Monday, July 27, 2015

Do ya feel lucky punk? (Dirty Harry)

Chalk and cheese. The earliest citation of the phrase is in John Gower's Middle English text Confessio Amantis, 1390:
Lo, how they feignen chalk for chese
It's a phrase used to indicate the differences between things.

Unbroken and American Sniper are two movies SWMBO, Jade (visiting for a few days) and I watched over the last few nights: both American made movies about the effects of war on people (in Unbroken - set during WW2 - just on men) and the motivation on men to do what they do (in post 9/11 American Sniper - multifaceted and complex).

Angelina Jolie and Clint Eastwood - chalk and cheese.

Jolie goes for the BIG MESSAGE (um - the title gives it away) while Clint's a much more nuanced series of messages.




There is a ring of authenticity around Clint's movie (and his other movies) that other directors struggle to have. American Sniper feels gritty, real. Steven Spielberg is a great director but he couldn't have pulled off American Sniper (like Clint couldn't do ET). Man's gotta know his limitations.

I bought Unbroken for potential use with my Year 11 class (ditched that idea after seeing it), but American Sniper I bought for us to watch.

Can't say I actually enjoyed either one and pretty sure I never need to watch Unbroken ever again. 

American Sniper will join Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker and Apocalypse Now in the Wozza DVD library under 'War'.

Love and peace - Wozza


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