Hypocrites
I love me a good sermon, and this movie is a good sermon. It is immensely creative and casts its net wide. And it has a naked woman. Nudity in a sermon really promotes the message. Never tried that, myself (and I never will).
I love the unique presentation of cinema, the analogy, the parallel storylines and the cinematography. It makes for a really unique movie experience, even though it was made in 1915. It reminds me some of the approach of Intolerance, so I guess Griffith stole the basic approach from Lois Weber? Unless the parallel plotline was used in cinema before? I gave up on Intolerance because it is just so long. Hypocrites is just right at 45 minutes. Another point for Weber!
But I wonder at her definition of hypocrisy. Some are certainly presenting one kind of life, while living another. Others are just doing wrong, like gambling, but does a person gambling really take away from being a good husband or father? It could, but doesn't necessarily. One thing I found about this film is that praise of "truth" could also be praising condemnation of others. I loved the brief section called "the mote", indicating that judging others has it's own price. Self-examination is good in a sermon.
There's a lot good here, but it gets a bit too preachy and judgy in the end, I think. Application is good at the end of a sermon, but the more specific you are, the more you can miss the mark, the less applicable it is for future generations. Glad I saw it.
3.5/5
Obvious Child
There are, I am told, three commandments of comedy:
1. Comedy is subjective
2. Comedy is subjective
3. Comedy is subjective.
Nevertheless, I would say there would need to be an addendum, which might say, "Abortion is never funny." That would make sense to me.
However, Obvious Child is the exception to this absolute.
Mind you, Obvious Child isn't about abortion. It is part "coming of age" (well, a maturing, anyway) and part romantic comedy. It is about life and relationships and stand up comedy and friendship. But abortion weighs this comedy down, keeping it grounded and real and even the comedy is serious. It seems that this film is an influence on the Mrs. Maisel series, with it's combination of real life and reflection on the stage.
Mrs. Maisel, however, when she goes on stage, the comedy is deftly practiced reflection. Jenny Slate however, has that disease, that sense of attempting she-doesn't-know-what and faking it until she makes it. The jokes sometimes land, sometimes not, but they all need a bit more spit and polish. And that is wonderful. The comedy truly reflects the life it is trying to reflect. Life is trial and error and half steps and often multiple unending trials happening all at once. It is crazy and wonderful and heartbreaking and uncomfortable and half-laughs all at the same time. It is a mild sort of insanity, just like the stand up here.
Good fun, nothing deep, but recommended.
3.5/5