Well, first off, as the record voting on the Democratic side continued, Hillary took Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island … while VT went to Obama. Bowing to reality (admittedly an odd concession for someone who doesn’t believe in evolution, but that’s how they put it on MSNBC) Huckabee has dropped out of the Republican race. This leaves McCain alone. Today he’ll lunch with and then be endorsed by Bush. (Sounds a little like waterboarding to me … ) Interesting thoughts from TPM on the race and the challenge for Obama. There will be a lot of spin today … and meanwhile, a lot of the real fight is taking place here, according to Politico and other sources.
Meanwhile, at Municipal Stadium in Albufeira, Portugal, the Algarve Cup kicks off today. The USWNT will be facing China (start time 8:45 AM ET). If you like your USWNT play-by-play and comments on BigSoccer, here’s the thread! If you like Matchtracker, you can follow the game there. Access it via the US SOCCER website.
Here is the full Algarve Schedule. In other actions today we’ve got (in Group A) Germany vs Denmark and Finland vs. Sweden. The other game in Group B (the USWNT Group) is Norway vs. Italy. In Group C, we find Iceland vs. Poland and Portugal vs. Ireland.
No line-up has been posted yet, but here’s who I see Pia starting for this first match of the Algarve (with more experimentation vs. Italy in the second match):
Solo
Rampone-Markgraf-Whitehill-Chalupny
O’Reilly-Boxx-Lloyd-Tarpley
Wambach-Rodriguez
Just how many super Tuesday’s can there be in a year?
Anyone see Hillary on The Daily Show? I did not … but here’s an article about the entertainment quotient. The show will be repeated tonight at 8PM. Meanwhile the polls seem to have about the same volatility as the stock ticker these days. Stay tuned, my friends … it sounds to me like Hillary is making a run!
Meanwhile, in the NHIAA Class M Girls’ Basketball Tournament (I know you’ve been waiting for this), a very strong, disciplined Conant squad defeated feisty Campbell by a score of 46-40. Brooke Springfield, Conant’s freshman point, played an outstanding game, as did her teammates. I am please to report, also, that of the teams that played the eventual champs in the tournament, the Belmont squad came closest in points, and was most successful in holding this excellent team in check. (This is, of course, a totally unbiased observation.) Anyway, kudos to Conant and to Campbell, too, on an excellent game and season.
Oh yeah, and U Conn beat Rutgers, too – winning the Big East regular season title and giving Geno his 650th win. Meanwhile St. John’s handed Notre Dame a surprise – and Syracuse is a team to watch in the NCAA Tournament, mark my words. 9We’re talking the women’s tournament here – I haven’t a clue about the men’s side.)
Moving to soccer, here’s an excellent piece by Andrea Canales about the Algarve, the USWNT, and how Pia Sundhage is prepping the team. It’s just plain wonderful to hear about the shift in focus and the positive impact that it’s having on the players and on their performance.
It’s my strong sense that there’s a parallel here, to our National situation … and that here in soccer, the move from Ryan to Sundhage is a taste, a microcasm, of what it will be like to move from Bush to Clinton or Obama. It’s like sunshine after a long and harrowing storm … like spring after winter … like day after night. (Okay, I’ll stop.)
Here’s some video footage from US Soccer of the USWNT’s first training session in Portugal, and another of an interview with Rachel Buehler, USWNT Defender, Stanford grad and future doctor.
Here’s a great story about a US collegian who’s been called up to play for the Women’s National Team of Portugal at the Algarve Cup. Dominican College is just 17 miles from NYC in the Hudson Valley. Angela Correia, a standout at Dominican, will be a senior next year. (CB, take note!)
Also – for those who won’t be at the NHIAA Finals tonight, there’s a great basketball match-up on ESPN2: Rutgers vs. U Conn. (Can/will U Conn avenge their loss to Rutgers earlier this year … ?) And for night owls, don’t forget Hillary on The Daily Show at 11PM ET.
And finally – anyone know where I can find some info. on the Women’s National Soccer Team of Poland? It’s their first year at the Algarve … and I’d love to at least give them a shout out!
We’ve got Conant vs. Campbell the NHIAA Class M Girls’ Basketball Final this evening (and after tomorrow’s post, my friend CB won’t have to hear about this particular sporting event any longer). My money’s on Campbell tonight … a young program on an improbable run! After tonight, on the sporting front, we’ll be shifting gear to the Algarve. (And while we wait for that to kick off – here’s a nice piece from US Soccer about USWNT Captain Christie Rampone, and another about Lori Chalupney). And here’s a run-down of the Algarve teams from Lindsey Dolich (ESPN Soccernet). Following the Algarve, it’ll be back to B-ball for the traditional March Madness madness!
And then of course, we’ve got the whole Primary thing. Who would have ever thought (in all the jockeying to be “first”) that things would come down to Texas and Ohio (no offense to Vermont and Rhode Island)? I hear that Hillary is slated to be on The Daily Show tonight … but on the grueling undertakings front, even this year’s Democratic Primary pales in comparison to the Iditarod … now underway in Alaska.
While Hillary and Obama duke it out in some of those “other” primary states, we’re distracted by weighter matters here in Central NH. Today, we are a mere twenty inches away from breaking the all time (recorded) snowfall record … probably less after yesterday. My back can attest to the enormity of the accomplishment … and we’re running out of places to put the white stuff!
Needless to say, the view from the chiminea ain’t what it used to be … but it still makes for a nice cozy space, once that fire gets going! (And please note the “refrigerator” to the left of the chiminea and the right of the lantern-hanger. It’s definitely an appliance that gets put to good use on winter evenings!)
Meanwhile, while we shovel, and then spend quality time relaxing in front of the fire, the dogs of March (and cats, too) explore the myriad small pathways that we keep open for their travels. It’s amazing to watch the cats, in particular, step daintily and carefully between the gargantuan snow banks!
And the deer, the deer. It’s been a very hard winter for them. They come to our birdfeeder pretty much daily, now- and often several times a day. At this rate, it’s going to be a very long time before all this snow melts and there’s any greenery for them to munch on. We have an ongoing debate, at the moment, about whether to start feeding them or not.
March is arriving like a lion here in NH, with maybe as much as another foot of snow in these parts when all is said and done. One thing that means is that the NHIAA Girls’ Class M Basketball Final between Campbell and Conant has been postponed and will be played at 7:30PM up at Plymouth State University … on Monday night, March 3rd. (I am psyched about the change, as I wouldn’t have been able to go to the game tonight.)
In other sports news, the Eagles had a nice acquisition yesterday … although I’ll miss Lito Sheppard if he goes (as seems likely). The Phillies are gearing up for another good run, and Chester, PA has been awarded an MLS franchise!
For some USWNT updates, here’s the blog from the Algarve. Pretty fluffy stuff, but it’s what we’ve got! Apparently there will be news from Gayle Bryan on the Fair Game Blog (gotta add that one to my blogroll) starting next week. And while you’re waiting for Algarve news, check out that Ebay link re. Julie Foudy’s high school yearbook! The USWNT has its first match (vs. China) on Wednesday. Here’s the schedule:
March 5 vs. China at 8:45 a.m. ET.
March 7 vs. Italy at 8:45 a.m. ET.
March 10 vs. Norway at 10 a.m. ET.
Game reports will be available at ussoccer.com on matchtracker. I’ll let you know if I hear of any TV or streaming video coverage!
This just blew me away when I saw it on the web yesterday. Among the many things that there are under the sun, revirgination or revirginization had never crossed my mind as a possibility. I’m all for every day being a new day and making new beginnings and all … but reborn virgins?
And this is not all that new, as cultural phenomena go. Check out this article (circa 2005) from The Wall Street Journal. Where have I been? (Clearly spending too much time watching NHIAA Tournament games, and celebrating the likes of C. Vivian Stringer, huh?) Apparently there’s a whole world of theological and medical madness out there, just waiting to be explored!
But seriously, my friends (think of John McCain’s timbre and tone, just for fun) don’t we have anything better to do? And just what century, exactly, are we living in? My friends, I am sputtering and nearly speechless. Yet in the midst of this roiling maelstrom of sputtering speechlessness, I have learned something I certainly didn’t know before yesterday. Something important. Something telling. I have learned that when it comes to hymens, Fundamentalists, be they of the Roman Catholic, Christian Evangelical, or Muslim variety, definitely prefer them intact. This is very good to know, my friends.
And the other thing that’s good to know (with sincere apologies to John Milton) is that paradise lost can, apparently, be regained. It may set you back a pretty penny, but hey, we’re talking paradise here! Here’s some info from Beliefnet on how to become a virgin again.
According to Fr. Ronald Rolheiser at Beliefnet, “Virginity means more than sexual inexperience. It also means a childlike heart that, once lost, can be found anew.” So it’s not just about sex. It’s about sex and a childlike heart. Thank you, Father … I feel much better. And may I say how brave you are to stand up boldly, as a priest in the year 2008, and use words like sexual and childlike in the same sentence. May I say, my friend, that that takes balls? (I guess I just did.)
And just to keep the record absolutely straight, here’s a treatise expounding and clarifying the irrefutable fact that Mary (the mother of all virgins) has never required revirgination or revirginization or whatever you choose to call it. As you will see if you click that link, there is just TONS of evidence about her hymen and its condition!
In this swaggering-yet-fear-riddled culture of ours, where viagra, revirgination and abstinence are comfortable conceptual bedfellows … it’s no wonder that a strong, smart woman like Hillary Clinton is going to be feared, mocked and ultimately reviled … and a dolt like Dubya is still respected by some obscene number of people. (Any number over 2, my friends, would be obscene … the two being Dubya himself, and his quite possibly revirginated mother.) Sweet Jesus!
I believe I and some of my basketball playing buddies are part of her record, as we likely contributed to her win tally in the early seventies. Back in the day, my alma mater (Swarthmore College) used to play what was then Cheyney State College. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the games outright … but it’s hard to imagine that our rag tag crew could have beaten a Cheyney team coached by C. Vivian Stringer. Anyone else out there remember?
Anyway – what a great achievement! The #4 Scarlet Knights are a gutsy, fun-to-watch team this year, having upset U Conn … and almost Tennessee. Last year, their improbable and exciting run to the NCAA Tournament final was sullied by the whole Imus debacle. But C. Vivian Stringer, in what may have been her finest hour, addressed the issue with clarity, character and class. She and her Rutgers players transformed something debased into something at once meaningful and moving.
Enough of this … I know that many of you are waiting patiently to hear about the NHIAA Class M Tournament, too! In the semi-finals last night, 2nd-seeded Conant defeated Newfound in an exciting contest, and moves on to the Saturday finale. Leading by 12 points going into the 4th, they got a scare from a feisty Newfound club that came back, and even went ahead briefly, before succumbing. In the nightcap, the 5th-seeded Campbell squad took it to #1 seed Gilford, handing them their third loss of the season. (Gilford’s other two losses … three, if you count the holiday tournament .. were all at the hands of Belmont.) The final will be played between Conant and Campbell on Saturday, 3/1/08 at 7 PM, up at Plymouth State University.
One last bit of NHIAA Tournament information. It has been heartening to see, for the first time in my memory, women officiating the tournament games. Nearly every 3-person crew that I’ve seen at these games (including the preliminaries) has included a woman. This is great to see, on so many levels! (So I won’t even complain about what a long, long time it’s taken to get here!)
This morning my NH world is blanketed with @ 10 inches of what looks to be fluffy snow. This amazing winter continues apace! It’s school vacation week in these parts, so at least the plows and busses won’t be trying to share the roads as the day gets underway.
I apologize to Briana Scurry after finding and correcting my misspelling of her name in some recent posts. (Note to self … Briana, NOT Brianna!). Here’s a link to Briana’s MySpace Blog. Nothing new has been posted lately. I continue to feel curious about her feelings re. the Algarve roster (which she is, I’m sure, too classy/mature to share), and about her plans for the future.
Here are the groups and schedule for the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers in Mexico. Also, for USWNT junkies, check out Dave Brett’s site – a great source for soccer videos – with an extensive collection of USWNT games!
Then, of course, there was the debate last night. Personally, I felt that Hillary had another strong showing. Her command of the facts is so impressive – and there were quite a few moments when Barack seemed a step or two behind her. Wonder if she’ll catch more grief, now – like the smart girl who raises her hand eagerly to answer all the questions – and is quietly (or not-so-quietly) disliked and cut-down by her classmates. Is that where we still are in this country? (Judging from the fact that we elected George W. Bush twice, I’m guessing yes, unfortunately.) Anyway, I thought that Obama did well, too – although, frankly, there’s not much he needs to do at this point.
Here are some poll numbers from Texas and from Ohio. The surge (isn’t it nice to have something other than a flawed Iraq strategy conjured with that word) continues. I frankly don’t see the momentum shifting (but then, as a prognosticator, I am terrible – as evidenced by my 100% WRONG track record in the NHIAA Tournament this year). Hillary surprised everyone in NH. Might she do it again?
Finally – we discovered that the pinhole leak in a pipe connected to our furnace (a leak that our plumber had temporarily repaired on Monday) had turned into a big fat geyser of a leak last night. Five minutes before the debate we’re in the basement watching water spread and trying to figure out what to do. Dang! Ended up turning off the furnace, shutting off the water feed, and praying that come morning our plumber wil be able to get up the driveway and make the needed repair. Ah, life in wintry NH!
I know it’s going to snow today … but yesterday I swear there was a hint of spring in the air! Rockin’ Robin, indeed!
Anyway, I was driving home from a meeting last night and tuned into an interview with Ralph Nader on “As It Happens.” I caught the last bit, where he was decrying how the African Americans and the women in he House and Senate aren’t doing enough to address problems that Ralph thinks they should be concerned about (an interesting way to make an assessment … but I digress). I nearly drove off the road when I heard him mentioning the plight of America’s children, as an example of something that women ought to be paying more attention to. I swear! Not that I don’t think these are issues in need of attention … but that it should be the particular purview of women was an interesting and revealing soundbite, I thought. You can link to it here – it’s the first segment of the show, and was right near the end.
Meanwhile, balancing the whiff of misogyny that I’ve always suspected in Ralph (and that’s been rampantly apparent in so much of the anti-Hillary-mania) is this piece from Robin Morgan (thanks CB) that came out early this month! For those who haven’t already read it, “Goodbye to All That (#2)” lays it all on the line and then some – so take that Mr. Unsafe At Any Speed … not to mention those who feel license to be even more over the top in their misogyny! (May you all be rear-ended.)
All I can say is watch the Democratic debate tonight (that’s where I’ll be) … and in the meantime, here’s an interesting blog (womensspace.com) that I found when I Googled that Robin Morgan piece. And then there’s Lingual Tremors … another Google find … fascinating!
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!
tomorrow’s post, my friend CB won’t have to hear about this particular sporting event any longer). My money’s on Campbell tonight … a young program on an improbable run! After tonight, on the sporting front, we’ll be shifting gear to the Algarve. (And while we wait for that to kick off – here’s a nice piece from US Soccer about USWNT Captain 
While Hillary and Obama duke it out in some of those “other” primary states, we’re distracted by weighter matters here in Central NH. Today, we are a mere twenty inches away from breaking the all time (recorded) 
Meanwhile, while we shovel, and then spend quality time relaxing in front of the fire, the dogs of March (and cats, too) explore the myriad small pathways that we keep open for their travels. It’s amazing to watch the cats, in particular, step daintily and carefully between the gargantuan snow banks!
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