I’m starting off very randomly today … we’ll see if some shape emerges.
First, I see that the Flyers went to OT and won their game 7 (unlike the Bruins … oops) and move on in the Stanley Cup playoffs, where they’ll next face top-ranked Montreal. Rock on, Broadstreet Bullies! (Tells you the last time I followed the Flyers, I’m afraid …)
The Phillies beat the Rockies for the second straight game … as Pat Burrell gave the Phils some more clutch hitting … and they top the .500 mark for the first time this season (and WAY earlier than in recent years).
Here are the deer at the top of our hill … waiting patiently for their morning victuals. We are winding down on the food service … as the fields green up and their natural sources of sustenance come back into play.
In other local news … hats off to Canterbury’s own Brian Collins who ran in Monday’s Boston Marathon and finished an awesome 4,671 overall with a 3:21:53 time. I believe I heard somewhere that this was Brian’s 18th consecutive run at Boston … amazing! Check out his stats …
9448
Collins, Brian J.
52
M
Canterbury
NH
USA
Checkpoints
5k
10k
15k
20k
Half
25k
30k
35k
40k
0:22:57
0:45:16
1:07:29
1:29:56
1:34:53
1:53:11
2:18:23
2:44:32
3:10:09
Finish
Pace
Projected Time
Official Time
Overall
Gender
Division
0:07:42
3:21:53
4671
4127
310
Oh yes … and Hillary won in Pennsylvania where the campaigning had been fierce and the turnout was very high. Interestingly, for example, according to MSNBC, “In Montgomery County, in the Philadelphia area, more than 300,000 new Democrats registered, many of them switching their allegiances from independent or Republican. For the first time, Democrats were the majority in the county; in the past, Republicans held a 2-to-1 advantage.” That is an amazing statistic for Montgomery County, home of the blue-blooded, old-moneyed, clench-jawed Main Line. Sounds like it may be some days before we know how the delegate counts shake out, as some are awarded based on theState-wide vote and others (more, in fact) based on district tallies.
Here’s a nice article posted on CommonDreams by Charles Derber and Yale Magrass about rethinking John McCain’s war hero status. It reminds me of a comment a friend made to me many months ago about how scary he found John McCain … because of the temper he exhibits … and the mountains of unprocessed, unexplored, volatile and explosive anger he must lug around based on his experiences while captive. (Makes you pause and wonder why Cindy looks so robotic, doesn’t it … kinda?)
From the USSF Site, here are Pia’s, Carli’s and Chalupa’s reactions to the USWNT draw. Pia sounds focused, and upbeat, and like she’s breathing a small sigh of personal relief … “This is a very unique moment in that a Swede will be helping represent the U.S. in an Olympic tournament. I am very excited about both the U.S. team and the Swedish team and I guess it turned out well that Sweden is not in our bracket!”
Meanwhile, the USWNT travels to South Korea in mid-June for the Peace Queen Cup. There, they’ll get a chance to play Brazil again … for the first time since the World Cup debacle. (Sure hope someone has the wherewithal to televise this!) Here’s the draw and the tentative (as of 4/1/08) match schedule:
2008 Peace Queen Cup Draw – Suwon, South Korea
Group A
A1 – South Korea
A2 – North Korea
A3 – Canada
A4 – Argentina
Group B
B1 – USA
B2 – Italy
B3 – Brazil
B4 – Australia
2008 Peace Queen Cup Tentative USA Match Schedule (Kickoff Times TBD)
June 15 – USA v. Italy
June 17 – USA v. Brazil
June 19 – USA v. Australia
June 21 – Championship Game (Group Winners)
And finally, the biggest news today … HBD, BJ!!!!!
I’m thinking of marathons this morning, as we look back at yesterday’s epic Boston Marathon … and ahead toward today’s Pennsylvania Primary.
First, the Boston one … where on the men’s side, Robert Cheruiyot won his record-tying fourth Boston Marathon with a time of 2:06.46 – sixth fastest in race history. From Heartbreak Hill on, he pulled out into a substantial lead and ran the final miles of the race alone.
Somewhat eclipsing his phenomenal accomplishment, however, was the finish of the women’s race. There, two women battled back and forth … running side by side for many miles, struggling for some shred of advantage … neither giving up. It was epic! Right up to the final mile, they were neck and neck. Then, in the last quarter mile, Dire Tune of Ethiopia kicked it into another gear and crossed the finish line in 2:25.25. Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia came in second with a time of 2:25.27 … making this the closest women’s finish ever, and an amazing testament to grit and determination … and athletic competition in its purest form!
Then we have the Pennsylvania Primary … where the competition has been tough for sure … and the sportsmanship somewhat suspect on all sides. Here we’ve got last-minute, accusatory robo-calls. One, from the Hillary Camp, accuses Obama of lying about his position on gun control (and actually being a supporter of it). Meanwhile, Obama’s robo-calls accuse Hillary of voting to allow our guns to be confiscated.
Aside from the fact that I wish they both WOULD support gun control and WOULD vote to allow our guns to be confiscated … I can’t help but think of the simile of these two running a marathon together. In a civil society, it could be a reprise of yesterday’s finish … two excellent competitors, neck and neck, giving it their all and racing to the finish.
Sadly, the simile just doesn’t carry through. In our Pennsylvania Marathon, starting at about the 23-mile mark, we are treated to the spectacle of elbowing and jostling and other nastiness, as Barack and Hillary vie for the big prize. (Meanwhile, in that other race, we note that McCain, the lone leader, runs the final miles pretty much unscathed and finishes well ahead of the rest of the competition.)
Here’s Rachel Maddow on Air America last week, with a great piece about the whole Mission Accomplished travesty, and when the Bushies’ mission actually was accomplished.
Think about it the next time you spend $50 filling up your gas tank.
For all you folks in Pennsylvania … good luck as you weigh your choices!
The race in Boston is over and Deena Kastor took first place with a time of 2:29.35. The Boston Trials site has the full results, as well as links to additional information about each runner. Kasie Enman finished in 11th place with a time of 2:37.14. Heidi Westerling was 26th with a time of 2:41.09. Emily LeVan was 67th with a time of 2:45.45 and Joan Benoit Samuelson’s time of 2:49.08 put her in 90th place. (On a personal, slightly confessional note, I ran a mile and a quarter this morning at my usual blistering pace … before heading off to do other things … and I am feeling a little short-of-breath just typing their times.)
Meanwhile, in Beijing, the Women’s Olympic Soccer Tournament Draw is all set, Brazil having made it in as the final qualifier after defeating Ghana. Looks like the USWNT hit some good luck this time (while Group F definitely looks like the Grim Reaper’s Group). Here’s how the groups line up:
Group E (Tianjin): China, Sweden, Argentina, Canada
Group F (Shenyang): Korea DPR, Nigeria, Germany, Brazil
Group G (Qianhuangdao): Norway, USA, Japan, New Zealand
And here’s the match schedule (so you can start planning your vacation NOW)! There’s a clock and link up at the top of the schedule page where you can change the match times to be in sync with your local time.
The USWNT plays it’s first Olympic match against Norway on Aug. 6th. They play Japan on the 9th and their final game in group play is with New Zealand on the 12th. If they finish first in the group, they next play the 3rd best team from group E or F in the quarterfinals. (Were they to end up second in their group, they would play the winner of group F.)
Here’s the draw for the US Men’s team, along with the match schedule on the men’s side.
Finally, Pia has named her 25-woman roster for the USWNT’s next three domestic friendlies. Briana Scurry continues in the mix, and I have to think she’ll be getting some playing time, as Pia sorts out the goalies for the Olympics. So far, only the Alabama game is being televised. That seems a shame. Game one, in Cary, NC, is on April 27 against Australia.
In the final hours before the Pennsylvania vote, the Clinton and Obama campaigns are scrambling through Pennsylvania, continuing to fling accusations and mud. I am interested, this morning, to read Theda Skocpol’s report (in the Huffington Post) which takes some of the sting out of the “elitism” arrows that Hillary’s been shooting at Obama. Harvard’s Skocpol was an attendee at one of the Clinton’s summits with intellectuals and advisors back in 1995, and in her piece she recalls some of the content and tenor of a discussion of poor white voters who’d turned away from the Dems and gone with the “Gingrich Revolution.” In another piece, Sam Stein writes about the same episode, and then in TNR we’ve got Alan Wolfe blogging about what Hillary said.
One person who was there (Don Baer) gives a rather tepid rebuttal, saying that he doesn’t recall hearing any such thing. In all the other reports, ironically, Bill comes out sounding more like Obama in the fullness and complexity and compassion of his analysis. Hillary comes across as cold-blooded, vindictive, lacking in empathy and, dare we say, elitist.
Here’s the episode, as cited in Sally Bedell Smith’s book For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years, where she describes Hillary during this 1995 retreat called the “Camp David Seminar on the Future of Democracy” having the following comments about working-class white Southerners who had left the Democratic party:
“‘Screw ’em,’ she said, ‘you don’t owe them a thing, Bill, they’re doing nothing for you.’ Bill rose to their defense, ‘as if rehearsing an old but honorable debate he had been having with his wife for decades,’ as one attendee recalled.
“‘I know these boys,’ Bill said. ‘I grew up with them. Hardworking poor white boys who feel left out.’ He pointed out that liberal reforms had often ‘come at their expense’ and that the Democrats had to ‘find a way to include these boys in our programs.’ Hillary had no rejoinder, but during cocktails after the seminar she stood apart, ‘opaque and unsmiling.'”
Meanwhile, as superdelegates and former Clinton leading lights defect to the Obama camp, some longstanding rifts and disagreements within the Democratic Party are being uncovered according to Mark Leibovich of the NY Times. Painful, wrenching times. It’s ugly out there … and I, for one, am ready for it to be over. The Dems need to start getting their ducks in order and focusing on McCain who, thankfully, is having some of his ugly underbelly brought more into the light (in this article about his temper in the Washington Post, for example)! His is not a finger that I want to have on the trigger!
Turning to the war in Iraq, as one of two final Sunday snippets, here’s Douglas Feith, dubbed the stupidest guy on earth, talking about the run up to this horribly ill-conceived debacle. My only quibble with this whole piece is that he’s not actually the stupidest … a moniker that actually should be assigned to his boss, The Decider. (And how disgusting and self-serving and absolutely out-of-touch … that he’s peddling a book! DON’T BUY IT … please!)
The final snippet … this piece from the Sunday NY Times (Behind TV Analyists, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand) illuminating how the Pentagon has shaped and used the commentary of seemingly independent military commentators over time, skewing the news. Are we surprised? Not in the least … but it’s good to see it in print.
I read this morning about a marathon other than that really famous Boston one, that’s also taking place down in Boston – the women’s Olympic qualifying trials. Heidi Westerling of Acworth and Kasie Enman (now of Huntington, Vt.), two top NH runners when they were in high school in the late 1990s, will be trying out with the 159 other runners who qualified for the trials tomorrow. Another familiar name there is Joan Benoit Samuelson, who won it all in 1984 and is still in the mix at 50 (the oldest runner in the field).
Emily LeVan is a competitor from Wiscasset, ME. Her website, Two Trials, chronicles her training along with her young daughters fight against childhood leukemia – and the family’ efforts to raise money for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program.
On a personal note, I’ve gotta report that on our past two gorgeous spring evenings, I’ve put my running shorts on and headed out to the local roads to move my bones. It’s felt great, and while my pace is just barely hitting the 12-minute mark (and this for 2 miles, not 26), I’m glad to have broken the ice and look forward to continuing. The exercise is great AND it offers, for however long I’m out, some nice quiet time for getting reacquainted with myself. That’s a huge, additional benefit (and I am quite sure will lead to a better quality of life .. not to mention improved blog entries)!
I’ve added a couple of new blogs to my links. First, check out Women’s Sports Blog, which I found via Boltgirl. The FAQ’s are priceless, and the coverage of soccer and other sports looks to be wide-ranging, substantive and funny … who could possibly complain!? The other, After Atalanta, is tagged: “A blog dedicated to discussions of gender and sports.” Thought-provoking and also wide-ranging … it’s definitely worth checking out!
And finally, if you click the link to USA Women’s Soccer you’ll see that the site is basically on long-term hiatus. This is because Karyn Lush has a new gig, writing and blogging for the new league. So you’ll be able to read her posts at the Women’s Professional Soccer site. I’m leaving the old link up, however – for the great collection of links and archives, and for access to Karyn’s excellent piece on the 1991 USWNT: The Birth of a Legacy.
TPM has more this morning on the Dem’s debate on Wednesday night and the flag pin question to Barack. This is disturbing on so many levels I hardly know where to begin … but let’s start with the mere fact that anyone CARES whether he wears a flag pin or not!
It’s not Nash McCabe that I’m upset with. While the whole flag pin thing is petty as hell, it sounds like she has somewhat more substantial, thought-through reasons for her opinions. But did ABC explore those reasons? No … they used her to take a cheap hit at Obama on a petty issue. They took a large stage and used it to narrow rather than broaden the debate. With the stakes as high as they are, and the issues as pressing as they are, to spend time on a flag pin is just ludicrous. No … worse.
Questioning people’s patriotism has become the norm under the Bushies and it’s disheartening to see it being used amongst the Dems in this way. The wiffs of McCarthyism are so strong … and so wrong. What are we so afraid of?
Here we have Obama being skewered for talking to a neighbor who was once (and maybe still is) a radical. So what? Why aren’t we more disturbed by the cronyism of the Bush administration? Why aren’t we more disturbed about Cheney’s secret meeting with the energy execs way-back-when, than with who Barack serves on a board with or whose church he goes to? Why aren’t we more upset about Halliburton and Blackwater and the millions of taxpayer dollars that they’ve netted … than about a lapel pin? Have we all lost our minds?
ABC should be ashamed of it role in helping to debase the political discussion in this country. I didn’t expect a lot from them … but this is a new low.
It sounds like Briana Scurry is not out of the Olympic picture for the USWNT, but she’s probably third amongst three goalies (Hope Solo and Nicole Barnhart being the other two). It’ll be interesting to see what kind of playing time she gets in the upcoming domestic matches. (And it’ll be interesting, too, to see how Pia manages it all … as she continues to clean up the mess that Greg Ryan made of things.)
Meanwhile, further down in that article, what’s with Sylvia Fowles dissing Minnesota?
Mark Ziegler, in his article in the San Diego Union Tribune, delves a little deeper into the work that Sundhage is doing, and the challenges she faces as she tries to get this team up and running again for the Olympics. Interesting to read that Abby can be abrasive … not entirely surprising. I know I have many fond memories of rooting against her when the Breakers played the Freedom down at BU on Nickerson Field … screaming, “Abby get up!” when she’d take one of her (many) dives. Those were the days!
Then, from the wilds of South Jersey (Delran, to be precise) we have Carli Lloyd, who is really beginning to come into her own on the USWNT. This article gives a glimpse of her work ethic, her roots, and how she’s feeling about her play, the team, and Coach Sundhage. Delran in Beijing … who’d a thunk!
From USA Today’s Olympic Roundup, we have the following: Women’s national soccer team player Kate Markgraf said goalie Hope Solo being kicked off the World Cup team last summer was a difficult time.
“(But) we stuck together as a team,” she said. “That was a seminal moment, because now we’re able to see what worked and what didn’t work. Hope and everyone else all worked together to come up with a standard of what we’d like our team to be.
“I think sometimes bad things need to happen for good things to come out of it.”
When Pia Sundhage replaced Greg Ryan as coach, she reinstated Solo. Sundhage will name the 18-player Olympic squad at the end of June or in early July, according to media spokesman Aaron Heifetz.
I don’t know about you, but I love it when world class athletes use expressions like “seminal moment.” (Sure wish our President could … sigh!)
Good news for folks in the DC area, the USWNT will be playing Canada at RFK on Saturday, May 10. I don’t see anything about TV coverage … but hope that’ll change as the time gets closer. So far we’ve only ONE opportunity to see this team and that’s on May 3rd vs. Australia. That’s just NOT ENOUGH. USSF, are you listening?
Interesting to read the post game quotes after the Canada Final down in Mexico. I continue to love (surprise, surprise) Pia’s combination of passion, optimism, and level-headed, straight-shooting honesty. Asked about looking towards the Olympics, she said: “I’m not that far yet, because we have a lot of games before we go to the Olympics and we know what we have to work on. This environment and this game, with a big crowd and going to extra time was perfect. We had a chance to, I would say, practice PKs, and that was important. I think we did a good job picking the right players to take the PKs. We could probably face the same thing in the Olympics.”
Apparently Dodge has signed with the USSF as a major sponsor and their new campaign for the Journey features the U.S. women’s national soccer team.
Slated to start airing this week, here’s the link to the new ad – a 30-second spot called “Team.” It shows Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, Heather Mitts and others loading soccer gear into the back of a Dodge Journey for a trip. Shannon Boxx watches replays of their 2007 loss to the Brazilian national team on the car’s DVD system as the van drives south. They arrive at the Brazilian team’s training center and Abby yells something to the players on the field. The phrase appears in subtitles on screen … “We want another game.” A Brazilian player shouts something back and, as the USWNT walks away someone asks Abby what they said. “Get your stuff,” she says.
Sounds like the start of a great ad campaign to me! Maybe come Beijing time, “Get your stuff” will rank up there with “Just do it.” Okay, maybe not … 😉
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!
Somewhat eclipsing his phenomenal accomplishment, however, was the finish of the women’s race. There, two women battled back and forth … running side by side for many miles, struggling for some shred of advantage … neither giving up. It was epic! Right up to the final mile, they were neck and neck. Then, in the last quarter mile, 
Aside from the fact that I wish they both WOULD support gun control and WOULD vote to allow our guns to be confiscated … I can’t help but think of the simile of these two running a marathon together. In a civil society, it could be a reprise of yesterday’s finish … two excellent competitors, neck and neck, giving it their all and racing to the finish.
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