The problem with Ghost In A Shell goes beyond whitewashing and the issue with the main character not being completely true to the original story.
Directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Scarlett Johansson and Juliette Binoche, the movie, which is based on the popular Japanese manga story has some moving moments and a handful of satisfying action sequences. Nevertheless, the execution of the story just wasn’t great. I didn’t consistently feel present and invested in the protagonist’s struggle because of how the story is told/edited.
Major’s, Johansson) response to the words ‘You’re what everyone will become one day’ along with her physical sacrifice towards the end were the most moving moments.
I will remember this movie, probably mostly as a missed opportunity, but also as a film where I enjoyed Juliette Binoche’s performance and loved the way Michael Pitt’s character/face was introduced. Last but not least, it was certainly empowering to witness Major’s ‘get it done’ attitude in action.
In Ghost In A Shell, Scarlett Johansson is a cyborg Police woman on a mission to bring down an evil computer hacker.
Juliette Binoche and Michael Pitt also star while Rupert Sanders directs.
I know next to nothing about the stories on which this movie is based. That’s ok by me because film is my medium. I want this to be a great movie and much better than Lucy (2014), the last action movie I saw that starred Johansson.
The 33 (2015), Lou Diamond Phillips, Antonio Banderas
Around the time the Chilean mining accident took place in 2010, I learned only the basics of what happened; namely the number of men trapped and the fact that fortunately, against the odds, they all made it out alive.
Starring Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, Mario Casas, Gabriel Byrne and Rodrigo Santoro, The 33 is the story of the 33 men, those who helped get them out and their experiences of the fateful day, through to the rescue.
Directed by Patricia Riggen, The 33 had me thinking about how much people really do need each other to make it. The survival of all the 33 took a lot of different decisions and actions both big and small, by the men trapped deep underground and people above ground.
The 33 (2015), Juliette Binoche
The running time of The 33 is just over two hours; too long if you ask me. However, that likely had something to do with me wanting to see the suffering of the men end. After all, the audience already knows that all will be well in the end. A luxury the 33 didn’t have, effectively making their emotional journeys even even more moving.
One wonders, would I have watched The 33 if the ending wasn’t as happy? Probably not, because, well, wouldn’t that make it a sort of a horror movie, the very genre I’m not at all partial to?
I see The 33 as a well-told story about what it can take to survive when the odds are very much against you. As you watch The 33, you won’t be able to avoid noticing just how great the musical score is.
.The late, great James Horner is the composer responsible. He’s also the man behind the music in both Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009).
The Movie My Life 