Thursday, December 20, 2012

Blessings #31

Bobby Womack - Bravest Man In The Universe (2012)

Deep in the heart of each person there lives a saint. This extraordinary being has the ability to see the potential outcome of any action and therefore responds in order to create value from any situation. Every decision made by the saint opens the heart, expanding the home until a precious beauty may be perceived. In another cavern there resides a demon that licks flames and embraces pain. This destructive force views each action through the lens of greed and hatred for the other. Thus, the choices made by this terrible presence is meant to consume until the home in which it lives crumbles into dust. These two forces, toward unlimited potential or absolute destruction, are constantly at war with one another and with each decision in life, depending on which being prevails, we either grow into dynamic human beings or we contribute to the devastation of the planet.


Rango - Gore Verbinski (2011)

There are some movies that are just supposed to be fun. Kids movies and so many of the films that reach the multiplexes fall into this category. Whether they actually are geared for family fun, such as a Disney film, or they fall under some other simplified genre film that isn't interested in pushing creative limits, most of these movies are pretty terrible. Even some of the movies that I thought were so great in my youth fail in so many ways now that they're perceived through my more mature lens. The main problem I see is that so many filmmakers think that fun equals dumb and if it's a film geared for family entertainment then it needs to fit into some simplified formulaic box that we've all come to recognize...and despise, at least in my case. But there are some really good filmmakers out there who are always trying to push boundaries, to be imaginative and provide entertainment that is truly something for the entire family; fun for kids and smart enough for adults. Gore Verbinski is one of those directors and Rango is one of those films. The plot follows a pet chameleon, voiced by Johnny Depp, who stumbles into many harrowing situations and must somehow find the courage to persevere through to the heroic end. Yeah, it may sound a bit formulaic but Depp brings his quirky attitude to give Rango a weird presence that matches his strange visage. It's definitely something different and it's refreshing to find yourself surprised by many aspects of the film, so that by the time you reach the generic ending you've discovered that you had a lot of fun getting there.

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