Killing Them Softly: Cogan

Annapurna Pictures

Making an economic and political point, "Killing Them Softly" is a focus on the desperation, and harshness  of the underground economy. Drug-use, hopelessness, killing, gambling, and prostitution,  are quite ordinary in the lives of these not so ordinary characters who feel no compunction about profiting from crime. What is lucid, is that, there must be trust and order, to secure and maintain criminal profits, and if  this trust and order is violated, the violators will be subject to the brutal penal system of this underground economy.  

Even with an understanding of this  harsh, break your kneecap, penal system, two of the main characters, endeavor to live the good life by robbing a high stakes poker game, consequently upsetting the underground economic order, and infuriating the magnates of this economy. To seek illegitimate justice, they summon Cogan. 

Tactical, self-directed, amiable but ruthless, Cogan is the enforcer who will reset the order. His approach is concise, and measured. Cogan is a businessman, and with the intermittent  background oratory of Bush and Obama commenting on the poor state of the economy, the economic and political point in the fim is summed up in one phrase, "America is a business. Now fucking pay me."    

    

The Amazing Spiderman: Webb vs. Raimi

Marvel Entertainment

The Amazing Spiderman. Will it be Raimi or Webb? After watching the recent release, and re-watching the release from 10 years ago, both films are satisfactory with differences that did not significantly  sway one version as being better than the other. 

Details such as Peter smashing the alarm alarm, and the computers keys being stuck to his fingers, made the scenes where Peter was discovering his new powers more amusing. Raimi's version did not feature such details, but satisfactory nevertheless .   

Webb's version was based on Peter's high school years which featured Gwen instead Mary Jane, and Raimi's film portrayed Flash as a bully who was conquered by the web-slinger's acrobatics, while Webb's version portrayed Flash as a bully who is empathic in expressing sincere condolences to Peter about uncle Ben's death. Before this expression of empathy,  Peter humiliated Flash not through acrobatic fighting but through a basketball standoff. Effective. Amusing. But far from menacing. 

Both villains were awesome. My bias for Willem Dafoe as an actor has made me favor the Green Goblin, but The Lizard, no doubt was pretty cool, but Green Goblin fought out skill rather than rage. He was more of a tactical opponent as a fighter. Green Goblin used psychological manipulation, especially noted in the penultimate scene in Raimi's version. 

As a whole even with these differences, both  films constituted as great entertainment. However, Spiderman's identity is revealed way too often, in both films, especially for Raimi's trilogy.  Revealing the identity of a superhero violates the mystique of what makes many superheroes so appealing. On a final note, the first kiss showing Spiderman hanging upside-down was more memorable.  


     

The Dictator: Pointy Not Round

Paramount Pictures

Official Site: www.republicofwadiya.com
Director(s): Larry Charles
Writer(s):  Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg
Producer(s):  Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg
Starring:  Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, John C. Reilly, B.J. Novak. Rated-R. 

Can a ruthless dictator fall in love with a vegan human rights activist? An unlikely couple indeed.  Aladeen ( Cohen) did not travel to New York to fall in love, but who could resist a cute vegan who cares about everything from animals to a dictator's masturbatory habits. I  don't think  Cohen was trying to say dictators have feelings too, but inadvertently  he sort of made that point. Aladeen noticed how much passion Zoey ( Faris) had. He could not stop talking about  her even when he was planning to regain his position as dictator of Wadiya. Living  as a commoner,  Aladeen noticed certain things about himself.  He realized he was actually a nice guy beneath the inclination to kill everyone who had different views.

Paramount Pictures

Satirical as can be, Cohen employs his trademark crude humor to make a statement about dictatorships while entertaining the masses. Irreverence with a purpose as usual. There is also commentary on democracy, but not just any democracy; democracy defined by corporate policy, noted in a scene where Tamir(Kingsley) cut a backdoor deal with several major oil companies for millions. The film eludes to problems with the U.S prison population, and bank bailouts amongst other issues. Definitely.Cohen wrote a comedy with substance.

Paramount Pictures

Was The Dictator funny ? Kind of. It was not hilarious. But it was deeply amusing. May be it's because I have grown accustomed to Cohen's comedic style, and the effects from the days of Borat, and Bruno have worn off, and I have become desensitized to the shocking antics. Still  the things this guy gets away with, like kicking a kid on screen, and rubbing sperm on a woman's face. Only Cohen. It was not great. It was not disappointing. It was simply entertaining. Metacritic.com rated the film 58/100 for mixed reviews. Rottentonatoes.com rated the film 112 fresh tomatoes to 80 rotten ones. I'll rate it a 75.

The killing Room: MK Ultra

Baam! The first scene shocks you into the movie. Absolutely unexpected.  As the plot develops to indicate why these  four people have been gathered in this white room which seems to have no way out,"What would  I do?" is the question that comes to mind. The four are subjects of an experiment. Not sure of  what is going, and who is tormenting them, Dr. Phillips ( Peter Stormare ) is the only face they have seen , but he is not very nice. Along with the highly recommended intelligence officer Emily Reilly ( Chloey Sevigney) Dr. Phillips induces panic and mayhem amongst the test subjects by placing them under extreme pressure with the ultimate goal of choosing one to be the martyr for patriotism.

Using the mind control operation MK-Ultra  as a foundation to raise the question, is it  ever justified to experiment on people for the sake of the greater good even if death is likely the result of the test subjects ? Emily and Dr. Phillips agree such tests are justified. But if they were the test subjects would their answer be different? Probably, unless they are a member of the few who are willing to commit suicide for the sake of their country's security. These four people were willing test subjects who were offered a compensation of $250. They did not know what they were getting themselves into. 

Beyond the issue of experimental testing for the greater good, is the film's effort to inform the public about the United States' involvement in mind control experimentation under MK-Ultra, and how administrations of the past have tried to stop the practice, only to have the experiments continue outside of government control. The Manchurian Candidate is recognized for exploring the idea of mind control, and the dangers of abusing this power for  political advantage. The Killing Room paints a picture of the process and how cold, and ruthless the players involved can be by treating human life as disposable.           

Jeff Who Lives At Home: This is Fate Calling

Paramount Pictures

This film could be making a point about determinism, but the focus on choice as the main ingredient  to shaping one's life suggests otherwise. For people who believe everything happens for a reason,  this film is absolutely right for them. Jeff (Jason Segel)  believes signs are everywhere. People must be open to these signs in order to make the right choices. He lives by this belief wholeheartedly.

Fate is actively involved in people's lives; by simply understanding the language of fate, people will  be properly instructed what course to take in life. Signs of  an  interconnectedness is powerfully preached, and is at the core of this film.  Intertwining events leading to a moment of joy and clarity is so well conveyed, it is easy to convert any one who views life as possessing no meaning, into believing, the universe possesses an intention responsible for helping people through life.  Jeff's  belief supports the notion of an ordered universe,  in  tuned with people's happiness and sorrows.  

Paramount Pictures

It's a "struggle." Fate may be involved, but people must choose. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the message fate sends. Not fully understanding what his fate was, Jeff was awaiting an answer. As a  pothead slacker with no job, living in his mom's basement,  fate sent a message to Jeff , and it was  "Kevin."  Through Jeff's pursuit of understanding this message,  the film makes the point,  reaching one's destiny may require enduring hard times. One may have a destiny that is not destined to be easy.   

Paramount Pictures

The characters are dealing with adultery, disillusion,  sadness from being unloved, and being misunderstood. How happiness can be drained from people's lives in disappointment, life did not end up as they planned, was delicately treated in one scene featuring Susan Sarandon and Rae Dawg Chong. If there is a plan, if everything happens for a reason, what's the reason for an unfulfilled life ? Fate does not provide reasons, it provides signs, and people must be cognizant to recognize these signs. Again people must choose.This is a beautiful film that makes you feel may be there is a force in the universe looking out for people.