gavin-96 Reviews

Savior (1998)

shock to the system

[10/10 · 21 May 2004]

I noticed this had been produced by Oliver Stone when I saw it for sale, thus my reasoning for snapping it up. Usually what Stone touches turns to gold and this is no exception

This film will move you to tears; mark my words. I wasn't ready for it, or at least wasn't expecting it. Realism is the key to its power.

While some viewers may focus on which ethnic groups are committing what crimes, for the wider audience I think it has a commentary on the human race in general and what it is capable of.

Quaid performs his part from top to bottom, which drains the viewer of emotion, making one actually process information that has previously just been news broadcast.

A good mix of local and international filmaking skills also present what I would consider an accurate picture of the racial and religious groups depicted in the movie. I'm sure insiders will disagree, but from my time spent in the region, there was not a scene or individual character where I was skeptical of objectivity - from the bus driver to father.

There is so much to be said about Savior, and it is a must see for any international audience. It may unearth a conflict of opinions among serbs, croats and bosnians, but perhaps they would be reading too much into it...

Comandante (2003)

Balanced on a tightrope

[10/10 · 17 May 2004]

Watching recent documentaries from writers such as Michael Moore, one may be confused to what a documentary actually is. Comandante is a perfect example of what a documentary should be like. By the end of its running, the viewer has seen a balanced account with enough information either way to give food for thought.

I came away from this asking myself - 'is Castro a truly great man?', or is he 'full of ***t'?, or on the other hand has he just not practiced what he has preached?

Moore on the other hand comes from a journalistic angle, everything so over emphasised and dramatised, as if he is almost trying to convince the viewer to agree with him. He presents information through his own paradigm of the opinion he is carrying at the time.

Comandante is a mature documentary, flawless in presentation as Stones work generally is; but the key to its quality, is that it does not give you the answer. It documents the facts.

Comandante easily achieves what it sets out to do. Some viewers may expect more given the subject, but for the purist, satisfaction guaranteed.