Sunday, March 13, 2016

They put the "e" back in humane

There have been a small handful of shows and movies in my time which I've watched that have left a profound mark in my heart. I'm going to dedicate this blog post to 2 stand out TV series and a movie which really put into perspective our humanity, mortality and which make you ponder what a tiny speck we all are in this huge universe that is our existence.

The Leftovers (HBO)

The Leftovers - Season 2 

I had a friend back home recommend The Leftovers to me in the lull of waiting for a few of our other favourites to re-appear after their season and mid-season breaks, I thought I'd give it a whirl. The first episode sets the precedent for the rest of the series and really plants that eternal question which remains the mystery of all 2 (and soon 3) seasons - how did the 140 million people "depart" our planet earth (or as those effected in the show call it - Sudden Departure). Justin Theroux leads the cast as Kevin Garvey, a small town sheriff who is directly effected by the occurrence and its after shocks, yet is one of the lucky ones whose family is left untouched. Sadly his wife (Amy Brenneman) Louise, walks out on him to join the even more mysterious cult: The Guilty Remnant, which forms shortly after the departure who hold a hefty part of the main story line as the cult members ensure they place themselves in the way of the every day town folk to never let them "forget" where their loved ones disappeared to and what happened on the day the departed left the planet. Kevin's emo daughter Jill is left in his care while his son Tommy drops out of college and takes refuge with a departed guru called Holy Wayne. Liv Tyler is introduced as Meagan, a married woman who decides to leave her husband and join The Guilt Remnant but for much of the first season struggles to understand the cult's purpose. It's later in season 2 where you will see Liv's character come to fruition as one of the main villains.

I could write on and on about just the first season of this show as the plot and sub plots are so intricate OR I could just recommend you watch it for yourself as I truly believe it is one of those thought provoking shows that needs to be seen with ones own eyes to draw ones own conclusions. It may not be for everyone as some of the themes can be quite confronting (such as the scene where Nora re-lives the day her husband and children departed) and I enjoyed the sub stories where you learn more about each character prior to the Sudden Departure too. It gives a well rounded history into the character development to understand where their heads are at, in the present. When season 1 finishes, it paves a whole new direction and chapter for the remaining characters (trying not to post spoilers!) along with a host of new characters in season 2. With the commencement of the second season, the setting changes to a little town called Jarden in texas, otherwise known as 'Miracle' where none of the population were taken on the day of the Sudden Departure. Meagan (Liv Tyler) develops into a very sinister character and immerses herself into the cult, which is in fact a takeover from the previous cult "leader" Patti of whose demise you witness in season 1.

This show for me personally made me question everything I know as mortality. How long do we actually have left on our beautiful planet? How do we know that something so similar could effect any one of us (ok...maybe by not being sucked off the face of the planet by an unknown force) but natural disasters come to mind. Will this actually happen? It also forces the viewer to think of moments such as...what would be the last thing you'd want to say to your husband or kiddies or ones you love, if a day such as the Sudden Departure ever occurred? The Leftovers taps into a forbidden emotional and spiritual place, questioning faith and beliefs. It's perplexing, but also leaves us thinking about our very existence and beyond, long after we've watched the show. I'm very much looking forward to Season 3. It will air on HBO later in the year.


Six Feet Under (HBO)


I regard this drama series as one of my all time favourites. I didn't begin watching it until around 2005 when it was in it's last season but it soon became a staple which I would happily re-visit again. Based around the Fishers, a family who own and operate an independant funeral home, each episode begins with a death, and each death is unique in it's own way, which sets the tone and theme for that particular episode and it's characters. 

As dysfunctional as a family the Fishers were, myself as a viewer could somehow relate to what drama was happening to the characters in their storylines, whether it be feuding with siblings or being deceived by parents or lovers, the loss of family or offspring, this series happened to touch so many in different ways whilst tying in those under tones of the afterlife and life's meaning and purpose. The stand out performance for me was from Rachel Griffiths playing the role of Brenda Chenowith. She plays Nate's love interest in the show and all 5 seasons span the web of love, life and death with the Fishers, Chenowith's and Sibleys. It's been a while since viewing it so I am certainly going to give it another go before the end of the year is through. After 3 Golden Globe awards, I can surely see why this is one of the best drama series of the last 20 years. 

The Road (Dimension films)


Based on the 2006 novel of the same title by Cormac McCarthy, Australian director Alan Hillcoat adapted the book in 2009 to translate into what I regard as one of the most thrilling apocalyptic movies of our time. For those who know me, I am really not into "end of the world" scenarios as the very thought really scares me, maybe because I feel threatened when faced with the very realisation that our very extinction is unknown. After reading a bit about the release of this film, I was disappointed it didn't receive the coverage or notoriety which was deserved of it. With a 25 million dollar budget, it sadly only took in 1.5 million in it's opening weekend. Perhaps the story of the world ending so darkly didn't sit well with viewers at the time. I certainly know it took a lot of courage for me to watch this film.
The Road (2009)
The main story is about a father and his son, survivors of the apocalypse in America, who begin their journey on the long road to the coast to try and find food water and refuge with safe groups of people. All wild life, animals and plant matter has been completley destroyed (of which you actually never find out how or why which adds more mystery to the current state) and this paves the story for the physical and emotional hardships this father and son face on their journey. The screen play, backdrops, grittiness and intensity of their situation really plays a huge part in placing you there in that moment with them. The under tones of what humanity is actually doing or in the film's case, had done to the earth us a stark reminder of where we are headed if we don't take life on this planet seriously enough to protect and nourish it. The plot moves through father and son discovering other humans, kept as food for cannibals in a houses basement and they move to rescue them. In the scenes where you see the cannibals, it really shows man's desperation to remain alive, where all sense of normality is lost and where mankind returns to its grass roots as one of the animals hunting the hunted. The sheer desperation of the father wanting his son to survive is enough to make any parents hairs on the back of their neck stand on end through out the film.

I came across this article on why every school should have a read of this book. One of the interesting points made is McCarthy's writing style where the characters are simply named and at any one given time you aren't sure who is actually narrating. I can see why this article suggests this, as being a novel written in the millennium about a real threat to our very existence would make for an interesting and in-depth analysis into the human psyche in times of sheer survival and desperation, a topic that surely does need to be addressed with future generations about our planet's longevity. For most, this film will stay with you for days and weeks after you watch it. I still think about it now and even though it makes me sad, it gives me hope to teach our children the true value in life, the environment and their self worth.












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