Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World

First Hit:  A deep and very interesting look at how quickly and amazingly our lives are being changed through the information space (World Wide Web) and its access through the Internet.

I loved the opening scene where documentarian Werner Herzog walks into a room on the campus of the University of Southern California (USC) where he opens and inspects the very first machine that opened the door to the Internet.

Here is where the first email transmission was sent from an operator in this room to a like room on the campus of Stanford University. In the first attempt, the machine was to automatically logon as soon as soon as the sending machine operator typed in “Log”. However, the receiving machine crashed after the sending machine operator typed “Lo”. Hence the title of this film.

Yes, this initial test didn’t work but as we all know the engineers and programmers learned from this experience and today we have the internet, an amazing communication system through the World Wide Web.

The film discusses, through interviews with the people who founded the internet, how this new way of accessing people and information all over the world instantaneously is helping us connect to each other and also how it is separating us from each other. The personal isolation that can be created, while engaging with others through games, videos, information and emails presents the type of juxtaposition this film attempts to share with the audience. We are connected with each other, yet we are alone when we do it.

I was impressed with the way and discussions about where all this technology can go; robots, space travel, and how it connects people. I loved the examples about how education is moved forward by the internet. I was amazed about how medical problems were discussed and resolved through the use of the interconnected people attacking the problem from all over the world.

Herzog, again, tells an amazing watchable story about the human experience on the internet.

Overall:  This was a very thoughtful engaging film.

Jack Reacher

First Hit:  Cruise is Cruise which means you always know it is Cruise playing a character and because his presence is generally intense, the film is entertaining.

The film is about a young Iraqi vet who is framed for shooting 5 people on the river bank in Pittsburgh, PA. All the evidence points to him and while he is being interrogated he writes down on a piece of paper, “Get Jack Reacher”. Why?

The DA Rodin (played by Richard Jenkins), the head detective Emerson (played by David Oyelowo) and the defense attorney Helen (played by Rosamund Pike) who is also the DA’s daughter, all think he's guilty and don't understand who Jack Reacher is or why he would know anything about this case. Reacher (Cruise) lives anonymously after leaving the Army. He has no phone, car, or home. He arrives unannounced at the police station.

Helen is curious as to why he’s there and what he can do to assist the case. Reacher is a former Military Policeman and he doesn’t make mistakes. He's there because he’s the best and only the accused knows it. The accused knows that Reacher will find out the real truth. Well as you might imagine he discovers the entire plot which has to do with Russians that take over businesses.

Fairly lame plot, but Cruise surrounds himself with the best and therefore the film works, there are few mistakes so it works, but it isn’t memorable by any stretch of the imagination.

Cruise is perfect at acting this role and we always know it is Tom Cruise. This thought never left me as I watched this film. Jenkins is fine as a powerful, righteous and rich DA. Oyelowo is good as the head cop. Pike is very good as the DA's daughter and as a main character in the film. Werner Herzog is interesting as a one eyed former prisoner named "The Zec". Robert Duvall is amusing as "Cash" a shoot range owner. Christopher McQuarrie wrote and directed this unimpressive but cleanly executed film

Overall:  This is the kind of film one can sit and watch realizing there is nothing of real value but it is entertaining. 

Into The Abyss

First Hit: Very strong and powerful documentary about a murder, families, and the death penalty.

This is an extremely well-constructed story by director Werner Herzog who uses archive interviews and police footage along with current interviews to create a complete story about a murder, incarceration and the actual putting one of the convicted to death.

Herzog speaks with the daughter of the murdered woman who confesses that she lost all her direct family members (outside of her children) within a couple of years of each other. One of the more interesting aspects of her interview is that she had her phone removed because only bad news comes over the phone.

Interviews with the two convicted men, Jason Burkett and Michael Perry, are very telling. Michael has been convicted of the actual killing and the interview takes place less than a week from his date with the death chamber. Michael is childlike in his actions and his look.

Jason has a 40 year sentence before he is up for parole. He’s darker and oddly detached. Burkett’s dad blames himself for his son’s troubles because he’s a lifelong prisoner and was never around. When he recounts his past sentences, one realizes that he’s spent his entire life in prison and this will probably be the way of his two sons as well.

Herzog is clear that he is against the death penalty and the interview with Dale Adams the former death penalty execution team is perfect about a man who learns taking another’s life, regardless of the law, is not right. Regardless of Herzog’s personal feelings about the death penalty, this is a strong open film.

Overall: You can’t miss with this film if you’re interested into going into an abyss.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (3-D)

First Hit: The paintings are magnificent.

I was thoroughly impressed with the paintings on the walls of the cave which were over 30,000 years old and I was also very unimpressed with the way this information was presented by the “experts”.

The intended or unintended arrogance of the French professors and scientists, who are the only people having the extremely limited access to these caves, with their descriptions as to how they thought people lived and why they painted some 30,000 plus years ago took away from the film.

At times I sat there and said to myself “stop talking” and “quit giving me your myopic impression” of what I’m seeing. They didn’t let the paintings just live and let the audience have their own experience. I kept getting that we needed to learn their perceptions and take them as the truth.

I thought the use of 3-D in the caves added to the experience and was very pleased as to how it was used. Because the caves were found in 1994, I couldn't help but wonder if there are more interesting and amazing caves, hiding previous life, around the world.

While watching I wondered what was used to make the paintings. Maybe I missed it but I’m not sure we were ever told. Lastly, I thought the “Postscript” was unnecessary and again led the film in a direction that added little or nothing to the subject at hand, the paintings.

Werner Herzog wrote and directed this film and therein lies the strengths and weaknesses of this film. He got some great footage of these amazing paintings and of the caves, but a collaborator with a differing perspective might have added to the wholeness of the film as it seemed to follow a single track.

Overall: If you see this film, you must see it in 3-D as it brings these paintings to life.

Encounter at the End of the World

First Hit: Made interesting because it is both focused and light hearted in approaching the subject of what is it like at the bottom of the earth.

Werner Herzog was captivated by some underwater footage by Henry Kaiser of the unique amazing world below the ice of the South Pole.

Werner makes it clear up front he isn’t going to make penguin movie and when he reaches McMurdo Station in Antarctica he is put off by the constant construction, building and changing of this once pure open place. However, he is fascinated by the people who come here to work and live. As he discovers they are all misfits from society in some way and love what they are doing in this unforgiving land.

The under the ice shots are amazing as are some of the characters but what underlies this film is a sense of heart and depth.

Overall: A very interesting look at the bottom of the world and the people who embrace it.