THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS
December 14, 2008
THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS and MY REACTION TO THE GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS!
AS ALWAYS. . .I LOVE YA' CLEVELAND!
I GUESS I'M IN THE MINORITY BUT I LIKED THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS. IT'S WORLD WAR II BERLIN AND YOUNG BRUNO ( ASA BUTTERFIELD) IS PRETENDING HE'S AN AIRPLANE RUNNING FREELY THROUGH THE STREETS WITH HIS FRIENDS. . .NOT KNOWING THAT HIS LIFE AND FATE ARE ABOUT TO CHANGE FOREVER. BRUNO'S FATHER (DAVID THEWLIS) IS A NAZI SS OFFICER WHO HAS JUST BEEN ASSIGNED TO BE THE NEW COMMANDANT AT AUSCHWITZ. BRUNO'S MOTHER (VERA FARMIGA). . .WHO WAS ALSO IN THE DEPARTED. . . THROWS A GOING AWAY PARTY FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND IS EXTREMELY PROUD OF HER SUCCESSFUL HUSBAND AND HAPPY AND CONTENT WITH HER LIFE. SHE IS OBVIOUSLY OBLIVIOUS TO THE HORRORS OF WAR AND THE HOLOCAUST.
THE FAMILY'S NEW HOME IS ABOUT A MILE REMOVED FROM THE CONCENTRATION CAMP. EIGHT YEAR OLD BRUNO BECOMES BORED WITH HIS NEW SURROUNDINGS AND HIS CURIOSITY ABOUT THE "FARM ON THE HILL" . . .LEADS HIM TO EXPLORE AND FIND OUT FOR HIMSELF WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. HE COMES TO THE BARBED WIRE FENCE AND SEES THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS NAMED SHMUEL. STARVING FOR THE FRIENDS HE LEFT BEHIND IN BERLIN BRUNO STARTS VISITING SHMUEL REGULARLY. . .AND THE TWO EIGHT YEAR OLDS BECOME CLOSE. . .ONLY SEPARATED BY THE BARBED WIRE FENCE THAT BRUNO DOES NOT COMPREHEND.
DIRECTOR MARK HERMAN, WHO ALSO WROTE THE SCREENPLAY BASED ON MATERIAL ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY JOHN BOYNE. . .GIVES US A LOOK AT THIS SUPPOSEDLY NORMAL GERMAN FAMILY WHEN IN REALITY, THE FATHER FIGURE IS A NOTORIOUS MURDERER AND MONSTER.
THE ACTING BY BOTH THE MOTHER AND THE FATHER IS VERY GOOD. THEWLIS IS CONVINCING AS A LOVING AND CARING FATHER. . BUT IT'S FARMIGA'S CHARACTER WHO. . I BELIEVE. . .STEELS EVERY SCENE. . ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE DISCOVERS THE HORROS OF AUSCHWITZ AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HER HUSBAND IS ORCHESTRATING THE TERROR.
THE CHANGE IN HER CHARACTER IS INCREDIBLY CONVINCING.
THE END OF THE MOVIE WILL LEAVE YOU STUNNED! I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW SOME MIGHT RESENT HERMAN MAKING YOU SHOW SYMPATHY FOR A NAZI FAMILY. . .BUT I FOUND IT VERY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW FROM THE GERMANS' POINT OF VIEW EVERYTHING IN THE HOLOCAUST WAS
JUSTIFIED AND APPEARED TO BE NORMAL.
THE ACTING IN THIS FILM. . .OVERALL. . .IS SUPERB. . .AND I RECOMMEND IT! SOME CRITICS SAY IT'S TOO MUCH OF A COPY OF ROBERTO BENIGNI'S LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. . .BUT I DISAGREE. THIS IS A DIFFERENT LOOK AND APPROACH TO THE HORRORS OF THE HOLOCAUST.
AND NOW. . .FOR THE 2008 GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS. . .
THE NOMINATIONS WERE ANNOUNCED ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH. . .SOME OBSERVATIONS:
I'M GLAD AUSTRALIA WAS TOTALLY SNUBBED. .AS REFLECTED IN MY RECENT REVIEW. OTHER SNUBS INCLUDED WWII DRAMAS, VALKYRIE AND DEFIANCE. ANOTHER CURIOUS OMISSION WAS CLINT EASTWOOD'S GRAN TORINO. . IN WHICH EASTWOOD STARS AND DIRECTS, ALTHOUGH I'VE YET TO SEE THIS MOVIE.
I'LL REVIEW IT. . .SOON!
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON RECEIVED 5 NOMINATIONS. . INCLUDING BEST PICTURE, BEST DIRECTOR AND A BEST ACTING NOD FOR BRAD PITT.
FROST/NIXON WHICH WAS DIRECTED BY RON HOWARD, ALSO RECEIVED 5 NOMINATIONS. THIS IS NOT A SURPRISE. . CONSIDERING THE HYPE SURROUNDING THIS BROADWAY PLAY BROUGHT TO THE SCREEN BY HIM. HOWEVER, IN MY OPINION, THIS IS THIS YEAR'S VERSION OF MICHAEL CLAYTON. I BELIEVE THIS FILM IS OVERRATED AND DO NOT THINK IT WARRANTS A BEST PICTURE NOMINATION.
I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT FRANK LANGELLA'S PERFORMANCE AS THE FORMER PRESIDENT. I ACTUALLY BELIEVE MICHAEL SHEEN DOES THE BETTER JOB PORTRAYING THE FORMER BRITISH TALK SHOW HOST. ADMITTEDLY I HAVE NOT SEEN SOME OF THESE NOMINATIONS...BUT SOON WILL. IN THE CASE OF FROST/NIXON, A FORTHCOMING REVIEW IN OUR BLOG WILL REVEAL FURTHER DETAILS.
TWO OTHER FILMS. . .THE FOREIGN PRESS. . OBVIOUSLY LIKES: REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, STARRING LEONARDO DICAPRIO AND KATE WINSLET AND THE READER. . .ALSO STARRING WINSLET.
OF THE MOVIES I'VE SEEN, THUS FAR, CLEARLY MY PICK FOR BEST PICTURE AND MY FAVORITE. . .IS SLUM DOG MILLIONAIRE. WATCH FOR MY REVIEW.
THERE'S BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF HYPE ABOUT MICKEY ROURKE'S PERFORMANCE IN THE WRESTLER. . .AS WELL AS SEAN PENN'S IN MILK, BOTH OF WHOM GOT NOMINATED.
AS EXPECTED. . .BOTH MERYL STREEP AND PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN WERE NOMINATED FOR DOUBT. WHAT IS SURPRISING IS THAT THE FILM GARNERED 2 BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS NOMINATIONS FOR AMY ADAMS AND VIOLA DAVIS.
IN THE MUSICAL COMEDY CATEGORY, MAMMA MIA AND BURN AFTER READING ARE THE 2 LEADING CONTENDERS.
AS EXPECTED, HEATH LEDGER WHO DIED OF A PRESCRIPTION DRUG OVERDOSE WAS NOMINATED FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN THE DARK KNIGHT.
THE GLOBE CEREMONY IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 11TH. . .11 DAYS BEFORE THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS ARE ANNOUNCED. THE GLOBES ARE PRESENTED BY THE HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION. . .WHICH CONSISTS OF A GROUP OF ABOUT 85 CRITICS AND REPORTERS FOR OVERSEES OUTLETS.
IN NEXT WEEK'S ENTRY. . I WILL REVIEW FROST/NIXON AND SLUM DOG MILLIONAIRE.
LOVE YA' CLEVELAND!!!!
