Category: *.AVI

Military drama about boredom and loneliness, two elements that are abundant in any army.

Its probably best known for its entry sequence featuring a drill sergeant, and quite similar to “Full Metal Jacket”. Albeit it’s much more ironical.
It’s an interesting perspective on infantry being redundant in modern wars. At one point, Peter Sarsgaard character points out that by the time they finished digging out trenches, the frontline has moved miles away.

And the climax of the film being two snipers sent to snipe two Iraqi officers, and USAF bombing the entire area before they can score a single shot, all their training wasted.

There are some fantastic performances, one by Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained), and another by Brian Geraghty (the kidnapper from Big Sky).
A lot of the reviews talk about how boring and unexiciting the whole movie is. That’s exactly the point.

Haven’t seen anything as methodical in ages. Completely stunned. Maybe that’s due to the fact that it is a miniseries, so they didn’t have to leave any hanging plotlines. But maybe that’s why I love miniseries format so much: it allows for somewhat slower pace and character development on one hand, but doesn’t deteriorate into “who dates who” as most of the regular series do.
This is a strange twist on a classical Western. On one hand, you have sheriffs, bandits and people shoot each other from the hip. At one point character even shoots the head of a badly rendered snake. On the other, you have cowboys do some cowboy stuff: like actually care about horses, and not treat them like some meaty bikes. Here horses are something expensive (Alice can move to Boston after selling hers), that need training (or breaking) and constant care. Care themes are very strong here in general. One of the main characters is punished for not caring for his daughter by “loosing his shadow”. Now here the series allow some level of ambiguity: you can view it as him losing his eyesight due to his drinking habit, after his wife died giving birth to the aforementioned daughter, or a punishment by some gods. Same is with the Indian that accompanies Bill. Roy might have pulled Bill’s leg by saying that he saw the man drown with his dog. Or maybe he, same as Bill, was just able to see “the other side”, because he came too close to it on a number of occasions.
Speaking of which, to bury a treasure in a grave is a Western classic. But here grave is were Roy Goode “dies”, and humble Ward is “born” (wearing other clothes). Then, Roy Goode is reborn again in the same grave.
Frank Griffin quotes his adoptive father, (and also the killer of his family) that “America is a godless country”. God in his case is the moral judge. And if there is no God, there is no one to judge him, and he can do whatever he pleases. And that in the most literal meaning: Griffin’s actions are not all destructive, because he is a complete chaotic, acting on a whim.
The final episode is a huge tribute to Tarantino. Which is of course ironic, since Tarantinogave a lot of tribute to westerns in his movies. From a charged literally “guns under the table scene” to almost a Biblical Armageddon, with bits of wood flying everywhere, and horse galloping into the hotel foyer (one can also see Gog and Magog as some kind of evil twins).
Another Tarantino trick is a Babylonian mix of languages: English, Paiute, Norwegian, German, often miscaptioned on purpose, so the spectators would understand as much as characters. Which is not much.
Another interesting element: the preacher, that some of the townsfolk were waiting for, arrives only Frank is dead. We as spectators had some doubts that he even existed, with Whitey reassuring the simple girl that the preacher is on his way as an act of kindness. But he’s here. Just not very helpful, except when you need some condolences.
Finally, a lesbian plotline that makes a lot of sense in the context the series was building (men letting women down). And this time, doesn’t feel forced at all.
What about the bees that fly around Frank? I saw bees as Samsonian Lion bees, “the king is dead” sign. But maybe those are just Christian bees, as “all insects are evil, yes, including snails and frogs”.
And it’s funny how Roy is literally “riding into the sunset” and the end.

Детективный минисериал. Причем от части комедийный, от части исторический. И вообще как мы узнали позже, это spinoff “Pride and Prejudice”.
Вместо мрачного Лондона тут загородное поместье. В лесу близ поместья убивают английского офицера. Подозрение падает на сводного брата хозяина поместья. Тот достал всю семью, но если его осудят, будет еще хуже. The family will loose their Good Name.
За три серии успевают представить кучу персонажей, большая часть которых вообще никакого значения не имеют. Тут и старшая сестра героини, и ее отец с матерью, и ее сын, и конюх с женой. И это не считая той дюжины персонажей, которые для повествования важны.

Feel sorry for all the workers in this documentary. American workers earn 27K$ a year. Chinese workers get to see their children once a year, and have two weekends a month. Most of the American managers were quickly replaced with Chinese managers that don’t argue with the CEO. CEO himself is a strange blend of brutal capitalism, superstition and подобострастие before the Communist Party. One of the cringiest moments is him having a portraits of himself, and arguing where a fire alarm should be placed.
Chinese workers have a hymn dedicated to the company, and events where different departments have to dance and sing praising the company. Company workers also get married during the same event. Although the later may be considered a benefit?
Would it be better if GM wouldn’t close its factory? I don’t know. GMs cars were wasteful. Would it be better if Fuyao wouldn’t open it’s factory at all? I don’t know. People in Ohio spent years unemployed. But then they were also not injured at work, I guess?

Wonderful acting by Lady Gaga. Even more wonderful Adam Driver.

Entire Paulo Gucci plotline is completely inaccurate. He wasn’t incompetent, as is constantly demonstrated in the movie, and he was actually the designer for Gucci for 15 years. He was the one to design the Gucci’s famous logo.

Все герои говорят какие-то бессвязные фразы, и совершают один упоротый поступок за другим. Больше всего мне это напомнило отвратительнейший There Will Be Blood.
История ковбоя – латентного гомосека. Ковбой настоящий. Тот, который пасет коров, а не тот, который стреляет в людей от бедра.
Его брат женится на вдове, которая начинает пить. Сначала ковбой зло подкалывает и ее, и ее сына-подростка, который тоже гомосек, но скрывает это куда хуже. Но в итоге он даже кажется проникается к последнему, и пытается сделать из него мужчину. В прямом смысле, а не то, что вы подумали.
Если тема ковбоев-гомосеков кажется вам знакомой, это вовсе не спроста. Автор Brokeback Mountain вдохновлялась именно Power of the Dog.