Jesus' Son

I was very unsure of what to expect from the movie Jesus' Son. When I was told that it was presented in the style of multiple vignettes meant to symbolize the author's journal entries I was worried that the stories would began and end with no rhyme or reason as that have been my experience with that type of movie before . However, despite the jumping back and forth through time there still seemed to be a solid progression and structure to the story with a discernible beginning, middle and end which I appreciated. Though I never really felt that I get to know the characters very well, I mean the background and the series of events in their lives that lead them the point in which they enter the story, and yet I never felt that this hindered the story any.
During the introduction of this movie we were told to be on the look out for religious undertones that would be present through out the movie. Two such instances that stood to me were first the scene where F.H is riding the train in Chicago and gets a feeling from another passenger. The way he first reacted to this man made me think that perhaps this character is supposed to be a symbolic Satan but then at the laundry he removes his shirt and shows a Christ inspired tattoo that in the moment seems to make F.H feel as though he has just meet Jesus. I thought that perhaps this was done because F.H might have been feeling a sense of loss after his girlfriend Michelle died and this was how the filmmaker was letting us know he was going to be alright. The second instance was the scene is towards the end when he is working at the nursing home and time seems to pause and only start up again after he touches the residents.
As this film was taken from the journal writings of a heroine addict there are an abundance of scenes having to do with drugs. The ones that stood out to me were those that had Jack Black in them. I mean addiction is a serious subject but the way that Black acted out the scenes makes you not focus so much on the fact that what is going on is bad or dangerous you just sort of go along for the ride. Furthermore, the interaction between Crud and Black was just funny and I enjoyed it.

Eve's Bayou

After watching Wanda and Marianne and Julianne I was some what unsure of to expect from the next movies we would watch. However, I found Eve's Bayou to be a very pleasant surprise. After two movies that were so difficult to get interested in or maintain an interest in I was so delighted to watch a movie that seemed much more modern in its storytelling approach. I was so engrossed by the story that I forgot to look at the clock (something I found myself doing very often during the other films) until the movie was nearly over. I found myself holding my breath or clenching my fists during the suspenseful parts a welcomed change from the sense of disconnection I have felt in the past.
It has been argued that a lack of involvement in the story as a viewer shows that the film is not your typical Hollywood drivel, that it has more of a purpose than to simply entertain, that it is meant to make one think. However, I think that the fact that I was so entertained and still woke up the next morning thinking about the deeper message of the film only shows how well written, directed, and acted it was.
I enjoyed the story line of this movie despite its difficult undertones. This movie combined elements of an adolescent Oedipal relationship between father and daughter with elements of the mystical. Despite the negative subject matter the story is presented in a way that it is not off putting to the viewer and one can still care about the would be perpetrator. I felt that this was certainly a movie I would recommend and watch again and I will certainly be looking for more movies by this film maker.

Wanda: The disappointment

After watching the movie Wanda I have to say that I was very disappointed with the movie. I would like to think that I am a fairly open minded movie goer, one that is not opposed to watching "experimental films" however, I just had the most trouble following this movie. I do not meant that the plot was difficult to follow I mean the basic plot was a desperate woman with nothing to lose getting caught up with a petty criminal. What I had trouble understanding was why make a movie like this in which there seemed to be little character development and no resolution in the end. This movie fails to answer these questions and left me wondering what was the point.
In order to get the point of this movie one has to read what has been written about the movie by critics and fellow director. The point seemed to be that Barbra Loden made this movie as a window into what she was feeling in the seventies as a female director in a male driven occupation. Hence the feeling of not having a place to belong and just taking what is given that is ever present through the movie. Knowing this does allow me to understand the movie a bit better and appreciate it for this intent but that does not make it a movie I would chose to watch again.
I wished that the movie had a character I could identify with or at leaf feel sympathetic toward because then I could have felt for her and rooted for her to make the right decisions. However, because of the lack of likability I just found myself uninterested and staring at the clock. This reaction is such a disservice to a movie that has an important message but what good is it if the audience is never able to get interested in the film enough to care.