Recently I watched two movies that I was quite impressed with.

October Sky

A boy from a small town becomes inspired by the launch of Sputnik, prompting him to build amateur rockets with his friends and, eventually, work at NASA.

I especially liked the dialogue between the father and son, in which the son tries to convince his father that he is confusing his own dreams with his son’s. Of course, the father encourages his son to pursue a future that, according to him, is the best possible option–but the son has his own dreams. Sometimes it is hard to see beyond what we know; a lack of imagination and ego can come into play when dealing with one’s children despite best intention.

I also liked the teacher character, who works hard to inspire the kids to think beyond life working at a coal mine.

The film made me realise that many people contribute to an individual’s success.

Layer Cake

This movie, on the other hand, was a photographic masterpiece–at least according to me.

I liked the long, expansive shot of the park. I loved how they covered the massive warehouse at the end. I adored the sequence in which the main character was watching another man climb out of the pool and shoot him; as the man fell, the sprinklers in the backyard turned on and then morphed into a showerhead above the main character–who is now in the water. Pool → House, Sprinkler → Showerhead.

The whole thing just clicked for me.