Post by ruralstar on Oct 27, 2008 10:15:25 GMT -5
I looked for a thread dedicated to this beautiful film and came up empty. Hope no one minds if I start a new one.
It always amazes me how the simplest productions are often the most detailed and profound. I found that to be the case for 16 Years of Alcohol and now Afterlife. If you want something bad enough you can make it happen and sometimes the journey of discovering who you are begins in the most unlikely of places.
When you first meet Kenny the impression is one of a self-absorbed jackass. He wants to get to the bottom of the assisted suicide case for one reason only; personal ambition. He can't make a promise to anyone because he has no idea what true committment is. Truly the opposite side of the coin from a mother who has given up any sort of personal identity to care for her child. Kenny is right in his claims that May holds Roberta back but his reasoning is not the truth. He comes from a place of selfishness because he doesn't know how to relate to or care for her. May on the other hand has gotten to the point where all she has in the world is Roberta and her dependency gives meaning to a life fast slipping away.
I loved the subtle humor at the bingo parlor and the innocence of Roberta singing in the car. She has no clue-or care-that her actions might be disturbing anyone. The people at bingo know her and expect her behavior. Kenny can't get beyond the embarassment of a sister who is not normal. What bothers one person means nothing to another or could in fact be quite endearing. Ruby is sweet. She wants to help but she refuses to be an enabler for Roberta or Kenny. Her character is not well defined but she is crucial to who Kenny eventually becomes.
The subject matter is not revolutionary anymore than the subject matter of 16 Years was. Rather it is the way the film unfolds to the viewer. The subtle awakening of what Roberta actually can do for herself and her observations of the world. Throwing a tantrum in public, telliing Kenny he's the idiot for expecting her to read a map, finding her way to a familiar place because she remembered the design of a sign vs actually reading it. Her decision at the end of the film which May would never have considered possible was the biggest and most ironic surprise of all. She sees the world through a lens of color most people cannot appreciate because she cannot wrap her mind around the complexities that often hinder 'normal' people.
Kenny the selfish fool who really thought Roberta was the stunted moron when in fact he's the fool for not seeing her beauty. His chagrin at not knowing whether his mother had even had a hysterectomy was the first true turning point. He just could not see what was going on right under his nose. I loved that his self discovery was so gradual and stuttered. He was so embarassed that Roberta walked in and wanted cheesecake during the interview whereas the doctor and the other reporter found it charming. He had no idea how to look after someone else's needs. Yet he learned something from the meeting and later conversation. In the car he was able to smile and play music for Roberta because he knew it pleased her. He starts to want to do the right thing and reconciling his needs with May's and Roberta's is overwhelming not only because of their enormity but because the concept is so unfamiliar to him. When Roberta goes missing I think the true scope of the situation hits Kenny full force. He isn't just apologizing for losing her but for not seeing what May was going through and for not ever being there when it counted. In body alone, never in spirit. The realization makes that emotional scene even more powerful to watch.
The ending had me holding my breath. I couldn't believe May would take Roberta with her. She was in her own way just as mentally ill as Peter Mendoza. Trying to help Kenny in the most twisted, but in her mind selfless way she could think of. His relief that Roberta survived opens the final door for Kenny. He can be that big brother to Roberta and a true partner to Ruby.
I don't doubt that Kevin was touched by this experience. I certainly was. Well done by the entire cast/crew.
It always amazes me how the simplest productions are often the most detailed and profound. I found that to be the case for 16 Years of Alcohol and now Afterlife. If you want something bad enough you can make it happen and sometimes the journey of discovering who you are begins in the most unlikely of places.
When you first meet Kenny the impression is one of a self-absorbed jackass. He wants to get to the bottom of the assisted suicide case for one reason only; personal ambition. He can't make a promise to anyone because he has no idea what true committment is. Truly the opposite side of the coin from a mother who has given up any sort of personal identity to care for her child. Kenny is right in his claims that May holds Roberta back but his reasoning is not the truth. He comes from a place of selfishness because he doesn't know how to relate to or care for her. May on the other hand has gotten to the point where all she has in the world is Roberta and her dependency gives meaning to a life fast slipping away.
I loved the subtle humor at the bingo parlor and the innocence of Roberta singing in the car. She has no clue-or care-that her actions might be disturbing anyone. The people at bingo know her and expect her behavior. Kenny can't get beyond the embarassment of a sister who is not normal. What bothers one person means nothing to another or could in fact be quite endearing. Ruby is sweet. She wants to help but she refuses to be an enabler for Roberta or Kenny. Her character is not well defined but she is crucial to who Kenny eventually becomes.
The subject matter is not revolutionary anymore than the subject matter of 16 Years was. Rather it is the way the film unfolds to the viewer. The subtle awakening of what Roberta actually can do for herself and her observations of the world. Throwing a tantrum in public, telliing Kenny he's the idiot for expecting her to read a map, finding her way to a familiar place because she remembered the design of a sign vs actually reading it. Her decision at the end of the film which May would never have considered possible was the biggest and most ironic surprise of all. She sees the world through a lens of color most people cannot appreciate because she cannot wrap her mind around the complexities that often hinder 'normal' people.
Kenny the selfish fool who really thought Roberta was the stunted moron when in fact he's the fool for not seeing her beauty. His chagrin at not knowing whether his mother had even had a hysterectomy was the first true turning point. He just could not see what was going on right under his nose. I loved that his self discovery was so gradual and stuttered. He was so embarassed that Roberta walked in and wanted cheesecake during the interview whereas the doctor and the other reporter found it charming. He had no idea how to look after someone else's needs. Yet he learned something from the meeting and later conversation. In the car he was able to smile and play music for Roberta because he knew it pleased her. He starts to want to do the right thing and reconciling his needs with May's and Roberta's is overwhelming not only because of their enormity but because the concept is so unfamiliar to him. When Roberta goes missing I think the true scope of the situation hits Kenny full force. He isn't just apologizing for losing her but for not seeing what May was going through and for not ever being there when it counted. In body alone, never in spirit. The realization makes that emotional scene even more powerful to watch.
The ending had me holding my breath. I couldn't believe May would take Roberta with her. She was in her own way just as mentally ill as Peter Mendoza. Trying to help Kenny in the most twisted, but in her mind selfless way she could think of. His relief that Roberta survived opens the final door for Kenny. He can be that big brother to Roberta and a true partner to Ruby.
I don't doubt that Kevin was touched by this experience. I certainly was. Well done by the entire cast/crew.