Coming Review: Bettie Page Reveals All

She was erotic poetry physically manifest.  Bettie Page Revealed her in all her sexy humanity.  Review coming tomorrow.

The Frame-When Our Stories Become Aware

In 2009, an intriguing indie fantasy film called Ink came out.  Sure, it was a low budget affair, perhaps some dodgy acting here and there, but it was a wonderful flick with powerful writing, about a convergence and conflict between denizens of the dream world and how their conflict encroaches upon ours.  The visuals were compelling, the soundtrack was terrific (composed by writer and director Jamin Winans) and enough of the actors were strong enough to transport viewers into the otherworldly scenario being laid before them.

Well, Mr. Winans is keeping on with another mindbender, 2014's The Frame.  Winan's craft has improved with this film, in that the cinematography has gotten more sophisticated in the way he stages and frames his shots and action.  His actors have seemingly upped their game even more.  Structurally, the story is, at first, seemingly smaller than Ink, as it primarily involves two people, one a professional thief looking to leave the trade and another a paramedic.  What they both don't know is that they are watching each other on TV.  The paramedic is in a reality TV show in the thief's world, while the thief is a character in a drama in the paramedic's "frame". 

The real kicker happens when one day, the two notice they can talk to each other through their TVs.  This begins the foundation of a love story and an exploration of art and reality.  What is real?  When does something become real?

And when characters get out of hand in their reality, is there anyone else to rein them in?

The Frame.  Check it out.

The Zero Theorem-Tearing at Illusions, Grappling with God

In the future, we still grapple with the essential questions.  We are pretty good with the "what" of things, even decent with the "how" of things.  But the "why" of things, the big questions of purpose and reason, continue to elude.  Or at least, elude the preferred singular approach of science (the process of figuring out the physical workings of things) and even philosophy (or at least, the approach of which uses language to parse ad infinitum and break things down into their tiniest pieces parts in concept).  The whys continue to defy.  There have been attempts in some materialistic and philosophical circles to dismiss the importance of the whys entirely, that they are all just creations of our inner  electrochemical workings.  But no one buys that.  Not even the proponents of such views.  Because, you wait long enough...some of them waffle publically.  When we look into the outer dark or the inner light, no one can be long term satisfied by the idea that it is all for nought.

Nonetheless, it is reasonable to assume some will still try and will turn our greater and greater technological prowess to the purpose of the same.  In the future, it is reasonable to assume that computing power will be greater.  Fortunes will be more immense (for some) and those managing said fortunes might find talented individuals, such as a Mr. Quohen Leth (Christoph Platz), an obsessed loner waiting for a phone call to give him a purpose in his life.  Well, Management does not have a purpose for him.  But it does have a job.  Management wants to hire him for his computer operating and number crunching skills to solve an immense mathematical formula, the Zero Theorem, whose resolution will put this God question to rest, once and for all, one way or another.  Or so they hope.

Is the universe purposeless and meaningless?  Are we eventually just lazily spinning our way to the Heath Death of the universe?  Or is there something more going on here?

We live in a curious time now where our technological prowess is stunning and growing.  Our knowledge is expanding.  Yet, idealogically, assumptions seem more unstable than ever.  Traditional religion is being openly questioned, and yet, contrary to those asking those questions, religion and spirituality is pushing back, both in ways terrifying and against the spirit of Spirit (terrorism, militant fundamentalism) and hopeful (ordinary people finding the answers offered by the materialists have been found wanting and people have begun to look at religion and spirituality anew).

One of the most stunning is the release of The Principle, a film that seemingly asks for another look at the pre-Copernican idea of the universe.  Such a view has been reacted to as "heresy" among the materialists and has been called one of the most negatively reviewed non-viewed films.  Now, that is a nutty idea, the idea that perhaps Copernicus took civilization off the rails in ways.  However, the idea the filmmakers had is that Copernican theory was a platform that science then launched off of in ways that evidentially and philosophically are increasingly unsupportable.  That is, the universe as a big, mindless machine.

The Zero Theorem, contrary to what some might expect, is not an embrace of  the mindless materialism, the God-null.  In fact, Terry Gilliam's religious and spiritual views are far more complex than that.  He allows for a universe of mystery.  Of active engagement.

Of where we mere mortals need to look to the outer and inner, we need to wonder and seek it out.

The Zero Theorem almost is a call to action to just that.  That spiritual auto-pilot, our inner sleep, is a big part of what is messing us up.

Good film.