I hope you're in the mood for watching movies 'cause it's Thursday Movie Picks! Thursday Movie Picks is hosted by the wonderful Wandering Through the Shelves and if you want more information or start writing for TMP, you can click here.
As you can see, this week's theme is biologically related sibling! I'm kinda nervous because I thought it should be from different sexes. Turns out, it's okay from the same sex. I'm neither excited nor unhappy about this week's theme. Maybe because I'm an only child, my feeling toward sibling films is indifferent.
Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata, 1988)
Siblings: Seita (older brother) and Setsuko (younger sister)
1988 must be a great year for Japanese animation. Akira, My Neighbor Totoro, and Grave of the Fireflies in a year. All of them are animations but none of them tell us about talking animals or princesses who need to be save.
Grave of the Fireflies is the first film that makes me crying in less than 20 minutes. I don't understand why, because I know that GOTF can be too dramatic. After questioning myself again, I think it's because Seita and Setsuko are crushed slowly. They're not given a bullet straight to head, but in places that painful, yet not deadly.
The thing that makes me depressed is the fact that they are so young. They are not in the age to understand war and suffering. Playing dolls and eating sweets are what they should do.
The Others (Alejandro Amenabar, 2001)
Siblings: Anne (older sister) and Nicholas (younger brother)
Frankly, I think The Others is one of the most boring film I've watched. FILM, not just HORROR FILM. Even I, who usually worship films with twist, dislike this film. But, I think the characters are quite interesting and worth to be psychoanalyzed.
Anne (Alakina Mann) is a rebel and critical girl while Nicholas (James Bentley) is a wimp who accepts anything their mother (Nicole Kidman) said. I think the contrast between them is interesting because it's "gender-switch" or "gender-reversal" or whatever. Usually, it's the annoying older brother who tries to challenge tradition while the younger sister who either doesn't have guts or worship the tradition.
I love Anne's character. It makes the dynamic between her mother and herself interesting. Anne is also the key to the mystery, even though her mother ignores her and think that she's delusional. There's a chance that Anne is a symbol of modern and critical feminist, while her mother is an old-fashioned woman who is ironically, holds back her own "kind".
Shame (Steve McQueen, 2011)
Siblings: Brandon (older brother) and Sissy (younger sister)
Once upon a time, a girl fell in love with Michael Assbender, sorry, Fassbender. Then she watched Shame. She died in happiness after a few minutes.
Here's a fact, I only like Shame because Fassy. I know that Shame has great cinematography and story, but it's a boring film according my standard. I'm rarely a fan of a film with slow-build or a slow pace, especially with little exciting dialogue. Fortunately, Shame has the magnificent Mr. Michael Fassbender who is flowing with sexual appeal everywhere he goes. But, don't be tricked by my shallow comment. Fassy is not only flowing with sexual appeal, but also raw emotion and talent. Sigh, I can't believe George Clooney won over him in Golden Globes.
Luckily, Carey Mulligan is a very talented actress too. She doesn't let Fassy overshadow her in their scenes. The fight scene in sofa is the best scene in this film. It's even better than the marathon scene in my opinion.
