At first, I thought the movie was boring, but it turned out to be much worse. The film is not just boring and empty, it is full of medieval fictional morality, like “Abortion is a mortal sin” and so on. One of the main driving lines of the film is just the “great sin of abortion” and the rethinking of Christian values by the main character, which are the basis of all psychology and the entire plot of the film. The only really sound message in the film is that shooting people at school is bad. In addition, the film is simply incredibly long, looks with great difficulty, there is a repetition of the same frames that make the picture even more boring. From the director of the tree, however, no other expected.
2 out of 10 purely for acting, everything else is disgusting.
Life consists not of time, but of moments we remember.
“Moments of Life” (a common name is “All Life Before Your Eyes”, which corresponds to the translation of the original name) is a drama shot once by our compatriot Vadim Perelman, who became famous after the debut work “House of Sand and Fog” with the participation of Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley. Moments of Life star Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood. The script of the film is based on the novel by Laura Kasishke, and the adaptation was handled by Emil Stern, who for the first time took on such a feature. The film was shot more as an independent project, so it collected only more than $ 7 million at the global box office, while the production was spent $ 13. There is a suspicion that a decent amount from the budget was allocated to pay for the services of two famous actresses.
The moments of life are divided into two time layers. The first and main shows us the life of the heroine Uma Thurman named Diana. She is married and has a daughter growing up. From the very beginning, Diana has long forgotten what joy is. With her husband there was a certain tension, but more Diane gnaws that the daughter becomes too similar to her in her youth. And the young Diana is played by Evan Rachel Wood. Wood’s heroine studies at school, but she does not care about her studies, she is more busy communicating with her boyfriend, who is clearly far from the concept of a “good and reliable young man”, young Diana is not against cigarettes with alcohol. Anyway, Diana was a young girl. But one day in her life there will be a nightmarish moment, which will then be imprinted on the entire further perception of Diana.
What moment, of course, I will not tell, since it may affect the desire to watch Moments of Life, I will only say that this moment is really terrible and to the limit tragic. But thanks to him, you can understand why adult Diana leads a staid life, trying to explain to her daughter why her actions can lead to bad consequences. On the one hand, Diana is sincerely sorry for Uma Thurman, on the other hand, you are in complete confusion, because even some antisocial behavior of Diana did not lead to that terrible incident. But the strongest episode of the film is in the finale. To say that I was discouraged is to say nothing. I didn’t believe what happened, I was taken by a stupor. I had to revise the ending to make sure I got it right. I know that this sounds intriguing, that’s why the Moment of Life deserves to be seen by you, dear viewer.
No claims can be made against actresses. Uma Thurman, who recently went off the radar, expressively and confidently embodied her image. You can talk for a long time about what Diana appeared to be, where she does the right thing and where she does not, but it still pales in the finale, but I have already said this as I could. But the amazing thing is, I liked Evan Rachel Wood even more than the well-deserved Thurman. To be honest, I’ve never been a Wood fan, but in Moments of Life she played flawlessly, embodying a bad girl. It is possible that this was not difficult for Wood, so you can decide, knowing that she was once close to the outrageous Marilyn Manson. Wood’s obstinate and tough Diana turned out to be very, very lively and real, such personalities have always been and will be in schools. And also note Eva Amurri, who played the screen friend of the heroine Wood. Eva Amurri well embodied a modest and God-fearing girl, playing on the principle of a contrasting character. Maybe she didn't have as much depth and persuasiveness as Wood, but her role is secondary.
Admittedly, at the beginning of “Moments of Life” I expected something different, something more straightforward and recognizable, but everything changed the ending (yes, I know that I repeat this, but it is necessary to once again emphasize the unexpected ending in the epilogue of the review). Good and sustained roles were played by Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood, watching them you can get aesthetic pleasure, because their heroines came out very vital and whole. There is nothing more to add here than the assessment, and it follows below:
Sometimes you come across a movie on TV, it seems it’s too late, you want to sleep, but the movie is addictive and the atmosphere is conducive to viewing. It was on one of these summer evenings, when children scream outside the window, it rains slightly, and the weekend is ahead, I came across this film.
I think there is no point in describing the plot of the film, the abstract can be read above, it is better for me to share my opinion after what I saw. To begin with, I will say that Uma Thurman, who plays the main role in this film, as an already grown-up teenage girl Diana, I always did not like her or her acting (because I did not even want to watch this film at first), but here I first liked her, I even had to reconsider my views about her acting.
The idea of “picture” will not be clear to everyone, so I wrote it in the title. I love deep, thoughtful films, and this one, after watching it, I thought about it for a long time, trying to understand what important problems the director touched and how much they touched the soul and changed my views.
It’s not going to be an ordinary movie that shows a teenager who killed school students and the lives of survivors. Nope. Here you will not see, but will feel it on your own skin, you will think about how in an instant your life can fully and irrevocably unfold. You will be one of those who will be in that school bathroom with Diana and Maureen, and you will have to make a choice: you or your girlfriend?
After watching it, I had very mixed feelings, I thought deeply about my life, what if something happened right now that would change my everyday life forever? I think I will be away from this film for a long time, but it is good, because it is the films that have touched me so much that become my favorite.
I will definitely recommend it to my friends and family, but only to those who like such a movie, after which you think about it for a long time, notice and think through every detail, while others will not understand it, and most likely will not even watch it.
My highest score here is 10, would give much more if possible.
10 out of 10
Starting to watch this film, forget the abstract, which has nothing to do with it and get ready for the fact that the question, ' and how in such a situation would I do ', will release you not soon.
The deep meaning of this film, to comprehend to the end in one view is simply impossible.
When for a few hours you try to piece together all the threads of the narrative, and the last 5 minutes cross out everything that you thought you understood, then only by reviewing the picture again, finally you can put in your head every brilliantly thought out scene and understand that none of the phrases spoken by the characters was accidental.
After reading a large number of reviews, the authors of which inattentively watched the film and claim that it can be interpreted in different ways, I can say only one more unambiguous and logically complete ending I have not seen for a long time.
In one word, one final frame, the director put a bold point, dismissing all possible alternatives.
Not burdened by moral principles, the heroine of the film faces the most difficult choice in her life and at a critical moment realizes that the consequences of the choice made today, as well as every action she made in the past, affect her future, shaping it.
The opportunity to see what her life might have been is given to Diana in the face of death, like pictures, running before her eyes.
Due to the validity of each action of the characters and the magnificent performance of each actor, after watching the film, you believe that the choice made by the heroine is the only right one.
Recently, I wanted films with an unpredictable ending and an intricate plot, and on one site I just happened to see this film and decided to watch mainly because of Uma Thurman.
The plot seems to be understandable as three pennies, two friends Diana and Maureen study at school, one cheerful, carefree girl who does not give up different hobbies and the second, believing in God, in an ideal family and love at first sight, the ideal girl-pride of her parents. And one day, the class shoots their classmate, who invites the girls to choose who will die. 15 years pass and Diana is tormented by remorse and nightmares, her whole life seems to end and rolls into tartartars.
From the dramatic side, the film is certainly heavy and tragic, the choice is always difficult, and when there is a question of who to live, it simply breaks the psyche. Diana’s memories are a series of wrong actions and their corrections, however, it is not necessary to judge her so harshly because she is only 17 years old and she wants to try everything in the world. However, against her background, Maureen is just an example of purity and virtue, she is so beautiful that she eclipsed the heroine of Uma Thurman, who also seemed to be an excellent dramatic actress.
Separately about the finale, this is honestly a brain drain, to understand it I had to watch the ending 3 times and read the slogan of the film, then it is much easier, believe me. The film is not a masterpiece and there are not enough stars from the sky, but the plot and denouement are very interesting, which makes it an excellent film, I can put a good assessment:
7 out of 10
I first saw this film 5 years ago, it seemed disturbing and annoyingly incomprehensible. It is interesting how with the accumulation of experience and time the perception changes. Tonight I watched it again, and maybe it’s a special minor mood, or night silence and concentration, or moments of life that flew over me for 5 years.
The life before her eyes, or Life before her eyes, is presented as an author's film, but it is much more than a product of the film industry, it is an amazing immersion in such subtle and fundamental matters as Conscience, Duty, Moral Responsibility, Friendship, Choice, Destiny - what is it, if not the most important thing in the existence of a person, linking together the moments of his life, giving it meaning? . .
The director managed to create a feeling of complete immersion in the attentive viewer (as you need to look and feel) when you yourself are in the center of these coordinates, and there is a sense of a trance on the credits. What if it was about me? Then what, how? And this is also about me.
Beauty and lightness, the unbearable ease of being, so fragile and so complex.
I really liked the beautiful Evan Rachel Wood and it’s nice to see her. The game of Uma Thurman is great, the appearance of Eva Amurri is one hundred percent organic for her role, such a kind gray mouse. This is the contrast between the characters.
In general, such films are beautiful in that they give a grateful viewer introspection. Ask questions that you find important answers in yourself.
The main character lives on a worn-out track, without any adventures. Meeting at the school, which left serious wounds in the soul, again makes the heroine to indulge in memories. Exactly 15 years ago, a mentally unstable teenager shot several schoolchildren and teachers with a machine gun. Now in the memory of Diana, the events of that tragic day constantly arise. How will memories end and what will be revealed after them?
Only the first scenes with an unstable teenager can become something that can lure the viewer to look further. And this is filmed, just gorgeous, I must admit that Perelman’s camera work is always at its best. Flying down - this is in a slow version, running children, pleasant music. There are many such moments. Kind of meaningless, but beautiful. So with the whole movie, and it ends quite trivially. With a simple morality that can be prosaically stated in one sentence. Never allow a bad past to distort the current life and always take responsibility for actions (weighted), so that later you do not suffer what has weighed the heroine for 15 years. That's all the director wanted to say. It took me 1.5 hours to do that.
This is a picture that can be interesting only after half a view. If you have a desire and like Perelman’s work, then it is worth seeing. A film with a certain style, a slow and leisurely drama without dynamics, but at the same time in which there is a style and meaning. For a certain nature, the film is good, however, for most the film is banal boring, and who half the film will wait for something not entirely clear?
Reality must be firm and unshakable without the constant interspersions of the past and heavy memories. I understand that memory sometimes stores even what is not necessary, but in order to go into the future, it is necessary to get rid of the oppressive past. Such that it was once destructively affecting at the moment, at the present it is simply worth erasing from memory and working with good psychologists and constantly filling your life with a positive one. Probably, this film is about the fact that you can not live in the past, especially the one that can negatively affect today’s health.
If it is a beautiful and beautiful film for you, what is it? You like movies on business, don't watch them.
This film by Vadim Perelman takes us to the question of understanding the importance of life lived. Simple, but manifested in the final episode, quite predictable (but not available for disclosure in this review) concept allows you to feel the simplest life episodes, to see and feel the joy of the simplest moments of life. One life episode from school makes the heroine regret and frustration every day, but at the same time enjoy, appreciate and understand how important every little thing is. Well, a simple message makes all viewers think about these questions. Apparently, the creators of the tape believed that in such a picture, a mandatory obsessively educating morality is necessary.
Another thing is that with all the understandable advantages, the plot itself is too one-fold. Alas, there won't be the nostalgic depth of Coppola's picture of "Peggie Sue" getting married again or the shimmering anger of "Irreversibility." Everything will be quite predictable, and to tell the truth, at the same time – well contrived. The whole intrigue of the picture will be too banal. And of course, with all the efforts of Vadim Perelman (by the way, very smoothly withstood the pace of the picture), the film did not make a significant impression on me. No more than a mild variation on the motif of Claude Sote's tapes. In addition, the star Uma Turman absolutely showed nothing outstanding. Although, in this case, she was most likely required to play a completely ordinary and not outstanding lady.
4 out of 10
“Your life can change in an instant. One moment can last forever.”
“Your life can change in an instant. One moment can last forever.
Diana's life changed 90 degrees in an instant. But this moment now lasts forever and does not let her go for a minute. It follows her everywhere.
The cover speaks for itself. Upper Diana is adult - located on top.
The soul is what cannot be cured by crippling it. The heart is the strongest muscle, the heart withstood the blow of fate that Diana experienced, but the soul did not. She died with Maureen. The whole life of adult Diana indicates that she tried to become Maureen to justify her life.
Key phrase: "Are you one of the survivors?" The answer is no. Diana can't consider herself a survivor. Because Diana's surviving body is not Diana, it's a completely different person.
The film is certainly about conscience, about the meaning of life, about the value of life and about the price of every moment.
The movie is worth thinking about. It's a very beautiful shot. Good acting.
Conscience is the voice of God, or the burden of choice in difficult times.
I once watched a wonderful movie House of Sand and Fog directed by Vadim Perelman. So I had a right to expect that Moments of Life would make a strong impression, even though I had fears. So I started watching this movie and somehow I felt a little uncomfortable. Diana's main character. The image is repulsive. Taking marijuana, sleeping with a guy, and she's still a schoolgirl. In general, he leads an unjust lifestyle, not as an example of his girlfriend. But that's not all. Vadim Perelman shows us Diana 15 years after the tragic events and you begin to wonder what it really was: killed, not killed and why we see her adult. Adult Diana, by the way, plays Uma Thurman, and quite well. You look at the figure of the Mind, how much it was necessary not to deny yourself anything in terms of food to get better! But it is more of a compliment to both Uma and the director.
The whole picture does not leave the idea of some understatement. And even after the final credits, you still figure out what's going on for a while. But then, gradually, an epiphany comes and you look at this film with different eyes and a lot is revealed to you. What is it? Here's what. The righteous are easy to love, you look at a girl who is pure, like an angel, how not to love. It is much more difficult to love sinners. Diana is a sinner, she also lived only 15 years, and already knows what sin is, tasted, so to speak, from the knowledge of good and evil. So what happens next? Why do we need Diana? That's why. Vadim Perelman, as an intelligent person showed the image of a sinner and what she can come to in a few moments of life. Choice. This is the choice that everyone is talking about, but no one has left it.
It was worth watching this movie for the final scene. You're waiting for an answer from Diana, and you're already mentally ready for the choices she makes. And here you are waiting for a surprise in the good sense of the word, and for me it is not just a surprise, but cool water. She hesitates, but does not commit Jewish sin, does not commit betrayal and the meaning of the film begins to take on completely different shades. We see what Diana's life would have been like if she had pointed to her friend. To wait for her: daughter Emma, her full copy, husband who cheats, etc. But it is not, and therefore the film was not started in vain. What about the crosses of unborn children in the cemetery near the church? Symbolic. Not just symbolic, but very correct in essence. You should definitely watch this movie!
The main bonus of the picture is a parallel narrative. We see young students and a circumstance that dramatically changes their lives. It's hard to get rid of, memories and cut eyes in every second episode. Then we see the near future, or rather, the present. It consists of inserts of the past; the closer we get to the final, the more obvious the chain opens, connecting two times and two girlfriends, which keeps in suspense, not for a minute cooling interest. In the first and second - the everyday life of a small American town, in the actions of the heroines you can see a typical teenage character with dreams of a better life. And in the same mundane sense of doom.
I like the natural way the material is presented. Every episode you expect, and not because it recognizes the main mystery of the film. Many of them are filled with meaning, and are demonstrated in the surrounding trifles, unusual to the eye - blooming flowers, collecting nectar bees, falling from the down trees ... Such details complement subtle, not intrusive philosophical reasoning, harmoniously intertwined in the plot. Without which there would be no tension. And the main character, the one who is in the present, experiences illusions and hallucinations in reality - they are so real that they are almost physically palpable. It's as if there's an answer hidden in these complex intricacies of the mind that she's been going to for so long. This naturalness pleases – no alcohol or pills, as, for example, Sandra Bullock in “Premonition”.
Compared to the original novel All Life Before Your Eyes, the film is largely shortened. For example, the relationship of the main character and her husband-professor, as well as individual domestic moments, and the finale itself. However, there is nothing superfluous in the picture, in general, she successfully embodied the whole idea in detail on the screen.
The film raises eternal problems: friendship and devotion, becoming and finding oneself, choosing and finding hope for forgiveness. And the heart is like the strongest muscle of man.
In my opinion, one of the simple, but powerful in depth melodramas, and screaming: think, analyze, analyze.
Moments of Life is a deep and peculiar American drama filmed by Vadim Perelman in 2007. The movie turned out to be deep and sensual, and its atmosphere is saturated with mystery and anxiety, and when watching, you feel tension all the time. I like this movie the way it was presented to us unusually, and it is emotional and with meaning, and I believe that this drama turned out to be pure and original, and it undoubtedly deserves the attention of the audience and a positive assessment.
We see a woman who survived the terrorist attack, and after 15 years she reevaluates her life, and the memories of the past and that tragedy haunt her, and we see that tragic moment of her life, but in fact everything is not as simple as we think, and the ending of the film is striking and surprising with its unexpected turn of events.
Uma Thurman is a beautiful, spectacular woman and a strong, dramatic actress, and I really like her. In this drama, she played well and in the main role looked decent. I never really liked Evan Rachel Wood, but she was very talented and dramatic in this drama. Eva Amurri also remembered me in this film, and this previously unknown actress played very believable and emotionally, and I really wanted her character to survive.
“The Life Before Her Eyes” has a genre of thriller, drama and detective, and the movie really turned out to be worthwhile and not bad. His story hypnotizes and takes the viewer away in one tragic moment, stretching over the entire film, and it is so dramatic and powerful that all the time when watching you are in anxiety and tension, and this great work of the director. This drama will appeal to those who like to experience deep and dramatic stories. I think the film was a success, and personally I thought about it for a long time, watching it for the first time.
8 out of 10
Life should be lived in such a way that then there is no painful shame for... everything. A film about choice, conscience and heart. Not the strongest I've ever seen. And the teenage terror, the school accident is just the background, the critical situation, which became the trigger, which had to be pressed.
The only thing I did not like was the clear division of teenagers into protagonist and antagonist, decent and whore, black and white. And then I see something biblical in what is happening: “Return each one from his evil way and correct your ways and your deeds.”
I don’t know what else to say without spoiling. If you had that choice, what would you do?
Let me start with the ending of the film. I disagree with both scolding and praising him that in the opinion of the first only the ending of the film and pulls, in the opinion of the second it is the icing on the top of the cake. All the same, for a century with a little in the cinema already so much invented, said, shown that to surprise the modern viewer is almost impossible. So, watching Moments of Life, somewhere after 2/3 of the film, you begin to understand what Perelman has prepared for us in the final. And this finale is far from original. We’ve seen all of this before.
BUT! The ending is not the only thing the tape boasts.
Plot... It's a dimensional narrative of friendship. Friendship of two girls with different characters, life ideals, aspirations: obstinate, trying to try in life all the joys of Diana and gentle, discreet Maureen (as it often happens, the two opposites converge). Friendship, which once invaded with a machine gun in the hands of a classmate of girlfriends – Michael. And later in life, Diana, who was lucky to survive after a massacre at school. In fact, the story of the girls (as well as the events with the interruption of their friendship automatic queue) is transmitted through the memories of Diana. At the same time, the memories cause Diana an increasingly heavy sense of guilt. At the end of the film, we open the full picture of events, which in order to preserve at least some intrigue I will remain silent.
The acting is very good. Without twitching, excessive drama and playfulness. Everything is natural and vital. You can't say a bad word about anyone. Even actors who play secondary characters have tried. I especially liked Ivan Rachel Wood and Eva Amurri (both of whom I saw for the first time), who, in my opinion, even eclipsed Uma Thurman.
The musical accompaniment is not remembered. All right. At least the porridge did not spoil and thank you.
In conclusion, I would mention one point that somehow gets lost in the growing climax of the ending of the film. Despite the flaunted hopes of a “real life” after graduation, Diana has universal values (beloved husband, guardian daughter, someone’s need and useful work), hoping that when they reach her everything will be fine.
8 out of 10
I wanted to write a lot. For example, the performance of actors (even minor ones) is great. Everything is beautiful, and the moments between the actions of the main characters, between the past and the future, are beautiful and fascinating. The fact that the film is breathtaking and when watching you do not want to talk, eat, or otherwise distract from what is happening on the screen.
But once I remember my feelings when watching, I begin to realize that it is very difficult to characterize what I felt.
At the beginning I began to worry. Somewhere in the middle of the movie, I was thinking about turning it off before it was too late, but I couldn’t get off the screen. The finale caused me such a storm of emotions, which, as far as I remember, did not cause any other. At first, the plot left a vague ambiguity, but soon I understood the essence and... I was surprised. Oh, really! This turn of events leaves a real rethinking of life, fate, choice.
Who are we in the face of death? Who among us deserves to move on? What choice would we make? All of these questions start in the beginning.
We see a very subtle hint of mysticism in the episode when Diana comes to school.
Are you one of the survivors?
-No.
I definitely recommend it and want to benefit from it.
The film directs your thoughts into several streams at once. A seemingly clear and clear picture opens before us: two girlfriends, full of opposites. One of them, Diana, leads a very dubious lifestyle for a teenager - cigarettes, booze, sex. Maureen is a religious high school student who is ready to give her life for her friend during a shooting. Throughout the film, we see how in her later life Diana is tormented by conscience, for the fact that she survived, she is haunted by old nightmares and guilt. She tries to correct the mistakes of her life by raising her daughter correctly. The plot makes you think about a lot, although it is not innovative.
But it comes to the end, and the whole idea changes. Under the shell of a frivolous girl is a huge kind, loving, boundless heart, capable of the feat of sacrifice. I think at the very last moment of her life, she realized the nightmare she had been living all these years. She paid for her mistakes with the most expensive she had.
We're always looking forward. We are looking to the future like supersonic trains, and we cannot linger in the present. Every second, every moment of life - raindrops breaking in a puddle, bright colors of flowers, a smile of a best friend and a boring teacher - all this is unique, unique and will never return. But for some reason we are sure that all this is just a low start, and the most interesting thing is waiting for us in five years, ten years, maybe even tomorrow. But not now. You just have to wait. You just have to go through it today.
Diana-teenage was an ordinary schoolgirl - moderately loose, moderately sensitive, sometimes reckless, sometimes on the contrary timid. She dreamed of leaving her hometown and never becoming like her mother - the usual dreams of half of teenagers. Diana was an ordinary woman – she worked as a teacher, raised a daughter, loved her husband. How did it happen that from a rebellious girl, self-confident, desperate, uncontrollable, a prosperous, even boring mother of the family grew up?
Maureen was probably a very happy person. She got along with Diana, was in love, and the life she planned - marriage, quiet work, 8 children - was measured and predictable. So why is it, so friendly and ordinary, not in the life of Diana-adult?
Throughout the film, we see the growing conflict within Diana. Many years ago, she survived an attack by an inadequate student on the school where she studied, and the memories of this still haunt her. But it's not just that. Something else happened the day she and her friend Maureen came face to face with the killer.
Diana hated school, disliked teachers, and became a teacher herself. She hated it when her mother started teaching her, but now she was always angry with her own daughter. She wanted to get out of the city, but she stayed in a classic patriarchal house. What made her so punctual to fulfill the dreams of her friend?
Throughout the film, we feel Diana’s pain and guilt, her reluctance to think about the past, and how that past constantly overtakes her. The whole film, viewers build their own version of what happened and, the further, the more evidence they get. But it's not what it looks like. Diana's life is not what it seems.
Not a bad movie. The unexpected ending adds a lot to it, but in the process it doesn't look dynamic... stressful... psychologically exciting. I don’t regret watching, but I could have missed it.
The movie is like a dream. Each frame so harmoniously blends into the overall picture, which, by the way, is not so easy to understand that you look without breaking away and noticing anything around.
Life and death are at the mercy of our minds, our hearts. Diana’s heart (Ivan Rachel Wood) seemed to want a life similar to that of her Christian best friend, which she couldn’t admit. But every decision that contradicted the principles of this friend brought the main character pain. From the usual word whore in her eyes were tears.
Her next life is redemption, but is it necessary?
When will it all start?
- What will start?
- Life. Real life, not this.
The topic of the murder of his classmates by a schoolboy is somehow very popular for Americans, and it is strange that this really happens.
And for some reason, the killer gave two girls a choice: he can only kill one. .
-How did I deserve such a great friend?
I loved the episode with the professor and the young mistress on the side and Emma's cross as a reminder that every decision we make will be the price we pay for every moment of our lives.
And water all the time. Water everywhere. She's life. Only in water does a person feel peaceful, in water he is born, and in this case he dies in water.
The film is incomparably built precisely from a psychological point of view, and chic camera work helps you just feel and experience this stream of consciousness.
10 out of 10
To the author and screenwriter Laura Kasichka - brava!!!
Why didn’t the film win any awards? Probably because the scenario is complex, surreal and not obvious design and denouement. The writers tried as hard as they could, but apparently did not try hard enough: the film did not receive the award. Although the film is about terror in the American school, and therefore could get a lobby at various awards. But that's not the point.
The main thing is the plot is luxurious if you understand it to the end.
The main goals of the film are: 1) the fight against terrorism both in an individual school and on the whole planet; 2) to pose a question to the viewer: what is more important to save the life of a friend or your own life (skin)?
Dee's life after terror is not real life, but an imaginary life that might have been had Dee survived. If that were to happen, Dee would get married, raise her daughter, teach art history, have a dream home, an expensive car, etc. If Dee had survived, she would have always remembered the tragedy that left an indelible scar on her heart that would have made Dee remember the tragedy for the rest of her life, waking up in the middle of the night or driving a waking car. The author shows how difficult it is for people to live after they have experienced terror. Terror is bad: it hurts people who survived and their loved ones, close to those who did not survive, thousands to millions of empathizers, people who have phobias. The consequences of terror are vast. After the terror arises ' graveyard' people who were not born, terror cripples human destinies.
Why is Dee's life after tragedy fictional? Because on 'cemetery' there is a cross with the name of Di Emma's daughter. Emma was never born... When, 15 years later, Dee is asked on Memorial Day about the tragedy: Does it apply to survivors of the tragedy? Dee replies:'No.' She didn't survive... Dee brings flowers to herself and places them on the school desk she sat at. When Dee sees her husband with another woman, the woman is her friend Maureen, who survived and whom Dee saved. Dee's entire life after the tragedy is a virtuoso author's fiction, making us think about what Dee's life could have been without the terror. The red beads around Dee's neck, turning into bloody spots from bullets, and Emma's daughter disappearing into the woods (dissolving into nothingness) bring us back to the reality of the drama: Dee died after making an informed choice in favor of the life of a friend, falling dead after the gun line of a terrorist. Dee didn't get married, didn't have a daughter because Dee died. Terrorism is bad, it's terrible. . .
What would your choice be: your own life or the life of a friend?
One beautiful sunny day. School day. One of them. Today, just like yesterday, you will make plans, dream, do routines, or commit madness. There are many options for how you will spend this day. And only one thing can destroy everything, to cross it out once and for all – this is a person you know, saw, with whom you spent many years at the same desk. He will walk through your life, breaking everything in his path, leaving only ruins and a quail. And all because in his hands he is holding cold metal, insensitive, unable to empathize, unable to listen to begging eyes and hysterical requests for life saving. Unlike his master, he does not decide whether to leave alive the one on the other side - the side of darkness and darkness, where of the whole range of feelings you experience only hopelessness of what is happening and some devastation. The only thing you have to do is remember, remember everything, the whole life that will appear before your eyes like a movie.
Diana and Morin are two opposites who have become best friends. Diana is a young, carefree beauty who wants to take everything from life, often gets into various unpleasant situations. Morin is a role model; she attends church and believes passionately in God, is sympathetic and dreams of starting a family by becoming an exemplary mother and wife. The differences between them lie in even the smallest details about the city in which they spent their whole lives. Diana, considering him a cage, dreams of running away, and Morin will be grateful to God for a happy life in this town. But no matter how different they were, these two girls became a support for each other, even in the most difficult situations, they came together and held together. And it seemed that all the obstacles in their way would be broken, as the school appeared one in whose hands was the power over life itself.
The plot of this film really hurts, it touches all the strings of the soul, stretches them to the limit, and in some moments you just realize that you have a lump in your chest that will not be so easy to get rid of. For our country, it is not so usual when one person arranges a place of real bloody slaughter from a simple school. For the United States, this is a matter of habit. As cynical as it may sound, these terrorist acts are no longer on the news, they now occupy only one or two reports and a running line. And I think it's quite difficult in this situation to make a film that is so disturbing to the feelings. Vadim Perelman is an amazing person. First, his first large-scale work, The House of Sand and Dust, proved to be a complex, controversial picture, definitely worthy of attention. Consequently, Perelman simply could not but prove himself a professional in his field, so I had no doubts about the weather of Moments of Life. I was amazed at why it was so hard to watch. The first time is clear, but what about the second, third? Why do these feelings of desolation and hopelessness not let go, and something inside you is chained with jelly chains? I never understood. Perhaps the team that worked on the creation of this picture decided to give not only 100 percent, but the entire 200 percent. Thirdly, all his decisions regarding the filming were so successful that they made the film really alive and real. You seem to be an integral part of it. One of his heroes.
Among other things, it is simply impossible to ignore the acting game. I really liked Uma Thurman and Ivan Rachel Wood. Playing the role of one character of two ages, they were able to recreate the life of a woman who did not live and a girl who could not live her life the way her strongest muscle and soul wanted, constantly striving to escape and fly somewhere far away, into the unknown. Eva Amuri is my favorite actress, I find her very attractive and worthy of attention in terms of acting. I was sure that the role of Maureen would be on her shoulder and everything would be great. I was wrong: everything turned out to be much better, I really liked how she reflected the life of a devout girl who constantly takes care of her best friend, never reproaching her for anything. It seems to me that in all these moments such spirituality, such calmness that sometimes I wanted time to stop for a moment, slow down, allow me to feel it to the end, allow me to drown in this moment.
Speaking of moments, I would like to mention 2 of my favorites: this is the pool scene and, of course, the final scenes in the toilet, which are the epicenter of the whole film. Point of reference.
But I won't reveal all the cards. The last thing I would like to mention in my chaotic and slightly emotional review is the first one – the presence of flashbacks, which is always very pleasing to me, because it creates some tension of feelings. Some kind of incandescence. The second is camera work, about which I can only say one word - "Educational". And lastly, it’s just my advice to anyone who reads this review and still isn’t sure whether to watch this movie or not, be sure to watch it! Make an effort on yourself, overcome yourself, as it once was with me, and see that you will not be disappointed.
You know, there are movies, books, anything that you don’t want to disassemble. I don’t want to look at them as objects and then skin them and try to find something and write here. And when you find movies like that, everything changes in an instant. And you realize that there is something above all this nonsense that we're writing here. Basically, who wants that? No one. Now I just sincerely want to advise everyone “Moments of life”.
Based on the work of Laura Kasishke. The film is more understandable, it at least puts an end. There is only one ellipsis in the work.
This is a movie where there is no acting. A film where there is no plot, operator, director, screenwriter and so on and so on. There's one thing here: depth. Take a look. Very rarely there is a simultaneous combination of maximum and minimum, but it is here. As well as the lightness that you see at first; but then, as you approach the core, you realize that there is no lightness. Unfortunately, you can not breed spoilers - although a spoiler is what the film is rich in. You will have to use a few words.
What are you willing to do to survive? You want to live? And to live with the thought that a person died next to you... a few percent through your fault? You take your husband away from your wife, you give birth to a child that cannot be raised. Abortion penalty? That's not it. It's about the moment we really live. If we live like this, life is just for you. But if something worthwhile is done, your life becomes visible. Do you want to live only for yourself?
The film raises many issues, such as bullying teachers, light behavior, remotely - drugs. But all this is woven together, and the web forms life. And we're back to it again.
Beautiful. For real. Seriously. Deep. I am not a critic, I am a person who saw on the screen what I did not expect to see: life. More than that, I saw the sensus of this life.
It turns out that in our time, they shoot really smart valuable films. Only under the veil of film critics we sometimes do not see them. Worse.
Crystal film about a drop of life that can flow down the cheek with a tear at any time. Break. And disappear forever.
There is no time, there is only a moment. (Lev Tolstoy)
People don’t live today, and that’s a fact. We make mistakes, we often do not act as we would like, we can say that sometimes it seems to us that we are not living our lives, that we will have a real life in the future, that everything will be different, we will be happy, and all our dreams will come true. And while the future has not come, we can tolerate the gray present, where we are not satisfied with many things. But things will change... The question is when? Where is the boundary between past-present-future?
In one book I remember a very wise statement. I'll quote:
We all perceive time as a road—walking on it, we can always turn back and look back at the path we have traveled, and looking forward to see where we—if nothing shakes—will go; but the truth is that time is a closed space, a moment so close to us that we stubbornly refuse to notice it. (c)
Diana (like most of us) “exists” in the present until the time comes to “live” in the future. Together with his best friend Morin, they share plans and fantasies for the future. But one of them is destined to break...
Together forever. (c)
I will not retell the story, revealing all the cards. I will say that the film is definitely worth watching. To be honest, I think the motive for friendship and the question of "would you agree to die to save your friend/girlfriend" isn't leading here. The main thing is to live or die at all. Of course, the comparison of opposite views on life, values of two friends is not accidental. But there is no formula “how to live right”. Everyone decides for themselves. But perhaps the most important thing in life is not to regret anything. Do not regret your actions, your attitude to loved ones, words, choices. This is the life of all things. What we are today determines our future. Very rare cases when some event changes a person’s consciousness, dividing his life into “before” and “after”. Therefore, dreaming of a happy future, but not accepting the present, we condemn ourselves to the fact that this happiness simply will not come. That we will just regret the present, which will become the past.
We must imagine our future to be happy. (c) That's certainly true. But we have to prepare for the future now. We must set ourselves up for happiness, otherwise we will simply not be ready for it. All our dreams must be realized now, all our mistakes must be corrected today, all our fears must be eradicated in the present. Just imagine that the barrel of a gun is pointed at you right now. That choice caught you on an ordinary day of your present. And if everything is not as you would like, do you have the strength to fix everything and move on?
The film left a strong impression. I don't want to look for flaws in him. I accept him as he is and I admire him. I admire the depth of the plot, the beauty of the shooting, the acting (although I do not like Uma Thurman). And James Horner gave the film even more charm with his music.
10 out of 10
It’s a movie that has left a little bit more disappointment than it could possibly have. But let's be consistent.
The mother of a quite prosperous family in the days of the anniversary of the massacre at school remembers herself and her close friend, obviously not a survivor.
The cast: very good, starting at least from the main actor - Uma Thurman. Honestly, there are practically no complaints about her, she is quite convincing in the role of a bland, but deep in the soul, severely psychologically traumatized woman. Twitching, perhaps, a little more than I would like, but at first it seems that it requires the plot, namely, the anniversary. The one I think could have played better is Evan Rachel Wood. Yes, she is a teenager who has not yet found her place in life, and she makes mistakes, realizes them, tries to survive. But I think the actress is trying too hard. It looks a little overplayed, although in general - not so bad. The other characters are quite secondary, and Eva Amurri played wonderfully.
My impression of the film: You know, when the story begins to develop not too dynamically, although generously diluted with flashbacks, there is expectation. Expectation of something more, some basic thought that would shed light on all meaningless and everyday shots from the life of young and adult Diana. Now, don't wait for the mystery to be revealed too quickly. You will probably have time to watch the good hour of the film, while ideas begin to swirl in your head. I sincerely hoped, but the creators of the tape will save the plot with an unexpected denouement. Thank you, they tried. As for the denouement itself, it was the fourth and final version of what it might be. Too long wandering in the dark seems tempting, but at the same time quickly get bored. But the finale was decent.
And more. I want to thank the people who made this film, especially the cameraman. Nice shots. The tape is filled with them just so much as to please the eye, while not pesky.
It is worth watching, but this movie will probably not leave a strong impression.
"Moments of life" - the second film of the Ukrainian director Vadim Perelman tells about the lives of two girlfriends who survived a mass murder at school, which was committed by their classmate. They're grown women with families, but deep down, they're the same scared girls standing in the bathroom at gunpoint. The main roles were performed by wonderful actresses Uma Thurman and Eva Amurri, when the film moved into the past of the same characters performed by young actresses Ivan Rachel Wood and Maggie Lacey. With all due respect to Vadim Perelman and his film “House of sand and fog”, which I really liked, I can honestly say that his second robot I was very upset, did not like the film, it seemed too boring, and sometimes confused.
The drama is really with a good idea and with great actors, I don’t even have any complaints about the director, and maybe even there, I haven’t really figured it out yet. The stylistics of this picture reminded me of the film “What We Lost”, where the main roles were such movie stars as Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny, there was also a similar situation where the film was divided into the past and the present. Moments of Life was not interesting to watch, although I confess that the film made me watch myself to the end, because it was damn interesting to find out what really happened in the toilet between a guy with a gun and two best friends, before whom the question was who to kill.
The situation is of course terrible, with two best friends, a psychopathic guy asked the question which one to kill, the moment is terrible, and if you put yourself in the place of the main characters, then it is difficult. According to a good script, Vadim Perelman managed to shoot a non-standard film, let’s say this, but it seems to me that either the script was not too good, or the director did not cope with the task, one of the two, but I have not yet decided which of the two banks is closer, so my assessment is not very high. To sum up, there is drama, there was a thriller, wonderful actresses took part in the film, in my opinion everything was more than not high, but the movie did not impress me.