I’m happy to see that the Bay Area (San Jose, to be specific) will be joining the WPS for the 2009 season. “Play kicks off in the spring of 2009, with WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. The league will expand in 2010 with the inclusion of Atlanta, Dallas, and Philadelphia.”
I’m sure the gold medal didn’t hurt one damn bit!
The WPS is beginning to gear up for player allocations, and here are some photos from the WPSL Combine held Aug. 28-31 in Sacramento, Calif. (Credit: Patricia Giobetti)
In the end, I thought, why give up sleep time to watch Sarah Palin give a speech written by McCain’s speech-writers … a speech likely more thoroughly “vetted” than she was?
So how’d it go? The good folks at the Huffington Post and at Alternet were not wowed, it seems. The Republican press, I have no doubt, loved the red, red, moose meat of it all. In an interesting gaffe, though, GOP pudits Peggy Noonan and Mark Murphy spoke the truth about the whole Palin-choice debacle – but off mike – almost. 🙂
httpv://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CrG8w4bb3kg
McCain’s impulsivity and stubbornness are going to unravel his electoral efforts – especially if the press doesn’t cave to his campaign’s bullying tactics. If his electoral efforts are not doomed, then we are – because his touted “maverick” status makes him even more dangerous and damaging than Bush has been. We’d be putting an even looser cannon in the White House than we have there now.
Finally, in yet another example of the hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance that is so well tolerated in Republican circles, here’s an article by Tom Hamburger, Richard Simon and Janet Hook from the LA Times about McCain’s campaign against earmarks – a campaign that he’s made lots of political hay out of-and one that specifically included the abuses undertaken by one Ms. Sarah Palin.
Keep it up, American Press … you’re doing yourselves proud!
Great news on RPE, although by now I shouldn’t be the only one who isn’t surprised (ahem, RPE!).
This now makes three former BHS players under a certain coach who are playing collegiate ball: RPE, JKK, and now LAM, who made the team at my alma-mater who in case you didn’t already know (of course you did!) is currently ranked 13th in the country for NCAA D3 Women’s Soccer.
Speaking of BHS, apparently, this year’s team is already experiencing turmoil, which I truly am sad to hear. There were some interesting selections (and non-selections) to the Varsity team, and apparently there is significant drama. Ahh, high school!
Okay, I’m running out of clever Palin titles – so it’s time for her to remove her name from the ticket.
Thanks, Stephen, for your info-filled, speculative post yesterday. I had been trying to put aside my ongoing questions about the whole whose-baby-is-it matter – and your post articulated very clearly the things that continue to gnaw at me (as well as adding a few others). Though I find it very annoying to tune in and watch the GOP speechifiers at their convention, I may just have to watch Palin’s speech tonight (assuming she is still on the ticket). And realistically, I’m guessing that the calculating Rovian operatives who picked her will want to see how she polls before taking any further steps re. her status. (Thanks, HollyCornblog, for the article! Sorry you had to go back to work today!)
This interesting piece from TPM gives some background on the Alaska Independence Party and its founder Joe Vogler. This is the controversial group that Palin has been associated with – and of which her husband has been a member. The interesting question raised at the end of the article is … what kind of a field day would the Republican attack machine be having if Barack or Michelle had these kinds of associations? Just imagine!
And just in case you were thinking about asking the McCain campaign for any straight talk about Palin … you can rest assured that they won’t take kindly to your questions.
Sheesh! On a happier note, the Phillies won … and congratulations to RPE … you go girl!
So, I’ve been thinking (and reading) a lot about this whole Trig situation, and while the decent person inside me (somewhere) wants to believe nobody is so self-serving that they would knowingly fake a pregnancy to protect their teenage child (not the bad part) AND use it to promote one’s own “strength” and “values”… something doesn’t add up here! To wit (and I really do hope I’m wrong):
Pictures (part 1): There are virtually zero pictures of Sarah Palin pregnant with Trig. The only one I’ve seen surface has had its veracity (specifically, the date it was taken) questioned by an apparent digital timestamp. When acting governor Jane Swift of Massachusetts was pregnant and in office, there was no hiding it. There were dozens of pictures of her all over the place because, after all, a governor cannot hide for several months. Pictures of Palin, reportedly 6-8 months into her pregnancy? No sign of the “telltale bulge.” For someone who is a proud mother of 5 children, why did she hide her pregnancy for so long from so many people, many her closest confidantes? I may not be woman enough to understand what its like to be pregnant (although my wife may argue that point) I HAVE been around many pregnant women in my day — my wife, family members, friends — some of whom were naturally very slender and avid runners. NONE of them ever looked “normal” at 7-8 months. NONE. No matter how well you wear it (at 44? after 4 previous kids??) you can’t fit your pregnant tummy into outfits like Palin did.
The Missing Daughter: Daughter Bristol misses the last several months of her mother’s pregnancy, reportedly with a case of mono — an apparently notorious “disease” that is often used to cover up teenage pregnancy, especially in parochial or wealthy private schools. Mono typically affects the afflicted from as little as 2 weeks to as many as 2 or 3 months, rarely but not impossibly longer than that. She missed school for (reportedly) 5+ months with mono?
Pictures (parts 2): Have you seen the family pictures of the Palin clan? Notice who almost always seems to be holding baby Trig? That’s right… Bristol. Look closely mothers, recognize that look in her eyes, that “glow” about her face? Does Bristol look 5-6 months pregnant to you?
The Long, Strange Flight Home: Okay, this is the one part of the story that is the hardest to explain away. Palin’s water broke, apparently, and she called her family doctor when that happened — at 4:00am while visiting Texas. I haven’t seen or heard anything anywhere from any type of doctor that has supported the theory that any doctor, in good conscience, would approve of Palin going to her planned speech, let alone a subsequent 8-hour flight (with layover in Seattle) followed by a one-hour drive to a small-town hospital to give birth.
Was Palin considered “high risk?” Well, consider that “women with Down’s syndrome are also more likely than other women to have a premature baby, or to need a caesarian section.” – http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/DSA_Faqs.aspx
Palin apparently knew from early on in her pregnancy that she was having a Down syndrome baby. Well maybe she just wore it well? But then, wouldn’t an intelligent, 8-month pregnant woman whose water had broken hours ago at least inform the flight crew? Or give some other indication of her condition, like:
“if your flight is longer than one hour, be certain to get up and walk around several times during your flight. Pregnancy increases the risk of blood clots in the legs, and so does sitting for a long period of time.” – http://www.pregnancy-info.net/wellbeing_flying.html
However, none of the flight crew on that 2,200-mile flight noticed anything at all about her condition? No grimacing in pain with contractions, no frequent trips to the bathroom, no frequent walks through the aisles? My wife has only been pregnant twice, and at 8 months she was VERY noticeable and totally incapable of sitting through an 8-hour flight. And she’s skinnier and more athletic than Palin!
HOWEVER, if I were a mother whose pregnant daughter went into labor prematurely while I was out of state (thus prompting a call from a family doctor at 4:00am) I might — if the doctor told me that there was no rush, and my daughter was in good hands — finish my work (political) obligations then hop the next flight home. There would be no danger to Palin in that scenario, and it certainly would explain why she would fly over thousands of miles with probably dozens if not hundreds of better-equipped hospitals to get herself to Wasilla.
Pictures (part 3): Ever seen pictures of Sarah Palin months pregnant?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Es5aIJl1g
And this one, taken in Feb. 2008 when she was 6-7 months pregnant (Palin appears just before halfway through).
Semantics: Maybe, but read the reports of Palin’s “announcement” of her last pregnancy:
Palin stated “she was leaving work to expect a new member of the first family.” Specifically, I believe the quote was “I will be delivering an addition to the first family.”
I haven’t been able to find a single quote attributed to Palin stating “I am pregnant.” If you explore the linguistics you find that she never actually states directly that she is with child. She alludes to a pregnancy, but could just as well be talking about someone else. But then, I haven’t done months of research on this… just interesting that she didn’t say “I’m pregnant.”
Coverup: Ok, why remove all the pictures from various government and social web sites? Why the sudden Wikipedia scrub? Where did the MySpace pages go?? If this is nothing but a vicious internet conspiracy, why feed the frenzy by looking like you’re hiding something?
Denial: As in, has anyone seen any? You’d think the Republicans would know damn sure the dangers of not responding Swift-ly and firmly to these types of rumors… John Kerry was done in on far less “information” and with bodies of evidence available to contradict the rumors, but his mistake was to believe it would just go away. Surely Karl and Co. know this won’t just subside?
I really, truly hope this is all just like Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, and that everything is just coincidence and circumstance. However, taken as a whole, there sure is a LOT of interesting coincidence in this story — and so far, nothing to directly contradict any of it.
PS – I thought you’d all find this interesting:
“In a letter she e-mailed to relatives and close friends Friday after giving birth, Palin wrote, “Many people will express sympathy, but you don’t want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You will have to trust me on this.” She wrote it in the voice of and signed it as “Trig’s Creator, Your Heavenly Father.””
Interesting that she chose the second person narrative, is it not?
Or…
Apparently, the “First Dude” isn’t the father, but then, this wouldn’t be the first case of immaculate conception, would it?
Check this out – from Paul Kane of The Washington Post (cited on MSNBC.com). Sarah Palin was very busy as mayor, looks like. I’d say the clock has got to be ticking … don’t you think?
Cindy McCain and Laura Bush appeared together at the Republican convention yesterday and offered uplifting fare to the 17 delegates in attendance. In a surprisingly bold move, Cindy offered the following bit of wardrobe advice: “This is a time when we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats.” Brave and inspiring words, indeed!
However, in this blogger’s search of the internet, I have found NO evidence that either woman owns a Republican hat, let alone an American hat.
After all the flap about Obama and his flag pin, you’d think that these ladies would have had the decency and patriotism to at least have the hats to which they are referring. At the very least, this is more evidence of the poor planning of John McCain and his team of mavericks. More ominously, it does lead one to worry – do they even care about their Republican and American hats? Are they real Republicans and real Americans? Without the hats, how can we know for sure?
… then, of course, there is all the ongoing Palin stuff! My prediction? She’ll be gone before the new NFL season kicks off on Thursday night (with an upset of the Giants by the Redskins, I might add).
PS Good luck, CB, on your first day teaching the kids! (If you ever want to blog about teaching in the NYC public schools, just say the word and I’ll set you up!)
So now the McCain/Palin campaign has issued a release indicating that Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old daughter Bristol is five months pregnant. I have a wide range of responses to this news.
Poor kid — that’s my biggest response. Can you imagine being 17 years old and having this splashed all over the national news?
Just how ambitious is Sarah Palin? (It’s not exactly like her country “needs” her and she was responding to some patriotic “call.” She made a calculated choice to say yes to McCain, knowing what she knew.
So it’s got to be either overweening ambition (plowing ahead with this in spite of what is happening in her family and in her daughter’s life); or
Or something even odder that I haven’t yet imagined. (Which is kind of the way this Palin story has been shaping up since Friday, eh?).
And then there’s John McCain.
The biggest question/concern for me (and it’s huge) is what this says about his judgment, his executive abilities, and his impulsivity.
Did he, too, think that it will go unnoticed?
If he knew all about this from the get-go, why would he proceed? If she were an otherwise incredibly strong candidate I might almost begin to understand his thinking — but this just smacks of sloppiness, impulsivity, and really sketchy judgment.
Is this a reflection of how McCain thinks and behaves under pressure? Yikes!
Personally, I think it’s sad that a 17-year-old is pregnant. I would feel that way about any 17-year-old in that situation. It is a life-changing event, any way you look at it, and I can appreciate the Palin family wanting it to be left a private matter. I would be more than happy to do so, were she not running for Vice President and part of a movement whose self-righteous mission is to foist its so-called “family values” on the rest of us.
While I take no pleasure in the pain and embarrassment of a 17-year-old young woman, I must admit that I do take some pleasure in (once again) seeing the emptiness and hypocrisy of the far right brightly illuminated on the national stage.
Hurricane Gustav is bearing down on Louisiana in an eerie replay, nearly to the day, of Katrina three years ago. The powers that be have learned from some of their mistakes, evacuating people by the thousands and generally being much more prepared. Sadly, Gustav has provided the Republicans with a good, plausible reason for avoiding the spectacle of Bush and Cheney speaking at their convention. Unfortunately, that makes it easier to promote the illusion of McCain-as-Maverick … McCain as his own guy.
On the Sarah Palin front, TPM has a very good summary by Josh Marshall about Troopergate and the abuse of power that it represents. He sums up his piece as follows:
We rely on elected officials not to use the power of their office to pursue personal agendas or vendettas. It’s called an abuse of power. There is ample evidence that Palin used her power as governor to get her ex-brother-in-law fired. When his boss refused to fire him, she fired his boss. She first denied Monegan’s claims of pressure to fire Wooten and then had to amend her story when evidence proved otherwise. The available evidence now suggests that she 1) tried to have an ex-relative fired from his job for personal reasons, something that was clearly inappropriate, and perhaps illegal, though possibly understandable in human terms, 2) fired a state official for not himself acting inappropriately by firing the relative, 3) lied to the public about what happened and 4) continues to lie about what happened.
I can’t think this isn’t making the McCain campaign awfully nervous … although “abuses of power” certainly don’t seem to bother the Republican Party very much.
Meanwhile … what is the Straight Talker looking at here?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RN5xbWtNSU
… and sorry, HollyCornblog … I’ve got nothing on you today! 😉
This post is mainly a test of an edit I made to the post template – so that the author’s name is included (now that we have more than one). Others? Alice? CB? Chris?
From the Washington Post, more detail about Troopergate. This sounds very messy. Stay tuned.
And here’s a bit more about baby Trig’s birth … be sure to check the links for more detail. Based on the information in these articles, it is sounding more and more likely that what this appears on the face of it is probably true. (As an aside, it’s interesting to note that as of 5/29/08, she was apparently being vetted by the McCain crew.)
It’s going to take awhile for the dust to settle on all this. (HollyCornblog is at the lake and not feeding me juicy tidbits of info the way she had been earlier …so tomorrow it could be slim pickins … unless Stephen steps in!)
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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