So yesterday morning I noticed that my knees were hurting while I was running on the treadmill. I thought, immediately, “That probably doesn’t happen to Nicole Kidman or Naomi Watts … or even Russell Crowe … or that Crocodile Dundee guy. Why me?”
Anyway, it’s not such a big surprise that my knees might hurt … given that I’m about 15 pounds heavier than I ought to be, and maybe 30 pounds heavier than I’d LIKE to be. So I rashly decided that I would start a fast. I was going to blog about it yesterday morning, and even got a paragraph into the post, when I realized that that really wasn’t something I wanted to do rashly (and if rashly, certainly not right before the Superbowl and all those snacks)!
Why is it so difficult for me to be moderate? That’s what this brings up for me. Why swing from overindulging to fasting … and back again? Extreme? You bet! I was listening to an interesting story on NHPR (that’s New Hampshire Public Radio … my demographic and proud of it) on Monday night. It was a feed from BBC radio, and was a story about the current craze for detoxing. Apparently I am not out of step with popular culture, in terms of wanting to ingest whatever I want to, and then deal with the consequences in some very structured/extreme (and hopefully quick) way, later.
I guess it’s called having your cake and eating it too. And I guess I’d actually like to be a little less cliched and a little more adult at this stage of my life than that. 🙂
The less-than-adult parts of me want immediate gratification – and are really quite horribly impatient with the slow, steady work that has half a chance of actually getting me somewhere. I want immediate gratification when I have a Hershey bar in my hand; and I also want immediate gratification when it’s almost time to put on a bathing suit. Eat the candy NOW — and lose the weight FAST afterwards. That’s the basic theory. Oh, and did I also mention that the theory doesn’t work?
It’s no accident that the middle way is the revered path in so many spiritual traditions. In part I’m guessing that has to do with the wisdom of the path – and in part, perhaps, its difficulty. Balance is seen as something to strive for, and it seems to grant entry to ever deepening spiritual truths and layers of self-knowledge. In no tradition that I have ever read about is impulsivity celebrated, nor is instant gratification sanctified. There must be a reason for that!
So, rather than starting a fast yesterday (truthfully, it was the thought of no coffee and the headaches that would ensue that quickly put the kibosh on the idea) I tried to eat more moderately. I lucked out a little bit, because I had a lot of meetings yesterday, so there were some good chunks of time when I actually COULDN’T eat. I also successfully avoided what has become my habitual afternoon visit to our snack bar … where I will often impulsively buy two candy bars (at $.50 apiece, who could pass up the deal?).
Unfortunately, as soon as I got home I downed several pretzels with some peanut butter, entirely thoughtlessly. That’s what I’ll typically do. Hold the line over a long span of time, and then without even realizing it, blow it all out of the water. Ka Boom! But at least I caught myself right afterwards. Noticing is, after all, the first step.
I did some work at the computer, went downstairs and watched a bit of the Florida Primary returns, rode the stationary bike for about 25 minutes, and then went into the kitchen and ate about three of those little miniature Mr. Goodbar’s. Oops! Clearly I am not safe wandering around on my own! So, for safety’s sake, I headed to my room after that and crawled into bed with my book. Moderation. Hmmmmmmm!
The GREAT news is 🙂 George W. Bush gave his LAST State of the Union message last night. Here’s Obama’s response.
Want to know what was happening the year you were born? Check this out at the Infoplease site and click on your birth year! You can also find information on events that occurred on your birthday, through the years. For example … I was chagrined to learn that on my birthday in 2000 Katherine Harris certified Dubya as the winner of the Florida vote. (Not that I feel personally responsible or anything …)
And here’s a totally random thought. I wonder how I get someone from Tanzania, say, or Australia, to read my blog? Mention Nicole Kidman? (Or say something nasty about Tom Cruise? Now THERE’S a difficult stretch.) Find a news story about Tanzania and publish it randomly? Add a map? This whole Search Engine Optimization thing can be pretty gamey, huh? It’s fascinating .. but definitely can present some small ethical dilemmas. (But hell, now that I’ve mentioned Tanzania and Australia .. and Nicole and Tom … I might as well add them to my tags, right? But adding Naomi Watts would not be okay … except that I just mentioned her. So now it is, right?
Here’s a great article about Pia from Sports Illustrated that someone just posted on BigSoccer. (Thanks!) And here’s another from ESPN’s Soccernet. What a breath of fresh air … psychologically, tactically. Hallelujah! (No wonder Sweden put her on a stamp!)
And here’s a blurb about Brittany Taylor a Washingtonville, NY native (and U Conn player) who’s been called up for the February Camp. Guess we’ll be getting the official list soon, since camp starts 2/1 … and the USWNT gets ready to head to Portugal for the Algarve Cup!
… and Pia has named Jillian Ellis as an assistant for the USWNT. Seems a great move, as Ellis was widely considered a top candidate for the job that Pia ultimately (and happily) landed. Meanwhile, Tony DiCicco will take over the U-20’s (Jillian’s former gig for USSF).
Today I have NOTHING scheduled! I probably shouldn’t say that, as it’ll just upset you if you’re reading this before heading out the door to start your work week. It’s not that I won’t be doing stuff .. and not that some of it won’t be workish … but none of it is scheduled. Somehow that makes it all feel a little more like play. But why? Is it merely the element of choice? It’s something I’ve often wondered about – what makes something work and what makes it play – and why do we categorize activities in that way, anyway?
Meanwhile, quoting Fleetwood Mac always has a way of reminding me of the moment during the Democratic Convention all those many years ago when “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow” blasted from the dais and it felt like we were (maybe, maybe, maybe) actually starting a new era (although the Fleetwood Mac reunion thing probably should’ve been a clue). Now it’s 2008 … a little more than a week before Super Tuesday. Hillary’s challenge now is to reel Bill in … or there’s absolutely no way that anything she says or does can look remotely new … or her own, even. He’s got to tamp it down. I wonder if it’s too late. Back in ’92 it felt new, but it wasn’t as new as it was packaged up to be. Now?
This past weekend we had a visit from an old college friend (she’s not old … we’re not old … must be that the college is old!), her 12 year old son, and a friend of his. The house was full of prepubescent boy energy and our black lab Willie was right there with it. Willie is generally a shy dog and is particularly skittish around men. But give him a couple of 12-year-old boys and he’s in heaven!
Willie’s skittishness has curtailed his social skills, so when he does want to be social, he can tend to come off on the clumsy, nerdy end of the spectrum sometimes. The boys were very tolerant, for the most part … except when Willie tried to hump them … which happened more often than I want to admit.
Anyway – it was a great visit for Willie (and hopefully for the boys). Since they left, I’ve noticed our poor Will looking longingly down the hill where they sledded. He didn’t come up to my room, where he usually sleeps, last night. My suspicion is that he wanted to be downstairs in case they came back … but that may be assigning more memory capacity to his lab brain than it actually possesses!
One of our activities during the visit was a bonfire on the hill behind our house. It was an amazing conflagration … and one of the best parts has been the excuse to use that word over and over! When I was setting it up on Saturday afternoon, I was amazed at the amount of deer poop scattered around the area. (There are apple trees on the hill- and the deer often come there to feed.) Here’s a photo of two recent visitors … taken last Wednesday, I believe. (Thanks, Dewd!)
A friend sent me some informaton about a site called Catalog Choice which lets you identify catalogs you want to stop receiving … and which apparantly actually WORKS! I guess you select the catalog you want to cancel, enter your customer number from the catalog mailing label, and the site will contact the source … and voila. Nifty! Try it – and start your day feeling like you’ve done something positive for the planet!
My sister, who is a fairly regular supplier of interesting internet doohickeys, sent me this cool link for checking demographic data about your zipcode. Mine’s 03224.
Meanwhile, if you want to elevate your blood pressure without exercising, read a little about the Westboro Baptist Church folks … who apparently plan to picket at Heath Ledger’s funeral. Sad, that Fred Phelps‘ own gayness is so painfully repressed that he has to lash out in this way … and enlist all those other painfully repressed fools (mostly members of his extended family, it turns out) to support his efforts.
Check out my new page (“Books, Books, Books”) with a Library Thing (another doohickey- this one picked up from Boltgirl on the Loose) embedded. It’s a doohickey for cataloguing books from your library – with the capablity of making it public, adding reviews, ratings, etc. Looks pretty cool, but I haven’t had time to explore it a whole lot yet. I’m hoping there will be a way to make it useful with the bookgroup I’m in. (We’re the Bookeaters … we meet over dinner, can you tell?) I’m still trying to figure out how best to set up the page.
This is just over the top enraging. Why do we not have the will, the backbone, the integrity … to oust these despicable individuals? I remember hours on the treadmill at my gym back in the winter of 2003, watching the run up to the war, feeling like it was all fabrication. I remember being swayed slightly from my view when Colin Powell spoke out … thinking, “There must be something to this if HE’S saying it’s true.”
Meanwhile despicable individual #2 (or is that actually #1?) continues to speak out and monger war at one of the few places he’s sure of a warm reception … the Heritage Foundation. He’s telling us we need to keep working together against the really, really scary evildoers (as opposed to the nicer evildoers who are “protecting” us while running this country into the ground).
Thanks, Dick …. anything else we can do for you and your corporate cronies? Immunity for the telecoms. Immunity for Halliburton … and Blackwater. Oh, and be sure to protect those pharmaceutical companies. But please, please, please throw the book at the recipient of a benefit like Medicaid or SSDI or foodstamps who earns a little income on the side (to pay for heat, maybe) and doesn’t report it. Despicable doesn’t begin to describe you folks.
Human suffering intensifies, multiplies, deepens … while the safety net is dismantled piece by piece. Pious platitudes mask hateful and divisive prejudices … and ultimately, with fear and small-mindedness dividing us, Corporate America just keeps running the show, unchecked and unimpeded. And it is interesting, as described here, how the one candidate going up against the corporate interests is getting so little press. Makes you wonder.
As I write I’m struck by the obvious implication that there is a hidden conspiracy of corporate interests that has taken over the offices of our government. Conspiracy. Hmmm … sounds suspiciously like what we hear from our government about the conspiracy of radical Islamist terrorists. Am I spouting the same specious rhetoric that I so hate from the right?
Bottom line, there’s no need to posit a conspiracy. In fact, “conspiracy” actually gives too much credit to what is more likely just blind stupidity, greed, short-sightedness, lack of intellectual curiosity, narrow-mindednes, ruthlessness, etc. Oh, and did I say greed?
Last night I and hundreds of others in Concord, NH, witnessed an amazing reading of poetry by three United States Poets Laureate: Maxine Kumin, Donald Hall, and Charles Simic. Its remarkable to see and hear so much richness and virtuousity in one place … and even more remarkable to contemplate the fact shared by Mike Pride, editor of the Concord Monitor, who introduced the poets … all three of them live within 30 miles of Concord!
What is it about this granite and ice, I wonder. The readings were wonderful, and each entirely individual. Rooted in their collective 200-some years of experience, the words were well-crafted, lovingly honed gifts. What an honor, on a January night, to sit in the presence of these aging masters – their presence at once so robust and so evanescent!
It somehow reminded me of the two deer that were pointed out to me this past Monday, on the edge of the field outside our kitchen wondow. There they were, big as life, browsing for something, anything, edible. Looking, I saw them clearly … yet a moment before, they had been right there and I’d seen nothing but the woods, still and cold and unpopulated.
My world feels more alive than it did before last night. How could it not? There are three venerable Poets Laureate toiling out there in their poets’ houses somewhere, hardly noticed, but very nearby!
I spent a good 3 hours yesterday fruitlessly trying to get to the bottom of an e-mail glitch that continues to hinder my communication with the outside world. Can’t figure out what started it … but it’s reminded me of other times when my technological friend has become a huge and frustrating time drain.
Those instances are few and far between, in my experience, but frustrating as hell. I’ve learned to not pay too much attention to the way it can shake my confidence – which used to feel REALLY bad! Now I “frame” the inevitable insecurities, rather than globalizing them, as I have in the past. And rather than continue to invest time in a losing battle with this problem, I’ve also learned to walk away … coming back later, (and hopefully with a clearer, less emotionally frayed) head.
So for now I can’t send e-mail from my home account … and have no idea why. Tonight I’ll get it figured out. For now it’s time to let it go.
I keep meaning to mention that Thursday was William Stafford’s birthday. He was a wonderful poet, born in the town of Liberal, Kansas in 1914. He died in 1993 and has in the habit of writing a poem a day. On the day he died, his daily poem included the line: “‘You don’t have to be good,’ my mother said, ‘just be ready for what God sends.'”
One of my personal favorites is:
The Way It Is
There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.
Licorice Pizza: I'm starting anew here and have now been, twice, to Vax and Snax at Red River. These are Thursday night movies for vaccinated and masked folks, and you can get POPCORN! But I digress...Licorice Pizza was a sweet, coming-of-age in The Valley in the Seventies sort of movie that managed to include waterbeds and Jon Peters and two new stars -- Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman).
If Beale Street Could Talk: Quiet, beautiful, heartfelt, devastating. America wears many masks. This movie strips a few of them away. It shines a light on quite a lot of ugliness. As well, it illuminates dignity and resilience in the face of a system built on the abuse of privilege and power. A perfect movie to see on the eve of what is hopefully Donald Trump's last SOTU.
Shoplifters: A beautifully honest, quiet movie that is at once uplifting and devastating. Universal questions are raised and left open for pondering. What is a family? How do people survive in our world today? And how do we judge their choices?
Green Book: Very enjoyable movie and yet deeply flawed. The white guy comes across as the hero in ways that are typical for the American movie industry, and comfortably misleading in terms of the realities of our culture. Especially in the current socio/political atmosphere, can't we do better than this?
On the Basis of Sex: We applauded, we cried, we felt so glad that RBG was as prescient as she was. And I felt personally glad that her love of opera clearly predates her connection with Scalia. What an inspiring woman -- and a good movie about her early years as a student, professor, and attorney.
The Favourite: Did I say that being a queen was no fun? This definitely seems to have carried forward to Queen Anne's reign. Strong performances again, and more belly laughs than you'd think. And right along with it, grief, emptiness, ambition, and gouty excess.
Mary Queen of Scots: Being a queen was no fun in the 16th century. Excellent, complex performances in this one. I found Elizabeth especially compelling. Very unclear who actually wins out in this one.
Another Year: Loved this one! It's about a couple, and their friends, and their lives – painful in spots, and wonderfully everyday and enriching, to my mind. Great performances – and who knew there was so much wine being drunk in England!?
Tiny Furniture: A young woman (aka Lena Dunham) comes home after graduating from college and tries to find herself – or not. A character study that I found humorous and touching – and sometimes a little disturbing and/or self-indulgent. It's definitely a privilege to have the leisure to "find oneself." After this..."Girls."
Rabbit Hole: Painful/powerful movie about loss and grieving. Hard to watch but well worth the effort, with a strong cast and an especially on the mark performance by Nicole Kidman. I continue to be glad to see that she is clearly outstripping Tom Cruise as an artist. You go girl!
The Kids Are Alright: Very enjoyable movie with great performances and an excellent cast. Two kids whose moms are lesbians decide they want to find out something about their "father" – and everything moves on from that point.
The King's Speech: Warm, funny, inspiring – and apparently a bit of a rewrite of history, to boot! Colin Firth puts out an amazing performance – and was well rewarded for it. Everyone else is great too, and if you're one of the few people left who hasn't seen it, it's definitely worth a look!
Black Swan: This is a disturbing movie that I really loved – and in case you haven't noticed, I do have a tendency to like disturbing movies. What's real and what isn't? You be the judge. Also, be on the lookout for Winona Ryder – you'll never recognize her!
Blue Valentine: A couple in trouble – how they started and how they got to where they are. A good movie with excellent performances that left me wondering, especially in Michelle Williams' case, whether she was thinking about what's his name (her partner who died suddenly – the guy who starred in Broke Back Mountain – for some reason I can't remember his name – oh yeah, Heath Ledger).
Shutter Island: A dark period piece that has the creepy feel of the 1950s (creepy to me at any rate) and has stayed with me more than I would've thought. A movie with surprises – definitely worth a look.
Cyrus: I don't remember this one so well, but have a vague recollection of walking out of the theater feeling not so enthralled. I believe it's supposed to be funny – but as you can tell it didn't really make an impression.
I Am Love: Really beautiful, sumptuous movie that made me hungry, just watching it. A keeper!
The Girl Who Played with Fire: The second in the three part series involving the girl with the dragon tattoo, this movie was much harder to watch than the first, as Salander's triumph isn't quite so clear at the end. Painful, painful, painful.
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World: I loved this comic book take on young love. Went to the movie on a whim and came away very happy to have seen it! Quite a few laugh out loud moments – and touching, as well.
Going the Distance: A very lightweight romcom that kinda left me feeling like I had just spent an hour and a half reading People magazine. In other words, pretty much a waste of time.
Never Let Me Go: Wow! This was an amazing, stark, and moving movie about kids who are basically raised to become organ donors. Very much worth seeing.
The Town: Ben Affleck's movie about bank robbers. It's okay. Not great, but okay. It does make me curious about Charlestown – will have to go there one day.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: A Woody Allen movie that I honestly don't remember very well. It's pretty much about adults behaving badly – something that Woody knows a little something about.
The Social Network: The movie about Facebook. I found it very interesting and well done, and was especially fascinated/disturbed by the window on the incredible privilege and elitism still thriving at undergrad Harvard.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: Number three in the Dragon trilogy. I found this, in many ways, the weakest of the three movies – although that's not to say that it was weak. Perhaps my enjoyment was affected by the fact that I hadn't read the book. Anyway, it's a great trilogy and I was sorry to see it come to an end.
Fair Game: The movie about the Valerie Plame affair. One of the things that I found most interesting was how it uncovered my own biases, as she was clearly a very serious and talented agent, but because of her blonde haired beauty, I pretty much assumed that she was a lightweight in real life. I appreciated, also, the depiction of her husband as a bit of a media hound, which was how he seemed to me at the time. And of course, there are the despicable characters of the Bush administration. Glad they were on display in all their glory!
City Island: This was a fine, if predictable, movie about a family in which everyone has a secret and is telling lies. I mostly loved it because it gave me a glimpse of where my friend CB lives!
Winter's Bone: Wow! Unrelenting, stark, and ultimately uplifting – at least to my mind. This is a painful movie about life when you're the daughter of someone who runs a meth lab. Winter's Bone is a perfect title. J-Law is amazing!
Please Give: Quirky, sweet, slice-of-life movie. I loved the low-key character development and good humor of it all. Enjoyable, with a great cast and few false notes.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Tho' parts of the book were missing, this was an excellent rendition of an excellent book. Not for the faint of heart, tho'! Lisbeth Salander is an Emma Peel for the 21st Century (watch for more from Noomi Rapace - I will be)!
Me and Orson Welles: Or was it Orson Welles and me? (If Orson had anything to do with the title, I'm guessing the latter.) I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, even as it reminded me of why the world of the theatre holds absolutely no appeal for yours truly! Nice to see Claire Danes back ... still have to finish watching Temple Grandin, too!
Crazy Heart: I left this movie thinking ... "Eh?" but it has stayed with me. Jeff Bridges does give a wonderful performance. The amount of smoking and drinking was nauseating - as I guess it was supposed to be - all in an understated, Jeff Bridges sort of a way.
A Single Man: One of the best movies of the year in my book. Haunting, beautifully acted and filmed ... marred only by an unnecessarily heavy-handed ending, IMHO. That was the only flaw in an otherwise brilliant bit of artistry. Colin Firth was perfect, and this was an amazing writing/directing debut for Tom Ford! See it!!!
Young Victoria: I am eternally grateful to have not been born the heir to a throne. Life was confusing enough! This was an enjoyable, tear-jerker of a movie that left me wanting to know more about the details. Perhaps a bio for Bookeaters?
Precious: Wow, wow, wow. Two weeks in a row - another amazing movie at Red River. This is a challenging and important movie ... about life in America ... every single day ... everywhere.
The Messenger: Wow, wow, wow. This is one of the best movies I have seen in quite some time. Its focus is on two men who notifiy NOK (next of kin) when a soldier dies. It is a raw, wrenching, unflinching and uplifting journey - not to be missed. Seriously
Damned United: This was a study in soccer, ambition, and friendship. For soccer buffs who actually know the players (I'm a late-comer to the game) the movie would be that much better. I loved it, though - and recommend it highly.
A Serious Man: The Book of Job envisioned by the Coen brothers evoked the early sixties and suburbia with humor, pathos ... and a slightly nauseating quality that tells me they pretty much hit the nail on the head. As one of the goyim, I am sure there were hundreds of nuances that were lost on me ... but I loved it (nausea aside) nonetheless!
Cold Souls: The premise of this movie is deeply strange, yet it is presented in an entirely believable way. It's by turns very moving and then hilarious (in ways that, in retrospect, are hard to capture/explain). The ending leaves a puzzled feeling - but that's not really bothersome. In many ways, puzzled is the appropriate way to walk out of the theater after "Cold Souls." Check it out!
Adam: Nicely done! Not a movie that will stay with you for a long time, but I liked it. The father (Peter Gallagher) seemed a tad overdone -and unnecessarily so. Unmemorable soundtrack - but since I mention it, does that make it memorable? Now I'm starting to feel like Steven Wright - not necessarily a bad thing!
Taking Woodstock: Even going in with low expectations, this offering from Ang Lee just wasn't good. Vilma was a high point in an otherwise shoddy effort. Harsh, eh? And watch out, world - it's only 6:30 AM!
Julie and Julia: I was not as bothered by Julie as some reviewers were - maybe because I liked seeing a blogger hit the big time. Meryl Streep was amazing as Julia .. and this is definitely not a movie to see on an empty stomach! Never have I enjoyed watching people eat as much as I did watching this flick!
500 Days of Summer: I think I wasn't supposed to, but I loved it. Engaging characters and script, great soundtrack. Not as quirky and lovable as "Away We Go" - but not far behind, either.
Whatever Works: People either like or hate this latest offering from Woody Allen. I must admit that it's a little weird to see this May-December relationship on-screen, feeling so creeped out by Woody's real-life choices. But I'd say he pulls it off. There are some really great lines throughout the movie, and while not entirely believable, I didn't mind being along for the ride. A pleasant diversion for sure.
Goodbye, Solo: Interesting movie that basically contrasts life energy and death energy, IMHO. Solo is the epitome of resilience - love him! Meanwhile William seems bent on being miserable, for reasons that the movie leaves mysterious. I didn't find him very a likable or compelling character - but Solo makes up for it.
Moon: I hesitate to write this one up, as I was tired when I saw it - and missed portions. But form my bleary vantage point, this seemed an intriguing movie set on the moon and exploring themes of identity, isolation, etc. It was not my usual fare - and I wasn't up to snuff - but at least had the wherewithall to be able tell that it was quality work!
Cheri: I liked this a lot better than Easy Virtue - maybe because I went into it having already seen EV and had my expectations lowered. Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates are fun to watch as always - and I liked Rupert Friend in the title role. It all got a little too serious at the end - a tone-shift that didn't quite fit with the bulk of the movie. Still - a pleasant diversion on a rainy July evening!
Away We Go: This was an excellent movie in every regard. Great dialogue and plot line, endearing cast/characters, heartwarming/funny story that avoids tipping over into overly-sweet territory ... and great soundtrack, to boot! See it, if you haven't already.
Easy Virtue: Not my cup of tea - but I suspect it would have helped, going in, to know that this was a movie based on a Noel Coward play. The characters felt stilted and unbelievable to me, as it was - and I couldn't muster much concern for what became of them. All things considered, I'd rather have been in Philadelphia!
Sugar: Sugar is a baseball flick that is sweetly and realistically done - and definitely like no Hollywood film on the subject. The characters are real and the life is hard - and the film depicts it all in a matter-of-fact way that brings the realities home more surely than something more "dramatic" ever could. Two thumbs up on this one!
Sunshine Cleaning: Director Christine Jeffs has a winner in this tale about the hard times and resiliency of the Lorkowski family. Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin shine in this movie about a bio-hazard clean-up company. Yes, that's correct. And the movie had the potential to cross the line into sappiness several times but demurred. For that I am eternally thankful. (Okay, eternally may be a little over the top.) Darn good flick, though - check it out.
Milk: Sean Penn deserves an Oscar for his amazing portrayal of Harvey Milk. It actually didn't even feel like a portrayal - more a channeling. Such a loss - that yet another creative and energetic and good leader, was senselessly murdered all those years ago. Fear, hatred and guns - why don't we remove at least the last ingredient in the tragic mix?
Doubt: Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman are amazing, and Viola Davis is a heartbreaking revelation in this battle royale. I was left with less doubt at the end than some of my compatriots ... but that took nothing away from the experience. Meryl Streep deserves an Oscar, IMHO ... and I definitely want her on my side, always!
Slumdog Millionaire: Just a great movie, start to finish. Magical,epic, and a nail-biter (even though you know what's going to happen ... pretty much. The dancing at the end did my heart good - and having M.I.A. in the soundtrack didn't hurt, either!
The Secret Life of Bees: Or was it The Secret Lives of Bees? Anyway, whatever - I want Queen Latifah to be my mother!!! (What was Bill Clinton thinking, throwing her under the bus all those years ago?) The movie was entertaining but not a home run by any means. Too predictable ... but Alicia Keys was wonderfully cranky-verging-on-scary and the Queen was queenly and the honey looked delicious and it was nice hearing India Arie in the soundtrack!
Happy Go Lucky: I think I was supposed to like this more than I did. Perhaps it suffered by being seen pretty much on the heels of Rachel. I found Poppy to be a sometimes intriguing and sometimes annoying character. The relentless joking and "upbeatness" felt distancing and unnecessary. I didn't hate this movie by any means - but something was missing for me.
Rachel Getting Married: Jonathan Demme and an amazing script and cast just blew me away with this effort. The characters are fascinating and complicated and most every interaction in the film left me engaged and wanting to know more! Debra Winger was stupendous - although it's been so long since I've seen her that I kept trying to find the bull-riding Urban Cowboy persona within the steely, distant mother of this wedding movie. (She's not there.) Margot at the Wedding was very good - but Rachel puts her in her place. I highly recommend this to everyone!
Religulous: Bill Maher skewers the rampant "illogic" of religion in this free-wheeling film. His wit is right on target and as barbed as you'd expect. I found myself squirming every once in awhile. I don't mind you picking on the Pope, Bill ... but same as with Michael Moore ... sometimes when you set up "common folks" to look like fools, I cringe. Still, Religulous is worth a look for sure. The best point Bill makes? That conservatives of a religulous bent are about finding answers - while liberals are about asking questions. I can go with that!
Roman de gare: This was an intriguing, surprising, suspenseful, funny, quirky movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters and plot lines are deftly developed. You should definitely check it out if you get the chance!
Young at Heart: YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's a documentary about a choral group of octogenarians in Northampton, MA. Very inspiring ... definitely something to check out!
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: Enjoyable, light fare with a stellar performance by my favorite police chief, Frances McDormand!
The Visitor: Now this was an excellent movie ... from start to finish. It was similar to Smart People in that it had an academic as the main character. However, all similarities ended pretty much right there. In this warm, funny, and wrenching movie, the characters are well and subtly developed, the plot is (unfortunately) believable ... and there are no false notes. I would urge you to see it - you won't be sorry!
Smart People: Looks like we're getting back on track with our Tuesday night movie schedule ... for the time being. Smart People was enjoyable but left me unenthralled. (It probably didn't help that we ran into a totally enthralled movie-goer on the way in who was seeing it for the second time. High expectations may have killed this one for me.) Overall, I found the characters exaggerated and mildly unlikeable ... the dialogue stilted and self-conscious, perhaps just the way smart people talk. But then the lessons about loosening up and being less self-absorbed weren't exactly ground-breaking. Overall, it wasn't a wasted evening ... but not a movie I'll be putting at the top of my list, either.
4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days): Winner of the Palm D'Or at Cannes, this film by Romania's Cristian Mungiu certainly deserves the accolades it receives. It's a realistic and emotionally unflinching story of a woman who helps her friend obtain an illegal abortion in 1987 Romania. The story is harrowing, the acting wonderful, and the cinematography amazing. This film makes Juno look like Disney pablum!
Taxi to the Dark Side: This was a harrowing and eye-opening look at what our country has become under the leadership of Bush/Cheney after 9/11. The "road taken" has definitely been a trip to the dark side. Disgusting and important to see ... as we make our way back toward the light!
Michael Clayton: What an excellent movie! Engaging, engrossing, well-acted. Tilda Swinton certainly deserved an award for her protrayal of what I have to think must be the secret, inner life of Condi Rice.
Persepolis: This animated memoir is an engaging, heartbreaking, uplifting, realistic look at life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Go see it! It humanizes what our current regime so consistently tries to dehumanize. An important movie, Persepolis is based on the book by Marjane Satrapi.
Margot at the Wedding: Dark, funny, tough to watch and very well acted.
I'm Not There: Bob Dylan's not my favorite, but this was a fascinating movie to watch (albeit long) and since he wasn't there, I couldn't very well feel annoyed by him. Cate Blanchette was just amazing - and I loved the surreal, Fellini-esque feel of the Richard Gere parts.
Atonement: Lush, compelling, painful - I especially loved Vanessa Redgrave's starkly powerful 5 minutes - and the Fellini-esque (can you tell I love Fellini?) flavor of the scenes of the evacuating troops on the beach - complete with ferris wheels - somehow depicting the disorienting horror of war in ways that blood and gore never could. Great movie!
Juno: Well, I went to see it. I totally agree with my friends who found the clinic scene extremely misleading, off-base, and gratuitously negative in its depiction of the women's health movement and its workers. In an otherwise nice movie, this was a thoughtless lapse ... and I was sad to see so many women in Juno's age group in the theater (one of them actually pregnant) ... who'll be coming away with a false impression that could so seriously affect their lives!
The Savages: Wow, what a good movie! Philip Seymour Hoffman has had an amazing run this year between this, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," and that other movie with Tom Hanks ... the name of which is escaping me at the moment ... Charlie Somebody's War. Anyway - he and Laura Linney are just wonderful as siblings dealing with their aging/ailing father. Painful and real ... and set in gritty, wintry Buffalo ... in perfect contrast to Sun City. (The latter looks like a setting that would do David Lynch proud.) Check it out if you haven't seen it!
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