tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post163488859179896276..comments2024-01-21T11:18:54.087-05:00Comments on Lost in the Movies: Iraq in FragmentsJoel Bockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-86929633025387552322010-07-29T20:33:10.187-04:002010-07-29T20:33:10.187-04:00Fair points, JAFB. For me the first segment was th...Fair points, JAFB. For me the first segment was the most problematic for the reasons I wrote about in the piece. The third seems to strike the best balance between human interest and the bigger picture. I think the doc is best conceived as a whole, of which the fragments are a part (kind of like the country it documents). Each fragment has its strengths and its flaws but together they form a fascinating mosiac.Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-8123380567992477932010-07-29T14:03:17.387-04:002010-07-29T14:03:17.387-04:00MovieMan,
I saw the film today. I liked it, altho...MovieMan,<br /><br />I saw the film today. I liked it, although, especialyl in the final section, I thought it was too beautiful for its own sake. The second segment reminded me of The Battle of Chile where we are actually witnessing the making of a true democracy. Very good segment that.Just Another Film Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17880550053788464732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-6053472466219294892008-11-05T01:23:00.000-05:002008-11-05T01:23:00.000-05:00"Ambition equals pretension every time." I don't t..."Ambition equals pretension every time." I don't think this generally has to be the case, but I think it has been the case with Haggis' work so far, at least in my opinion. I'll be curious to see Elah.Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-80933812208319919332008-11-03T16:24:00.000-05:002008-11-03T16:24:00.000-05:00Yes, skip my post until you have seen the movies.T...Yes, skip my post until you have seen the movies.<BR/><BR/>There is a disconnect between the reception for Rendition and Elah in the US and here in Australia. Both films received good press and did well at the box office for their class.<BR/><BR/>I found both movies imperfect but powerful and very worthwhile.<BR/><BR/>As Peter Travers wrote in Rolling Stone on Elah:<BR/><BR/>"Paul Haggis actually thinks movies can mean something, even change things. So, of course, critics like to crush him. Ambition equals pretension every time. Crash won the 2005 Oscar, but detractors tarred Haggis’ race parable for overreaching. Right. Feed us more pap, please. Haggis haters will have a field day with In the Valley of Elah… Haggis’ script, loosely based on a true story, isn’t about the war. It’s about the humanity being sucked out of the soldiers we send there, and how that process reflects on us as a nation. Yes, Haggis stumbles and loses focus. The haunting, heart-piercing Elah isn’t perfect. It’s something better: essential. 3/4"Tony D'Ambrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359495250856189815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-30689857299899256902008-11-03T11:10:00.000-05:002008-11-03T11:10:00.000-05:00Tony, at one point I hoped to tackle the Iraq/War ...Tony, at one point I hoped to tackle the Iraq/War on Terror fiction but given limited time, I decided to focus on docs instead. However, I may tackle these and other movies (Stop-Loss, Redacted, the near-universally reviled Lions for Lambs or whatever it's called) in the coming months. I heard mostly poor things about Rendition and some positive things about Valley of Elah. I've had problems with Paul Haggis' work so far, though I think there's talent there, so I'd be interested to see that film most of all. Do you think I should wait till after I've seen the movies to read your post?Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-54250908278315522162008-11-03T02:18:00.000-05:002008-11-03T02:18:00.000-05:00PS: The previous comment refers also the previous ...PS: The previous comment refers also the previous post - No End in Sight.Tony D'Ambrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359495250856189815noreply@blogger.com