Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Gardens
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was pretty good. I thought it was a bit too long. There were some scenes that weren't necessary and could've been edited.
It's basically about a reporter from a NY magazine covering an elegant holiday party in Savannah, Georgia. The reporter was supposed to stay 3 days and then fly out. However, a murder occurred and the reporter stayed behind to cover it.
The reporter has a hard time getting anyone to say anything. He discovered clues and facts here and there, including one that the accused, a rich man, and the murder victim, a mechanic (Jude Law), employed by the rich man, were lovers.
Lies. Voodoo. A drag queen. Oh my!
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Garden State was an interesting movie. An introverted man, who is a struggling actor and a waiter for an Asian restaurant, returns home, after a long absence, for his mother's funeral.
This movie deals with many things that I think that many of us can relate in a similar way. Andrew comes home for the funeral. His relationship with his dad isn't all that great. He runs into friends and tries to re-connect with them, usually through partying. He meets Samantha at a hospital, who is a compulsive liar. He can't help it but like her. They develop a little thing of a relationship.
Throughout the movie, we start to see why Andrew was estranged from his family. His mother was a paraplegic. His father was psychiatrist. When Andrew was a kid, him and his mother had an argument that somehow landed his mother in an accident, which she became paralyzed. Of course, the blame is pointed to Andrew, who was 9 years old then. His father medicated him since. Eventually, they were able to lay their cards on the table and face the truth of it all.
I think this movie will appeal to those in their late 20's and in their 30's. It's something about estrangement and reconnecting, especially if you've moved away from it all. It's not only that but finding a little bit of love along the way.
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