The Regal Experience

Although sweeping popcorn is not the most ideal job in the world it certainly has its perks: it helps pay rent, it is open late which is conducive for day-time class scheduling, you get to meet a lot of people, and when there is time, you can see FREE MOVIES!    

Co-workers on a week night

Since September I have been able to watch The Butler and Captain Philips. 

The Butler was a very dramatic film. It boldly presented profound stances on slavery and American history. The film evoked all kinds of emotions: happiness, disgust, anger, fear, and even comfort. The high-class acting combined with my low tolerance for inhumanity made my stomach turn.

Although I think that The Butler was a good film, I thought that it was slightly overdone. I felt like the film was written in such a way that every major event in American history from 1920-2009 was forced into the film. Rather than embracing a true narrative with real events or supporting a documentary with some narrative the movie sat somewhere in between the two and by the end of the film I lost interest in both

Captain Phillips, on the other hand, was one of the greatest films I have ever seen. I do not frequently rave about movies but I highly recommend this film. Captain Phillips is based on the Maersk Alabama hijacking by Somali pirates in 2009.The movie was suspenseful and realistic. Normally I hear mixed reviews from guests at the theater but I did not hear one negative comment about this movie.

The acting was phenomenal! Tom Hanks did an award winning job.  In regards to one of the later scenes my roommate said,"That was the most convincing scenes I have ever watched."

The camera never stops moving throughout the film; it intensifies the suspense and embraces the unsteady rock of a ship on the ocean. The use of close-ups and wide shots was brilliantly used. There was just enough emotion captured for the audience to sympathize with the actors and yet it had enough release for there to still be mystery and safety. 

The Butler and Captain Phillips were both based on true stories but Captain Phillips had a rawness to it that completely separates the two even though The Butler was so dramatic.  

Free movies! I'll pop another patch to that.