tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post497759676742491288..comments2023-12-28T06:30:48.808-05:00Comments on The Rule of Reason: Lights Dim on Reality in the Cinema: Part IIUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post-4796698717923299932017-03-01T17:50:29.681-05:002017-03-01T17:50:29.681-05:00Ed. You accurately describe why I intensely dislik...Ed. You accurately describe why I intensely dislike many modern films including those which win awards. I gave up on the 'Best Picture' Award when 'No Country for Old Men' won. It was vile as was 'American Beauty'and others from the list of those analysed. The world view of those making decisions in Hollywood is indescribably bad.Doug Mayfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14620167852028046807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post-40415637310479886832017-02-24T10:29:36.436-05:002017-02-24T10:29:36.436-05:00Not that it deserves such discussion, but I'd ...Not that it deserves such discussion, but I'd say AB is almost deliberate (I hate to give them that much credit) it its utter destruction of any noble ideals (e.g. selfishness). Why do I say this?<br /><br />Observe that the true hero (or, should have been) of the story is actually the wife. She is the only person in the movie (other than misguided, utterly intellectually disarmed children) who makes any attempt to really better herself, find something else/happiness in life (husband bulking up to look good for his teenage crush, and pursuing career fulfillment in the fast food industry doesn't count, sorry!)(nor does the neighbor's last ditch effort to deal with deeply latent homosexuality). That her attempt is desperate and unsure doesn't lessen the fact that only she is able to admit the marriage and her life aren't doing it. Of course, in the end she gives up - only to have that cruel hopeless thing known as life smack her down. Of course, she'll carry this guilt and "properly" realize that happiness is impossible.<br /><br />I'm sure there's others, even a couple I've seen but am not remembering offhand, but this is easily one of the worst movies from a philosophical perspective - by this I mean that are trying to make philosophical points, not just (say) empty action flicks - that I'm aware of.Tim Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06319251326099194934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200276.post-74188256431854676502017-02-24T10:10:44.047-05:002017-02-24T10:10:44.047-05:00"American Beauty" is a tragically misnam..."American Beauty" is a tragically misnamed cinematic barf bag.<br /><br />It also, at 2h 2m, has about 2 hours of excess material, considering the entire point of the movie can be made with the bit where the kid is filming a swirling piece of trash and calling it beautiful etc, and the rest of it is just variations on that insipid non-theme.Tim Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06319251326099194934noreply@blogger.com