Mom Always Liked You Best 2

 VS

Warning: Chances of Spoilers are Likely, Read at Your Own Risk

On the surface, both of these films are about addiction.  Both main characters Mark Renton (Trainspotting) and Harry Goldfarb (Requiem) are heroin addicts.  If you dig deeper into both movies, they are both about trying to improve your lot in life.  How does that work for the people involved?  Some better than others.  Let's explore...

Similarities:

Both movies were made for under $5 million dollars.  Tiny budgets, even for a drama.  They both were made independently.  In a nutshell, they didn't have huge corporate movie companies paying for everything.  Which is both good and bad.  Bad, for the obvious, very little money to make your vision.  It is good however for the director.  Most of the time, they don't have "big brother" watching over them and telling them, what they can and can't do.

Speaking of directors, both movies had guys making their second official films for the big screen.  Danny Boyle for Trainspotting, has gone onto make 28 Days Later... and Slumdog Millionaire.  Darren Aronofsky for Requiem, has gone onto make The Fountain and The Wrestler.  The first time the general public stood up and took notice of their talents.

These movies were critically acclaimed.  Ellen Burstyn was nominated (lost to Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich) for an Oscar as Sara Goldfarb, Harry's mother.  The screenplay for Trainspotting was nominated (lost to Sling Blade)for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.  Both of these movies were novels before making it to the big screen.

There are other similarities, but again, I try not to give too much away for those people that live in a box and haven't seen these movies quite yet.

Differences:

Hard to overlook this fact.  Trainspotting was a box office hit and Requiem, wasn't.  Danny Boyle's first hit made roughly 5 times it's budget (budget=3.5 million, gross=16.5 million).  Pretty good return on your investment.  Darren Aronofsky had to wait for DVD sales for his movie to become a cult hit.

The casts of these films are both very talented, but the Trainspotting cast had breakout stars.  From Ewan McGregor right away to a little later with Kevin McKidd and pretty much everyone in between had huge career boosts.  For Requiem, the aforementioned Burstyn was already an Oscar winner.  Jared Leto is too busy trying to be a rock star.  This was Jennifer Connelly's first major adult role, IMO.  She's not just "eye candy," she proves she can really act and has done some good movies since.  Now for the scene stealer supreme, Marlon Wayans.  No, really...I'm serious  He's very good in this film and I've always wished he'd do more drama.  He's currently making the Richard Pryor biopic, which could be a star making performance.  Although, portrayals of real people, especially famous ones, are very difficult.  I'm hoping he pulls it off.

How does it all end?  Both films are fantastic, but one is more realistic than the other.  I believe Requiem to be the more realistic film.  People fall victim to their own personal demons everyday and nowhere does it say life has to have a happy ending.  Now, while it's true that not everyone in Trainspotting has a good time in the end.  Our main man Renton, makes it out alive and is much better off than his beginning.  Sure this could happen, but I think the odds are against it.

It's no surprise to me that both films are in the top 200 most popular/best movies on IMDB.  If you haven't seen these movies, please do yourself a favor and watch them.  Maybe not on the same day, both can be pretty graphic at times.  Still watch them and form your own opinion.  It will be worth it.

Mom Always Liked You Best - Volume 1

This will compare and contrast: Movies, roles, actors, bands, songs, books...etc.  I'm not trying to determine which one is better than the other, but open avenues of discussion.  It's personal opinion which you prefer or like better.  Anyways...on with the show!

                                                                                                            

        Russell Crowe as Hando in Romper Stomper

VS.

   Edward Norton as Derek Vinyard in American History X

Two pretty nasty looking dudes.  I'd say at the least.  Both very scary in many ways...not just looks and actions...perhaps even worse than that is, their thoughts and ideals.  On the surface, Romper Stomper and American History X are about the same things...skinheads.  Two skinheads, in particular...

Hando, as played by Russell Crowe and played very well by him.  This is the first movie that made me aware of Crowe.  He scared the crap out of me in this role.  He is definitely the leader of the skinheads in Australia.  He's the strong one of the group, the alpha male.  His crew sticks together, but is falling apart at the same time.  Hando is self-reliant and has been for a long time.  He's not the smartest guy, but compared to the others, he's a genius.  What he doesn't know he learns.  He's dedicated to being the best neo-Nazi he can be.

Derek Vinyard, as played by Edward Norton, equally as well.  In fact, he was nominated for an Oscar for the second time before he was 30 for this role.  Vinyard is not like Hando, he's educated, from the suburbs and has had all the advantages.  As in life, it can take just one moment to flip everything.  When Derek's dad dies, especially, in the way he's killed...Derek's path is changed.  He goes from an athletic honors student to a confused young adult, in search of a father figure.  He just finds the wrong one.

Let's see, how can I do this without giving too much of either movie away?  Just in case you live in a cave and haven't seen them.  Hando is a psychopath that has no long term plan.  It's destroy everything and everyone in sight...right now.  Derek is very cold and calculated with a long term plan to expand the power of his crew, the D.O.C.  Derek's journey takes place over the course of years.  Hando's may take a week, but it's full throttle the entire time.  I have to give Hando the advantage in tattoos, simply for his left arm alone.  That is an intimidating piece of ink.  Derek has the swastika tattooed on his left pectoral (his heart).  Which may have more meaning as a neo-Nazi, but the black ink bones spells bad ass.

 They are both quite menacing physical presences.  You wouldn't want to fight either one on one.  You may think Hando is the better fighter, because he doesn't use a gun, but he would if he had the chance.  Vinyard is a product of his environment.  You don't show up to a gun fight with a knife and he knows that.  Although, he does seal his reputation by what he does after he's out of bullets.  Karma catches up to both of them respectively in different ways.  Again, being vague as to not give away too much.

Check out both of these movies and form your own opinions.  If for nothing else, they will open your eyes.  There are still groups like the ones portrayed in the movies.  Not just in the USA, but worldwide.  Hate, is one of the strongest emotions out there, but a lot of times, these kids don't know what, why or who they hate.  The pure evil is at the top, the people that give the followers their beliefs.  Hate breeds hate and it's sad.  The way I look at life is simple.  An ass is an ass.  If you're a great person, you are.  It has nothing to do with color, religion or where you came from, for me.  Ok, I'm off my soapbox.