A Previously Married Woman

I find it purely amazing that the film An Unmarried Woman was not only written and directed by the same person, but the fact that person is a man; Paul Mazursky. The realism of the conversations from the group of women drinking: at what seems to be mid-afternoon, are uncanny. Everyone knows that women talk and gossip a bit (I say “a bit” to spare myself from scrutiny). So when we’re listening to these women talk and revealing a whole lot, you start to feel uncomfortable, because it’s so personal. As they talk about other people and reveal a lot, you almost feel as if they are going to start talking about you. Because they aren’t holding back on what they’re saying just as they aren’t holding back on their drinking. The women reveal their previous marriage failures, marriages based purely on sex, affairs with 19-year-old boys and marriages that are barely holding together. Of course our main character, Erica: played by Jill Clayburgh, has a perfect marriage of 16 years as well as a daughter. All of her friends are envious and like her husband Martin too. Well if that’s not foreshadowing, I don’t know what is. Next thing you know, perfect Martin has been having an affair with a young little number for a year and Erica is throwing up on the side of a New York street. Leaving Erica no choice but to leave the P.O.S.

What really made me like this movie was giving the main character; who was a woman, power and self-worth. Although in the beginning she was distraught after almost 20 years being with a “soul-mate” ended. And starting anew was like forgetting how to ride a bike and re-learning. But she stayed strong and didn’t fall for the next schmuck just cause he happened to get her when she was down. I wouldn’t hesitate to say that she was jaded when it came to men; I almost thought this movie was going to take a lesbian turn. Even in the arms of a “real catch” followed by his smooth talk about pickled herring and great pick up lines (which sealed the deal that this was definitely written by a male), she still couldn’t trust him to have her heart. In the end what went around came around, as quickly as that old dumb man Martin picked up the young mistress; she left his old dumb ass. Fortunately there was no stupid turn in the movie when Martin came crawling back after being dumped. Erica didn’t say maybe, she didn’t give him one last time in bed or anything like that, she kept it real.

Now a little off the previous topic, but to add my feelings of the realism within the characters and the writing, I was able to connect with was during the therapy scenes. I just as Erica have felt the same feelings from going to a therapist. Looking for answers, telling them small nothings, and big some things only to find that they don’t really have the answer. You feel for a quick second a barrier that you can’t connect to them or not getting your message across. Start to think why am I here talking to you if you (therapist) don’t have the answers. Erica comes to a realization, even told, that she (the therapist) can’t live her life. Therapy is about self-realization, because nothing is more empowering to you and your well being than not only just figuring out your problems, but pretty much figuring them out on your own.

Dog Day Afternoon

I loved this movie, not only the fact it was a true event, but it was well portrayed. Now as to whether the way the characters were portrayed was true is a different story. But what really stuck out to me was how Sonny reacted to all the police. The large mob there to serve and protect with a gun in their hand. It was kind of ironic; they’re trying to keep everyone calm, especially Sonny and Sal, yet they have a hundred police officers in bulletproof vests, helmets, and all kinds of safety gear. You have to think who is really safe? Hopefully the Police are aiming to keep everyone alive, but couldn’t make matters worse with the unnecessary volume of police and guns. How can anyone remain calm with hundreds of guns aimed at you from every angle? Especially after telling them to put their weapons down, it took numerous yells from the lead officer. He practically had to physically force their weapons down. It seemed that shooting was inevitable, the police felt something was going it happen and they would be the one to make the move.
It was only appropriate that Sonny started to yell, Attica! Stressing the power-hungry police force. Simple men tasked with a large responsibility, keeping the peace, to protect and serve.

Saturday Night Febrile Disease: Douche bags, Dirt bags, and the Misguided Heart.

Please don’t take the title into consideration when I say this was one of the few movies so far that I was able to connect with the main character. Tony Manero was personable on the level of wanting to change his ways, to grow up and make something of himself. He saw himself wanting to grow apart from his old life and friends. Not that I want to leave my old lifestyle and friends as he did, but to start a new chapter in life. Literally his lifestyle and the path he was taking would have been the death of him and his dancing. I mean look at his younger friend Bobby C. was a prime example of the end result of their lifestyle and beliefs. He got a girl pregnant, had no clue what to do and ended up dancing on a bridge and falling off. Oh the bridge, across the way is another life and a different way with much opportunity. So don’t dance around on the bridge to opportunity and goof off, you might slip and fall.

Like to apologize for my late post, wrote it and forgot to post, let time slip.

Shaft is one bad mother(shut yo mouth)

One thing that struck me to be interesting, that really set that this movie was to emphasize the black hero Shaft, was through the audio quality on his lines. In an early scene where shaft is outside and his friend and colleague Vic Androzzi is chasing him down trying to find out why some guys are out looking for him. During this scene you can tell Shaft’s lines were re-done in post-production and Vic was left to the location audio. Vic Androzzi’s were full of wind and city ambiance making his lines next to inaudible. Whether Shaft’s original location recorded lines were even worse off and they didn’t want to spend extra time and/or money on over-dubbing Vic’s lines is another argument to be made. I also could be looking into this too deeply, as which most people could argue has been done about what Shaft really represents and as to why it was made.