Films and Stuff

Saw ‘Babel’ last night, about 3 years after everyone else. I don’t really know what I think of it yet. Good cinematography, good acting, but it failed to have a real impact. It covers illegal immigration, poverty, culture, language, loss, love, terrorism, disability, sexuality, grief…..basically I think the director wanted to make a film that covered pretty much everything, but I for one was left feeling pretty nonchalant. I kinda liked the deaf girl storyline, but the others were pretty bland. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the director, seems to like making films that try so hard to make a passionate point, but actually don’t, for me anyway. But then I am harder to please. To get any kind of emotional response out of me is like drawling blood from a stone. For me to like a film it has to be charming, quirky, moving, unique, stunning to look at, with a good soundtrack. That’s a pretty big ask.

The moral of this story, don’t bother with Babel, watch Amelie instead.

To appease the list-loving side of me, I have compiled a list of my favourite moving film moments. If you disagree, tough shit, it’s my blog, so there.

1. Amelie – the bit where Amelie gives the guy the tin box full of his childhood memorabilia. In fact, pretty much all of Amelie.
2. Crash – the bit where the woman is trapped in her car, and the man who saves her is the policeman who molested her earlier in the film. It forces you to see that people are capable of being both good and bad.
3. American History X – when Ed Norton starts to realize that black folk are not so bad, and that the hate he’s carried around with him has not helped him in any way.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – the ending, where Winslet and Carey’s last memories of their relationship are wiped out, and they say goodbye, and vow to find eachother again.
5. Girl, Interrupted – Vanessa Redgrave gives her little speech towards the end. ‘what are your flaws, are they flaws…..if you indulge in them do you commit yourself to hospital, for life…’ (or something like that)
6. Lost in Translation – the ending, the goodbye scene in the streets of Tokyo.

That’s all I can think of right now. And sorry for the spoilers, and probable spelling mistakes.