Movie Review, and Q and A with R (part 1)
Jun. 15th, 2010 11:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sub_dividedNo more book reviews until my Statistics class ends in mid-July, because the only book I should be reading between now and then is my textbook :(
However, here is a movie review:
Children of God is a gay movie currently making the rounds at festivals. According to the director, it's got a distribution deal, so you might be able to see or rent it at some point.
Overall it is a really, really impressive indie movie. ^^ There's some problems with the script -- scenes where unrelated characters just happen to be in the same places at the same times, for instance. But the movie is really beautifully shot -- see trailer -- and the characters are fully fleshed out and three-dimensional.
Possible reasons (besides good writing) for spot-on characterization include this movie being an expansion of an earlier short movie -- so actors have had time to learn roles, and the director has had the chance to incorporate earlier audience reactions -- and trends in gay cinema I am not aware of. ^^ For instance, the movie really nails Johnny's wariness and twitchy uncomfortableness, but maybe this kind of psychology is just better understood, in general, within the gay filmmaking community than it is within the filmmaking community at large.
Things I particularly liked about this movie: that it is an unabashedly political movie. That there is a palpable sense that gays in the Bahamas have almost nothing, and homophobic crusaders are aiming to take away even that. That Johnny doesn't trust easily - and he's right! And that he calls Romeo out on Romeo's bullshit: "I've seen what kind of person you are [with your band], I don't know why I thought I was different."
I also really liked the difference between their backgrounds, where Johnny (the shyer and more repressed one) has an actually supportive dad, while Romeo (the shameless - in private - one) comes from a repressive family background. This seems like pretty shrewd psychology to me.
There was a Q and A session after the movie where people asked some actually really good questions. Highlights!
The director says that if this movie had been shot on another Anglophone Carribbean island, it would have been the same story - maybe because England enacted repressive laws in all its colonies in the 50s, and the islands all kept them after independence. (I thought it might also have had something to do with gay tourism from the U.S., but R pointed out that there is probably a lot of straight sexual tourism to the Bahamas, too.)
The movie was screned in the Bahamas, where it enjoyed a warm reception. (One woman wrote in to the local paper, "I didn't like to see two boys kissing but it was a good human story.")
The director tried to portray Lena with compasion, so that gay and straight audiences could both enjoy the movie. I think he succeeded... the only really EVIL character is the preacher, and people like that really exist, so. ^^ R was upset that (spoiler) nothing bad happened to this character, so I have promised her fix-it fanfiction where he gets what he deserves. /spoiler
Generally the cast and crew were left alone to shoot the movie in peace. However, the scene shot in the church had to be done in one take, because word got out among the congregation, and some of them were headed down with pitchforks.
The movie was originally going to end differently, but (spoiler) during the filming six people were killed for being gay in the Bahamas, so the script was altered to be more topical and to have more emotional impact. (I will cynically note that the fact that Johnny is killed before the relationship can be consummated might also have helped this movie to gain acceptance from less tolerant people.) /spoiler
Anyway, if you have a chance to see this movie, I recommend it.
I'm taking questions for R, since some of you said you were curious. First up: "things you think we should know," c/obell:
In more specific terms, R is a dual American/UK citizen and has a managerial degree with a focus on sustainable development. She likes and is knowledgeable about: logic, knives, computer games, men's fashion, webcomics, poetry, hip hop (with a conscience), open-source software, most things involving systems, and food. Also, food. Did I mention food? Food is her first love.
She also wants you to know that she is happy to answer blunt or even rude questions, as long as they are not racist. (She's Asian.) (I told her she didn't have anything to worry about on this front :))
Questions here, or you can ask them in comments to this post.
However, here is a movie review:
Children of God is a gay movie currently making the rounds at festivals. According to the director, it's got a distribution deal, so you might be able to see or rent it at some point.
Overall it is a really, really impressive indie movie. ^^ There's some problems with the script -- scenes where unrelated characters just happen to be in the same places at the same times, for instance. But the movie is really beautifully shot -- see trailer -- and the characters are fully fleshed out and three-dimensional.
Possible reasons (besides good writing) for spot-on characterization include this movie being an expansion of an earlier short movie -- so actors have had time to learn roles, and the director has had the chance to incorporate earlier audience reactions -- and trends in gay cinema I am not aware of. ^^ For instance, the movie really nails Johnny's wariness and twitchy uncomfortableness, but maybe this kind of psychology is just better understood, in general, within the gay filmmaking community than it is within the filmmaking community at large.
Things I particularly liked about this movie: that it is an unabashedly political movie. That there is a palpable sense that gays in the Bahamas have almost nothing, and homophobic crusaders are aiming to take away even that. That Johnny doesn't trust easily - and he's right! And that he calls Romeo out on Romeo's bullshit: "I've seen what kind of person you are [with your band], I don't know why I thought I was different."
I also really liked the difference between their backgrounds, where Johnny (the shyer and more repressed one) has an actually supportive dad, while Romeo (the shameless - in private - one) comes from a repressive family background. This seems like pretty shrewd psychology to me.
There was a Q and A session after the movie where people asked some actually really good questions. Highlights!
The director says that if this movie had been shot on another Anglophone Carribbean island, it would have been the same story - maybe because England enacted repressive laws in all its colonies in the 50s, and the islands all kept them after independence. (I thought it might also have had something to do with gay tourism from the U.S., but R pointed out that there is probably a lot of straight sexual tourism to the Bahamas, too.)
The movie was screned in the Bahamas, where it enjoyed a warm reception. (One woman wrote in to the local paper, "I didn't like to see two boys kissing but it was a good human story.")
The director tried to portray Lena with compasion, so that gay and straight audiences could both enjoy the movie. I think he succeeded... the only really EVIL character is the preacher, and people like that really exist, so. ^^ R was upset that (spoiler) nothing bad happened to this character, so I have promised her fix-it fanfiction where he gets what he deserves. /spoiler
Generally the cast and crew were left alone to shoot the movie in peace. However, the scene shot in the church had to be done in one take, because word got out among the congregation, and some of them were headed down with pitchforks.
The movie was originally going to end differently, but (spoiler) during the filming six people were killed for being gay in the Bahamas, so the script was altered to be more topical and to have more emotional impact. (I will cynically note that the fact that Johnny is killed before the relationship can be consummated might also have helped this movie to gain acceptance from less tolerant people.) /spoiler
Anyway, if you have a chance to see this movie, I recommend it.
I'm taking questions for R, since some of you said you were curious. First up: "things you think we should know," c/o
bell: - R is a defender of justice! *shoujo pose*
- R likes to support people who make things she likes, and to punish people who do things that she doesn't like.
- R likes caring for small helpless things.
- R likes this song the best of all the songs on the Lemony Snickett/Stephen Meritt album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MzI-RpqzII
- R wishes you would all write yuri fanfiction instead of stupid boylove.
In more specific terms, R is a dual American/UK citizen and has a managerial degree with a focus on sustainable development. She likes and is knowledgeable about: logic, knives, computer games, men's fashion, webcomics, poetry, hip hop (with a conscience), open-source software, most things involving systems, and food. Also, food. Did I mention food? Food is her first love.
She also wants you to know that she is happy to answer blunt or even rude questions, as long as they are not racist. (She's Asian.) (I told her she didn't have anything to worry about on this front :))
Questions here, or you can ask them in comments to this post.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-15 05:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-15 05:15 pm (UTC)Next try!
Date: 2010-06-24 08:54 pm (UTC)Wait, what is that Q&A thing all about? I'm intrigued!
Reading your movie review also reminded me that I need to start going out again, otherwise I'll miss too many good films. The last movie I watched in cinema was La Pivellina and that was at the Berlinale film festival in FEBRUARY. Ohhhhh, the shame. ^^ I'll definitely keep an eye open for Children of God, although having moved back to the cinematic wasteland of my childhood town for now, I doubt it will ever make it on the screen here.
I hope this attempt at commenting is more successful than the last! Otherwise I really need your help in figuring this Dreamwidth thing out... ^^
Re: Next try!
Date: 2010-06-24 09:34 pm (UTC)Re: Next try!
Date: 2010-06-24 11:06 pm (UTC)This movie was totally worth the tcket price. I think from now on I will try to see more indendent movies in theaters since the small productions are appartently the worst hit by piracy (the only useful thing I learned from reading a long string of comments on proposed anti-download legslation).
The "Q and A with R" is because some people said they were curious about her. I am working on an answer to the only other queston that was asked ("how did you meet?") The she said/she said answer should be done soon. If you have a question, feel free to ask...
Re: Next try!
Date: 2010-06-25 06:06 pm (UTC)I know about the piracy thing; for some years now it's one of THE biggest topics in the industry and it's true, it affects smaller productions the most. On the other hand, the smaller productions are often badly managed/promoted and sometimes (even as a journalist) you have to resort to illegal methods to be able to watch the film (and write a review on time). So I'm against movie piracy, but I'd lie if I said I never profited from it in the past... ^^
I like the Q&A idea, especially since I'm curious about her too! :P Sooo... here are some general and some character questions to add to the list; of course she can answer as many or as few as she likes.
1) Do you have siblings or are you an only child?
2) Since you obviously love food, what's you favorite food to eat and what's your favorite dish to cook?
3) Who is your favorite author and why?
4) How would you describe yourself in 5 words?
5) What is usually the first thing you notice about someone when meeting them for the first time?
6) What's the first thing you noticed about S.?
7) Name some hip hop artists with a conscience because I'm looking for new music, but am generally put off by the content in hip hop. Well, not only in hip hop. I'm put off by just plain stupid lyrics, too. ^^
8) What do you like best about yourself? And what do you like the least?
I think I should stop for now, before she starts to hate me! ^^
-C
Re: Next try!
Date: 2010-06-26 01:53 am (UTC)R was excited to see your questions, because they are "short questions [she] can answer". Though the response ending up being kind of long, haha.
I hadn't realized there were movie producers who needed to be saved from themselves like that, haha. I am not 100% against piracy, but I am 100% against people who never buy anything they enjoy, ESPECIALLY people who could afford to pay for it.
Re: Next try!
Date: 2010-06-25 08:18 am (UTC)Re: Next try!
Date: 2010-06-25 02:21 pm (UTC)