Dennis the Menace, Raising Victor Vargas, Roger & Me
Dennis the Menace
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
This is one of those movies that I watched pretty much every day when I was about six years old, so I was glad to have stumbled over it on TV on a very noneventful day. Even though I haven’t seen this picture in over ten years, I was surprised to have remembered some of the dialogues to a tee, especially the witty exchanges between Dennis (Mason Gamble) and Mr. Wilson (Walter Matthau). I was also very amused with Dennis’ friends: Margaret (Amy Sakasitz) and Joey (Kellen Hathaway). Even though they’re little kids and have so much energy, they know just how much to give without crossing that line of disbelief. The movie feels very comic strip with a touch of slapstick comedy. In most films, such a style isn’t my cup of tea but that it’s exactly why I enjoyed this film so much; it’s about children which means accidents and slaptick are not apart from them. The movie is consistently very funny up until Dennis meets Switchblade Sam, the robber and villain of the story, played by a barely recognizable Christopher Lloyd. I thought a villain wasn’t necessary to the story because not only did it make the movie longer (and slow down a bit), it took away some time from the budding relationship between Dennis and Mr. Wilson. I would also like to note Joan Plowright for playing Martha Wilson with such sweetness. I seriously wanted her to be my grandmother. This movie will always have a place in my heart because it was one of the first American movies I’ve seen. When I was younger, I didn’t understand what the characters were saying (English isn’t my first language). But watching it again made me appreciate it that much more not only because I understood the film’s dialogue but that I was able to sense some of the more adult themes and undertones. “Dennis the Menace” is great fun but wouldn’t be the same without Matthau and Gamble.
Raising Victor Vargas
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
I liked this movie from the first to the last scene because it was able to provide a naturalistic feel unlike most independent and (especially) mainstream films. The dialogue is deceptively simple but as I was watching I realized that a lot of the people I knew in high school talked like the characters here. The main problem I have with the picture is that it lacked some sort of purpose. Even though I came to realize eventually that the filmmakers were going for an observation on the way the lives of the characters unfold, it didn’t completely work because it leaves most audiences confused regarding what the story is supposed to be about. Thankfully, the actors are charismatic in their own ways so I was able to stick with it without any problem. I thought the romance between Victor Rasuk and Judy Marte was effective because the film didn’t try too hard to make such disparate characters to like each other; the friendship between Marte and Melonie Diaz (I knew she looked extremely familiar and eventually found out that she was in “Be Kind Rewind”) was interesting because even though they do have their beliefs, they don’t always stick with them; Altagracia Guzman, as the grandmother, was really amusing and wise but the audiences eventually come to realize that she, too, is flawed like her grandchildren. This is an urban drama but a picture that is not melodramatic so it feels fresh. If one is into films that flourishes in natural lighting, acting, and script, this one is highly recommended.
Roger & Me
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]
Watching this documentary is like reading an extremely well-written essay. It starts off with a general but brief history of Flint, Michigan but it quickly got to the point: the effects of the layoffs of more than 30,000 people due to Roger Smith’s (and those of power) decision to shut down a General Motors (GM) factory there. One of the reasons why I love Michael Moore’s films is that they are able to give audiences various emotions despite Moore’s questionable techniques. This one is definitey one of the angriest and saddest documentaries I’ve seen but it also has its moments of genuine (if not bittersweet) laughs. Moore is able to present a problem in a clear-cut way, provide several reasons on why a particular issue is a problem, and what the citizens of Flint have done to resolve it (inviting celebrities, building hotels, shopping centers…). The director does this in several fifteen- to twenty-minute segments and it’s efficient because he’s able to cover a lot of ground. I liked the way Moore established the downward spiral of laying off people and the increasing of crime rates, all the while juggling the scenes between the sheriff and the citizens of Flint being evicted from their homes. I also found Moore’s use of contrast impressive: one minute the audience is looking at luxury/brightness, the next minute they’re looking at poverty/bleakness. It’s a basic technique but it’s very effective, especially if one wants to get the point across. It’s gotten so bad in Flint to the point where people are willing to breed rabbits, sell them as pets or as food. (There’s one horrifying scene when Moore actually continues to record a woman killing, beheading, skinning, and gutting a rabbit! As shocked as I was, I couldn’t find myself to look away.) Ultimately, this is a very revealing documentary that critiques corporations, not just GM. But at the same time I think Moore wants to teach us to question his own techniques and arguments in order to become better analytical thinkers.
