness not being morally right.
Gandhi = Non-Violence, and standing up for those treated unfairly. My God, Gandhi has caused India to become free from the British without a violent uprising. Our world, so full of power hungry leaders who promise us - we will bomb you into democracy - could use more of this attitude of respect and non-violence. How very relevant.
Boring or riveting - Expectations.
This movie was made in 1982, before impossible CGI. The crowds are real. Today we are more into fast paced and gripping action movies. If you dare to slow down to the movie, and let it touch you, it has many messages about our life. This is no Matrix (and yet it is). If your want to be entertained with another empty flick, this movie is not for you. This movie is about real life struggles, this is about life and striving to become a better human being. This movie has depth, and shoves a mirror in our faces.
Why was this movie so good?
Ben Kingsley was Gandhi. He did not play Gandhi, he became Gandhi. Such humility, so human in his struggle to do the right things. The dialogue is amazing. Very inspiring. The scale of the movie is mind boggling, the size of the crowds. The themes... our politicians should take notes. Gandhi lived so shortly ago, we can almost touch him. Through this movie, he touches us, and shows us it is possible to make a difference.
What is Gandhi - Storyline.
A biopic about Mohandas K Gandhi. The story of all major events from 1893 South Africa, racism, to India in 1948, his unfortunate death. The movie illustrates his character and the world changing effect he had. Ben Kingsley. Attenborough.