Still Alice - Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland (2014)

          Well, this is a tear-jerker. While I was often swept away in emotion, I realized afterward that the moments that made me cry were moments of goodness, kindness, compassion, and powerful will. It wasn't the sadness of the story which brings tears, but the sweetness mixed with its inescapable realness. It's a difficult process to watch. I found myself wanting to turn away many times from her confusion, embarrassed for her. I often wanted her to stay hidden away so no one else could see her confusion and make a mockery of her. Throughout the story, before she is too diseased to say anything coherent, she expresses that the symptoms which cause humiliations do not represent her, but the disease. A powerful perspective on all mental health issues, but especially profound with Alzheimer's. I left the movie thankful for the knowledge, experience, and compassion it imparted to me. In addition to its insightful perspective on the disease, it also shows us what true family is - a group of people who lay aside their differences, disagreements, and fears for the sake of love.

Watch it.

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly - Julian Schnabel (2007)

          This was not an easy movie to watch. In the beginning, you feel as trapped and paralyzed and irritated as Jean-Do does. Throughout the film, though it seems like a heart-breaking story, what you feel lines up with the character's feelings, so that when he chooses to escape his body through imagination, you believe that his imagination really is a place of happiness for him. We become content with the life he's given and the view of him we're given through the film's visual and aural design. There's also a certain amount of lightness which is tied to the character and translated really well from his personality to the script and visual elements, so that despite the sadness of the story, we feel hopeful and okay, even if he doesn't heal.
          Overall, this film inspires me to go after the things I want to do and makes me thankful for the body and mind I have, one that despite its imperfections, is perfectly capable of taking advantage of the opportunities that come my way. What feels disconnected in the story is how Jean-Do is not a good man - he's a poor father, a player, and seems consumed in himself and his image. It's strange because his accident doesn't change him at all. He writes a book. That's it - he doesn't become a better father, partner or person. Because of that, this is a very small story, one that is interesting when you sit down and absorb it, but that leaves you feeling empty. It's honest - it didn't change the man he was in real life for the movie. Still, you wonder why you just spent nearly 2 hours with him, when from beginning to end, he's a tool. While you watch it for the experience, I think it's important to acknowledge the fallacy of praising an egotistical, uncaring person just because he had an accident and wrote a book by blinking.

Watch it... only because it's an interesting experience.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - Lorene Scafaria (2012)

          Now for a more light-hearted film, despite the fact that it involves the world's end. Like any romantic comedy type, this was cute and slightly heartwarming. While it doesn't delve too deeply into either character's emotional or mental realities, it does touch on the desire to be loved and safe and the fear of being alone, mostly the fear of being alone. Where most rom-coms focus on the desire, this movie focused more on the fear and how different people respond to it. Some (Steve Carrell's character) shut down emotionally and have to be brought back to life by someone else to feel, while others (Keira Knightley's character) outwardly freak out and acknowledge their fear and their desires. Others party hard and do things they would never do if the world wasn't ending. It's interesting to think about the times in which companionship really matters and how you don't have to be with a perfect person or in the perfect situation to feel safe and loved by someone.

It's actually a sweet movie. Watch it.

Every Thing Will Be Fine - Wim Wenders (2015)

          This did not come from the same mind that created Paris, Texas. I don't want to tear it apart, because I still respect the director, but this movie was missing that thing that makes Wenders' films what they are - the human quality. The characters of this story felt empty and unreal. One character experiences a huge loss and despite momentary spurts of tears, handles the situation too well. Why she does is attributed to her belief in God and a peace she receives from that. The character who caused this loss in her life is apathetic and distant from people, but he too doesn't feel like a real person. Even though we see the pain of the characters' experiences, we don't know them or care.
          I think Wenders made this movie too much about what he wanted to say through it. The story and the characters exist only as a tool in his goal to share the peace and forgiveness of God through a movie. I'm disappointed that after Wenders becomes a Christian, his movies change for the worse. Hopefully if he releases another, he will bring back that charm and delight he takes in each character and their stories.

Don't watch it.

Dear White People - Justin Simien (2014)

          I was scared to see this movie when it first came out. The title is pretty intimidating because I probably have things to learn about racism. As much as we like to believe we're not racist, that's simply impossible. In college, I had a professor explain that racism is not the same as prejudice, it just means viewing anything through the lens of race. Exactly what the word says, right? Then why does everybody claim they're not racist? If you're human and you have any contact with or knowledge of different race than your own, you are racist.
I was afraid of two things in watching this: being accused of things for which I'm not responsible and being stereotyped as someone I'm not.
          By the end of the movie, I certainly felt convicted for the ways I've viewed black people wrongly, but I never felt judged or mocked. This movie was one of the most gracious presentations of racism I've ever seen. I felt honored that someone who probably feels pretty pissed at how stupid white people can be chose to approach this subject without accusations or stereotypes. Also, a lot of the movie was about how black people view and label each other into different categories, some more acceptable than others. So the blame didn't rest solely on white people. For the most part, it was an invitation for black people to view themselves and each other fairly and not hold unfair judgments over them of what's an okay way to be black and what's not okay.

I highly recommend this to people who want to learn and grow.

Watch it.

Blue Jasmine - Woody Allen (2013)

          Hate. Woody Allen's such a waste of space in the film industry. Just go away already. When you commit to release a film every year, most of them are destined to be complete shit. I have no respect for this man or this film. Imagine the most whiny, woe-is-me, rich bitch yapping at you for two hours about her life. That's this movie. I used to like Cate Blanchett. She plays the part as well as anyone could, but it doesn't work, to the point where you want to throw tomatoes and boo her off the screen. She tries to make you sympathize as a character and as an actress. Again, it doesn't work.

Don't watch it.

The One I Love - Charlie McDowell (2014)

          The problem with writing about this movie (and probably the problem with its distribution and the reason it's not very popular) is that if I say anything about it, the experience is ruined. That alone should be enough to make people want to watch it. I can almost guarantee that this is NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT. I sat down to watch what I thought was a Sideways-type drama about the struggles of marriage with its snarky little comedic effects and awkward sexual moments. Nope. That's not this movie. And what it turned out to be was the kind of movie I actually enjoy, not just one I watch to learn.

Watch IT.