Philadelphia

The motion picture Philadelphia opens to views of everyday life on the streets of the title city. Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) and Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) first appear on screen as opposing lawyers arguing a case in front of a judge. Beckett wins the battle of the day and they part company.

In the very next scene, Beckett is getting blood work done a clinic. The camera flashes to someone else in the clinic who is obviously suffering from AIDS. Later Beckett is speaking to him mother about his T-cells and platelets.  We immediately realize that Beckett is suffering from the same affliction himself. 

Andrew Beckett is a successful lawyer in the prestigious Wyant, Wheeler Law Firm in Philadelphia, PA. He is so successful and well-liked that he is given a promotion to senior associate in the firm and assigned to a very important case.  Another partner in the firm notices a lesion on Beckett's forehead. When asked about it, Beckett explains that he was hit in the head with a racquet ball.

Beckett later completes a critical brief for his very important case and leaves it on his desk for his secretary to file in the morning.  The file mysteriously disappears, as does any record of its existence from the company’s computer system. Beckett learns about this while he is in the hospital getting treatment.  He returns to the office but the brief is no where to be found.

The file is finally located in the office's central filing area minutes before it is too late to submit. The case is salvaged but not long after Beckett is fired by his mentor Charles Wheeler (Jason Robards) for nearly blowing the case. He immediately realizes he has been sabotaged.  His only explanation; the firm's partners realized he has AIDS and fired him for that reason.

Beckett goes to see Miller at his law office. They shake hands and are standing very close to one another when Miller innocently asks Beckett how he is doing. In a very matter-of-fact manner, Beckett says he has AIDS. Miller is obviously very uncomfortable and backs up to put as much distance between him and Beckett as the room will allow.

Beckett asks Miller if he will represent him in a wrongful termination case, which is a disability discrimination case. Beckett has been to nine other attorneys before seeing Miller. The others have turned him down either because they don't want to take on the prestigious Wyant, Wheeler Law Firm or because they don’t want to take on a case associated with AIDS, or for both.   Miller also declines. 

Miller runs into to Beckett at the library.  Beckett is researching previous AIDS discrimination cases. The librarian is suggesting Beckett do his research in a private room, obviously because of his AIDS disease.  Miller intercedes and begins to discuss Beckett's case with him. Miller learns he couldn't find an attorney to represent.  He finally agrees to take on Beckett’s case.

The film flashes forward seven months to when the trials begins. Beckett's disease is starting to take a significant toll.  He is considerably thinner and weaker. From the beginning of the trial, it is clear his previous employer has influenced witnesses. One witness, who previously raved about Beckett's representation of his company in a law suit, now claims they were merely satisfied with the outcome and that Beckett's performance was mediocre.

Miller continues to wrestle with his opinions about homosexuality. He is repulsed by the thought of men being intimate with other men, but he is starting to respect and enjoy the company of Beckett. He publicly professes that homosexuals make him sick in a crowded bar, but reassures his colleagues that he is upholding the law despite his feelings about Beckett or homosexuality.

Miller's opinion begins to change when he and his wife attend a party thrown by Beckett and his partner Miguel Alvarez (Antonio Banderas). Most of those attending the party are gay. While Miller dances slowly with his wife, he sees Miller and Alvarez dancing just as slowly and with as much passion. It is at this point that he begins to realize that Beckett is just as human and as much in love with his partner as he is.

After the party, Miller and Beckett begin to go over their testimony for the next day. Miller tries to keep Beckett on task but can not. Beckett reminds Miller that he may not be around at the conclusion of the trial. Miller tries to return to the cross-examination questions but Beckett turns up the volume on a very passionate opera piece titled La Momma Morta. Beckett describes the story and the feelings of the opera's characters. At the end of the piece Beckett interprets, “I am love”.

When the trial resumes, Beckett is describing how he came to work at the firm. He talks about his respect and admiration he has for his previous mentor, Wheeler. He explains that he is an excellent lawyer and that the only possible explanation for his dismissal is that he had AIDS. Beckett begins to feel the weight of the trial during cross-examination. He begins to loose focus, his voice is soft and he can’t keep his eyes open for long periods of time.

During Wheeler's testimony later that day, He explains that Beckett was fired because he was a poor performing lawyer. When asked why he had been promoted and given important cases, Wheeler explains that the firm had a lot invested in Beckett and wanted to see if their investment could pay off.  He explained that the firm eventually came to the realization that it would not.  Beckett faints near the end of Wheeler's testimony and is removed from the courtroom. He will not return. 

The trial goes to the jury. The jurors can not figure out why a poor performing attorney was given such high profile and important cases. They don’t believe Wyant Wheeler Law Firm's explanation and award Beckett a nearly $5 million settlement.

Beckett is now in the hospital and won’t ever leave. He is very near death and one-by-one his friends and family members say goodbye. We see that Miller has overcome is prejudice and has genuine compassion for Beckett when he speak to him for the last time in the hospital. When Beckett tries to put his oxygen mask back on, Miller takes it gently from his hand, places in over his mouth and nose, and gently caresses his face. Miller tells Beckett he will see him later, even though both know they will never see each other again. As further proof that Miller is overcoming his prejudice, he hugs Alvarez on the way out of the hospital.   

Beckett dies that night. The final scene of the film is a memorial party for Beckett. It is attended by a mixture of family, mostly gay friends and Miller and his wife. The final images of the film are home movies of Beckett when he was young boy.

Philadelphia is widely viewed to be the first main stream film to take on the subject of AIDS.  But while Philadelphia dealt with the subject of AIDS, it wasn’t exclusively about the disease. It uses AIDS as a vehicle to shed light the importance of accepting those who are different.  The film underscores what we all know to be true, that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion.

Tom Hanks gave one of the best performances of his career, if not the very best. Hanks won the 1993 Academy Award for his portrayal of Andrew Beckett. He gave Beckett a sense of humanity in a time when homosexuality and AIDS sufferers were not always seen as completely human. Hanks showed genuine emotion throughout the film. We were able to tell exactly what he was feeling during the many close-up shots of him throughout the film.  Hanks extended his performance beyond the film by tearfully thanking is mentor, a gay acting teacher, during in his tearful Oscar acceptance speech.

The role of Andrew Beckett took on a physical challenge for Hanks as well. He lost a considerable amount of weight from the time Philadelphia began production to when it concluded. He was extremely thin at the end of the film. His facial expressions, posture, and energy level were spot-on during each regressive stage of Beckett's health during the movie.

Denzel Washington was also very impressive in his role as Joe Miller. Washington authentically played the average man on the street in his representation of how society felt, and to some extent still feels, about homosexuality and AIDS. He drew viewers into to the inner conflict of examining his own true feelings on the subject and eventually coming to terms with and accepting Beckett's alternative lifestyle.  He comes to know gay people as people and not symbols or caricatures.

Philadelphia director Jonathan Demme uses many close-up images of the films characters during the film to show feelings. This technique is used when Beckett leaves Miller's office after he initially refused to take Beckett's case. You can truly see the pain and sorrow in Beckett's face. An extreme close-up is used when Miller returns to his home after listening to Beckett interpret La Momma Morta. Miller crawls into bed with his wife and the film focuses deeply on his face. He is slowly accepting and understanding Beckett and his lifestyle.

Symbolism is crucial in Philadelphia. The most obvious use of symbolism is when Beckett first tells Miller he has AIDS. Miller and Beckett are standing very close when Beckett reveals his illness. Miller immediately changes facial expression and puts as much distance between himself and Beckett as possible. Much of this scene is shot from an elevated position, giving greater emphasis to the distance between the characters.

During the film, Beckett and Miller are seen increasingly closer and closer physically, which represents how close they are becoming emotionally. It also represents how Miller's views on homosexuality are changing. The symbolism comes to a crescendo when at the end of the film Miller helps Beckett with his oxygen mask and caresses his face.

Strong symbolism is also used when Beckett begins to loose his focus during his cross-examination at trial. He appears weak and can not keep his eyes open for long periods of time. To enhance this, Demme uses odd angled, shifting photography to represent confusion. He also uses alternating normal, muffled and amplified sound to further illustrate that something is terribly wrong with Beckett.

By far the most passionate scene of the film is Beckett's translation of the aria La Momma Morta. It is during this sequence that Beckett expresses his acceptance of his oncoming death but describes his passion for life. Here again, Demme uses strong symbolism. When the music begins, the room is normal color with normal shading. When Beckett begins to describe the song and the emotions of the music, the room initially darkens. The film stays darker when viewing Miller listening to Beckett, but the film tone is a sensual red while watching Beckett speak. Beckett is full of passion while Miller is still in the dark. The darkness slowly lightens on Miller, which represents him coming into enlightenment.

Philadelphia's score is very unique. The film opens with the very passionate Streets of Philadelphia sung by Bruce Springsteen and concludes with Neil Young's equally passionate Philadelphia.  Opera is used throughout nearly the entire film, essentially becoming its musical backdrop. This musical genre provided an undertone of passion and great depth.

The Cider House Rules

The Cider House Rules is the coming of age story of Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire), a young man learning what life is all about. The film is set in St. Cloud's, Maine during World War II.

Homer is a resident of an orphanage run by Dr. William Larch (Michael Caine). Homer was adopted twice when he was young only to return to the orphanage. His first adoptive parents returned him because he was too quiet. Homer was taken from his second adoptive home because he was mistreated.

After the unsuccessful second adoption, Dr. Larch decided to raise Homer and give him a purpose at the orphanage. Dr. Larch frequently preaches his very basic philosophy that in any life, one must be of use. Homer's uses include consoling the children who weren't selected when one of the orphans was adopted. He is trained as a doctor by Dr. Larch and, even though he has never graduated high school, he assists with births, placements and illegal abortions.

Homer learns to appreciate why Dr. Larch performs illegal abortions when a young girl is found on the orphanage property injured from a poorly performed abortion from someone not trained to do so. The girl dies from her injuries and Dr. Larch explains that he breaks the law in order to prevent such tragedies.

A young couple arrives at the orphanage to get an abortion. Candy Kendall (Charlize Theron) is two months pregnant. Her boyfriend Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd) is a pilot home from the war so he can help his mother, who is widowed, with the fall's apple harvest.

After the procedure, Homer decides to leave the orphanage with Wally and Candy to see the world. We learn that Homer life has been very secluded. He has never seen the ocean, never seen a lobster, and has seen only one movie in his life. Wally's family give Homer a job picking apples at their orchard. He lives with migrant workers on the farm and quickly learns his new craft.

Not long after, Wally returns to the war in Europe. Homer and Candy start spending time together, innocently at first. But it is not long and they start having an affair.

Dr. Larch and Homer write letters while Homer lives at the orchard. They banter back and forth. Dr. Larch tries to convince Homer to come back to the orphanage where he is wanted and needed. Dr. Larch also tries to persuade that the things he does, the rules he breaks, are done so that things will not be left to chance. Dr. Larch sends Homer a doctors bag with medical instruments in a last attempt to lure him back.

Homer tries to convince Dr. Larch that he is truly happy and learning new things everyday in his new life. He says he wants to stay and believes he is being of some use. Homer's new doctor's bag is put to use when Rose Rose (Erykah Badu), a young woman who lives with him and other migrant workers at the orchard, get's pregnant. She is pregnant at the hand of her own father, Mr. Rose (Delroy Lindo). Homer offers his assistance in what ever she decides to do. Homer truly understands the service Dr. Larch has provided over all these years when Rose suggests she will take care of it herself. Worried about what she could do to herself, he convinces Rose and her father to allow him to perform a safe abortion with his newly acquired medical tools.

Wally's family and Candy are given terrible news that Wally has been shot down in Europe. He survived the crash but caught Encephalitis B from mosquitoes in the jungle and has become permanently paralyzed. Homer and Candy's relationship comes to an abrupt end; Candy's place is with Wally.

Near the end of the film, Homer learns that Dr. Larch has died from an accidental overdoes of ether. He returns to St. Cloud's and takes up the work of his mentor caring for the children at the orphanage.

The Cider House Rules' writer, John Irving, and director Lasse Hallstrom, team up to deliver a strong moral message; that sometimes rules need to be questioned and broken from time to time for the greater good, and that human life is not so easily governed. This theme is reinforced several times throughout out the film as the characters face numerous challenges.

Michael Caine, during an interview about The Cider House Rules, said that the film is a comedy, a drama and an action film, yet it is none of these. What he is referring to is that life, real life, is all of these things. Life is complicated, doesn't always turn out the way we want it to and unfortunately bad things happen to good people.

The Cider House Rules is beautiful from a visual point of view. It was shot in scenic areas of Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts. Cinematographer Oliver Stapleton uses very deep, traditional tones throughout the film. The film seems to be the color of fall in New England throughout.. The orphanage is shown as a darker place but characters are illumated sufficiently as to provide the sense of love and hope. The props and attire appear very authentic and represent the World War II time period accurately.

The acting performances of The Cider House Rules are for the most part very good. Michael Caine's portrayal of a slightly arrogant and self-destructive yet self-sacrificing and loving Dr. Larch is inspiring. The only disappointment I found in his performance is that his New England accent did come and go throughout the film.

Charlize Theron showed terrific range. Her girl-next-door looks were skillfully melded with the depth of her character. Candy appeared a bit flighty and loose at the beginning of The Cider House Rules, but Theron convincingly gave the her character a sense of depth and inner conflict. First she knew she shouldn't be with Homer but couldn't be alone. At the end she loves Homer but duty demands she remain with Wally.

Tobey Maguire developed Homer with the right combination of innocence and moral character. Although his performance seemed flat a first, it later proved to be an authentic element of Homer's personality and essential to the story line..

Delroy Lindo (Mr. Rose) and Erykah Badu (Rose Rose) delivered terrific performances in lesser but extremely important roles in the the film.

The Cider House Rules director Lassee Hallstrom does a fantastic job of instilling human realism in ordinary people struggling with common problems. I was particularly impressed with his work with the children of the film. He was able to show their youthful energy and innocence without loosing focus on their predicament.

Hallstrom is also skillful in how he show the impacts of abortion on those affected with out showing any blood or other graphic detail. He also does this without instilling pro-life or pro-choice stance. Just as the numerous challenges of the characters of the film, it is simply real life.

In the final analysis The Cider House Rules represent rules that are imposed on elements of society created by people who know very little about the circumstances of that specific world. These rules must be questioned.

The Dark Knight and the Dark Heath Ledger as the Joker

Many of Gotham City's citizens see Batman (Christopher Bale) as a a figure of hope. He has been able to strike at the heart of organized crime in the City. But while Batman's actions have taken a toll on Gotham City's most powerful criminals, things turn from bad to worse when the new district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) decides to take on organized crime rather than roll over.

Bruce Wayne lead his double life throughout the film, conflicted by the pleasures that his wealthy lifestyle provides and the nocturnal crime fighter that is compelled to fight crime in the streets. To compound Wayne's confliction, Dent is dating the love of his life, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who left him because he couldn't stop being Batman.

Just as Batman and Gotham City's finest are making real progress, the Joker (Heath Ledger) offers to be the mob's enforcer. He isn't motivated by money or power, only the creation of chaos. Alfred (Michael Caine) explains it best when he says that “some men just want to see the world burn.”

The Joker makes one demand on Batman; remove the mask and turn himself in to police for his crimes against Gotham. Otherwise, the streets will run red with blood. When Bruce Wayne's identity as Batman remains a secret, the Joker delivers on his promise and orchestrates chaos like Gotham City has never seen.

The film takes us on a dark ride into the inner depths of Batman's and the Joker's soul. Their values are polar opposite, but yet they have a strange connection. It seems one can not live without the other. The Joker tells Batman they are both freaks.

The Joker is ultimately defeated, but Batman must take the fall to preserve Gotham City's faith in the police and justice. He will now be hunted by the police. As Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) explains to his son, he is our silent protector, our Dark Knight.

The Dark Knight was an enjoyable film for so many reasons. The cinematography was dark but appealing. The plot was interesting and not as predictable as one might expect in watching a well-known story. While some of the scenarios of the film were not realistic (how could anyone plant bombs throughout an entire hospital and on two harbor ships without being noticed), the action kept our attention away from such trivial details. But the acting of Heath Ledger as the Joker really stands out.

The goal of any actor, whether on stage or screen, is to make an audience believe completely in the reality of the character he or she is playing. In the case of films, an actor will attempt to obscure his or her own personality and to become another person on the screen. Heath Ledger accomplishes this with great but eery skill in his role as the Joker in the Dark Knight.

Ledger reported that he locked himself in a motel room in London for a month to create his vision of the Joker. He formed a diary and experimented with voices. The character he created was a psychopath with no empathy. Regardless of how Ledger create the Joker, he presented a character viewers despised yet couldn't get enough of.

Ledger played the role of chameleon with perfection. He truly disappeared into the character. Viewers truly could not recognize the handsome, mainstream actor that had played many likeable roles in the past. Ledger's odd-paced dialog, random flipping of his tongue, nasally voice, and steady yet out of control demeanor were brought together with perfection on screen.

Not only did Ledger meticulously prepare for his role as the Joker, he actually became the intense figure we see on the screen. In an interview, Ledger mentions that he had to take quite a bit of time off between scenes because his intense port rail of his character was exhausting. He goes on to say that at the end of the day, he couldn't move or talk.

The irony in Ledgers declaration in the early part of the film, “what ever doesn’t kill you, makes you stranger”, is hard to overlook. Ledger died very shortly after filming The Dark Knight from an overdose of drugs. There is speculation that Ledger disappeared so much into the character of the Joker, he became just as dark and demented in reality leading to his misuse of drugs. Of course we will never know. But one thing we do know, Ledger gave one of the most memorial performances in his portrait of the Joker. It is too bad that he can not enjoy the many accolades he received after the film was released.

Memento

The motion picture Memento opens with a close-up of a bloody Polaroid picture. We aren’t sure what the picture represents but as the photo fades to black, a man just killed returns to life and bullets jump from the ground into a gun, we realizes that everything is moving in reverse. This sets the stage for the entire film which is edited in reverse time.

Memento is a film about Leonard Shelby (Guy Pierce) and his search for retribution for the murder of his wife. His quest is complicated because he suffers from short-term memory loss. He remembers his name, his past work as an insurance claims investigator and the events leading up to his wife's murder, but can not create new memories. Leonard uses Polaroid photographs, takes notes and even tattoos clues onto his body to remind him of people and events that are important to his search for his wife's murderers.

Leonard narrates the film, which is used to fill gaps and give viewers critical information about story. These provide the answers to questions of who, why, when and how from scenes viewers have already seen. Early in the film we meet Teddy and Natalie, two characters that greatly influence his memories and actions. It becomes clear that at least one of them is lying so that Leonard will act in their interests. Maybe both are. Leonard determines Teddy is John G., the man who killed his wife, and is the person he kills in the very beginning of the film.

Leonard recalls Sammy (Stephen Tobolowski) several times throughout the movie. Leonard investigated his claim of short-term memory loss after an accident. Leonard's conclusion that Sammy was physically capable of creating new memories led to the denial of his claim. This is an ironic twist of fate since Leonard is experiencing the very same affliction.

Memento leaves a few questions unanswered. Near the end of the film, which is really the beginning of the story, Teddy explains to Leonard that Sammy doesn't exist and that his memories of him are replacement memories of his affliction and how is wife died. This seem plausible but since this happens at the end of the film, no time is dedicated to exploring this contradiction. We also see Leonard intentionally write a note he knows will lead himself to determine later that Teddy is really John G., his wife's killer, but we don't really know if he is involved or not. Finally, we don't really know what happened to his wife. Was she murdered, killed by an overdose of insulin from Leonard's own hand (just as him memories of how Sammy's wife died), or is she alive and well somewhere.

Memento's director Christopher Nolan creatively uses backwards editing to maintain interest through out the film. We literally watch nearly the entire film in reverse. This technique keeps viewers guessing about the background of what just occurred.

Nolan uses black and white photography throughout the film to separate time sequences. Each time a black and white scene is shown, the film jumps back to an earlier time in the story. In addition to providing innovative transitioning, the black and white scenes are used to more fully explain what has just occurred in the film, which is really in the future, or to establish a foundation for what the film will show us next, which is actually in the past.

Nolan uses a very intriguing technique when transition to and from black and white scenes. When transitioning from color to black and white, the film cuts to black and then fades into black and white. At the conclusion of black and white scenes, the film fades to black and then abruptly jumps to color.

Leonard occasionally experiences memories throughout the film. Nolan differentiates these from the rest of the film by showing the memories in short clips mixed in with Leonard as he remembers them. The film does not use music to any large degree. Nolan occasionally uses subtle dream-like music to enhance the Leonard's state of confusion.

The unique editing of Memento kept my attention throughout the movie. I thought it would create an anti-climatic ending, but in reality increased my anticipation for the end of the film so I could learn how everything began.

Gangs of New York

Gangs of New York is a film about Amsterdam Vallon's (Leonardo DiCaprio) quest for vengeance against the man that killed his father 15 years earlier during a very chaotic and violent time in New York's history. The backdrop of the movie is in the infamous Five Points area of New York City.

The film opens with Vallon's father and his gang of Irish immigrant named the Dead Rabbits preparing for battle against the William Cutting (Danielle Day-Lewis) led gang of self-proclaimed Natives. The Natives win the battle and Cutting, who is referred to as the Butcher, kills Vallon's father. Vallon witnesses his father's death and escapes in the vast backdrop of New York City afterward.

The film jumps ahead 15 years when Vallon returns to Five Points . While walking the streets he recognizes people who fought for and against his father years ago. He meets up with Johnny Sirocco (Henry Thomas), a boy that helped him escape Five-Points years ago. Sirocco introduces Vallon to the Butcher, who is now a menacing and powerful mob-like figure who rules over the activities of Five-Points. The Butcher takes a liking to Vallon and eventually Vallon begins working on his behalf.

Vallon meets Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz) not long after returning to New York. There is tension between them throughout the film. They originally seem to despise each other. Everdeane steals a medal given to Vallon by his father and Vallon has to forcefully get it back. Later during a dance they show romantic feelings for each other, but Vallon walks away after he learns she has had relations with the Butcher. They eventually fall in love, which provides an interesting subplot to the film.

While at a local theater, Vallon surprisingly saves the Butcher's life by pushing him out the way of an assassin’s bullet. Vallon wants the Butcher dead, but by his own hand and in front of a large crowd as he celebrates his victory over the Dead Rabbits and the killing of Vallon's father.

Sirocco, who has feelings for Everdeane and is hurt when he Vallon and her in a romantic embrace, reveals Vallon's true identity to the Butcher. Vallon attempts to kill the Butcher at a Five-Points theater but the Butcher is waiting for his attempt on his life and stabs him in the stomach. The Butcher spares Vallon's life but burns him on his face with his hot knife and brands him a coward to the crowd.

Everdeane nurses Vallon back to health in the caves of the mission where his father and the Dead Rabbits would meet years ago. Vallon begins to gain influence in the Irish community because of his stand against the Butcher. Tensions in Five-Points spill over when the Butcher publicly murders a recently elected Irish sheriff. Vallon challenges the Butcher to a battle between the Natives and reinvigorated Dead Rabbits, which Vallon has organized.

The film concludes as the two gangs plans to face of in a repeat of the epic battle of 15 years earlier. The battle is planned during a time of civic unrest over the draft for the Civil War. The United States military converges on New York to squash the uprising and the battle between the Dead Rabbits and Natives is lost under the siege of cavalry soldiers and bombs from ships from the harbor. Vallon eventually kills the Butcher in the aftermath, avenges the death of his father.

The Gangs of New York was filmed on a one-mile-square set in Italy where the Five-Points neighborhood and other sections of Manhattan were recreated. The film is very appealing from a Cinematic point of view. Martin Scorsese, the films director, uses rich blacks and other dark colors to increase contrast and add depth to the film and its characters. Scorsese also using smoke and grainy overcasts throughout the film to soften background images which enhances the viewer's focus on the primary characters.

The film is generally shot with dark undertones but Scorsese uses bright colors when filming upper class neighborhoods. This is most evident when Vallon and Everdeane are walking through an affluent neighborhood and when New York's elite are shown dining in their homes.

In the early part of the film, Scorsese uses the backdrop of snow to accentuate the opening battle scene. Depth is added to the warriors who are dressed in dark attire. The contrast of deep red blood spilled on fresh white snow enhance the violence of the battle.

The film frequently uses panning techniques to reinforce that the movie's main conflict is isolated to a very small portion of New York. As an example, immediately after the opening battle scene, Scorsese pans the film back from a close up of the warriors, then to a full view of the battle ground, then to a view of the Five-Points neighborhood and finally to a full aerial view of New York City.

Scorsese also varies the use of camera speed effectively. He alternates between normal, slow and fast speeds during the battle scenes in the film. He also uses fast camera techniques to reinforce the speed of the Butcher's knife when he is demonstrating his knife-throwing skills in the theater.

The film also uses score effectively. The sound of drums are evident when the gangs are preparing for battle. This adds tension and increases the viewers anticipation. Irish music is used frequently throughout the movie to remind the viewer of the conflict between Irish immigrants and the native people of New York.

Two editing sequences particularly caught my attention during the film. The first is when Scorsese, in essentially a single shot, shows Irish coming to the shores of the United States for the first time, are encouraged to enlist in the Union army, are given uniforms and weapons, and finally are loaded back onto ships to go fight for their country.

The second editing sequence is Scorsese's use artificial time-lapsed photography at the end of the film. In this scene, we see the grave yard where Vallon's father and the Butcher are buried next to each other overlooking the City of New York. We are shown the altering landscape of New York from the period of the film to current time. In my view this is meant to demonstrate that while very significant while in the fight, conflicts such as those in the film are relatively insignificant over the course of time. It is a visual representation of the phrase used by many, “Who's going to care 100 years from now”.

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is a film that focuses on the life of Jamal Malik, who lived in the slums of Mumbai, India. The film opens with Jamal being tortured by police because they suspect him of cheating on the popular televised game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

The film is very non-linear jumping quickly between three different time frames of Jamal's life; his time on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, being tortured and questioned by police, and the chronology of his life. Each question asked on Who Wants to be a Millionaire takes the film to Jamal being questioned by the police and the experiences of his life where he learned the answer to each question.

Jamal and his older brother Salim were orphaned when their mother is killed by an angry mob that attacked Muslims washing clothes and bathing in a stream. They meet a young girl named Latika as they escape the mob. The threesome are taken in by a man named Maman not long afterward. They live in a compound along with other orphaned and handicapped children. We soon come to realize that Maman only takes care of the children so they will go out and beg in the streets and bring the money to him. Jamal and Salim escape just as Maman is going to blind Salim with a chemical so he will earn more begging, but Latika falls behind and she is recaptured.

After they escape Jamal and Salim turn to a life of thievery. They eventually make their way back to Mumbai and find Latika. She is still held by Maman. Salim shoots and kills Maman to free Latika. Salim, who is empowered by killing Maman, throws Jamal out of the room the three are staying in to presumably have sex with Latika despite Jamal obvious love for her.

We don't see the main characters again until they are several years older. Jamal works as an assistant at a Mumbai call center. He uses the center's technology to locate Salim, who is working for the gangster Javed. When they meet Jamal asks about Latika. Salim tells Jamal that she is long gone, but he doesn’t trust him and follows Jamal to Javed's home. Jamal finds Latika again after all these years only to find she is Javed's mistress. He asks her to leave with him but she is trapped. If she leaves, Javed will kill them both. Jamal tells Latika he will wait at the train station every day at 5 o'clock until she comes to be with him. Not long after Latika comes to the train station, but Salim and other henchmen of Javed grab her before she can leave with Jamal.

Near the end the film becomes linear. Jamal returns to Who Wants to be a Millionaire after the police determine his is not cheating. Salim and Latika see Jamal on the show. Salim has a change of heart and helps Latika escape. He is killed for doing so by Javed's men. Jamal ends up winning 20 million rupees. He returns to the train station where he and Latika ultimately meet.

Slumdog Millionaire is very interesting, both from a cinematic and chronological point of view. The film has a very distinct double plot-line; the story of Jamal's quest to succeed on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and the story of Jamal's never ending passion for Latika. The film quickly jumps from one to another but is done so skillfully. The movies director, Danny Boyle, moves the film between different time frame of Jamal's life, using Who Wants to be a Millionaire as the thread that ties it all together.

The camera is almost always moving throughout the film. During the flight scenes early in the movie, the film is bouncy, presumably because the camera is being manually operated by someone chasing the action. Boyle occasionally changes things up by inserting still camera view of the action from odd angles or wide views.

Boyle uses wide-angled views to show the the Indian landscape, horrific poverty and vast garbage fields in the film. The director uses constantly changing angles throughout the movie, which seem to represent the chaotic nature of the character's lives. Much of the film's background is dark, which adds depth to the characters who are typically lit.

Boyle skillfully uses objects in the film to communicate subtle messages. After Jamal sees Latika in Javed's home, she asks him to leave because Javed would kill them both he suspected they had a past or have feeling for each other now. When Latika closes the door, she is shown from Jamal's subjective point of view. Her image is someone distorted through the door's glass which also has rod iron. This image is meant to communicate that Latika is locked out of Jamal's life and is distant, even though they are physically very close.

Boyle uses elevated photography, bright colors and a subjective point of view when Latika first comes to meet Jamal at the train station. We see Latika as Jamal sees her, literally from an elevated position in the train station and figuratively full of light and brightness. This is quickly altered when Salim and Javed's men are baring down on Latika. The action speeds up and the cinematography once again is bouncy from altering angles.

In the film's final scene, Jamal and Latika are shown with a bright lighting shining behind them. The light initially distracts your view of the couple. As Jamal and Latika pull close to kiss, they block the light bringing them into clear focus and the sole focal point of the shot.

The director and editors of Slumdog Millionaire do a very nice job instilling humanity and charm in Jamal's character. Viewers can't help rooting for him even when he is living a life of a thief. Humor is used frequently to soften his persona. Boyle also makes great use of Indian music, both quick-paced and slow, to enhance the undertones of scenes throughout the movie.

The Upside of Anger

The Upside of Anger's opening scene is Terry Wolfmeyer (Joan Allen) and her daughters attending a funeral in the rain. Without explanation, the movie jumps back three years where we see Wolfmeyer struggling to come to grips with the fact that her husband unexpected disappears. Wolfmeyer is left to raise her daughters Hadley (Alicia Witt), Emily (Keri Russell), Andy (Erika Christensen), and Lavender (Evan Rachel Wood) who is called Popeye and is the narrator of the film. Wolfmeyer used to be a very happy person but is now angry and abusing alcohol to deal with the rejection of her husband running off to Switzerland with his secretary without a word.

We first meet Denny Davies (Kevin Costner) when he comes to Wolfmeyer's door to ask her to sell some of her land for a new subdivision that is planned behind her property. Davies, a former major league baseball player and local radio DJ, has been hired to convince property owners to sell land for the development. Davies is holding a drink when he comes to the door and is slightly drunk, as is Wolfmeyer. Wolfmeyer's alcohol abuse is reinforced when she picks up several bottles of liquor at the grocery store the first time we she her out of her house. She and Davies are rarely seen in the first parts of the film without a drink in their hands.

Wolfmeyer and Davies soon begin a relationship of convenience, initially held together by their drinking. He is a calming influence on her and her family despite his alcohol abuse. Wolfmeyer isn't sure she wants to be in a relationship but soon falls in love with him. Wolfmeyer's life is full of other complications, which mostly involve her daughters. Hadley tells her mother at her college graduation that she is pregnant and getting married. Andy decides she doesn't want to go to college, to her mother's great disappointment, and becomes involved with a much older man who is Davies' producer at the radio station. Emily wants to go to dance while her mother is insistent on her going to college. Emily also becomes very ill for a time. Wolfmeyer's youngest daughter, Popeye, seems to get along with everyone, including Davies. She is exploring a relationship with a boy at school.

Each of the secondary plot lines circle around and feed into Wolfmeyer's inner struggle to come to grips with the disappearance of her husband and to move on with her life. The challenges of her daughter's are resolved throughout the film and Wolfmeyer and Davies fall in love and stop abusing alcohol.

The film takes an unexpected turn when a construction worker steps through an rotting cover on an old water well on land behind Wolfmeyer's house. He finds the remains of Wolfmeyer's husband at the bottom of the well. She and Davies soon realize that he did not leave Wolfmeyer and her girls but fell into the well while walking the property three years earlier and died.

We are then taken full circle back to the funeral where the film began. Wolfmeyer, her daughters and Davies appear very comfortable with their relationships with one another after the funeral. It is apparent that they are all in a good place from which to pursue their life's aspirations.

The film is presented in a non-linear structure by virtue of beginning and ending at the end. The primary conflict, Wolfmeyer's struggle to accept the cards life has dealt her and find new reasons to live, is internal. Almost all of the films participants are characterized through dialog and external action. Wolfmeyer and Davies are also characterized through appearance, primarily through obvious intoxication. Since the film is primarily about Wolfmeyer's inner struggle, she is also characterized through internal action.

The Upside of Anger has several elements of symbolism. One of the first is when Wolfmeyer visit to the grocery store in the first part of the film. She picks up on bottle of alcohol, pauses, then selects another, and then finally grabs several bottles. This scene immediately tells viewers that she has a drinking problem.

Another moment of symbolism is when Wolfmeyer and her daughters are on the back porch staring out into the night, essentially at nothing. This represents that they are not sure where their lives are going. They are in a dark place right now. Also, the dining room in Wolfmeyer's home is often shown with dim light, even when one or more characters are sitting at the table. This symbolizes that they are essentially all alone.

The most consistent element of symbolism is Popeye's computer. It frequently provides insights into how she, or in some cases the family, is feeling. When a boy refuses to kiss Popeye, the film flashes to her computer which is playing a somewhat cartoonish video of a woman beating a man. When she offers him sex and he refuses, the computer is playing a video of a woman screaming. This shows that she is frustrated is wants to scream.

During an extended narration in which Popeye talks about how people don’t know how to love, her computer is playing another representative video. We see couples fighting, a mushroom cloud, an atomic wind, a woman shooting a gun at a man, a boxing match and other images to represent how people hurt each other.

In her final narration, Popeye sums up the movie and reconciles its title by saying “anger, like growth, comes in spurts, and fits – and in its wake leaves a new chance of acceptance and the promise of calm. This is the upside of anger.