Local Color as Adrenalin High

Rating: 9/10 (4 October 2018)

I have enjoyed watching this reboot of a classic film. I like both films, but I tend to be much more of a "both/and" kind of film aficionado than an "either/or" type. The actors all knew their lines, spoke with the sort of authority of those who have become their respective characters wholly, passionately and very convincingly. It is a brave film. The world has always been a very violent place. "In a world where anything goes, judgement is everything." One of my favorite high school counselors imparted that wisdom to me in 1983 when the school we both served in was stunned by a movie about the nuclear destruction of the world. Many teachers presented and discussed it; and counselors and additional professional people were on hand to provide solace, clarity, comfort, and advocacy. The film dramatizes what is humanly possible in terms of mind/body and soul. Socrates insisted and I still insist that "The unexamined life is not worth living." Ideas don't hurt people; fear of using our God given critical thinking gifts is what produces a Charles Manson, an Adolf Hitler, or a Boston Marathon fanatic.
I love experiencing something via a book or a film, a lecture, anecdote, or reminiscence that vicariously imparts to me important truths; whether to accept or reject them is not up to a producer, director, or the performers. However, just as I would not attempt to explain the workings of a reciprocating engine to my new grand daughter, not every work of art is ready to be viewed, understood, and appreciated for what it is and what it is not.
This film or clips from it would have provided a novel, sensory, discussion-worthy prompt for a film class, a creative writing group, or any audience that appreciates expanding their experiences in life.
Were I still teaching Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition to high school seniors, I would couple this movie with the original 1991 "Point Break" along with "Donnie Brasco" for students to fully explore in a scholarly essay investigating synonymous, antithetical and synthetic parallels.