The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Over the past couple of weeks, I've viewed two of the best movies I think I've ever seen and felt the need to share a bit about them. In addition to these two, I also saw the Daniel Day-Lewis-led film, There Will Be Blood , and highly recommend that as well. Lewis is electrifying and deserved his Oscar for Best Actor. Since that film was released over a decade ago, though, I'll focus the brunt of my attention on the two more recently released films which caught my attention upon first watching them and haven't let go two weeks later, The Square and The Shape of Water . What these two films have in common are they're both: Unique/unusual; powerful; well produced, directed, and acted; are not what they may appear to be; and will likely stay with you long after the closing credits. The Square is a Swedish film directed by star writer/director in-the-making Ruben Ostlund. It is essentially a satire on modern society, where a well respected art museum curator present...

For whatever reason, I've been on a foreign film kick of late, and thought I'd recommend yet another to my readers. It's a French film by the name of What's In a Name? , where a dinner party goes from calm and friendly to angry and chaotic over a guest's idea for a baby name - Adolphe. This guest and one of the host's then heatedly debate on whether or not any child should be subjected to such a name due to Adolf Hitler. This dramedy's dialogue takes several twists and turns through it's nearly two hours, often sharp and funny, yet this exchange is at the core of what the film's about, and it got me to thinking (yes, scary thought, I know). I hate to play off the film's title, but seriously, "What's In a Name?" Now, would I ever name or think about naming my child Adolf/Adolphe? No. But why is that? Have I been programmed to believe all things affiliated with that name are evil because of one man, and is this right/fair? What abou...