Don't Think Again

As I sit down to write about this, I suddenly realize most of what lead me to write this relates closely to being in Japan, and I believe that Japanese men would particularly enjoy this read. I'm not racist. It's just about culture. Yesterday I had this huge ass scary "opportunity to perform well and show my prowess"... a test. A big presentation at work, a deal you must close, the JLPT... all these things are tests, just like the ones you and I had to take on History or Mathematics. And, even though I was as prepared as I would ever be, I was stressing over it. I feel good when I get to put stuff that's bothering me behind. That's just the way I am, the way I was raised and where it brought me to. If I had to talk about Brazilian culture, however, I'd probably say most people don't stress too much... about pretty much anything. I'm not the best cultural representative. Not too good at soccer either (proudly so). But then again, I'm not...

I remember watching this film by myself, because no one else wanted to join. It didn't strike me as a terribly remarkable film. It's not extraordinary, except for the amazing cast. No impressive special effects, no crazy plot twists, no nude scenes. An amazing soundtrack. If you have kids, make them watch it, and try explaining every thread of this tale. You're gonna be doing them a favor.

I didn't personally enjoyed watching this movie, probably because I'm not too keen on old Western movies. I don't fail to recognize the quality and power of the images, but I don't enjoy the helplessness this movie left me with. Highly recommended for fans of the genre. Otherwise, just don't watch it.

I didn't want to finish this writing exercise without explaining why I still like top 10 or top 5 lists, and this film is definitely the best example. In 2006, when this film came out, for some reason it simply didn't show up on my radar. It's not a commercial popcorn movie, of course, so I couldn't count on having it shoved down my throat through TV advertisement and whatnot. I have to rely on my network of friends. Even though, I did come across Stay (2005) , also featuring Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson (2006) (HN) had to be found in a fuggin' top 10 list. This must be why people think I'm some sort of cinema freak: I know the name of the directors, actors, producers and such. Ryan Gosling is in my list, and I'm sure to be checking out his new film Blue Valentine (2010) by Derek Cianfrance. In HN I love the blurry photography, the twists and turns, the recklessness of the characters and... I love the way this script takes a would-be cliché - the ...