Tag: peter weir

He ain’t schtulpig. “Witness” (1985)

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directed by Peter Weir
© 1985 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Who would have thought that criminals want to catch an Amish boy… Interested? So let me tell you more. We’re going back to the 80s, where we can admire Indiana Jones in a bit different costume and role. Detective John Book (Harrison Ford) has to solve the case of an Amish boy, Samuel (Lukas Haas), who’s been a witness of a murder. The boy doesn’t recognise the murderer among the criminals he gets to see, but at some point he focuses on a police officer. When Book starts digging, he realises that the same officer has had some shady business with drug dealers. The more the detective analyses the case, the more he puts himself in trouble. It’s because several colleagues turn out to be untrustworthy, so it seems like Book has to count on himself only. And the Amish boy. Speaking of Samuel, since he recognises the murderer, his life is in danger. That is why Book drives the boy and his mother to their Amish community village, but due to unexpected events, he stays there for longer. I’m a sucker for those action films from the 80s, because they remind me of my childhood. This one is quite specific, because not only we get an exciting crime story to follow, but also there’s a culture and tolerance lesson there. The Amish are seen as extreme believers, who give up on common goods in order to life simply and in accordance with their values. To most of us it may seem ridiculous, but thanks to this film we may learn more about their community. I’m not saying you have to throw your mobile phone away and start milking cows in the middle of nowhere, but perhaps a bit of communication and understanding would be helpful for both sides. Anyway, Harrison is magnificent, as always, so there’s no way you will get bored watching this production. Make sure to find out who wins – corrupted police officers or a smart Amish boy?

My rating: 7/10
S.

Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Good Night. “The Truman Show” (1998)

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directed by Peter Weir
© 1998 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Have you ever thought that we’re all living in some kind of a game? And right now, our “Player” is trying to do the same as some people playing The Sims and deleting the pool ladder when Sims are swimming. Just, in our case, it’s more like deleting the door and setting fire. What a lovely year we’re having, right? Anyway, I’m sure most of you have seen “The Truman Show”, but for those who haven’t, let me explain why I started the post with such random nonsense. The main character of the film is Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey). He’s an ordinary man, working in an ordinary town, not travelling at all because of his fear of… water (you’ll get it) – generally, nothing interesting. However, the thing is that Truman is living in a show. His own show. His life is, in fact, a reality program broadcast live 24/7. All people “living” in the town are actors and the town is actually a huge set. Truman doesn’t know about this, because he’s programmed to be scared of travelling, so he’s never tried to leave the town. One day, despite a totally different scenario planned by the producers, Truman falls in love with one of the actresses, Sylvia (Natascha McElhone). The woman is about to be kicked out of the show, but before she leaves, she tells Truman that his life is a lie. And from now on, the man starts questioning his reality and wishes to find Sylvia. Basically, a smart Sim noticed us deleting the pool ladder and he wants to leave the game. This film is an absolute must-see and perhaps it would be even more meaningful to see it in the current times. What if we’re living in a show like Truman and the producers have come up with “a bit of drama” for the year 2020 to improve ratings? Okay, okay, don’t freak out. But this film is really worth reflecting on because some take it as a creepy comedy, some others as an incredibly serious drama. So I guess it’ll be a surprise for you. Fun fact: after the release, several people started thinking they are like Truman, living in a show, and such case has been called “The Truman Show delusion”. Imagine the power of cinema…

My rating: 7/10
S.