Flowers for Michal

Brilliance and sadism go hand in hand right? The Pillowman is a harrowing achievement that leaves readers (or viewers) stunned with its sheer backwards story telling. Martin McDonagh makes quick work of the reader interweaving reality with fiction, but leaves you wondering, s it really fiction, are the stories real or are they true to Katurian's life? I found myself reading over the play a few times, starting and stopping, and starting again from the beginning, just to grasp the characterization.

I found Michal's character to be very endearing. His sheer sense of innocence in the face of despair; the ability to feel alright as long as his brother approves of what he does. He looks up to Katurian and his only way of expressing it is through acting out his brother's short stories. While Michal does retain a sense of innocence, he also carries a very mild sense of reason. While maybe not apparent to himself, some of his interjections become words of wisdom and put things in perspective for Katurian. Allow me to take you back to 7th grade. I remember reading Flowers for Algernon and feeling this deep conflict between emotion and intellect. While Charlie does become and intellectual, he was happier at his more simpler state of mind. Charlie, in his state of adult retardation, was more coherent and sensible; his innocence gave others insight to situations that weren't so easily accessible.

Also, Jeff Goldblum as Tupolski, brilliant.