Review: The Brave One

  Hi, Musing Matt here. I am nearing the end of a semester of college and my, evidently, masochistic teachers have been piling on the work that they will eventually have to grade. Therefore, for the next few weeks, I may not be able to post as often as I would like. That being said, I hove found myself with a bit of free time this week. I would like to take this time to do something a little more traditional that I haven't done yet. A movie review. Now, as I have already stated, I am a busy college student and I have little time or money to go out to see a new movie. I do however have a very large movie shelf and I find that putting in a good movie helps me concentrate. So, today's review is going to be something from my shelf. I'm thinking one of my favorites, The Brave One with Jodi Foster.

  I find it interesting how many of my favorite movies have Jodi Foster in them. The Brave One, Silence of the Lambs, Inside Man, and Panic Room are all counted among my favorite movies and I'm pretty sure that a lot of that trend has to do with the fact that Jodi Foster is an amazing actress. For every movie she is in she turns in a brilliant and solid performance. The Brave One is no exception.

 Story (In terms of spoilers, I won't reveal anything that the previews did not show.)
  The story is about Erica Bain. She lives in the city and has a radio program. For her show she collects sounds around the city and talks about her experiences in the city. She also has a boyfriend and things are going pretty well for both of them. Do you see where this is going? Her life gets turned upside down when Erica and her boyfriend are attacked while out on a stroll in the park. They are both savagely beaten and by some miracle Erica survives but she wonders how much of her actually did. In the city, where she once felt comfortable, she is now gripped with a paralyzing fear that she doesn't understand. In some effort to master that fear and get some control back in her life she goes to a firearms store to buy a gun which she uses to fight back against the city she thought she knew. From that point on the movie amps up the tensity as every interaction with her and the gun speaks volumes about how she is changing as a character. This is not an action movie. Anyone who pops a bowl of popcorn will likely not touch it. At the movie's core it is a revenge movie and the filmmakers could have left it at that and the movie would still have been good, but they took it further to really explore how Erica has changed and how her actions have effected her and the city around her. These changes are explored in detail in act 2 of the movie and it all culminates in act 3 where the tension soars through the roof and anyone watching can not bare to look away.

  Starring opposite Jodi Foster is Terrence Howard as Detective Mercer who befriends Erica in while investigating the recent string of vigilante killings that have been happening around the city. This doomed friendship really adds to the tension but also serves to flesh out the characters, so the audience can get a better understanding of who these people are. Both performances are compelling and give the movie a richness that just would not have been there if anyone else was cast for these roles.
  This movie is just amazing. Its about how to learn from the tragedies we experience in life and not let them control us. If you haven't seen the movie do so. I highly recommend it.

Technical Stuff (I won't get into to great detail here this is mostly a platform for making recommendations)
  The Brave One was helmed by director Neil Jordan, who's filmography includes Interview with a Vampire, Michael Collins, and Breakfast on Pluto, and it seems he was the perfect choice for this material because he captured the intimacy of the story, characters, and the city itself.
  The score was composed by Dario Marianelli, who compose the scores of both Brothers Grimm and V for Vendetta.

Chicken Flavored Hunger

  Hello all, Musing Matt here. I have had one hell of a busy week. I've had zero time to even consider a topic for this week. In fact this is the first moment I've had to breathe all week. So, this weekend, instead of a column, I'll share another poem with you. This one is called "Chicken Flavored Hunger." Its my reaction to post-modernism. I have often said that post-modernism ruined my life and I'm pretty sure that it ruined more than that. Its a love-hate relationship that we share. Anyway, I thought of this poem while I was on my break at work and it just flowed out of me.

Chicken Flavored Hunger

I close the microwave

with a hollow click.

My sustenance inside,

flavor packet aside.

Dehydrated noodles

and vegetables.

Make it look healthy.

I pass the recommended five minutes

staring at my shelf

full of movies.

What best compliments

my chicken flavored lunch?

Selection shouldn’t be difficult.

It only takes 5 minutes to eat.

I am pulled into the kitchen

by the loud beep.

Remove cover and empty flavor packet.

Squeeze and re-squeeze the packet.

Get all that flavor out.

Stir and recover.

Let stand for 1 minute.

I’ll go put my movie in.

I sit on my couch.

TV dinner tray before me.

Play movie.

Chicken flavored steam rises.

Its warmth greets my face

but I can’t eat yet.

Pause.

I need a fork.

See you guys next week.

Writing 101: Show Don't Tell

  Hi, Musing Matt here, today we're going to talk about the basics of writing some more. There is a literary concept that continues to be either overlooked or ignored by lazy/talentless writers. The concept in question is the idea of "show don't tell." It applies to all mediums of literature (we'll be focusing books, movies/tv, and games for the purpose of simplicity) and can mean the difference between top notch story telling and insulting the intelligence of your audience. The idea behind the rule is that showing the reader/watcher/player what you want them to know is more effective than telling them. The biggest offenders of the show don't tell rule are broadly aimed Hollywood releases and amateur writers. Interesting right?
  Each literary medium deals with the concept in their own unique ways. For books there is only one thing to focus on and that's the writing. All you have to do is make sure that you writing demonstrating what you're trying to get across and not simply telling them. It takes some practice and thought but its not difficult once you figure out what you're doing.
  Movies/tv, on the other hand, provide the easiest way to get this concept right, considering the nature of that particular visual medium. All you need is good actors, talented writers, and a director who knows how to work with them. Good actors can use their facial expressions, body language, and vocal tones to convey much more than just what they are saying (or not saying as the case may have it). Here is a simple example of this rule put in action:

 

Its Called Perspective People

  Hi, Musing Matt here and boy have I been busy. These past two week have been that time of every spring semester just before spring break. It is during this time that the apparently masochistic teachers try to cram as many assignments and exams as possible. But now its spring break for the next week and that means- diddly squat. I will still be going to work and working on assignments for school. The only difference is that I don't have to work quite as vehemently.
  Anyway, the topic for today is one that annoys me to no end. Ignorance. One of its more recent manifestations revealed itself to me in an article on http://www.escapistmagazine.com/. It is, among other things, a gaming news site and I spend a fair amount of time there. Last week I found the article in question and after reading it, I sighed then got really angry as the implications of what was said hit me. 

Here is a link to the article: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116231-Family-Values-Groups-Launch-Email-Campaign-Against-BioWare.

Writing 101: Story and Plot

  Hi, Musing Matt here and today we're going to talk about some basics of writing. But first, I need to digress a little. You see this is my fourth post and I have said very little to nothing about myself, and since I had a very busy week and was, therefore, unable to gather resources for a full article, this should help pad it out.

Steadman

  As you already have been able to suss out, my name is Matt. I study literature and writing at the University of Montevallo. I read a lot of books, mainly science fiction novels. Right now my favorite artists are Kurt Vonnegut, Issac Asimov, and Chuck Palahniuk. (Don't worry, Michael Crichton and Orson Scott Card, you will always have a special place in my heart.) My favorite artists are Ralph Steadman (http://www.ralphsteadman.com/) and Terry Strickland (http://www.terrystricklandart.com/). They have two very distinctly different styles but I enjoy both the photo-realistic beauty of Strickland and the harsh chaos of Steadman. I also enjoy a good movie. Some of my favorite filmmakers are David Fincher and Christopher Nolan and I've really been enjoying the films that Marvel Studios has been releasing. (Looking forward to "The Avengers" this summer.) There are other filmmakers whose work I enjoy but those two stick out in my mind the most. I play a lot of video games as well. My two favorite developers are Bethesda and Bioware. (Love me some RPGs) Now, to get a little more personal, I am a happily married man and my house is filled with cats, chinchillas, and dogs. My wife and I are both Christian and we try to show God's love to everyone. (Admittedly it is harder on some days than others.) Ok, that's enough personal info for now. I might divulge more later.

Something a Little Different

  Hey, Musing Matt here and we are going to do something a little different today. Since I have two mid-terms, two projects, and a paper due this coming week I will be spending this weekend studying, writing, and injecting caffeine directly into my veins. So, in lieu of a thoughtful and poignant column about the condition of art or a commentary on the products of the film industry I will share with you a poem that I wrote last year after I witnessed something that deeply troubled me...

Leaves and Acorns

by Matt Cox

I walk the ground.

The path of solid, broken bricks

is to my left

or right.

It all depends on where I’m going.

I walk the path,

only when it passes beneath

my close-toed shoes.

When I no longer need its support,

we part ways.

Maybe we’ll meet again.

The leaves of red, orange, yellow,

and green scatter,

as I scuff my way through them.

The acorns sound off

with a satisfying crack.

When immersed in their song

yesterday’s horrors seem gone

and forgotten,

but they remain

in every Fall- 

among the leaves and acorns.

  

When fertile autumn storms

announce their intentions,

caution gives birth to chaos,

and all pray they don’t become

it’s toys.

The twisted skeletons of the cautious

were carried away

but pieces of them remain.

Red bumper, green fender, and an orange side mirror

lie scattered across the highway’s left,

but it’s the right that ensnared me.

Two forms,

human in shape

but empty and still,

lay on wet asphalt,

draped in a yellow tarp

as if the dead desire dignity.

There is no rest from the dream,

leaves and acorns only sing once a year,

and wet stone provides no comfort.

  You all have a great weekend and try to stay safe out there.

Its Time to Start Thinking Instead of Screaming

  Hi. Musing Matt here and we need to talk about something important. Education. Not in general but focused on the study of literature in public schools and how important it is that we keep those kids reading and stop banning every book that contains anything remotely unpleasant. This is a hot button issue with many people and I will be approaching it from the angle of someone who has a great fondness and respect for literature and the wisdom that can be gained from reading.