Mafiascum Film Group: thestatusquo

[PokerFace]

I caught this film awhile ago. Great Acting, I like how the plot flowed and successful showed

how the man became racist, went to prison (curb check was sick good violence), Expeirenced prison and its hardships where his only friend through it all was the black guy he cleaned the laundry with which helps cure his racism. Then the guy gets out of Jail, all the while his younger brother had fowlloed in these bigot tendencies. He has to take a very unique "history" course for his bad grades and his bro has to set him straight. Yet with everything people go through there are still troubles. The younger bro is shot by a black kid he previously stood up to/against. Its a rough life. There are good and bad people of all cultures and you can't change everbody. But you still have to try.

[Mr. Flay]

Hate would have saved his life in that last scene. Is that worth nothing?

I'm with TSQ - you're going to have to show how Danny would have lived through hate before I'm buying that statement. Should he have shot/stabbed the other kid first?

I disagree that racial violence is inherent and unending, but that's really getting off topic for a film review thread.

[Raging Rabbit]

I disagree that racial violence is inherent and unending, but that's really getting off topic for a film review thread.

You should give being Israeli a try. But yeah, we're going way off topic here.

[Thestatusquo]

Thats mainly because both Israelis and Palestinians are batshit insane.

[Mr. Flay]

I disagree that racial violence is inherent and unending, but that's really getting off topic for a film review thread.

You should give being Israeli a try. But yeah, we're going way off topic here.

Yeah, I'm pagan. I get it. On the other hand, that's arguably cultural.

[Raging Rabbit]

So it's human nature to unite against all racial disputes, but Israelis and Palestinians are just fucked up? Given that there's been a racial conflict of one form or another more or less everywhere, I don't think you can call it cultural.

[roflcopter]

its human nature for the mind to categorize people into discreet groups and favor the group you belong to, from the standpoint of darwinian fitness. generally speaking, those who most closely share your genes are members of your group.

then you add in the generations long history of hatred and violence and, well, the world is a shitty place to live in, and no matter how much i want it to happen these problems are not going to be solved in my lifetime.

and now we are way, way off topic

american history x is a good movie

[Raging Rabbit]

rofl speaks the truth.

[Kublai Khan]

Simenon should prod himself for the next flick pick.

[PokerFace]

Rofl has good in game and out game knowledge. Except this time I hope his oppinion of it not changing in the next 50-60 plus years is wrong.

[cicero]

I like American History X, but I disagree that it is better than Life is Beautiful or that Norton outshone Benini.

I actually remember feeling a bit let down by expectations with American History X. I heard a lot of rave reviews about both the movie and the performance, and I acknowledge that that colored my response to it. I expected to see Norton in something of a more transformational role - like Theron in monster, Hanks in Philadelphia or Forrest Gump, Hoffman in Capote. You get the idea. Something that let me say "wow, Norton is such a chameleon" but that isn't what I took away at all. I felt like he was just Ed Norton with some time in the gym and a shaved head. Excellent and enjoyable to watch (I am NOT dismissing his talent as an actor) but nothing remotely transformational.

Normally I wouldn't want to compare the two movies but it got brought up and Life is Beautiful is in my top five favorite movies of all time - and the reason for it's greatness is Benini. He, of course, isn't transformational either. He's being Benini. So I absolutely sympathise with the idea that he really shouldn't deserve a "best actor" award if the criteria is transformational performance. But the award is for "Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role" and Benini's performance was one of the best I've ever seen. He was able to move effortlessly from high slapstick comedy, which takes a great deal of skill and never gets the respect it deserves, to those looks on his face where the audience and he understand the grave seriousness of the events surrounding him.

Personally I would have been much happier with him not winning best actor and instead winning best director and/or best picture because, really, his accomplishment transcends his acting performance - and, in my view, was superior to the other nominees - unlike 1997, 1998 was a very weak year (in my view) with Life is Beautiful as easily superior to the other nominees (Picture:
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, "Elizabeth", "Life is Beautiful" (Best Foreign Language Film winner), "Saving Private Ryan", "The Thin Red Line") but I'll take what I can get.

Shakespeare in Love winning anything but #2 at a box office one weekend is a travesty. Goddamn Harvey Weinstein... But now I'm just rambling...

[Oman]

The scene at the dinner table is incredibly hardcore for me. The bit where Derek grabs Davina and throws her around just...just shocks me. He is so hard in his conviction, so strong, so inconsiderate of the world around him. His retoric exists only within itself, and the sheer reality of the outside world can't penetrate. Once it does, the rhetoric is gone, and he is almost civil again.

I have never been more stunned by a scene involving a character I didn't fully understand.

Whoa, okay, while I was writing this the curb stomp came up. Shit.

Anyway, I really feel this movie. I'm half-way through and its touching somehting in me and its not the "racism is wrong" line that I thought it would be. I'm gonna keep watching it now.

[Oman]

Does anyone have a conviction that can't be changed in 30 fucking seconds in this movie?

[Oman]

Shea is entirely right, the moral of this story isn't that we should all be friends and love each other, the moral is that it gains nothing to be hatefilled.

Danny's death is brilliant, its a stunning scene, and it works.

[cicero]

Simenon hasn't posted on the site in 10 days. I hope he's ok.

Until his return, how about we move on to Flameaxe's pick.

[PokerFace]

<<Not taking over thread
Whoever does take over the thread should prod FlameAxe then.

[Kublai Khan]

I'm not taking over, but I sent a PM to Flameaxe to post his movie choice.

[Raging Rabbit]

Thread's dying, we should move on to Fritz.

[Kublai Khan]

I'm not taking over, but I sent a PM to

Flameaxe

Fritzler

to post his movie choice.

[Fritzler]

I'll go with my original suggestion of "Let the Right One In." It's a swedish film that came out in 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_the_Ri ... _In_(film)

I guess you'll have to find a place to download it probably.

Good luck.

[Korts]

I'll see what I can find.

[Thestatusquo]

So I just watched X again, and I have to say that I definitely think the most powerful scene in the movie is where derek just gets out of the shower after coming home, and puts his hand over the tattoo of the swastika on his chest. Absolutely brilliant scene.

Also, I think the point of the film is summed up by Danny at the end:

"So this is where I tell you what I learned, right? My conclusion. Well, my conclusion is that hate is baggage. Life is too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it."

[Cybele]

Weep not for me, for I am dead.

[Fritzler]

IT'S TIME FOR MY MOVIE NOW, NOT AMERICAN HISTORY X.

[Oman]

But...But....everyone is so easily swayed.