Cake (2014)

Summary
The acerbic, hilarious Claire becomes fascinated by the suicide of a woman in her chronic pain support group. As she uncovers the details of Nina's suicide and develops a poignant relationship with Nina's husband, she also grapples with her own, very raw personal tragedy

Genre : Drama
Country : USA
 
Cast :
Jennifer Aniston : Claire Bennett
Anna Kendrick : Nina Collins
Adriana Barraza : Silvana

Director : Daniel Barnz

My opinion 

“Thank you for ruining my life.
Thank you for ruining Casey's life.
Thank you for leaving me in this fucking mess.
I hate you so much I can barely breath.”

"Way to go Jennifer". For me she's the first one who succeeds in removing the yoke of the sitcom "Friends" and play a character that doesn't remind you of that caricature appearance she played in it. Look at David Schwimmer in "The Iceman" and you see Ross with a totally wrong,fake mustache. Even Matthew Perry can't hide the characteristics of Chandler in "Numb". Lisa Kudrow tries in "Scandal" to resemble an extremely cool and tough presidential candidate, and yet you expect a crazy remark followed by that wonderful bizarre giggle. And Jennifer Aniston couldn't  put the Rachel-type aside in "The Break-Up" and "We're the Millers". But in "Cake" she succeeded in that above all expectations. She delivers a sublime and admirable performance here as Claire Bennett. A scarred woman, physical and psychological. You can see the pain in that tired look and those languid eyes. Even the sneering and cynical humor that she uses, can't cover up the agonies she's suffering from.

After a fatal accident Claire stays behind all alone, with visible and invisible scars. A mangled body patched up afterwards. But she can no longer enjoy life to its full extent. And there's also the unbearable pain caused by the loss of her son. The result is a bitter, suffering and obnoxious woman abandoned by everyone. The support group prefers her to seek a different kind of help because of her anger issues. The physiotherapist is giving up on her because she has the impression that Claire makes no attempt to rehabilitate. Her husband left her for an unknown reason. Is it because of her moods and harsh remarks? Is there some reproach? Has Claire thrown him out because she doesn't tolerate pity? We can only guess. Similarly, the conditions or cause of the accident are unknown. The only one who sticks to Claire, is her faithful housekeeper, the likeable Mexican Silvana.

 

It's a magnificent portrait of the life course of a presumably wealthy lawyer who slowly but surely sees everything collapsing around her due to the traumatic event. Both her marriage and professional career falters while she's losing herself because of the amount of painkillers and sleeping pills she's taking. What's left is a human wreck without any zest for life. There's only one critical element missing : the courage to finally put it to an end. A backbreaking attitude to life with pent-up grief and eternally recurrent pain as a central issue. You can truly feel the pain. And this all is perfectly played by Jennifer Aniston, who isn't worrying about a perfect makeup and a flashy hairstyle which would be massively hyped afterwards. Her appearance always looks as if she just crawled out of bed after a sleepless night. A face battered by scars, unkempt messed up hair and shabby clothes. A depressed and weary bitchy woman. But one who occasionally brings up funny and sarcastic remarks.

Gradually Claire expresses interest in a participant from her support group who committed suicide and it seems to be her ultimate salvation. Is it the drugs that causes Claire to start hallucinating about Nina (Anna Kendrick) ? Or is her subconscious the reason ? Whether appropriate or not Nina appears and tries to convince her to take that final step.

"You don’t believe in God...heaven or hell.
You don't believe in anything.
What about now.
Just do it.
Don't be such a coward."

Claire is intrigued by the character Nina and starts digging in her life. Finally she meets Roy (Sam Worthington), which is the start of a slow recovery. Maybe it's all a bit too much peppered with poignant clichés that'll ensure some sad moments filled with tears, but overall it was a bold and moving portrait of someone torn apart by grief and pain.

Perhaps an Oscar nomination was worthwhile. At least Jennifer Aniston got nominated for a Golden Globe. And by the way well deserved. This "Friends" star delivered a terrific performance as the distraught,addicted-to-pills woman. And speaking of the symbolic meaning of the movie title, this is subtly revealed at the end. Splendid movie. And also because of leaving out sensational footage of the accident. An admirable choice that only strengthens the whole! 

My rating 7/10 
Links : IMDB    

 

Tracers (2015)

Summary
Wanted by the Chinese mafia, a young New York City bike messenger down on his luck who just wants to do good, escapes into the world of parkour after meeting a beautiful stranger and her group of Parkour trainers that get him involved in a criminal delivery service for extra money.

Genre : Action
Country : USA
   
Cast :

Taylor Lautner : Cam
Marie Avgeropoulos : Nikki
Adam Rayner : Miller
 

Director : Daniel Benmayor

My Opinion  

“You're one of those kind of people.
What kind of people is that?
Can't hang on to anything nice.”

I have difficulties to classify "Tracers" in the right category. Was this a horrible movie? One that merely serves as a filler of unspecified leisure time? Or was it still a movie that was relaxing enough to demand my full attention? Eventually I need to say "Yes" to both questions (although the second one will be a mild "yes"). On the one hand, I could label it as useless pastime. Now, the fact that Taylor Lautner, widely known of the "Twilight" saga, plays a role in it, should make an alarm bell go off. He's not being asked because of his acting performances. It's more likely he's being asked for his attractive looks and athletic body. A kind of human magnet to ensure that hordes of teenage girls sprint to the cinema halls. It was within expectations that the result wouldn't be very original. Again you're presented the well-known story with two fresh-looking teenagers accidentally bumping into eachother (literally), getting together and going through some perilous situations. Initially there will be one acting dismissive and in the end everything is hunky-dory and they save themselves out of their predicament. Happy End, smacking kisses and with lots of butterflies in the stomach, they are off to a bright future together. At that level, it's a first-class film. First-class boring.

On the other hand it's an energetic action movie full of smooth and action-packed moments. It wasn't that boring (if you forget about the childish and stupid storyline for a minute though) to my surprise. "Parkour", a discipline which originated in France, plays a central role in this film. Large parts of this film show how practitioners of this sport jump,roll and balance through the streets. And this of course in the smoothest way. All this is neatly portrayed without the viewer getting seasick because of the swirling camera. The philosophy of pushing your own limits, is also emphasized enough. Although it sometimes looks like a well prepared circus act where they used cleverly camouflaged trampolines. But besides the admiration for the daredevil stunts these young people performed, there wasn't really much to admire anymore.

Cam (Taylor Lautner), an enthusiastic bike messenger, risks his life on a daily base while cycling through the streets of New York to deliver packages. Until he bumps into the lovely Nikki (Marie Avgeropoulos). Immediately this bouncing chick makes an immense impression on Cam and at the same time leaves him behind with a double folded front wheel. But no worries. The next day a brand new racing bike is delivered at Cam's work. A gift from Nikki who obviously couldn't sleep because of all-consuming regret. However, there's one annoying problem Cam's saddled (how appropriate) with. The huge sum of money Cam has borrowed from the Chinese mafia. An obvious fact that he borrowed it from them. At that time all financial institutions were probably on vacation and he needed the money urgently (And I'm still wondering why he needed 15.000 $ and where he spend it) . In time he becomes a member of the group of young people led by Miller (Adam Rayner) who also runs a sort of courier service. The big difference is that they know the contents of the packages and make a lot more money with it. You don't need to be very clever to guess which decision Cam makes since he feels that Chinese hot breath on the back of his neck.

At first glance it looks like an episode of "The Little Rascals" but with slightly older rascals who have lots of fun horsing around. The movie needs a very fast pace apparently, looking at the used names. You can read the full list at TGV speed : Cam, Nikki, Miller, Dylan, Tate, Jax, Jerry, Hu, Angie, Joey, Chen, ... Monosyllabic names so there isn't any time wasted when shouting at eachother in a critical situation. Taylor Lautner has the charisma of a freshly baked pancake. If he didn't have such a trained body with relatively developed biceps, you could slide him easily under a door. Physically he didn't really change much since the last time I saw him acting (cough) in "Abduction" (Actually, also a movie you'd better forget). And the few pubic hairs that grew on his face, won't help much either. He still looks like a teen.

  

Similarly, the graceful Avgeropoulos, whose name sounds more mature than she looks. At times I wondered if it's illegal to undertake such activities with someone like her in the state of New York, because she still looks like a minor to me. A spindly little girl with an angel face and a supple,graceful body. The lack of female basic components was a plus for her as a "Parkour" adept. And correct me if I'm wrong but is this "Parkour" business extremely easy to learn ? I guess so. First and foremost you have to be physically in top form. And besides that, you must have a smart phone so you can use your 4G connection to watch instructional videos on "YouTube" and then firmly exercise by jumping against walls and trees, conquer banisters and run over roofs. Occasionally crashing on the ground, is part of it of course. I suppose it's that simple, since Cam also got the hang of it this way. And finally Miller, the mastermind behind the whole operation, isn't such a smart guy either. He only has two rules members should adhere to, and he can't remember both of them eventually. 

Teenage girls will crawl into their bed pretty excited after watching "Tracers". Admittedly I can imagine that this will appeal to large market share and that it was quite attractive for the creators of this meaningless film to start this project. Personally, I found it a typical product of today's consumption society : view it, digest and forget. The day Lautner loses his sixpack, it will be extremely difficult for him to get certain roles, I fear. I'm sure that when you register at some sports club in the future, you'll get this movie as a free bonus together with a bunch of drink tickets and an XL towel. The only thing I missed at the beginning of the film was a "Do not try this at home" warning as in Jackass!

My rating 2/10 
Links : IMDB 

Coldwater (2013)

Summary
A teenage boy is sent to a juvenile reform facility in the wilderness. As we learn about the tragic events that sent him there, his struggle becomes one for survival with the inmates, the counselors, and with the retired war colonel in charge.

Genre : Drama/Thriller
Country : USA
   
Cast :
P.J. Boudousque : Brad Lunders
James C. Burns : Colonel Frank Reichert
Chris Petrovski : Gabriel Nunez

Director : Vincent Grashaw

My opinion 

“Welcome to paradise boys. This is Coldwater.
I am Colonel Frank Reichert, United States Marine Corps, retired.
You can call me Colonel. You can call me sir. It's up to you. The choice is yours.
Life here, gentlemen, is very simple.
Let's not bullshit each other. You're here because you fucked up.
We're here to fix that. So, you show me that you have a willingness and desire to change.
Simple as that.”

"Coldwater" eventually evolved into a rather impressive and hard pruning drama in which the existence of so-called re-education camps in the US are denounced. The film isn't based on an actual true story (I guess), but is an outline of how things are done in such disciplinary camps that actually exist there and where the shown practices are applied daily. These places are rather prison camps where humiliation is a standard instead of re-education. The objective is more like a psychological torture of young people who end up there, with the sole purpose to get them back on the right track before they risk an actual prison sentence. The juveniles are sent there at the insistence of the parents to guide them into a better and controlled life without crime. But I'm afraid some youngsters end up there because parents are fed up with them or are in the proces of picking up their own miserable lives without a reluctant and rebellious child. This is proved by the presence of a snivelling chubby kid who was send over there because he got bad grades in school and did some ditching.

We see Brad Lunders (PJ Boudousqué) being lifted from his bed in the middle of the night, being handcuffed and dumped in a van between some other victims, while his mother looks at it with a face scarred by guilt. And before he knows it he arrives in camp "Coldwater", led by the former marine Colonel Frank Reichert (James C. Burns) who believes in certain values like discipline and disciplinary penalties for indiscipline. It's obvious that some practices aren't really kosher and are being covered with the cloak of charity. Reichert is assisted by trustees : young men who also ended up there once and voluntarily, or perhaps forcibly, choose to participate in the re-education of young offenders. This place somewhere in the middle of nowhere is like hell on earth for these internees and can be compared to a prison camp from the 2nd World War. Perhaps the applied tortures aren't as horrible as those in that period, but the impact of it on these young people is indisputable. Similarly for Brad, who realizes that he can only survive by accepting this rotten system and yhat it's better to fit the straitjacket prescribed by the sadistic camp leader.

I'm sure this will be repeated indefinitely, but Boudousqué eerily resembles Ryan Gosling. Not only his physical appearance but also his style of acting is the same as that of Gosling. That stoic calmness he exudes, that serene facial expression showing how he assesses each situation and the determination with which he concentrates on the intended goal. But despite his angelic appearance he's not unconditional innocent. In terms of character he differs at first sight considerably with the character of Burns. But on second thoughts they are more alike than you'd expect : they both suffer from a traumatic experience out of the past and they both have leadership qualities. And despite that Brad hates the Colonel and wants to pull the rug out from underneath him , he could definitely become someone like him.

"Coldwater" was a terrific movie to watch, despite the sometimes uncomfortable scenes. Perfectly imaged, at the right pace. Vincent Grashaw intuitively developed this difficult story. Without realizing, a period of 2 years elapsed subtly punctuated by several flashbacks which gave us an insight into the life of Brad. Certainly not in a disturbing way and brought in a fluid manner. And the moment you conclude that it's apparently a typical moralizing film, the final denouement hits you like a sledgehammer. A discharge of pent-up anger and frustration that degenerates into a chaotic situation full of rage and revenge. Ultimately the film leaves you with mixed feelings. As soon as the situation became clear, there's a sense of compassion and you sympathize with the youngsters who try to survive in these inhumane conditions. By the end this feeling is still reverberating, but perhaps some of them really belonged there. I'm sure these situations don't occur everywhere as shown here.  However, it is better to avoid such a place as "Coldwater".

My rating 6/10 
Links : IMDB 

 

Small Time (2014)

Summary
 A young guy decides to skip college in favor of joining his father on the lot of his used-car business.

Genre : Drama
Country : USA
   
Cast :
Christopher Meloni : Al Klein
Devon Bostick : Freddy Klein
Dean Norris : Ash Martini

Director : Joel Surnow


My opinion 

"This is the story about my father and the summer we spent together many years ago. It was the summer that changed my life."

When using the above quote in a movie (or even worse, it's spoken by a voiceover) you actually expect a corny story with a moral character about a generation conflict between adolescents and their parents. However, don't expect too much drama in "Small time" because it's not that dramatic. To my surprise I thought it was a pleasant film to watch anyway. At times it was quite funny and entertaining. Granted, they've indeed incorporated a moral in it. Let's just say it's in fact a void story about the necessity of young people to listen to their parents when it's about significant life lessons. Eventually those parents only wish the best for their children and in the end they surely can help their unruly adolescents with their "taken from life" wise advice.

Al Klein (Christopher Meloni) and Barbara (Bridget Moynahan), a divorced couple, are being faced with the decision of their son Freddy (Devon Bostick) who no longer wants to go to school. Instead of his pants getting worn out by sitting at a school desk, he wants to follow in his father's footsteps as a salesman. Al Klein is a second-hand car dealer and runs a business together with his partner Ash Martini (Dean "Under the Dome" Norris). It wasn't exactly a lucrative enterprise in the beginning. And that's something Barbara didn't appreciate very much. The uncertainty and financial instability made her decide to turn her back on Al and start a new life with her former boss Chick (Xander Berkeley). The decision made now by Freddy obviously creates a bit of tension between the two. Freddy probably had a rose-tinted view about it, but the start in his father's business isn't as easy going as he thought it would be. The first contacts with customers are rather stiff and finally we see a somewhat pathetic little person who's totally ignored. But his self-confidence grows and he evolves into a slick salesman. The fact there's also a tad rudeness in play and Freddy's interacting disrespectful with others, is a thorn in Al's side. 

"Small Time" is a typical weekend movie that wouldn't be noticed in the programming of some television channel. It's such a pedantic film that could perfectly serve as filler for an evangelistic broadcasting. That doesn't mean that this is an awfully bad movie. To be honest it was pretty entertaining thanks to the chemistry between Al and Ash. The way they apply their selling techniques to persuade customers to buy the car they were interested in, is a joy to watch (I never thought that a hearing aid would be a good attribute for this). They are two crafty salesmen who have developed a well-oiled collaboration over the years. It wouldn't surprise me if the author of the book "How to sell your mother in law" asked for advice from these two slick salesmen. Only Al thinks certain standards are vital as for example having respect for both the customer and those who work for you. And that's something that Freddy lacks at times.

The only thing that bothered me, were the used clichés in this film. But especially Freddy's abrupt transformation from a rookie without experience into a seasoned seller, I found a bit exaggerated and improbable. Don't expect an overwhelming message or a breathtaking ending. The only thing noteworthy to mention also, is the small contribution by Amaury Nolasco as the Spanish-speaking mechanic. You see him quickly taking off his work clothes after which he appears in a flashy costume, so he can help out with a sale with Spanish-speaking customers. Only that fragment made it worthwhile to watch the film.

 
My rating 5/10 
Links : IMDB 

 

Nightcrawler (2014)

Summary
 A thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Lou Bloom is a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling - where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.


Genre : Thriller/Crime
Country : USA
   
Cast :
Jake Gyllenhaal : Louis Bloom
Bill Paxton : Joe Loder
Rene Russo : Nina Romina

Director : Dan Gilroy

My opinion  

“My motto is if you want to win the lottery you've got to make money to get a ticket.”

What a brilliant performance of Gyllenhaal in this rather morbid and exciting thriller. At times I was wondering whether it was meant to be amusing and jokingly or that it was intended to be presented as a serious and shocking story. Judging from my own chuckling at times and disbelief about what was being shown, I could only conclude that ultimately it was a mix of both. And it's masterly portrayed by Gyllenhaal, the chameleon of Hollywood and someone I do appreciate very much as an actor. After his appearance in "Prisoners" (which was an exceptionally exciting film) and the arty movie "Enemy" (as a story it was not my cup of tea, but in terms of performances it was again a success) just like Matthew McConaughey in "Dallas Buyers Club" he transformed physically into a gaunt, pale-looking good-for-nothing. Initially, he looks like a marginal person with a mental disability, but as you get to know him better, you come to the conclusion that he's extremely intellectual and has a kind of photographic memory. The way he quotes chunks of information that he has read on the Internet is pretty impressive. Louis Bloom is not exactly a simple figure but rather a cunning and manipulative character.

The whole story starts with Lou in the proces of cutting a fence. He's initially no more than an insignificant criminal who earns his money by stealing copper and the like. Until he witnesses an accident one night on one of the highways around Los Angeles and he sees a freelance reporter (Bill Paxton) capturing the whole thing on film and afterwards selling it to the highest possible price so that it can be used for the morning news. Lou doesn't waste any time and purchases a simple camcorder and police scanner. Immediately an assistant (Riz Ahmed) is being contracted and he hits the streets every night to film police interventions. His unconstrained personality and unscrupulous approach, ensure that he can capture pretty sensational images, allowing him to conquer a permanent position at the local station KWLA6. Here it's Nina Romina (Rene Russo) who rules as news editor. The straightforward film style of Lou appeals to her. As a sensation channel the presented footages can't be bloody enough. As she clearly stated : "The best and clearest way that I can phrase it for you, to capture the spirit of what we air, is think of our news cast as a screaming woman running down the street with her throat cut”.

As the title "Nightcrawler" partially reveals it, most of the scenes are made during the night in the city of Los Angeles. This provides some beautiful nighttime shots with Lou speeding around in his shabby car (which subsequently will be replaced by a flashy sports car) through the streets on his way to a variety of calamities he has overheard by using the scanner. He's a "disaster tourist" equipped with a camera. The film is an indictment against the growing sensationalism in contemporary reporting. The look and shocking effect takes precedence over content and objectivity. You can compare it with the bread and circuses in the Roman Empire. Lou is the personification of this somewhat repulsive attitude. On the one hand he's quite insane and frightening. On the other hand he's a real goal getter who misuses the Achilles heel of the media world in a shrewd way to benefit from. One man's  loss in this case is Lou's gain.

That the masterful rendition by Gyllenhaal, as the extremely manipulative and creepy Lou, takes on the lion's share of this exciting and simultaneously satirical film, is beyond dispute. But the supporting characters contributions are as important,convincing and certainly successful. First there is Riz Ahmed as the pitiful Rick, the assistant Lou has chosen in between, after a rather absurd interview. Rick is the prime example of someone who can use the money and who's offered the job because he has a smart phone with GPS function. He's overwhelmed by the silver-tongued Lou and him being a dogsbody afterwards was also predictable. No wonder you instantly think he's likeable. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Rene Russo acting again as Nina Romina, the unyielding editor without a conscience. I haven't seen her after "Lethal Weapon 3". The fact Dan Gilroy is her husband, probably made sure that the selection criteria were flexible. Yet this wasn't a bad interpretation and you witnessed the way Lou gradually took control over this seemingly fragile little personality.

It was clear how it would end eventually. Although there was a choice between two possible denouements (two logical endings that arose to me spontaneously), the end was still intense and surprising. A disgusting example of self-centeredness and self-preservation. An example of which way our society is going and how people disregard ethics. The moral of the story is that there's a lack of morality in the media landscape and society today. Does this sound pretty cynical, nasty or downright morbid to you ? I'd suggest to take a look at yourself in an honest way and think whether or not you would slow down when passing a traffic accident in order to catch a glimpse of a victim? Or you'd return home quickly to zap to a news channel just because you have heard a disaster happened somewhere ? You come to the conclusion afterwards that we are all a little bit like Lou. Disturbing ? Yep !

My rating 7/10 
Links : IMDB 

The Maid's Room (2013)

Summary
Set entirely on the posh east end of Long Island, the film centers around Drina, an attractive, intelligent immigrant who takes a job for the season as live-in maid to the Crawfords, a privileged New York family who maintain a splendid home in the Hamptons. The job could be worse, since Mr. and Mrs. Crawford spend most of their time in the city, but their teenage son, Brandon, who is starting Princeton in the fall, is summering at the beach, and Drina must look after him and his spoiled friends. Since the maid's room is next to the garage, Drina can't help noticing when Brandon returns late one night, noisily and obviously drunk. The next day, she sees that Brandon's car is battered and bloodied and, when she reads in the local paper that there has been a fatal hit and run, it's clear who's responsible.


Genre : Thriller
Country : USA
   
Cast :
Paula Garcé : Drina
Bill Camp : Mr. crawford
Philip Ettinger : Brandon

Director : Michael Walker

My opinion

“Sorry, mr. Crawford, but everybody is equal under the eyes of god.
Under the eyes of god, maybe, but not mine.”

I wasn't really excited about this simple story. It rather seems like an adaptation of some light hearted crime novelette you can buy in any newsstand. A sort of "Der Alte"-story, set in modern times and supported by a soundtrack that reminded me at times of "Twin Peaks". But the story on it's own is meager and certain interpretations aren't really impressive. It's first and foremost highly predictable and again it's an indictment against the gap between the wealthy and the less fortunate ones. The apparent invulnerability of certain individuals is the common thread running through the whole story. Besides the short playing time there isn't much positives to say about it.

Drina (Paula Garcés), a beautiful girl from Colombia, has emigrated to the US to work for the Crawford family, a very wealthy family (all the clichés are used again to portray this). The master of the house Mr. Crawford (Bill Camp) is a typical businessman making lots of money probably. First of you're wondering what the hell he really does for a living, since the way he expresses himself isn't that impressive. He looks rather uncertain when explaining things, without determination and timid when it comes to making decisions. Mrs.Crawford (Annabella Sciorra) is the exuberant wife who's undoubtedly the one who spends the most money and as a tradition it looks as if she has a drinking problem. Philip Ettinger plays the spoiled son Brandon who's strolling through the house and lives there as a king. He is a typical teenager who has things going for him just because of his origin (if it wasn't for his father he'd never be able to get into Princeton). Finally, Drina is modesty itself. The only living space where she can stay in her spare time is her tiny little bedroom along the garage. The rest of the house is solely work area for her. And despite the friendly tone used by Mrs. Crawford, you still can feel her haughty attitude.

 

One night Brandon returns home drunk, pukes in the garage and stumbles back in his bed. The next morning Drina discovers that the car is damaged seriously and there are also signs of blood being wiped off. At least there was an attempt to do that. Brandon minimizes this incident and brings up an explanation that he hit a deer. Until Drina finds an article in Brandon's room about a fatal traffic accident with a hit and run. And after that the whole story derails. You would expect the story focusing on the crime being unraveled. However, it becomes an ethical issue of bribery and justice, with all its consequences. It ends up with a where-do-we-hide-the-body soap as you would expect in "How to get away with murder?".

And not only the story wasn't very special. The performances also were sometimes toe-curling bad. Especially the performances of Mr. And Mrs. Crawford were too sad for words. The opening scene in the office of Mr. Crawford with a dialogue between these two characters about whether or not to hire Drina as the main topic, almost made me decide to turn off the television. Mainly Drina and Brandon acted still acceptable. Drina by her youthful innocence and probably mostly by her natural beauty and sensual appearance (despite the attempt to give her a more chaste appearance by giving here a traditional hairstyle). You could clearly hear her South American accent when she spoke, but it had the wrong effect on me. Instead of sounding pitiful, it sounded incredible sensual. Brandon did his best not to get too dignified. Despite his stable situation as the son of rich folks, he sometimes acted as an insecure teen boy.

Ultimately you can compare "The Maid's Room" with a pulp novelette, you grab from a kiosk and while sitting somewhere waiting for something, you glance through it just to pass the time. How appropriate. It only serves as a means to kill time (no pun intended).

 

My rating 2/10 
Links : IMDB 

I Origins (2014)

Summary
A graduate student, Ian Gray, is researching the evolution of human eyes with Karen and Kenny, in order to discredit creationists by proving that eyes have evolved. Seven years later, when the hospital takes an iris scan of his son and enters into the database, they appear to match with another person's eyes, which suggested that their son may be some sort of reincarnation of the deceased man.


Genre : Drama
Country : USA
   
Cast :
Michael Pitt : Ian
Brit Marling : Karen
Astrid Bergès-Frisbey : Sofi

Director : Mike Cahill

My opinion

“You ever feel like when you met someone, they fill this hole inside of you,
and then when they're gone... you feel that space painfully vacant?”

There are some movies that browbeat you and after seeing it, you keep pondering over it. Not because of the excellent computer manipulated images, the brilliant acting of one of the main characters or because of the story ingeniously stuffed with strange twists and surprising revelations. But just because of the concept and the deeper meaning behind the story. And the latter definitely counts for "I Origins" where the thin boundary between science and religion is questioned. In hindsight I thought the title of this film is exceptionally and cleverly made up. If you look at the literal meaning of it, you'll find out that it reflects the first part of the whole story. Where did I come from? How did I develop as an individual? In contrast when you pronounce the "I", this will sound like "eye", which in turn relates to the second part of this film, namely the eye as an organ itself. Now you can interpret this again ambiguous. First of all, the scientific research that Ian performs in regard to the development of the eye in all its aspects. And secondly, there is this saying that our eyes are the windows of the soul. It's one of the most important senses that humans possess. The gift of sight to observe everything that surrounds us, to let us get enchanted by the beauty of everyday life and which enables us to record things and gain knowledge. They are, as it were, windows on the world. And the most important feature is that every person on earth possesses a unique pair of eyes.

Ian (Michael Pitt) is a molecular biologist who's irrevocable obsessed by the human eye. The entire purpose of his study is to provide evidence that the eye indeed evolved over the centuries. Something that creationists contradict. They stick to the religiously inspired belief that the whole universe arose from a special divine act of creation.

The eye is the one sticking point that religious people use to discredit evolution.
They use it as proof of an ... intelligent designer.
Intelligent designer...?
God.

Together with the first-year student Karen (Brit Marling), who overenthusiastically throws herself on a parallel line of thought about creating sight on a creature that lacks that despite million of years of evolution, he delivers a groundbreaking discovery. Meanwhile, Ian has met the mysterious Sofi (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) at a Halloween Party. She possesses a pair of distinct wonderful eyes.This mysterious person becomes Ian's second obsession and is full of strange and outspoken reasonings. Have you ever met someone who immediately starts telling you the story of the Phasianidae? In his spare time Ian photographes the eyes of certain people. Also those of Sofi, who suddenly disappears out of his life the same evening. He doesn't realize that this person is going to make him doubt his whole belief system with the concept of reincarnation as central theme.

Revealing more about this wonderful film, would be a mortal sin. The best way to experience this film and to let it act on your mind, is by knowing about it as little as possible, like me. I guarantee you that for some it will be an impressive experience and the whole will force you to think about who you are, about your origin and whether spiritual forces exist that affect your human existence. Just as Ian I'm a person who's faith is only based on tangible and provable arguments. I can not persuade myself to give credence to observations by people who have subsequently written those down thousands of years ago. As Ian says: "These beliefs can not be changed or substantiated by contemporary facts. They are unchangeable". Could this omniscient and grand higher power exist ? The One who created and controlled everything. Who then again also shows infinite love and wants to take His creatures under his wing ? I can only conclude, if I take the present world into consideration , that He started a part-time job nowadays. 

 
But despite my firm conviction "I Origins" got me pondering about whether or not there exists, without us realizing it, an overarching power that has a profound impact on our void existence. Sofi beautifully phrased it and used strong arguments when she realized what Ian actually tried to achieve in his lab with the blind worms. These creatures aren't aware of the phenomenon of light. And forcing them to mutate, they would be able to understand the concept of light. The theory she suggests, sounds pretty logical when you think more about it. Could it be possible that individuals exist who are mutated in such a way that they are able to comprehend the spiritual world that surrounds us. A comprehension such as light that surrounds the worms. In all honesty, I am convinced that there is something that is beyond our understanding. Thinking back about my near-death experience, that changed my existence in a drastically way, I came to a point where any logical explanation or science-based plea no longer helps. I can only admit that there's more than just pure physical life only.

The length of a review is to me a measure of how I experienced a movie. A short text usually indicates a meaningless, best-you-forget-it-as-quickly-as-possible movie. A significant volume means that it touched me and that I witnessed something phenomenal. Enumerating film-technical aspects which befell perfectly or glorifying the concise but also appropriate performances, is of secondary importance since the deeper meaning and message dominates.The entire film is laced with beautiful symbolic moments. The way Ian succeeds in finding Sofi because the same figure is appearing again and again, after which he's confronted with those beautiful eyes staring at him again from a billboard. The conversations between him and Sofi, who obviously has a different perception about religion. The gorgeous equation Ian makes about their failed attempt to get married and the big bang theory, which happened 13.7 billion years ago, when according to him their atoms already clashed together. And the denouement that takes place in Delhi, India : the epicenter when it comes to astral energy and spiritual sensations. It's no surprise that in the hippie period, many young people flocked to this country to get new impressions and learn about their inner development (the fact that hallucinogenic drugs was at the basis of this self-development,that's probably beside the point). All this melted together gave an unsurpassable result with a moving end, that even left me with a lump in my throat (and it was perfectly supported by the sound of Radiohead).

Final Conclusion: A brilliant film and truly recommended. It's surely one that'll end up in my top list! If you get a chance to watch this gem somewhere, please do so !

My rating 9/10 
Links : IMDB