Movies, Drama
I had seen parts of this epic film starring Brad Pitt before, but I had forgotten most of it. I’ve always been fascinated by the Dalai Lama and have long dreamed of traveling to Tibet, which is what drew me to the movie. The plot is compelling. A group of Austrian mountaineers, including Heinrich Harrer (played by Brad Pitt), sets out to climb a formidable peak in the Himalayas. However, their plans are disrupted by the outbreak of World War II, and the group is captured and imprisoned by the British. After escaping from the internment camp, Harrer and his companion, Peter, journey through Tibet for an extended period. They eventually reach Lhasa, the capital city, where Harrer strikes up an unlikely friendship with the young Dalai Lama. Seven Years in Tibet
Movies, Documentary, Drama
We often think of today’s politics as brutal and ruthless. Watching A Royal Affair, which explores the politics of Denmark just before the American and French Revolutions, reminds us that politics has always been a brutal affair. The film is not uplifting, as it portrays the political maneuvering at the Danish court, but it offers an excellent history lesson. After watching the film, I wanted to find out to what extent it was historically accurate. According to Wikipedia—which I generally trust—the film is very accurate in its portrayal of how the personal physician of the king tried to bring Enlightenment values to the government of Denmark.A Royal affair
Movies, Drama
If you are hoping to learn a lot about Leonard Bernstein’s artistry, Maestro will disappoint you. There are two moments where one gets a sense of Bernstein’s creative power. Otherwise, the film is dedicated to chronicling his complicated love life. Bernstein is homosexual but marries and has children. Bradley Cooper (director and actor of Bernstein) focuses on telling this story. Bernstein’s musical artistry merely serves as a background that remains largely unexplored. I once saw a little video of Bernstein teaching the history of music in five minutes at Harvard. Given the title Maestro, I was hoping music would be at the center of the film. Perhaps there is a good documentary on Bernstein I can look for.Maestro
Movies, Comedy, Drama
Crocodile Dundee was made with $7 million and took in over $300 million at the box office. It was the commercially most successful Australian film ever. Because the film became so popular, I wasn’t sure whether I had seen it or not. It turns out I had never seen at least the first “Crocodile Dundee” movie, and I fully appreciate why it was so successful. It is utterly charming. A young journalist happens to be in Australia when she hears the news that a man in the outback was attacked by a crocodile and then managed to rescue himself through an ordeal of several days.Crocodile Dundee
Movies, Drama
I love films about music legends such as Marley, Walk the Line, and Ray *because the soundtrack is guaranteed to be excellent. So I could not wait to see *Elvis. It starts out strong but pretty soon it fails to create the magic of great movies that pull you in and make you believe what you see is a real story. Baz Luhrmann, who wrote and directed the film, never lets you forget that the film and Elvis’s true life are different.Elvis