I haven't been watching nearly as many movies as I used to this past year or two, so I was really happy to be able to catch three movies recently that I really enjoyed. I got all of these from Netflix on DVD; I still have a DVD plan (along with the streaming option) because lots of movies are still unavailable through streaming.
The first movie in the queue was Kill Your Darlings, directed by John Krokidas and starring Daniel Radcliffe. It tells the story of young Allen Ginsberg's freshman year at Columbia University when he met and befriended Lucien Carr, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs. His relationship with Lucien was complicated by the presence of David Kammerer, an older man who was obsessed with Lucien. When David is murdered and Lucien accused of the crime, Allen has to decide whether and how to help his friend defend himself.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics gave Kill Your Darlings a 76% rating, and the audience rating was even lower, at 60%. However, I really enjoyed the movie. The acting was very good, and I appreciated seeing how these fascinating characters were portrayed on the screen. I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in the early days of the Beat Generation.
Wadjda was the second movie that I watched recently. Written and directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, it tells the story of a young girl (Wadjda) who yearns to buy a bicycle so that she can ride with and race alongside her friend. She makes and sells macramé bracelets and runs errands to save money for the bicycle, but it's taking too much time for her to reach her goal. When she finds out that the first prize for the annual Koran contest would be enough to purchase the bike, she joins the religious club and begins studying the Koran. The movie shows the challenges she faces, including the school principal who doesn't trust her; Wadjda's mother, who discourages her from wanting a bike; and others who are skeptical about the prospect of a girl riding a bike. Her mother goes so far as to tell her that if she rides a bike she won't be able to have children.
Wadjda was a popular movie according to Rotten Tomatoes, with 99% of the critics and 89% of the audiences liking it. I agree with their assessment; I really enjoyed the movie and appreciated seeing the Saudi Arabian culture and setting (although seeing the injustices against women made me angry). The movie is serious, yet funny and charming. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes foreign films (i.e., subtitles) and films about someone overcoming adversity.
The third film that I watched recently was a documentary called For No Good Reason. Directed by Charlie Paul, it tells the story of Ralph Steadman's work, primarily alongside Hunter S. Thompson. Johnny Depp visits Steadman at his home and studio, and Steadman talks about his work and shows Depp (and us viewers) how he goes about his creative process. Steadman began working with Hunter S. Thompson in the 1960s when he accompanied him to the Kentucky Derby. Thompson was developing a style of journalism now known as gonzo journalism, in which the writer immerses himself in the story to the extent the he becomes part of the story. Their project resulted in a story published in Rolling Stone called "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved," and resulted in a real partnership between the two that lasted many years.
For No Good Reason fared poorly on Rotten Tomatoes, getting only a 62% approval rating from critics and 57% by viewers. I disagree with their low ratings, finding that the documentary was very revealing about Steadman's creative process and how he came to participate in some fascinating cultural events. When I was a college student in the early 1980s, Hunter S. Thompson was a staple of my recreational reading activities. I started with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and moved on to Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail (which I didn't finish; I guess I ran out of steam). Having been so interested in their collaborations in the past, I found the documentary interesting and thought-provoking. However, it might have been a stronger documentary if it had been a more traditional documentary about Steadman and his career. It's basically a collection of anecdotes, but it just left me wanting more. And yet I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the subject matter.
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