A scene from “Okja” (2017), a critically acclaimed movie and a finalist at the Cannes Film Festival.
In a highly futuristic scenario, Okja is a genetically modified pig who became the pet of the caretaker’s daughter, a little girl. The company that created him retrieved him to be used as an exhibit for promotion. Using starvation, beating up, and electric shocks, he was being trained to perform at the exhibit. The little girl tried to rescue him by springing him from his cage. A group of animal rights activists saw what was happening.
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“xxx Thy Womb (Sinapupunan, 2012) tells the story of a midwife, Shaleha (Nora Aunor), who cannot have children. The film follows her and her husband Bangas An (Bembol Rocco) on their search for a second wife to provide them with the family they crave.
“Set in the seaweed-producing island province of Tawi-Tawi, Thy Womb juxtaposes the great poverty of its inhabitants, many of whom live in shacks perching perilously on stilts above the sea, with the breathtakingly beautiful seascape. The poverty of the island dwellers is also countered by their immense capacity for generosity. Lavish wedding celebrations are organised, money is readily given or lent and hospitality is part of the culture.
(video-trailer produced by Centerstage Productions, uploaded by pinoymovies in YouTube, used here non-commercially for review purposes)
“This is not to say that Mendoza paints an idyllic picture of these people. Pirates steal boats and belongings, whilst soldiers and gunfire are so ubiquitous as to be humdrum. When Shaleha is knocked down by a group of soldiers in the market, she doesn’t even think to mention it to her husband. Yet Mendoza chooses not to dwell on the political and social aspects of the Philippines.
“There is no need for hyperbole when the poverty and potential for violence is so apparent. Instead, the director focuses on the relationship between husband and wife. Other than being childless, Shaleha and Bangas An seem to have the perfect marriage: love, respect, humour and mutual understanding. Yet this lack of a child is viewed as a lack of divine grace and they need a child to make their marriage whole. Thus begins the quest from island to island, down the Indonesian archipelago.
“Eventually, they find a suitable girl at a decent price and the couple are relieved and happy. But there’s a catch: the girl wants Shaleha out of the picture once the first child is born. Bangas An is left with a choice: the child he so desperately craves versus the woman he has created a life with. Thy Womb is a moving and visually captivating movie with two commanding yet understated central performances. Mendoza’s film deserves an accolade at Venezia 69.xxx”
One of Brad Pitt’s most rational choices was playing a nut case in the movie “Twelve Monkeys” for which he won the Golden Globe (supporting actor) and an Oscar nomination.
xxx
Dr. Kathryn Railly (played by Madelyn Stowe) : “Cassandra in
Cassandra (Photo public domain )
Greek legend, you recall, was condemned to know the future but to be disbelieved when she foretold it. Hence the agony of foreknowledge combined with the impotence to do anything about it.”
xxx
Dr. Owen Fletcher: “You’re a rational person. You’re a trained psychiatrist. You know the difference between what’s real and what’s not.”
Dr. Kathryn Railly: “And what we say is the truth is what everybody accepts. Right, Owen? I mean, psychiatry: it’s the latest religion. We decide what’s right and wrong. We decide who’s crazy or not. I’m in trouble here. I’m losing my faith.”
xxx
Jeffrey Goines (played by Brad Pitt) : “When I was institutionalized, my brain was studied exhaustively in the guise of mental health. I was interrogated, I was x-rayed, I was examined thoroughly.“
[turns head and coughs]
Jeffrey Goines: “Then, they took everything about me and put it into a computer where they created this model of my mind. Yes! Using that model they managed to generate every thought I could possibly have in the next, say, ten years. Which they then filtered through a probability matrix of some kind to – to determine everything I was gonna do in that period. So you see, she knew I was gonna lead the Army of the Twelve Monkeys into the pages of history before it ever even occurred to me. She knows everything I’m ever gonna do before I know it myself. How’s that?”
xxx
James Cole (played by Bruce Willis) : “This is a place for crazy people. I’m not crazy. “
Dr. Owen Fletcher: “We don’t use the term “crazy,” Mr. Cole. “
James Cole: “Well, you’ve got some real nuts here. “
xxx
Louie: “Science ain’t an exact science with these clowns but, they’re getting better.”
