Phew – while NH continues to thaw out and hundreds of thousands continue without power, I guess one of the big dangers has to do with what happens as the ice breaks off of bent trees and they pop back into place (like recoiling springs). Power lines that didn’t break as the ice hung heavy and dragged them down, might be taken out by the thawing trees. (This recoiling is a danger to clean-up crews, too, as we learned n the aftermath of this summer’s tornadoes.)
Anyway, as NH thaws and gets back to normal, the USWNT has traveled to Detroit, where they will meet China on Wednesday for their last match of 2008. Quite a year for the WNT, I’d say! And now they’ve got Pia at least through 2011 … and the WPS starting up … and A-Rod coming out of college … and things are just looking damn good (with the rather glaring exception of the economy).
Meanwhile, HollyCornblg sent this photo of a very enthusiastic-looking Zoey Hopbrew-Cornblog. Her comment/question? “Don’t you wish we all felt that excited about getting some exercise?”
I love the creativity – throwing shoes at Bush! Unfortunately, all of Dubya’s working out has kept him quicker on his feet physically than he is mentally or verbally – so he was able to duck both missiles. Still, the “hurling” was well-deserved … and a tame reminder of the level of outrage that is understandably felt in that part of the world. Bush, of course, made an exceedingly meaningful comment afterwards:
“This is the end!” shouted the man, later identified as Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi-owned station based in Cairo, Egypt.
Bush ducked both shoes as they whizzed past his head and landed with a thud against the wall behind him.
“All I can report,” Bush joked of the incident, “is a size 10.”
What an asshole.
In other news, HollyCornblog is still in the hunt for a berth in the Phantastic Phootball Phanatics Phinals versus Phatcats. She’ll need six points from the Eagles’ DeSean Jackson to win and move on. (That is certainly within reach.)
Meanwhile – in closing – I am trying to decide which version of “You Don’t Own Me” is best. So far, I’m thinking Leslie Gore wins hands down. What do you think?
HollyCornblog is back on line and sent along some photos of what it was looking like in her world yesterday. Here’s a beauty!
In the meantime, I had the occasion to drive over toward the Monadnock region of NH (actually Antrim, Peterborough, Greenfield, etc.) and was absolutely shocked at the devastation. There were trees and power lines down all over, and roads still impassible – and clearly days away from being cleaned up. We stopped at one store in Greenfield where they were without power and trying to save inventory from their refrigerators, while ringing up sales with calculators and maintaining a refreshingly positive attitude in the face of what had to be a big blow to a small business.
We heard that the drive along Route 4 through Northwood yesterday evening was also dark and riddled with downed trees and power lines and inoperative traffic lights. Clearly, we were lucky here in Canterbury (although many neighbors remain without electricity here, too). The destructive reach and power of this storm was not something I could imagine with any measure of accuracy – until I saw it.
On the soccer front, the USWNT defeated China 1-0 at the Home Depot Center on the strength of a goal by Tina Ellertson! Pia moved her to forward … and she answered with the first goal of her WNT career (Amy Rodriguez had the assist). In other soccer news, Pia’s contract was renewed … with the “official” announcement expected soon. Asked about the future, here’s part of Pia’s (interesting) response …
“I watched the U-20 World Cup, hopefully we’ll change the team a little bit. I’m impressed with the way they’ve changed their game – I’ve only been here 10 months so I can see many things happening with these players. I can promise you it will not be exactly the same players. We will try to change different players coming in and try to change the chemistry a little bit, the atmosphere a little bit and expectations and I think that’s important going forward. Because, we want to win the gold medal in a different way.”
It’s one more game for the USWNT this month (12/17 in Detroit vs. China) and then not a lot of soccer that I know of (aside from the Algarve Cup in March) – before the start up of the WPS in April.
I was thinking the other day about what a tough time it is to be starting a new league – with the economy in such turmoil and people’s disposable income looking shaky at best. For that reason, it behooves us that much more (I’m thinking … if we’re in a position to do so) – to step up and buy those season tickets – and those Holiday Gifts – and vote with our pocketbooks, to the extent that we can, to get the WPS off to as good a start as possible this time around! (I know I’ll be sharing some Breakers love this holiday season!)
Okay – nuff said on the soccer front. Check this out – a hilarious bit with Meryl and Dave … brief and worth a look.
Then, in tooling around YouTube I came upon some amazing, laugh-out-loud videos featuring the likes of Condi and FDR (separate videos) by dayjoborchestra. DJO is not necessarily going to be everybody’s cup of tea … but they sure got me laughing!
Finally … safe travels to our globe-trotting RPE and friends … and Happy Sunday everyone!
Saturday morning … and please remind me to not eat handfuls of chocolate-covered cherries while Watching Rachel Maddow … and before going to bed! And I don’t mean the sweet syrupy kind – but nice tart ones – delicious, for sure – and probably marginally good for me (yes, I do believe I could make that case – emphasis on the word marginally) – but not a good idea before bed! Definitely.
The sun is rising now and the trees on the eastern side of our field are alive with light as the ice catches the morning sun. (Now I am wishing that I had thought to check out the moon rise. It was such a huge moon … the white light on the ice must have been spectacular (and a little spooky).
The photo here is of the westward sun coming through some ice-encased branches yesterday afternoon. As the ice melted (once the sun came out) it was amazing to watch the leaning birches and drooping sumac and lilacs and forsythia slowly pop back up til they were nearly upright when nightfall brought another freeze.
Speaking of spooky – have you ever seen a shaggy Westie on a lawn after an ice storm? See if you can find Ruby in this photo from Yesterday! I think that even Ruby was a little confused.
We were quite lucky in our area to not be so badly hit. I think that HollyCornblog must have lost power, however, as I’ve not heard from her. Hopefully they’ll be back on the grid today (and luckily, their main heat source is wood, so they should be fine on that front – and will be able to keep all the beer she’s got in her carboys nice and warm and “working.”
So, as for news of the world … it’s hard to know where to begin. Chicago? Detroit? Well, I saw a sad piece as I explored the breaking news, actually – Socks is near death. For those of you who may have forgotten, Socks was the Clinton’s cat (and a dead ringer for HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew’s cat Smokey, I might add). Sounds like Socks had a long, happy life. After his White House days, he lived with Betty Currie in Maryland – quite happily, by all reports. But perhaps he wanted one last shot at greatness – and perhaps the realization that he would not be moving back to the White House contributed to his demise(?). Guess we’ll never know.
In other moving-to-Washington news, we see that the Bushies said no to the Obama family’s request to move into Blair house pre-inauguration so that his daughters could start school on time. So much for no child left behind. What trumps the request of an incoming President? My money is on something Cheney-related.
Congress was unable to pass legislation to help the auto industry, as a group of Republican Senators have successfully turned the whole enterprise into a union busting scheme – all in the guise of being fiscally responsible. It’s disgusting – the worst kind of hypocrisy and prevarication. As they scrutinize and nitpick on the blue collar front, the Fed is loaning trillions of dollars with no oversight and no transparency … NONE! And those fiscally responsible Senators aren’t asking for it. Thankfully, Bloomberg News has – but their request to release information was turned down. Turned down??!! This is taxpayer money we are talking about. Meanwhile, in an odd twist, the White House has come to the rescue, at least for now, for the auto-makers. Who’d a thunk it, eh?
Oh yeah – and while those GOP guys are protecting us from the dastardly UAW … look at the havoc that one storied Wall Street trader has wreaked? Bernard Madoff is under arrest – after bilking investors of … what … maybe 50 billion? Yeah, please, keep an eye on the UAW for us – no telling what they might do!
“Madoff’s investors included captains of industry, corporations — some of which are publicly traded — that used Madoff almost as a high-yielding cash management account, endowments, universities, foundations and, importantly, many high-profile funds of funds,” said Douglas Kass, who heads hedge fund Seabreeze Partners Management.
“It appears that at least $15 billion of wealth, much of which was concentrated in Southern Florida and New York City, has gone to ‘money heaven,'” he said.
Yikes – time to change the subject, I’d say! On the sports front we’ve got the USWNT playing China at the Home Depot Center today and in Detroit on 12/17. (Detroit could use a pick-me-up. I’d like to see the Lions give the Colts a run for their money, too – but that’s looking like a pipe dream.) The Eagles are definitely still in the hunt and their play-off hopes are a pipe dream that I am clinging to! They face Cleveland on Monday night. Meanwhile the Giants play the ‘boys – who are truly behaving like boys (as TO kvetches about Romo and Whitten being “mean” to him … basically). Oh my goodness- so sad!
HollyCornblog and our friend Paula R (Phatcats) are in the play-offs for the Phantastic Phootball Phanatics … may they move ahead and duke it out next week in the Phinals!
Well, after slip-sliding down the driveway and dodging the downed trees and getting to the credit union and the bank and then to work, it turned out that we were closing. I made a few calls, got a couple of things done (whatever could be done sans network and internet connections) and headed on home – back past the downed trees and the amazing-looking, ice bound birches (many bowed all the way to the ground).
Now the sky is a soft blue with scatterd, mottled grey clouds. The ice isn’t melting though – and I’m a little worried about what this is all going to be like as the temperatures drop. I’m going to take the dogs into the woods shortly, and maybe bring the camera – see what we come across.
In the meantime, here’s a nice article about Shannon Boxx from the LA Times. Seems that Pia has done wonders for Boxxy’s love of the game. And speaking of Pia – rumor has it that she’s gleaning awards in her native Sweden. Hope she (or someone) shares more details as time goes on … she surely is deserving (IMHO).
You might want to check Damallsvenskan Newsblog off and on – not just for Pia news but for updates on Swedish soccer, who is (or isn’t) coming to the WPS, speculation about Marta’s status, etc. I was sad to see that Victoria Svensson will be retiring from the Swedish National Team after the 2009 European championships – and will not be coming to play in the WPS. (She has a young daughter … and is reportedly interested in coaching.) As for her compatriot Hanna Ljungberg? I haven’t seen anything definite but did read that WPS clubs (unnamed) have expressed interest. “Pia Sundhage tells Damfotboll.com that she has recieved some inquiries from WPS clubs about Victoria’s and Hanna’s club status. And Victoria Svensson tells that she got the question from a club, unknown which, but turned them down. Her family life makes it hard for her to move from Stockholm. Damfotboll.com: WPS har inte glömt Hanna och ‘Vickan'”
And finally – this interesting tidbit from the Newsblog …
And King Pelé abdicates to Queen Marta.
The regional assembly of the Brazilian state of Alagoas, Marta’s home state, has decided to change the name of the main stadium in the capital Maceió from ‘Rei Pelé’ to ‘Rainha Marta’.
ESPN: Reina por Rey
Power outages here … and running late … so this’ll be quick.
Thank goodness CB sent me a rather amazing (and seasonal) video or there’s be just about nothing here. But check this out … Bailey the Unknown Reindeer. (Be prepared to be exhausted watching it.)
Anyone see Rachel Maddow last night? She was quite eloquent on the union-busting tactics of the disingenuous Republicans as they diddle with the auto industry bailout. Looks like the UAW said no to their ploys … and now the bailout effort appears to have failed in the Senate.
Can anyone explain to me why AIG and the banking industry and Wall Street were not so closely scrutinized before getting their billions? It all smells so damn fishy …
First and foremost, you need to know that Joe the Plumber was appalled by McCain, but kinda almost felt a “presence” when he was around Ms. Sarah Palin. Okay, so call me prurient or nasty or sick, or whatever, but my first question to Joe Wurzelbacher would be, “And exactly where do you feel that ‘presence’ … anatomically speaking, I mean … Joe?”
But speaking of the bailout … is it working? Where has the money gone? Does anyone know? Apparently not. It sounds just like the management of the money sent to Iraq on pallets, doesn’t it? Pattern here? You betcha.
Oh yeah – and the Boston Breakers are gearing up for the April Kick-off of the WPS. Angela Hucles, Heather Mitts, and Kristine Lilly were making the rounds in the Greater Boston area last week – meeting and greeting the fans. Meanwhile, Coach Tony DiCicco and his U-20 US National Team were off winning the U-20 World Cup. Not bad!
I’ve got meetings all day … and it’s snowing here. Dang … gotta get on with it!
It sounds like the USWNT is going to be missing a few of the usual suspects (four to be exact) for their upcoming matches against China, as they close out an amazing 2008! Here’s a nice review of the year – as well as a preview of things to come, from Nick Green on his 100% Soccer Blog.
I’m adding new Blog to my links – artype – exploring the in’s and out’s of the artist’s life with Edibeth, who writes:
I am an artist and art teacher living in rural New Hampshire, relishing the peace and quiet nature has to offer. If I had one wish, it would be for everything to remain exactly the same on my homestead but that I could walk 1/2 mile and be in NYC or Boston or Seattle or London or Halle, GER or Scotland or or or …
Check it out!
Oh yeah – and the Governor of Illinois trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat? What in god’s name was he thinking? I am not so much amazed at the corruption as the stupidity! So far it sounds like Obama isn’t being tainted by this – in fact, his support of an ethics measure in Illinois may have contributed to the Gov’s downfall. But this is still all unfolding – and you can be sure that Fox news and the GOP are slavering over it.
Oh yes – and on the Fantasy Football front – congratulations to Paula R and HollyCornblog who made the play-offs for the Phantastic Phootball Phanatics. (Sorry, wannabes – you came awfully darn close. Next year, for sure!)
I came upon this interesting post on The Time Finder this morning – a compendium of web-based time management and organizational tools that looked very cool. (As an aside, I “lost” about 45 minutes noodling around amongst the neat features and awesome gee gaws … but that’s par for the course when it comes to me and time management on the computer!)
In other news of the day … hmmm … ChristopherCornblog shared a sweet bit of musical commentary on Proposition 8 that you should take a look at. It’s a star-studded performance and includes Alison Janney (of West Wing fame) whom I totally missed the first time around!
In the meantime, the Huffington Post offers word about the lovely Dallas community the Bushes have chosen to live in, post 1/20 (perhaps soon to be a more important date in US history than 9/11):
But the exclusive Dallas community the Bush family will soon join has a troubled history of its own.
Until 2000, the neighborhood association’s covenant said only white people were allowed to live there, though an exception was made for servants.
Enacted in 1956, part of the original document reads: “Said property shall be used and occupied by white persons except those shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of different race or nationality in the employ of a tenant.”
And finally, from Bill Archer on BigSoccer, we have “A Tale of Two Coaches.” While he gives both Anson and Tony their props, his description of Tony DiCicco as “a sniveling little rat-faced git” makes me want to know the inside scoop, for sure! 😉
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!
Meanwhile, HollyCornblg sent this photo of a very enthusiastic-looking Zoey Hopbrew-Cornblog. Her comment/question? “Don’t you wish we all felt that excited about getting some exercise?”
JordanCornblog 