Seth’s World View

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – I never watched a Charlie Kaufman movie until New Zealand. I admit I kindof like Kaufman’s wierd movie scripts. They are different from the norm and have a certain charm and truth to them that many others do not. Eternal Sunshine is without question his best work. This movie has heart, and it shines through all the quirkiness. While I’m not a fan of Jim Carrey, he and Kate Winslet (with a great American accent) portray two very real characters, flaws and all, who manage to love each other. And if that’s not enough, Kirsten Dunst does what she does best, look cute.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon – Made in the 1970s, this is a story of St. Francis of Assisi. Before watching this, I hadn’t known much about St. Francis. He was a man who loved and sought to live out the gospel as Christ did. More than that, he was a man who amazed people just because they sensed his humility and love. Not many people have this in their collection, so had to add it to mine. I will also always remember the person who originally showed me this movie…

Open Your Eyes (Abre Los Ojos) – I liked Vanilla Sky, and didn’t realize it was based on this 1996 Spanish movie until I read the DVD cover. They actually have the same director, which is a plus. This movie is very well done and can more than stand on its own. The only reason it was ‘remade’ was so the story could be brought to a wider audience. If you are a fan of Vanilla Sky, you must see this movie.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead – My former roommate Joel had been in this play, and later bought the movie. He also was in another Tom Stoppard play, Arcadia (awesome play) while at college. Stoppard also cowrote Shakespeare in Love. RGD stars Tim Roth and Gary Oldman, as two minor characters from Hamlet. The tennis scene is classic. While not for everybody, if you like offbeat movies, you’ll love this.

Les Miserables (1998) – I’ve never seen the play, and I know true fans have mixed feelings about this version. I loved this movie though. This may be the best story of redemption I have ever seen, both in the scene with the priest and at the very end. The acting was also superb, with Liam Neeson, Claire Danes, and Uma Thurman.

The Usual Suspects – I saw this my junior year of college, having never heard of it and not knowing what to expect. This is without question my favorite ‘thinking’ movie. While it is a great view the first time, look away for a second and you miss something critical Watch it again and see something for the first time. It is a richly layered film, and director Bryan Singer’s best work.

Gattaca – I can’t believe this movie slipped through the cracks. This is one of the best sci-fi films ever. While most Sci-Fi fall clearly into the B-movie category, this is an A, for the story, social commentary, and acting. While not airtight, it raises some valuable questions about genetic engineering. Science fiction lets us deal with real questions that so-called ‘reality’ movies often can’t adequately deal with, and this one does an excellent job. Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law are are superb. I look forward to watching it again.

Little Women (1994) – If you go back a little ways in my family tree, we have the surname of Bronson. Go back a little further and you’ll find the Bronson lines split in a few directions. One of those lines would be to my distant cousin, Amos Bronson Alcott, father of Louisa May Alcott. Need I say more?