What are you currently watching on DVD/Video and at the Movies?

[Mara]

This movie really deserves to be seen by anyone who considers him or herself a romantic, in the classical sense of the word. It is about angels, and specifically, an angel who desires to become mortal so that he may fall in love with a woman. This is the original German film directed by Wim Wenders, not the second-rate American remake.

It is a gorgeous, philosophical film about love, and the beauty, and tragedy, of all humanity.

Must-see. Anyone else here see this one?

[Nancy]

Hi Mara,

Yes, I have seen Wim Wenders classic film, "Wings of Desire". There is also the incredible fantasy photography of the angel in the film standing on a rooftop, with back to the edge of a skyscraper, and huge wing expanse falling below the edge of the building. There were a rash of books on angels in the 90s, some very good -- going through ages of angel folklore. One in my library has this photo from "Wings of Desire". It is breathtaking.

"Wings of Desire" is a subtitled foreign film masterfully done and the subject treated with seriousness and angst. The angel looks with envy on the humans he is sent to help. He wants to eat food. He wants to love a woman. He wants a mortal's physical life. Most of the time we humans take for granted the comfort and warmth of being alive and in life, blood coursing through our veins, in a physical body.

"City of Angels" is the remake, not as well done, but still interesting. It takes place in modern day Los Angeles, and stars Nicholas Cage as the angel and Meg Ryan as the woman he desires. A lot of the film treatment done in "City of Angels" is very good. Nick Cage is a mournful angel who is undeniably attracted to young doctor, Meg Ryan. There are interesting and slightly spooky film tricks done as the angel makes the mortal's acquaintance. "City of Angels" falls just barely short of excitement as the angels are around and about doing their work, dressed in all black, for some reason. An angel's life is made to seem very forlorn and cold, without much emotion as we human's know it.

In both "Wings of Desire" and in "City of Angels" my favorite part is when the angel, "takes the plunge" so to speak, and dies to himself, --to live. This symbolically has a very deep spiritual meaning.

Both films show the deep comfort we have in life to be in our physical bodies, having food and warmth, comfort, and feelings.

Yin and Yang,
Nancy

[Mara]

Thanks for the beautiful thoughts on my favorite film, Nancy.

Appreciate it,

Mara

[Swissli]

Highly recommended:
"What the bleep do we know" on quantum physics and how everything we thought we knew is put to our own test :-)
http://www.whatthebleep.com

Another movie that you should see on the 29th or 30th of January 2005 all over the world is:
"Indigo, the movie", about Indigo children
www.indigothemovie.com

In peace and light
Li

[Rafflesia]

I absolutely loved the movie Finding Neverland. A great movie about how to live and how to die; both with attitudes of great love. It didn't harm the movie either, that it had an excellent cast, luscisous costumes, and creative scenes to reflect imaginitive processes.

Another movie I really liked, that I saw this (still relatively new) year was Motorcycle Diaries. The beautiful backdrop of Latin America was a central character. It also have inspirational undercurrents about all people deserving the basic right to hope in life; regardless of their social class or degree of health. The characters spoke about thee need for a greter sense of fraternity throughout South America, but this idea can easily be applied to the world as a whole, sicne the story explored the awakening of counscious for the central characters as they explored countires in South America, and today it is much easier for us than it was for them to be conscious not only of people in our neighboring countries but in the world as a whole.

[DearTabatha]

I would definitely have to disagree that Kill Bill thrived completely from the violent scenes in the film. First of all, most gory horror films have absolutely no plot, or generally something so overused it's not even worth discussing, and the violence is for mere shock value. Tarantino's reference to the "ultra-gore" Japanese films that have been widely popular in the past 5-10 years is used to the benefit of his hilarious dialogue (basically as a nod to Japanese cinema, too). Plus, if you're a fan of old samurai films, the plot fits right in.

Maybe I'm just defending the violence because I loved the movie; definitely a film that has its own place away from the garbage heap of American cinema that we see today -- think of it as an "art film." Or not, but it sure beats "Boogeyman."

[Klara]

My eyes are still red from so much crying - just finished watching Dancer in the Dark - weird with all the drama suddenly broken into with fanciful musical day dreaming on part of the lead actress - but left with the strong sense of so unfair - she so undeserved to have her life unravel like that - and the music/dance part of it played havoc with my emotions next to the tragedy - was so so hoping some element would come and save her - but stupid money was the downfall of it all - yet her keeping to her higher ideals puts her as a true tragic heroine - I"m assuming you can do a search on the net to explain the plot better than I - but if anyone replies they couldn't find it on the computer, I will give it a try.

So if anyone has seen this movie (I'm still trying to make sense out of it, other than it's a tragedy, almost Shakespearan) please shed more understanding for me.

Klara

[azulparsnip]

Haven't seen that one yet. Life is Beautiful with Alberto Begnigni made me cry like that. I have been hesitant to watch it again though it is a wonderful movie.