Traffic (2000)

(Note: This film is part of my "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" project of film reviews).



"No one gets away clean."

- Traffic

Recently, I had the chance to see this film again. This is definitely a powerful movie with an important message.

The basic concept of the film is about the war on drugs, who is involved and what the government is doing about it. What is interesting about the movie is that it shows not just one side of the story but many sides of the story.

We see the viewpoint of those involved on different levels of the law - the highest levels and lawmaker side (such as the role Michael Douglas portrays) and those at the lower levels on the law enforcement side (such as the role Don Cheadle portrays).

Even further, we see the viewpoint from those involved on the other side - the drug business itself. From the highest levels (such as the role played by Catherine Zeta Jones) to the lowest levels of the business - we see from different perspectives.

And, this movie is really about just that - perspective. We say there is a war on drugs. But, who are we really waging this war against?

We think the enemy is a drug warlord who is infiltrating our country and our future. But, the real enemy may not fit that profile. Maybe the real enemy is ourselves - it starts at home.

One of the most powerful quotes in the film was when Michael Douglas said, "If there is a war on drugs, then many of our family members are the enemy. And I don't know how you wage war on your own family."

(Note: For those who have seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

I think this movie had a very strong message. One of the main characters (portrayed by Michael Douglas) thought the way to win the war on drugs was to shut these drug operations down and find those responsible. As the film progresses, we see him trying time and time again to attempt to stop it through the legal process by meeting with other lawmakers and law enforcement agencies.

What he found was this war has and will continue. And, while he was trying to fight the war on drugs - there was another war happening right at home. And, this involved his daughter who ironically became a drug addict.

This really showed him that to win the war on drugs was not external but internal - it starts at home. And, the only way we can win the war is through education and by paying attention to those who matter the most - family.

I think what made this film unique was the way it showed the different perspectives. And, as an audience it was interesting to see multiple sides of the story.

The way the entire film was shot was very interesting. It felt like a documentary style type of movie. And, the whole look of the movie changed when we saw things on the "Mexico" side versus the "U.S." side - it's very interesting.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. It is a very serious film on a very serious topic. The way the movie portrays different perspectives to bring it all together really makes it a powerful and brilliant film. At times, I found myself surprised - there are some twists and turns, it is not a predictable movie.

If you're in the mood for a drama type of movie with a powerful message, I highly recommend this one.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: PASS

Happy movie watching!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Seven (1995)

Recently, I had the opportunity to see this film - one of my favorite thriller and crime type movies.

What I like about this movie is that it's not your average thriller and crime type of film - it's not just a movie about the crime itself. It's also a movie about the lives of the two detectives involved investigating the crime, Detective Lt. William Somerset (played by Morgan Freeman) and Detective David Mills (played by Brad Pitt).

On one hand, you have Detective Somerset, a very experienced and tenured detective - he's seen it all. He knows what the job can do to one psychologically and the demands of the job. At the beginning of the film, we learn he is set and ready to retire - he no longer desires to continue his role as a detective. It's just been too much for him. And, he's had enough of the fast life.

And, on the other hand we have Detective Mills, a very young and less experienced detective compared to Detective Somerset. Detective Mills is ready to take on the world and stop it from crime. He is willing to sacrifice everything including spending time with his family in the name of doing what's right for the job. It gets to the point where work consumes him. And, he brings it home with him.

We also meet Detective Mills' wife, Tracy Mills (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) who used to be a schoolteacher in the town they used to live before they moved to the big city for Detective Mills' job. She has been trying to cope with the change and the big city. Though, she finds herself unable to understand her husband's passion for his work feeling lost and confused at times.

The homicide case assigned to Detective Somerset and Detective Mills is one that turns out to be more complicated - it simply is not an open and shut case. To some like Detective Somerset, it's the worse kind of case - a serial murder case that can go on for years and years. Though, to others like Detective Mills it's the case of the century - one that may make him famous if he is to catch the killer. And, that is a big "if."

What's interesting about this film is the way each murder is staged and justified by the killer.

(Note: For those who have not seen the film, I won't go into the identity of the killer and his role - I don't want to ruin it for you).

Each murder is justified by the killer as one of the seven deadly sins . They are as follows: gluttony, sloth, pride, greed, lust, envy, and wrath.

With each murder, comes the ultimate completion of the killer's plan - to send a message to the world and be remembered for his work. And, indeed it is something that will be remembered for years and years. Why?

The ending is what made this film interesting - it's such a complete twist and mind trip. As the audience, I felt in the last scene that all is lost for the killer - that there was not much hope for him and his work was completely finished. Though, we soon realize that's not the case at all - he planned it all along and his work was almost done.

(Note: For those who have not seen the movie, I don't want to ruin it for you but let's just say it's very unexpected and one of those moments that can really throw you off).

And, the unexpected ending and twist is what makes this film so brilliant and so well executed. Just as the killer planned things all along, so did the film's storyline - it really gave me the twist that I look for in these kinds of films. And, a film with a twist and unexpected ending is one worth watching in my book.

If you're in the mood for a thriller and crime type of film, I highly recommend this one.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: PASS

(Note: For those who are fans of the film, check out this funny parody spoof. Thanks for watching!)

Happy movie watching!



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1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

With my interest in film, I was in the bookstore one day when this book caught my eye.

I guess the title had something to do with it - it's pretty catchy and hard to miss. As I looked among the other movie review books in the film section, this one stood out.

So, now I've got it. And, I've decided to integrate my film reviews with the book every time I see and do a review on a film listed.

Going through the book, it's very easy to read and straight forward. I'm not sure if anyone here has read any film review books (such as this one), but for me personally I haven't really read a good one in a long time.

In many cases, I remember finding the reviews in prior film review books I've read to be quite dry with not many pictures included. Also, when I'm looking for a film to watch I prefer reading reviews that are very straight forward and easy to understand.

This book goes in historical order with it's list, starting with films in the early 1900s and ending with films in the late 2000s. Also, there is a checklist in the front of the book with the entire "1001 film list" so you can check off each film as you see them, pretty neat!

The first film on the list is "Le Voyage Dans La Lune" (A Trip to the Moon), which was made in 1902. And, the last film on the list is "Atonement", which was made in 2007.

Each film has it's own dedicated page. It showcases the year the film was made, the specs on the films (i.e. country where it was made, director, producer, screenplay, cast, etc), along with a snapshot pic from the movie and of course - the review.

With each review, it describes in detail why the movie is important (to be on the list) and it's effect on society and the filmmaking industry at the time it was made.

Since I enjoy history, it's interesting for me to read about the history and timeline of each film. It's even more interesting to read about how and why each film is unique in it's own way, thus making the top "1000 movie list".

So, this will be part of my movie watching journey that I'll be sharing with you. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to pick out the movies to see.

I thought of choosing each film at random (such as opening the book and writing a review on whatever film the page turns to). However, I think I'm going to just play it by ear and review films on the list as they come up and as I watch them.

If you're interested in film and it's history, you might just want to check out this book. As I understand, it does get updated from time to time (there are older versions - I picked up the latest one).

If you'd like to check out the entire list, you can find it here.

Looking through my movie reviews so far, the first film that I've found on the list can be found here. With each review on the list, I will label each post with the "1001 movies" tag.

If there's a movie you've seen on the list that's one of your favorites and/or you've done a review on one, I'd definitely like to hear about it!

Happy movie watching!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!

There Will Be Blood (2007)

I first found out about this movie while reading this book.

While reading the synopsis, it really sounded like something I'd be interested in. (I think I've mentioned here before how I enjoy watching movies where I learn about business).

This film happens to take place at the beginning of the century, a time where opportunities were plentiful and some of the wealthiest families today made their millions (who are now worth billions). It truly was an exciting time in American history.

Basically, this movie focuses on oil men and their quest to find oil and strike it rich. (Sounds similar to the gold rush too!) And, this is the time where Standard Oil is the big kahuna when it comes to oil and has already been well established.

Though, there are still some parts of America at the time that have been untapped - mainly in the West. And, this is where the oil men seek opportunities and begin looking for their pot of gold. (aka oil)

It was very interesting to watch this movie and see how the oil business worked back then. Basically, the oil men would find a piece of land they thought had some oil (based on sample testing) and would offer to lease the land from the landowners (usually farmers) for a small fee. In addition, the oil men would offer the landowners a royalty fee (or percentage) of the profits if they found any oil on their land.

Most of these landowners were farmers who lived very simple lives. And, they did not have the equipment or the manpower to drill for oil. The money the oil men would offer them seemed to good too pass up. In reality, the oil men would offer a really small fee compared to the profits they would actually be making off of the oil. The main character, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, said in one scene he was making $5,000 per week as an oil man with his operation. That's a lot of money, even today!

However, drilling for oil is a very dangerous job - many lives were at stake (thus the name of the movie). So, it was the oil men who were taking the risk. The landowners simply allowed them to use their land. So, in a way it was a win/win situation for everyone.

The film did go into the pros and cons of the oil business and in running a business in general. It was very interesting to watch. There were some moments of the film where unexpected things happened - its all a part of the kind of life we choose.

I really enjoyed the movie. Though, I have to warn you - it's not for everyone. It's more of a history piece than anything else. In my opinion, I think you need to be interested in history to enjoy the film. It is quite long (over 2.5 hours), though it takes you through the history and evolution of the time period which I really enjoyed.

If you're in the mood for a history type film and have an interest in business, I recommend checking this one out!

Happy movie watching!



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Cinema Paradiso (1988)

I really enjoyed watching this movie -it was very entertaining from beginning to end. Being a foreign film, I thought it was strictly a drama but was surprised as it had bits of comedy.

It's definitely a movie for filmgoers and filmmakers alike - it brought out my passion for film and the kid in me. Great story, great acting, great music - an overall great movie. I highly recommend this movie - it's a masterpiece.

p.s. For those who have already seen the movie, there is an alternative ending in the director's cut. Enjoy!



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Raging Bull (1980)

Since I'm a big Martin Scorsese fan, I decided to check out this movie based on the life of Jake LaMotta, a former boxing world middleweight champion.

I liked how the movie was portrayed in black and white - probably to show the sign of the times as it was set in the 1940s/1950s.

Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci were both great - check it out!



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Heat (1995)

Ok, I have to admit - I'm a really big fan of heist movies (aka "scores"). (Can't you tell since I'm into gangster movies?)

I really enjoyed this movie. It had an all-star cast. I really enjoy watching both Robert De Niro and Al Pacino on the big screen - they are both great actors.

One of my favorite quotes from DeNiro, which he says in this movie (and he's said this in a couple of other movies) is:

"It is what it is."

This movie had lots of action with a lot of twists and turns. So many times, I thought it was going to go in one direction but surprised me going in another.

Definitely worth the watch if you're looking for a good heist movie. Check it out!



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