Choice Movies

"Photography is truth. A movie is truth 24 times a second."

Atonement
Words cannot express how much this movie moves me. There is a deep power within its story that fills me with longing, for both the characters and for myself, and by the end, all I can do is sit and contemplate. It makes me want to be a better writer and a better person, to remember everything and put it down on paper, no matter the pain.

James McAvoy, the actor who plays the main character, Robbie, has this to say about the movie: "It deals not just with the simple, tragic romance, which is the heart of the story, but it's actually a story about storytelling... [Atonement is] about the nature of stories and why we tell them, the power of stories and the effect they can have on people."

So there you have it. My very favorite movie wrapped up into a few beautiful words. An artistic and meaningful movie that wrestles with the complications of love, storytelling, and forgiveness. Please, don't do yourself an injustice. Be transformed by Atonement.


Shutter Island
I don't think Shutter Island has gotten enough credit for it's incredible storytelling. I've seen this movie twice now, have discussed it for hours, and still have no idea what to think of it. It's on a whole different level of storytelling. The "good" characters are hard to identify, lines of sanity and reality are skewed, and your trust of the characters' point of view wavers. Just as you think you've got it figured out, a new thing happens and makes you question everything. The movie's meant to be open-ended and lead to different interpretations. Very post-modern of Martin Scorses to do. And though this movie will probably forever frustrate me, I am in awe of it. Or perhaps jealous of it, because I have no idea how the writer created a world (that actually works!) with so many loopholes and interpretations. I guarantee you will have your brain stretched with this one. And if you have a resolution that will appease me, please share it.