Scarface (1983)

Entertainment Rating: C

For some reason I had no idea what this movie was about. I thought it was a traditional Chicago-style gangster movie, but it was totally different. I had only heard about how widely acclaimed it supposedly was and put it down on my to-watch list. Maybe, according to others, I missed the overall effect of it by watching the TV-edited version, but I tend to think I would actually deplore it after watching the original. I also learned, that it was never highly acclaimed, at least by Hollywood or major critics, it’s mainly it’s fan base that gave it its popularity, very similar to Fight Club’s circumstance.

How a movie like this and Frost/Nixon or Once can fall in the same MPAA rating is beyond me.

Moral Rating: 1

The one quasi-existant message that this story depicts is that all the money and power in the world will not bring you happiness and that doing/selling drugs will bring you down. Tony Montana even comments on the seemingly pointlessness of his life to his friend and partner, Manny, while eating at a restaurant:

“Is this it? That's what it's all about, Manny? Eating, drinking...? Snorting? Then what? You're 50. You got a bag for a belly. ... You got a liver, they got spots on it, and you're eating this [junk], looking like these rich…mummies in here.”

This next quote (same scene) is very reminiscent of Fight Club where Tyler interrogates Raymond K. Hessel and we see that there is greater freedom in knowing who you are and where you are going (though Tony didn’t have much of a realistic plan for where he was going, and in this regard he lied to himself - another connection to Fight Club):

“Tony: What you lookin' at? You all a bunch of [snobs]. You know why? You don't have the guts to be what you wanna be? You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your [fat] fingers and say, "That's the bad guy." So... what that make you? Good? You're not good. You just know how to hide, how to lie. Me, I don't have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie. So say good night to the bad guy! Come on. The last time you gonna see a bad guy like this again, let me tell you. Come on. Make way for the bad guy. There's a bad guy comin' through! Better get outta his way!”

If you’re tempted to watch it to see what all the fuss is about, stick with an edited version, but don’t go out of your way for this one. After doing a little research on the film and when it came out, it seems to have sparked nothing but evil (though there’s no scientific evidence for causation) - gangsta rap and all the street violence it glorifies. Ken Tucker, author of Scarface Nation said the following of the film:

“On the most superficial level, Scarface went from being a warning against the evils of doing drugs to a primer for thug life because being preached to is less exciting than being shown how to have a good time. …

People like rules, dictums, aphorisms, credos; such things are used as inspiration, as codes of discipline and honor. In the absence of either a legal system that served or protected the vulnerable -- whether we’re talking about a fictional Cuban immigrant like Tony Montana or a real young black or Hispanic youth scraping by in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Miami, or any big city -- the rules as set down in Scarface had an irresistible allure.

…[This is] one of those movies whose surface message was ‘Don’t do this!’ even as its action and subtext sniggered, ‘Isn’t this cool?’”

That last sentence really puts the film in perspective.  The movie is nothing but glorified violence and drug using.  For some reason Scarface is considered an ultimate guy flick, probably because of all the violence and mostly because of Tony Montana's ultra ego and machismo.  If that's what the ultimate guy is supposed to be like, you better check where the invitation to want to be like that is coming from.

Secondhand Lions

Synopsis

An irresponsible mother leaves her son with her two mysterious uncles with hopes that he will come across their supposed millions of dollars. While with his uncles, the boy learns the importance of belief and faith in things that the world generally scoffs at. In the end the boy must choose to continue the path his wayward mother leads him in or to stay and be raised by his uncles.

Entertainment Value - B

Great humor and fun story. Go out of your way to see this one at least once.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4

The whole mother leaving her son bit was rather disappointing. Not that all stories need to be happy, and maybe the "dysfunctionality" of this family is actually a plug for families to stick together so their kids don't get stuck with crazy old uncles (though the story actually seemed to say that this situation was better, so maybe it's trying to encourage external family members to step up to the plate to help family members in need.)

Part of Hub's manhood speech speaks volumes:

"Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in."

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Synopsis

Mr. Fox decides to step back into his old chicken-stealing shoes in order to give his family a "better" life. His ambition, greed, and dishonesty ends up affecting all of the creatures in the forest; he must figure out that his family is what is most important and not their lifestyle.

Entertainment Value - A

Great movie! Kids under 4 or 5 would enjoy it, kids any older may lose interest as a lot of the humor is mature (not offensive, I just think it's a humor that not even all old people would get). The soundtrack is stupendous. We found ourselves laughing quite a bit and I'm pretty sure this show will find it's way into our DVD collection.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4

[Spoiler Alert]

The father-son relationship is very well setup. We're presented with a neglectful and selfish father at first, but as he sees how much his son wants to be like him, he softens up and gives his son a chance. As the story progresses you see an enormous change in the son when he realizes that his father really loves him. A father must give his children adequate attention, respect, and encouragement to help them with the trials they encounter.

We also see the danger of falling back into old, harmful habits. Dishonesty will never be the solution to any problem. We should be happy no matter our circumstances.

The Informant!

Synopsis

Based on the true story of Mark Whitacre, a bio-engineer who stumbles across an international price-fixing scheme involving the company he works for, ADM. Mark secretly reports this information to the FBI and as time goes on, more crimes than just price-fixing surface.

Entertainment Value - B

Good show. Probably only rated-R to target the appropriate audience. This would be a bore for anyone under the age of 18 (and even a little slow for those older, including myself). The movie reminded of Catch Me If You Can, both told pretty crazy criminal stories about two different individuals and how they flew under the radar for so long. The music and acting were great, but didn't make up for a weak plot.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 3

The Informant! did a good job of showing the consequences of lying and trying to cover up the lies as they become discovered. If you try to cover things up, things don't get better or disappear. A right action doesn't always make-up for a wrong action, especially if that right action is by no means a restitution of the wrong doing.

Charade

Synopsis

Reggie Lampert must try to find the $250,000 her late husband hid before her husband's army cronies find it or kill her in the process.

Entertainment Value - A

This show had a great mix of comedy, romance, and suspense.  It was as good as any Alfred Hitchcock movie I've seen.  The actor line-up contributed to the enjoyment (Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, George Kennedy, Walter Matthau, and James Coburn).

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 3

There were several disturbing murders, but the overall message was very similar to that of the Treasure of the Sierra Madre - greed makes no one happy and can eventually lead to your demise (physical as well as spiritual).  It also can cloud your judgment, diverting your attention from what the real problem actually is.

I would definitely make an effort to at least see this once.  It may be a bit too much for a young audience.

Dial 'M' for Murder

Synopsis

A man will go to the extent of murdering his wife because of his jealousy and to get his hands on some money he would inherit from her. But what happens when his plan goes awry and the wrong person gets killed?

Entertainment Value - A

Great suspense movie. The best part is to see the how the truth unravels from the view of the head detective and watching the husband squirm.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 3

Some important things the show made me think about:

1. Being too busy with hobbies resulting in less communication with your spouse can lead to infidelity or just falling out of love with each other, making it hard to want to perpetuate the union.


2. It is important to be open and honest - she appears to have never told her husband that she had grown to love him more since he quit playing tennis (though her actions may attest to it, he needed a little more evidence of it).  She also could have mentioned that she was less interested in the writer. Had she been open and honest with him, he may not have tried to kill her.