Savages

As I am walking out the door to see this film, my friend Kathleen says "Make sure to let me know if it is edifying". Well... it's not. It is Oliver Stone. The filming here took me straight back to Platoon. It was strange how distinct Stone's style really is. The film itself centers on a couple of independent pot growers in So. Cal. and their shared girlfriend. One is the botanist/grower, one is the businessman/muscle, and the other is the girlfriend. With political turmoil in the drug trade in Mexico, one of the Mexican bosses decides to come in and "partner" with our protagonists. They decide they will just sell out and get out of the business but that is not an option. So girlfriend gets kidnapped and the two boys begin to do whatever it takes to get her back. I was not particularly entertained by the brutal violence and even the twists in the storyline were a bit bland. It was however, interesting to watch how easily people change their core beliefs when under stress. I am not sure that this is true in real life, but we see it in films all the time (and very explicitly here). I like to think that, while I don't have much figured out in life, I am in process of figuring some things out. And every day I get to practice little things that reinforce who I am and what I believe. My thinking is that by practicing the little things, if a big thing ever comes up, the core ethic that I profess to live by will be more natural and not seem out of character. I won't just resort to the easy answer, or the violent solution. If films are a reflection of reality, and this film in particular, then my line of thinking is ridiculous. Fortunately, I have practiced ignoring (or at least putting in its proper place) popular media for many years, so I don't have to believe that I too am ridiculous.
2 stars (out of 5)