teacherinrecovery

I absolutely loved this! Richard Gadd (Gareth/McNamara (apologies if the spelling is off) is the star of this emotional short film (or TV episode I now suppose)! I wish this had been a full-length film or series! Princess Di certainly did not have a normal night -- "One Normal Night" was the title on Showtime. Diana needs the loo and struggles to decide which would be best. She sneaks into Gareth's dressing room and uses that bathroom for privacy, only Gareth has returned from the stage once she's done. The exchange between the two is incredibly poignant. As Diana helps with Gareth's dress, we notice, as is mentioned, the condition of Gareth's skin (it is covered in AIDS lesions). Gareth shares the anguish of the gay community with Diana; how they are dying off, feared and loathed, yet continue to go out dancing and celebrating being who they are. The compassion and respect shown by Diana when she kisses Gareth (in a non-solicitous manner) is just stunning. Freddie Mercury and Kenny Everett provide comic relief as they search for their dream of a normal night -- Freddie is looking for someone to quell his loneliness, albeit for the night, while Kenny is searching for someone to quell his loneliness so he can stay-in. Despite being comedic, their journeys also add depth to this true piece of art!

Today, I found myself changing my initial rating. I had originally given it 4 stars for kinda disliked, but changed it to 6 for kinda liked, for the simple fact that I think about this movie often. Maybe I rated it so low before because its depth got to me. The character arc of Derek, portrayed by Edward Norton to sheer perfection, is amazing, to make an understatement. The magnifying lens into people's souls is thought - provoking unlike anything else I've ever seen, most notably when the most ironic of climaxes occurs. Because of their lack of true racism, Derek denounces the Aryan Brotherhood and is raped, beaten and left for dead, only for him to be saved by Lamont, a black - man. To see the anguish Derek endures to try to repair his misdeeds, first through his friendship with Lamont, and later through his little brother is heart - wrenching and for Danny (Edward Furlong) to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of racism provided a visceral reaction few movies have gotten from me. I cried. It was sad to see someone's little brother die. I was sad for Derek. I was sad for humanity.

There's enough there to earn "10 Cloverfield Lane" 7 stars; for me, that means I liked it. There's no plot. None. And that's fine. It's a character driven story where the viewer gets to decide what to make of each of the characters. Whatever you decide will dictate how you view this movie. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is fantastic; relatable, convincing as Michelle. John Goodman's Howard is as mysterious and eerie as they come, yet to a degree sympathetic at times, adding to the dynamics of the characters and the film as a whole. Emmett perfectly rounds out the trio as viewers tow - the - line trying to figure out whose side he's on. Of course, with "Cloverfield" in the title, aliens are to be expected. The low - budget, limited effects from the beginning are tossed out in the last roughly 20 minutes or so when we're finally introduced to the terror we (or at least I) was sure Howard was making up - cheesy aliens with even cornier effects. The aliens reminded me of the things from Stephen King's "The Mist" movie adaptation and add nothing to the story. Naturally, Michelle is able to fight them off and, we assume, becomes a true badass by heading off to Houston to help in what will be a probable sequel. Am I likely to watch should it come to fruition? Sure, but not with the overwhelming enthusiasm I would have for another suspenseful, character driven, realistic fright.