MILIIONS

During the past winter, I spent a lot of time watching movies. My plan had always been to write reviews of my favorites, such as DOUBLE INDEMNITY and BRICK, but my cramped hands wouldn't allow me to type and I never got around to it. This morning, however, I watched a movie in which the lead character, Damien, reminded me so much of me that it brought tears to my eyes (and no, it wasn't THE OMEN--even though, strangely enough, the lead character's name is Damien and he's a Christian mystic). Throughout the movie, Damien sees Saints everywhere: they are guiding him. His mystical experiences differed from mine in content, but his intention in life is the same: at one point in the movie he says to a Patron Saint--"I just want to be good."

The name of the movie is "MILLIONS". It's about this young English lad who's family thinks he's a bit loony because of his mystical inclinations (save for two scenes in the movie, they don't see or hear the Saints that Damien interacts with during the rest of the film and don't quite understand his being spiritually bent). That's not to say that he is not loved: MILLIONS is a wonderful story about familial love. The story unfolds with Damien, his older brother Anthony, and his father moving from one part of England to another.

One day, while sitting beside some railroad tracks in a cardboard fort made from moving boxes, a large bag of money comes crashing down from the sky and lands on his fort. Damien believes the money was sent to him from God and wishes to share his 'millions' with the poor. He shows his older brother the money and, right away, Anthony begins thinking of ways to invest the money to make a profit, for example by purchasing real estate. We are immediately introduced to the different personalities of these brothers.

The filming is extraordinary--eye candy if there ever was such a thing. Alex Etel, the young lad who played the role of Damien, is by far the most talented child actor I have ever seen. How do you get a child to look as though he sees everything everywhere as Divine? During the film's conclusion, the whimsical look in young Etel's eyes brought tears of joy to mine. Brilliant. Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) creates a visual story completely in sync with the story being told, yet he manages to leave enough room for the viewers imagination to take flight as well. There's one scene in particular where Damien crawls into bed with his father after stating "I don't like having my own room". I cannot recall ever seeing a scene in which the acting, directing, lighting, and music are so perfectly choreographed. I rewound this scene several times to catch every nuance.

(For a beautifully crafted, indepth review of MILLIONS, click here.)


This movie reminded me that it is vitally important to remember that we are all good; we should never allow ourselves to forget that--never allow ourselves to lie to ourselves. Goodness is an innate trait each of us carries within our hearts. Some of us get blinded by the 'vanities' of the world; and by the labyrinth of the caverns of the mind. It's so dangerous to give our power of knowledge away--and by 'knowledge' I am referring to the spiritual knowledge.

Yesterday; I received a catalog in the mail from the Vedanta Society. On the first page I found the following quote. It's relative to the movie MILLIONS in that it resolves the conflict between Damien and his brother in that no matter what actions nor paths either boy chose to take, they were still, ultimately, on the path to Truth:

"Right and Wrong Conduct: All ethics are merely a means to the end of finding God within ourselves. "Right" action is action which brings us nearer to the knowledge of God. "Wrong" action leads us away from that knowledge. Our ideas of "good" and "evil" are therefore only relative values and must not be used as an absolute standard to judge others. All of us have our own problems and our own path of development. But the goal is the same for all."

"'Wrong' action leads us away from that knowledge." That is the part of the quote that cheered me up. The medications I'm on make it difficult for me to think clearly, and I obsess over things that are not necessary--nor productive--to obsess over. The above quote reminded me that following and listening to this obsessive train of thought is a 'wrong' action. Listening to the 'chatterbox mind' is a direct train out of the town of freedom in our lives (both mental and physical freedom).

Getting back to MILLIONS; we all know children are blessed with innocence. This movie is a celebration of the many personality types that live together (or try to, at least) -- and shows the place and importance of the mystic within the scheme of things. While subtly addressing the loneliness of the mystic, it ultimately celebrates the joy of this open-hearted, compassionate person.

This movie has the power to remind us of our innate goodness; I believe it may also have the power to ignite the fire of this recognition in those who never believed it to be so.

MILLIONS illustrates the epitome of the word 'bhakti' (love and devotion).

Enjoy! And, as always, please let me know what you think about the movie.

Warm regards,
Bhakti

tags:Jaibhakti, Bhakti Brophy, Millions,Danny Boyle, Bhakti, Divine Love, Alex Etel, mysticism, Vedanta Society

Currently Reading: Currently Watching

I am currently reading Roger Ebert's great book of cinema aptly titled GREAT MOVIES. I've always been a cinefile, yet I haven't seen most of the films in this catalog of 'must see movies'. Ebert has done the film viewing community an incredible service by writing essays on films he views as classics, yet films that may be falling by the wayside, considering today's film students are (according to the introduction) no longer very interested in black and white film (not that all of the films written about in this book are black and white). I happen to think that most color films do not hold a candle to black and white when it comes to power and impact: think THE THIRD MAN or TOUCH OF EVIL. I'd be hard pressed for anyone to find a film more suspenseful than Harold Lloyd's SAFETY LAST--that's black and white and silent, to boot (see image above. NOTE: Despite losing half of his left hand in a fireworks accident, Harold Lloyd still did all of his own stunts.). Was there ever a more charming love story than Chaplin's CITY LIGHTS? I think not. Just because a movie was made over 50 years ago doesn't mean that it's a bad film: quite the contrary. Many people make the mistake of thinking black and white films are somehow boring. I think not, once again. I bet the only black and white films most people have seen is CITIZEN KANE. I thought that film was so boring; I was calling my friends and begging them to tell me who/what Rosebud was. I'm not joking. I'm not ashamed to admit that I didn't enjoy the CITIZEN KANE storyline; however, I did love the filming. I believe this was the first film where everything in the view of the camera was in focus (in other words, the backgrounds were not out of focus, as they normally would be to draw your eye to the subject in the foreground).

There are so many great films that have been forgotten about because, well, there aren't many places left in the world that show old films--unless, of course, you live in New York City or San Francisco (United States). Now, with Netflix, for example, most of the classic movies that Ebert writes about are available for your viewing.

I am going to be watching many of these old classics--some for the first time, and others for the second, third, or even fourth time--and then I am going to write my own review/essay regarding the film. I will also place a link to Roger Ebert's online review (when available). I am hoping to keep some of the films that inspired me to be a photographer alive for a very long time. (Yes, I used to watch old films to get ideas for modern day photo shoots when I photographed rock-n-roll bands, famous artists, and even lawyers, etc.)

I would like to invite anyone who has a NETFLIX account to become a 'Netflix Friend'--whereby we can view each other's queue and trade thoughts on movies we've rented and watched. Cousin Chrissy and Cousin G are already Netflix friends--it's pretty cool to see who likes what movies and why.

To sign up to be a Netflix Friend of Jai Bhakti, simply go to your Netflix account, click on the 'FRIENDS' tab at the top of the page, and send me an email invite. Here's my email address: jaibhakti@aol.com

Movies are a great pastime because they take us out of our own worlds and let us see the world through someone else's eyes and imagination. Don't be afraid of 'black and white': I can guarantee you that many of the classic black and white films are far superior to some of the crap that Hollywood puts out these days.

Happy Viewing!
Bhakti


tags: Jaibhakti, Bhakti Brophy, humor,movies, Roger Ebert, Harold Lloyd, Safety Last, Citizen Kane, movie reviews, Charlie Chaplin, City Lights, Touch of Evil, Third Man, black and white films,

Congratulations Are In Order For Helen Mirren

Congratulations to my all-time favorite actress--Helen Mirren--for taking home the Oscar for Best Actress during last night's Oscar ceremonies. Did any of you happen to catch her acceptance speech? 'So classy.

After I congratulated Ms. Mirren for taking home the Golden Globes for Best Actress (in both a movie and a made for TV mini-series) just a couple of posts ago, I promised my readers that I would list some of my favorite Helen Mirren roles (in both film and TV). Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you my favorite Helen Mirren movies and TV series roles:

The Queen: If you have never seen Helen Mirren act before, I suggest watching The Queen, Prime Suspect, and Losing Chase all back to back. The only thing that could possibly remind you that you are watching the same woman act in all three roles is the sheer calibur of acting. Forget about knocking it out of the ballpark; she knocked this one out of the universe!

Prime Suspect (1-7) This series is a MUST SEE for anyone who enjoys Helen's acting, or just great acting in general. The stories are as terrific as the acting! If you've never seen Helen in anything except The Queen, start here!

The Cook, The Thief, The Wife, And Her Lover--I actually walked out of the theater with 5 minutes to go during it's run in New York City (circa 1989). However, I rented it a while ago just to see Mirren's work. There is one scene in particular, where her husband is berating her at the dinner table; she stops paying attention to him, looks across the dining hall towards her lover and gives him a smile. This is the single greatest act of defiance I have ever seen on film--she used only her eyes to convey the fact that she had the upper hand in the marraige, and that she was the one with all of the control. Incredible. Warning: This movie is not for the squeemish.

Losing Chase: I don't think I've ever seen or heard it mentioned with regard to Mirren's filmography; regardless, this is one of my favorite Mirren movies. In it she plays a married woman who finds herself stifled in a marraige: she knows that she has never truly known love before. Her family and friends think she has lost it, yet she's only coming to find her true self.

The Pledge: Who wouldn't love the chance to see Helen Mirren and Jack Nicholson on the same screen? Great plot; incredible acting.

Some Mother's Son

Where Angels Fear to Tread

The Comfort of Strangers

Mrs. Greenfingers

So there you have it: a glimpse of some of my favorite Helen Mirren movie (and TV) roles. There's a little bit of something for everyone within the list: Mirren has a diverse a filmography as she has acting chops.

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN!

tags: Jaibhakti, bhakti brophy, Helen Mirren, prime suspect, movies, oscars, The Cook the Thief The Wife and Her Lover,