Reviews

If you've read Mother Night and enjoyed it so much (as I did) that you just have to see the movie, understand that you have to understand a fundamental element of Vonngut's writing - that beyond his story lies Vonnegut himself, and that you can't put a human mind on the screen. His whit and humor just cannot be transcribed by a screenplay or even the best acting performance. I believe that this movie exceeds in asking the key questions that Vonnegut poses in his book, but those frequent cynical moments of satire found on the page are not found on the screen. Does this mean that the movie misses the mark? Of course not. In my opinion, the movie succeeds because it does not try to recreate the experience of reading the book (this is not a medium for those too lazy to turn a page). It succeeds because it takes the fundamental elements of a story created by one of America's true artistic treasures and presents it in a a framework without pretense. I've seen other movie versions of Vonnegut books where the director obviously tries to channel Vonnegut's genius and loses grip on his own craft. I would not place this movie as one of the best I've seen, but it stands on its own legs as one well worth watching. By taking Vonnegut's "voice" out of the movie's narration or trying to insert it however it can, Mother Night tells his story brilliantly, and preserves the story's fundamental lessons without confusion, distraction, or disappointment.

I started watching this movie thinking that it would be your typical "guy sees further than us," but it's the movie that teaches us what we should already should have learned. The acting is very well done for the most part, but its the moments in between the dialogue that is most striking. It opens with a cryptic sequence where a Marine in the first Gulf War comes back after being pronounced dead, but he has already said that that was the "first" time he dies. After that scene, which is one of the most honest Gulf War sequences I've watched, the viewer is left wondering about his final demise - but that has little to do with the connection that this movie makes with its viewers. We all wonder what we are, what we should be, and what we might have become. "The Jacket" isn't about restraint, it's about discovery. Vonneut said "we're here to help each other through this thing, whatever it is" - and that's what this movie is about. In the case of Mr. Bordy's character, he embraces that sentiment. Searching for his own destiny, he becomes intertwined with the destiny of others, and must decide how he will use unintended associations. I think that this movie makes us all wonder the significance, not of our life, but of our days, our hours, and our minutes. I found the plot intriguing, but the hour after the credits rewarding.

Intense therapy for the young teenager inside us all. This movie reminds us of who we were, who we are, and the type of person we once strove and still may strive to be. Although this movie is primarily about one girl's stuggle, it truly examines the tribulations of every walk of life through its masterfully created characters. It also vividly illustrates the affect that our actions have on those we love, and how their love and shortcomings affect our own. Without pretense, this movie presents powerful lessons, exposes dramatic emotions, and gives us an ending full of hope. Sexually charged, it uses erotic scenes that captivates the imagination but does so to create honest reaction rather to please a perverted viewer. Masterfully written, perfectly performed, and wonderfully provacative.