White Oleander - all parts of the plant are poisonous
18+
Human society in this world is incurably ill, judging by the Western movies. It has been sick for a long time, a long time. It is strange even that in the West, such a film age rating starts from 12 years, depending on the country and reaches a maximum of 16+. We're 18+. On the one hand, it is clear that this is an educational story and, rather, for this reason, adolescent children are allowed to watch it in the presence of parents. But this can not be shown to children until adulthood. Everything is too adult and forbidden.
This movie is about one girl/girl. At the same time, we deliberately step into the most, the most swamp of this world. And we're drawn there. Someone kills someone, someone sits, someone travels from one guardian to another. And in every life, in every family, we see flaws. There are flaws all around.
Of course, it may seem that not everyone has it this way. Someone lives in a fairy tale, as it seems. And these stories are in other films. This is just a gray-black life. And most importantly, every viewer will be able to find something remote from his life in this film. How come?
Response. There are films that resonate with something, someone, something in our souls, bodies, hearts... in our spirit, maybe even. How did this movie respond to you? Write it. Write down the CP. Orange is waiting.
When dealing with film adaptation, there is always a comparison with the original source. I’ll write a book for those who don’t want to read it. Let me tell you why.
The story of Astrid Magnussen, embodied on the screen, captures and attracts... She finds herself the victim of her mother’s impulsive actions, forced to change one foster family after another, after her overbearing mother is sent to prison. I made a mistake, I didn’t know the novel when I first saw the movie. I thought it was nothing at all. Of course, the undernourished story arcs catch the eye. Sometimes it seems that you are looking into another dimension, but it is quite lookable. But this is not to read the book.
And when you open a novel, you see quite a real world, with living people, with finished arches. This is an amazing discovery for me, a man who just had nothing to read. A lot of interesting topical topics were raised: the relationship between fathers and children, juvenile justice, problems of adolescence and much more. In the film, it also affects, but not so deeply. The syllable was clear and without pretenses of genius, but it was interesting to read. The novel is begun, developed and finished.
What does Peter Kozminski suggest? This is not just a shortened version of the novel. Carved a lot and not only moments significant in the author’s plan, carved whole arches of key characters. I can't call this film a film adaptation. As a separate film, it did not cause much excitement. After the book, it looks more like a commercial for a book.
Of course, there is a movie, and a book, there is a book. However. Such a diametric difference is still to be found. The film does not have the emotional color of the relationship between Astrid and his mother. There's no heat in the book. The movie turned out to be very refined, removing many “sharp corners” of the novel and this is the writer’s fault. Along with a few “watery” moments of the book, Mary Donahue deprives the viewer of additional threads leading to an understanding of the characters’ motives. Why there is no monolith in the film, which is in the book. Here is the case when it would be possible to show the picture in the format of a mini-series. Then maybe something decent would work and maybe someday they will. In the meantime, you have to always know what time it is in California.
3 out of 10
It’s a heavy and at the same time incredibly interesting film. “White Oleander” is the story of mothers and daughters, the problems of their relationships, the peculiarities of the views of creative people on the world around them. This film makes you think about how we treat people close to us and do we behave selfishly towards them?
The plot of the picture is built competently and beautifully. Excellent dialogue, logical actions of the characters. It is especially interesting to watch how the main character takes something from her “new” mothers, desperately trying to attract the attention of her family and achieve the love of foreign women for her, since she has never received it from a loved one. A very sad film about a girl who tries to understand herself and who she is in this world without any help from the outside. It is impossible not to think about what we see on the screen.
The actresses here are just great. Each of them looks special and unique in the chosen image, especially Renee Zellweger. This role has become one of my favorites, because her character looks real on the screen, just like everyone else. Such a realistic and heavy film was perfectly complemented by the same acting game, immersing us in the extraordinary atmosphere of the complex and incomprehensible life of a teenager.
I really liked the interesting close-ups made by the cameraman, and in general, the picture was very pleasant to the eye, even considering the fact that the film is not new. He does not look on one breath, but this kind of perception is influenced by a difficult plot.
The impressions were positive, I recommend watching. “White Oleander” is the very film that is worth reading to enrich spiritually and spend the evening analyzing what I saw, which, personally, is often lacking.
8 out of 10
The white oleander (spoiler) is a flower, the poison of which the artist Ingrid Magnussen (Michel Pfeiffer) poisoned her cheating lover. But it is about her daughter Astrid (Lindsey Loman), wandering around foster families and shelters - from trouble to trouble.
Despite the stars of the first magnitude, the most interesting was still Astrid, living the drama of growing up and overcoming original sin. Alison Loman and is experiencing all these metamorphoses, but Michelle Pfeiffer – on the contrary, plays rough and with one and a half colors in reserve, mostly the same oleander, sowing it around and next to her daughter, who became for her the most... The disassembly of the daughter-mother is in the final. And this is extra proof that love is better than hate, even if it is independent.
By the way, the authors already twice argue with the great quote of Dostoevsky (by the way, in the same finale there is an inscription in Russian.) about the beauty that the world does not save. Although on the screen we have almost a parable about three artists, between two of whom there is love, but you have to choose Astrid.
It’s a rare case when a film that happens to be accidentally caught turns out to be really worth the time spent watching. White oleander is exactly in this category.
The story shown in the film is very original in its kind. The fight for the survival of the main character can only be envied. She, as soon as the sprout is tied, tries to cling to the only possibility of sprouting. But she is inhumanly torn off and sent further into the abyss of the unknown.
The main character Astrid is incredibly strong in spirit, it was affected by the fanatical upbringing of her mother, who instilled in her daughter Spartan endurance. But independence of thought does not always lead to positive results. The more cynical you are, the less happiness you will see. This is what the film teaches us.
Problems that are raised in the film a lot: here and the relationship of daughters and mothers, the relationship of the sexes, the problem of family life and many others.
I would also like to note the great symbolism of the name. All the girls who somehow played a role in the life of Astrid, as well as White Oleander blonde and just like this shrub someone something was poisoned. Ingrid was poisoned by her cynicism, Star poisoned herself with alcohol, Claire poisoned herself with drugs.
The film is good, even very good, it's not perfect, but it's built perfectly, it's not dynamic, but at the same time the change of events is staggering. Here nothing happens, and in the next frame the heroine glorifies the bullet and so on throughout the film. It will not get you bored.
Summing up, I want to say that the film I watched in a very difficult period of my life, and it helped to gain strength to survive this moment.
8 out of 10
“Beauty immersed in sadness is most impressive.” – E. Burke
From the desert, the hot wind of Santa Ana blew, turning the spring grass into bundles of dull straw. Only the oleander fragrant - delicate poisonous flowers, green leaves-daggers - D. Fitch "White Oleander"
Once I saw this movie, I remembered it for a long time. He left a special mark on my memory, although the film, at first glance, seems quite ordinary, and there are no excessive climaxes and intrigues in it. Personally, this film seemed very deep and soulful to me. I saw in him something mysterious, fascinating and attractive.
I think that in "White Oleander" touched not only on the theme of the relationship between mother and daughter, but also the theme of the power of female beauty. Killing beauty like oleander's poison. The film is called a beautiful but poisonous flower.
Of course, in the center of the plot of the relationship of the mother – Ingrid and daughter – Astrid. There is a strong spiritual bond between mother and daughter, and their names are similar. Ingrid treated Astrid as property, trying to sculpt from it like herself, imposing her worldview. Independent and insanely beautiful Ingrid acts selfishly towards her daughter, killing her lover. She succumbed to emotions, inner impulse, not thinking about the future fate of her family. Later, Ingrid leads the daughter’s second guardian to suicide, again acting selfishly, again breaking the fate of her daughter, taking away her right to happiness. But that doesn't mean Ingrid didn't like Astrid. Their connection is felt throughout the film, no matter what happens. Ingrid loved her daughter with a special love that only she could understand.
Next, we are shown the difficult life of young Astrid, who is forced to face one-on-one harsh reality, she is forced to forget about the ideas that her mother inspired her and about her past life. Astrid, like her mother, is endowed with unusual appearance, natural beauty, for which she has to pay in the future. She is envied and hated because she is beautiful. Not just appearance. At the beginning of the film, Astrid is the epitome of purity, and although by the end of the film, she has changed her appearance, Astrid is still pure, although it is obvious that the girl has changed, she is no longer dependent on her mother. But can you blame her for that? By female stupidity, Ingrid left her daughter to fend for herself - Astrid was no longer brought up by her mother, but by life.
The film shows that the power of female beauty is capable of many things, and to possess this destructive beauty is not always happiness.
It is worth noting that all the characters in the film are blondes. Beautiful blondes. Maybe they have something in common, and I'm not talking about hair color. You have to think about it.
"White Oleander" conquered me with its atmosphere, ease and lightness. Beautiful music, cold tones and mundane dialogue. There is some mystery in this film, tranquility, peace. It’s great to watch with your mom or alone on a rainy autumn day. Of course, “White Oleander” may seem boring or boring to some, but I liked it. Touched. Close to the shower.
"You can't leave me alone." I gave you life, you gave me my blood and my flesh! And you're out of here when I let you go! -- Ingrid Magnussen
The flowering plant, common in the subtropics, with a beautiful name "Oleander", the corolla of which most often has a white color, is poisonous. So you can understand why writer Janet Fitch chose such a metaphorical title for her best-selling book. The main character’s life is poisoned and she will remove poison for a long time and persistently, after going through many trials that could break her life every day, but the girl was only tempered and becoming smarter and smarter. For the processing of the book Janet Fitch took Mary Agnes Donoghue, known for her work with the paintings “On the beach” (1988) and “Paradise” (1991). The main characters that in the book that on the screen are the fair sex, so that clear and even approved the choice of screenwriter-adapter. She clearly managed to connect female sensuality and emotionality, which must be expressed on the screen, but to do it so that the film was understandable to the male part of the audience.
The main character is Astrid Magnussen. She lives happily with her artist mother Ingrid. Astrid is constantly reminded that she is the most beautiful child in the world, better and more beautiful than which there is and can not be. The mother teaches Astrid and another: no one should interfere with happiness, they are absolutely self-sufficient family. But one day Ingrid turns out to be a rejected man. She can't accept it - she's been abandoned!! How dare he?! Such Ingrid is not going to forgive, her egocentrism, maniacally attuned to narcissism and even female narcissism, whispered to Ingrid that she should be avenged. And the woman first erases the data on his computer, which is why he in a fit of rage attacks her and her daughter's house, but Ingrid this is not enough - she poisons her former lover, for which she is arrested and convicted for a very long time. All the actions of the respectable mother carried out in the presence of her beloved daughter, never thinking about what destruction she brings. After the arrest and trial, young Astrid begins to wander around foster homes and shelters.
For the direction of this rather serious and intellectual film took Englishman Peter Kozminski. He is more engaged in military-historical documentary, but in 1992 he directed Wuthering Heights based on the novel by Emily Bronte. The main roles starred Juliette Binoche and Rafe Fiennes and, perhaps, this film is the best adaptation of literary classics at the moment. And only ten years later Peter Kozminski returned to the cinema. And I did it very well. He did not experiment, did not hold the viewer's eye, but in individual episodes of the film, he gave with "White Oleander" an opportunity to reflect, try to understand the characters, put himself in their place. “White Oleand” is not chewed material that can only be swallowed, it will have to be thoroughly tried, analyzed, and then made your opinion. In addition, I would like to note the camera work from Elliot Davis, who smoothly led the camera so that the viewer could feel like an invisible witness to what is happening, as well as the work of composer Thomas Newman, who made a cool and subtle musical design for the picture.
But even these works can escape the eye and ear of the viewer, because “White Oleander” is also remembered for the performance of actresses. The role of Astrid was approved then 23-year-old Alison Loman. The young actress perfectly fit into this role, showing the experiences of her heroine, who found herself after a completely reckless act of her mother in the care of the state and passed the school of life in a short period of time. You look, you watch her and you feel sorry for her and really want the girl not to break, so that fate will give her a chance for happiness. And the chance comes, she almost missed it, but you're happy that Astrid finally finds peace and takes the poison out of his life. She was poisoned all the time by her own mother. Michelle Pfeiffer’s amazing performance as Ingrid is fascinating. You subconsciously feel that this woman is dangerous, she will eat you and grind your bones, but somehow she is so attractive. To be honest, I am surprised that Pfeiffer has been overlooked by critics and the jury for this role. Not fair! And Robin Wright, Renee Zellweger and Svetlana Efremova (Novosibirsk actress) will add a variety to the picture - they also feel different emotions, but they are sincere, so the actresses have achieved the desired effect.
What about a man in a movie? Patrick Fujit will please with his pleasant character, you can thank that fate ordered his hero to meet the unhappy and withdrawn talented artist, played by Alison Loman. But no matter how good Fujit is, he is still very far from playing the same Alison Lohman, René Zelleweger, but especially Michelle Pfeiffer: what verdict will you make her heroine, dear viewer? She's guilty, of course, but is it her fault alone? Before us is a real oleander - a beautiful, but poisonous plant. But “White Oleander” allows you to admire not only the play of actresses, but also smart cinema, after which you analyze each of the participants of the action.
9 out of 10
P.S. In the final scene of the film, the heroine Loman, singing, finishes the decoration of the suitcases and inside one of them is clearly visible the inscription in Russian “Dear Mommy”.
If you’ve read the book and are going to see it, don’t. Of course, it is your business, and your right to evaluate this film adaptation positively or negatively. If it weren’t for the novel I read earlier, I would have loved this movie.
Well-chosen actors and a realistic atmosphere do their job. Cold heroine Michelle Pfeiffer, pure Astrid. Horrors of foster families, far from our understanding, but constantly existing in real life. It is hard not to feel what is happening on the screen.
However, these are smart directors who make their films based on previously written books. No, to do it professionally - cut off unnecessary red tape, add interesting moments - why? We cut the most important scenes and ineptly replace the rather significant details, referring to the fact that the film is made ' based on ' and not on the book itself. Then the question arises - where is your director's highlight, why is there something new in the film for the viewer dedicated to the main events?
Ignrid Magnussen, forgive me the spoiler readers, was a poet from the book. The film makes her an artist. Why, then, are we shown the letters so poetically written that Astrid sends out of her confinement? Why cut two whole foster families, which had to visit the heroine Alison Loman, because they she learned so much?
The ending was even more upsetting. Perhaps it was because she looked brighter in the book.
'She let me go,' Astrid tells Paul Trout as she watches her mother being taken away. In my understanding, this means that she lost the case, and failed to lie in court. Again, I didn’t see the logic here. Why would we change the ending of the dramatic story that unfolded before us?
Absolutely unprofessional film adaptation, which did not show the viewer all the charms of the book by Janet Fitch. With the main task, the director coped, but distorted the plot to outrage.
For the beautiful atmosphere and actors who made this film
4 out of 10
Oleander is a monotypic genus of flowering plants of the family Apocynaceae. Very poisonous, in all parts of the plant are glycosides oleandrin and ineriin. The plant is a great danger when self-medicating. Poisoning can even cause chewing several leaves of oleander. (Wikipedia)
This is one of my favorite psychological thrillers.
The film is about two strong beautiful women: mother and daughter. They have so much in common: both beautiful, strong, proud, and very lonely. But still too different.
The story of the main character Astrid (daughter) is heavy, unforgettable, piercing. About a 15-year-old girl who idolized her mother. More than anything in the world, afraid of losing her. She couldn't imagine life without her. Inconspicuous, always in the shadow: "Mom can do anything." What a pleasure it is to obey such a mother, beautiful and cruel as the Scandinavian goddess, who worships art as a religion. Wait for it at night without closing your eyes. Wait at the door of her return. Forget about yourself. Serve her. And be happy about it. But alas, for her selfish mother (Ingrid), she was only a strong chain that prevented her from living as she wished. I can't imagine how many trials a little girl can have. It is believed that a person is given as many tests as he can endure. But there has to be a limit to everything? Especially if it is a child who is just trying to understand the world around him, to find his purpose in life. How hard you have to be to not break in the situations that Astrid got into. Not every adult would stand up with his head held high. It was very painful to watch, I do not want to believe that mothers are capable of such dirt, but it is impossible to close your eyes. Astrid goes through the ups and downs, and it happens with great unpredictability. Here he is – another blow in the stomach and even more storm clouds over his head, although it seemed that the sun was about to come out. I empathized with the heroine as if she was my close friend, a real person. The idea that everything was just a movie came to me only after the end credits showed.
I've always been waiting for you, Mom! Expectations have been my whole life! I was always afraid that if you don’t come back, leave me on some bus, forget in the store.
- Are you still waiting for me?
- Nope. When Claire showed me how someone I love feels, I came to my senses. What were you hoping for? That I'm going to be your next game? Is that why you gave birth to me? Did you think that we would enjoy the poems of Joseph Brodsky???
Ingrid (Mother Astrid) is our White Oleander. Her daughter Astrid will have to learn to survive early. Existing next to her. Survive without her. Ingrid is a fighter by nature and freedom-loving, and the child is not included in her system of importance. However, you can try it there “pindur”, while breaking it completely. She is cruel and selfish, her pride is above the love of her daughter. To have such a mother is a disaster, to love such a mother is the end of the world.
Throughout the film, I never stopped complaining: How can you care so much about your own daughter? She didn’t even know that Astrid was a human being. She's a 2-in-1 judge and executioner. Ingrid did not think that by the murder of her lover, she sentenced her own daughter, who was left alone and was forced to adapt herself, survive as a shipwrecked on the high seas.
There was no person next to Astrid who would suggest her salvation after a “shipwreck”, so the girl looks for a “helping hand” anywhere: in religion, in a man, in a woman with a good heart, etc. Astrid is instantly attached to everyone who shows her kindness and care. But isn’t it Ingrid’s fault?
The girl is looking for her mother and father, who would support her, give her love and warmth, but this search only adds to her wounds. Bodily and mental.
A rare depressive film. And now fascinated by his seemingly hopeless darkness, he suddenly gives a lightning charge directly into the heart. It's a story that's hard to watch, it's beautiful and crazy. Shocking movie. Not only shock for the brain, but also the soul.
10 out of 10
After watching this movie, I was extremely disappointed. What a great book compared to the book! In the book you immerse yourself completely, smelling poppies and oleander, you feel the softness of the silk kimono Ingrid, the smell of sweat and Rey's tree, Claire's kindness and despair, and Astrid's disappointment. How well the characters of all the characters are drawn, in relation to each of them you experience absolutely different emotions, either understanding them or hating them.
The movie doesn’t have a hundredth of the charm of the book. Heroes are raw and faceless, pathetic shadows of the heroes of the book. And Astrid? How can you see in her the strength, the desire to survive that Janet Fitch gave her? Astrid in the film is pathetic.
I was also struck by the number of cut scenes, the wrong sequence of events, and sometimes even completely false scenes! She did not have a romantic escape to the ocean!
You can lament the squalor of this film for a long time, but I think I’ll finish my advice to everyone: read the book! This is a very powerful work that touches on many social and personal issues. It is beautifully written, so I want to read the quotes. And don’t even watch the movie so as not to spoil the beautiful image that has formed in your head. If you want to watch a sharp social drama, on this topic, watch “Aquarium”.
3 out of 10
And that, just because of the game, Michelle Pfeiffer.
"White oleander" is a film about the life of a teenage girl who had to face difficult situations even by the standards of an adult. But the period of adolescence is already quite difficult.
Young girl Astrid almost at the beginning of the film is in a difficult situation, which in no way can not affect. All that is left for her is to go with the flow, taking any blows of fate. But even when she’s humbled, she wants to live like a normal person. But it is not so easy to do this if you do not have any relatives, and you see your mother only on rare dates in prison.
The role of the girl’s mother was stunningly performed by the actress Michel Pfeiffer. Her character is not as simple as it might seem. Already at the beginning of the film, its essence begins to reveal, as if oleander, when Astrid finds her at night on the roof, looking at the stars and enjoying a light night breeze. Do you often sit on the roof at night?
The girl's mother is a photographer. She sees the world through a prism, like a camera lens. Astrid for her is not only her beloved daughter, but also her best work. She teaches her life values, tells stories, shares her innermost thoughts. And then she enjoys watching her little rose blossom. But the rose has thorns. Left alone with her life, Astrid is forced to release thorns, because the world is not at all friendly to her. Sometimes these thorns are directed against the mother, especially when Astrid learns the bitter truth for her.
Hiding pain and disappointment behind the outer calm, Astrid tries to build his own life path. Through thorns, through sweat, blood and tears, crossing over herself, she yearns for the most important thing - to escape from the cage into which she herself allowed herself to be driven.
This is a difficult film, not everyone will be able to evaluate it in terms of the things shown by the director. But for those who like to reflect on life and the vicissitudes of fate, this will be a great time of pastime. Do not forget to pour yourself a tea with cinnamon stick to sweeten the bitter taste "White Oleander" .
9 out of 10
"White oleander" is an adaptation of Janet Finch's novel by Peter Kozminsky.
“White oleander” Finch was a great success at the end of the last century, and was filmed in 2002 by Peter Kozminski, for which there were no successful works. Mary Agnes Donoghue adapted the script, but her work is not flawless. Capturing the spirit and basic ideas of the novel, Donohue made many mistakes in the construction of the plot , which now and then hangs inaction. The characters and their dialogues have survived, but have become less expressive than the original. Little actress Alison Loman, who got the main role, did not cope with such a difficult task, unlike the experienced Michelle Pfeiffer, who accurately and tactfully conveyed the character of her character. Among the actors of the second plan, Rene Zellweger and Robin Wright stood out, whose play diluted the film with positive and cute moments.
Technically, the film did not stand out with something positive. Operational work is not interesting, the scenery is not remarkable, but the expressive soundtrack on the general background looks attractive, as it is very suitable for the general mood of the picture.
Director Peter Kozminski took on an unbearable burden for him, rushing from melodrama to human drama, and by the end he lost all the mood and meaning of the picture. Beautiful dramatic scenes are few, but slurred flashbacks filled the entire film, and smeared happy ending leaves conflicting emotions.
Somehow I got to the White Oleander four years ago. And I remember clearly that this film shocked me to the core, and for several years I considered it my favorite. Years have passed, and I wanted to revisit my most cherished films. Some years later, I don’t like it anymore, and some of them remain the same. I’m glad that watching White Oleander for the second time feels the same as I did for the first time. Namely, thoughts, many, many thoughts.
This is a very deep drama that touches on many aspects. It makes you think about a lot, like any quality drama.
Astrid, a very beautiful girl with long white hair, a beautiful figure and pleasant facial outlines. She is a smart, good girl who is waiting for great trials.
Her mother is the Snow Queen. Powerful, cold, hateful. Without a shadow of regret, she decides to kill without even thinking about her daughter. Where will she be? What will happen to her? That’s exactly what White Oleander is about. This film is about a girl who is taken from family to family as a temporary consolation, like she is a cute pet. And when she gets bored, they throw her out. This film is about the inhumanity of people, and at the same time about humanity.
No one in the circle is hostile to us. It's us who see everyone as the enemy. And they are not us, but we are offending them.
A film about the difficult life of a child who turns out to be nobody, or someone for a while. In the film, I think the atmosphere is icy thanks to Michelle Pfeiffer, although this atmosphere is darkened by suffering and eternal wandering.
The cast is wonderful.
I really liked Alison Loman, and despite the fact that at the time of filming she was already in her 20s, she fit perfectly into the role of a teenager.
Renee Zellweger, Robin Wright, Michelle Pfeiffer are perfect.
I actually admire Pfeiffer. I may be exaggerating, but I'm not afraid to say that the film is based on Michelle. From her heroine the blood in her veins chills, and it becomes terrible for the limitlessness of her cold and hatred.
9 out of 10
Great movie! The only thing I lacked was the soundtrack. Everything else is perfect.
Two women. Mother and daughter. Strong and independent, creative, whole nature Ingrid performed by Michelle Pfeiffer. And a fragile, still fragile young Astrid performed by Alison Lomain. Women with Viking blood in their veins. They look cold as snow queens, but passionate inside. So passionate that the first decides on the sophisticated murder of the man who cheated on her, forgetting about her daughter, about what fate she will have when she is imprisoned for several decades. The second one is so passionate that she can’t forgive it.
The mother has a very strong invisible umbilical cord with her child. Even while in prison, she tries to control her life, perhaps partly unaware of how much poison is pouring into her daughter's blood. And she's trying to fix a broken life, glue it together like a broken vase. Every adoptive mother molds her likeness and wants to make her a reflection of herself. It's like feeling with your stomach how alien her presence is in their homes. She's like a proud swan in a chicken coop. All these adoptive mothers are unhappy and use Astrid as a cure for their problems.
But Astrid is the true daughter of her mother. She is strong: she finds a soul as wounded as herself, and together they hold hands, go forward, boldly looking into the eyes of the Future. And I really believe that there is a full “We shall overcome” waiting for them.
Michelle Pfeiffer is from the category of actresses I never liked, but recently I am beginning to pay tribute to their talent (the turning point was, perhaps, Stardust and Cherie).
White Oleander is the film I first saw Alison Lomaine and Patrick Fuget in. And if the latter role is secondary, but quite memorable, the heroine of Alison in it is the first violin.
One of the most impressive films about women and for women I have seen.
10 out of 10
"When are we going home?" my mother asked. "We don't have a home," she replied. - Your home is me.
I wanted to see this movie for a long time, but I decided that until I finished reading the book, I would not do it. For two weeks, portraits of heroes were drawn in my head: Ingrid is a stately woman, with blue eyes and wide cheekbones, tall, a voice like the whisper of the northern winds; Astrid is a liquid silver that later becomes a blade. . .
What did I see in the end?
Nothing like that, all the way 'clear' which is disgusting. Ray with his unsad eyes and unscathed fingers, too typical teenage long-haired Paul. Could you see the beauty of Astrid? The beauty of the moonflower, simple but merciless? I'm not sure. Claire. Beautiful Claire, who in the book is so thin that she can't have children, brunette with a wonderful classical manner of speech, where they hid her? Why in the film we see a typical American, and even blonde?
The ending doesn't sound like a book ending. Astrid wasn't in court. Couldn't have been. She lay on the couch with Paul, admiring his beautiful fingers in their small, damp apartment. She did not wait for the door to open, she did not expect anything from her mother, who became another wonderful photo in the magazine. What made the writers change the story? What purpose did they do that for? I don't know, I can't say.
I didn’t want to watch this movie. It's like the letters Astrid sent her mother: familiar phrases scattered chaotically on paper. Almost poetry.
Loneliness is for the few. There are few who think they are strong.
For those who are alone, let them be alone forever. However, you cannot make loneliness an art by trying to teach it to others, even to your own children.
Ingrid made of her daughter what she was. However, once violated the principle, it is already quite difficult, in my opinion, to show a model of proper behavior. Never be attached to anyone, never be attached to someone who once drew attention to you. What do all these rules mean? For Ingrid to make her daughter an unshakable rock, unique, and lonely; for Astrid (as she rightly noted) to be miserable.
Not everyone can be a Viking.
Ingrid really gave us the image of a strong, powerful woman whom everyone admires, but why sculpt your own child’s image and likeness, if for him happiness is clearly not in this? Despite her love for Astrid, her mother took everything that her daughter was happy about: her foster family, her friendship, and her motivation for being strong and alone.
Not everyone has to be a Viking. There are ordinary people who do not pretend to be great, etc., but how warm they are! It is hardly more valuable than cold empty power in oneself and for oneself.
I love movies like that. A little boring, telling a story through the eyes of one person. This movie is hard, hard to understand. There are so many secrets that my mother doesn’t want to know, but which are the center of the film. Ingrit is the main character. She’s strong, it’s true, but her daughter isn’t “cute,” as Ray said. Against the background of the mother’s story, the formation of Astrit’s personality takes place. It's an amazing process, and it's wonderfully shown here. The transition from imitation of the mother to protest and again return to her to let go, because you can not go further without setting a period.
The first thing I wanted to write about was the beauty of the main characters. It was just impossible to get away from them. Pride, inner core, strength - all this was read on their face.
The actresses were on top. Michelle Pfeiffer played very convincingly. Her character, Ingrith, is what young feminists want to be. She's beautiful, successful. She is a creative person – a photographer. She has a beautiful daughter. But it's just a cover, it's actually a very vulnerable woman. They didn't want her, so she killed her. She couldn’t stand it because she had to control everything herself. Especially her daughter, which she did even while in prison.
Alison Loman either played well or it's easy to play pensive. But at least it worked out well. Trust her. She's devoted to her mother, closed. It’s hard for her, but she wants to write what she’s trying to do. But in fact, it goes with the flow. Only at the end of the film she chooses her own family, and only there her character clearly begins to appear.
Each stage of Astrit’s life is interesting in its own way. After the first foster family, it seems that she will destroy the family herself. But it turns out not to be. Of the supporting actors, Renee Zellweger is most remembered, just she is cute and disposed to herself. Svetlana Efremova was also very convincing in her role.
I can’t say that I didn’t like it, there is no such thing. There's something that's left indifferent. For example, the musical accompaniment, I just did not remember it. The love of Astrit also did not lie in my head and many more moments. But that's probably not necessary in this movie.
Should I watch this movie? It is worth it if you are interested in watching how others grow up and develop.