This weekend was beautiful and cozy and reminded me once again of why i love fall so much. Part of the cozy bit was watching several movies, all of which are pretty noteworthy.
On Friday we saw The Invention of Lying. I was really excited to see this film because i came up with the idea of an alternate universe where people haven’t evolved the ability to lie a couple of years ago. I contemplated writing some sort of script or book about it, but that sort of thing takes far too much patience for me and it never happened. Thankfully, someone else had the very same idea and turned it into a movie.
I loved the part about religion, of course. Surprisingly, i hadn’t even thought of that aspect of a world without lying. In the movie, there is no religion until the main character invents the lie, and subsequently tells a big fib about what happens after death. Everyone is overjoyed to hear that you go to the most wonderful place you can think of after death. It makes plenty of sense that they would be. But when the main character goes on to describe the “man in the sky” who decides whether we go to that good place or instead to a bad place, the headlines read “finally, a reason to be good.”
I don’t understand this bit. In a world with no lying, everyone would have to own up to the bad things they did immediately, and face the consequences right away as well. Wouldn’t there be plenty of reasons to be good in a world like that?
Anyway. Onward.
The characters were terribly flat. Apparently “no lying” also means “disclose everything” and nobody really has a personality to speak of. The chemistry between the two main characters wasn’t believable at all. The complete lack of graphic design in this universe rather confused me, considering that the fashion was plenty imaginative, and the characters are able to dream up images and talk about them. I decided back when i came up with this idea that there would still be acting and art if there was no lying. I feel like the movie hinted at the fact that life without lies would just be colorless and unhappy, but i think they could have explored the possibilities so much more deeply. The Invention of Lying is ultimately just another romantic comedy, and i think it could have been so much more.
On Saturday we watched Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which is one of Hayao Miyazaki’s oldest films. It’s older than i am, in fact. I think i first saw Princess Mononoke almost exactly ten years ago, which makes me feel slightly old. I read a few of the Nausicaa graphic novels not long after that, so the film has been a long time coming for me – especially since i never got to the end of the story. This movie was more similar to PM than Miyazaki’s other works, and i enjoyed it immensely. I think it’s now my second-favorite. If you like Miyazaki, post-apocalyptic stuff and/or really imaginative stories, watch this one for sure.
Finally, last night we saw Where The Wild Things Are. Knowing that the book is very short, i expected a lot of embellishment on the story. There was indeed much added action, and yet the plot was almost as simple as that of the original book. I thought it was funny at times and spectacular at others and imaginative through and through, but the wild things had strangely human personalities – and stupid ones at that. I felt like i was watching a childish drama play out among a group of trashy white people. Nothing was resolved at the end. Really, the movie took the book and added a bunch of loose ends to it. The most important thing was the way Max learned and changed while he was away from home – or at least, we can assume that he changed his ways upon returning. The film felt awkward at times, but it was definitely entertaining and somewhat thought-provoking, so i give it a thumbs-up.
And i believe that brings the total number of movies i’ve seen so far this year to forty-seven.
First of all i’d like to mention that i’m typing this in my brand-new WordPress admin, which will probably mean nothing to most of my readers but it’s something that makes me happy. Essentially, i’ve successfully installed an update to my (somewhat superfluous) user interface, and the sense of accomplishment it’s given me is exactly why i’m a web designer.
**SPOILERS!**
Nathan and i went to see “Bruno” last Friday. To give you an idea of how outlandish the film is, suffice it to say that they were actually checking each person’s ID at the theater entrance. It’s more suggestive than actually graphic, but its contents are enough to turn the stomach of any red-blooded straight man. Which actually makes it all the more hilarious to the female audience, in my opinion. See it while it’s new in theaters, ladies, and listen for the men’s reactions. 
I actually thought the naked fight scene in “Borat” was a little over the top when i saw that movie. However, it was used to present a contrast to the American way of life and to of course garner a reaction from passers-by, making it a doubly humorous scene for the movie audience. “Bruno” is composed almost entirely of this sort of awkward physical confrontation, and the film is a little less brilliant than “Borat” for that reason. It still manages, however, to take a telling glimpse at the dark underbelly of our country, even if, as Anthony Lane of The New Yorker points out, the chosen targets are proverbial fish in a barrel. It’s by no means challenging to expose the homophobia of the South, the bigotry of the Church, the phoniness of so-called “psychics” and the vacuity of Hollywood, but oh my god is it funny to watch.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s brilliance does shine through at moments. I was amazed to hear professional PR consultants talk about how hot the issue of “Dafor” is, and agree that it’s, like, near Iraq and stuff. I had to collect my jaw from off the floor after hearing a woman agree to make her thirty-pound daughter lose ten pounds in a week if it meant she’d get a modeling gig. I laughed at the delightful irony as Paula Abdul agreed to sit on the back of a latino man and then proceed to discuss her humanitarian efforts. “Bruno” may be more gruesome and less witty than “Borat,” but it was definitely the most hilarious movie i’ve seen in a long time.
Ahh, it was a lovely, lovely weekend. Saturday night Nathan and i got all dressed up and he brought me roses and took me out for a nice dinner before Grant & Renee’s semi-formal cocktail party. I’m still waiting on photos, but hopefully i’ll have something to show from that event before too many weeks pass. It was fun–i got pretty tipsy and said some silly things, but it wasn’t the first time.
Seeing each other every-other day just isn’t cutting it for us anymore, so Nathan and i went out again last night. We went to see Religulous, which was nothing if not entertaining.
Commedian Bill Maher says it’s time for we who doubt to speak up about it, so i suppose i’ll go ahead and voice my opinion on the film.
First of all, I’m pretty certain this film isn’t going to change anyone’s mind about what they believe. Religion is deep-seated, and I haven’t come across any particular creative work yet that i think could single-handedly change a person’s entire outlook on life. Atheists and Agnostics generally seem to think that the way they see things is so obviously correct that they fail to open anyone’s eyes by really exploring and working out the questions. Secular works tend instead to tout a certain point of view as fact the same way religion does.
This particular documentary, being conducted by a commedian, is certainly entertaining for those of us who already understand where he’s coming from, but i think the way the questions were asked was moreso poking fun at people than really trying to understand what they believe and why. He interviewed people who seem to take their religion to the extreme–Televangelists, the self-proclaimed reincarnation of Christ, a man who helps homosexuals become heterosexual (and although he was himself gay once does not believe that anyone is inherently gay), a man who portrays Jesus at a theme park in Israel, etc. I’d be interested in hearing more from the theologians and the average people on the street.
I’d love to see this movie turned into a television series, because i think that Maher made a good point in the end–that religion is really the cause of most of the death and destruction in the world–but didn’t illustrate that point thoroughly enough. It was a fun film that came to a sobering conclusion, and it seemed slightly disjointed. I see the connection, but it wasn’t really shown to me. The idea that people must be skeptical of religious ideas because of the tragedy that we really create or allow to be created in the name of God reminded me of Sam Harris’s book The End of Faith, of which i’ve only read a couple chapters. It’s a heavy topic, but horribly important.
Interesting points raised by the movie:
- Most people agree that the gospels of Mormonism and Scientology are ridiculous. God is a human being who lives on another planet..? There are aliens inside all of us called Thetans?? But we accept the stories of Christianity whole-heartedly: A virgin birth. Rising from the dead. Talking snakes and burning bushes. Aren’t those equally ridiculous?
- The story of Christ is older than Christ. It bears striking similarity to the stories of prophets of older religions. I’d never heard this before. A carpenter born on the 25th of December to a virgin performed miracles, had twelve apostles, was killed and then rose from the dead. Nope, not Jesus Christ, but an ancient Egyptian myth.
- Atheism is a luxury. When you’re in real peril–hiding in a foxhole, for example–you reach out for whatever gives you comfort, and in almost all cases that is God, in one form or another. A higher power. We who have little to fear may have the luxury of not clinging to something greater than ourselves. I’ve noticed this lately, but never heard it put quite this way. It makes sense.
Personally, i’ve seen and heard plenty that paints religion in general as being pretty much ridiculous. I agree with it, and apparently about 16% of people now agree with it. But i still feel like part of a very small minority that thinks that the idea of God or a great spirit or a higher power of any sort is probably also ridiculous. I want to hear people talk about the root of this thing, which is God. Is it really only fear that drives people to believe?
This is a classic, classic rant. Enjoy.