Change Your Image
beenit
Reviews
Gunner Palace (2004)
Fair and balanced -- REALLY
The first thing I will say about this documentary is that regardless of your thoughts on the current war in Iraq (or the current influx of anti-war film propaganda), this is a movie you should see. The material is presented in a non-partisan manner, allowing for the audience to draw its own conclusions.
The film follows soldiers who call Gunner Palace home. Gunner Palace is one of Saddam's son's abandoned, bombed out, former residences. These soldiers are shown doing their duty on a daily basis, whether that means checking a carelessly tossed garbage bag to see if it's a possible explosive, or doing routine intelligence follow-up by raiding suspected bomb-makers' houses.
Some of the scenes are hard to watch, though the viewer is spared from any gratuitous violence or gore. There are scenes of soldiers spending time with local orphans and introducing them to the finer points of American pop culture, shots of suspected terrorists being brought in for interrogation and footage of local Iraqis being trained by (American) soldiers to defend their own homeland.
Most scenes are impactful simply for their ordinarinessthe boredom and repetition that come from keeping the peace and trying to rebuild a nation who, for the most part, doesn't want your help. While the work can be intense, it is also slow and steady, done by many who are just out of high school and outside of their hometown for the first time in their lives.
One soldier makes the remark that though he had idealized army life more as defending his own country on its own land, he is still proud to be a solider, doing the necessary work.
What you don't see on the television news is the soldier's perspective. We all talk about educating ourselves on what is happening in Iraq to our men and women in service; well, here is your chance.
Saved! (2004)
Acceptance and challenging intolerance. Funny as hell.
At first glance, I can imagine why the Christian right would be so offended by this film. But if people really pay attention its message, they'd realize they're being stubborn and close-minded. This film is all about acceptance, of the handicapped, abortion protesters, rebellious youth, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, even of zealous fundamentalist Christians. There's truly something in this one for everybody.
Yes, some of the characterizations are extreme, but we're all a walking stereotype to someone. Look past the appearance of the film and pay attention to the message. Personally, what I took away from the film was that we're all ridiculous, serious, funny, dull, smart, dumb, loving, cruel, vulnerable, and strong and we all deserved to love and be loved. And most importantly, we should definitely all be able to laugh at ourselves.
Every set decoration, piece of dialogue and facial expression was perfectly placed. I haven't laughed so hard, or so often, at a movie in a long time. A++