18th
I saw this movie for the first time a few days ago, and have yet to stop thinking about it. I found it to be extremely well-filmed, and very powerful in its message. I loved the montages that were created for various actions in the movie; for when a character would shoot up a montage of images of the process of shooting up would be shown, rather than the gruesome act of injecting a needle into one’s arm, and the same was done for cocaine use. This creative way of portraying drug use made the act seem far more artistic and interesting, and less dangerous than it is. In addition to the way that drug use was portrayed, I was very impressed with the camera angles used when each of the characters were faced with a frightening or deeply emotional situation. When being chased by the police after a drug-related shooting, or after using sex to get money for drugs, the camera focused closely on the character’s face. This technique demonstrated the emotions of each character with incredible intensity and made the film very powerful.
In addition to the manner in which the film was created, the plot was incredible as well. It demonstrates our ignorance as consumers, for we are willing to take whatever is given to us with question. Sara Goldberg, the older woman taking “diet pills”, expressed this sentiment when her son questioned her about what she was taking. She said that she did not know what was in the pills or what she was taking, nor should she have to care because they had been prescribed to her by a doctor. She did not care what she was doing to her body, so long as she continued to get the desired effect. However, when her weight loss slowed as she became accustomed to the drugs, she took matters into her own hands, which lead to her downfall. This message is extremely powerful, for it deals with many pressing matters that face today’s society. She was dealing with the issue of weight loss, so that she could look attractive for her television debut. The most tragic part of this story is the fact that she wanted nothing more than to share with the world the few small joys in her life, and the world did not care. The doctors and attendants in the hospital where she eventually landed did not listen to her ramblings, because they assumed that she was just another crazy person. It is this lack of feeling, communication, and interest in one another that will eventually tear our society apart.
This movie is fantastic and I’m sure I will find more to appreciate when I watch it again. I assumed that it was a fairly new film, but it was made in 2000. Where have I been for the past seven years?
