Brazil

With the combined talents of famed director Terry Gilliam and several Monty Python Alumni, Brazil (1985) was destined to become one of the greatest science fiction comedies of all time. From first glance, this movie may be seen as a campy cult film who’s only purpose was the expression of cheep laughter, but the real meaning is much deeper. Terry Gilliam, when creating this film, explained that his intent was to create a society run by consumerism; which by his opinion is the direction America is headed. His other intent was to basically create this dark satirical hit on what the describes as censor worthy. What this means is that the media is concerned more about nudity and sex than violence in the film. For that very reason, some of the scenes in this movie are pretty graphic but not so much that it is uncomfortable to watch. The biggest problem, when creating this film, was the head to head battle with Terry Gilliam and the head of his studio. The studio manager explained, after viewing the film, that they would have to oversell it in order for it to make money. This was not ideal since that usually means he thought it of bad taste. In the thought that the studio may loose money when releasing the movie, Brazil (1985) sat on a shelf for more than a year. In response to this act of betrayal, Terry Gilliam proceeded to write a 1000 dollar ad that basically outed the fact that his film was being withheld from the public. Once the news got a hold of this, the studio manager began to worry because just days later Terry Gilliam was seen explains the man responsible for holding his movie and even brought a photo of him. Shocked by this act of embarrassment the studio manager began to work his way through the line of films so that real song Brazil (1985) would be possible. As he was doing this the National Film Critics Association awarded the film with the Film Of the Year award. With all the backlash built up on him, it was impossible to withhold the movie from the public, more importantly after it had received such a reward. Unfortunately the studio producer was correct because the movie barely made anything at the box office once it was released. This movie, while being rated R, is one of the more tame sci-fi movies out there. Yes, it does have some violence and language but most is off screen during the film. One of the more concerning factors is the story line. A child or even adult at a younger age will have a difficult time understanding the plot of this film. While the contents of this film might get a 17+, it definitely deserves an 18+ because you might need to be that old to understand it. Nonetheless, this is one of the most comedically original, beautifully staged and one of the best cult classics of all time. The sets and cinematography along with the costumes gives off a Retro-futuristic vibe, that pairs perfectly with the movies intense and vibrant story line. Overall I would recommend you watch this movie for either the look and sound of it, or for the comedy since the actors and director are Monty Python Alumni. Final Rating: 9.5/10

This is one of my favourite movies, and tells a story that should be heard in today's surveillance-state always-on-alert society. However, it's definitely not for the young. I would say a *mature* 16 year old would be the youngest to see it. The violence isn't extreme (and is mostly off-screen), the language is fine, the sexuality is minor, but the overall themes and settings are dark and disturbing, as befits a black comedy. If your teen watches this, watch it with him or her, and expect questions.