Opinionated-Gal's Page

My son enjoys movies that get as many one-star ratings as five-star ratings, and says he looks first for examples of these polarizing films when looking for something new. As it turns out, SLIPSTREAM, a similarly controversial selection, supports the wisdom of this approach. My husband and I rented it because we liked the premise of a writer whose characters have become blurred with "reality" -- but this movie is much, much more than that. It was extremely well-paced, packed with ideas and events and clues and characters (and wonderful actors) that all take place in the "slipstream," and it completely absorbed our attention the whole meshugenah story. Challenging, yes, and enthralling, and funny, and brilliantly insightful, it entertained on several levels. Hopkins has much to say in this piece, and there's much to mine from the concept of "slipstream." P.S. My husband wants me to add kudos for Hopkins' virtuosity (as writer, actor, and director -- and he even did the excellent music!), and reminded me to mention that, despite the leaps in time and story, the continuity of the film was absolutely maintained. It's definitely a movie worth watching more than once, not so much to "figure it out," but for the sheer pleasure of the ride.

PERSEPOLIS is far more affecting than I expected it to be, and its images stayed with me for several days as I theorized how it managed to get so deep into my psyche. There's something very powerful about animation that transcends the everyday and the barely noticeable. Add to that the universality of black-and-white (the symbology of dreams), and scenes that might have been relatively banal in live-action, living-color become immediate, vivid, and personal. The story of PERSEPOLIS is a history of a particular family in modern-day Iran, but it is such an honest and captivating work of art that it reflects dilemmas and themes that run through all cultures, and touches on crises as universal as womanhood, foolish romantic choices, and personal loyalty on several fronts. I immediately bought a couple of copies: one to give away and one for me, as much from a sense of preserving a treasure, as the anticipation of experiencing it again.

What's not to love? Dame Judi, historical realism, uproarious humor, compassion, humanity, wonderful writing, and a heart left overbrimming with happiness? Yes. I still get a swelling of joy when I think of CRANFORD, and only wish it could have been a longer tale.