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The Secret Life of Movie Characters #monday #meme #womeninfilm #amnesty
Monday, March 12, 2012 at 10:00AM 
Last Monday was a big ol' fraud, as Dale at Smurfin the Web had us all trekking through fake, phony and fraudulent territory. If you think living your life is hard to keep up with this week though, imagine having to manage two lives! That’s what this week’s Monday Movie Meme is all about -- one person being different people in different places. Not necessarily like Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in “Face Off” nor like some kind of Bipolar disorder, but, more-so like Robin Williams in “Mrs. Doubtfire” -- maybe. So, this week's topic is: Double Trouble.
Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring people who lead secret lives. Also, make sure to visit the blogs of fellow Monday Movie Meme participants. Here is my selection for this week’s Double Trouble theme.
Marzieh, played by Marzieh Vafamehr in “My Tehran for Sale,” is an actress banned from performing in theater, so she rehearses secret performances with an underground acting troupe. As the story progresses in this film, Marzieh seeks to find creative freedom by moving to Australia with her boyfriend, Saman. Political, financial and personal challenges, however, cause this woman to wonder why the cost of spiritual or professional fulfillment is so high, as she fights in a quest to pursue her artistic goals.
I chose this one movie for my list because although the film is set in Iran, it was made by an Australian based filmmaker named Granaz Moussavi, who was, however born in Tehran. She and actress Marzieh Vafamehr have more in common than being from Iran -- both of them are women directors who made short films before embarking on a feature length film -- one that brought them a lot of trouble back home. “My Tehran for Sale” was banned from being shown in Iran but locals still managed to watch it, by way of illegal distribution. I guess you could call that justified movie piracy for a cause if you want to look at it that way.
In October 2011, Marzieh Vafamehr was sentenced to one year in prison and 90 lashes for appearing in “My Tehran for Sale” with a shaved head and without a hijab. These charges from Iranian officials are due to Vafamehr being in an Australian film that is critical of the Islamic regime, with her head uncovered. Vafamehr’s sentence has since been reduced to three months and the lashes were overturned by an appeals court.
However controversial some people may view “My Tehran for Sale” to be, the film has still managed to gain support at film festivals and from arts and non-profit organizations including the South Australian Film Corporation and Amnesty International. I watched this movie at a one-time screening in Philadelphia and while wasn’t too keen on the atmosphere where it was presented, for a few different reasons, I am glad that I convinced myself to go check it out on one cold and rainy evening.
For those who still prefer a list of films for this week’s Monday Movie Meme, however, here is an honorable mention for the Double Trouble theme:
Disclaimer: I still have yet to watch this movie, but it is sitting in my rental queue, so it should be coming around the mountain one of these days.
The Driver, played by Ryan Gosling in “Drive,” works as a mechanic and movie stuntman while also moonlighting as a getaway driver for people pulling heists. This man is a jack-of-all-trades but interestingly enough, all of his jobs kinda compliment each other. I mean, he can using the skills from his day job to transport criminals and if a car breaks down, he can fix it no matter if this is on the set of a film studio or on the street following a robbery. The Driver seems to be able to compartmentalize his separate lives very well, until he gets tangled up with a married woman who lives in his apartment building.
Which double-life-managing movie characters come to YOUR mind?
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Reader Comments (8)
http://smurfdok.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/monday-movie-meme-120312/" rel="nofollow">Good topic again Nicole - My Choices HERE
Belle de Jour with Catherine Deneuve was the first one that came to mind. It's the story of a high class woman who works as a prostitute by night for the thrill of it. It's been ages since I've seen it, but I recall liking it.
Lee
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Dale,
I'm glad you like this week's topic. Your list is fitting.
Arlee,
The only hooker movie that I am familiar with is "Pretty Woman" starring Julia Roberts, so I never heard of "Belle de Jour" but will be sure to look it up on Netflix or Blockbuster.
Thanks guys for participating in this week's meme!
I started writing a comment yesterday, but found it difficult to come up with an acceptable list. Here's what pops into mind after giving this a bit of thought:
Adaptation: Nicholas Cage plays two brothers, one mistaken for the other
Mr. Brooks: Kevin Costner plays a killer and a CEO
Fast & The Furious: Cop pretending to be a street racer
Traitor: Don Cheadle pretending to be an arms supplier / bomber
Moon: Sam Rockwell pretending to be Sam Rockwell pretending to be Sam Rockwell
Gattaca: Ethan Hawke pretending to be genetically superior
Challenging topic! I had fun with this one.
And as for Driver, that was a fantastic movie. Loved the car chase scene that *wasn't* a car chase scene. Very well done. Am looking forward to another viewing of this one!
Nicole, that sounds like a fadxcinating movie. Off the top of my head I'm thinking Neo from Matrix, Dr. Jekyll and the dude from "Awake." That's my new favorite show.
What an intriguing movie! Did she return for the punishment or is she still in Australia? The fact that the sentence was changed, I think, shows that there is change stirring in Iran, too. Perhaps I'm wrong on that, though.
I figure just about anything involving a serial killer or dirty cop shows someone leading a double life. There's a movie with Rebecca R used-to-be Stamos-now-O'Connell(?) where she is in dual roles in a way. I wish I could remember the name of it.
Shannon at The Warrior Muse, co-host of the http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" rel="nofollow">2012 #atozchallenge! Twitter: @AprilA2Z
One of my favourite films with a double identity is the 1987 film The Secret of My Success starring Michel J Fox, where he works simultaneously in the postroom and as an executive on the top floor.
Herman,
Thanks for returning to add your movie choices. I'm familiar with all of the films on your list but NEVER watched any one of them, except Fast & Furious...at least the first one. I have some of the sequels on my rental queue and after reading your comment, placed Traitor and Adaptation in the rental queue!
Can you believe a woman sued the producers of "Drive" and the movie theater where she went to see this movie, because the claimed there wasn't enough car chases in the film?!
I'm glad you had fun with this 'Double Trouble' Monday Movie Meme!
Maurice Mitchell,
It's good to see you back here! "Matrix" is a good choice....I've never seen any of the Dr. Jekyll movies though and when I went to look it up on Blockbuster, there were several versions of the movie and I didn't know which one to get. Sheesh! LOL Maybe you could recommend one :)
Shannon,
I don't think actress Marzieh Vafamehr was in Australia, except for when she was shooting the movie, since she is an Iranian actress and all, but I could be wrong. The filmmaker who made the movie, Granaz Moussavi, is in Australia, I think. Moussavi has that dual Australian-Iranian citizenship or roots or whatever, but Vafamehr doesn't.
You know what, you are so right about those movie plots with dirty cops and serial killers! Although I have no idea what the Rebecca Romijn movie you are talking about is, I sure want to check it out...maybe because I haven't watched much of anything with her in it, lol, so if you remember the name of it, let me know.
Kate,
Michael J. Fox is such a good actor, but I have to admit I never heard of "The Secret of My Success." The double life description of this movie sounds interesting though, so I'm going to have to check that one out. Thanks for visiting and participating in this week's Monday Movie Meme!