tiabmaps

"Finding Forrester" is a bit reminiscent of "Good Will Hunting," a bit reminiscent of "Dead Poets Society," and has a whiff of "Rocky" about it to boot. It is an enjoyable movie with natural, unaffected performances, and the relationship between the two main characters, which is the heart of the movie, is well-drawn. On the other hand, it is rather predictable throughout, and the script seems to shrink back from dealing with substantial issues that seem almost to stare one in the face. There was surprisingly little conflict or culture-shock, for example, when Jamal is suddenly sent to a wealthy, all-white private school. He has surprisingly little trouble fitting in or adjusting. F. Murray Abraham's character, a teacher, the only source of conflict, may have been motivated by hidden racism, but that is never brought out or dealt with. The movie has potential to have been so much more. Nevertheless, "Finding Forrester" is an enjoyable movie, recommended to those who like literate and character-based stories, and, especially given the weak movie field this past year, I think it has a realistic shot at some Oscar(r) nominations.

Dreamlike, mythological, multilayered and almost mystical on the one hand, and on the other hand, vividly conveying the reality of Guatemala in the 1980s (which is what the film's story is mostly based on, though it draws in part from the present-day situation in Mexico's southernmost state of Chiapas, where it was mostly filmed; I think that the Indian language we were hearing was Tzotzil Maya). This film is as understated as its blunt, simple title (by the way, all violence happens offscreen). And yet it is so multilayered that I am still trying to absorb its many levels. It is a "road movie," and it is a profound spiritual odyssey for the main character; it is a suspenseful and unpredictable thriller full of unexpected twists, and it is mythic... in fact, we gradually come to realize that the entire story is being told, like a traditional myth, by a Mayan mother to her little girl. A beautiful example of the Latin American "magical realism" style. This film gets an unhesitating score of 10 from me... in fact, I think I may consider this film among my lifetime top ten movies.

What affected me and haunts me most about Xiu Xiu is the character of Lao Jin and his tender, sexless love and caring for Xiu Xiu. He does his best to make her life easier in a place that she hates, and his pain and frustration mount as he sees how she is destroying herself. His deep, sincere, and inarticulate caring for her touched me profoundly. I wished that a romantic love could develop between them (and I am not generally into movie romances -- very few of them really work for me) but that was out of the question from the beginning, since Lao Jin was castrated. That very fact gave their relationship a sense of tragedy from the beginning.

I would love to see more of this Tibetan actor, Lobsang. Imdb info shows this movie as his only film credit.

The locale was spectacular and gorgeously photographed. Only intellectually could I understand Xiu Xiu's dislike of such a gorgeous place (as well as her lack of appreciation for Lao Jin's caring for her). But both characters were very believable and involving, and this sad movie will stay with me for a long time.