Parkland

 PART ONE:

Parkland- a look back at one of the most chaotic events in American history.  This film centers around what happened in Parkland hospital briefly after the assassination of probably the most important man in the world. Quite possibly one of the most infamous moments in history- one that anyone who was alive at the time will be able to tell you exactly where they were when they received the news of this catastrophe.  Personally, I really enjoyed this film.  It caught my attention and kept it.  This film is a recreation of a historical event and often time those films can be quite boring.  Normally, it just feels as though you are sitting through a history class when watching films that fall into that genre.  However- and probably due to the fact that the real life story was so chaotic and dramatic- this film was extremely entertaining to watch.  I loved the attention to detail and how this films main focus was to make it as historically accurate as possible.  This film- and I say this in complete seriousness- kept my heart racing.  I think that that was mostly because I was thinking in my head the entire time that this was actually something that happened.  There was a time in America where this was happening.  It really frightens me that someone could kill a president.  I like that this film gave you the "behind the scenes" glimpse into what was happening during one of America's saddest days.  It was interesting to see how the government reacts to such a shock.  This movie brought a sense of shock to my body.  I obviously always knew that President Kennedy was assassinated- but I never really thought much of it until I watched this film.  I also feel as though this film brought be a sense of patriotism.  I'm extremely lucky to be living in America and I hope nothing like this will ever happen again.  

PART TWO:

For this interview I interviewed my math tutor.  He was a kid in school when this happened.  He says he doesn't remember much but he says that he knows his mother picked him up from school and that he could feel that she was extremely upset.  He says that she was crying and that when his father came home they had a moment of silence.  He says that this event had a major impact on everyone for a while and that it was the first time he saw his mother cry.  

Kill The Irishman

 PART ONE:

Being a from Cleveland and being a fan of crime movies- I took great pleasure in this film.  The true story of Danny Greene, a strong Irishman working for mobsters during the 1970's- this film was highly entertaining.  I found that the acting was fantastic.  Probably my favorite part of the movie was Christopher Walken.  I love Christopher Walken.  I feel as though this film did a great job at staying true to the time period that it was set in.  I think the screenplay was very well done.  However, I feel as though this film was poorly edited.  The explosions were just so fake looking to me and I think that it seemed as though this film wasn't a high budget film.  Honestly, at times it was laughable.  That being said, I still thought the film was very entertaining.  I wasn't ever bored watching it- I was either laughing at the editing or just entertained by the story line.  This movie was particularly entertaining because of the fact that it basically took place in our backyards.  It was almost hard to believe that this took place in Cleveland because Cleveland just seems so boring to me and this storyline was anything but.

PART TWO:

After watching Kill the Irishman, I would describe Danny Greene as someone that had immense amounts of strength.  He was so persistent and kept going.  He was so strong and powerful.  He portrayed the image of success at all times and really didn't let anything get to him.  He stayed relaxed and put together through everything that was going on- and that is a huge sign of strength.  

The Godfather

PART ONE:

The Godfather- universally recognized as the greatest movie of all time.  Oddly enough no one has every really tried to fight that- it's almost just an accepted fact- no debate has ever been required.  This American classic is a 1972 crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola.  Based on Mario Puzo's best selling novel of the same name, this mob drama definitely goes down as a classic.  Walking into this class this was the film that I was most exciting about watching- of course my luck would make it out so I had to watch it on my own time- but I am extremely pleased that I watched it from beginning to end.  My pretentious little self would just tell people that I've seen the film when in all reality I had only ever seen bits and pieces.  This movie is very complex and was indeed hard to follow at times- but lucky enough for me I have access to the internet and was able to look up the story line.  I really enjoyed the way this movie was filmed.  I think Francis Ford Coppola is outrageously talented and I think that the screenplay definitely is a major contributor of what made this movie so successful.  I also loved how this movie was never boring.  Even during parts that could probably be looked at as boring, you still weren't bored because you were trying to piece the parts together and cure your confusion.  My favorite character was the ever-so-iconic Vito Corleone.  Partly because his face is all over Little Italy for some reason- but also party because I'm obsessed with Marlon Brando and think he did a fantastic job with this role.  This movie made me feel cool honestly.  Quite a weird way to describe how a movie made you feel- but there's just something about crime movies that has this effect on me.  It also made me feel dumb because I could barely keep up with it- but hey, you win some you lose some.  This film was quite dark- which I happened to really enjoy- and it focused on the dark side of America.  It certainly wasn't as inspirational as the previous films we have watched.

PART TWO:

Vito Corleone is the "moral" center of the film because he was a family man.  He seemed like he really cared for everyone that came to him for help.  Everyone looked up to him.   Everyone trusted him.  He was truly the mastermind of the Corleone family.  He held the family together and was extremely talented with what he did.  He was a man with great power.  He broke boundaries.  He showed that you can be the strongest scariest man and be a family man at the same time.  

PART THREE:

Indeed, I think that this film being filmed entirely from the inside contributes to it being such a classic.  It makes the film very unique and fascinating.  I loved that you saw the family dynamics through all of this.  Through all of the violence and all of the crime- there was a family story behind it all.  I think that this film is a classic because of the strength of the characters.  There isn't a single weak character in this film.  Each character is even more unique and ruthless than the one before.  I truly believe that this film will always be a classic, and will continue to be passed on through generations to come.  

Cinderella Man

PART ONE:

Simply put- I loved this movie and everything about it.  100% made it to my list of favorite movies- maybe even top five.  The story of James Braddock, the washed up boxer who came back to become a champion yet again and a true inspiration for people during the great depression. This is the true story of an athlete who achieved his greatest success straight out of the most daunting times of his life.  I think Ron Howard did a phenomenal job with this film- in almost every aspect.  The aspect of entertainment was absolutely perfect in my opinion.  I always post about wanting to be on the edge of my seat in films and good gosh did this film do that exact thing for me.  I left this class yearning to come back the next day just to see what happens next.  However, this film wasn't all sparkle and shine- I think it did a fantastic job at focusing on the Great Depression aspect.  Personally, I would categorize this film as dark- and I think that the scenes that focused on the Depression were extremely dark.  They focused on how truly difficult it was for Americans during this period.  This movie showed that the depression literally hit every type of American- average Joes and major athletes.  Honestly, there wasn't anything about this movie that I didn't like.  I think it was the perfect blend of the success story and the Great Depression story. This movie made me feel fantastic.  This movie made me believe in myself.  It showed me that you can literally be at your lowest point- but still bounce up and eventually reach your highest.  I am for sure going to purchase a hard copy of this movie- I think it will be quite beneficial for me during my college years when I will probably be poor and not living off of my parents.  

                                           PART TWO:

In my opinion I think that it is that James Braddock was someone who people knew about - he was a well known name.  He wasn't just an average working man- yet he was still hit by the Great Depression- and hit hard.  I think that seeing this man go from something to nothing to something again made people flourish with hope.  He didn't have much going for him and he was the lowest of the low but he pushed and made himself, his family, and the other people going through the depression proud.  He proved that success was possible and that it was coming.  Braddock would be categorized as a symbol of hope for the masses because he broke boundaries and opened doors.  He found success even when he was so deep into despair.  

42

PART ONE:

 42 is a 2013 film that follows the heroic path of American legend Jackie Robinson.  This movie not only follows the path of this great man- but also that of Branch Rickey.  Just like every other American (hopefully) I've known about Jackie Robinson for as long as I can remember.  However, I really didn't know anything about him other than the fact that he was African-American and he was an important baseball player.  This movie was the first door I opened to information on Jackie Robinson and his life story.  This definitely isn't a movie that I would watch twice but needless to say I found it entertaining and- unlike some other movies we have watched- didn't dread watching it.  I like that this film showed you a side to Jackie that most people- or at least I - didn't know about.  For example, there was a strong emphasis on his personality and quick temper.  Personally, I couldn't care less about sports- and baseball in particular- but this film was quite interesting and had a smooth and entertaining story line.  However, despite it being easy to watch it did fail to keep me gripped and off the edge of my seat- I didn't find it to be too dramatic.  Adding on, there are very few films that have lines that I remember and this movie did indeed have one.  I'm not quite sure what the exact quote is but when Jackie was told that he had to hold in his temper and he responded with " you really wan't someone on your team who can't stand up for themselves?" and was then told "we wan't someone who can have the strength not to."  I probably butchered that quote just then, but I really liked it and it made me re-evaluate my own temper.  This movie, for me, was a feel good movie that left me happy after watching it.  Jackie's determination really inspired me-even when it didn't seem like he was succeeding, or when everyone was trying to get him down- he didn't let that phase him.  He was so determined to be the best and that definitely left a lasting impression on me.

PART TWO:

I think Jackie Robinson helped this country immensely.  He broke boundaries on so many levels.  I think if there wasn't a Jackie Robinson there would eventually still be an African-American baseball player but I doubt anyone could make the impact that he made.  Not only was he the first African-American in the game- but he was a magnificent man that was blessed with the gift of persistence.  You should learn from this amazing man that quite literally anything is possible.  It is up to you to break boundaries and start new things- but you can only be successful if you put in the time and effort.   I agree with Jackie Robinson when he says "a life is not important except in the impact it was on other lives."  I believe that if you make an impact on even just one person, you have fulfilled your role as a human being.  

PART THREE:

I might use Jackie's nine values to face my own barriers knowing to never give up.  I think these values also just prove that you should be the strongest that you personally can be and continue to push yourself.  Jackie Robinson was an amazing man with an amazing message that everybody can learn from.