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If you’ve read my Rookie Movie Reviews, you may have noticed I enjoy sharing my thoughts about good, little-known or independent movies (see The Gift, Demolition, and, of course, Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse, below). The Fundamentals of Caring (now available on Netflix), starring Craig Roberts, Paul Rudd, and Selena Gomez, is one such movie.
Rudd plays Ben, a failed writer, failed father and failed husband, who takes a “six week course” on caregiving and then applies to take care of Trevor (Roberts), who is bound to a wheelchair because of Muscular Dystrophy. Trevor is a crass, insensitive, cynical asshole who delights in playing demeaning jokes on others. Ben catches on and dishes out as much as he receives and the two begin an odd, but satisfying, relationship. When Ben encourages Trevor to take a road trip with him to see nearby tourist attractions, especially the ‘World’s Deepest Pit,’ the flick turns into a real Buddy Film. This is where redemption begins. Ben and Trevor’s relationship grows, Trevor savors new experiences he never would have had back home, they pick up a couple of riders along the way and everyone learns and grows a bit. A good story should say something. Fundamentals says a lot.
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 I love suspense stories (can you tell?). Eye in the Sky is an unusual suspense story.
The movie follows a group of military drone personnel and their leaders (and their leaders, and their…) in an attempt to capture terrorists in Kenya. And, it’s suspenseful… but in a slow, meticulous way. Several things stood out for me in Eye in the Sky. Thing One; the technology: big drones with hell fire missiles, small disguised drones and even smaller drones. And all of these were controlled in one way or another, in tandem, by personnel from all over the world—Kenya, London, Hawaii, China, etc. Thing Two: the insanely unproductive levels of bureaucracy that must be scaled to run a single, but important, operation. Everyone has to ask everyone else for permission to do anything. C): Killing is tough, even from thousands of miles away. When someone dies in the film, or is pursued or threatened, members of the team from around the world are totally engrossed and emotionally torn apart as if they were personally at that location. Last, but not least: Eye in the Sky itches the brain; makes you think (which is critical for me). You struggle with the morality of technological war, the inefficiency of a military operation, the insanity of the situation, the painful stress encumbering so many, and much, much more. And you can dwell on that stuff for awhile. And talk about it with friends. Eye in the Sky is now available online and on DVD. Take a look! |
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Rookie Movie ReviewsStories are stories, whether they are recited around a roaring campfire, printed on paper or projected on a screen. And, stories should say something. Archives
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