'Roger & Me' - 'Doco' by Michael Moore (1988)

For a beautiful representation of the divide between the have and have nots of this world, you cant go past 'Roger & Me'. Though quite dated in the asthetics department, this 1988 doco by master left wing film maker 'Michael Moore', remains a poignant vision of greed and destruction of a town where the major industry (General Motors - who despite record profits up to then decided to close 11 U.S factories country wide & relocate them to Mexico paying the mexican workers 70 cents / hr,) has shut up shop leaving 13,000 'Flint' locals out of a work. The flow on effect is catastophic on the working class leaving many destitute fighting poverty and the eviction crew (evicting dozens of people a day pileing their belongings on the nature strip!), while they are unable to find further employment due to many of the town's bussinesses folding. No incomes means no spending, no spending means failed business. No businesses, means no jobs, no job no in come....well you get the picture. What is greatly insightful is the absolute ignorance the 'Wealthy' display of the troubles in their town, while playing a round of golf and discussing how many of the workers "Just don't want to work"!!!! Just goes to prove things dont change in society, the poor contiue to get shafted & the rich are selfish, insightless, arrogant pricks! I love the smooth over job by G.M, building a music hall and providing perfomences by crooner Pat Boone & other caberaet stars for half price for those out of work! Having the audacity to import a 'major' preacher to blow smoke up the population's collective arse. Just shows the contempt this company holds and the lengths it will go to distract them from the reality of their predicament!
The G.M C.E.O chase is on in true 'Moore' fashion, his mission, a few answers and maybe a bit of interrorgation. Looks like he'll have to look beyond his multi million dollar estate,the yacht or golf club!

General motors did a damn fine job of creating this apocalyptic landscape for the camera to document and Michael does a fine job of showing the bleakness and giving the viewer an insight of the people's painful predicament.

Film Review: POSSESSION (1981)

A dream, a nightmare, or an insight into the dark recesses of the writers subconsciousness?

Possession is avant garde film noir that truly has to be seen to be appreciated or believed. Set with a backdrop of Berlin Germany (wall and all) in 1981, Sam Neill plays an increasingly tormented husband who's dear wife (Andrzej Zulawski) is becoming progressively bleak, with her bitterness of him escilating as her self loathing intensifies. Insidiously, she retreats to a world of despair and increasing erratic maddness which ultimately results in an aggressive marital seperation. At a loss and fast becoming a psychological & physical wreck, he follows his love and soon discovers she is fornicating with a black tenticled malevolent entity and has embarked on a murderous rampage, killing those that intrude on her nest. Is she acting of her own free will, a slave to her urges or are there more sinister forces at play? What is this being that has such a grip on her?

Immensely entertaining dark and often nasty but poetic through out, Possession feels like no other film I've ever seen. It is beautifully filmed with often odd seductive angles, supurbly acted, near masterful work of art which only falls down due to its extensive length and at times sluggish pacing. This is a film that is burned into your brain long after viewing and is as much an experience of the senses as a piece of celluloid entertainment. Sam Neill is brilliant in the lead role and Andrzej Zulawski is equally so.