Osama Review

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(More customer reviews)This 2004 Golden Globe award winner for Best Foreign Language film, directed by Afghani Siddiq Barmak, is a stunning indictment of the repressive, fundamentalist Taliban regime and its treatment of women. Filmed on a shoestring budget, the film is a composite of a number of true stories, coalescing into one. It is harrowing look at a feudal sort of government that equated women with little more than chattel. Forced to be totally dependent on men, the question arises as to what would be their fate, if all the men in their world were to no longer be there for them.
This is the issue that confronts one particular woman, a widowed doctor, who treats patients in secret. Unfortunately, the hospital, if one can call it that, has not paid her for some time, and she can no longer work there. Moreover, it has become too dangerous for her to travel the streets, as she is a lone woman forbidden to travel the streets without the accompaniment of a member of the male sex. As her household consists solely of three generation of women, having lost her husband and her brother, circumstances are dire indeed.
She must devise some plan of getting or earning their daily bread, if they are to survive. She turns to her young timid daughter, a girl on the cusp of womanhood. She decides that her beautiful daughter must disguise herself as a boy and go out into the world to help earn some food for the family, or they will die. Thus, the daughter is transformed into a boy called Osama. The mother then takes Osama to see a kindly former comrade of Osama's late father, who now runs a small dusty shop. There, Osama is left to work, stirring cauldrons of steaming milk, scenes that are positively medieval.
Passing as a boy, Osama is obliged to do those things that a male is expected to do. So, when the Taliban police come to the shop looking for boys for indoctrination at a mullah run school, Osama has no choice but to go. Thus, begins the downfall of Osama. Despite the best efforts of Espandi, an enterprising street urchin who has befriended Osama and knows her secret, Osama is to continue a harrowing journey that only one of her sex may travel.
This is an intriguing film that, despite being somewhat choppy and disjointed in the telling, provides a birds-eye view at what life was like for women under the Taliban. The beautiful imagery of the film is a strong counterpoint to the harshness of Taliban rule. It is a mercy for women that the Taliban is no longer in power. This film certainly brings home the absolute cruelty of that regime towards women.
Though the director uses non-actors for the roles in the film, each one of them does a yeoman's job with the given role. Arif Herati, who plays the role of Espandi, has a great deal of screen presence. Marina Gobahan, who has the starring role of Osama, is excellent as the timid and shy girl who reluctantly cross dresses as a male in order to help her family. Her terror of being killed and her fear of the Taliban is palpable throughout the film. Her eyes are most expressive, world weary and infinitely sad. It were those very eyes that drew the director to cast her in the role of Osama. This is a film that will leave its imprint on the viewer.
The DVD offers little by way of special features, though it does offer a moderately interesting interview with the director that runs about twenty minutes in length.

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Inspired by a true story, this Golden GlobeÂ(r)-winning* drama is the first film made in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. Hailed by critics as 'stunning(Entertainment Weekly),breathtaking(Slant) and 'emotionally charged(Screen International), Osama isa striking work of cinematic art(L.A. Weekly).After the brutal Taliban regime bans women from working and forbids them to leave their homes without a male escort, a 12-year old girland her mother find themselves on the brink of starvation. With nowhere left to turn, the mother disguises her daughter as a boy. Now calledOsama,the young girl embarks on a terrifying and confusing journey as she tries to keep the Taliban from discovering her true identity.*2003: Foreign Language Film

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Bones: Season Four (Body Bag Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Most TV shows start to go downhill by the fourth season either through too many character replacements or repetitiveness of the episodes. Not Bones, out of the entire series I can count the number of episodes I don't like on one hand.
This is a great alternative to many of the main stream talked about crime TV series out there. This packs in realism, comedy, action, adventure, mystery, and psuedo-science all into one show with a cast that couldn't be more beautiful or enjoyable to watch week after week.
If you haven't seen any of these just buy season 1,2, & 3 you certainly won't be disappointed and it'll give you something to do while you wait for the DVD release of season 4. Also of note is that if you haven't seen season 1,2 or 3 you may be a little lost watching season 4 alone. The writers have done an excellent job maintaing continuity of the story line accross all the seasons so there will be many jokes, comments, and sub-plots that you simply won't understand without the past seasons.

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BONES SEASON 4 - DVD Movie

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Bones: The Complete First Season (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Good to see Bones: The Complete First Season is out on dvd. I've waited for this. Debuting in September 2005 on the Fox Network, Bones very quickly garnered rave reviews and amassed a loyal following. Bones is loosely inspired by real life forensic anthropologist and author Kathy Reichs. This funny, clever, sometimes gross, and totally addictive crime drama centers around forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence Brennan (Emily Deschanel), who toils out of the Jeffersonian Institution and, on the side, writes mysteries starring her fictional heroine (and here's the twist) Kathy Reichs. Because Brennan has an almost supernatural ability to generate accurate assumptions based on her examination of the corpse's bones, she is often consulted by the FBI on difficult, seemingly unsolvable cases. She is frequently partnered by brash wiseacre FBI Special Agent Seely Booth (David Boreanaz), who seems to hold a bias against science and those who practice in that field. It's Booth who breezily saddles Brennan with the nickname "Bones." Naturally intuitive and freewheeling, Booth immediately is at odds with the clinically analytical Brennan. But, despite their personality clashes, and with the aid of Brennan's gifted and quirky colleagues, the cases do get solved.
It's no great secret that the palpable chemistry between Deschanel and Boreanaz is what actually propels the show and is what separates it from the other, more formulaic, dispassionate crime dramas. Every week, fans tune in for the leads' deliciously caustic banter more so than for the weekly dose of mystery. You see, the mystery jones can be fixed by viewing any other one of the gazillion forensic dramas so currently prevalent on the airwaves. So the mystery is basically the MacGuffin that drives the show forward. But the cantankerous chemistry - that palpable "something" between the two leads as they hilariously bicker and wrangle - is definitely unique to this show. You won't find this sort of wicked rapport going on in any of the CSI or Law & Order shows.
Emily Deschanel is a find. I haven't seen her before but she's awfully good and ingratiating enough with her acerbic character. She imbues Brennan with a cooly detached yet vulnerable and lonely quality that intrigues and endears her to the fans. Her social awkwardness and pop culture ignorance are also quite charming. It's pretty funny that a mention made regarding a pop culture reference almost always elicits a response of "I don't know what that means" from the clueless Bones. And, of course, her expertise in the martial arts doesn't detract from her allure.
And David Boreanaz. Yeah, I found it difficult going, at first, watching him in a new role, seeing as how I'm a fan of Buffy and Angel. But it helps that Booth isn't much like our vampire with a soul. This ex-Army Ranger Special Agent is breezy, personable, and outgoing, not brooding, tortured, and introspective like Angelus (although Booth, also, is trying to atone for past actions). So, the transition, while disconcerting for me, was ultimately smooth enough. Boreanaz brings such command, self-assurance and charm to his character that I bought into it soon enough.
My favorite episodes are the pilot episode, where we are introduced to the cast; "The Man in the Fallout Shelter" - the team is quarantied together in the Jeffersonian during Christmas and we learn personal stuff about the characters; "Two Bodies in the Lab" - character development galore in this episode as Brennan dates on-line and is targeted while she works on two cases; "The Superhero in the Alley" - a decomposed body is found wearing a superhero costume; and "The Woman in Limbo" - a gripping, emotional season finale as Brennan discovers shocking facts about her parents.
Special Features contain episode commentaries on the "Pilot" (with Exec. Producer Barry Josephson & Series Creator Hart Hanson) and "Two Bodies in the Lab" (with David Boreanaz & Emily Deschanel); Disc 4 has "Squints" - an 8-minute-long behind-the-scenes look; "The Real Definition" - A "squint's" guide to forensic terminology; and "Bones: Inspired by the Life of Forensic Anthropologist and Author Kathy Reichs" (with, of course, an interview with Kathy Reichs); and character profiles.
So, to sum it up, this show has a lot to offer. It has a fabulous cast, great character development, and engrossing, well-crafted storylines. The forensic geek, the drama lover, the repartee admirer, the romantic (have patience) - all can meet here and each is guaranteed to come away with something from this intense, smart, funny series. Long live Bones, long may she "squint."
Here's a list of the 22 episodes:
1."Pilot"
2."The Man in the S.U.V."
3."A Boy in the Tree"
4."The Man in the Bear"
5."A Boy in a Bush"
6."The Man in the Wall"
7."A Man on Death Row"
8."The Girl in theFridge"
9."The Man in the Fallout Shelter"
10. "The Woman at the Airport"
11. "The Woman in the Car"
12. "The Superhero in the Alley"
13. "The Woman in the Garden"
14. "The Man on the Fairway"
15. "Two Bodies in the Lab"
16. "The Woman in the Tunnel"
17. "The Skull in the Desert"
18. "The Man with the Bone"
19. "The Man in the Morgue"
20. "The Graft in the Girl"
21. "The Soldier on the Grave"
22. "The Woman in Limbo"

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David Boreanaz (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) stars as F.B.I. Agent Seeley Booth, who teams up with forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) to solve some of the most baffling and bizarre crimes ever. Booth depends on clues from the living, witnesses and suspects, while Brennan gathers evidence from the dead, relying on her uncanny ability to read clues left behind in the bones of the victims. Their different investigative styles cause the two to frequently clash, creating an undeniable chemistry and just the right touch of dark humor. Inspired by real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs and state-of-the-art criminal investigation procedures, Bones is a compelling, cutting edge television.

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Good Hair (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Comedian Chris Rock takes a look at the lengths some people in the African-American community, especially women, go to for "good hair". Near the beginning and end of the movie Rock visits the Bronner Hair Show in Atlanta, Georgia, a huge trade convention for the manufacturers of black hair products. Here he highlights four stylists competing for the title of champion platform performer, an elaborate stage show featuring music, dance, costumes and, of course, hairstyling. In between Rock discusses all the time and money spent using relaxer and getting weaves as well as the possible psychological and cultural reasons behind this obsession with hair.
Rock's take on the subject seems to be that it is more important what's in your head than on your head. But it also recognizes the pressures placed on black women to fit in with society's beauty standards and understands why these women forsake their natural hair for perms and extensions. The film delves into serious subjects but maintains a funny and playful tone throughout. I certainly found myself laughing more than I did at the usual Hollywood comedy. And I even left the theater feeling a little smarter about a topic I knew almost nothing about. One of the better documentaries of the year.

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Chris Rock visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of the black community in this exposé of comic proportions that only he could pull off. A raucous adventure prompted by Rock’s daughter approaching him and asking, "Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?”, GOOD HAIR shows Chris Rock engaging in frank, funny conversations with hair-care professionals, beauty shop and barbershop patrons, and celebrities including Ice-T, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symoné, Dr. Maya Angelou, Salt-N-Pepa, Eve and Reverend Al Sharpton – all while he struggles with the task of figuring out how to respond to his daughter's question.

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