Weekly Film Symposium #2: Third Response

Wow, I suck.  This is a very belated response, and I apologize for my slothfulness.  I have been meaning to compose this entry for some time, but only now am I actually getting around to it.  Since I posted my first response, I have been able to read the book and gleam a few insights from it.  That being said, I'll get on to my response.

Book vs. Film

I really enjoyed the book.  The movie created a strong desire to know more about the characters, especially Eli and her background, and the book helps fill in some of the back story.  The book also contains more of your conventional horror elements.  It has more dark scenes, more disturbing elements to the story than the film, and as such, is quite separate from the film.  What director Tomas Alfredson and novelist and screenwriter John Ajvide Lindqvist were able to do was extract the most important elements of the novel, primarily the relationship between Oskar and Eli,  and create a focused and artistic film that stands entirely on its own.  In fact, I would recommend that anyone interested in seeing the film and reading the novel go about it the same way I did:  backwards -- film first, novel second.  I feel the film achieves a greater artistic unity than the novel.  There is really nothing I would change about the film if I could somehow go back and alter it during production.

The Title

Personally, I love the title Let the Right One In.  It has thematic importance and alludes to vampire mythology and the requirement that vampires be invited into a room before they can enter.  Several times Eli asks Oskar if she can come in, and the scene where Oskar taunts her and forces her to show him what happens if she enters uninvited is pretty astounding.  The title factors significantly into the relationships of the film.  Both Oskar and Eli are very lonely, and both need to "let the right one in" to their lives, to move beyond their solitude and enter a better, healthier way of life.  There is a section in the novel that further explains the significance of the title.  It comes after Lacke, despondent upon learning of Jocke's fate, tells Virginia, the woman he loves, that he has no one now that Jocke is gone.  Virginia storms away, hurt and angry, and has a nasty surprise in store for her.  Before she receives that surprise, the novel gives us insight into her thoughts:

Let a person in and he hurts you.  There was a reason why she kept her relationships brief.  Don't let them in.  Once they're inside they have more potential to hurt you. Comfort yourself.  You can live with the anguish as long as it only involves yourself. As long as there is no hope.

While that explanation comes from Virginia, it's most applicable to the relationship of Oskar and Eli, which I will further analyze in the next section.

Oskar and Eli

I feel like posting a few more thoughts, some informed by the novel, about the story's central relationship.  The actors cast in the roles of Oskar and Eli were phenomenal, though I learned that they dubbed a less feminine voice over the actual actress who portrays Eli.  Apparently she sounded too much like a girl.  Anyway, one of the aspects of the story that has most intrigued me and remained in my thoughts is the co-dependence that develops between Oskar and Eli.

Oskar, more than anything, needs a friend in his life.  The movie portrays him as completely friendless; he is picked on by bullies at school and plays alone in the courtyard outside his apartment building after school.  Only the gym teacher shows Oskar a little sympathy, but that is not enough for a twelve year old child.  Because of his alienation from his classmates, Oskar develops unnatural and violent tendencies, and this only alienates him more.  He has a few nice moments with his parents -- I love the scene where he and his mom are brushing their teeth, and I was pretty moved by the joy he felt at times when he was visiting his father -- but those moments don't last.  Oskar's family is broken, and his parents cannot understand him.  He is in desperate need of someone, anyone to offer a sympathetic smile and an understanding heart.  Eli fills that void in his life, and for the first time in Oskar's life, he has a friend.  (The novel gives Oskar a few friends, but they are not around when he needs them and cannot be the type of genuine friend he needs in his life).  Oskar comes to depend on Eli's presence in his life.  An image from the film really drives that point home for me.  The morning after Eli leaves town in the taxi, Oskar looks out his bedroom window at the empty courtyard.  The shot is framed with the camera outside the window, looking in at Oskar.  He has clearly been crying for some time, the pain caused by Eli's absence being too much for him to bear.  

What strikes me, and this might just be me once again reading too much into things, is that Oskar looks like Eli when she needs blood.  He has a similar paleness and red, sunken eyes.  Like Eli needs blood to survive physically, Oskar needs Eli to survive emotionally.  He is dependent on her.

The film portrays Eli in a slightly different light than the book, and I think the differences are noteworthy, especially when looking at her relationship with Oskar and whether it is genuine and sincere or merely masterful manipulation to ensure her continued survival.  In the book, Eli is a clumsy and ineffectual killer.  She has a number of blunders and is clearly in need of a helper.  Enter Hakan and later Oskar.  In the film, however, she is portrayed as a better killer.  What sets the film portrayal apart is that Eli seeks assistance, not because she is a blundering vampire, but because she doesn't enjoy killing.  After Hakan messes up in the beginning of the film, Eli angrily asks, "Do I really have to take care of this myself?"  An ineffectual killer would act more frightened than angry in this situation, but the film shows Eli very angry in this scene. 

  

The film leads me to believe that Eli seeks Oskar's companionship out of a genuine need for friendship, not because she needs another assistant to fill Hakan's position.  The book clarifies the relationship between Eli and Hakan, and while I don't want to go into particulars, I will say that it is very, very different from the relationship between Eli and Oskar.  Though, like you pointed out, Justin, Oskar will very likely end up in Hakan's position later in life.  Another element of the story, this one from the novel, that leads me to view their relationship as genuine, especially on Eli's end, occurs as she is able to help Oskar literally see things from her perspective:

For a few seconds Oskar saw through Eli's eyes.  And what he saw was...himself. Only much better, more handsome, stronger than what he thought of himself.  Seen with love.

I love that passage and think it really clarifies a lot of the uncertainty regarding their relationship.  The film never gives such an explicit defense of the genuineness of their relationship, but I think it can be inferred from the way Oskar and Eli look at each Other.  Eli depends on Oskar's friendship more than she will depend on his assistance to acquire blood.  She is more than willing to leave in the dead of night and start over somewhere, and that willingness tells me that she is capable of living on her own and probably has at some point during her very long existence as a vampire.  She chooses Oskar's companionship, not to avoid killing for herself, but to have love and friendship in her life, for however long it might last.

Anyway, I have written more than enough for now, though I'm sure there is a near endless amount of things to talk about regarding this film.  It is definitely one of the best films of 2008, and I'm doing my best to share it with other people.  

(500) Days of Summer Initial Response

I just got back from watching a free promotional screening of (500) Days of Summer in Salt Lake City.  First off, how cool is it that I got to catch a promo screening a week and a half before the film officially opens in SLC?  I think it's pretty dang cool, and I'm grateful that I was able to make the screening.  Along with a lot of other people.  We got there half an hour before the scheduled 7:30 showtime, and the theater was nearly full.  We ended up sitting 4 rows from the front on the right side of the theater; the view wasn't optimal as I would normally prefer, but it wasn't detrimental to my enjoyment of the film or anything.  Quite frankly, I was surprised (and in a way pleased) by the early turnout.  

Alright, so I'll talk a little about the actual film.  I enjoyed the movie a lot.  I feel like it is one of the few romantic comedies that is honest and genuine.  It looks at both the good and the bad of the central relationship between Tom (played by the ever-awesome Joseph Gordon Levitt) and Summer (played by my celeb crush, the stunning Zooey Deschanel).  I couldn't imagine this film with anyone else cast in the lead roles; Zooey and Joseph are perfect.  They have excellent on-screen chemistry and nothing feels amiss in their performances.  I don't feel like the film reaches the emotional catharsis of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but it's unfair to expect that of any film.  

(500) Days of Summer reminds me of Eternal Sunshine in a couple ways.  Both look at relationships differently than most conventional films, they use nonlinear storytelling to portray the ups and downs of the relationship, and they are both quite creative in their visual approach.  Eternal Sunshine is hands down the better film, but it is one of my all-time favorites so it's not surprising I feel that way.  One of the reasons I feel Eternal Sunshine is better is that the female character, Clementine (played by Kate Winslet), is one of the best female characters in cinema.  She is complex and unique and never easily reduced to any one thing; she is simply Clementine.  In (500) Days of Summer the story is told completely from Tom's perspective, and because of that, Summer remains a mystery.  We're given little glimpse into why she is the way she is; as the viewer, we understand even less than Tom, even though Summer is still a mystery to him at all times.  I understand the filmmaker's intent in leaving Summer as an enigma, and I can accept that choice and how it impacts the film.  I think, however, that the choice to not really delve into her motivation limits the film and prevents it from being as poignant or affecting as it could otherwise have been.  Tom is a sympathetic character and Summer is intriguing and enchanting, but I could only ever relate to Tom, no matter how much I wanted to understand Summer.  That's not to say that I didn't like Summer because I did like her a lot; I just couldn't understand her in the end, and, like many females in real life, she just left me frustrated and confused.  And yet, one more shot of her blue eyes and all that confusion and frustration would vanish --- let's be serious, Zooey has amazing eyes, does she not?  I suppose that conflict of being simultaneously enraptured and frustrated by Summer is what the filmmakers intended to happen.

I really want to see this film again, and I hope it continues to perform really well in its limited release so that it can receive a wide release and play in some theater in Provo/Orem.  There are a lot of very funny moments in the film, and it has a really good soundtrack as well.  If you have any chance at all to see, I think it is definitely worth it.  

This was one of the best movies I've seen this summer.    

Weekly Film Symposium #2: Second Response.

Dude, I never even saw your response get posted. So sorry it took me so long to respond again. I hate it when that happens. Anyway...

I agree with you that I feel like the relationship between Eli and Oskar is completely genuine and sincere. I believe that it started out as manipulation by Eli but very quickly turned into something else. She said that the first thing she heard him say was "squeal like a pig," or something to that effect, and she had been observing him. I believe that she knew that he was perfect to be her next care taker. I believe in the context of the film, that was her intention but she quickly and genuinely fell in love with Oskar. I love their relationship, even though it is pretty messed up. However, I don't see it ending well for Oskar.

Jesse and I were talking about this movie and she mentioned that Oskar was just going to fall into the same role that her current care taker was in, and that broke my little heart a tiny bit. I don't know why I didn't think of their future at all, except for the fact that they were going to be happy together. Now, I truthfully believe that Oskar is just going to end up like the guy she has now. He will take care of her and kill for her and move her around, but he will grow up, and she won't. At some point he is goint to be a middle aged man and she will still be twelve. Does this turn their relationship from one of requited love to a father and daughter relationship? Then she is going to have to eventually find a new care taker, and that just sucks for everybody. Oskar will fade away and Eli will continue on. I guess she could make him a vampire as well, but we don't want Oskar to burst into flames like the other lady (how awesome was that?!) I am also very glad that he didn't go for the cheap thrills like american "horror" movies do. I truly can't say enough about the director and the choices he made. Not like he needs me to tell him that he did a great job but he really did. I am glad we watched this and both loved it.

Bands Listened to at Work Last Week:

I only worked three of the five work days last week so the list is going to be shorter than prior ones.

• Spoon (all albums in reverse chronological order, a bunch of B-sides as well)
• Bon Iver
• Rilo Kiley
• The Besnard Lakes
• Future of the Left
• Silverchair (a couple songs)
• Dark Was the Night 2-disc compilation
• Beulah
• Blonde Redhead

5 More Actors Who Need to Work More

1. Cillian Murphy

2. Guy Pearce

3. Viggo Mortensen

4. Kevin Spacey

5. Clint Eastwood (still the best bad-A in the world)

Edit: Ethan Hawke was totally meant to be on one of my lists. He was, in fact, one of the names that made me think of first creating that list. I recently watched both Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and Gattaca, and I thought he was very good in both. I read some personal quotes on IMDB, and he seems to have a good mind as well as acting chops. He should work more.

Weekly Film Symposium #2: Response

Let the Right One In

Rating:  4 1/2 stars

My immediate response:  wow.  This film has not left my mind since I finished watching it.  I cannot get certain images and scenes out of my head, and I marvel at the film's permanence.  I think this lingering quality, though it is sometimes undesired, is the mark of a great work of art.  I remember some of my favorite films lingering in a similar manner (Children of Men, Eternal Sunshine, etc.), and as I would recall those images and scenes, new meaning and significance would inevitably arise.

Such is the case with this film, I believe.

I absolutely agree with pretty much everything you wrote in your post, Justin.  I don't think there is anything I would change about this film.  The writing, cinematography, sound design, casting, directing, and acting all felt complete.  You wondered if all foreign films are always perfectly acted with nothing out of place, and it sure seems that way.  I'll briefly offer my two cents regarding that.  First, there is definitely a filtering process taking place with foreign films.  Only films receiving critical praise, usually at the major film festivals, or those with some commercial appeal will be picked up for distribution in the United States.  This means that when a foreign film does reach our shores, it is probably a good film.  Trivial or puff movies that would absolutely fail at the box-office aren't even considered for distribution.  Secondly, there is really only one national cinema, that of India, that rivals Hollywood in terms of moneymaking and the number of films produced -- India actually surpasses the number of films made in the United States.  In all other nations, it is much harder to produce a film with a significant international presence.  Therefore, instead of getting a Swedish Transformers or some other mind numbingly dumb waste of celluloid, we get superbly crafted works of art.  Granted, we lack exposure to the majority of foreign films, and they may have their own cinematic drivel that doesn't reach us, but I'd like to believe that the difficulty of producing film in these countries forces the poser filmmakers into other professions.  Thus, the people actually willing to put forth the effort to make a film are genuine artists.  At least that's my romanticized notion of things.

Anyway, back to Let the Right One In.  What a beautiful, chilling, poignant, and shocking film!  Like you said, the vampire element is really just on the side; it's not the central feature of the narrative, and that is one of its most distinguishing characteristics.  It's a film about two lonely twelve-year olds.  Oskar is scrawny and has a terrible haircut; he comes from a broken home and spends most of his time alone.  He's constantly bullied, has revenge fantasies, and is morbidly fascinated with murder and death.  Eli (pronounced 'el-lee' not 'e-lie') lives on the move and cannot stay too long in any one place; she wants friends, but the reality of her existence demands that she remain solitary.  For both of them, normal childhood is not an option.  They need each other, and, for better or worse, are exactly what the other needs.  They provide one another friendship and companionship, as well as protection and support.  I would like to think that their connection is genuine and sincere, but I can see where others might be suspicious of their relationship.  It is possible that Eli manipulates Oskar into becoming her new helper, like others before him.  She recognized in him the characteristics that would make him a good assistant and then manipulated him into loving her.  I see how you could interpret things that way, but my personal opinion leans toward the sweeter, genuine connection.  I don't know if you have read this, Justin, but according to the IMDB trivia, Oskar spells out P-U-S-S in morse code -- that means little kiss in Swedish -- when he and Eli are travelling on the train at the end of the film.  Just a sweet little moment.

I've got to agree with you on the use of the cinematography and sound; both are simply superb.  

I think I'll write about some of the film's more memorable moments before closing this initial response.

The meat and potatoes of the story is the relationship between Eli and Oskar, but there are some genuinely frightening and horrific moments in this film.  I love that the director never resorts to cheap make-you-jump scares.  Right before we see Eli kill Jocke in the tunnel under the road, the director subverts our expectations.  Eli calls out for Jocke to help her, and he begins walking toward her.  The whole time I was waiting for her to spring her attack, and the tension was quite high as the film had yet to show her attack anyone.  As he nears her, a loud truck speeds by on the road over the tunnel, and it is at that moment that a normal horror film would have sprung make-you-jump moment.  Instead, nothing happens.  The trucks goes by, and Jocke continues walking towards Eli.  By not resorting to the expected tactic, the director is able to create an even heightened sense of dread and tension.  It's really quite brilliant.

I found Virginia's subplot very interesting as it shows what happens to those who are bitten but not killed, and it also leads to two of the most startling images that have stuck with me.  How crazy is the scene where she gets attacked by the cats?  I found that pretty creepy and awesome.  Then in the hospital, rather than allow her transformation into a vampire to become complete, she asks the orderly to raise the blinds.  I was not expecting her to burst into flames; it was definitely a very stark and memorable moment.  This makes me wonder if Eli would always make certain to kill those she bit, like she did with Jocke.  It seems to me, since we already know that she doesn't like to kill people but does so to survive, that she is merciful to her victims by not putting them through the painful transformation that Virginia has to go through.  I wonder, not knowing much of Eli's back story yet, if she were bitten by a vampire at the age of twelve and went through that process herself.  Just some speculation.

I also really enjoyed the scene when Eli climbs into bed with Oskar.  She is still cautious and wary of revealing her true self to Oskar and won't let him look at her.  He lies on his side and she climbs in behind him.  This strikes me as a particularly intense scene.  Oskar not only makes himself vulnerable emotionally by asking Eli to go steady with him, but he is also, without knowing it, extremely vulnerable physically.  His neck is easily accessible, and should Eli feel the desire to bite him, it would be the easiest thing in the world.  I love the tension his dual-vulnerability creates in this scene.  Eli agrees to go steady, and Oskar peacefully slips into slumber.  The most lasting image of the scene takes place then as Eli lightly traces her fingertips from Oskar's shoulder down the length of his arm and ends by slipping her hand into his.  It's a shockingly sweet and tender moment that leads me to believe that the emotional connection they share is genuine.

The final moment I will discuss relates to the clip of the film you posted on your other blog and why I feel that the clip needed to run another few seconds to achieve the maximum emotional effect.  When Oskar is saved and he comes up out of the water, the camera focuses on his face.  After taking in a deep breath, he slowly opens his eyes.  The next shot is from his point-of-view, and we see Eli, Oskar's protector.  Rather than showing us all of Eli's face or even a shot of her whole body, we get a close-up on the upper half of her face, framed halfway up her nose to most of her forehead.

I believe this to be a very significant shot.  Every other time Oskar was near Eli when her vampire instincts came out, he was scared or disgusted by what he saw.  Even after he helps her defeat Lacke, he merely stands there as she, still covered in Lacke's blood, hugs him and thanks him.  I interpret Oskar's actions as indicative of his hesitance to truly accept Eli; he wants to but struggles to move into complete acceptance.  In the aforementioned POV shot, Oskar sees Eli's eyes (which are always very striking and, I think, different colors throughout the film) and nothing more.  He doesn't see her mouth, which would be covered with blood, or her hands or anything that would remind him of her vampire brutality.  No, he just sees her eyes.  This shot informs me that Oskar has completely accepted Eli for who she is.  The fact that she is a vampire that kills to survive and will brutally kill to protect him doesn't matter anymore.  He chooses not to see that, or at least to not get hung up on that.  This is the pivotal moment of the film's climax, and I love that the director chose to convey it subtly through his shot selection.  Then I love how Oskar smiles at Eli, and she, still framed in that close-up, returns the smile, and we can see she is smiling only in the slight movement of her cheeks.  Her reciprocal smile is what is missing from your clip.  It's a beautiful interchange, one of my favorites of the entire film, another example of how perfectly the film mixes the beautiful with the horrific. 

I've seen this film twice now, and I feel like we've only just scratched the surface of all there is worthy of discussion.  Great choice, my man.  Great choice, indeed.

Top 5 Actors Who Need to Work More So I Can Have More Amazing Performances to Watch

My list is very similar to yours.

1- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
2- Djimon Hounsou (just better work, come on dude)
3- Edward Norton
4- Daniel Day-Lewis
5- Cillian Murphy

Top 5 Actors Who Need to Work More So I Can Have More Amazing Performances to Watch

1.  Bill Murray

2.  Daniel Day Lewis

3.  Ryan Gosling

4.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt

5.  Edward Norton

Weekly Film Symposium #2

Lat Den Ratte Komma In
(Let The Right One In)



Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
My rating: 4.5/5

'Let the Right One In' is a swedish film about a 12 year old boy named Oskar. Oskar is picked on by the bullies at school and is neglected by his family. For all intents and purposes, Oskar is completely alone in his life, and as a result he has developed some pretty sociopathic tendencies. One night while Oskar is out he comes across his new neighbor, a twelve year old "girl" named Eli. Oskar and Eli quickly develop a friendship as they are both alone. But the one thing that sets Eli apart is that she just happens to be a vampire. Oskar and Eli help each other as they struggle to fit into everyday life.

First off, let me take a second to be twleve. How ugly is the kid that plays Oskar? Seriously, Those Swede's are not very attractive. Ok, now seriously. I thought this film was fantastic and tragically overlooked when it came to the oscars. Obviously it is because of the nature of the film, but one of these days those academy members are just going to have to get over their biases. I thought this film was superb in every aspect. This film perfectly supports my rant on my movie blog about how foreign films are more daring and more interesting. But let's take this one thing at a time.

I thought both Kare Hedebrant (Oskar) and Lina Leandersson (Eli) did great jobs, and both perfectly conveyed their characters and their struggles. I don't know if it's just me, but is it harder to see poor acting in foreign films? I have never seen a poor performance in a foreign film. Is it because they are talking in a different language, or is it because they are better actors....or is it because I haven't watched their popcorn blockbuster movies? Maybe I would be able to recognize it when I see it. Anyway, none of that is the point. Both of these two actors are fairly young and already seem to know what it takes to be a good actor. You act as much without words as you do with words, if not more so, and they both did that very well.

However, the thing that stood out to me the most was the directing. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Most foreign directors seem to be much more imaginitive, original, and stylistic than American directors. There were some things in this movie that were absolutely breath taking. When Eli kills the first guy under the bridge, and then breaks his neck, I thought that scene was incredible. Then the scene where the nurse goes outside and you can see Eli scaling the building in the background. That was also brilliant. My favorite scene in the movie though was the end scene in the pool, when that punk kid is holding Oskar under the water. That was so disturbingly beautiful I don't even know what to say about it. Completely original and mind blowing. I also loved his angles and how he used his space. Very smart directing on top of a very good story.

I loved how the movie made me care about a couple of creeps. See, I bet that sounded kind of harsh, but that proves to me that the movie did the same thing to you. When we see a child like that, we usually don't feel so much sympathy toward them. I mean, in school we also thought of these kids as "strange" or "weird" and tried to avoid them at all cost. The kid does have obvious issues but they are a result of his circumstances. Same with Eli. Yes, she killed people, but she did what she did only to survive. I felt such sympathy for both of these people because all they wanted was a friend, or somebody to love them. They wanted to belong somewhere and I love how they found that in each other. They didn't judge one another for their "downfalls," but the movie taught me that we really should not judge another person when we know nothing about them. Most people are just doing what they need to get by, and that was definitely the story with both of our main characters.

The sound was also something that strongly stood out. It was very well done and played a very important role in the overall effect of the film. You could very vividly hear her drinking blood, and when the dad slit that first boys throat, you could very vividly hear it draining into the tub thing. I also loved when they pick on Oskar outside after school. You can hear every single footstep crunch on the snow. It's effect was tremendous. I swore during some of the scenes I could even hear the snowflakes falling. I loved it. That also brings me to another point. The movie succeeded very well in setting the tone. You could seriously feel how cold it was in almost every scene. I have seen many movies that take place in winter, but both this movie and 'Frozen River' made you actually feel that cold. Very good filmmaking going on in Sweden.

I also love how this movie is considered a "vampire" movie, yet the fact that she is a vampire is just a side note. It's obviously important, but what's really important is the friendship and love that they find in each other. I love the fact that their is so much more to this story than just simply being a vampire tale. However, if we want to discuss it that way, the cover art for the movie has a quote from the Washington Examiner that says, "Best. Vampire Movie. Ever." And that is absolutely right. This is easily the best "vampire" movie I have ever seen and will ever be likely to see. Amongst all the violence and chaos, this movie is beautiful. I highly recommend this film. I have so much to say but I want to leave it open for discussion instead of just spewing it all out right now. So I will leave it at this. Oh, and how awesome is that title? I also heard that it is being remade as an American film, and this disappoints me greatly. First off, can we do nothing original? Secondly, American's don't know how to make "horror" movies, and we will destroy this one. Guaranteed.

Another Post Detailing the Bands I Listened to at Work

• The Orchids (six songs)
• Os Mutantes
• One for the Team
• Okkervil River
• The Olivia Tremor Control
• The Octopus Project
• Ozma (three songs)
• McLusky (many times)
• The Field (two songs)
• Dinosaur Jr.
• Future of the Left (many times)
• Spoon (new EP!)
• Love is All
• Magnetic Fields (multiple albums)
• White Rabbits
• Super Furry Animals
• Talking Heads
• The Love Language
• Phoenix (nearly three times)
• Wilco
• Bat for Lashes
• Styx (seven or eight songs)
• Flaming Lips (three songs)

Weekly Film Symposium #1: Third Response

There are a couple of things I wanted to touch on that you brought up, and that I missed in my initial response. First, I as well really thought about how far I would go to provide for the ones that I love. I realize that you don't want to get into a discussion of moral relativism, but I must say that as a husband, I would do almost anything to make sure that my wife had everything that she needs. The operative word there is almost. I agree that with you that people's actions can be justified by their situations and intentions, to a certain extent. As I said, I would do almost anything to provide for her and I would except the consequences for my actions. That is why I also loved the ending. She is willing to take her lumps because she knows what she did was illegal, but a mother's got to do what a mother's got to do. And I can't fault her for that. It's great to see and ending like this in a time and age where so few people are willing to take responsibility for their actions. I am also really glad that we both felt like the ending of the movie was hopeful, and that the worst of the storm had passed and that the dawn was coming.

I also wanted to mention that I loved the feeling that the film conveyed to me. It conveyed the feeling of hope and love amongst all the bad that was going on. Sure what she was doing was illegal, but it was for a better future for her family. The same went with Lily. I don't know, I started writing this paragraph and now I am really struggling to find my words. I think you may know what I mean though.

Also, I feel that the film perfectly captured the mood and desperation of the characters. Not only with the dialogue, but more importantly, without it. There is so much that is conveyed with the use of facial expressions, and demeanor. Melissa Leo definitely deserved her best actress nomination. Her performance was great. And back to the baby thing. I also feel that it was a little bit of luck and a little bit of, what I like to call, divine intervention. I like to think that that baby was protected by things greater than this world. But like you said, it's up to every viewer to decide, and I love when film does that. Also, when they were driving across the ice, could you just feel the bitter cold and the weight of that car on that ice? Everytime they drove across it I could feel the pressure that the car was putting on the ice. I found myself very tense and very worried about the inhabitants of the car, every single time. And once again, they did it without manipulation tactics. It was a risk they were taking, nothing more and nothing less. I loved the fact that I felt like I was out there with them. This was a great film and I would definitely watch it again. Did I already say that?