Did anyone see Yousuf Chahine's new movie The Other? It was an interesting view of terrorism and the problems in Middle East, but also, I think, took a rather good side swipe at all religions. There's a plan to build a multi-denominational place of worship in the middle of the desert, a shining beacon of hope and tolerance etc, etc, which we later learn is corrupted by money issues, and the image we'd been shown of various religious figures all blessing the area in their own distinctive ways, which at first had seemed sort of sweet and hopeful, ends up seeming ridiculous. I did seem some accusations that the film was anti-semitic, though - I would say it's anti-religion, but don't know enough about Chahine's work to really judge (the only other film of his I've seen was the really excellent Destiny).
By the way, I'd like to agree with Peter that Dreamlife of Angels was brilliant - and I think its ending was a far more chilling evocation of our dystopian future in thrall to technology than anything I've seen in The Matrix or any other movie of that type. Well worth seeing, but, eh, not a whole lotta laughs.
David McNally.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter K. [mailto:peterk at enteract.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 1:05 AM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Re: Best Movies of 1999 with Political Themes
>
>
> Nathan Newman:
> >Hi all,
> >
> >For something completely different, I was wondering what
> people's favorite
> >films of 1999 were (with the emphasis on political themes),
> since we did
> not
> >have much discussion there.
>
> I agree with your thoughts on Three Kings and American Beauty.
> South Park was fantabulous, especially Satan's musical number.
> I also appreciated the existentialist French kid who sets an
> example for the rest of us. Cradle Will Rock was inspiring,
> in - as you say - a propagandistic sort of way.
> I enjoyed Ruben Blades as Diego Rivera and the woman who
> played the head of the Federal Theater Project did a wonderful
> job.
>
> [snip]
>
> Dream Life of Angels - well done French film with outstanding
> performance.
> A compare and contrast with American Beauty would be
> interesting. Anybody
> see it?
>
> [snip]
>
> Go - thrillride with unsubtle pro-drugs message
>
Go was great.