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alexjb
Reviews
Hamam (1997)
an interesting film, but forget the homoerotica
In the US, this film is being 'pitched' as a film about sexuality. In truth, that is not the film's focus. The main character travels to Turkey and undergoes an unexpected personal transformation. Part of this transformation has to do with same-gender sexuality. But you will enjoy the film much more if you forget about that entirely, and let the story unfold.
I think that the film's main characteristic is that it is subtle. The main character is not shouting his confusion from the rooftops; the viewer is left to draw conclusions from glances and actions (or the lack thereof). Some self-reflection comes in the form of letters that his aunt wrote to his mother, with the implication that he feels the same way.
Steam, or Hamam, is about suddenly finding one's "home", and being willing to accept that discovery and embrace it.
Meet Joe Black (1998)
A good movie, though not fantastic
I thought that Brad gave a good performance, a lot of the film depended on his non-verbal communication of Joe Black's personality/innocence. Anthony Hopkins was good as well. I didn't like Claire Forlani or her character at all.
The movie is very long (3 hrs!) and a few plot parts are definitely drawn out. It felt as though it were about to end 3 or 4 times before it actually did. But overall, I wasn't bored or distracted, and it was fairly thought provoking.