GOOD WILL HUNTING |
| CREDITS: Director: Gus Van Sant Cast: Matt Damon, Minnie Driver, Ben Afflek &
Robin Williams. USA 1997 (15) INTRODUCTION: So Lizard and Cat went to America and all I got were these lousy reviews. Still Lizard has shown me the way, I have been living a lie but I can at last come out of the closet. Not about my latent homosexuality; I'm still denying that especially to myself (although my upcoming reviews may have a certain theme running through them. This is purely because my local art house has been taken over for a couple of weeks by the "gay and lesbian film festival" and not due to any major life style choices on my part. I'm still hetro, at least in theory if not in practice. No, what I can finally reveal is that I too despised "Good Will Hunting". Yes, for once the Lizard and I are in complete agreement, even if we are at odds with the rest of the civilised world. Now excuse me while I vent my spleen... What we have here is a rather bad American TV movie that somehow squirmed its way into the cinema and then wheedled its way into the Oscars, a truly astounding feat, even if the film isn't. SYNOPSIS: Janitor genius solves complex mathematical equations, gets the girl, and escapes the ghetto, three cheers for capitalism, hip hip... REVIEW: If the story at times seems like a school project written by a 16 year old with zero life experience that's because it is. That the academy could award this shit best writing Oscar just goes to further emphasise the complete lack of respect the writer gets in Hollywood. Damon somehow got Oscar nominated for his irritating performance, but in all fairness it would be difficult for any actor to have made anything out of such a poorly written part. Of course Matt wrote it as well. The implausibly named Minnie Driver got her big break as the 'big-boned' one in "Circle of Friends" thanks to her look of being one of those people who would be quite attractive if they lost some weight. She did and it turns out she doesn't. Afflek, the only likeable one in the whole film, quickly established himself as my favourite of the emergent 90's brat pack, thanks to his heart rending performance in "Chasing Amy" so I will quickly draw a veil over his involvement in this tripe. As for Williams, well sure he got the best supporting actor Oscar but we all know that it should have gone to Burt, and almost certainly would have done if he hadn't been such an arsehole about "Boogie Nights". I am annoyed by the cheapening of intelligence, something I have spent ages Studying, but sadly not achieving, prevalent in this movie. The argument put forward in the subtext of this movie that it is purely genetic like brown hair or left handidness is a blatant excuse for social Darwinism and the pseudo-science of eugenics. As well as being an insult to those who have spent years training their minds to peak fitness, isn't it about time we accorded the intelligentsia the same respect we accord to sportsmen, or am I just a geek? But what I find truly offensive is the expression of the American dream. I reserve the same degree of disgust, for the idea that a kid from the slums can make good with a bit of hard work, that I have for trickle down economics. These are just the Bourgeoisie's way of excusing its wealth and privilege, and allowing it to feel good about itself and its exploitation of the proletariat. Little bit of politics there, welcome to the real world. The Oscar-winning, plaudit-collecting movie of the year, and it's little more than teenage wish fulfilment. Mutt's Rating: #&@% |