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danmoses-3
Reviews
Peaceful Warrior (2006)
Very good, could've been even better
You probably don't need another synopsis, so I'll present this viewpoint....this movie clearly brought home its message, which I interpreted to coincide with that of many spiritual and religious practices - i.e. peace and happiness come from within and we must learn to live in the moment etc.. In that aspect, it accomplished its point. On the other hand, I felt some of the scenes were a bit contrived and over the top. Some of the visions, the "reflex" scenes, and some of the dialog were a bit much. Perhaps a little more subtlety would've made this a great movie for me rather than a good one. By no means am I an expert in meditation or Buddhist philosophies (or the like), but I have read a couple of books on the subjects. I view the matter as so pure in itself that any affected or overdone presentation of it (no matter how miniscule) gets me a little annoyed and makes me feel a bit unfulfilled. One might find a bit more fluffless approach in the book, Zen and the Art of Happiness, or in the DVD, The Secret Is There Are No Secrets.
Chibideka monogatari (1958)
Fabulous - for all ages
Growing up, I used to watch Kukla Fran, and Ollie's Children's Film Festivals on Saturdays and I believe this was the first film shown. It was so impressionable that, 30 years later, I searched far and wide to obtain a copy and STILL enjoy it as much as I did as a child. Skinny and Fatty is about friendship, courage and solidarity. The story takes place in Japan, where a fat boy moves into an unfamiliar town and finds himself isolated from his classmates. One boy (who's small) befriends him, but in doing so isolates himself from his friends. The film does an amazing job of getting the viewer to sympathize with the fat boy and at the same time feel for the skinny one, who is constantly encouraging his new friend. "You can do it!" he's heard telling his fat friend who can barely get off the ground while trying to climb the rope in gym. It's a great movie for kids, who are taught that being a nice person sometimes means not following the crowd or your friends. It's also refreshing for adults, who sometimes lose sight of these principles too. Just an amazing film - it shows what a filmmaker can do in 45 minutes if all the material is pertinent and excludes the fluff and special effects included in many of today's movies. Btw, if you want the toy in the movie referenced in the previous review, it's called Kendama.