Two Docs and A Foreign FIlm

Movie: The Edge of Democracy
Nominated for: Documentary Feature 
How I watched: Netflix 
When I fell asleep: Definitely dosing
When it had me: Never
When it lost me: Narrator's Voice
What I have to say: The narration was so difficult for me. It was a soft, female monotone. Her even, contemplative voice was meant to convey the solemn seriousness of the crumbling of democracy in Brazil. I just found it kind of hypnotic. Even as I tried to follow the story, I would just start zoning out. I had to stop and restart the movie three times, which didn't help me keep track of the large cast of characters and their political allegiances. I should have been fascinated and attentive as it seems the story of Brazil is very similar to the political wrestling happening here in America and in other parts of the world. Right wing resurgence, a return to a culture of exclusion rather inclusion, corruption of government financing, and power increasingly decided by oil companies. It was a timely piece and the film maker had extraordinary access but overall it could not hold my interest.





Movie: For Sama 
Nominated for: Documentary Feature
How I watched: Prime 
When I fell asleep: No, too traumatized
When it had me: Right away
When it lost me: It didn't 
What I have to say: This movie was essentially the same as The Cave. It also dealt with a hospital trying to stay open and help people during the siege on Aleppo. However, this one was a little more expansive and personal which helped me to understand the bigger picture even better. We follow a woman through her college days in Aleppo through the beginning of the revolution as she evolves into a wife and mother in the midst of brutal war. Following a family that just wants all the same things that my family wants made everything more relatable and more tragic at the same time. I have great respect for this film maker and the way they told their story.




Movie: Les Miserables 
Nominated for: International Feature
How I watched: Laemmle Theatre 
When I fell asleep: Nah
When it had me: Gypsy Circus Gang Fight
When it lost me: The ending 
What I have to say: Well, I totally thought this was a remake of the musical and it is not! I never read up on the films because I like to be surprised and that was a surprise! It's actually about police violence and how it's a very complicated issue that's not easy to solve. The film was thoughtful and attempted to cover all sides of the issue with roughly equal compassion and depth. Everyone is trying to do their best to survive in a system that isn't allowing for much human dignity or reflection. I could identify with the plight of the main character, a new addition to the police force who was trying to navigate these issues thoughtfully even as they exploded around him in violent fashion. Unfortunately, the film makers didn't figure out how to fix all of these problems (ha!) and so the end of the movie was very abrupt and unsatisfying.