… the one that was spontaneously organized and grew by leaps and bounds as the word spread (yeah, like wildfire) to the good folks of Alaska. Why don’t we hear about this rally in the mainstream press?
Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn’t honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn’t happen here.
We heard mostly about the GOP-organized, scripted and scrubbed welcome home rally … but this one kinda got lost in the shuffle. What with the economy going into the toilet, and Palin refusing to cooperate in the Troopergate investigation, and Hurricane Ike, and even Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson weighing in against Palin … it’s perfectly understandable that there wouldn’t be space to report on this, right? Yeah, right. Right, right, right, right, right.
But overall, I’ve gotta admit, the press is doing better after the whole lipstick fiasco. The more the public demands something a bit closer to the truth – the more the press will move in that direction (with some exceptions … yeah, right, right, right, right, right).
So TPM is reporting on calls being made to Jewish voters in swing states, disparaging and spreading false rumors about Obama. And Eugene Robinson (no, not the bishop – the writer/commentator/pundit) weighs in on the never-ending, brazen lies coming out of Sarah Palin’s mouth. Just mind boggling that the American people could want such a person in a position of power (again). And in my last bit of politics for today, Andy Borowitz breaks the momentous story that Pit Bull owners are turning on the Gov.
Palin was not available for comment on the pit bull controversy, but a spokesperson for the McCain-Palin ticket offered this official statement: “Gov. Palin does in fact have one thing in common with a pit bull: Neither is capable of answering questions from reporters.”
Yes, it’s true. Turdblossom (aka Karl Rove) has spoken out about the excesses of the McCain campaign ads. To my mind the fact that he would do this publicly speaks, not to any new found sense of decorum or fair play in the doughy sleazeball, but to the fractiousness and internecine warfare within the Republican ranks. It’s my sense that he is just too diabolically clever to say anything so damaging without intending to be damaging. No matter, though – we’ll take it!
“In case anyone was still wondering whether John McCain is running the sleaziest, most dishonest campaign in history, today Karl Rove – the man who held the previous record – said McCain’s ads have gone too far,” said Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor.
As Wall Street comes unglued, gas prices rise, the war continues, “regular” Americans struggle to make ends meet, and the rich rake it in … all McSame can do is fling lies and fulminate about lipstick. Sheesh!
Meanwhile – on the values-voting front, we have Obama Waffles on sale at the Values Voters Summit. This is Sarah Palin country, folks. Remember her (rumored) comment about Sambo beating the bitch? Well these are the folks who laughed. This is the base that McCain solidified. God help us all. When they were called on this little bit of racism, the summit organizers said they “had not realized the boxes displayed ‘offensive material.'” Of course not – but they were all over that bogus lipstick brouhaha.
This morning’s post will likely be quick, as I’ve gotta make 2 dozen sandwiches for some soccer-game tailgating by 7:30 AM. But enough about me!
On Truthdig I came upon this Palin Perspective from John Dean (yes, that John Dean). Basically he argues, rather damningly, that were a sitting President in the position of having to nominate a VP to finish out a term … and were Palin to be the pick … it is highly unlikely, under the Constitution, that she’d pass muster and be confirmed by Congress.
I have to throw in, here, that McCain’s pick of Palin and Bush’s pick of Harriet Meiers have a similar, insulting-to-women feel about them. I do wonder if they in some way reflect the deep ambivalence that these men (and the party they so ably represent) have about women in positions of power. I mean … why not Kay Bailey Hutchinson? Why not Olympia Snow … or quite a few others? Why not actual competence and experience? Are they so in the dark that they don’t even recognize it when they see it? I suspect so, to be honest.
In some heartwarming news from Philly … the Eagles gave the USWNT use of their “practice bubble” as the gold medal winners practiced in preparation for their match against Ireland tonight. Let’s hope some of that USWNT mojo rubs off on the birds and they beat Dallas on Monday night! (USWNT … I’m not worried!) The match tonight, by the way, is supposed to be available on MatchAccess (i.e. via streaming video). If it’s anything like MatchTracker, well, don’t hurt your computer!
A friend has sent me some excellent elections material, including this great site that offers detailed and accurate information to students who are looking to register and vote (at their schools or at home). DO IT!(I’ve added the widget to the sidebar, too …)
And from the same friend, another map that I found fascinating … current electoral vote projections, electoral voting through the years, and lots more. Very cool!
And the HollyCornblog/CharlieHopbrew project continues apace. Here’s where it stands as they enter the weekend! Way to go you guys!
This clip of Charlie Gibson’s interview with Sarah Palin pretty much says it all. McCain may be channeling Bush, but Sarah is pretty much the real thing … never EVER letting her ignorance stand in the way of her swagger and bellicosity.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z75QSExE0jU
Here’s a bit more from the interview …
Pressed about what insights into recent Russian actions she gained by living in Alaska, Palin answered: “They’re our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.”
Obama might want to consider her for Secretary of State. (And speaking of the Secretary … I can’t wait to see what Princess Sparkle Pony will say about Sarah’s shoes. They don’t appear to measure up to Condi’s – but I’m guessing that McCain is working on that, as he seems to have a personal interest in quality footwear!)
In far more positive and interesting news, the USWNT will be in Philly tomorrow, playing Ireland in a friendly. Ireland? I know. It seems a rather lopsided match-up, but Ireland did agree to it. Here’s a great article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about how Pia Sundhage found her way to Philly and the WUSA to begin with. Mark Krikorian’s call to Pia was a fortuitous day for US Soccer, indeed!
“I called her out of the blue,” said Krikorian, the women’s coach at Florida State and the former coach of the Philadelphia Charge, the team’s only head coach before the demise of the WUSA after three seasons. “I told her I planned to come to Sweden. I talked to her about college soccer. She welcomed me into her home.”
“We stayed up to 2:30 in the morning, talking in the kitchen,” Sundhage said. “We talked about zone defenses. He was very friendly. . . . We talked about beer.”
Pia, what are you drinking these days? We owe you a case!
And finally, on an even happier note (if that’s possible), HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew have been hard at work at the lake, constructing a woodshed that yours truly will be filling with wood (chopped and split by the aforementioned individuals) come November. Here’s a photo of their progress as of mid-week … great work you guys!
While the McCain campaign strives to make Sarah Palin the issue with bogus controversies, there are plenty of real issues to look at. Hopefully the press won’t continue to be hoodwinked and will start recognizing the McSmear tactics and burying them back near the Classifieds … where they belong.
Perhaps the biggest issue the McSmears want to avoid in all their frenzy to obfuscate has to do with John McCain’s judgment and integrity. I’ve never been a big fan of the man, but he did get some kudos in my mind for seeming to stand apart from the Bush/Rove brand of invective and illusion-based politics. Now, even conservative pundits like Andrew Sullivan are finding themselves disenchanted. (Just imagine how those of us feel who weren’t all that enchanted to begin with!)
Along the same lines, here’s a great article by Will Bunch of The Philadelphia Daily News, explicating Sarah Palin’s “Speech to Nowhere.” We need much more of this from the press!
Boltgirl recently posted about the McSmear’s anti-Obama, anti-sex ed ad that twists and obscures and obfuscates as only Rove-spawned evil-doers can do! It’s hard to sit still and watch this shit. I was shocked, the deeper I got into the bowels of You-Tube, to see the kind of sick dreck that the McSmear campaign was/is putting out.
It’s odd, isn’t it? Here’s a guy who lost out on the nomination eight years ago, precisely because of the tactics he himself is using now. Bush/Rove did him in with McSmear tactics back in 2000 … in South Carolina and beyond. And while the Senator may have stood up to his captors all those years ago in Vietnam, he’s set aside his storied integrity and has caved in to them here in 2008. This is no Maverick … this is Faust. (And Faust, if you recall, is a tale of tragedy.)
Those who know John McCain are stepping up and speaking out. Here’s Dr. Phillip Butler on his fellow POW who’s running for President. This is a video statement embedded in a blog post on McCain’t Okay – an interesting and informative compendium of information on the Senator and his running mate.
I only wish my Republican-leaning friends would eat it!
There was a nice editorial printed in the Boston Globe today. Along with this link sent to me yesterday by a friend and former colleague, it shows a different angle on what we’re in for should ignorance, dogma, and short-sightedness win in November.
I wonder what song Sarah Palin would be singing if she were packed up in fatigues and sent to the front lines in Iraq or Afghanistan? Would she be so quick to war-monger? And what, exactly, did McCain learn in the skies above Vietnam, and in his years as a POW? That war is the answer??
So Rachel Maddow’s new show premiered last night and while I didn’t see the whole thing (had a meeting) and didn’t see Boltgirl there (not yet, that is), what I saw I liked a lot (not surprisingly). Way to go Rachel!
Ariana Huffington has written about Sarah Palin as the Trojan Moose who distracts the electorate (and bloggers) from McCain’s real running mate (George W. Bush and the Republican record). Good points … and challenging, as Sarah Palin (along with her record, her gaffes, her incendiary statements) is a little like candy … or heroin … when it comes to yours truly. It’s hard to resist trying to unmask her, ferret out more damning details, uncover lies, etc. But I get it – spending time doing that is just what McCain wants. Small potatoes compared to the damning truth of the matter … that McCain is all about eight years plus four. That’s the bottom line.
So I’ll write about Sarah “below the fold.” It’s a start!
On the soccer front, I liked this article by Don Stewart of the Reading Eagle about Nicole Barnhart and Michele Gould – both graduates of local high schools, both born on October 10th (!) and both involved with the USWNT. Nicole was the #2 goalie behind Hope Solo, and Michele is one of the USWNT’s Athletic Trainers. Meanwhile, here’s Tony DiCicco commenting on the W-League combine in Tampa. Next up for the WPS? The USWNT player allocation takes place during the week of 9/15 … then the draft of internationals (week of 9/22) … followed by the WPS general draft (domestic and international) and the post-combine draft in January (following two more combines – one on the east and the other on the west coast).
The USWNT, along with other US Gold Medalists, will be on Oprah today … whenever Oprah is on in your world. 😉
I do not know whether coaches are included or not … but am guessing that, if invited, Pia would not turn down this one!
It sounds like Abby is getting out and about more. Good for her. I hope that her rehab goes well and she is able to return to her gold-medal-winning compatriots sooner rather than later. (I was interested to read her comments about turning down a proffered gig to be a commentator for the games. Wise decision on her part, given the whole WWC flap and her stance toward Hope and the whole episode.) Here’s an excerpt from Jeff DiVeronica from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
She flirted with the idea of going to China to root her team on in person and got permission from her coach, Pia Sundhage, but then changed her mind. She also turned down offers from USA Today and TV networks to provide commentary.
“Most people would say for sure, but that’s just not me. I didn’t want to negatively affect the team. I didn’t want to be a distraction,” she said. “The truth is I want to be back on that team for a lot more years and when you start criticizing and analyzing your teammates publicly, you cross over into territory that’s not suitable to me.”
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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