| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
A- |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
B |
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| Visuals: |
B+ |
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1,000s of reasons to see this movie!!!
by W (movies profile)
Sep 19, 2007
21
of
25 people found this review helpful
Regardless of your political or spiritual leanings, this movie provides an accurate (albeit disturbing) glimpse of the many intercultural factions, dialogues, stereotypes, and struggles every American and non-American must deal with on a daily basis when making sense of the interplay between US national interests, civil liberties, our common humanity, and our common irrational fears and insecurities.
This movie is a fable in its purest sense. This collective story is blatantly not real, so do not let it fool you that it's trying to promote some idealistic liberal reality. It really isn't. And as with every fable, the understanding is that this film is fictitious. However, there is a very powerful moral at the end of the story. And though the story is mainly portrayed in satirical form, this film has a tremendous amount of depth to it that should not be so easily dismissed because the subject matter may be repugnant.
Most critics of this movie will be those people who object to see it for their own moral and ethical reasons. And that is perfectly fine. But if one of your reasons is that this movie glorifies executive assassination or strictly promotes one political agenda over another, I can honestly say to you that this is not true. It can appear very biased, but like all fables it can provide you with a framework that helps shed light on the horrific situation the U.S. is in currently. And it does do a lot to represent both sides equally: Bush dissenters can be viewed in this movie as equally irrational as Bush sympathizers can be viewed as caring and well-intentioned. No side is given a monopoly on morality and "the American way."
Quite simply, if you need any reason to go see this movie and you're not convinced there's theatrical merit to doing so then you should go for the following one reason and one reason only: because you have the right to do so! For all this country's faults and in all this country's splendor there is nothing that will stop you from watching this moive. It's an active act of patriotic expression to be able to watch this movie. Therefore, by watching it you can celebrate the fact that the U.S. is grand enough of a country such that it would even allow you to sit in its theatres and actively express a freedom that a few brilliant men (and women) etched into law more than 250 years ago.
I saw this movie in Washington, DC, and I was sitting in a theatre that is just a few blocks away from the White House. And I felt safe and secure knowing that I could express this type of freedom (and while living in this country at the same time) that few people worldwide are able to express. And so, I felt somewhat proud to be able to watch this sort of movie as a member of this great country and still be able to go on with my normal way of life the day after (and not get penalized, arrested, or deported for doing so). |
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