Off to the movies...
Sometimes when I have an urge to go watch a movie at the
theaters and I’m not sure which to choose I like to visit rottentomatoes.com to see what’s new. Shia LaBeouf’s film Man
Down caught my attention, so I decided to read what the “critics” were
saying about it. When I came across the reviews, however, they were mostly
negative:
Yet, when I read the Audience Reviews, I was surprised to
read something completely different:
I asked myself which of the two reviews I should value.
Surely the critics know way more about films than the average person, I
thought. Then again, most moviegoers are just as critical of a film they don’t
think is worth their time and money. I was in a dilemma because Man Down was the only movie I really
wanted to see, mostly because Shia - who is a fantastic artist and actor - was
in it. Surely he couldn’t let me down, could he?
They only way I’d know for sure if I would like the movie is
if I went and watched it myself. So I did. I bought my ticket online so I
didn't have to wait in line or deal with a sold out show (which lately has been
happening to me).
I arrived at the Edwards Alhambra Renaissance Stadium five
minutes after the show time, but when I walked into the theatre I was surprised
to be THE ONLY LIVING SOUL IN THE ROOM! So far, the critics were winning.
I began to doubt the film more when the trailers that played
before the film kept getting worse and worse. I should know better, but I almost
gave up on Man Down before it even began.
And then there was Shia
There’s a sensation from the beginning of the movie that
this film is different. I knew beforehand it was an independent film – meaning
it didn’t count on a budget close to that of other Hollywood films. One could
say that the eerie feeling of loneliness throughout the film could be due to
the fact that there wasn’t enough money to hire more actors (especially in the
scenes that take place at the military camp), or invest in larger sets
(exterior shots seem compacted and interior ones cramped). These are important
elements in typical Hollywood films that moviegoers pay for (although we don’t
consciously think about them). We pay a lot for a movie ticket and we expect a
lot from our movie experience.
Everything that appears to work against the film, including
what “critics” call a slow-paced narrative
and a cutting back and forth from
one time period to another, is actually used to support Gabriel Drummer’s (Shia
LaBeouf) emotional and psychological state. Drummer is the center of the story,
the driving force in the lives of the characters that accompany his life, such
as his wife Natalie, his best friend Devin, and his charismatic son Jonathan. All
of the elements in the film work to help us the viewer visually understand
Drummer’s inner world. Perhaps we’re used to experiencing difficult emotional
and psychological dilemmas in different ways, but that doesn’t mean Drummer’s
way is wrong. After all, once we discover why Drummer behaves that way he does,
common folk like you and I couldn't possibly relate or even come close to
understanding what it feels like to be a Gabriel Drummer.
What I’m saying here is that the critics are wrong this time!
The story is not only great, but it’s one that every American should watch. If
we fail to watch this movie and understand this story, we fail as humans, as a
society, as Americans. A critic’s goal is to influence moviegoers (otherwise who
the hell would care what they write), but if a critic cannot see the tragedy
and beauty in a story like Man Down
then he or she should dedicate its efforts to another profession, for
filmmaking is a form of storytelling, at best an art form, and as such invented
to examine, understand, and come in contact with the human experience. Films–
regardless of the budget – make us more human, but whoa, what a tragedy it is
when a so-called film critic cannot reach beyond the exterior elements of a
film to grasp the soul of a story or character.
There are few
characters that have the depth that Gabriel Drummer has. This is in one part
due to Shia LaBeouf’s majestic performance and another part to the legacy of
the character he portrays, a war veteran who is in many ways an ignored hero in
our society. Shia does justice to Gabriel and the many “Gabriels” in our
country.
There are many moments in Man Down where Shia shines and they tend to occur when you least
Shia projects emotion that I have never felt from a single character at once. He is a mix of solitude, Man Down exhibits Shia’s abilities as a true and authentic artist and humanitarian.
Don't believe what you read...except this blog
As a moviegoer, I want to be taken to places I have never
been and live through moments like the ones in Man Down because movies are less about seeing and more about experiencing
them. That only happens, however, when we are humble enough to allow a story to
unravel in its own particular way, not the way we want or expect and as Gabriel
Drummer teaches us in the film, life never ends up how we expect. - Edgar Avendano