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Triple Frontier (2019)
A morality tale masquerading as a military heist
If you thought the team made out of character, stupid decisions in the second half .... that was the point! Their greed when they realized how much money was involved changed them from a disciplined well oiled team with high moral standards for themselves into risk taking, selfish individuals who started ignoring their moral compasses. Affleck's character highlighted that with his disciplined lists before the heist to mistake after mistake afterwards.
I can see how folks expecting an action or heist film found the second half disappointing but I enjoyed that part more with its investigation into the morality and identity conflicts the characters had to overcome while trying to survive the hostile environment. I'm a sucker for survival films.
I also appreciated the first half exploring the question of how highly trained warriors/killing machines that are poorly compensated for their work are expected to reintegrate into a civilian society where their skills are not valued and more useful as tools for criminal activity.
In the end, this film was pleasantly more thought provoking than I expected going in, which may have been a bait and switch for viewers expecting something a little more straight forward.
Huo zhe (1994)
Riches lie in simplicity
Zhang Yimou has painted a pair of wonderful lives that endured the Communist Civil War, the "Great Leap Forward", and the Cultural Revolution. Fugui (Ge You) and Jiazhen (Gong Li) live simple lives, yet those lives are so full of richness. Sometimes it is painful, sometimes it is humiliating and sometimes it is disappointing, but it is living. All North American Chinese should watch this film to understand our people, our families and ourselves.
Kaze no tani no Naushika (1984)
The first of many great works by Miyazaki
"Kaze no tani no Naushika" tackles the environmental issues that we as a species, continually try to avoid. Miyazaki paints an imaginative world of environmental disaster as a warning to stop our destructive ways. However, Nausicaa herself is what makes this film distinct. She is compassionate to all living things around her. Yet she is also a fierce warrior, fighting oppressors who come to the Valley of the Wind to conquer and destroy. Nausicaa was a bold depiction of a female amidst conservative gender roles in asia. I wonder how much of an impact this character had in changing those roles?
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
Satan himself would have applauded this one.
"Heh, heh. Not bad. Not bad at all. Taylor Hackford is right. I love watching my victims walk right into their own destruction. Just a little nudge here, a slight distraction there and they are headed straight on the next train to hell. Sometimes its too easy but then once in a while, there are the fun ones like Kevin Lomax and his sweet little wife. Al was pretty convincing in my role. If fact, it was almost like watching a home video. Andrew Neiderman must think he is a pretty smart guy for having me figured out. I guess I will have to see him in court."