Movie Roundup

Another weekend has gone by and so another movie roundup is due. These movies were spread out over the past week on TV and included one movie I was watching for a second time. There was violence, music and patriotism in this round. It kicks off with Lady Vengeance.

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) is a Korean film by a noted director I think is named Chan Woo Park but I could be wrong on that. At any rate, it tells the story of a beautiful young woman who goes to prison for a crime she did not commit. She is blackmailed into taking the blame for the murder of a young boy. After 13 years in prison, she gets to execute a long brewing plan to exact revenge on the blackmailer and real child killer. The movie is told in non linear fragments that make it a little hard to follow at times, though on screen explanations and a voice over helps to fill in the gaps. It is stylishly shot with a great feel for mood. The sweaty prison, shiny workplaces, decrepit buildings and cold snowy nights come to life to frame the pain and sorrow of the lead character.

I didn't catch the lead actresses name, but she delivers an excellent performance as the Lady Vengeance. She captures the sadness and anger of a woman who had everything taken from her while hiding behind an angel's face. It sums up the entire movie: The darkest impulses and demonic acts can be easily hidden behind aesthetic beauty. One last note, this movie has a lot of blood and is not for the squemish.

For lighter fare, I rewatched High Fidelity (2000) starring John Cusack. I had seen the movie years ago and was disappointed by the lack of empathy I felt for the main character. Cusack stars as a slightly miserable vinyl record store owner whose girlfriend leaves him. Losing his girlfriend puts Cusack into a depressive tailspin and he decides to visit his other ex-girlfriends to figure out what's wrong with him.

When I first saw this film, I was looking forward to it because it had to do with being obsessed with music and had an actor I thought was good. The story was more about how the guy was a sad sack loser, so I lost interest. This time, I found the character's search for self more involving for no reason than I'm older now and I guess I can appreciate such things now. I found the Cusack character's self involved whining and selfish perspective more relatable, though I don't know if that's good or bad.

Either way, the film still has impeccable taste in music. Ranging from The Kinks to Belle and Sebastian to Stevie Wonder, the movie plays the songs that fit the moods of the film perfectly. The ending credits with Stevie Wonder's "I Believe" is a definite high point. Good stuff!

Speaking of music, out of bordom I watched the Dixie Chick's Shut Up and Sing (2006) movie. I've never been a fan of the Chicks beyond their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" but that was due to indifference to their sound than any political motivation. It is an interesting piece of media study to watch the best selling Country group unitentionally take a career dive because of a political statement made in jest. Even more facinating is observing how the Dixie Chicks and presumably other successful entertainers live in such a vacuum from the rest of society that they can't get their bearings on what's really happening. For the first half of the movie, the band and management try to maximize their visibility and in some ways intentionally stoked the fires of public opinion that eventually burned them.

Agree with them or not, they and others have the right to free speech which is supposed to be one of the reasons we go to War. I think if they had a better fix on how people were reacting to their fairly small comment that was blown way out of proportion they would have played the situation differently. But, they found themselves in a predicament and admirably stuck to their guns in their fight for free speech even though it meant losing much of their fan base. It's mind blowing to see the band not only be publicly hated but receive literal death threats over the issue.

Now they're the opening act for the Eagles and trying to reposition themselves as Country Rock. It's not often you see the cost of freedom come with an actual dollar amount. But the Chicks are "Not Ready To Make Nice" and it seems even the shift in public opinion on the War will not bring them back. Who knew a band that sang about killing obnoxious husbands or wide open spaces could be so political?