hey how's it going nah i don't want to talk about it
that's cool we don't have to talk it's not easy being an emotionally stunted man
maybe it's parenting maybe it's societal pressure maybe it's some primal instinct to suck it up
but whatever it is it makes sharing the bruised parts of ourselves hard what we need is a primer
something that opens a crack in our window of acceptance something to allow a cold breeze to
enter something like a cathartic movie while a comedy can distract us from the pain a tragedy
encourages us to confront it accept it and brace for it what you boys need is a tragedy because a
good way to cope with the troubles of our lives is to start by empathizing with those of others what
do you think want to watch a movie which one any recommendations mr narrator man sure if you are
feeling a little blue and communicating it with a loved one or trusted friend feels too brutal here
are 10 movies that can ease you in these are 10 cathartic movies for dudes who need to feel
trees lounge betrayal whether you've stolen money from a friend or had a buddy steal your girl
you never come out the same after a betrayal steve buscemi knows betrayal well how else
could he have written directed and starred in the 1996 comedy drama trees lounge trees lounge is a
story about tommy his addiction and a little bar that acts as a landing pad at rock bottom
at the core trees lounge is about someone self-destructive someone beyond help for helping
would be to get sucked into the little black hole chloe sovenier mark boone jr debbie messer
and samuel l jackson give sincere performances that heighten the disgust we feel for those whose
reputation is beyond repair tommy is someone who has nowhere to go but up but can't seem to
move it's hard to recover from a betrayal on both sides and sometimes we deserve second chances but
that doesn't mean we'll get it trees lounge cautions us letting us know that we too can
become worthy of pity but also gives us company like a stranger at the bar dead poets society
expectations pressure makes diamonds so they say but pressure can crack and shatter dead poets
society set in a prep school walton academy tells the story of a group of boys inspired
by the english teacher starring robin williams to seize the day and make their lives extraordinary
for anyone who is currently held hostage by someone else's expectations
know that deadpool'd society is one of the purest betrayal of how tough love can backfire
it reminds us that having a strong belief that any one thing should happen especially when it comes
to another person is ultimately going to lead to disappointment if not tragedy you're in control
dead poets society doesn't release the weight from our shoulders but encourages us to
acknowledge it and ask whether we're carrying something that might not even belong to us
and perhaps we can drop it the wrestler mortality as we fade
as it becomes clear that the glory days are over as we cling ever longer to keep the light lit
we confront life fully we start to take stock of what actually matters in the wrestler directed
by darren aronofsky we learn that our choice in what matters can be perfectly selfish it's our
right to ride out the end of our days holding on to the illusion of what we ourselves deem
successful however the wrestler wants us to be completely honest and to accept that our choices
are not without ripples mickey rourke gives a poignant performance as randy the ram robinson
where he used the fall of his character as the comeback for his own career the wrestler acts as
warning and encouragement as disappointment and pride as mercy and hope wherever you are in your
own comeback know that even though your body may give up on you you can fight until the last breath
mystic river punishment the damage of trauma lasts a lifetime it's a scar that never fully
heals and if you're unlucky it's something you can leave hidden mystic river directed by clint
eastwood with heart-wrenching performances from sean penn tim robbins and kevin bacon
is a visceral experience that forces us to meet face to face with the words justice and punishment
and what that means to us in this unjust world we can feel that we need to take
matters into our own hands we are rather praise or predators there is no one here to help us
in this way seeking justice becomes the punishment like handcuffs we put on ourselves we often call
this demand for justice revenge what is done to us we do to others eye for an eye
mystic river balances the tragedies and what people would suspect of us after such an event
this is not an inspirational story it's a dreadful tale of how retribution can
backfire and as reactive animals more often than not that is what we need
the elephant man humility every day we look into the mirror and face who we are
our face is how we show ourselves to the world in these digital times it's easy to hide away
hide behind an avatar hide our flaws hide our deformities hide the things we think will bring
a shame the elephant man directed by david lynch is a story about a man who cannot hide
about a man who is cursed from birth a man who yearns for kindness as much as he yearns
to lie down to sleep john hurt portrays john merrick the elephant man based off of a real
person from the late 1800s who was born with severe yet mysterious deformities while it's
easy to pity merrick what the movie really ask of us is not pity but rather simple humility
regardless of how others appear understand that we aren't seeing the full picture and so it goes with
ourselves when we look in the mirror while we put ourselves out there and receive others in return
the elephant man reminds us not to let vanity be the measurement of our worth
inside lewin davis loneliness life is full of possessions things that belong to us things that
don't as we move through this song of ours we realize how little we have and even the things
we have are usually temporary and the things that matter can rarely be replaced inside lou and davis
perhaps the coen brothers most introspective movie follows a folk musician as he attempts
to salvage his life after the death of his musical partner oscar isaac gives a touching performance
showing how the world can kick us even when we are down and how easy it is to take advantage
of us when we have nobody else to protect us to stand up for us to give us a place to stay
outside the unsympathetic world in our desperation gives us a worse deal
and it rushes us before we are ready to get over what we know we never can inside lou and davis is
a story about recovering about trying to do better and how hard it is when we have to go at it alone
lost in translation insignificance what happens when we get everything we dreamed of well life
continues and from that new normal we can rather chase more or hang on bitterly to what we have
for fear that we might recede and lose it lost in translation puts us in the epicenter of the bustle
of tokyo with a couple of aimless foreigners bill murray and scarlett johansson who are both unable
to visualize what the next milestone looks like in their staying in lives we often feel as though we
have to make some big decisions in our lives and that if we don't pick the right one we will regret
it but what loss in translation tells us is what philosophers soren kirkegaard understood all along
regardless of what we do or don't get married don't get married quit our job stay forever
laugh at the world weep over it we will regret it no matter how big our decision may feel no matter
how paralyzing it becomes lost in translation encourages us to accept the inevitable regrets and
make them for in our insignificance that is the only control we have good will hunting acceptance
we know everything at least more than people give us credit for but when it comes to life
and this mysterious journey we have to accept that at best we know as much as anybody else regardless
of what a genius we might actually be good will hunting the matt damon classic is the pull and tug
we often feel from the communities around us the communities that offer the lure of belonging the
lure of comfort the lure of accolades or rather a distraction from who we really are robin
williams's powerful performance reminds us that amidst our stubbornness we are as lost as everyone
else yet regardless of whatever blessings or curse we are given when an opportunity comes along it is
still our job to recognize and potentially learn from it when we think we know it all
we push away when we accept there is more to know that there are experiences out there we must chase
manchester by the sea guilt we'll make mistakes we'll hurt others and life continues
the question is what's the cost of the guilt we carry how long will we carry
it like hoarders keeping garbage to remind them of the past how can we ever let it go
manchester by the sea tells the story of a man whose negligence proved costly
and how the greatest damnation is the one we oppose upon ourselves casey affleck gives a
compelling performance as lee chandler a man who will never recover from his past
even as we the audience have long absolved this person he cannot forgive himself we can find
ourselves in lee's shoes unable to let go of the guilt we carry even when the rest of the world is
telling us it no longer does anyone any good the pain like a concussion remains perhaps we need
to look upon ourselves in the third person like we are watching ourselves in a movie our character is
haunted by the past maybe seeing our uselessness in this manner can help us see that forgetting
might not be possible but the pain we can keep to ourselves we don't have to inflict it on others
we can be the sacrifice a sacrifice for another person and that can be the way we find forgiveness
eternal sunshine of the spotless mind memory at the end of a terrible day
sometimes all we want to do is forget but what eternal sunshine of the spotless mind shows us
is that erasing our memories doesn't leave us free from the pain of those we've forgotten no instead
it leaves us with an empty void it leaves us in a sunken pit wondering how we've gotten so
down charlie kaufman's imaginative story with the melancholy visuals of michelle gandry's directions
paired with the moving performances from jim carrey and kate winslet makes eternal
sunshine a triumph in catharsis for all of us who are currently in the midst of a heartbreak
for all of us who've experienced regret shame and disappointment for all of us seeking a tangible
solution when there will never be one we can be free for a moment lost in someone else's world
and understand what we are experiencing is indeed a little surreal big conversations are hard to
have especially when they are on a heavy personal topic you may find yourself creating a barrier
between yourself and your emotions a cathartic movie can offer you a bridge to cross that chasm
to see your feelings up close to accept that you can express yourself by using a story as the
vessel to reach your emotions you can for the time being bypass your own pain that's the power of
storytelling sometimes it's entertaining and other times it's so cleansing now are you ready to talk
boys are you okay we don't feel any better did you watch all 10 movies in a row
wasn't that what we're supposed to do no you were supposed to pick one pick one you weren't clear
i don't know if i'll ever be happy again oh great
you