The Center of the World
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Movie Reviews of The Center of the World
Movie Review: Going Out On A Limb: I Thought It Was Great!
Summary: 5 Stars
I [agree] that "Peter Sarsgaard is WONDERFUL." [H]e plays the main character, not Balthazar Getty, who is barely in the film but is listed on top of the credits. I thought Sarsgaard was so great that I went over to IMDB to look up his other film credits. Much to my surprise, he apparently played a super bad guy in "Boys Don't Cry." I didn't even recognize him from that film to this film and that is the hallmark of great acting ability. He reminds me a great deal of Colin Firth, from a decade ago, as a leading man except that he's American. I picked the film because I generally admire Wayne Wang's work and have followed his career from its start with "Dim Sum." Wang has moved away from using solely Japanese American characters but has not moved away from his independent, edgy roots. I don't think this is a porn film, by the way, as others do. I think it is an American romance through and through. Sarsgaard is a wealthy cyber geek who is not a bad guy but his long suite is not the social graces. Shane Edelman plays the woman who comes into his life. She plays in a rock and roll band and also strips to support herself until she "makes it" as a drummer. This is actually about as American as you can get and is a far cry from the woman waiting for a man to rescue her from a life of stripping cliche. These two really match up quite well because they have a lot in common and in many ways are similar souls. It may not look that way on the surface but this is a deeply layered work and much becomes apparent to the patient viewer. Shane Edelman also does a nice job of showing how a "regular" woman can range all over the place in both her appearance and her emotions. Personally, I don't see how you can go wrong with this one.Movie Review: Better Than Expected
Summary: 5 Stars
This film is about two people who have compartmentalized their sexuality. At issue is whether they can overcome their neurosis, their alienation from their own humanity. The answer is, no, it can't work, just as the woman (Florence) knows all along but the man (Richard) has to find out. We never learn what has caused their alienation but it's not important. In the case of Richard, a successful computer geek, it is at least part of what has enabled him to immerse himself in work (some people believe that working long hours away from people have caused his neurosis but that is less likely). In Florence' case it enables her to earn her living performing lap dances for strangers. In both cases their coping mechanism is reinforced by its success.
Florence is more aware of her coping mechanism and therefore realistic about it. Richard, suffering from over work, loneliness, the pressure of an impending IPO and the recent death of his father hasn't got a clue. He meets Florence, learns that she is a stripper and invites her to a weekend in Vegas. After being turned down he offers to pay for her company (!). She is hip and knows nothing can come of this even after she later develops conflicting feelings.
The "exotic" dancing is at least erotic, a lot more than I can say for the films, Exotica, Dancing at the Blue Iguana, Showgirls and Striptease. That's probably because there was at least a psychological connection between the two characters. I did feel sympathetic to them unlike anyone in those other films. The woman is at her sexiest when she is fully clothed and beaming straight into the man's eyes, lending proof to the adage that sex is 90% psychology.
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Movie Review: Do you know what the Center of the World is???
Summary: 5 Stars
OK friends, I have had enough of the superficial criticisms. If you can watch this movie and come away without even knowing what the Center of the World is, then you just plain missed it.
I guess if you're not in on the theme of the movie in your own life, you will indeed probably miss it. But since I hate to see a tremendously powerful message wasted by the hard knocks of those who can't understand, the fun is in discovering what the Center of the World is!
I will give you a hint for you to look for in the movie. Hint: There are actually two versions of what the Center of the World is. The woman's, and the man's. What does the lady regard as the Center of the (her) world? Hmmm. And what does the gentleman regard as the Center of the world? It's that thing on his desk that allows him to be at the center of what is perhaps more appropriatley called his "universe".
OK, so maybe if you're not into the information age, and you aren't at all interested in what the lady considers the Center of the World, then this movie might not appeal to you. I like movies that set an example for my principles. I don't necessarily agree with everything in the movie, just the two Centers. For mature audiences only.
Movie Review: the center of our world
Summary: 5 Stars
while certainly not as powerful or touching as mr.wang's joy luck club, this film is indeed quite good. mr. wang seems to have departed from those heartwarming mother and daughter stories such as joy luck club or his previous film anywhere but here to present us his statement on sexuality and/or love in it's rawest form. molly parker, who is known for taking the more challenging roles, once again delivers an almost natural performance to the screen in this erotically charged study of human desire and need. center of the world is a very modern story about loneliness, obsession, and self-fulfillment which lurks within us all. although one could easily argue the film might've borrowed elements of leaving las vegas or even pretty woman, mr.wang's world explores the possibilites of how we react in the real world with one another versus electronical communication. in fact, i believe he is simply showing us how digital, often impersonal, or cold everything has become in the modern computer age. we have virtually no attachment to anything as far as interracting via computer. we as humans have basically become slaves to technology in way or another. what is the center of your world?Movie Review: Fear and Screwing in Las Vegas (plus love?)
Summary: 5 Stars
This film is an awesomely accurate depiction of an aspect of the struggle that all men and women living in the United States at the beginning of the 21st century face. The issues are money, sex, violence, power, intimacy, objectification, high technology, isolation, fantasy, reality.....well I could go on and on. On the surface, an isolated, rich computer geek who spends his free time watching internet sex, financial reports, and video games meets a stripper who definitely knows how to do her job well, is struggling financially and is a drummer in a rock band. They strike a business deal, but it's very sweet IMHO to watch their defenses crumble and the real human beings emerge....to what degree......you'll have to decide for yourself. Even if most of us don't have exactly the lives of the two main characters, we are confronted with the situations they face daily. In that respect, it's a contemporary parable. I think everyone should see this film, but I already know that a good percentage of you will disagree:-).