Stigmata, 1999

Stigmata, 1999
Director: Rupert Wainwright
Cast: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Bryne, Jonathan Pryce


Stage: home TV selection, late Monday night. A friend tells me to watch it, even though I am as tired as I haven't been in a long time. Bad girl :)


Stigmata in short: the face of the Virgin Mary on the side of a building. While there he hears of a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding tears in a small town outside of the city. Meanwhile, a young woman in the U.S. begins to show signs of stigmata, the wounds of Christ. The priest from the Vatican links up with her and cares for her as she is increasingly afflicted by the stigmata. Her ranting and raving finally begins to make sense to the priest who starts to question what his religion has stood for for the last 1900 years.


Preps: Third, fourth time? I have seen this a few times. I find a new interpretation each time.


Reality: This is a movie that questions belief and things we don't believe in. Also those we never thought of believing. A priest in the role of the messenger, mesia, an intermediate.. is to investigate Virgin Mary findings (showups) and on the other hand, weird Jesus signs on the body of an atheist, stigmata shown on Frankie.
I believe Father Keirnan is on trial. I believe he was chosen so the church could question his belief and put him under a test (which he fails in the end, based on my interpretation). He pursues the stigmata signs and tries to understand. On the other hand, a totally unchristiened woman, Frankie, doesn't know what is happening to her, doesn't believe it and at the end, she needs to accept it and adopt it.
It is a hard thing not to believe what you see. I am thinking all the time what would I made out of a scenario like this. I believe in something that cannot be named a god or be under a religion you can name or determine. Is it energy, I don't know. Maybe philosophy, wisdom, intelligence, energy, stars. But it doesn't have a name nor an origin. Nor can you see it in church of any kind. Now, this woman derives from the same environment, therefore it's even more interesting.. to watch her go through experience and think what would I have done being on her place. Anyhow, the movie depicts also the filthness of the church and some of its protagonists. The way you can abuse power and make everything revolve around your needs and selfishness. Not care for faith at all, as long as you are following someone's orders or ideals. It also shows clearly where can blind faith and trust in superiors lead. It is clear that for some of the catholic church the only important thing is.. clearly, only what is good for them and those in their circle.
Stigmata woman is only the messenger. Priest is on trial. However, the one that should be on trial, is church itself. Or the men that represent it in this piece. A good one, gets under your skin.


My personal rating: 8,0 (a good thriller/drama. You will think about the things you believe in and what is real/what definitely isn't).

Stigmata on IMDB

Pride & Prejudice, 2005

Pride & Prejudice, 2005
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Judi Dench


Stage: Home TV selection, Wednesday night after a hard working day


Pride & Prejudice in short: The story is based on Jane Austen's novel about five sisters - Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia Bennet - in Georgian England. Their lives are turned upside down when a wealthy young man (Mr. Bingley) and his best friend (Mr. Darcy) arrive in their neighborhood.


Preps: Well, I have seen this at least twice already, the first time at the movies and I loved it. I love the novel and wanted to see the movie badly. Now I am wasted because of a tiring day and it is a good news this is on TV.


Reality: It is one thing to dream away with the novel, but to see Darcy and Elizabeth for real on screen.. dare I say in the shape of beautiful Keira Knightley. I love to see her in cast because I am dazzled again and again by this woman's beauty. I absolutely adore the way she is spelling words, her accents in various movies. She doesn't let me down in Pride and Prejudice. I believe this is the piece of character that fits her like a glow. A drifted away dreamer, a pigeon among predators, an angel with brains between sheep. I believe the novel is so carefully written and so notorious that the director couldn't drift away from the reality of the book even if he wanted to. I am dearly grateful for all the copycat pages the scriptwriter did, because in this way you are dragged into the same feeling you had when you read the book. Especially if you were as fond of it as I was.
The setting is exquisite. The castles take my breath away. The devastation in souls of young women that only think of marriage and how they will settle somewhere and not be hungry for the rest of their lives.. without affection, definitely in most cases without love, arranged marriages.. they gave me shivers as I watched them. The poorness of the souls Elizabeth is surrounded is very profoundly acted. Judi Dench as the perfect nobless, aunt of Darcy, is brilliant. As well as Donald Sutherland, as her father. Being drifted away from the one you love even though you don't know yet you love him.. excellent energy among the main actors and the main protagonists.
I need to also compliment the wardrobe, because I am stunned by dresses, hats, ribbons.. the fashion selected by top crew flew me right into this time. Also all the selected words. It was as though we were reading poetry. I am still under impression and I feel in love. So should you, when you see this piece. Yearning for love shouldn't be such a pain as she feels. Even though she gets in the end her Hollywood story. It wasn't meant for anyone in that time.


My personal rating: 8,0 (a truly fine romantic drama/historical insight into the selection of given moments to dames way back in history. And love seeking, in the most poetic way. Proposal like you haven't seen in a long run. .. worth seeing and dreaming away).


Pride & Prejudice on IMDB

Dreamgirls, 2006

Dreamgirls, 2006
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Daniel Glover, Jennifer Hudson


Stage: Home TV selection, Sunday night


Dreamgirls in short: Detroit, the early 1960s. Curtis Taylor, Jr., a car salesman, breaks into the music business with big dreams. He signs a trio of young women, the Dreamettes, gets them a job backing an R&B performer, James "Thunder" Early, establishes his own record label and starts wheeling and dealing. When Early flames out, Curtis makes the Dreamettes into headliners as the Dreams, but not before demoting their hefty big-voiced lead singer, Effie White, and putting the softer-voiced looker, Deena Jones, in front. Soon after, he fires Effie, sends her into a life of proud poverty, and takes Deena and the Dreams to the top. How long can Curtis stay there, and will Effie ever get her due?


Preps: Hm. Beyonce? Eddie Murphy? The beginning scene draws my attention really fast.


Reality: Two oscars: for sound mixing and Jennifer Hudson. Perfect role for her, I must admit. I am not so convinced about the two main - Beyonce and Eddie aren't that perfect as I have expected.
This is a makeover of a musical and as such, filled with good music. This is the least you expect of one :) Apart from that usually it conveys a dream come true or a dream pursue of someone on chase for music, love or something extremely emotional. This piece pursues a dream of three girls coming to stage night after night without a success until they find a manager that turns them into a product. Takes a step beyond and selects one of the former back singers to sing front voice and chases top lead singer in the back. Thus, the rivalry becomes obvious, envy takes place and confrontations between three friends begin. Jennifer Hudson is brilliant with her interpretations and emotional approach, the director takes her safely home from every scene where she bursts out.
Eddie Murphy is taken in the back, after the three girls drift away from his cover. All in all I don't really appreciate his performance and would love to see him in different roles I am used to. I don't think he pulled all from this one. Undoubtfully the music is good, however, I am annoyed because it's quite obvious that everything is filmed with a matrix or without the real singing. I really despise that at any show., and I am quite sure that a movie can be made with a true genuine feeling and without playback. Here it's pretty obvious.

The story about fame and glory, its ups and downs. Its pluses and minuses. All the way. You will adore the music. And you will be on the watch for Beyonce. A fine dame, indeed. With a superb voice. However, this isn't a musical. Either make a musical or don't. This is a normal movie up to its third. After that, like the director couldn't make up his mind or was just reminded he was doing a remake of a musical. It's not a problem if this is not a musical. So make the normal movie. Just don't pretend you are supposed to make a musical and throw a few scenes just for the sake of genre.
You will adore the feeling of the 60ies and the music that goes with it.

My personal rating: 6,0 (good music, fairly good interaction between the actors. Especially if you are a fan of music, don't miss it. However, it's far beyond what you would expect from a musical).

Dreamgirls on IMDB