Critique of the Movie Matchstick Men :: Movie Film Essays

Critique of the Movie Matchstick Men I recently read a review of Matchstick Men by Nicolas Bardot who said of the movie: â€Å"very touching but lacking a certain panache.† The Matchstick Men starring Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Lohman, is the story of Roy (Cage) who with his â€Å"numerous disorders† and his partner Frank (Rockwell) tries to pull off a con job. Unfortunately, Roy’s daughter Angela (Lohman) suddenly shows up and things don’t go exactly as planned. Although Roy’s â€Å"disorders† are not mentioned specifically, I can’t imagine they would make his job easy in the first place, but throw a long lost teenage daughter into the mix and I can not wait to see what happens next. Matchstick Men is an adaptation from an Eric Garcia novel and runs one hour and fifty six minutes. Bardot seems to vary on his opinion of this movie. He makes special note of John Mathieson’s photography declaring it as â€Å"superb,† as well as expressing delight in the soundtrack which was compiled by Hans Zimmer. Bardot seems to praise the movie for it’s depiction of anti-heroes, yet at the same time says that at times it becomes â€Å"slightly dull and uninteresting.† Despite his lack of glowing praise for the picture, Bardot expands upon the â€Å"expansive and spectacular† past pictures by Ridley Scott, the director. Having directed such films as Gladiator and Black Hawk Down among others, Bardot seems to think Scott has found a hidden talent in his new genre, comedy, declaring that his work on this picture is â€Å"marvelous.† Although Bardot mentions the performances of Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Lohman, I wish he had gone into more detail as to what was good about them, or in Cage’s case â€Å"unnerving.† He also refrains from mentioning other details such as setting, costumes, and camera angles which I would find interesting.

Somalia Piracy

Outline Thesis: Modern seaborne piracy off the coast of Somalia can be controlled by making Somalia more safe and stable, improving the infrastructure, and finding individual or private solutions. Introduction I. Making Somalia more safe and stable A. Starting an effective government B. Establishing higher demands of security II. Improving Infrastructures A. Forming a steady and firm framework B. Creating and enforcing treaties III.Finding individual or private solutions A. Hijacking ships back B. Providing private security (undercover) Conclusion Currently, â€Å"[t]he International Maritime Bureau (IMB) considers the Somalia coast to be the most dangerous stretch of water in the world†. (Zijlma 1) Piracy has been an ongoing problem off the coast of Somalia of the Indian Ocean for many years now. The country of Somalia is in the need of a quick and effective change to rapidly decrease and eventually eliminate modern seaborne piracy.Somalia will need several solutions and back -up plans in order to help make a quick and clear stop to this modern seaborne piracy. Modern seaborne piracy off the coast of Somalia can be controlled by making Somalia more safe and stable, improving the infrastructure, and finding individual or private solutions. Any of these solutions can help play a role in fixing and eliminating these unbelievable criminal acts on the sea. The first goal to help solve the problems taking place on the sea is to get Somalia going in the direction of being more safe and stable. â€Å"[N]ow that American crews† have stepped in to help out Somalia, action â€Å"against†¦piracy† will be â€Å"taken by the international community†. To help destroy piracy, a reasonable solution would be making Somalia safer and more stable. To begin this process Somalia will need to get â€Å"an effective government in place (Zijlma 15). The Somali government didn’t use to take action because they were a â€Å"barely functioning gov ernment, and a few years before that there was no government at all†. Zijlma 11) The current Somali government would love to get involved and help out, but they don’t know where to exactly start. The Somali government should start by gaining â€Å"complete control of the capital Mogadishu and regions like Puntland† (Zijlma 11). They will also need to begin taking greater action as a whole in order to decrease the piracy going on in the region. An effective government would consist of taking chances, realizing and accepting it could possibly take more than just a few solutions to totally wash away the pirates, and have multiple plans in case one fails.Throughout this whole process, maintaining patience while gaining control will be the biggest challenge they will most likely face. While putting together an effective government, higher demands of security will need to be put into the equation. The demands of high security is in high needs because â€Å"Somalia is among one of the most important shipping lanes dealing with piracy on these lanes cause lot’s of chaos and commerce† (Arons 2) without the high security ships are now paying â€Å"nearly twice what they would have paid a year ago for ransom insurance†. Arons 2) The security will need to protect the ships on and off the Somali coast of the Indian Ocean and perhaps they might need to attempt to try and take control by maneuvering the speedboats containing pirates. A step to this may deal with hosing them down with fire-hoses and firing back at any given time. However, this is up to the â€Å"captains because the pirates are operating in an area approximately four times the size of Texas, there are slim to no chances to ensure that every ship in this area will obtain a safe passage. (Zijlma 13) The other concern with raising the security and possibly taking action is keeping the captains and crew safe along with the captured crew they may fire at. Once again itâ₠¬â„¢s taking chances and figuring out the most effective way for the government to take action that will lead to great success in resolving piracy. No matter what solution or route the Somali government chooses to take, improving infrastructures will be in the equation at one point or another.To start, we will need a firm and steady framework in order to begin any process and complete any process in the hopes of getting rid of the piracy and keeping it gone and off the seas of Somalia. The first framework should be the government and working to save as many hostages taken by the pirates in a non criminal and least harmful way as possible. â€Å"The assets of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), acting with the support of an Amphibious Ready Group, are perfectly suited for this type of operation. (Lloyd 5) To begin this you will need to improve the framework of how, when, where, and take into consideration how many you will save and how many you may possibly have to let go if the infr astructure is not operating to the fullest potential possible. A way to begin improving infrastructures would be to create a well formatted treaty that can be agreed and signed by both parties.â€Å"The treaty process has evolved over the last 50 years into the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Today, almost every country on the planet has ratified the convention†¦except the United States. (Porter 4) This solution may take several trial and errors to get the treaty that is right and equal full all parties involved. â€Å"The United states needs to show the pirate ringleaders that they will lose life, limb, and property if they continue with their piratical ways. † (Lloyd 11) This is no game to play, improving the infrastructures and finding solutions that work is the best way to change the rules and not give up without a win over piracy. â€Å"Only by changing the rules of the game will the international community succeed in tackling Somali pira cy. (Lloyd 11) Perhaps, just trying to hijack one of the Somalia ships back could be a fresh start to eliminating the violent acts on the seas of Somalia. In order to do this there needs to more negotiators who will be needed to watch out for any ships getting hijacked when they are to be left alone or are already Somali’s. The only problem with attempting to hijack ships back is the worry of losing American fighters and or hostages. â€Å"These activities seem to be overshadowed and will only treat the symptoms rather than the disease itself† (Lehr 3).Hijacking back ships without the knowledge of the pirates will give the Somalia’s a better chance of losing as many men as possible because the pirates will be unprepared and not have a framework in place to take action. â€Å"The legality of different security measures (as well as their effect on insurance claims and premiums), the negotiation process with pirates and, ultimately, how to secure the safety of shi ps, cargoes, and crew, take priority when a ship is at sea and a threat is imminent. †(Lawyer 8) However, this action could possibly cause harm and chaos, that Somalia must be fully ready for and be able to take ction against it. The last and final solution to modern day seaborne piracy would be to put private security around and on the seas of Somalia. These means of security will have no labels and will remain as seldom seen as possible. They will need to partake in a â€Å"list of services which include specialized antipiracy and maritime counter-terrorism operations. † (Lehr 3) The problem is significant, and the approaches to it varied. The best way to defend against the piracy is at their point of attack  Ã¢â‚¬â€ aboard the ships they approach and attempt to board.Well-armed security teams will need to be aboard them and they will need to be able to sink approaching speedboats and other vessels deemed a threat before they can come alongside, and  can kill pir ates as they attempt to board if that fails. Somalia needs to deal with this problem from the beach side, in concert with the ocean side, but we don't have an embassy in Somalia and limited, ineffective intelligence operations. With no government there was no hope chance in trying to make peace among the criminals participating in the violent acts on the sea.On the flip side, now that the Somalia government is back into action and ready to be in full control of the situation, it will make the process of eliminating the pirates go smoother because working together as one can help build and put together an effective government. Together they will be able to help create a safer and more stable reliable boating experience, along with the society supporting and encouraging the actions of the government. The society should be willing to fight for what it takes to help make their seas safer and more enjoyable without the risk of outrageous acts happening right in front of their eyes.After the â€Å"welcoming release of Captain Phillips, President Obama stated his resolve to halt the rise of piracy† in the Somalia region. By taking â€Å"four immediate steps the U. s. international partners to crack down on pirate bases and decrease incentives to engage in Piracy; develop an expanded multinational response; engage with the Somali government and regional leaders in Puntland to take action against pirates operating from bases within their territories; and work with shippers and the insurance industry to address gaps in self-defense measures. (Library 2) With this being said by the United States president, within a couple years there should be a stop to the outrageous and violent acts happening on the seas and Somalia should be in full control with an effective government on its side.Works Cited Arons, Matt. â€Å"Stopping Somali Piracy: Addressing the Hidden Environmental Causes. † afpprinceton. com. 15 Feb. 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. . â€Å"Legal Solutio ns to Illegality on the Seas. † The Lawyer 4 May 2009: 6. Academic OneFile. Gale. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. Lehr, Peter. Violence at Sea: Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism. New York: Taylor and Francis Routledge, 2007. Print. Library, The National Defense University. â€Å"Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia. † merln. ndu. edu. 23 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. . Llyod, James. â€Å"An Expeditionary Solution to Somalia Piracy. † U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings 135. 11 (2009): 8. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. ;lt; http://merln. ndu. edu/index. cfm? secID=263;pageID=35;type=section;gt;. Porter, Keith. â€Å"Law of the Sea Treaty. † About. com. 4 Sept. 2007. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. . Zijlma, Anouk. â€Å"Somali Pirates: A Guide to Somalia’s Modern Day Pirates. † About. com. 2010. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. .

The golden compass and paradise lost - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1930 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/07/26 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: Paradise Lost Essay Did you like this example? The Golden Compass is the first book in a trilogy series called His Dark Materials, written by Philip Pullman. The author was influenced by the title, His Dark Materials from another famous piece of work. That title is written in John Miltons 17th century poem, Paradise Lost. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The golden compass and paradise lost" essay for you Create order In Pullmans book, he tries to raise many of the same issues in Miltons poem, such as free will versus destiny and the nature of good and evil in a different perspective. The characters in The Golden Compass reflect certain characters and concepts in Paradise Lost. The character Lyra is a reflection Eve, Ms. Coulter is the female version of Satan, Lord Asriel resembles Adam, and the particle dust reflects the forbidden fruit. In both stories, the characters display betrayal, love, or hate in their relationships. There are also the concepts of the loss of innocence, gaining the knowledge of evil, temptation, and fate. I will analyze both books separately and then together. Paradise Lost is a fiction poem about the first fallout in heaven, the creation of mankind, using free will wisely, and original sin. In this novel we are introduced to the main characters, The Father (God), The Son, Adam, Eve, and Satan. The events take place in the Garden of Eden, also called Paradise. The Father does not live in Paradise but he watches what occurs there from heaven. Satan is the first person to be condemned by God, he is banished from heaven into hell where he proclaims an eternal war against God and begins corrupting the world. Adam was the first human created by God. Eve is Adams wife, who was literally created from one of the ribs in Adams body. One day Adam and Eve get into a dispute which cause them to separate. Adam disagrees with that idea because Satan could attack them separately but not together. Eve believes Adam is distrusting God by thinking that she cannot defeat Satan alone. When Eve wanders off she meets Satan, who was disguised as a talking serpen t. The serpent told her about the food of God which turned out to be the forbidden fruit. He easily used a few compliments and a convincing speech to trick her into indulging. Eve was tempted, compelled, and it was also lunch time. Eve decided to eat the apple and after sharing this news with Adam, he decides to eat the apple too. One of the main underlying conflicts in Paradise Lost is the concept of free will. Free will is what inevitably leads to the fall of man. Adam and Eve are left alone in the Garden of Eden with only one rule, which is not to eat from the forbidden tree of knowledge. The twist to this tree is that knowledge is the awareness of everything, including good and evil. They only knew the good of mankind before they indulged. Before they ate the apple the Son of God spoke, They trespass, authors to themselves in all. Both what they judge and what they choose, for so I formed them free and they must remain. Till they enthrall themselves. (3.122) This proves that although Eve was tempted by Satan and Adam was tempted by Eve, they both had the ability to be stand against sin but they failed. Adam and Eve were unique as the first humans because they werent destined to do anything. They created their own endings when they used their free will to commit sin. As a result of their sin, they were for ced to leave Paradise and enter the real world full of danger and atrocities. In Pullmans book, similar issues arise in the matter of free will and good versus evil. The Golden Compass is about a young girl named Lyra who takes it upon herself to save the world from evil. She is accompanied by Pantalaimon nicknamed Pan, who is her external soul in the form of an animal. These animals are called daemons and every human in this world has one. Lyras daemon, Pan, can shapeshift according to Lyras mood or attitude. When Lyra hits puberty her daemon will settle into one animal form for the rest of her life. Lyra is looked after by her Uncle, Lord Asriel, and his scholar friends at Oxford University. Lord Asriel is a researcher and he was interested in a mysterious particle that builds the attachment between humans and their daemons called dust. When Lord Asriel goes to the North on an exploration to eliminate dust we meet Ms. Colbert, who is about to become the new guardian of Lyra. Ms. Colbert is a stunning woman of high authority with a stern personality and a bit of a dark side. During this time, the world is in a state of crime as children are bein g abducted by a group called the globbers. Lyras two friends Billy and Roger get kidnapped which leads her into a wild adventure to save them. This trip turns out to be more of a learning experience for Lyra. Pullman created Lyra with the same intentions as Adam and Eve, to not be destined for anything but to control the course of her life with free will. Lyra definitely had good intentions but in the end she changes her own life and the affects the lives of those around her. In Pullmans and Miltons book the main characters are two strong females that are needed to execute both storylines. Lyra and Eve share innocence, confidence, and a life changing experience when they leave their home. Lyra is innocent because she is not aware of her own truth and the truth of the world around her. Lyra gets a rude awakening when she finds out that Lord Asriel and Ms. Coulter are actually her mother and father. Increasingly, after her own research she learns that her mother is in charge of kidnapping children and discovers her true intention for them. Lyra is confident that she can save the children which includes her best friend Roger which she does but she gets some help along the way. After Lyra saves Roger, she unknowingly ends up getting him killed when he is used for her fathers experiment to severe him from his daemon. Lyra comes to understand evil, she is disappointed in the truth about her parents and realize she has to save dust since the evil people want to get rid of it. In the same way, Eve is innocent because she literally lives in Paradise, no other reality exist to her. Before she falls, she is confidence that she would be strong enough to stand against Satan on her own. She is put to the test when she is tempted by Satan to eat the forbidden fruit and unfortunately she fails. As a result of sin, Eve becomes aware of evil in the world and her character get corrupted. First, she believes she is more superior than she was because she has new knowledge from the fruit, then she convinced Adam to eat the first knowing t hat he might die, and later on she is in a dark mental space when she suggested commiting suicide. Both characters are robbed of their innocence, get into trouble because of their confidence, and become changed after their experience with the world. Two of the most important men in each novel were blinded perfection. Lord Asriel is the reflection of Adam, with the exception that he is the evil one. Adam knowingly agreed to eat the apple with Eve knowing that it would lead to his own destruction because he loved Eve so much. After Adam realized what he had done, he admitted to himself What seemd in thee so perfect that I thought, No evil durst attempt thee. But I rue (pg. 229). At this point, Adam realized he let his love for Eve get so carried away, he could not see her flaws. Similarly, Lord Asriel is primarily focused on his experiment to remove dust and rid the world of evil. Children could grow into pure adults and remain innocent if dust is not inflicted on them. However, he ends up killing a child during a procedure to remove the dust by severing the child from his daemon. He gets so caught up in trying to save the world that he doesnt realize it is the very thing making him immoral. Although Lord Asriel has some attribute s of Satan as he is clearly evil, both characters have two different objectives. Satan is trying to corrupt the world while Lord Asriel is trying to make the world perfect. Adam and Lord Asriel are more alike because they both went wrong by believing that someone or something could be perfect. I believe Ms. Coulter is the female version of Satan. Pullman created this character to address the appearance of evil. While Satan was trying to convince Eve to eat the apple, he used very seductive language by flattering her and making her blush. Mrs. Coulter is introduced to readers as a very attractive woman with a sense of style, which is why Lyra is immediately impressed by her. Ms. Coulter is also in charge of the organization that runs the General Oblation Board (short acronym for gobblers). The purpose of the gobblers were to abduct children so they could be severed from their daemons in order to stop dust from entering their body. Ms. Coulter has a child of her own, as we later find out that she is Lyras mother. Ms. Coulter knows that this is wrong because she stops Lyra from having the procedure done. We can assume that she has no morals to oversee the victimization of these innocent children. Satan is similar because he was an angel in heaven with traits of jealousy and g reed. After being kicked out of heaven, he chooses Adam and Eve to be his victims because it is apart of his greater plan to corrupt the world and spite God. The most important concept of both books is the external force that lies beyond the characters control. Both authors delved into the realm of evil, however Milton made it a matter of choice while Pullman displayed it as a matter of nature. The particle dust is the reflection of the apple from the forbidden tree. In Paradise Lost, the apple represented sin but it also gave Adam and Eve the knowledge of good and evil. They only knew the good of the world before eating the fruit. The concept of dust in The Golden Compass represents the same thing, an awareness of evil. Dust is a mysterious particle that is being studied by Lord Asriel. He figures out that Dust is what allows childrens daemons to settle into the animal thatll represent their general character for the rest of their life. This final change occurs at the time of puberty, which is when children start to become mature and knowledgeable about the world. Lord Asriel explains dust to Lyra by saying, Somewhere out there is the origin of all the Dust, all the death, the sin, the misery, the destructiveness in the world. Human beings cant see anything without wanting to destroy it, Lyra. Thats original sin. And Im going to destroy it. Death is going to die. (page 377) The only difference between the two symbols was the shift of responsibility. It was a choice to eat the apple, whereas the dust was automatically inflicted on the coming-of-age c hild. Philip Pullman uniquely converted Paradise Lost into a new book. He was able to express each of Miltons ideologies _____ . ADD CONCLUSION.