Saw an Australian film called Two Friends at a
foreign film festival Tuesday night. There was supposed to be a
discussion after the film, which I was looking forward to, but it
didn't happen. Everybody just left during the endcredits.
I can't really recommend the film, which struck
me as looking a lot like a student film, all the sceens in
reverse chronological order, lots of shots from a camera on the
floor or looking down through the ceiling. Still, more thought
provoking than most films. The point was how easy it is for a
parent or step-parent to destroy a child's life--and how society
allows and accepts this distruction as the parent's
"right" so long as it doesn't involve sex or violence,
just things done "for the child's own good" and
"constructive" criticism. There was a recent newsweek
piece that claims that parents don't have that big an influence.
I don't believe it. So, the film was "thought
provoking", but not particularly entertaining.
