Girl, Interrupted
WHO IS THIS FOR?: Anybody who can deal with mental illness, suicide and brilliant acting.
WAS THIS ORIGINALLY A BOOK?: Yes, it was.
PLOT SUMMARY: Susanna is depressed and directionless after finishing high school in the late 1960's. A suicide attempt lands her in Claymore, a mental institution. She befriends the band of troubled women in her ward (Georgina the pathological liar, the sexually abused Daisy, the burn victim Polly) but falls under the hypnotic sway of Lisa, the wildest and most hardened of the bunch. Will Susanna "drop anchor" at Claymore and perpetually act out like Lisa, or will she finally pull her mind together and leave institutional life behind?
- Written by Martin Lewison <mlewison@utk.edu>
MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: This movie is definitely one of my favourites. I loved Angelina Jolie’s performance in it, and Brittany Murphy’s alongside Winona Ryder. All three of their performances really just left me in complete and utter all of their acting abilities. I’ve actually read the book, and I thought that the film was a great adaption, and that the cast was perfect. There was something about the film which just hit me, and it’s very memorable. Each character, even the ones that we don’t know in much depth are memorable to an extent. All the relationships and the background stories to between the characters were brilliant, and they really felt like real people. That's something that the actors did brilliantly. They brought the characters to life, and that is very, very evident when you watch it. The vibes, the colours and the acting and narrative of the film are brilliant and I do feel like this film can change you. I personally think that this film is my favourite Angelina Jolie film, and I think when you see it, you'll understand why. You'll really be able to feel the characters pain, especially, if you’ve gone through what the people/characters have gone through too. I haven’t been diagnosed with any mental illness, but I can relate to the feeling of escape, when Susanna writes. Everybody should definitely watch this film. There is humour throughout the film, and that's something that I found very, very enjoyable. "Girl, Interrupted," is not, a comedy, but it has funny parts in it. Another thing I must say about this film, is that it isn't a light film. Within the film you do see "Polly's" burns, it does talk about suicide and is pretty much all about mental illness, so if you're not comfortable with that, then don't watch this film. If you are okay with that stuff though, then I really do recommend this film. Jared Leto and Whoopi Goldberg also star in this film.
Pulp Fiction
WHO IS THIS FOR?: People who can handle a lot of cussing, guns, dance scenes, drug use and humour.
WAS THIS ORIGINALLY A BOOK?: Nope.
PLOT SUMMARY: Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega are two hit men who are out to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their employer, mob boss Marsellus Wallace. Wallace has also asked Vincent to take his wife Mia out a few days later when Wallace himself will be out of town. Butch Coolidge is an ageing boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his next fight. The lives of these seemingly unrelated people are woven together comprising of a series of funny, bizarre and uncalled-for incidents.
- Written by Soumitra
MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: Quentin Tarantino made me want to watch all of his films after watching this. I haven't gotten round to watching Kill Bill, yet but after this and Django, what could possibly go wrong? Plus, it's got Uma Thurman in it too. Pulp Fiction, is a strange film, but you will love it all the same. There are three storylines throughout the film, and you will never know what's in the briefcase. Tarantino leaves that to his audience, so if you're not into "using your imagination," then this film may get on your nerves a little bit. In the film, the characters are very strong I somehow managed to connect with them all on a certain level. Yes, even Marsellus Wallace. Another great thing about this film was the dialogue. The dialogue between the characters, was hilarious, I think especially between “Vincent,” and “Jules.” It really gave the film its edge and the amazing lines obviously made it a film which is easy to quote from. I think one of my favourite lines of the film is when Vincent is talking about France, and Jules asks what a “Big Mac,” is, in French. Vincent replies: “Le Big Mac," and then Jules says, "Le Big Mac," in a French accent. The film is also kind of mysterious in a way, too. The stories aren’t really explained that much, or go into much detail, but you kind of get what is going on, at the same time. Another aspect of this film, that definitely needs to be praised is the soundtrack. The soundtrack seriously puts the film together, and you're dancing from the beginning of the film. The credits reel you in with "Jungle Boogie," playing behind it, and throughout the music accompanies the film brilliantly. I can definitely tell you now that it’s not your typical “gangster, drugs, money,” sort of film. You should definitely give this film a go, though. Everything about it, including the soundtrack is brilliant to me, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone.
Se7en
WHO IS THIS FOR?: Anyone who can handle a lot of rain, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, gore and suspense.
WAS THIS ORIGINALLY A BOOK?: Nope.
PLOT SUMMARY: Taking place in a nameless city, Se7en follows the story of two homicide detectives tracking down a sadistic serial killer who chooses his victims according to the seven deadly sins. Brad Pitt stars as Detective David Mills, a hopeful but naive rookie who finds himself partnered with veteran Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman). Together they trace the killers every step, witnessing the aftermath of his horrific crimes one by one as the victims pile up in rapid succession, all the while moving closer to a gruesome fate neither of them could have predicted.
- Written by David Foyer
MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: In the beginning, I didn't like the film. It was the colours that really did it for me. They put me in a bad mood, and the fact that it was already raining outside when I was watching this film made it even worse However, now that I think about it, the colours really helped pull the film together. I thought they really put me down, and they literally made me feel cold. I think colours can really set the mood of a film, and one hand, the colours of the film (grey, blue, black, etc) really helped give off the vibes the film wanted to give, I personally didn’t like it. It made me feel as if I had been standing out in the rain (it rains a lot in the films), and it made me feel uncomfortable too (another thing, I think the film wanted to do and succeeded in doing). The film itself, however, was one of the most intense and amazing films I’ve ever watched to date. The last ten or so minutes of the film literally had me on the floor because of how intense it was. I literally had to pause each minute to have a ten minute freak out before getting back to the film. The characters are great, and I think the killer was created to well. He is so mysterious, and his train of thought is so disturbingly interesting. Kevin Spacey isn't even put in the credits at the beginning, so his character isn't given away. I thought that that was brilliant. It’s fun to see Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, running around trying to find this killer. Some of the scenes aren’t particularly nice to look at though, so if you’re squeamish, you may not like this film. I’m kind of into that stuff though, I kind of like the feeling of my stomach doubling over. I wouldn't categorise this film as "horror," but it could be quite scary for somebody who doesn't like films like this. For the acting, I don't think it was "astounding," and I wouldn't put it next to the performances in in Girl, Interrupted, but the actors were definitely able to create characters that made me feel something for them. I think that's incredibly important in film, and in any piece of art. You need to feel something towards what you're presenting. For me, if you do, then you've succeeded in making a good piece of art (or in this case, a good film).
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