Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Parasitic Nests I have a particular interest in five different cinematic styles, worlds actually. One of them I have named the Hispanic style. It is characterised by: elements of magical reality, either in supernatural physics or synchronous connections. a belief that the world is rich, fecund. Occasionally female sexuality is interwoven. Characters are both in… Continue reading Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

American Sniper (2014)

Focus I watched this like many others, consuming a rather simple story. Superficially, we are to admire this soul, both as an individual and representative of a collective who ‘serve’ us. As with Forgiven, we have some subtle exit from the story in the direction of despair for the country. Along the way we have… Continue reading American Sniper (2014)

Kite (2014)

Raped This could have been a good movie. I’m particularly sensitive to the cinematic power of sexual exploitation — after all, that’s pretty close to much of the cinematic experience. And child molesting adds great power to the experience. Also, I like Manga’s sometimes honest approach to sexuality. Yes, it is mostly prurient but it… Continue reading Kite (2014)

Lady Maiko (2014)

Adaptation The story itself is about adapting from a not ideal Japanese state to the purest state, a Geisha. In Japan, the rural north is considered to consist of country bumpkins, something like in the US we associate with the South. A Geisha’s training includes many arts but primarily speaking, and doing so in the… Continue reading Lady Maiko (2014)

Noah (2014)

Extended Myth, Extensible Missus The last 40 minutes of this is a shift from epic to soap opera. Future viewers would be best advised to stop watching once the flood hits and the villains (but one) have been destroyed. Until that point, we have the sort of reverse noir that Aranofsky has been perfecting. There… Continue reading Noah (2014)