tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post5319996784918149313..comments2023-11-05T02:01:53.847-06:00Comments on Antagony & Ecstasy: AMERICAN IDIOTSTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-34534551898278355622016-08-21T22:23:24.902-05:002016-08-21T22:23:24.902-05:00A bit late to the party, but can you really call a...A bit late to the party, but can you really call a film "misogynistic" based on one female character who is presented as less sympathetic than the protagonist? As for the "contradiction" between male and female materialism, the car was an impulse buy, representing to him "breaking free" or whatever, and living his life, while Caroline's materialism was supposed to be getting in the way of life. It takes a lot more for a film to be misogynistic than to have a female character portrayed as an unpleasant person, no matter how many overanalyses you throw at it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01873144337610410257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-43061483209658230622013-06-18T18:40:39.759-05:002013-06-18T18:40:39.759-05:00Thank you so much for this review! I've just w...Thank you so much for this review! I've just watched this film with a few friends (we're all university aged) and none of them could understand why I sympathised with Carolyn. She's been poisoned by the American Dream - we're told she's come from a poor background and has achieved everything that she was told to aspire to, only to find that behind the facade it's rotten. She's a harpy because she's starting to realise that everything she's ever been told is wrong, and she has no way of coping other than to carry on. I just feel that with a little more backstory, she could have been given the modicum of sympathy that every single other character was afforded.<br /><br />I'm not going to get started on Col. Fitts' homosexuality, that was just horribly heavy-handed, although with a little more exposition I think it could have been a more believable storyline.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12632278239252654370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-59880778778276673122012-11-14T03:09:02.376-06:002012-11-14T03:09:02.376-06:00It's impossible for me to describe why do I di...It's impossible for me to describe why do I disagree with you in sooo many things. First of all, the movie´s shouldn't be the judge of the things they present; although objectivity is somehow a chimera, it doesn´t necessarily mean that subjectivity is a conglomerate of judgmental statements. If you believe the characters and existential barriers faced are unreal as long as their behaviors and reactions we may agree; but just in terms of how an abstract concept interacts with reality. You judge it by how the reality would be instead of how this is an abstract claim to all family levels composition. I don't wanna get into more details coz my post would be so damn long and useless as your long long long review (no need)... But, in a society were comfort is described as happiness driver and in a generation were man are supposed to hold that family happiness don't expect any other thing than what our concept of happiness and its pillar is (man). If his wife complains about a 4000 USD when they are getting into the only one free environment they may have faced in years (incredible how tons of people live in this kinda lifes), it just means what it means... it is just a fucking abstract idea of how this women represents what comfort and materialism mean in a moment where freedom and passion are taking over. <br />If you wish you can call the director and ask him to talk about how our family structure put so much pressure into women... but this movie isn't about this... its main character represents what it represents. It doesn't reflect what you wanted to reflect... so overcome that fact and forget all your judgmental barriers. <br />BTW, I agree that sometimes some of the characters are a caricature of themselves...and I guess it is a way of creating a clearer abstract environment to develop an idea... It doesn't try to be a real people tail doing real things... it tries to give a philosophical perspective driven by a really interesting novel.<br />I’m really disappointed of having spent so much time in reading your review and replying it. What a pity to read such a deep review in such negative terms when it could have been done with the same depth level trying to let people think about what positive stuff this movie contains.maxmexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15503586657788254382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-61820889663040777012011-05-15T22:40:18.452-05:002011-05-15T22:40:18.452-05:00I really enjoyed this review. Have you ever consid...I really enjoyed this review. Have you ever considered critiquing all the Best Picture Winners?Jordynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07805089410734429593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-87691253545645975242011-04-29T03:20:39.425-05:002011-04-29T03:20:39.425-05:00God, do I love having my opinions validated.God, do I love having my opinions validated.Daniel Silberberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08685707813625269747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-59690793078113591632011-03-29T11:01:04.228-05:002011-03-29T11:01:04.228-05:00Aw, shucks. I'm just doin' what I do.Aw, shucks. I'm just doin' what I do.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-38946066429000973972011-03-29T07:39:20.026-05:002011-03-29T07:39:20.026-05:00I enjoyed American Beauty. But I think I enjoyed y...I enjoyed American Beauty. But I think I enjoyed your review more! Apart from the one you did for AI, I've never had a review completely revolutionise my opinions on a film post-viewing. For instance, I didn't even notice the contradiction of male vs female materialism. I can't honestly say I now dislike American Beauty, but I feel more enlightened about its 'style over substance' flaws.<br /><br />PS. I always thought that weirdo kid with the camera was talking bullshit. I just accepted it as part of American Beauty's more fantastical aspects.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-4989506856216919102011-03-25T19:15:27.527-05:002011-03-25T19:15:27.527-05:00Yes to all of the above. I hate so much about this...Yes to all of the above. I hate so much about this film, but it's still incredibly watchable. It's just afterward that nothing was really said at all.Kelsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08426905949964284182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-11497233757231644662011-03-24T19:43:31.772-05:002011-03-24T19:43:31.772-05:00Mike, the post's sponsor, was having problems ...<i>Mike, the post's sponsor, was having problems getting the comments to work. Here's the full text as he e-mailed it to me.</i><br /><br /><br />Thank you for reviewing this! I'm happy to finally see exactly what is it that you dislike about the movie. I'm a lowly middlebrow non-film critic but I will try to give you my take on American Beauty. :)<br /><br />I have to admit that the reason I love American Beauty is that Lester's character was seemingly made specifically to appeal to me.<br /><br />In my real life I feel like I have to constantly remind myself not to be suffocated by middle class suburban America. There is so much pressure to conform. Good fathers, husbands and employees should act a certain sterile way at all time, it seems. I like that American Beauty takes that concept and allows Lester to wreak havoc with it.<br /><br />The way I look at the screenplay there are really only two characters:<br /><br />1. Lester<br />2. Suburban America and its expectations of Lester as portrayed (in an over-the-top way) by the supporting characters<br /><br />Despite that, I see where you're coming from with the misogyny argument now. I had never noticed it before.<br /><br />When I requested this review I think I mentioned that there are only a few things that are consistently able to make me cry:<br /><br />1) Toy Story 3's furnace/ending scenes<br /><br />2) The ending of The Road (book form only... sorry Viggo)<br /><br />3) The moment when the memory of Lester's daughter as a little girl in her fairy costume flashes before his eyes<br /><br />As the father of a beautiful three year old girl/fairy princess myself, there's something about that scene that just gets to me.<br /><br />I think the common theme between those three tear-inducing moments is the idea of letting go of our children and hoping we have taught them enough to make it on their own.<br /><br />In Lester's case it is particularly sad for me because he has let his wife and daughter down in so many ways. In a strange way it inspires me to do right by my own family. To look for that moment where Lester went wrong and take action to prevent it. <br /><br />The movie never tells us exactly when that pivotal moment was: some time between his happy, dying memories of the past and the opening of the film. I suspect the Moral Lessons that Lester learns (too late) and subsequently preaches are a direct result of his failure to adhere to them earlier in his life when it would have made a difference.<br /><br />Anyway, I could probably go on and on about this so in closing here are some Moral Lesson reminders:<br /><br />-Quit your job<br />-Smoke some pot<br />-Realize (sooner than Lester did) that your family is more important than your job<br /><br />Apparently, in my thirties, I am no longer cool enough to have a source of marijuana. However, I've done the other two items listed and am happier for it. :)Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.com