Author: javvors

How (not) to handle fame

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   As a child, I played football every day. We had this field full of dirt near my house. Friends took some logs and made two goals. It didn’t have any lines and it definitely wasn’t the best looking place to play, but we did anyway. I was driving my mom crazy as I often was late at home, my clothes were all in mud and my knees were covered in blood (yeah we played rough). But I didn’t care because in my mind I was keep telling myself ‘I want to be next Ronaldo, next Messi, next Diego Maradona’. Well, it didn’t go exactly as my 9-year-old self planned. Happily “Diego Maradona” (2019) showed me in the cinema yesterday, how is it like to be the best football player in the world.

   Asif Kapadia made two documentaries about two very different people who were destroyed by their fame, skill, and talent. It’s obviously “Amy” (2015” and “Senna” (2010). I enjoyed both stories about ‘success’ and I was thrilled to see his third big shot documentary. You know those stories, a kid from a poor family has a talent, he gets discovered and after some struggles, he brings up his parents from poverty and they lived happily ever after, the end.  The last part is changed in this film. We see his life in Napoli, see his relations and addictions and that’s clearly not a happy ending. We observe the man behind all his fame and idealizing. We don’t see a god, we see just a human, with all its mistakes.

   You know how they say that you shouldn’t meet your idols. That’s the case here. We often forgot that the others are not perfect even if they are a famous football player or a rockstar. Sometimes they are douchebags who you would never talk to. Maradona used to be my role model as I liked the way he played and shot goals. Now I see there’s more to that. We often don’t know a celebrity. We just see their achievements, prepared answers, and actions, which is nothing more than just an image. The director shows us clearly that even the greatest can be the worst, but his “Maradona” is also a story about success, hard work, commitment and how all those things slowly destroyed the Argentinian.

Diego was a victim of his greatness. He’s lost himself in a world where he was treated like a divine being. When he looked in the mirror he couldn’t see this gentle, little guy from poor South American countryside anymore, in his place he’s seen a cocaine addict, women chaser, a father who abandoned his son and also the best player in the world. Kapadia serves us a story about a change in human life and if you get a ticket for “Diego Maradona” you might feel changed as well.

What happens in Bolivia, stays in Bolivia

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   The buddy movies were always cool. “Hot Fuzz”; “Men in Black”; “Blues Brothers”. Hopefully I will add “Hobbes and Shaw” to that list soon. None of those would be as successful if it weren’t for one film – “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969), which is also the best written western of all time. A simple story about two outlaws who robbed a wrong train. In order to stay alive they need to run. Run whenever, as fast as possible, forever. Where? To Bolivia maybe and then… Australia? Who knows? After having watched the movie, a thought came to my mind. Is it a film about two bandits running from the law or is it a film about us? Us who can never outrun the consequences of everything we did in life and everything we’ll do.

   The riders, who are chasing the protagonists, stay anonymous the whole time. We can never see their faces and we don’t know as much about them. One thing we know for sure is that they won’t stop until they catch Butch and Sundance. They can’t be stopped and can’t be lost. They are just like that annoying mosquito in your bedroom in a hot summer night. But aren’t our lives full of those mosquitos? Of those thoughts: that maybe you shouldn’t have screamed at the waiter last Sunday or should’ve told Susie you love her back in college. Different things come to our mind sometimes and they will never let go, just like those guys on horses.

   Sometimes they are not just thoughts. They might be other people. The butterfly effect states that every action has a reaction and then that reaction has a reaction and so on. The guy who you bullied in high school might be your boss in the future, who won’t give you a raise. Or he might become a murderer who wants to take the revenge. Every our action has an impact on our lives. Some influence it more, some less, but they are definitely here and there’s no escaping anyhow. In the film the heroes learn it a hard way.

   But we can change. Our effect on everything can be positive. The consequences don’t have to be a downside for us. Smile more to your friends, say ‘hello’ to your neighbors, help others and you’ll see that you can make world a better place for others and also better for yourself.

“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” tells a story of two cowboys, who try to escape the fate, they foretold themselves. But it isn’t just a story. It’s a lesson, which teaches us about our own destiny. If you’re ready to learn it, go and watch the movie tonight!

Long live the king

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Why does people watch another James Bond movie even if it’s the same story we’ve heard for years. Why the box office sharks are mostly superhero movies where the good guys (almost always) win. Why should I spend money and time for something I’ve seen god knows so many times? All those questions bring us to the new “Lion King” (2019) film.

It’s basically unchanged version of  the original from 1994. The same characters, the same plot, the same places, the same dialogues. Yet it breaks the box office records and could raise more money than the animation from ‘90s. But why is that so? Is it because we are used to some patterns and we’re afraid that something new might disappoint us? Maybe because it reminds us of the childhood times, when everything was easier, carefree and airy? Or because the live action movie is really as good as original? Well… nah. It isn’t. Sadly, it might not be even half as good. The animation style made it look nearly emotionless. The biggest advantage of the old Disney masterpiece were the expressions, dances, choreography. Here in 2019 it is all lost. Don’t get me wrong, it really looks astonishing. All those details are wonderful! The way they move, run or fight is so natural and pleasing for the eye. Some scenes felt like taken away from a Discovery Channel documentary and that’s why I’m not buying it. That realism made it more boring and dull, but I’m not gonna lie I had so much fun watching this movie. I laughed so hard at some old and new jokes, I felt heartbroken when Mufasa died and I had some chills at the opening sequence. The script still kicks in after all those years and it makes you care about some digital animals. After all those years we still can relate to them and understand them and it shows how important a good story can be.

We love seeing the struggle of characters, we love seeing their loss and we cheer for them when they overcome their obstacles to finally succeed. And we’ll love it no matter if we see it for the first time or the fifty-first time. Superhero films, James Bond, Disney films, Harry Potter, Matrix, the Bible, the Lion King. Same story that have been told for centuries and we don’t care that we know it all out. We still adore it.

I got my ticket last week and if you want to remind yourself what “Hakuna matata” means, you should get one as well!