After a great weekend of snowshoeing, basketball games, catching up on college news, etc. it’s now time to clean the house, and otherwise get up and running for the week. It’s a foggy, grey day here in NH – would be a good day for curling up with a book – but alas, chores call! I’ll probably be light on the blogging front today … and if I’m not, you’ll know that I’m procrastinating!
Meanwhile, here’s Willie leaping a snowbank last weekend while a bemused Ruby (foreground) watches. Willie is a little under the weather today – has been since midday Saturday – when he gnawed on a rather fresh deer skull that he’d found in the woods. We’re keeping a close eye on him!
First, my apologies to my one and only reader in Tanzania. Sorry that Bush is in your country. I never, ever, in a million years voted for him! Most of us didn’t … either time … really. Anyway, here, from AlJazeera English, is a video showing the reaction to Bush’s visit. It’s quite interesting to read the comments following the video. One viewer writes: “How fun lets hear what BBC says : ‘The US president and First Lady were welcomed by thousands of people lining the road, which was decorated with banners saying ‘We cherish democracy’ and ‘Thank you for helping fight malaria and HIV.’ But there have also been protests in the country by Muslims opposed to the so-called US ‘War on Terror’.” You bet I’m inclined to think that what’s depicted here is a bit closer to the truth than the cheers and accolades in Dar es Salaam that are being reported by the BBC and our press.
Here’s a blurb from the State Department, notifying US citizens in Tanzania of the protests and counseling caution. And here’s an article about the protests posted in Reuters.
And then there’s this, from Barbara Ehrenreich, explaining Obama-mania. I love her observation that “… no one checks the weather before leaping out of a burning building.” Note to Tanzanians: Many of us are just as angry and upset as you are!
Condi and McCain? Here’s an idea that Princess Sparkle Pony can take to the bank, and then some! I have to admit it’s crossed my mind, too … and what a scary thought it is!
Wow – the weeks do fly by. I’m going light this morning after a long (and fun) drive to Lewiston and back last night. In bed by 1:30 AM … up by 6:30 AM … that’s definitely not something I can sustain over too long a span anymore! But up in Lewiston it’s de rigueur! So what’s up this morning?
I find myself avoiding writing about the shootings at Northern Illinois University … just feel so sick at heart about it. Young lives of promise cut short, so senselessly and tragically. Guns. Closer to home, from Alton, NH, comes news this morning of another horrific gun tragedy. Every day. Guns.
Then I see that John McCain, in a bit of cold-blooded political maneuvering (“My friends …”), has tacked a controversial amendment onto an uncontroversial bill. The amendment overturns a Reagen-era rule that required handguns and such to be put in inaccessible places when people entered National Parks.
Why do people need accessible handguns in National Parks? When will we evolve beyond our primitive and fearful clinging to the Second Amendment? Even the Bush Administration has not led me to desire a handgun for self-protection. Although, come to think of it, the frightening and democracy-threatening excesses of the past seven years may be the best argument for purchasing a gun in that I’ll experience in my lifetime.
And as an aside … is Charlton Heston still alive?
Anyway – on to news from the sports world. First, the Belmont HS girls won their final regular season game, beating White Mountain HS, 40-16. With so many teams having identical records at the top of the standings this year, it will be fascinating to see how the seedings play out … and who BHS will face in their preliminary round game this coming Thursday. According to the Laconia Citizen, it sounds like they may be the 5th seed.
Here’s a nice piece about Kristine Lilly and Tina Ellertson and how they are managing their pregnancies and their training regimens. Meanwhile, the word from another soccer mom, Brandi Chastain, is that she hadn’t felt quite through with playing on the USWNT. I’ve always loved her brash confidence … but this last seems beyond confidence and verging on delusion. Thankfully, Pia is rock solid – and I hope that Brandi comes around to seeing things a bit more clearly! Guess that’s it for now. Happy Saturday!
I do like it when there’s internecine fighting over there on the right, don’t you? It appears unlikely that Rush will make his peace with Mr. McCain any time soon … unless he’s just spouting hyperbole to bolster his ratings. But something like that would be beneath a pundit such as Rush … he’d never do that! Meanwhile another right-light and just all-around solid human-being, Ann Coulter, compared McCain and Hitler recently. It all makes me a little nervous about what they’re really up to.
In women’s basketball news, the LSU Lady Tigers, with Van Chancellor at the helm, came from way, way behind to defeat number 1 Tennessee last night. The race in the SEC has tightened considerably … and the Women’s NCAA tournament keeps looking more and more interesting, too, as March Madness approaches. (And for those who are still wondering about what happened to Pokey and how she’s doing now, here’s something I found on the “After Ellen” site about Ms. Pokey Chatman and her new job with the Spartak Moscow Region professional basketball team!
Anyway … speaking of b-ball … today should see the final regular season games for the NH Class M girls, and it looks like there’s but a sliver dividing the top 8 or 9 teams. Like the women’s NCAA this year, the NHIAA Tournament, at least in Class M, looks like it’ll be fielding LOTS of teams that could easily contend for the top spot.
I know it’s not new news by any means … but here’s a good article about Exxon profits … you know the tale … where’s the outrage? Why isn’t this a HUGE topic on the campaign trail? (Okay, I’m naive, I know.)
And here’s another … about the Christian Right and its war against tolerance. Comparing so-called Islamofascists to the Nazi’s, they use the fear-mongering, good versus evil tactics of the Nazis themselves. And McCain is right in there with them … right in the same boat with Bill O’Reilly and the rest of the bilious bunch. This is not just a debasement of political dialogue – it is a debasement of the soul of America. Where’s the outrage?
No wonder my heart is drawn to Uno … and high school basketball … and chocolate … as this long winter gets longer!
Oh, and speaking of chocolate … Happy Valentines Day! Just who St. Valentine was is an obscurity. However, there’s little debate about the fact that all of the potential Valentines were martyrs. They suffered and died because they loved something a whole lot. I don’t know about you, but for me, rather than being cause for sappy celebration, this fact offers a cautionary window on the whole notion of romantic love that seems worth paying some serious attention to! Know what I mean?
Phew! We’ve got about 6 inches of what looks like heavy, March-like snow on the ground here in Central NH, and lots more precipitation coming throughout the day. Willie (our lab) ventured out to do his morning oblations but Ruby (the Westie) thought better of it and will wait ’til someone has shoveled just a wee bit!
Lots of schools are closed … among them Belmont High and Gilford High. Unfortunately for Gilford, they (and BHS) were open yesterday and Belmont beat that formerly undefeated (and seemingly unstoppable) team last night for the second time in two days! The final score was 40-35. Now it’s one more game for both clubs, and then on to the tournament (which gets underway 2/21/08).
Speaking of competitions, Obama has been sweeping Hillary lately the way Belmont has been sweeping Gilford. (Where else on the web will you find THAT analogy, I ask you!?) Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania … will it all come down to these three? Meanwhile McCain continues to win – and the Evangelicals continue to flock to Huckabee. This is a split that I can live with!
In legal affairs, the White House is beginning to vocally and publically defend its rationale for waterboarding. The more we see of how they think, the more despicable and small-minded compassionate conservatism seems, eh? Meanwhile another deep thinker, Antonin Scalia (looking just a tad more bloated than I’d recalled) is spouting his predictably smug and acerbic justifications for the practice.
Our use of tactics that we have consistently decried when they were in others’ hands is apparently no problem for these geniuses. They get to define what constitutes an imminent threat, and then use that as justification for whatever the hell they want to do. And we should behave and trust them to know what’s best … oh yeah. It’s the Christian Conservative family transposed to governmental affairs – an extremely sophisticated world view, actually. Daddy knows what’s best, and we do what he says. He loves us, and it can feel brutal at times … but Daddies (like God) work in mysterious ways … and we need to have faith and not ask too many questions (as that would reflect a lack of faith … and that would upset Daddy).
Oh please, please, please, can we have an election SOON… Daddy?
After you’ve been doing this blogging thing, it gets to be tough coming up with titles. I bet someone (scratch that … LOTS OF PEOPLE) conducts workshops on that very topic in small, stale, Danish-and-coffee saturated conference rooms all around the country … or even more likely, in on line webinars! Anyway – I haven’t been to one of those workshops or webinars yet … so please bear with me as my titles get longer and more confusing with each passing week.
HollyCornblog made it safely back to NY, where she is now staying cozy burning her NY wood in her NY woodstove. (Willie, by the way, is still looking for her!)
Check out the Visitors’ Map, will ya? See the little dot on the east coast of Africa? That’s Tanzania! HollyCornblog noticed the hit over the weekend, but it took awhile for the map to update. I am psyched … and a little nervous because, as you may recall, the blurb I posted had a link to the CIA info on Tanzania. This may be one of those Faustian moments that I come to mightily regret, as life unfolds.
The Lady Vols pulled out a win against Rutgers in the final seconds on a controversial call. I missed the game (having been at a meeting) and came home to some rather irate basketball fans. (I happened to … very innocently, mind you … have on an orange fleece when I walked into the house … so was on the receiving end of some of that ire … go figure!)
Best news of the morning, however, is that the Belmont Girls Basketball team beat undefeated Gilford last night 44-32! Another decisive win for BHS! They play Gilford again tonight (a make-up game for last week’s snowed-out contest) and will hopefully repeat the feat!
In soccer news, here’s an interview with Heather Mitts, who’s still working her way back from an ACL injury and subsequent surgery.
And then, of course, there’s politics. Interesting to ponder the recent news about Colin Powell looking at ALL the candidates, not just the Republicans. Gotta wonder whether his endorsement would be a plus or a minus. My gut tells me he’ll go for Obama, ulimately – and as a big fat repudiation of the Bush years, it may represent the beginning of a rehabilitation of his standing in this country.
Life will be sad here in JordanCornblog territory today, as HollyCornblog heads back to NY (where the firewood is so plentiful …). Meanwhile, ChristopherCornblog (middle sibling) is in NY as of this writing, and is heading back to NH later this week.
The visit was great, despite JordanCornblog’s reverting to some typical-older-sister behaviors on several occasions. Luckily, HollyCornblog is nothing if not tolerant … and JordanCornblog appreciates that immensely!
And HollyCornblog was a real trooper braving the swirling winds, pelting sleet, and snow squalls with her trusty Nikon yesterday at the sled dog races in Laconia! Very cool picture she posted last night … of the musher and his team in the final kick of their 15-mile race. A very similar one was on the front page of this morning’s Concord Monitor … not quite as good, though! 🙂
Feeling very lucky this morning on the sibling front … see you soon, HollyCornblog!
Hello, I am JordanCornblog’s sister, HollyCornblog (the one with all the good links.) I am up here in beautiful NH visiting, and having a blast. It has become a tradition during my visits to have beer tastings, but this year we decided to try chocolate tasting which was a big hit. Of course a few beers were involved too. I brought a large load of wood from NY for their chiminea which we got roaring during the snowstorm. Today we are going to the Laconia, NH “Iditarod” to watch the sled dogs race. They should have lots of good snow and we are supposed to get more today. I will be wearing all my WARM clothes. Tomorrow I will head back home to upstate NY. It will be sad leaving as we always have so much fun together. I wish we lived closer, but thank goodness for e-mail. Bye for now, and keep reading my sister’s great blogging. Hi CB!!!
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!
After a great weekend of snowshoeing, basketball games, catching up on college news, etc. it’s now time to clean the house, and otherwise get up and running for the week. It’s a foggy, grey day here in NH – would be a good day for curling up with a book – but alas, chores call! I’ll probably be light on the blogging front today … and if I’m not, you’ll know that I’m procrastinating!
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