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On 'Enigma', the (2002) movie
I have seen the most fantastic movie. Not since the 'Matrix' have I
seen something worth raving. The movie to which I refer is the new
Michael Apt with the screenplay written by the brilliant Tom Stoppard, 'Enigma'.
It based upon the novel by a Robert Harris. After seeing this movie,
I am desperate to obtain a copy and read it.
So what made the movie so great. Well, from the start is the film
scored who is done by one of two truly great movie composers still
living -- John Barry. I am rather proud of myself for recognising who
it was before the credits were displayed at the film's end. The music
was absolutely delicious. Although he quotes from himself quite a bit,
the end result worked. (Have a listen to the incidental music to the
James Bond movie 'Octopussy' and the main love theme from 'Somewhere In
Time.')
So from the start of the movie, I was attracted to the moving film score.
He should win another Academy Oscar for that. (A bit better than 'Born
Free'.)
Ok, the movie itself is about the codebreakers of Bletchley Park, (Station
X) or rather focuses upon one top codebreaker in particular. Supposed
to be some variant upon Alan Turing sans the androphiliac disposition.
It is a mystery surrounding what may be a new Enigma (pun intended).
Attempting to be brief and without disclosing too much, the story
focuses upon the return of a top codebreaker who suffered a mental (or
nervous) breakdown -- NOT from doing too much maths (thank God, not
another 'Beautiful Mind' or 'Proof'!) -- but from the source that
destroys all men's minds -- affection for a woman who may have
discovered another mystery associated with apparently a new Enigma that
the Nazis had developed. Weaved into the linearity of the story are
flashback memories of the woman who effected the lives of everyone who
knew her (or thought they knew/understood her).
My two marks against the film are on principle grounds.
(1) If you wanted to talk about a brilliant mathematician who was very
instrumental in decoding the Nazis' Enigma a la Alan Turing, please use
another person who is not suppose to be him. I understand that, perhaps,
to make this movie have a mass appeal it may help to adopt a
heterosexual character as the centre of the story. I understand that
most are not interested in romantic stories of a homoerotic content.
But the fictional character was supposed to be him was a mere ersatz for
the real person whose life and character is worth a cinematic portrait.
(Plug for Derek Jacobi's in 'Breaking the Code'.)
(2) For a story that used Bletchley Park and the people there as the
milieu for the story, I, personally, would have preferred more scenes
illustrating the personalities of the codebreakers and the deciphering
process itself. (Speaking as a mathematician and a great admirer of
Turing himself, I prefer more scenes that would focus upon the technical
aspect of the decoding and the minds that perform that prodigious task.
On 'Enigma', the (2002) movie
Getting over the fact that this movie lacked a true Alan Turing, not a
serious defect (do not mind me), I allowed myself to be absorbed into
the world presented to me on screen. Go see this film! One would be
remiss in not seeing such a great work.
On 'This is Not an Exit: The Fictional World of Bret Easton Ellis'
I screened the documentary 'This is Not an Exit: The Fictional World of Bret Easton Ellis'. The documentary was good; not terrible great, but not bad. My two biggest points against it are: (1) who the heck were some of the people they chose for the commentary? sorry to say, but I did not know anyone other than Bret Ellis himself (and his mother), (2) the documentary glossed over THE RULES OF ATTRACTION. For being the best genuine college novel ever written, it was disppointing that the documentary makers chose not to spend more time on this second novel of his but instead spent so much time on his first novel and background and so much time going on about the pre-publication and post-publication controversy surrounding AMERICAN PSYHCO.
There were two small points of reference about BEE's sexuality that may be of interest to some. One is left with the impression that he is gay but rather not be public/open about it.
What was great about the documentary was the dramatisation of scenes from his novels including scenes from AMERICAN PSYCHO from which the samples alone were better than that terrible feature film adaption. And yes, there were dramatisation scenes from his GLAMORAMA novel.
Is it worth shelling out the $25-30 for a copy of the documentary. Certainly, for any fan of Bret Easton Ellis. It is worth having for some profile on one of the greatest authors of our era. Especially since it is worth the money for the scenes when they stroll through is high school alma mater and negative quib about his high school year book and teenaged years memories.
For my money, THE RULES OF ATTRACTION and AMERICAN PSYCHO are the best books of his and belong among the greatest books ever written. One can only hope that once the Nobel Prize committee seize their Political Correctness trend and eventual award Bret Easton Ellis his Prize for Literature. | |
