He rocks

I just watched him live. I didn't know much about him (I'm ashamed) but I really enjoyed watching him. I cried when he sang (in his own way, of course) Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

A unique talent.

What I think of Lost

Do I remember everything that happened in Lost? No way. Have I forgotten a few dozens of things that at some point felt very significant? You bet. But what I do remember is that there were some characters who I really cared about and still do.

What is common between those people is the fact that they're ordinary as extraordinary as what surrounds them may be. They're not boring but they have many things we see in ourselves and others around us. They need to do good but they err a lot and often act selfishly.

Jack wants to fix things which is welcome but it's become an obsession. He also wants to think he knows what's best for everyone and regards himself as the worthy leader.

I won't analyse all the central characters but I think one of the most important things they showed us is how difficult but rewarding it is to respect and love yourself and others.

I loved how the circumstances forced (again and again) the characters to make choices and to watch what those choices were in each case. I loved how diffirent their backgrounds were and how that affected their interactions. I loved how everyone seemed to learn from the others (not those Others). I loved how everyone seemed (and was) important. I loved how the series was smart and emotionally powerful at the same time.

Sure, Lost would have been much less interesting if there weren't so many physical, metaphysical etc mysteries and twists. We all wanted to guess correctly what's going on and await for the next "wow" moment.

Many of these elements were not thought through and many were unexplainable and cheap (and lazy and manipulating etc).

The last episode was not very well made and sentimentalism seemed to have the upper hand but I did find it satisfactory.

Many people are angry because there seem to be an awful lot of questions left unanswered and even if it sounds easy and even if I have no intention to exonerate the writers, I say "Does it really matter that much?"

Did the creators fool me a little? Yes.
Did they give me something I am grateful I experienced? Oh.my.God. YES!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a 9!

I finally watched (re-watched, actually) a movie which forced me to give it a 9/10.

A Streetcar Named Desire is so powerful that I felt incapable of not doing whatever it wanted me to do. It asked for a 9 and I had to please it.

Very well-made, well-acted and well-everything. Leigh had my kindness long before she asked for it.

To everyone involved in this production: Thank you

The end of an era

No, I will not stop writing. :p

What ends is an amazing journey that goes by the name "Lost".

Tonight! It! ENDS!

My feelings?

:( + Excited + Anxious

More grades and commenting

Films I watched recently (I have become a very lazy writer :p)






Some Like It Hot (1959)

Enjoyable but unspectacular.

7/10









A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

This film should be called "We're gonna make you uncomfortable but you're gonna like it".

Mental illness sucks! I had no idea how bad it sucks until I saw this movie. Not even Streetcar made me realise. You can have a totally nice and loving person and just wait what mental illness can do to him/her. It made this woman behave like a child at an age when that was a big problem. Healthy people can realise their bad habits and try to fix them. Rowlands' character was not able to understand what was wrong with her behavor. I felt sorry for her and the people around her. All I was thinking about was what a shame it was to have a problem like that. Thankfully, the movie pittied me and didn't leave me depressed but the thought that in many cases things end up much worse than in this film is certainly joyless.

I thought the movie succeeded in depicting a situation I'm sure many families have experienced and in making me understand how everyone must have felt.
Rowlands' performance was brilliant. I think that what she had to do was find what a normal person would do and then do the opposite. Difficult role but she nailed it.

8/10

I had a lot of Woody lately

I would like to share some thoughts on the movies I saw recently.


Dogtooth

It was really interesting to watch what a person (three, actually) can become after having lived for years under very unusual cirmustances. I'm wondering: These children seemed, to most of us, pathetically cluelless about the real world. But are we that much more aware of how things work and is our critical thinking that much more developed? I think there are many more intelligent and life-experienced people in the world that would pitty me the same way I pittied those kids in Dogtooth.

Also, is perfection a realistic goal or is it simply a perversion to try to define what the ideal life style is and try to apply it?

7/10


Interiors (1978)

I thought it had its moments and I liked the performances (especially Keaton's) but I was asking for more.

6/10


Bullets Over Broadway (1994)


Call me lazy but, ditto. Only, put Wiest in Keaton's place. Interesting, with beautiful art direction but nothing great. The last scene was pretentious but, thankfully, not totally useless. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the way the movie connected the notion of morality with art and the way it depicted the vanity of an artist who has come to feel confident about his/her talent.


7/10



Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)


What can I say about this movie? It was just great! The script, the performances, the music, the visuals, the scope! Life, death, family, love, learning to leave the past behind, accepting what you have even if you complain all the time. Though I could never regard this movie as a didactic one. Its re-watchability is one of the movie's many goods.

8/10

Ella, ella, I saw and heard Marinella!

Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I experienced the force of nature that is called Marinella. For the foreign readers (that is, all the readers) she is probably unknown unless you remember her from the 2004 Olympic Games.

Marinella is known as the Greatest Greek singer. She is a little over 70 and has sang thousands of songs. Her voice is nothing short of a phenomenon and boy, she hasn't lost it!

I was afraid I would never have the chance to listen to her live but I finally got my chance and it was pretty rewarding! It was not a concert but a musical about her life. I knew most of the facts but I enjoyed the show as it was quite well made.

Here is a sample of her voice and stage presence. I hope you will enjoy it even if you don't speak the language.

This is what happened tonight

So, I finally saw the famous It Happened One Night and I really liked it.

One thing I need to say is that there is a Greek movie (circa 1965) that is almost a copy-paste of the film i just watched.

It really says something that I enjoyed the film despite having the feeling I've already seen all that. I don't think the direction was anything special but the film probably only needed the director to stay out of its way. The performances were great (I couldn't believe the way Colbert handled each and every moment!) and they served a really funny and smart script.

It was a witty and warm movie that seemed too simplistic to be good but I guess that is part of the magic of art.

One thing: It's really more funny than something that I didn't like, but the editing at one or two moments was embarrassing. I've seen it in other old films too and there is probably a reason for that but I really thought it was kind of a cute flaw.


I give it a 8/10

"Oh, yeah?"
"Yes!"

Not movie related but I need to say this

My country is in a very difficult position. A bunch of people (and certainly not all Greeks, as some might think) drove the county where it is now. We are forced to lower the quality of our lives even more than before. We don't like that and we manifest our anger in the streets.

A person (or more) is responsible for the death of 4 (a woman was pregnant) people. Death is death. Murder (by accident or not) is murder. But I really hope people don't believe that a nation shouldn't protest when it is forced to pay for others' sins.

The point is that once again, the crimes of politicians, business-men etc cause suffering to people whose faults have by no means created the problems my country has now to deal with.

Whatever the media want to achieve, I hope people all over the world form their opinions using their own brain.