Making the Best with What You Got
Due to the fact that this movie was very limited in terms of theatrical release, I was never able to watch it until it came out for purchase. The 2012 Oscars were drawing near and I needed to watch it quickly so I could be as knowledgeable as possible concerning the nominees. After forking over the rental money to iTunes, I kicked back in my chair and proceeded to watch a film that artistically wonderful, but could have been so much more.
First props have to be given to the then 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, who received an Oscar nomination for her performance, which was really accented towards the end of the film. A due nod must also be given to Dwight Henry for putting on a very powerful performance in tandem with Wallis. Metaphorically speaking, this film had it all. While not explicitly stated, the film is a metaphor for Hurricane Katrina as well as countless other natural disasters that can wreak havoc on a community. The power of this movie is its ability to display raw human nature along with the transformative properties of emotion and affection.
Of course, there are plenty of drawbacks with the movie. While Wallis's performance was indeed good, I do not believe the entire performance deserved a nomination. I am tempted to believe that my then 9-year-old sister could have exhibited close to the same style performance, which consisted of plainly narrating text and shouting. But let's not forget, she is 9-years-old, which makes her performance very impressive nonetheless. Also, as implied by the title of this movie, this movie could have been a lot more. The budget for a film was a little under two million dollars, which, if you are unfamiliar, is not a lot at all. Had there been a higher budget and a utilization of bigger names in Hollywood, I think the movie would have had a lot more entertainment value in addition to its already superb statement value.
All in all, it's a good movie. I wouldn't recommend watching it with a big group of friends, but maybe on your own or with a few people. I doubt you will be amazed, but a hearty golf clap is in order for the production for a making a whole lot of something with next to nothing.
Written August 7, 2013
First props have to be given to the then 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, who received an Oscar nomination for her performance, which was really accented towards the end of the film. A due nod must also be given to Dwight Henry for putting on a very powerful performance in tandem with Wallis. Metaphorically speaking, this film had it all. While not explicitly stated, the film is a metaphor for Hurricane Katrina as well as countless other natural disasters that can wreak havoc on a community. The power of this movie is its ability to display raw human nature along with the transformative properties of emotion and affection.
Of course, there are plenty of drawbacks with the movie. While Wallis's performance was indeed good, I do not believe the entire performance deserved a nomination. I am tempted to believe that my then 9-year-old sister could have exhibited close to the same style performance, which consisted of plainly narrating text and shouting. But let's not forget, she is 9-years-old, which makes her performance very impressive nonetheless. Also, as implied by the title of this movie, this movie could have been a lot more. The budget for a film was a little under two million dollars, which, if you are unfamiliar, is not a lot at all. Had there been a higher budget and a utilization of bigger names in Hollywood, I think the movie would have had a lot more entertainment value in addition to its already superb statement value.
All in all, it's a good movie. I wouldn't recommend watching it with a big group of friends, but maybe on your own or with a few people. I doubt you will be amazed, but a hearty golf clap is in order for the production for a making a whole lot of something with next to nothing.
Written August 7, 2013