Hey guys! In my previous posts I wrote mainly about movies that were not based on novels, but were strictly screenplays. Usually I prefer the book rather than the movie based on it, but this week I am here to review a movie, another classic, that is based on a novel. The art work, the costumes, the director and the acting skills in this movie are amazing. So here, a pretty old movie, but nonetheless worth to watch; Clockwork Orange.


I will be completely honest with you, I was not sure how I felt about this movie the first time I watched it, most likely because I was too young. If you can’t stand violence, will get triggered from a rape scene, and of a weak heart.. DO NOT WATCH IT. This movie is not made to make you laugh, but to question yourself, humanity and also question authority, how the government works and so on. You will leave this movie with a slight trauma, but with a mind full of thoughts. In Lucio’s words (from the video game-Overwatch) Let’s break it down:



The movie, created by the very famous Stanley Kubrick, and it is an adaptation to a novel of the same name, by Anthony Burgess. It is a crime movie, that displays a dystopia- hence highlighting all the problems in the society and showcases them in the ‘extreme’.

The Plot- (again without spoiling too much for you guys)

The movie focuses on Alex DeLarge, a leader of a gang named “droogs” (sounds similar to the word friends in Russian), that consists three more young men and is set in futuristic Britain. In the first part of the film, it follows the horror and the crimes they conduct, I find that the first half of the movie does everything in it’s power to make the audience hate Alex, and wish for a terrible ending for him. But as the film progresses the viewer begins to find empty towards Alex, because later he becomes the ‘victim’, mainly by the authority, his past victims and even his past gang members. I don’t want to get in to too much detail to not ruin the movie for those who did not watch, so I will try to cover some important themes from this movie.



This film is fulled with deep social and psychological meaning, so.. as I have said, don’t watch it, if you think you won’t be able to process it, or if this might trigger you.

Kubrik’s use of colours in the movie, especially the white colours, is astonishing, and very aesthetically pleasing. The white milk (laced with drugs) the droogs are drinking, the white outfits they are wearing, the white make up, white light, white cats and spit. Every shot is filled with contrasting colours that take my breath away, Alex’s dark black lashes on one eye, that contradict all the white, their black hats, and boots. Also the bright artificial colours are also a theme that repeats, which is suitable if we think about the name of the movie and the novel, the bright colour of an orange makes an appearance throughout the film, through different verity of vibrant colours. With the whites Kubrik manages to emphasise the futuristic vibe of the movie, and combine an eye pleasing film, even though it is filled with violence. Speaking of violence,

Dogma, another art piece I consider as a must to watch. I’ve been a long time fan of Kevin Smith, and I enjoyed his other films, such as mall-rats and Chasing Amy, but Dogma was the movie that really managed to make me fall in love with Smith and his ideas. So.. Let’s start our engines and talk a bit about this movie; again I will do my best to avoid including spoilers, for these of you who haven't watched the movie. (Also now is a good time to watch it)


dogma ˈdɒɡmə/Submit
noun
a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.
Origin








Dogma has a full-on all-star cast, even though the main role is actually a bit less known the rest. So this movie provides a lot of good acting, a brilliant full of humour and deep thought script, and of course a lot of Kevin Smith. Dogma somehow combines toilet humour, shallow humour, and perverted jokes with witty jokes, highly intellectual puns, and thought provoking humour. Smith himself describes the movie as "a bizarre mix of lowbrow jokes and highbrow concepts and then vice versa.” Ben Aflek, one of the actors in this movie has said that the movie is “a rumination on faith. With dick jokes.”




The greek origin of the word Dogma is to think, and this movie provokes exactly that, a lot of thoughts, a light comedy that aside from a stomach ache from laughter also leaves the viewer in deep thought. In my opinion, this is exactly the definition of a quality movie, and a quality comedy—> somehow manage to laugh about religion and poop, and then be stuck deep in thought.

The plot-



The movie opens with Cardinal Glick, played by George Carlin (a great way to start a film, with this brilliant comedian, it’s already almost a guarantee that the film will be amazing), deciding that is is time to give Christianity a ‘Face lift” and create a more papular representation of Jesus with the “Buddy Christ” , he also declares that during the festivities of the new changes, anyone passing to the arch of this church in Jersey will receive a planetary indulgence, therefore they will be clean from every sin, and so their way to heaven will be insured. This causes a series of events when two fallen angels (Ben Aflek and Matt Damon) are trying to get there, and find their way back to heaven— but doing so they will cause the world to stop existing, since they will ‘prove’ that god was wrong. And here comes our main character; Beathany (Linda Fiorentino), a Catholic abortion clinic worker, get’s contacted (in the most hilarious encounter ever) by the angel Metatron (Alan Rickman), he sends her to a crusade, to stop these angels, and tells her that if she will choose to help, she will get the help of two prophets. A scene later we are introduces to these ‘prophets’ and they are Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), Jay and Silent bob are reoccurring characters in Smith’s movie, and they are both extremely funny, and along side Chris rock, (that joins the crew as the 13 apostle, who is there to help, and to fix mistakes in the Bible, such as the fact that Jesus was black), the movie is just pure comedic situations. Later we will have Azreal (Jason Lee) a whiny demon, that helps the fallen angels, or at least tries to, Serendipity (Salma Hayk), former muse turned stripper, that joins the good guys with stopping the angels, and we even might get a glimpse of god, that according to Smith is actually a woman. So between jokes and religious discussions we have a black Jesus, God is a woman, and sex exists as a joke.




Smith somehow manages to joke about the church teachings but also take them very serious simultaneously. Smith himself identifies as a Catholic man, and he sees this movie as a way to provoke thought but also- it’s all about the message, like the 13th apostle tells Bethany, he considers the movie as god-loving, and his way to celebrate god. Nevertheless, this film cause an outrage when it’s only came out, and a lot of Christian protests, people called the movie as blasphemous. Here are some articles about this:


Objections To A Catholic-bashing Movie

Catholics Go To War Against Miramax

`Dogma' Premiere Dogged By Protests At Local Theaters




I find this movie, especially for the year it came out, extremely refreshing, with discussion of feminism, when even a chauvinist like character, as Jay, claims that a woman has a right to her own body. And when God described as a woman, and Jesus as a black man. All these things just add to the depth and charm of this film.




Additionally, the work on the small details is something I enjoy very much in films, it makes me return to the movie and notice more and more details every time. For example:


The nun in the back-
In the beginning of the movie, Luki (Matt Damon), one of the fallen angels, convinces a nun that she should live the moment, and not believe and god, he gives her quotes from Alice in Wonderland to convince her, and after it seemed like she is convinced, and leaves, he is talking to Bartelby (Ben Aflek), who shows him the loophole that might take them back to heaven. While the two keep talking they are walking around the airport, but if the viewer will focus on the background, you can see the nun from the beginning of the scene running around and going completely insane. It took me a few times of watching the film to notice it, and I must admit I laughed hysterically.


Guys I know I keep saying this, but really if you love to laugh, and if you enjoy depth, go watch this movie! Like right now, you can even find it streaming on YouTube. God knows (haha get it, cause it’s a movie about god) that I watched this movie like 3 times in a row while writing this post. And I keep thinking about how everyone should have as much of a good time as me. Also Kevin Smith is a weird genius, who fan fact- names his kid Harley Quinn, insane right? But also brilliant.. Also if you don’t know who Jay and Silent Bob are, you should learn now! And if you do know, but haven’t watched the film, watch it because it is so different from the other films they starred in before. The dialogs in this movie are well thought, and there is so much back and forth between the characters, there is no one dull moment. So go for it! Watch it, and I’m not even sponsored by Kevin Smith or anything, even though I should with how much I’m pushing you guys to watch it. He can give me some royalties for the next few views, no? Don’t you think? Ok I think I am going to watch this movie one more time :D I hope you guys had a great weekend and you all are on the way to watch Dogma.





Edit-
I kinda saw Jason Mewes at FanExpo, Kevin Smith kinda bailed haha, you can see the security pointing at my selfie taking talent and later told me to get away a bit, but pictures were taken anyways.

This week, I have decided to, once again, focus on one of my favourite films. So, get some kleenex
ready, because this one always makes me sob like a little baby, and then think about love, life and destiny. The notebook! Ha! JUST KIDDING. You will cry if you will watch this next film though,

ETERNAL SUN OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

(Also this gif of Joel.. It's literally me every exam period.. just saying)

There are a lot of different love stories i film; in comedy, in drama, and even in horror. This film, manages in my opinion to combine it all. Michel Gondry, the director and co-writer of the film, captures the little moments, the tenderness, the sadness and the madness of a relation ship, along with combining a lot of thought and emotion provoking elements, and how technology can be used to interfere with nature, and to the end result of such intervention. This film is a comedic drama and Sci-fi. The movie is filmed in a brilliant way, with the use of "old school" effects that seem effortless, creative symbolism, and different filters that move the mood from depression, gloominess and melancholy to joyful and loving to lustful and to nervous and frantic. All this is done in a unique and quirky way that pushed me to fall in love with the whole piece and the characters from the very first watch. Love at a first watch. Eternal sun of the spotless mind is a very intellectual film, and I am a person who enjoys greatly to pounder about what I have read or watch for hours after experiencing it, this film definitely provoked a lot of thoughts (and tears), therefore, I definitely suggest if you haven't watched it yet, please do.

So let's dive in in to the movie itself, and talk about it in more detail.