Make-Believe Maverick, by Tim Dickinson appears on Rollingstone.com. JordanCornblog has already published a link to the Dickinson article on this blog, I just learned. So this post serves as a second “thumbs up”. The article reports McCain’s actual choices while a POW, an account provided by Air Force lieutenant colonel John Dramesi, who was also imprisoned and tortured in Vietnam. And that’s only the beginning…
I found this exposé particularly gratifying, given McCain’s intoning, “But what do we really know about Barack Obama?” I accept that it’s the right and even the responsibility of the GOP to air any choices Obama has made that would not appeal to its constituency. But for McCain to imply secretiveness and a scurrillous past to Obama while sitting on this powder keg is the height of… of… absurdity? hypocrisy? I’m at a loss for words. Can anybody help me out?
This is one of the creepiest things I’ve seen in awhile … at least since the last time I watched the Straight Talker for any length of time.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkykrDu32Wo
That one? Really? That soft, fake-friendly voice is downright threatening, don’t you think? It reminds me of someone. Dennis Hopper? Jack Nicholson in a scary movie … or .. someone else? It’s on the tip of my tongue (but obviously eluding me). Who is it? Any thoughts?
And don’t you wonder what McCain’s blood pressure is like these days, as he sits on all that unprocessed rage?
The Huffington Post, in its survey of newsgroups, gave Obama the win pretty much on all fronts. I found McCain vague and peevish and (as noted above) very creepy. Obama, on the other hand, seemed calm and clear and much more specific in his comments and proposals. This’ll be spun out all day – but I don’t see it as anything but a plus for the Obama Camp. Well done!
Check out Boltgirl’s great “semi-live” blogging! (Hope you get to sleep in today … oh yeah … this was on at, what, 7PM for you? Nevermind.)
In other hopeful election information, Alison sent me this piece about the huge upsurge in voter registration in Virginia.
Virginia increased its voter rolls by a whopping 6.2 percent during the 2008 New Voter Registration period ending today, a figure that is more than double the Obama campaign goal. All these new voters could have a huge impact in a tossup state with fewer than 5 million registered voters. The official tally so far — 307,482 new voters — will be even higher once October registrations are counted.
Who are these new decision-makers? “Mostly they’re young, independent, and tired of what’s going on in Washington. Many moved to Virginia from other states. More than 60 percent are under age 35,” Jared Leopold told OffTheBus. Leopold is communications director for the Democratic Party of Virginia Coordinated Campaign.
How many of these newbies are Democrats? There’s no way of knowing because Virginia’s registration is non-partisan, but the Obama campaign is encouraged by their demographics. One-third live in heavily Democratic northern Virginia: Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Falls Church City, Prince William, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Loudoun. More than 5,000 new voters registered in Richmond, and more than 3,500 in Norfolk and Newport News — all areas where John Kerry had a majority in 2004.
At a GOP rally over the weekend, John McCain’s brother Joe referred to northern Virginia as “communist country,” and then quickly apologized. The Pentagon is located in Arlington.
Data like this makes me begin to hope …
Okay – have you seen the Sarah Palin Debate Flow Chart? This is priceless …
You’ll need to click on the image to get a proper look. The creator of this masterpiece is Aden Nak and his blog can be found at adennak.com. Great stuff (gotta add this one to the old blogroll)
I am also happy to report that SNL is offering up a weekly news show (at least for two weeks in October). Hey, anything is better than nothing – we need all the reliable news that we can get, and the comics have proven themselves more in touch with reality than most other venues over the past decade or so! Thanks for the tip, HollyCornblog.
In other news, the Bobcats kicked butt in Portland (ME) yesterday … way to go! (And if the predictions hold, I’m going to kick ChristopherCornblog’s butt in Ffootball this weekend!) Meanwhile, the NLCS gets underway in Philly tomorrow night, while the ALCS waits in the wings.
Here’s a variation of a Letter to the Editor I just sent out:
What if a “President McCain” continues his downhill slide?
The McCain we see today may not possess the quickness of mind and resilience shown by McCain eight years ago. If you question this, compare footage of him then and now.
A healthy and fully alert president, known for volatility and erratic choices, presents one set of problems. Electing an inconsistent and hot-tempered president in possible physical and/or mental decline escalates the hazards. Here are some questions I ask myself:
How would chemotherapy/radiation for recurrent melanoma interfere with a President McCain’s decision-making? If erratic behavior intensifies, who determines if it’s dementia? What level of crisis would spur intervention? Who would establish succession in these fiercely partisan times, given questions about Palin’s capability? How protracted a process would this devolve into? What level of nationwide dissent might arise? How effectively would it be resolved? And how would our nation fare with a host of crises during a lengthy vacuum in leadership?
Questions of competence can tear families apart. If taking car keys from a driver in early dementia ranges from difficult to impossible, how easy would it be to take the White House away from a strong-willed president with loose wires?
Check out Susan’s comment on Alison’s post yesterday (and Welcome, Alison – I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say here)! Speaking of the Electoral College, I heard an interesting piece on NPR about the Electoral College – kinda scary how little people know about it!
And speaking of scary, the McCainiacs are getting desperate. Tonight’s debate has all the makings of a Wrestling match – at least from the Maverick Team. (And speaking of mavericks … check out this Letterman video … with Brian Williams on the VP debate.)
The WPS general draft was held yesterday and the Breakers came away with some more heft on the defensive end of the field. Full results can be found on the WPS site, here. Beau Dure writes about the surprises in WPS Draft for USA Today. I was interested to see that Briana Scurry asked to not be considered – and that there are a number of old(er) USWNT and WUSA players whose names don’t appear. And get ready for Sunday night WPS soccer starting in April 2009! WPS and Fox Soccer Channel have a deal – and it sounds like a great time slot to me!
Sorry to be on the short end this morning … fighting a cold, and the Zicam hasn’t kicked in just yet. (Zicam? If you haven’t tried it, you must – it works like a charm! That loss of taste thing .. can’t say as I’ve noticed …)
Have you visited 270towin.com? You can view real-time update of the ever-shifting electoral vote projections. Every conceivable combination of outcomes necessary for either Obama or McCain to win can be scrutinized on this site. And with a bit of navigating, you can also access up-to-date results from a number of pollsters.
I slid from complacency to craven abjectness some weeks ago when the chart that projected Obama’s 84% likelihood of victory no longer graced the home page. Instead, interactive simulations held center stage, displaying a cascading series of possibilities in which McCain, apparently, won more often than not. Every time a viewer clicked the link, a new, equally dire set of red flashes spilled into the swing states, spelling doom to (IMHO) reason and hope.
Revisiting the site yesterday, I was pleased to see the chart restored to the home page, with Obama now holding a 99% possibility of winning! But what precisely does this mean? By clicking on each swing state, and referring to the table that appears below, we view its voting history. I see unsettling amount of GOP votes in a great many of them. (Be forewarned that the first time you click on a swing state, it turns red. Click again, and it turns blue. So the initial color shift signifies nothing.)
Having fallen on my aspiration after last month’s visit to the site, I no longer lean on the percentages. We’ve seen how grandstanding, spurious claims and shifts of the public tide of opinion (red tide?) can erode support for Obama. But I’ll warm myself in the autumn sun between the clouds, and hope for brighter days come November.
The Time Finder posted information about some great computer shortcuts this morning – along with a link to the NY Times article by David Pogue. Who knew, for example, that you can use Google like a calculator? And here’s a cool tip that I found in the “Comments” –
A little less known one I enjoy frequently and teach even more frequently is ctrl+enter for entering web addresses.
Typing google in the address bar and then pressing ctrl+enter puts the www. in front of it and the .com behind it and proceeds to go to the address.
Shift+enter does .net, and ctrl+shift+enter does .org
Here’s an interesting article about McCain’s tics, grimaces and jaw-clenches in the last debate. Stay tuned – I’m sure his unprocessed rage will find creative ways to express itself on Tuesday!
The site “Keating Economics” is going to be releasing a video at noontime (ET) today detailing McCain’s involvement in the Savings and Loan debacle way back when. This is highly relevant history, folks – unlike the marginal and personal attacks being fomented by the Straight Talker’s sidekick.
The new edition of Rolling Stone offers insights into the life and times of John McCain in a wonderful piece by Tim Dickinson titled Make Believe Maverick.
In its broad strokes, McCain’s life story is oddly similar to that of the current occupant of the White House. John Sidney McCain III and George Walker Bush both represent the third generation of American dynasties. Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity. Both developed an uncanny social intelligence that allowed them to skate by with a minimum of mental exertion. Both struggled with booze and loutish behavior. At each step, with the aid of their fathers’ powerful friends, both failed upward. And both shed their skins as Episcopalian members of the Washington elite to build political careers as self-styled, ranch-inhabiting Westerners who pray to Jesus in their wives’ evangelical churches.
In one vital respect, however, the comparison is deeply unfair to the current president: George W. Bush was a much better pilot.
Finally, HollyCornblog beat me hands down when we went head-to-head in Fantasy Football yesterday. The Phillies won, moving on to the NLCS, while the Eagles lost (thereby reinforcing my slightly paranoid suspicion that two Philly teams cannot win on the same day.) The Angels lived to play the Red Sox another day … the Shock swept the Silver Stars to win yet another WNBA title (and Katie Smith was named MVP) … and the beat goes on!
This morning I checked BlueHampshire and was pleased to see this piece about the level of desperation in the McSame camp.
I groaned aloud last night when I heard Palin regurgitating that Bill Ayers story yet again. Despicable and empty ploy … but what I like about it is how it reflects the ongoing disarried and frantic quality of the mavericks’ campaign. There are no new ideas coming from that quarter. None. Nada. Just the rehash of the same tired shallowness. Come on Joe Six Pack – you’re smarter than that.
In fact, here’s a great piece from Salon about the dumbing down of the Republican Party. This campaign picks up on a tired GOP theme .. and one that is insulting to every constituency to which it purports to appeal. It used to work, guys, but with the economy in dire straits, and after eight years of dumber-than-dumb at the helm, it’s no surprise that the electoral map is in some flux.
SNL spoofed the VP debate last night with Queen Latifah as Gwen Ifill. Needless to say, they were spot-on, and Tina Fey continues to channel Palin perfectly. Keep it up folks – we’re counting on you! 😉 This hit all the right notes. And watch below, for the reason Mel Gibson un-friended Bill Maher on Facebook …
The Phillies lost and the Cubbies got knocked out of the play-offs (sorry about that one, Chicago – I was rooting for you – at least ’til the next round).
On the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) front, the General Draft takes place tomorrow. Here’s some information on how you can follow the draft tomorrow. There are lots of options for following it live (starting at 2PM ET) – or for viewing a recap on the Fox Soccer Channel (8PM ET). (Also on the WPS front, we’re waiting to hear from our friend ‘Ski about where our seats are for the Breakers’ inaugural season (she was slated to pick ’em yesterday down at Harvard stadium)! Thanks!
Hey, I’m writing from the Ramada Inn in Lewiston this morning. It’s a beautiful, cloudless morning in Maine … and we’ve got two soccer games on tap. Elvis and Johnny Cash are both entertaining here at the Ramada. Oh yeah – and there’s Wi-Fi here at the Ramada, too. Nice (and Go, Bobcats!).
So let’s see – what catches my eye this morning? First off, I see that OJ Simpson is not only guilty but is found guilty this time around. Good. I see that the Red Sox won and are now up two games on the Angels. Good. I see that Sarah P. will be avoiding the Sunday news shows yet again. (No worry, though – I am pretty darn sure that she’ll be appearing on SNL.) Very, very good!
Apparently, in an interview with the friendlier Fox folks, Ms. P. was able to answer questions that she couldn’t when they were being put to her by the extremely intimidating and combative Katie Couric.
Ms. Palin explained that she stumbled in the Couric interviews not because she didn’t know the answers, but that she was annoyed with the interview because she thought the questions did not focus enough on the qualities needed in a vice president. She promised to try to be patient in the future.
Good god, y’all!
I was surprised to hear, yesterday, that while McCain won’t pull out of Iraq, he ispulling out of Michigan. Another bit of odd impulsivity from The Straight Talker, if you ask me. Meanwhile, ProPublica has done some research on just what Palin’s repeated strong statements about cleaning up corruption on Wall Street might actually mean when it comes to specific proposals. Surprisingly, they found that her assertions meant pretty much nothing. 😉
While short on details, McCain/Palin do promise repeatedly to “do what is right for the American people.” Now that just scares the BeJeezus out of me. Having some idea of what those folks think is right … I find that campaign rhetoric feels more like a threat than a promise from where I sit.
But off we go now. Here in Lewiston, as I said, it’s a beautiful morning in October. McCain/Palin have not been elected – and god/goddess willing, they never will be. Joe Six-Pack … don’t be fooled!
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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