The Lost Valentine by Darnell Martin - Movie Review Example

Reviews and Opinions Name Institution Course Lecturer Date Documentary film: Short Report The Lost Valentine is 2011 film with a running time of 100 minutes. I viewed the movie back in April 2012. The film is a recap of Second World War event and how it leads to the loss of soldiers who fought against Japanese. A determined TV reporter, Jenifer Hewitt profiles a World War Two widow, Betty White that had continued to honor the love and memory of her husband who was a Navy pilot during the war. This is in spite of the husband being declared missing in action for over 65 years. One issue lead to another until the widow’s love brings the Navy to locate and retrieve the burial place for Lt. Thomas and bring him back after 66 years. It combines drama, romance, history and memory of war in a fixative manner. Lots of people want to live imagining and dreaming about events that changed their live in one way or the other and I am one of them. The Second World War was a significant event that is known by most people. This film is all about how the war started, the lost soldiers (Missing in Action) and the celebration of their boldness to confront the enemies. I chose the film as I have deep interest with how soldiers fought for freedom and the alleged supremacy of dictatorship in 1940s. The movie corresponds to the common sense we all have; our country is right. The movie tried its best to be real. First, it presented different ages that showed that Caroline and the Philippine Soldier, witnesses of Second World War were old; the son who was born during the war was also in his aging and the grandson. The topic was very much interesting as it forged together two extreme issues at each stage. First, it developed love and war where both are brought at the climax, since when Lt. Thomas fell in love with Caroline, the war came and he loved to defend his country so he had to leave. Second there is the birth of a child and the missing of a dad, when Thomas child is born, he is reported missing in action. The movie is pretty good but the subject was sad. The movie was clear from the beginning and one would almost flow with it to the end. However, there is one part that one cannot connect; when Susan Allison’s former boyfriend goes to Philippines; the place where Lt Thomas is alleged to have been left after they were attacked by Japanese, it was hard to connect the relationship between the boyfriend knowledge, working or his connection with Philippines and the way he came to know the residents who fought against Japanese together with Thomas. The movie had enough information and scenes were well edited. The film balanced the episodes giving prominence to scenes where Caroline was held by her husband love for sixty six years. The other episodes which are important like Alison’s falling in love with Lucas Thomas the grandson to Lt. Thomas and her collision with the employer due to her persistence with one story that took too long are well incorporated. The movie running time is 100 minutes and the length is okay having in mind that most of US movies runs between 90 to 100 minutes. Having in mind that it had to relate the past and the present, the running time is superbly okay. The movie is introduced in reference to hallmark of fame. It is disgusting as the movie starts like a TV movie. If the part was left out it would have improved the movie to a greater extent and make it more appealing. As much as the movie demonstrated the role of journalist, Alison and her mandate by her employer to cover a valentine event, the introduction added nothing to the fact since at the end; Alison is appreciated for her persistence and coverage of a moving love story. The introduction explained the movie to a greater extent reducing the enjoyable suspense that is common with most movies. It made it easy to understand and one would have lost interest quickly as suspense reduced. I would actually say that the introductory part was even confusing as it made the film to appear like a short story as those covered in the TV. It was hard to know whether this would be a normal movie with a long plot.   2. Illegal Smoking A number of statistics have confirmed that the deaths that result from smoking cigarettes and especially in most developed countries exceed those from alcohol, suicide, AIDS, car accidents, illegal drugs and homicide combined (Samuel, 2012). In addition, smoking is bad for environment and does not only cause health problems to smokers themselves but also to families and public in general. Smoking interferes with nearly all parts of the body including colon, heart, lungs and other body parts. Although banning smoking would take away the rights of a person, smoking has a more danger and more to the adolescent who see it as fun and as a leisure activity. Smoking is ascertained harmful in excessive amounts and many smokers die each year from lung cancer or heart disease. I honestly think that banning smoking is the right option to avoid the risk of adolescent developing lifelong smoking behaviors. The tendency of adolescent to smoke is necessitated by peer pressure and the influence by media that glamorize it. The group may succumb to lifelong smoking due to lack even without personal choice. After exposure to cigarette, the behavior develops increasing the risk of lifelong smoking that affects their health. The danger of smoking as opposed to most legal drugs like alcohol comes from its addictive nature. Addiction is closely related to excessive smoking and makes quitting attempts almost impossible. A number of smokers may find it hard to quit even when required to do so by physicians. However, if cigarettes are banned, unavailability of cigarette would necessitate quitting. That would also solve family the problem of smoking related to parental smoking or family environment that predisposes young people to smoking. As Cormac, et al (2010) points out; smoking is costly to both the environment and the health system in general. In the time of climate change, most carbon dioxide producing activities are being hampered to reduce the carbon greenhouse gases and its effects. Smoking highly emits carbon dioxide and exposes most premises and natural environment to dangers like wild fires. In addition, young children exposed to smoking environment are diagnosed of cigarette smoke related symptoms and son are smokers and non-smokers in general. In conclusion, smoking should be made illegal to reduce the adolescent exposure and influences, addiction, environmental and health problems that are immediate outcomes. 3. Personal narrative: I remember I do not happen to remember all this, but I often recall some occasions in my childhood with much ecstasy. Those experiences were important as they made me who I am. First, I remember much conflict I had within me, I used to fake sleep. I loved to sleep before anyone went to bed so that I would be taken by my mum to sleep. I hated to walk in my room alone and pull that blanket covering by myself; I loved when someone did it for me. That way, I felt that I gave them their right of showing love to me. Silently, I would feel how my mother was gentle and how she expressed much care. I remember how I notoriously raised argument with my parents, I tried to show them that I would not do anything the demanded but I did everything. I always wanted being an extremist; I disapproved the places mum preferred for tour and holidays. That way, we kept discussing issue up to late nights. In school, I met great friends, we talked about splinting, wild car racing, biggest ships, beautiful countries and I was immersed in liking them all. I was motivated to learn, I found pleasure in knowing and reaching to mysteries. Though many of these dreams and expectations have dissipated, I figure out that, one day, one time, the memories will be real, I will be there when things will be okay, when dreams will become tangible, when I will smile on that childhood mirror and echo back to my memories “it is possible”. I can feel that glow again being rekindled with enthusiasm, I feel like the future I dreamt of has come, but just for a flicker of moment and that fantasy will be real. All together I know I have a long and a tough road ahead. I am well set for this challenge to fulfill those dreams. As a tree grasp its meaning of existence by keeping growing, I can live up be ideal through perfecting my abilities. The winds, the heat of the day and heavy shower, leave it determined and so do I. 4. A life not a lifestyle Celebrity, the world most admired lifestyle, yet it does not make much sense to me. I need a life not a lifestyle. Why would I be admired because I wore new apparel that was invented by another hardworking person in a remote part of the world? I think being part of the invention or at least advancing development would make more sense to me. It would be a lasting legacy, true from my heart. As I forge on in this life, I acknowledge that it would be tragic by not being part of larger team behind success. I regard work, and at the same time, I want to receive intellectual stimulations at work. I compare myself with natural plants, as they need nourishing from sunlight, so do I. I do not want to stop growing or lose out in social competition. Gradual progress is my choice than just a revolutionary one. I seek enjoyments from work that will flavour life. That way, working will give me an opportunity to learn new skills and avoid gradual slip into negative attitude in life. If I just become a celebrity in a day, what will I do with my life for the rest of the years? I do not want a condition where I slip to psychological and mental sluggishness. Hard work and endurance will help me to avoid quitting; it will offer spiritual enjoyment, happiness and satisfaction. As I contribute to wherever I will be working, I will feel that I have a share of that place and have a feeling that I belong to the larger organic unit and that I am a part of a team. References Cormac, I., et al. (2010). Impact of a total smoking ban in a high secure hospital. The Psychiatrist, 34(10), 413-417. Martin, D. (Director). (2011). The Lost Valentine: The Movie [Documentary]. United States: Columbia. Samuel, J. (2012). Teens: Smoking, Alcohol & Drugs. Read More