Between Compassion and Unfairness

Rating: 9/10 (18 July 2012)

The movie biblically illustrates the golf between compassion and unfairness that is in our world. Between the compassionate idealist 'Adrian Helmsley' (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and the practical, very unfair 'Carl Anheuser' (Oliver Platt). There are many scenes that depict one too many narrow escapes. You need to overlook the drive through the building. Focus on the concept, and battle of wills. In the story, Anheuser has taken charge, and it is set up in such a way that we are to not like him. When you began to know that the life as we know it was going to cease to exist. Helmsley asks Anheuser what he is going to do with his other ticket, that is, his ticket to survive. He replies 'Nothing', that it was not practical for his mother to get on board, and that his relationship with his girlfriend was strained, so too bad for her! Later you find out that he is involved in some sinister plots to get art work into areas that will be saved. How did they finance the building of the saving devices? Anheuser again. "Sir I have a large family, 1bill dollars is a lot of money?". "I'm sorry, it's 1bill euros". Anheuser orchestrated the sale of tickets! Of course all completely unfair way to make sure people survived, and the program was funded. But if you pay attention to the movie, without Anheuser, there would be no way the whole thing would work. Anheuser says "What life isn't fair? You can go give your tickets to some of the workers, if you want!" Of course the thought at that moment was ridiculous. In the end he makes sense. The guy is so wrong, unfair, but at the same time, one of the only ways the whole thing might actually work within the bounds of the 'suspension of disbelief'. Meanwhile Helmsley throughout the movie is trying to save as many as he can. He complains at the size of his cabin, yet it only appears to be about 12x10. Saying: "You can fit 10 people in here?" Helmsley has read and aspires to the novel written by the main character 'Jackson Curtis' (John Cusack) which is supposedly overly idealistic novel. At the same time in our real world, it is unfortunately the mean guys like Anheuser who get things done, and get ahead, and become heads of large corporations and/or countries, not the good people like Helmsley.