Review 2

Rendition(2007)

Cast:  Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard, Alan Arkin, Jake Gyllenhaal and Omar Metwally.
Director: Gavin Hood
Genre: Drama film

The film was shot excellently. Gavin Hood presented the film as two separate stories which seem to have no connection with each other. Events of these stories run parallel to each other and only at the end of movie they finally crossed. This director’s trick, I think, added a little tension to the film and made audience be on the alert constantly and follow the course of events carefully. Work of screenwriters is also great. The plot of the film reveals the dark sides of CIA work in America excellently but a little toughly.
Synopsis:
The events take place in America and North Africa. CIA analyst Douglas Freeman lost his partner in the explosion of a suicide bomber in Egypt. He was charge to investigate this case. In view of it, an Egyptian-born chemical engineer Anwar El-Ibrahimi coming back from Africa to the USA was arrested in the airport by American police on suspicion of connection with terrorist organization. Anwar was sent to a secret prison outside the country without any legal causes where he was tortured for the purpose of getting information. The process of questioning and torturing under Douglas Freeman’s control was guided by Abasi Fawal, a high-ranking police official, who was the main target of a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, a pregnant wife of Anwar alarmed at her husband’s disappearance asked for help her old friend Alan Smith who worked as an aide to Senator to find Anwar. Smith knew that Anwar El-Ibrahimi was arrested by order of Corrine Whitman, a high-ranking political official. But Whitman made it clear that his arrest was top-secret. In a parallel storyline, Abasi's daughter Fatima escaped from home with her lover Khalid who was a supporter of an extremist offshoot. At the end of the film we know that Khalid was this suicide bomber who made the explosion which killed a lot of people including Fatima.
Review.
The film shows the severe truth of the modern government system. It reveals an insignificance of human life before the state power. I think this is another film that refers to the category of “bold” ones. Gavin Hood is worth of praise because not every film director dares to expose vices of own country. Hood openly demonstrates the fact that the US use tortures. To my way of thinking developments of the movie instigate us to think: what if the government uses even more horrible methods for its goals which we don’t even suspect about? What if the tortures and murders of people are usual practice for state power? Why was Anwar El-Ibrahimi tortured? Did Abasi really think that Anwar was a terrorist? It is hardly. Anwar was only scapegoat. Abasi Fawal tortured him not for the sake of truth but for results. It doesn’t matter to government who committed a crime, it’s more important to find guilty ones because the society requires it. To kill one for the sake of thousands. The end justifies the means. These are the main mottos of the government. But is that really so? NO. No end justifies such means. Violence gives rise to violence. And this is endless.  So in this connection, the film shows: it’s really scary to live.

Speaking about actors, their performance was perfect. But I think the cast is secondary in such sorts of films. To my way of thinking, there are no differences if other actors star in this film. I’m sure it will lose nothing by it. The main accent is not on the actor’s performance but on the process and main idea of insignificance of human life before the state power.

To sum up, the movie is very exciting. Certainly it is not for the general public. This film is for narrow circles of people who are ready to accept the worst truth of the modern government system and our “small” lives.

Pleasure reading. Summary. (p.55-117)

  Peter Walsh walked on the London's streets and wondered how this city has changed. He sleeped on a park bench and saw a dream about former times when he and Clarissa were young and when Richard Dalloway married Clarissa.
  Meanwhile, spouses Warren-Smith walked through the park too. Septimus continued to rave: he seemed that he must bring people something very important, he saw his died friend Evans and talked to him. Besides it he went into memories about his first meeting with Lucrezia,his wife. All of this reduced her to despair. She couldn't believe Septimus' doctor no longer as there were no results in his treatment. So Lucrezia brought her husband to a new doctor William Bradshaw who recommed to take Septimus to hospital for insane people.
 
  Richard Dalloway and Hugh Whitbread were invated for a lanch in the Mrs. Brutn's hause. Mrs. Brutn, the old lady and the General's daughter, wanted them to help her to write a letter to "The Times" for emigration's issues. During the lanch she mentioned about Peter Walsh's arrival. Remembering how Walsh once chased after Clarissa, Mr. Dalloway wanted to make something special for his wife to prove her how he loved her. He bought a bouquet of flowers for Clarissa and intended to say her that he loved her. However Richard didn't heve the courage to say that.
  But for Mrs. Dalloway the bouquet of flowers was enough. At that moment she warried about her daughter Elizabeth. Clarissa Dalloway disliked her daughter's history teacher Miss Kilman. Clarissa hated Kilman for that the later deprived her of daughter. Elizabeth spent all her time with Kilman and they bacame the best friends. It hurted Mrs. Dalloway. 

Pleasure reading. Summary (p.1-55)

"Mrs. Dalloway"

 Clarissa Dalloway, a 52-year-old woman, woke up very early, because she was going to arrange an evening party for English high society. Her husband, Richard Dalloway, was always busy, as he worked in the goverment. Clarissa went to flower shop and met her childhood friend, Hugh Whitbread, who held a high position in the British Royal household. His wife was always ailing. Clarissa began to remember the events of her distant youth, when Peter Walsh, who was in love with her, always got annoyed at the sight of Hugh. Peter had gone to India long ago and to Clarissa's disappointment, he sent very boring letters.
  Mrs. Dalloway had bought a bunch of flowers and after that became a witness of small accident: a car of "high-ranking person" (as it seemed to everybody) crashed into road curb.
  This accident also attracted attention of Septimus Warren Smith, a World War I veteran, who was mad because of contusion. Septimus seemed that all people around him looked at him and that he was guilty of the accident. He was in panic. His wife Lucrezia Smith, who came from Italia, tried to distract him from this event. (Septimus' doctor advised Lucrezia to distract her husband's attebtion from bed events). Lucrezia despaired deeply. Septimus suffered from frequent nervous fits, he wanted to kill himself; Lucrezia was alone in London and she was afraid that somebody could hear her husband's raving.
  Clarissa Dalloway returned home and knew that her husband was invited by Lady Brootn without her. It was a little offended for her. She remembered her best friend of her youth, Sally Seton, whome she admired. She felt to her a strange love for her recklessness. And Clarissa realized how old she became.
   Mrs. Dalloway was sewing her dress when unexpected visit have happened. Peter Walsh suddenly came back from India and made a visit to her. They remembered their marvelous youth, but both of them regretted about missed chance to marry each other, although none of them confessed to it.
  Peter had to leave Clarissa's house but at the last moment Mrs. Dalloway decided to invite him at the evening party. 

Rendering 6

The news about sensational film "The Innocence of Muslims" is still on everybody's lips. The Mass Media is replete with new massages about consequences of this film, particularly about a new war which is going to flare up. 

The given article reports that Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has called upon Muslims to wage a holy war (a jihad, in other words) against the US and Israel over a film deemed insulting to Muslims. His audio message with appeals was released by al-Qaida's media As-Sahab and posted on militant websites on Saturday. Giving appraisal of this situation, Ayman al-Zawahiri called demonstrators and attackers who stormed the US embassy and consulates "honest and zealous". It is necessary to remind that a short web video "The Innocence of Muslims" defaming the Prophet Mohammed caused violent riots in several Arab countries and other states with Muslim populations in September after it was posted on YouTube. In this connection, there were a lot of assassinations; particularly it was revealed that in Libya, armed militants killed the US ambassador, Christopher Stevens. The reporter gives no details about content of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s audio appeal, but he emphasizes that according to Al-Qaeda leader, Washington had allowed the film's production under the pretext of freedom of expression and also quoted him that "this freedom did not prevent them [Americans] from torturing Muslim prisoners".

As for me, I believe that this news was predictable. It is not surprising that Muslims reacted to this situation by calls to war. Violence gives rise to violence.

Link: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=144107

Rendering 5.

  The famous newspaper "The Telegraph" published one quite interesting article titled "Afghanistan, Obama's forgotten war". This artical comments on strange situation about conflict in Afghanistan, namely about absolute ignoring of this conflict by the American authority, particularly by the USA president Baeck Obama. Speaking about this situation, it's necessary to renind that Obama is the candidate for the presidential election. Moreover, neither of challengers for the election mentions this situation. In this connection the author of the artical expresses thr critical view that the Afghan war has become a non-issue for the presidential contenders, an omission which inspires little confidence in the ultimate fate of a conflict that is far from over. Analyzing this situation, it is necessary to emphasize that the death toll of Americans in this war has already reached 2000.
  In conclusion the author suggests that Taliban will make a dramatic comeback once Nato's combat forces are withdrawn in two years time. It's hard to predict the course of events in future but perhaps this stape makes Obama and other condidates to take an active part in Afghanistan's fate.
  As for me, I wonder why do American politicians ignore this situation in such important for them period, the period of presidential elections. The solution of this issue will allow them to get more votes. Although come to think of it, it's unacceptable to forget about such important issues like that.

Link:  http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/concoughlin/100183279/afghanistan-obamas-forgotten-war/