Thursday, December 16, 2004

Yesterday we watched the The Butterfly Effect (2004),not to be confused with the 1995 Spanish film 'El efecto mariposa', the first doesn't have anything to do at all with the second! This film is more than what meets the eye, a young man who is able to travel to his past and change it, therefore changing also his present. But I see it also as a personal journey the young man takes to realise who is he and to learn to take the right decisions. Or rather, to learn than right decisions can have good and bad consequences. First, his decisions are made as to influence his life, he wants to discover what happened when he was a child and suffered several blackouts after which he could not remember what had happened. Then he tries to save his girlfriend. But he realises the outcomes can be good for some, but bad for other. Not all of them will be happy at the same time. But he keeps trying. He slowly realises his saving his girlfriend is still selfish, as he saves her because he loves her. He tries to commit suicide and end the story when everybody is happy except himself. But he changes his mind when he sees his mum is sick and dying in hospital, so not all of them are happy yet! Finally, he takes the right decision (for this film, at least). He decides to scare away the person he most loves, his girlfriend. Back in the past, so they will never become friends and lovers. Thus, through self-sacrifice, all of them will achieve happiness. He has become selfless and then the journey ends. A bit like Groundhog Day , although definitely not a comedy! An entertaining sci-fi film to watch, not at all boring with all these changes in the past and the present.


Ayer vimos The Butterfly Effect (2004), que no hay que confudir con la pelicula espaniola de 1995 'El efecto mariposa', ya que no tienen nada que ver la una con la otra. Esta 'Butterfly Effect' es mucho mas de lo que a simple vista parece. Un joven que tiene la capacidad de volver a su pasado y modificarlo, cambiando asi su vida actual. Pero yo la considere nas un viaje personal del protagonista, donde se descubre a si mismo y aprende a tomar las decisiones correctas. Al principio el proposito de sus decisiones es entender esas paginas en blanco de su vida. Al poco tiempo, los cambios son para salvar a su novia. Pero no funcionan. Cuando las cosas salen bien para unos, salen mal para otros. Su decision de salvar a su novia puede considerarse egoista. O interesada. La salva porque la quiere. Mas adelante, pierde el poco egoismo que tenia. Cuando cree que todos son felices pero el no lo es, decide suicidarse, aunque no lo intenta de nuevo al saber que su madre esta gravemente enferma en el hospital. Finalmente, toma la decision correcta (para la pelicula, al menos). Decide asustar en el pasado a su novia. Nunca seran amigos ni novios en el futuro. Asi, mediante su sacrificio, consigue que todos sean felices. El protagonista no tiene ya ni un gramo de egoismo en su persona y el viaje termina. Un poquito como Groundhog Day (El Dia de la Marmota) pero en este caso, de comedia nada de nada. Un film de ciencia-ficcion entretenido y nada aburrido, con un ritmo trepidante gracias al constante cambio de pasado y futuro.


The weather today:

Mostly Cloudy
11C
UV Index: O Low
Wind: From the West at 24 mph
Dew Point:6C
Humidity: 70%
Visibility: 10 miles
Barometer: 1,001.4 mb

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