Movies In Your Spare Time #1

The Lucky One

This movie was about a soldier who found a picture of a girl while at war that kept him safe. I originally thought this movie would be really stupid, but I ended up kind of liking it. I would give this movie 3 stars out of five. I'd rate it that because it was a decent movie that did a good job provoking emotions, but it was the not the best film cinematically.

Scott Hicks directed this movie, who has never really directed any huge movies before. Zac Efron starred in this film, which gave it a child-like appeal. I was never a huge fan of his movies such as 17 Again and High School Musical. In this movie, he did a better job at acting. This was a Nicholas Sparks movie, so evidently very sappy and romantic, so Zac Efron was a good star. I enjoyed other Nicholas Sparks films much more than this one such as The Notebook and Dear John. They had better actors and a more convincing story line.

There wasn't much technique or style in this film. The war scenes were shot horribly and very unconvincing, opposed to actual war films such as Saving Private Ryan, which is the best movie ever. The weapons were inaccurate to the time frame and they attempted to disguise older model weapons as current ones. The style was very sappy and stupid (typical Nicholas Sparks), but even worse than his other films. The book was much better and the film failed to convey a convincing plot. The special effects were good, but could have been much better especially the explosions and scene where the little boy's dad dies.

The Lucky One trailer

Review of the Reviews

The movie I reviewed was "Girl, Interrupted". This is a movie that was originally based off an autobiography and memoir, written by Susanna Kaysen. It is about a girl, Susanna, who doesn't know what's wrong with her, but does know she is miserable, so her parents send her off to a mental institution after a supposed suicide attempt. She finds herself among many girls who definitely seem to belong there, while Susanna feels like she doesn't belong. She continues to state that she wasn't trying to kill herself when she chased fifty asprin with a bottle of vodka. In the process of getting better, she meets a girl named Lisa, who likes to flirt with insanity and madness. Lisa brings Susanna down by escaping with her and convincing her life won't get better in that mental institution. It's a remarkable story about a girl coming of age, trying to find who she is, while battling mental illness.

The first review I read off rotten tomatoes, Review 1, was a very positive and encouraging review of the film. It was written first with a summary of the movie, stating the pros and cons throughout the explanation. The writer claims that the movie gave the narrative double-meaning and supports that with examples from the film. The tone of this review is very matter-of-fact. The writer states her opinion, but also allows room for the reader to make their own opinion. She doesn't use too much verbose language, it's more of a "state the facts" kind of article. The writer mainly focused on the plot and breaking it down for different audiences to show which parts some people may like, and which parts other would enjoy. This is a very dark movie, so it generally would be only for a particular audience, but the critic break downs certain aspects that would attract an eclectic audience. She talks a lot about the actresses, Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie, because they are famous actresses that definitely triumph in this film.

Also off rotten tomatoes, I found my second review, Review 2, which was the negative one. This review is set up similarly to the other one, with the summary of the film first and stating the pros and cons throughout, but mainly in the last paragraph. This article has more of a snobby and negative tone to it, but also leaves some room for the open-minded to develop their own opinions. The vocabulary also has a negative connotation to it. The critic focused on the plot as being poor and that the main actresses weren't acting to their full potential. The critic also hates on the fact that this movie is about a girl trying to pull her head out of her ass, instead of focusing in on the people that actually belong in the mental institute. It didn't really make any strong references to other things, but it was assumed that this critic wanted to view a bigger picture film rather than a characterized narrative type film.

I actually really enjoyed this film. I found it very powerful and though-provoking. It truly made me revalue my own life. Certain quotes from each article that caught my eye were from the negative view of the movie such as, "The film is really about a teenage girl pulling her head out of her ass. As we all know, that can take a while. The flick does perk up whenever exploring the serious problems exhibited by the other girls.." This quote expresses the opinion that it isn't a good idea to make a film about a typically depressed teenager who doesn't know what to do with her life. It states that this is not a serious problem, but the director should have made a film about the others in the institute. I agree with this quote and statement being made, but it doesn't discredit the film. Films are supposed to be made from all different perspectives, this being one. Another film could capture the inside world of the others in the institution. Also the article says, "Sounding like the scribblings from a teenager’s diary, the 28-year-old Ryder lapses into self-parody.." This was meant to be a negative quote from the critic, but I belive that it's positive because it shows that the reality of the film. It is based off a narrative and memoir book, so it is supposed to be genuine and real, which would be the "scribblings from a teenager's diary." In the other article, it states similar things, but in a more positive and encouraging tone. For example, "The emotional highs and lows in Girl, Interrupted are honestly earned. This isn't a nobility-of-the-insane piece, or a triumph-of-the-human-spirit fable. It's just the story of one girl and the other wounded girls she spent 18 months with. And the moviemakers give the story a classical shape.." This quote proves that the film wasn't meant to show the inside lives of the clinically insane girls inside the institution, but to be a more relatable film for the remotely depressed members of our society. It's just a story of a girl finding her way, which is relatable to many.

I feel like the positive review would be more convincing if I had never seen the film. I say this because it has a more matter-of-fact tone, which allows the reader of the critique to develop their own opinion. The other has critic bias in it, which sways one to a certain side. The positive review also states the aspects of the film that could set off a viewer, but addresses them in a mature manner. The critic doesn't put their own opinion into it, but leaves it up to the viewer with the facts. It addresses the fact that "Girl, Interrupted" is a story of a girl finding her way, or "pulling her head out of her ass," but phrases it for the audience to decide. I belive a film review that wins over a reader is one that allows them to make their own opinion and decide for themselves, while still listening to the critic's argument.

In writing my own review of "Girl, Interrupted," I would definitely include the fact that it isn't a typical film. It can get very intense quickly. It will take you out of your comfort zone, but some may like that because it does tend to be extremely powerful. It provokes emotion. It isn't a film that you can just nonchalantly watch. I would not say it's a film about a girl trying to get her head out of her ass, but more of a film in which a girl finds her way through obstacles many wouldn't find themselves in. It's a new way of looking at things that many have probably considered, so therefore it's relatable, but it's a different perspective.