First and foremost – HAPPY 21st, RPE! Here’s to savoring your day … and you!
And what a day yesterday in the NFL! While I was focusing on a birthday, it felt like Christmas arrived early on the football front, what with the Eagles beating the Giants, the ‘boys falling, the Pats winning, and the Redskins taking a hit from the Ravens. Nice!
On the soccer front, the US U-20 women defeated North Korea to win their world cup yesterday – quite a feat! I’ll not be writing anything about the DI final ’til we’ve finished watching that game … but did see that Messiah won their DIII final quite handily.
I’m on the run this morning – may be back at it later – but wanted to introduce the JordanCornblog Store … just in time for Solstice!
Needless to say – it is just what you have been waiting for!
Sunday morning (already) and I’m here at my computer with the shades drawn – so I’ve no idea what it’s doing outside. We’ve been without heat for the past couple of days – so keeping the shades down seems the better part of valor here in my east-looking room. The sun usually warms the south and southeast-facing spaces very nicely – so the lack of heat hasn’t been too bad. But today is predicted to be grey – and we’re gone most of the day anyway – so, as I said, the shades are down. Doesn’t affect my web-surfing capabilities, however!
Barack Obama is going to be on Meet the Press this morning and will discuss, among other things, his nomination of General Eric Shinseki as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. (Anyone who can be described as Rumsfeld’s nemesis is a hero in my book, and it sounds like Shinseki fits the bill in many other ways, too.) I did not know that the agency he’s taking over is the second largest in the Federal bureaucracy – clearly it’s an agency where a lot of work is needed to address both longstanding problems and the havoc that the Iraq War and its mismanagement have wreaked. Born in Hawaii, General Shinseki is the first Japanese-American and Asian-American to reach the Army’s top position.
Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks, meanwhile, weigh in on the potential for a good relationship developing between the President-Elect and his Secretary of State. (Sounds like things are looking pretty good.)
Speaking of relationships, are Donovan McNabb and the City of Brotherly Love kaput? The word is mixed – and I’m thinking that today’s result against the Giants should spell either his salvation or his doom (at least ’til next week). On a more personal note – should I start McNabb today … or Flacco?
And on The Root, Keith Josef Adkins blogs about the still-simmering questions about Obama’s birthplace. It seems a bizarre and frivolous story … although as one who was kinda into the whole Palin-didn’t-have-a-baby-thing, I guess I’m on kinda thin ice here. Bottom line, there will always be questions and controversies amongst the disgruntled and those who see conspiracies everywhere. It requires a lot of energy and creative thinking. Imagine the good these folks could do, were they to apply their prodigious creative talents to solving some actual problems in the world?
It boggles the mind. And on that note … a song for today … as we hit the snowy Maine Turnpike and head to Lewiston!
There is actually women’s soccer on TV this Sunday – amazing! On the national team side of things, the Youth National Team is in Chile, where they play in the finals of their World Cup in a game that is being televised live on ESPN2 this Sunday afternoon (4:30 ET). Yeah! Pia has joined them there – and from what I read, is as beloved by this group as by the older socceristas. (Of course, she does hold their careers in her hands, more or less – but it sounds to me like they actually do kind of adore her – and why not? She sings to them, for pete’s sake!)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMbtzalS3u8
.. kinda hard to imagine Pia and picture how she’d choreograph this one … hope there’s video!
So bottom line: be sure to tune in on Sunday for a Women’s Soccer double header. You can catch the NCAA College Cup final at 2 p.m. ET and then the USA-North Korea World Cup Final at 4:30 p.m. ET!
If you’ve got the DI semi-finals recorded and don’t want to know what happened in women’s NCAA soccer action yesterday, stop reading here. (We’ll be recording tomorrow, as we’ll be in Lewiston for a 21st birthday brunch – YES!) Anyway -assuming all eyes have been averted except those who want to see – here’s the scoop …
The DI finals will pit Notre Dame against UNC after both won in 1-goal semi’s. Yael Averbuch put UNC to the final wth a PK in the first half. The Fighting Irish won on a goal by freshman Courtney Barg (assisted by fellow first year Melissa Henderson) and have a chance to become the first team other than UNC to win at least three national championships in women’s soccer.
In DIII action, Wheaton downed Williams to move on to the finals against Messiah at 5PM today in Greensboro, NC. (The write-up on the NCAA site is pulled from the Wiliams athletic department site … in case it struck you, as it did me, as a tad Eph-centric!)
In DII Albany’s Saint Rose got absolutely pummeled by West Florida, who will now meet Seattle Pacific this afternoon in the DII Final in Tampa. So it’s kind of an all soccer weekend, don’t you think? (The other exciting athletic event to watch wil be the Eagles’ resounding defeat of the Giants … but I digress!)
On the “other stuff” front – I’m working on developing a JordanCornblog logo so that I can be more like Boltgirl and sell mugs and T-shirts in my own shop on CafePress. (Just for fun – don’t worry – no pressure on anyone!) What do you think of this picture, for starters … JordanCornblog (I was hoping to be able to upload it – but apparently can’t – at least not yet.)
I thought this was just good Friday fun – but it took a sharp right turn unexpectedly, as I explored … and now I have to put it aside and hit the shower. Sorry … and here it is!
Hmmm … but as let the tone of her tome sink in … and read more about Dorthea – who was married to Seward Collins -I get a wee bit of an Ayn Rand flavor – and a wee bit of a creepy feeling. Success, eh?
Interesting that she’s cited on the Huffington Post – where I don’t expect to find things that creep me out unless they are clearly labeled as creepy.
So does the fact that these brain exercises come from the wife of someone who may have been n American fascist taint them? A question for the ages … and one that I’m afraid I don’t have time to explore myself this morning.
I’m thinking that title doesn’t even make sense. But that aside, it went well today, going back to work. Nice to get back, actually. That’s not to say I wouldn’t love a few more hours free each day – or a bit more sleep. But complaining would be beyond unseemly in the current economic climate, so I’ll button it up.
I’m happily listening to some music that is transporting me right back to the sidewalks of Havertown, PA and Philly, PA and Swarthmore, PA … sidewalks of the late 60’s and early ’70’s (in PA). Ahhh. The Delfonics, the Intruders … “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time?” “La La Means I Love You.” Motown is Motown – and I’d never say a bad word about it – but it ain’t this Philly sound. This music is summer nights with Harry Kalas‘ voice drifting over suburban patios as the Phillies lose another one and Dad heads up to bed. It’s endless “heavy” conversations with CB. And Coke and cigarettes and big old cars cruising up and down West Chester Pike or winding along Darby Road at dusk.
It’s the trolley giving way to buses (what the hell were they thinking?) It’s the brand new Burger King at the end of our street (I’ll never forget my first Whopper). And more Coke. And tube socks and white high top Converse All Stars. It’s playing basketball in small, stinky gyms in front of tiny crowds and totally loving it … and then going gaga as the Mighty Macs win the first ever National Championship in women’s college hoops! It’s throwing endless sticks for Dutchess in the amphitheater at Swarthmore and more heavy conversations (with fancier footnotes) floating up into the soft night air. It’s The Stylistics and The Spinners, MFSB and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes … crooning their way right to the edge of disco, then fading graciously away. Just like that. Poof.
So there it is. I’m meandering tonight. Looking (so far not much luck) for on-line photos of Havertown. And I’m exploring a new blog from HollyCornblog, that I’m adding to the “Blogs We Like” category as we speak. Check out AngryBlackBitch (it goes down very well with a twist of the O’Jays and a smidgen of Billy Paul. Trust me.
And finally, listening to this music I’m remembering how horrible it was going through late adolescence and college with Nixon as president. In recent years, I’d come to the even more horrible conclusion that Bush is much, much, much worse … only to find (with the release of the latest Nixon tapes) that it may actually be a horrible, horrible tie. Oh, but the music was fine.
I’m back at it today – back at work – back in the real world. Wondering what it’ll be like, as I write in the wee hours. The sky’s still dark – not even a sliver of dawn yet, at the eastern horizon. This morning I’ll get something posted before Alice checks!
Boltgirl was asking about Twitter in her recent post and I have to say that I don’t entirely get it yet, either. (Oh, and by the way – sorry about Jan. Obama is decimating the chief executive pool of the Southwest as he names his cabinet … and what’s an up-side for us is surely miserable news for Arizona.)
Anyway – as for Twitter – the upside for me is that it’s yet-another source for amazing information – like the fact that there is a Christian nudist colony in NH. I’d never in a million year thought this possible (the air temperatures alone would seem to mitigate against it) had not a friend, who happened to be driving by, Tweeted about it.
Founded in 1950 by Robert and Mary Bonser, Cedar Waters Village is also one of the oldest and most beautiful nudist parks in the country.
The park – which is older than I am (important fact these days) – is in Nottingham – not all that far from Canterbury. To borrow some Biblical phraseology, I am just amazed at the things that there are under the sun! I’m sure I’ll be holding the image of Cedar Waters Village close, as I return to the work world today.
In a moment or two, I’ll be taking our Westie Ruby to the vets to have the plaque and tartar scraped off of her teeth. She’s had a miserable and confusing morning, as she wasn’t allowed to go “do her business” on her own but went out on a leash instead. Then, when she came in, she DIDN’T GET ANY BREAKFAST! Needless to say, she has been muttering “Fuck you,” under her breath ever since – and is exuding suspiciousness and confusion. I don’t know how it’ll be, driving 15 miles or so with a pissed off Westie. Guess I’ll find out momentarily.
I was thinking more or less aloud some days ago about what to blog about (you might remember the post) now that the election, the Olympics, etc., etc. are over. My friend Alison sent me a great e-mail response – and permission to post it – so here goes – (with thanks, Alison – you have definitely added to my thinking on the subject):
Re what to blog about – how about creating a forum for discussing the new political climate and what might evolve if we think fast and work hard – how citizen-blokes like myself consider participating in this maelstrom of change, either in their professional capacities, trying to create new entrepreneurial interests, or as volunteers? There may be any number of organizations that are putting ideas out. Opportunities will fly from their moorings and get bashed against trees, but many a bright idea might get a new hearing. And if not, how do we feel about THAT? And are you interested in keeping ideas in circulation that others might wish would go away?
There’s a magazine called “Ode – For Intelligent Optimists.” I used to get it and I like what it presents. If not all the ideas hold water, where better to debate them and improve them?
MoveOn is asking its supporters to meet and create a groundswell of support for progressive change. So what are they doing? Is it party line or is there room for quirky perspectives?
Obama’s supporters are invited to submit their ideas on Change.gov, which is also Obama’s outreach to folks. Have you seen it? What do you think about it? I think it’s a great idea, if it’s implemented well. We’ll see how an individual and his support team who ran a fabulous campaign apply their smarts to transition, outreach, consensus, drawing ideas, etc.
And I always enjoy seeing what “Discover” magazine reports about – a popular science magazine with eye-catching topics.
And maybe a short entry about the NH Community Loan Fund’s success in the midst of meltdowns? I liked how you referred to The Loan Fund earlier …
And then there are the lesser-traveled sections of HuffPo to troll for offbeat stuff! And I recommend “The Wisdom of Crowds” for interesting theorizing and documented research and history about when crowds do things that are very very good and very very bad.
(And this is before I have my coffee this morning! 🙂
Wow, Alison – thanks again! Do others of you have ideas about good sites to track or subjects to explore?
Oh yeah, and do you want me to continue to keep an eye on HollyCornblog? Or do you think I should back off and give her some space? 😉
The USWNT is getting ready for two December games versus China. Big news on that front (for me and other Breakers fans) is that Lil is back on the roster. Wish they’d televise the damn games so we could get a gander! Anyway – it’s good to see Kristine Lilly back in the mix and getting her soccer legs back before the WPS kicks off in April.
My other question of import? Well – today is the last day of my protracted vacation. Tomorrow I’ll be back at work – and am debating whether to check my work e-mail one more time … or wait and just do it tomorrow. What do you think? (Pretty earthshaking, huh?)
HollyCornblog’s home brewing skills are on display here as she deals with a very feisty (and most likely yummy) Stone Smoked Porter clone.
First … here’s her big pot in action. The spigot is open and draining the beer from the pot through a strainer into the carboy.
Then the carboy gets covered with a paper bag (beer needs to be kept in the dark as much as possible – so much for those clear Corona bottles, eh?) and sits in a warm place and “works.”
… and works and works and works and works. In fact, it gets pretty worked up!
Here’s the carboy on Monday night, spewing Smoked Porter out of its air lock. It’s hard to see – but if you click on the thumbnail you’ll get a larger image. Apparently it was a strong, thick stream.
I asked HollyCornblog what it was like and she wrote: “Yep, it was coming straight out in a forceful skinny stream. I ended up having to take the air-lock off and I put a giant blow-off hose in the container. It wasn’t long after I sent you the picture when there was a loud boom and the cork flew out of the carboy.” Who knew that home brewing could be so exciting (and possibly dangerous)?
The last photo is of the blow-off hose … with this update from HollyCornblog: “It has finally calmed down enough where I can put the air lock back on it. It was just bubbling like crazy last night and spitting and sputtering. You can see how the paper bag got all splattered from it shooting up in the air. I am just hoping in the end the beer tastes good.”
Two comments:
1) I am sure the beer will taste awesome!
2) Any chance you could loan me that blow hose for the next time Christopher Hitchens is on Hardball? I think it might really help.
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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