CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND
RATING: R
STARRING: Sam Rockwell, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, and Rutger Hauer
DIRECTOR: George Clooney
BASED ON THE BOOK BY: Chuck Barris
DISTRIBUTOR: Miramax Films/Buena Vista (Disney)
GENRE: Comedy/Satire/Comic Thriller
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Adults
SUMMARY: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is a social satire based on the strange autobiography of Chuck Barris, the creator of popular TV game shows such as "The Dating Game," "The Newlywed Game," and "The Gong Show." Apparently, Barris claims that he not only was a TV game show creator par excellence, but that he also worked for the Central Intelligence Agent as an assassin. Sam Rockwell plays Barris, and Drew Barrymare plays his long-time girlfriend who tries to get Barris to settle down. George Clooney (who also directed), Julia Roberts and Rutger Hauer round out the cast as three spies working with Barris.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is a weird, but enjoyable, mix of biography, spy thriller, comedy, social satire, and romance. Sam Rockwell does a dynamic job as Barris. Moviegoers may also enjoy the rest of the cast. The mental breakdown and spiritual epiphany that Barris has toward the end are quite powerfully done. Although the relatively positive ending contains some Christian symbolism and images, the movie fails to capitalize on this Christian content. Also, Confessions contains plenty of very strong foul language and sexual content, especially in its first half.
CONTENT: Humanist worldview where protagonist seems to realize the emptiness of his libertine lifestyle but still fails to make a commitment to God with some Christian symbols and references and redemptive, moral elements; some anti-American content; about 64 mostly strong obscenities and nine strong profanities; spy strangles man to death, lying, betrayal and leading a double life implicitly rebuked.
GANGS OF NEW YORK
RATING: R
STARRING: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly, and Liam Neeson
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese
DISTRIBUTOR: Miramax Films/Buena Vista (Disney)
GENRE: Drama/Historical Fiction
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Adults
SUMMARY: Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese, follows a group of people in the crime-infested Five Points District of New York City in the 1860s. There is immense hatred between the American born "natives," and the immigrating Irish who are trying to get a toehold in New York. Overshadowing this is the Civil War, which has become a "meat grinder" for young men. An extremely unpopular draft is created that preys on the poor immigrants.
Leonardo DiCaprio does a fine job as a scrappy Amsterdam Vallon, the son of a Catholic priest who died in "combat" against the one-eyed maniacal gangster, Bill-the-Butcher Poole, played to sick perfection by Daniel Day-Lewis. Amsterdam is set on revenge for his father’s death, while Billy is set on curbing the tide of immigrants who are "ruining the country." Gangs of New York is a bloody, dark, depressing, hopeless depiction of "eye-for-an-eye" violence, torture, and cruelty, plus graphic sexual immorality and nudity. It is a revisionist political treatment that attacks faith, attacks God and attacks America. This movie reaches new lows in blood letting.
CONTENT: Anti-Christian worldview with both Protestants and Catholics portrayed negatively and the one true Christian is a joke; some biblical and Christian elements including many varied portrayals of Roman Catholic Irish immigrant life; very strong anti-patriotic and some anti-capitalist themes with villain wrapping himself up in the American flag; revisionist history; politically correct portrayal of immigration issues in U.S. history; seven strong obscenities, seven milder obscenities and seven profanities; extreme violence with mobster, fear-based street rule, "eye for an eye" violence, torture and cruelty; graphic sexual depictions; full nudity.
