Captain Phillips

This was an excellent movie.  Very interesting.  Although I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to like the movie in the beginning, as it was semi difficult for me to understand, I ended up loving it. This was definitely different from the other kinds of movies we've been watching, seeing as this event is very modern.  It embarrasses me to say that I never heard of the pirates attacks of Somalia on ships, and I never heard of this event when it was happening or after.  But knowing about it now amazes me.  This story is fascinating, and it amazes me that this whole ordeal took place in the middle of the ocean.  In the movie, I really liked Captain Phillips, and I did think he was a hero, until I learned that the movie falsely portrayed him. Although the movie was amazing, I feel like it was wrong to portray such an event like this in any way other than what it was.  All of the characters should have been portrayed as they actually were.  That being said, it was a fabulous movie, and very intense, and very educational about this event. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone and everyone.

United 93

I enjoyed this film, as much as one can enjoy a film about the terrorist attacks on the United States of 9/11 and watching hundreds of people die a horrible death.  But I thought that it seemed accurate to me, the portrayal of events seemed accurate.  I liked how the film switched back and forth between the plane and the control center and showed the reactions of people as they found out about the planes crashing.  I think that everyone in that movie must be truly gifted actors to be able to portray that.  That is a scary film to be in, and I was impressed with everyone in it.  I thought that it was a very impactful movie, since most people only think of the two planes that hit the twin towers on 9/11.  Most people don't think about the heroics of the people on this plane, and how they sacrificed themselves for the good of thousands of others.  This was a very impactful film, and I am glad that we watched it.  I woul definitely recommend it to others to learn more about our country's history and this horrific time for America (although I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who's planning on flying in the near future).

Apollo 13

I enjoyed the film Apollo 13.  I wasn't aware of this story before watching the movie, and I thought that it was made in a way that was very easy to understand and follow what was happening throughout the whole film.  I especially liked how the movie switched back and forth between the space shuttle and the command center on Earth so that you could get both views of the situation. I didn't know that the shuttle wasn't going to make it to the moon before watching this film because I hadn't known the story, so when they had the malfunction on the shuttle I was shocked and horrified.  I also didn't know if they were going to make it back to Earth alive or not.  So I was very engrossed in this story.  It was very interesting to watch this amazing time in history for America.  I would definitely recommend this movie to others.

I think that this is a reasonable budget for NASA.  That may sound absolutely ridiculous because almost 10 billion dollars is absurd to think about.  That kind of money is unfathomable.  But when you think about what it's for, how it's for NASA, and sending astronauts into space and to explore the amazing vast universe that we are such a tiny part of, it seems worth it to me.

I feel that the retirement of the space program was a bad thing for the United States. Going to space and exploring the universe leads to many advances for our country in science and astronomy.  If we are no longer going out and learning more, how are we expected to continue advancing as a country? We can't learn everything there is to know by staying on Earth.  We have the technology to do amazing things, it is a waste not to use it in the most incredible ways that we can.

Parkland

I thought that this was a good movie.  It seemed like it accurately portrayed what happened surrounding this event.  Obviously this was a horrific tragedy for the American people.  I can't imagine what it must've been like.  Everyone must've been so shocked and scared.  I imagine it compares somewhat to the terror and shock people felt after 9/11.  I think that this was an interesting movie, and I thought it was cool how the studio got many big actors to be in the film.  The event itself is very interesting.  I wouldn't watch this movie on my own just for a good time, but I thought that it was informative and well made and well casted and good for getting across the historical significance of this event.

The Pianist

I would say that overall I enjoyed this movie.  I found it a little confusing and hard to follow at times, especially during the beginning.  I was confused by the characters, who was who, and how everyone in the family was related.  I didn't know any of the character's names.  But I thought that the story was incredible.  I always find stories about the holocaust and surviving amazing.  They are so inspiring to me.  They are filled with so much horror and despair, but yet, throughout it all, there's always that glimmer of hope, that will to live, to make it to the end, to make it through all the horror that is going on around you.  To be strong enough to make it through, and come out on the other side a new person.  For the millions and millions of people that died in the holocaust, there are also so many incredible and beautiful stories to be told about people who survived it.  This was definitely one of those stories.  This movie greatly impacted me and my thinking.

I imagine that, or at least I have to imagine that, not all of the Nazis were horribly awful people.  Yes, most of them did horrific things, but some of them did not; some of them did not want to be like that.  Some of them still had a heart and a soul, and a conscience, such as Hosenfeld.  He was still another human, just like Szpilman.  Another man.  He wasn't totally and completely corrupted by the Nazi mindset.  He could still see Jews for the people that they were truly, like a pianist, instead of defining them and stereotyping them by their religion.  Hosenfeld was one of the few good ones that still existed during this time period.  He saw the desperation in Szpilman, and he saw how magical his piano playing was, and for a moment while Szpilman was playing, he was in control.  Hosenfeld sat listening, transformed by this Jew, and for a few minutes the world that they lived in around them didn't matter.

I don't think that Szpilman had a choice in trusting Hosenfeld.  He had been found out, and if Hosenfeld had really wanted to kill him, he would have done it right away.  There was no point in waiting.  But Hosenfeld asked him to play the piano, and sat there looking at him just as a normal man. Not as a Nazi looking at a Jew, but as an amazed spectator in the presence of a great musician.  I think that after Szpilman got to play the piano after so long again, he was content.  If he was going to die, at least he'd got it in one last time.  If Hosenfeld wanted to kill him, he would have.  Szpilman had no choice but to trust him, and just hope, as it turned out to be, that Hosenfeld truly was one of the good ones.

Defiance

I thought that this was an excellent movie.  As soon as I saw the trailer for this film, I was captivated.  I immediately wanted to see the whole movie, and know more about the subject, and tell my friends and family about it, which, I imagine, is what the goal of a movie is.  Not only is this story incredible, but the actors who played the characters in this movie were exceptional.  I particularly liked the man who played Tuvia.  I thought he was an amazing actor and really made an impact on me.  I feel like he was the center for everyone throughout the film.  I am always especially impressed with actors who play roles in movies dealing with such heavy content, such as the holocaust.  They have to be especially talented.  This movie, along with any movie dealing with the holocaust, has a special effect on me.  Although stories about the holocaust are extremely hard to hear about and watch, they make for some of my favorite stories because they are so impactful.  I have been hearing learning about the holocaust my entire life, and I always find it fascinating to learn more about it and hear more about that time period.  There were so many good parts to this movie.  So much can be related to todays world, such as the struggle to maintain humanity in a sometimes particularly hard period of time, or deciding to put the value of your life and the lives of the people you care about above redemption.  These brothers were absolutely amazing; the things that they did, most people would not be able to do.  They were courageous, brave, strong, and powerful: born leaders.  This film definitely left a lasting impression on me, for the content the extraordinary acting, and the educational value it had.  I would definitely recommend this film to anyone and everyone.

Tuvia's statement in the film "Our revenge is to live." is extremely powerful.  The Nazis goal was to completely terminate the entire Jewish population.   Not one Jew was supposed to be left living, or it would taint Hitler's Aryan race.  Escaping into the woods, and being able to survive the holocaust as a Jew when so millions of their brothers and sisters were slaughtered every day, was revenge enough.  The fact that the Nazis did not get them, they were not captured and treated like animals, they were not brutally murdered for no reason whatsoever, was the ultimate redemption.  Staying alive throughout this time was the only thing that they could do.  I do believe that humanity and revenge can co exist, to a certain extent.  In an extreme situation like this one, it is definitely hard to know where to draw the line. How far is too far to go to get revenge before you give up your morals, your values, and everything else that makes you a human being? It is a very thin line.  Zus definitely crossed this line at one point in the film.  Tuvia was constantly intent on preserving their humanity, and by doing that, he believed they would get revenge.  I believe that wanting revenge is a natural human emotion, along with all of the other things that we feel on a daily basis.  However, choosing to act on that feeling, or not act on it, is what makes us human, and helps us preserve our humanity in questionable and hard times.

The Godfather

I did not particularly like The Godfather. I didn't think that it was amazing, but I also didn't think it was completely terrible. I guess I was more indifferent about it. I just don't understand why it is considered a classic, or, by some, one of the greatest films of all time. I did not like the plot of the movie. I am not really interested in this particular time of history though, or the concept of organized crime, so this movie was kind of boring to me. I suppose that this movie portrays organized crime well though, and it would be interesting and a good movie to someone who is interested by that type of thing in history. The only parts of the movie that really impacted me were all the deaths, and how all the deaths occurred. Many of them shocked me and many made me actually cringe. The way they treated people, killing left and right as if people were not alive human beings, was appalling. I can't say I got a particular theme or message out of this movie. I would only recommend this to others if they are interested in the very specific topic of organized crime, otherwise, it would probably bore most people.

Vito Corleone is essentially the "moral" center of this film.  Out of all of the Corleone men, I feel like he is the one with the best moral compass. Although he had done many bad and illegal things throughout his life, it has all been with his family in mind, and to protect them. He also refuses to get wrapped up in the drug business, which shows that he really does have a moral center and cares about doing the right thing. Although I did not really like this movie or connect to any particular characters, it was sad when Vito Corleone collapsed and died in his tomato plants. Allthough many people were freed from the manipulation of the Don when he died, it was still a sad moment and the "end of an era".

I don't know much about organized crime, but I imagine this film is very different from how it is normally portrayed. I imagine that organized crime would for the most part be told from the outside. The stories of the horrors of organized crime would be told from an outside point of view, without truly knowing what the reasons for it are or what is going on inside. This movie lets you see that. It shows you what the reasoning is behind all the crime, what the people are really thinking and doing. This is a fresh new perspective on the concept of organized crime. This new angle could be why many people consider this movie such a classic. I, however, don't agree with that.