Review of NIM'S ISLAND

NIM'S ISLAND - STORY: An 11-year-old girl finds herself alone on her island home when her father fails to return from a boat trip. By email, she asks the hero-author guy of her favorite "Indiana Jones-like" adventure novels to come help her, but the writer is a germaphobic woman who has to overcome her fear to leave her house.
NIM'S ISLAND - MESSAGE: The winning attitude is that of being positive, helpful, pure of heart and courageous. Necessity, challenge and duty bring out the best in us. Our friends are invaluable and can be of great help (even if they are animals). Promises are to be kept. Faith in another person wins the day. Meal worms are a good source of protein. Children are far more able to survive on their own than parents generally give them credit for, and life without TV can bring about a child of many skills. Homeland is worth defending. There is always a solution to a problem.
NIM'S ISLAND - WIN: The cheerfulness of the child was consistent with the challenges of life on a primitive island raised by a loving father. The child was very able to cook, protect herself, fix a wound, defend her homeland and acquire adult help in a time of trouble. She also was athletic and able to reason well. The father was cheerful as well in the pursuit of a scientific discovery. It was a nice touch that the animals were also able to exhibit friendship and even gave help. It was a nice visual device that the courageous aspect of the writer appeared and spoke to her, and she expressed fears and cautions (similar to how the less savory parts of the mind work.) No turning to drugs, medicine or alcohol.
NIM'S ISLAND - LOSE: The movie concentrated so much on the fact that the writer wrote a courageous adventurer character when she, herself, was afraid to even go out and get the mail -- and it called her dependence on that character a crutch -- that it lost sight of the role of a writer (or any artist) as one who inspires, educates, entertains, and ultimately leads a culture to a better place. The child in the movie was thrilled by this adventurer to the point of not being able to put the book down, and she exhibited the best of that fictional character's traits. For the writer to give up her "crutch" and cease writing would be a loss, if only to the girl, who avidly awaited each new novel. The writer would have been able to overcome her fears (and she did to go through what she had to in order to reach the island) without destroying her created character. In fact, her character would be enriched by her real experience. Also missing was the spiritual aspect of the child's connection to her father (although the animals did seem to have that unspoken connection.)
NIM'S ISLAND - EFFECT ON ME: It brought out my inner courage. It made me curious about how intelligent animals could be in real life. It restored my faith in the affinity of one person of Mankind caring enough for a child they had never met, but had requested their help.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com

Review of The Bank Job

THE BANK JOB - STORY: : To subdue mean loan sharks who want to be paid back, a small-time criminal takes on a job out of his league -- robbing a bank.
THE BANK JOB - MESSAGE: Borrowing money doesn't solve problems --it creates them (especially borrowing from those who could harm you.) In fact, any illegal act sets you up for possible future attack. What wins the day is jumping on opportunities, being observant, judging people by their actions and associations not their words, using far-looking strategy, gaining the help of honest people, using an opponent's weaknesses against him, hiring people one trusts, listening to one's gut feelings, valuing family, bringing out honesty in others and valuing setting things to right.
THE BANK JOB - WIN: There is a certain stupidity that goes along with being a criminal, and this film showed that in most of the criminals (no matter the side of the law they were on). A good man can be counted on to reward good actions of others and penalize the bad guys. Good use of logic, ability to observe (without assumptions or reasonableness) and courage (despite some risk) to act by the hero. The film correctly classified porn, promiscuity, corruption, extortion, violence and crime with criminals. It promoted loyalty to your spouse and family, along with doing things that help the family (such as spending time together on a vacation).
THE BANK JOB - LOSE: The hero was painted a little more able than a real criminal would be, since criminals wish to stop themselves from committing bad actions. This was based on a true story, but the negative results and facts of what happened later were omitted, leaving one with the possible opinion that if a criminal is clever enough, he can live happily ever after.
THE BANK JOB - EFFECT ON ME: I gained a new understanding of how weak and vulnerable are people who stray from what is right. As a writer, I was inspired to try my hand at writing such a fun, interwoven, turn-filled script. It made me feel that setting out to put things to rights is the way to live, as the world will rearrange itself to accomodate that push.
Sincerely,
Becky Mate
Script Consultant
www.virtueinthearts.com