The crow has to do with my third erroneous WPS prediction … a Freedom loss. Not! Looks like an awesome second half (and the first wasn’t half bad, either). Beulah will be happy (but no post this week – too bad)! Oh, and the Breakers moved from first to last in the WPS Power Rankings. Sheesh!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNBo7fGaRv0
On the school connections front – first the happy part – a friend request on Facebook from Denise Montana – who I remember as Denise Dormer – and who had an amazing voice (and still does). I downloaded her latest album at Amazon – and am thoroughly enjoying it as I write this. Wow!
On a not-so-happy note, I also heard yesterday that the Georgia professor who apparently killed three people on Saturday was a college classmate. George “Marty” Zinkhan wasn’t someone I actually knew – but certainly can picture. It surely gives pause … the twists, turns, dark recesses and dark possibilities of the human heart.
I think I’ll go back to enjoying Denise’s music … and pondering this poem form The Writer’s Almanac … a subject much on my mind these days …
Yikes, did the Red Stars ever spank the Breakers! It was a 4-0 rout on a chilly Chicago night. The webcast was much appreciated, despite the outcome. I’m hoping that we’ll see more of that as the season progresses.
As for the game, I thought the Breakers were on their heels and chasing the ball for most of the match – while the Red Stars looked crisp and in control. Wondering what the deal is with A-Rod, as it feels like she’s not yet in the flow of things. The Red Stars are a good team, that’s for sure. Hats off to them … and I’ll have a house salad with that crow, if you don’t mind.
In other WPS play, the Marta-less Sol managed a 0-0 tie with the yet-to-score Athletica.
Tonight it’s the Freedom vs. FC Gold Pride. So far I am batting 0.00 – so look for the Freedom to notch their first vitory of this inaugural season! 😉
In other news, we have Frank Rich’s excellent editorial from Today’s Times, titled “The Banality of Bush White House Evil” and chronicling just that. None of it surprises me in the least – honestly. It is chilling and weirdly validating to read the details as they emerge.
The report found that Maj. Paul Burney, a United States Army psychiatrist assigned to interrogations in Guantánamo Bay that summer of 2002, told Army investigators of another White House imperative: “A large part of the time we were focused on trying to establish a link between Al Qaeda and Iraq and we were not being successful.” As higher-ups got more “frustrated” at the inability to prove this connection, the major said, “there was more and more pressure to resort to measures” that might produce that intelligence.
In other words, the ticking time bomb was not another potential Qaeda attack on America but the Bush administration’s ticking timetable for selling a war in Iraq; it wanted to pressure Congress to pass a war resolution before the 2002 midterm elections. Bybee’s memo was written the week after the then-secret (and subsequently leaked) “Downing Street memo,” in which the head of British intelligence informed Tony Blair that the Bush White House was so determined to go to war in Iraq that “the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.” A month after Bybee’s memo, on Sept. 8, 2002, Cheney would make his infamous appearance on “Meet the Press,” hyping both Saddam’s W.M.D.s and the “number of contacts over the years” between Al Qaeda and Iraq. If only 9/11 could somehow be pinned on Iraq, the case for war would be a slamdunk.
But there were no links between 9/11 and Iraq, and the White House knew it. Torture may have been the last hope for coercing such bogus “intelligence” from detainees who would be tempted to say anything to stop the waterboarding.
Last week Bush-Cheney defenders, true to form, dismissed the Senate Armed Services Committee report as “partisan.” But as the committee chairman, Carl Levin, told me, the report received unanimous support from its members — John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman included.
I hope Congress and the Justice Department pursue this ’til Cheney is indicted for war crimes, or dies in an apoplectic fit (or both). Not just Cheney, either … every last one of ’em.
First – I watched a snippet of Maddow this morning (it was DVR’d – so not sure what night’s show it actually was) in which she interviewed Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson about Cheney, et al. He’s the former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell. One of the most interesting (to me) points he made with Maddow was to note what a fearful (as in fear-filled) person Dick Cheney is. I’ve always seen him as fear mongering – but seeing him as himself fearful was fascinating. Fearful the way most bullies could be called fearful, I guess.
Hearing him also got me wondering about whether Powell will ever speak out. What a cool thing that would be for us – and for his legacy (to borrow a much-used phrase).
Anyway, here’s an episode of the series “Conversations with History” in which Wilkerson is interviewed about, among other things, Cheney and the US response to 9/11. This is from 2008 – and he is sharing much about what we are talking about right now. It started at the top, he says – all of the vicious stuff, and filtered down.
Interesting stuff about Cheney and power, throughout. And a great insight at @ the 46th or 47th minute … about the past 8 years being the first time in his governmental work that Cheney was not “supervised by an adult.”
My previews? The Athletica get their first victory today (4PM ET), over a Marta-less Sol. The Breakers continue their break-out play and, as Kris indicates in her comment … kick some Chicago booty (8:30PM ET-and on webcast at the Red Stars’ site). Meanwhile, tomorrow the Gold Pride keep the Freedom winless (6PM ET) … and we all send our sympathies to Beulah! That’s what I’m thinking.
Coming out from under the shadow cast by the past 8 years (and the even larger shadow cast by the long ascendency of the rabid religious right) is going to take time. A long, painful, and ultimately freeing process in which the stories that emerge, both large and small, are heartbreaking and infuriating.
Here’s one – the story of Alyssa Peterson – a brave US soldier who refused to participate in the torture of prisoners in Iraq, early on – and killed herself soon after. This was in September 2003. She was the first female soldier “killed” in Iraq – and the circumstances (and meaning) of her death were (of course) hushed up. Kevin Elston – an Arizona radio and newspaper reporter pursued the story doggedly (thank goodness). Here’s what was found and reported on the Flagstaff public radio station, KNAU, where Elston worked:
“Peterson objected to the interrogation techniques used on prisoners. She refused to participate after only two nights working in the unit known as the cage. Army spokespersons for her unit have refused to describe the interrogation techniques Alyssa objected to. They say all records of those techniques have now been destroyed.”
The official probe of her death would later note that earlier she had been “reprimanded” for showing “empathy” for the prisoners. One of the most moving parts of the report, in fact, is this: “She said that she did not know how to be two people; she … could not be one person in the cage and another outside the wire.”
She was then assigned to the base gate, where she monitored Iraqi guards, and sent to suicide prevention training. “But on the night of September 15th, 2003, Army investigators concluded she shot and killed herself with her service rifle,” the documents disclose.
The official report revealed that a notebook she had written in was found next to her body, but blacked out its contents.
The Army talked to some of Peterson’s colleagues. Asked to summarize their comments, Elston told me: “The reactions to the suicide were that she was having a difficult time separating her personal feelings from her professional duties. That was the consistent point in the testimonies, that she objected to the interrogation techniques, without describing what those techniques were.”
Elston said that the documents also refer to a suicide note found on her body, which suggested that she found it ironic that suicide prevention training had taught her how to commit suicide. He filed another FOIA request for a copy of the actual note. It did not emerge.
Peterson, a devout Mormon, had graduated from Flagstaff High School and earned a psychology degree from Northern Arizona University on a military scholarship. She was trained in interrogation techniques at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, and was sent to the Middle East in 2003.
Faced with stories like these – how does Dick sleep at night? You have to wonder. Were he to ever stop defending his legacy and let reality seep in, he would likely be unable to carry on. Repression, denial, delusion … reaction formation … whatever you call it the guy is clearly ill. But being ill doesn’t mitigate the fact that he’s damn nasty, too. Careful – he bites!
Must move on this morning. But first – a reminder – that the Breakers play the Red Stars in Chicago tonight. The game will be available for viewing via webcast at the Red Stars site. Tue in – 8:30 PM ET (and GO BREAKERS)! Danielle Slaton will be doing the analysis. (Sure miss her as a player – she was amazing to watch, prior to her injury.)
With lots of the WPS internationals overseas for friendlies, this should be an interesting stretch for the WPS. Here’s a quick preview from Melissa … and note, the Breakers-Red Stars game will be available for on-line viewing. Cool! 8:30 PM ET … 😉
The English nationals are tearing up the pitch, defeating Norway 3-0 in the run-up to Euro 2009. The Breakers’ Kelly Smith and Alex Scott played, and it’s not clear whether they’ll be back in the State sin time for tomorrow’s match in Chicago. Either way, congratulations, guys!
Sounds like the crowds have been good for the WPS so far … and that’s with iffy weather at some venues for the early games.
It’ll be very interesting to see if the Sol can keep their win streak going without Marta on the field for them. (Same question for the Breakers … if Kelly Smith isn’t back – although they’ve got A-Rod ready to break out with a big game!) And I’m wondering which Carli will show up for the Red Stars tomorrow night.
Waterboarding … six times a day for a month. That’s the lasting legacy of the Bush/Cheney adiministration, as the snow of our long winter of discontent melts away and all manner of new info seeps and oozes out disgustingly. It’s what many of us thought was happening. No, actually worse. But the lying skunks are being revealed for what they are/were – and the Coulters and Limbaughs and Cheneys and Foxes of the political landscape are decompensating before our very eyes.
The Senate and the Justice Department are stepping up to the plate … as they should in a government of checks and balances. Imagine – it’s all working again! Here are a few of Carl Levin’s comments on the senate report (you can read more at the link) … I’m rushing off … sorry!
In my judgment, the report represents a condemnation of both the Bush administration’s interrogation policies and of senior administration officials who attempted to shift the blame for abuse – such as that seen at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and Afghanistan – to low ranking soldiers. Claims, such as that made by former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz that detainee abuses could be chalked up to the unauthorized acts of a “few bad apples,” were simply false.
What cowards and liars they are. And self righteous, to boot. Scum. Let the snow continue to melt … and their deeds be uncovered and put on full display in the spring sunlight!
First off – Beulah’s match report is up! (This is on the Breakers’ win over the Freedom … which ranked somewhere below a broken windshield in Beulah’s book … understandably!) Sorry to hear about your windshield! As for Abby not getting up – that was a huge gripe of mine (and my compatriots) back in the WUSA days when “Get up Abby” was a favorite refrain when the Freedom were in town. That said, it’ll be important (for the league) to have Abby at full strength – so hope she gets it up to speed soon!
Other news? It’s a wet one here in NH today – and I am running late.
Thanks, Dick. As the pressure mounts to investigate little items like our interrogations under your watch and our waterboarding proclivities, I do hope to see you raked over the coals. Maybe 183 times in the course of a month. And no, I wouldn’t feel any need to apologize.
Interestingly, here is more info, and a video, about the encounter between Obama and Chavez. We still don’t know the content of the discussion, but unlike Dick, I find it heartening to see that our President is capable of interacting with both enemies and friends. The course set by the previous administration was not effective, their bombastic protestations notwithstanding. Their governance was as close to that of the repressive regimes they purport to despise as I ever want to come.
Okay – can we find a happier note for starting this Tuesday? Well, sorta …
Yup, after all was said and done for week 4 on the WPS, who should top the power rankings but our own Breakers. Rightly so, I’d add, IMVVHO! Next up for the Breakers, the hungry Chicago Red Stars, who played Sky Blue to a 0-0 draw in the televised game yesterday. The LA Sol beat FC Gold Pride 1-0 on the strength of Marta’s third goal of the season. Onward — and here’s hoping that Beulah isn’t so depressed about her Freedom that she won’t write a match report this week! 😉
“The Congressional Oversight Panel is charged with the job of reviewing the state of the markets, current regulatory system, and the Treasury Department’s management of the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The panel is required to report their findings to Congress every 30 days, counting from the first asset purchase made under the program. The panel must also submit a special report to Congress about regulatory reform on or before January 20, 2009. The Congressional Oversight Panel will cease to exist on December 31, 2009 unless renewed.”
Of course, actually fulfilling that charge is what has the GOP all tweaked. Asking hard questions and insisting on answers and increasing transparency apparently wasn’t part of the bargain. Isn’t that the way? Information, the necessary coinage of democracy, isn’t apparently something that the GOP wants to trust our citizens with.
So the GOP really is as old as it sounds. It really is our parents’ (or grandparents’) party. Only the powerful, parental few are to have access to the information needed to make good, knowledge-based decisions. The rest of us should just trust them. Yeah, right.
And this is the bunch who are eager to export so-called democracy to Iraq an the rest of the world. No wonder it’s gotta be done at gunpoint. Nobody’s buying it anymore, folks. The world is growing up and that parental schtick doesn’t work anymore. (Hear me, Dick?)
Anyway – if you want to hear from a sane adult who’ll talk to you like a sane adult about the current status of the TARP, watch Liz Warren here …
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bRerUGAOAw
And if you have time … a lecture by Elizabeth Warren at Berkeley – titled “The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class” – it’s @ an hour long, and very interesting!
In what sounded like a wild and woolly second half, Christine Latham and Kristin Luckinbill were major contributors in a nifty 3-1 win for the Boston Breakers.
The Breakers scored first, on a PK by Kelly Smith in the 54th minute after Scurry fouled Hucles in the box. Lori Lindsey equalized soon after, and Abby had a chance to give the Freedom their first lead of the new season on a second PK (after a handball). Her shot was saved by Luckinbill, however, and Abby remains scoreless in WPS play.
Wambach’s missed penalty kick encapsulated the frustration for a Washington team that in the past two weeks has turned in two stellar performances and created a number of scoring chances but has failed to capitalize on those opportunities.
The moment also added to the early disappointment for Wambach, one of the country’s top goal scorers, who continues to work back from a broken leg suffered in a pre-Olympic friendly against Brazil on July 16.
Boston went on to slot through the eventual game winner when, in the 76th minute, Christine Latham scored off an assist by Alex Scott. Angela Hucles added one a few minutes later to round out the scoring. Tony sounded like he was pleased … but saw room for improvement … in the Breakers’ play:
“There was some good and some bad,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. “I thought our back line and our goalkeeper Luckenbill defended very well. Offensively we finished very well in the second half. I didn’t think we passed the ball as well as we normally have, and we gave a lot of balls away, but give credit to Washington for that.
“I’m proud of this team though. The best teams find a way to get results even when not playing their best, and I thought we did that tonight.”
This puts the Breakers in a brief tie with the LA Sol for first place in the WPS standings – which will change after today’s games (Sol vs FC Gold Pride, and Red Stars vs. Sky Blue FC). You can watch the Sky Blue-Red Stars match-up on Fox Soccer Channel this evening (6PM ET).
Meanwhile, I just love it when conservative, moralistic, right wing types are exposed in the tabloids. The latest? Mel Gibson. Marriage and family, oh yeah. I certainly don’t mind people being human and making mistakes … but when they don’t allow it in others, or lie hypocritically about their actions, they are fair game, IMHO. Nice guy, indeed – hope his wife takes him for every penny she can, and then contributes huge amounts to B’nai B’rith and the Gay Marriage Movement.
While we’re talking hypocrisy, here’s a great piece by Gail Collins on threats from Texas’ governor Rick Perry to secede from the union.
Have you ever noticed that the states where anti-tax sentiment is strongest are frequently the same states that get way more back from the federal government than they send in? Alaska gets $1.84 for every tax dollar it sends to Washington, which is a rate of return even Bernard Madoff never pretended to achieve. Yet there they were in Ketchikan waving “Taxed Enough Already!” signs and demanding an end to federal spending.
Also, have you noticed how places that pride themselves on being superpatriotic seem to have the most people who want to abandon the country entirely and set up shop on their own?
I have to say, the idea is actually kind of appealing to me, so long as the Bushes aren’t in Kennebunkport when they do it.
Licorice Pizza: I'm starting anew here and have now been, twice, to Vax and Snax at Red River. These are Thursday night movies for vaccinated and masked folks, and you can get POPCORN! But I digress...Licorice Pizza was a sweet, coming-of-age in The Valley in the Seventies sort of movie that managed to include waterbeds and Jon Peters and two new stars -- Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman).
If Beale Street Could Talk: Quiet, beautiful, heartfelt, devastating. America wears many masks. This movie strips a few of them away. It shines a light on quite a lot of ugliness. As well, it illuminates dignity and resilience in the face of a system built on the abuse of privilege and power. A perfect movie to see on the eve of what is hopefully Donald Trump's last SOTU.
Shoplifters: A beautifully honest, quiet movie that is at once uplifting and devastating. Universal questions are raised and left open for pondering. What is a family? How do people survive in our world today? And how do we judge their choices?
Green Book: Very enjoyable movie and yet deeply flawed. The white guy comes across as the hero in ways that are typical for the American movie industry, and comfortably misleading in terms of the realities of our culture. Especially in the current socio/political atmosphere, can't we do better than this?
On the Basis of Sex: We applauded, we cried, we felt so glad that RBG was as prescient as she was. And I felt personally glad that her love of opera clearly predates her connection with Scalia. What an inspiring woman -- and a good movie about her early years as a student, professor, and attorney.
The Favourite: Did I say that being a queen was no fun? This definitely seems to have carried forward to Queen Anne's reign. Strong performances again, and more belly laughs than you'd think. And right along with it, grief, emptiness, ambition, and gouty excess.
Mary Queen of Scots: Being a queen was no fun in the 16th century. Excellent, complex performances in this one. I found Elizabeth especially compelling. Very unclear who actually wins out in this one.
Another Year: Loved this one! It's about a couple, and their friends, and their lives – painful in spots, and wonderfully everyday and enriching, to my mind. Great performances – and who knew there was so much wine being drunk in England!?
Tiny Furniture: A young woman (aka Lena Dunham) comes home after graduating from college and tries to find herself – or not. A character study that I found humorous and touching – and sometimes a little disturbing and/or self-indulgent. It's definitely a privilege to have the leisure to "find oneself." After this..."Girls."
Rabbit Hole: Painful/powerful movie about loss and grieving. Hard to watch but well worth the effort, with a strong cast and an especially on the mark performance by Nicole Kidman. I continue to be glad to see that she is clearly outstripping Tom Cruise as an artist. You go girl!
The Kids Are Alright: Very enjoyable movie with great performances and an excellent cast. Two kids whose moms are lesbians decide they want to find out something about their "father" – and everything moves on from that point.
The King's Speech: Warm, funny, inspiring – and apparently a bit of a rewrite of history, to boot! Colin Firth puts out an amazing performance – and was well rewarded for it. Everyone else is great too, and if you're one of the few people left who hasn't seen it, it's definitely worth a look!
Black Swan: This is a disturbing movie that I really loved – and in case you haven't noticed, I do have a tendency to like disturbing movies. What's real and what isn't? You be the judge. Also, be on the lookout for Winona Ryder – you'll never recognize her!
Blue Valentine: A couple in trouble – how they started and how they got to where they are. A good movie with excellent performances that left me wondering, especially in Michelle Williams' case, whether she was thinking about what's his name (her partner who died suddenly – the guy who starred in Broke Back Mountain – for some reason I can't remember his name – oh yeah, Heath Ledger).
Shutter Island: A dark period piece that has the creepy feel of the 1950s (creepy to me at any rate) and has stayed with me more than I would've thought. A movie with surprises – definitely worth a look.
Cyrus: I don't remember this one so well, but have a vague recollection of walking out of the theater feeling not so enthralled. I believe it's supposed to be funny – but as you can tell it didn't really make an impression.
I Am Love: Really beautiful, sumptuous movie that made me hungry, just watching it. A keeper!
The Girl Who Played with Fire: The second in the three part series involving the girl with the dragon tattoo, this movie was much harder to watch than the first, as Salander's triumph isn't quite so clear at the end. Painful, painful, painful.
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World: I loved this comic book take on young love. Went to the movie on a whim and came away very happy to have seen it! Quite a few laugh out loud moments – and touching, as well.
Going the Distance: A very lightweight romcom that kinda left me feeling like I had just spent an hour and a half reading People magazine. In other words, pretty much a waste of time.
Never Let Me Go: Wow! This was an amazing, stark, and moving movie about kids who are basically raised to become organ donors. Very much worth seeing.
The Town: Ben Affleck's movie about bank robbers. It's okay. Not great, but okay. It does make me curious about Charlestown – will have to go there one day.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: A Woody Allen movie that I honestly don't remember very well. It's pretty much about adults behaving badly – something that Woody knows a little something about.
The Social Network: The movie about Facebook. I found it very interesting and well done, and was especially fascinated/disturbed by the window on the incredible privilege and elitism still thriving at undergrad Harvard.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: Number three in the Dragon trilogy. I found this, in many ways, the weakest of the three movies – although that's not to say that it was weak. Perhaps my enjoyment was affected by the fact that I hadn't read the book. Anyway, it's a great trilogy and I was sorry to see it come to an end.
Fair Game: The movie about the Valerie Plame affair. One of the things that I found most interesting was how it uncovered my own biases, as she was clearly a very serious and talented agent, but because of her blonde haired beauty, I pretty much assumed that she was a lightweight in real life. I appreciated, also, the depiction of her husband as a bit of a media hound, which was how he seemed to me at the time. And of course, there are the despicable characters of the Bush administration. Glad they were on display in all their glory!
City Island: This was a fine, if predictable, movie about a family in which everyone has a secret and is telling lies. I mostly loved it because it gave me a glimpse of where my friend CB lives!
Winter's Bone: Wow! Unrelenting, stark, and ultimately uplifting – at least to my mind. This is a painful movie about life when you're the daughter of someone who runs a meth lab. Winter's Bone is a perfect title. J-Law is amazing!
Please Give: Quirky, sweet, slice-of-life movie. I loved the low-key character development and good humor of it all. Enjoyable, with a great cast and few false notes.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Tho' parts of the book were missing, this was an excellent rendition of an excellent book. Not for the faint of heart, tho'! Lisbeth Salander is an Emma Peel for the 21st Century (watch for more from Noomi Rapace - I will be)!
Me and Orson Welles: Or was it Orson Welles and me? (If Orson had anything to do with the title, I'm guessing the latter.) I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, even as it reminded me of why the world of the theatre holds absolutely no appeal for yours truly! Nice to see Claire Danes back ... still have to finish watching Temple Grandin, too!
Crazy Heart: I left this movie thinking ... "Eh?" but it has stayed with me. Jeff Bridges does give a wonderful performance. The amount of smoking and drinking was nauseating - as I guess it was supposed to be - all in an understated, Jeff Bridges sort of a way.
A Single Man: One of the best movies of the year in my book. Haunting, beautifully acted and filmed ... marred only by an unnecessarily heavy-handed ending, IMHO. That was the only flaw in an otherwise brilliant bit of artistry. Colin Firth was perfect, and this was an amazing writing/directing debut for Tom Ford! See it!!!
Young Victoria: I am eternally grateful to have not been born the heir to a throne. Life was confusing enough! This was an enjoyable, tear-jerker of a movie that left me wanting to know more about the details. Perhaps a bio for Bookeaters?
Precious: Wow, wow, wow. Two weeks in a row - another amazing movie at Red River. This is a challenging and important movie ... about life in America ... every single day ... everywhere.
The Messenger: Wow, wow, wow. This is one of the best movies I have seen in quite some time. Its focus is on two men who notifiy NOK (next of kin) when a soldier dies. It is a raw, wrenching, unflinching and uplifting journey - not to be missed. Seriously
Damned United: This was a study in soccer, ambition, and friendship. For soccer buffs who actually know the players (I'm a late-comer to the game) the movie would be that much better. I loved it, though - and recommend it highly.
A Serious Man: The Book of Job envisioned by the Coen brothers evoked the early sixties and suburbia with humor, pathos ... and a slightly nauseating quality that tells me they pretty much hit the nail on the head. As one of the goyim, I am sure there were hundreds of nuances that were lost on me ... but I loved it (nausea aside) nonetheless!
Cold Souls: The premise of this movie is deeply strange, yet it is presented in an entirely believable way. It's by turns very moving and then hilarious (in ways that, in retrospect, are hard to capture/explain). The ending leaves a puzzled feeling - but that's not really bothersome. In many ways, puzzled is the appropriate way to walk out of the theater after "Cold Souls." Check it out!
Adam: Nicely done! Not a movie that will stay with you for a long time, but I liked it. The father (Peter Gallagher) seemed a tad overdone -and unnecessarily so. Unmemorable soundtrack - but since I mention it, does that make it memorable? Now I'm starting to feel like Steven Wright - not necessarily a bad thing!
Taking Woodstock: Even going in with low expectations, this offering from Ang Lee just wasn't good. Vilma was a high point in an otherwise shoddy effort. Harsh, eh? And watch out, world - it's only 6:30 AM!
Julie and Julia: I was not as bothered by Julie as some reviewers were - maybe because I liked seeing a blogger hit the big time. Meryl Streep was amazing as Julia .. and this is definitely not a movie to see on an empty stomach! Never have I enjoyed watching people eat as much as I did watching this flick!
500 Days of Summer: I think I wasn't supposed to, but I loved it. Engaging characters and script, great soundtrack. Not as quirky and lovable as "Away We Go" - but not far behind, either.
Whatever Works: People either like or hate this latest offering from Woody Allen. I must admit that it's a little weird to see this May-December relationship on-screen, feeling so creeped out by Woody's real-life choices. But I'd say he pulls it off. There are some really great lines throughout the movie, and while not entirely believable, I didn't mind being along for the ride. A pleasant diversion for sure.
Goodbye, Solo: Interesting movie that basically contrasts life energy and death energy, IMHO. Solo is the epitome of resilience - love him! Meanwhile William seems bent on being miserable, for reasons that the movie leaves mysterious. I didn't find him very a likable or compelling character - but Solo makes up for it.
Moon: I hesitate to write this one up, as I was tired when I saw it - and missed portions. But form my bleary vantage point, this seemed an intriguing movie set on the moon and exploring themes of identity, isolation, etc. It was not my usual fare - and I wasn't up to snuff - but at least had the wherewithall to be able tell that it was quality work!
Cheri: I liked this a lot better than Easy Virtue - maybe because I went into it having already seen EV and had my expectations lowered. Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates are fun to watch as always - and I liked Rupert Friend in the title role. It all got a little too serious at the end - a tone-shift that didn't quite fit with the bulk of the movie. Still - a pleasant diversion on a rainy July evening!
Away We Go: This was an excellent movie in every regard. Great dialogue and plot line, endearing cast/characters, heartwarming/funny story that avoids tipping over into overly-sweet territory ... and great soundtrack, to boot! See it, if you haven't already.
Easy Virtue: Not my cup of tea - but I suspect it would have helped, going in, to know that this was a movie based on a Noel Coward play. The characters felt stilted and unbelievable to me, as it was - and I couldn't muster much concern for what became of them. All things considered, I'd rather have been in Philadelphia!
Sugar: Sugar is a baseball flick that is sweetly and realistically done - and definitely like no Hollywood film on the subject. The characters are real and the life is hard - and the film depicts it all in a matter-of-fact way that brings the realities home more surely than something more "dramatic" ever could. Two thumbs up on this one!
Sunshine Cleaning: Director Christine Jeffs has a winner in this tale about the hard times and resiliency of the Lorkowski family. Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin shine in this movie about a bio-hazard clean-up company. Yes, that's correct. And the movie had the potential to cross the line into sappiness several times but demurred. For that I am eternally thankful. (Okay, eternally may be a little over the top.) Darn good flick, though - check it out.
Milk: Sean Penn deserves an Oscar for his amazing portrayal of Harvey Milk. It actually didn't even feel like a portrayal - more a channeling. Such a loss - that yet another creative and energetic and good leader, was senselessly murdered all those years ago. Fear, hatred and guns - why don't we remove at least the last ingredient in the tragic mix?
Doubt: Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman are amazing, and Viola Davis is a heartbreaking revelation in this battle royale. I was left with less doubt at the end than some of my compatriots ... but that took nothing away from the experience. Meryl Streep deserves an Oscar, IMHO ... and I definitely want her on my side, always!
Slumdog Millionaire: Just a great movie, start to finish. Magical,epic, and a nail-biter (even though you know what's going to happen ... pretty much. The dancing at the end did my heart good - and having M.I.A. in the soundtrack didn't hurt, either!
The Secret Life of Bees: Or was it The Secret Lives of Bees? Anyway, whatever - I want Queen Latifah to be my mother!!! (What was Bill Clinton thinking, throwing her under the bus all those years ago?) The movie was entertaining but not a home run by any means. Too predictable ... but Alicia Keys was wonderfully cranky-verging-on-scary and the Queen was queenly and the honey looked delicious and it was nice hearing India Arie in the soundtrack!
Happy Go Lucky: I think I was supposed to like this more than I did. Perhaps it suffered by being seen pretty much on the heels of Rachel. I found Poppy to be a sometimes intriguing and sometimes annoying character. The relentless joking and "upbeatness" felt distancing and unnecessary. I didn't hate this movie by any means - but something was missing for me.
Rachel Getting Married: Jonathan Demme and an amazing script and cast just blew me away with this effort. The characters are fascinating and complicated and most every interaction in the film left me engaged and wanting to know more! Debra Winger was stupendous - although it's been so long since I've seen her that I kept trying to find the bull-riding Urban Cowboy persona within the steely, distant mother of this wedding movie. (She's not there.) Margot at the Wedding was very good - but Rachel puts her in her place. I highly recommend this to everyone!
Religulous: Bill Maher skewers the rampant "illogic" of religion in this free-wheeling film. His wit is right on target and as barbed as you'd expect. I found myself squirming every once in awhile. I don't mind you picking on the Pope, Bill ... but same as with Michael Moore ... sometimes when you set up "common folks" to look like fools, I cringe. Still, Religulous is worth a look for sure. The best point Bill makes? That conservatives of a religulous bent are about finding answers - while liberals are about asking questions. I can go with that!
Roman de gare: This was an intriguing, surprising, suspenseful, funny, quirky movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters and plot lines are deftly developed. You should definitely check it out if you get the chance!
Young at Heart: YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's a documentary about a choral group of octogenarians in Northampton, MA. Very inspiring ... definitely something to check out!
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: Enjoyable, light fare with a stellar performance by my favorite police chief, Frances McDormand!
The Visitor: Now this was an excellent movie ... from start to finish. It was similar to Smart People in that it had an academic as the main character. However, all similarities ended pretty much right there. In this warm, funny, and wrenching movie, the characters are well and subtly developed, the plot is (unfortunately) believable ... and there are no false notes. I would urge you to see it - you won't be sorry!
Smart People: Looks like we're getting back on track with our Tuesday night movie schedule ... for the time being. Smart People was enjoyable but left me unenthralled. (It probably didn't help that we ran into a totally enthralled movie-goer on the way in who was seeing it for the second time. High expectations may have killed this one for me.) Overall, I found the characters exaggerated and mildly unlikeable ... the dialogue stilted and self-conscious, perhaps just the way smart people talk. But then the lessons about loosening up and being less self-absorbed weren't exactly ground-breaking. Overall, it wasn't a wasted evening ... but not a movie I'll be putting at the top of my list, either.
4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days): Winner of the Palm D'Or at Cannes, this film by Romania's Cristian Mungiu certainly deserves the accolades it receives. It's a realistic and emotionally unflinching story of a woman who helps her friend obtain an illegal abortion in 1987 Romania. The story is harrowing, the acting wonderful, and the cinematography amazing. This film makes Juno look like Disney pablum!
Taxi to the Dark Side: This was a harrowing and eye-opening look at what our country has become under the leadership of Bush/Cheney after 9/11. The "road taken" has definitely been a trip to the dark side. Disgusting and important to see ... as we make our way back toward the light!
Michael Clayton: What an excellent movie! Engaging, engrossing, well-acted. Tilda Swinton certainly deserved an award for her protrayal of what I have to think must be the secret, inner life of Condi Rice.
Persepolis: This animated memoir is an engaging, heartbreaking, uplifting, realistic look at life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Go see it! It humanizes what our current regime so consistently tries to dehumanize. An important movie, Persepolis is based on the book by Marjane Satrapi.
Margot at the Wedding: Dark, funny, tough to watch and very well acted.
I'm Not There: Bob Dylan's not my favorite, but this was a fascinating movie to watch (albeit long) and since he wasn't there, I couldn't very well feel annoyed by him. Cate Blanchette was just amazing - and I loved the surreal, Fellini-esque feel of the Richard Gere parts.
Atonement: Lush, compelling, painful - I especially loved Vanessa Redgrave's starkly powerful 5 minutes - and the Fellini-esque (can you tell I love Fellini?) flavor of the scenes of the evacuating troops on the beach - complete with ferris wheels - somehow depicting the disorienting horror of war in ways that blood and gore never could. Great movie!
Juno: Well, I went to see it. I totally agree with my friends who found the clinic scene extremely misleading, off-base, and gratuitously negative in its depiction of the women's health movement and its workers. In an otherwise nice movie, this was a thoughtless lapse ... and I was sad to see so many women in Juno's age group in the theater (one of them actually pregnant) ... who'll be coming away with a false impression that could so seriously affect their lives!
The Savages: Wow, what a good movie! Philip Seymour Hoffman has had an amazing run this year between this, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," and that other movie with Tom Hanks ... the name of which is escaping me at the moment ... Charlie Somebody's War. Anyway - he and Laura Linney are just wonderful as siblings dealing with their aging/ailing father. Painful and real ... and set in gritty, wintry Buffalo ... in perfect contrast to Sun City. (The latter looks like a setting that would do David Lynch proud.) Check it out if you haven't seen it!
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