Well first off, the soccer news. The USWNT beat China 1-0 (and won the Four Nations Tournament) on a 2nd half goal by Shannon Boxx – an amazing header! Way to go Boxxy!
It sounds like the team had a tough first half and got a bit of a “talking to” from Pia (who by report didn’t look happy at halftime). She made some subs … and in the second half they were able to get it done. BigSoccer has some play-by-play commentary by those brave souls who stayed up to watch the feed from China. Nothing’s up on the US Soccer site about the game yet (they continue to be unreasonably slow about reporting on the women) – but here’s the quote sheet from the Finland win (while we wait).
Meanwhile, back on the Primary scene, Hillary won in Nevada with 51% to Obama’s 45% (although apparently Obama won in the delegate tally, 13 to 12 or something like that). Edwards came away with 4%. That leaves me wondering if his supporters broke in any particular direction, since it all sounded pretty close going in. South Carolina now becomes a “must win” for Edwards – and it’s hard to see that happening from where I sit.
The Republican stuff just gets weirder and weirder. McCain won in South Carolina (sure wish he had 8 years ago) while Romney did in Nevada. Meanwhile Ron Paul and Fred Thompson moved into the top three for the first time – with Paul taking second in Nevada (McCain third) and Thompson (presumably on the strength of his accent) taking third in South Carolina (Huckabee second). Duncan Hunter dropped out. Who knew he was still in? And Rudy is still lurking somewhere in the Everglades.
And on top of everything else, turnout for the GOP continues to be low (meaning that there may be ONE thing to thank Bush for).
And last but not least … will it be a Pats-Packers Superbowl? Guess I’ll go WAY out on a limb and make that prediction. Daring, incisive stuff here on a Sunday morning!
It’s Saturday … and a busy one at that! I don’t have a topic for today, and need to go do the food shopping for the week. Well – how about this? Here’s a copy of our weekly staples list for your perusal. Take it, adapt it, and use it if you like!
Have you been following this story? I am so heartened to read about the White House getting more aggressive about recycling! Who’d a thunk it? Bush, in his final year, is really stepping up to the plate on all fronts. I guess I had misjudged him.
Meanwhile, I and a friend had a discussion about the impact of the movie Juno last night. While I haven’t seen it (and am not sure I want to be supporting it with my ticket $$), I’ve heard very strong reactions, both positive and negative. It sounds like a seemingly entertaining, engaging story that packs a message straight from the religious right about issues of choice. From what I hear, the depicton of clinic workers, etc. is gratuitously negative – while the depiction of pregnancy and childbirth is rosily romanticized. What’s up, folks? Sounds like we’re being entertained right out of our rights as women. How 21st century American!
And speaking of 21st century America … here’s an interesting piece about the folks behind Facebook. I should know better … but sometimes I’m still surprised when things are just not what they appear …
I feel SO naive.
Facebook isn’t the result of undergraduate creativity and chutzpa?
We’ve moved so far to the right that we don’t recognize anti-choice propaganda when it’s all over the multi-plexes?
Once again, the White House is above Federal Law (not to mention best e-mail practices)?
PS: So to prove that I wasn’t born yesterday, here’s an insight/prediction! Before the primaries are through I predict that we’ll discover that John McCain’s trophy wife and his “Straight Talk” aren’t actually what they appear. They are a crafty cover for the fact that on social issues he has a very wide stance and, when not out campaigning and talking straight, he is Larry Craig’s very, very good Senate buddy. Mark my words – you heard it here first!
The old WUSA is now the new WPS. Slated to kick off in April of 2009 … it’s great to see them looking more and more ready for business … check out their site. And yes, the figure silohuetted in the logo really is Mia.
I found this piece about Bush’s Legacy on the Common Dreams website this morning … and have added Common Dreams to my blogroll (my bad to have left it off this long).
I’m not so naive as to think that everything was roses and lollipops before Bush and Cheney hit Pennsylvania Avenue. But good god, y’all! Bush would have been horrible no matter what. Unfortunately for the world, however, the combinaton of 9/11 with the vision, depth, and attention span that he brings to everything has been devastating just about everywhere you look (with the exceptionof the pricey addresses, of course). And now he wants to turn it all around with some simplistic plan (underwritten with billions of our tax dollars) to make peace in the middle east.
Nauseating … just nauseating. I can see why I’ve tended to stay away from writing about Bush. If I start out like this, I’m just gonna be pissed off and depressed all day. That’s how it works, isn’t it? People (I) hardly even want to look. I’ll choose to distract myself with other things. Worry about other things – less overwhelming. Meanwhile this idiot continues to wreak havoc. (And calling him an idiot is too kind by half – evil-doer is much closer to the point.)
But on a slightly brighter note, the movement to impeach Cheney is moving along. Maybe it’s a hopeless cause, but to do SOMETHING feels better than to just let things continue as they have.
First, here’s some nice stuff from Susan Faludi on Hillary Clinton and another possible reason for her appeal to women in particular. I watched about half of the Dem’s debate last night and continue to be impressed by the level of discourse (even factoring in the fact that they are all politicians).
Went to see Atonement at Concord’s Red River Theatres last night. Very beautiful, moving movie. Not having read the book, I was not prepared for the plot twists … and was absolutely mesmerized by Vanessa Redgrave’s seering and unembellished 5-some minutes on-screen. What a formidable presence she brings! And the actress who plays the young Briney was also especially wonderful – not to diminish the wonderfulness of the entire cast!.
Stop here if you don’t want to read soccer results!
Unfortunately, at this hour, I don’t have the actual results, but from the postings on BigSoccer I gather that the USWNT beat Canada rather handily in game #1 of the Four Nations tournament. The buzz is that they looked great. One poster wrote: “Amazing things happen when you pass the ball.” Details from the forum are here, starting partway down the page.
Interestingly, there is absolutely NOTHING posted on the ussoccer site yet. No MatchTracker for the game either. US Soccer’s treatment of the women’s team (aside from the selection of Pia) continues to unimpress, putting it mildly. It seems particularly so, as they try to rebuild after Ryan. (Makes me wonder if Pia, in her straight-talking and forthright way, has already pissed them off somehow … you go girl!) But what the hey – it sounds like already, things are turning around. Can’t wait to see ’em live (err, on TV) against a quality opponent (sounds like Canada wasn’t at full strength).
More later, maybe … gotta go get on the treadmill!
So, we’ve got the Michigan Primary today, with McCain and Romney in a dead heat and Pastor Huckabee third. I read somwhere that Romney might drop out if he doesn’t win this one, strapping his dog back on the roof of his car and heading on home to whatever state he hails from. (After the Michigan vote, if he’s still in, I’m guessing he’ll be hailing from Massachusetts until they vote – unless there’s still time to establish residency in California or New York.)
Meanwhile in Nevada, the Dems debate tonight – apparently with Kucinich joining them. Should be interesting to hear the ‘discussion’ of the Nevada NEA’s attempt (seen by many as backed by the Clinton campaign) to overturn a March 2007 court ruling that permitted folks to caucus during work time. (It was okay, I guess, when Hillary was the prohibative favorite.) Whatever their reasoning, I can’t come up with any scenario where this is easily-defended – and may provide a good opportunity to hear the new voice that Hillary found in NH. I hope so!
I see on MSNBC that a pastor in Missouri has been arrested for soliciting sex from a male police officer posing as a 13 year old girl. Pastors, priests … yes, please, rise to your pulpits and tell us all again what is wrong with America! Uh, and while you’re at it, we’d love your advice on how to vote!
I love the Cluster Map feature that I picked up on when I visited Boltgirl’s site. It updates daily and reflects a running graphic of visiters to JordanCornblog. If any of you 9 or 10 frequent visitors wanted to share JordanCornblog with friends in Seattle or Chicago … or Moscow … their visits would be very nice additions to the map! 😉
And here’s a great piece from The New Yorker about the stress of campaigning and how it eventually cracks the coiffed, combed, and constantly-focus-grouped facades of the candidates …
… and now it’s post-treadmill and all I can say is YEE HAH! It’s so good to get two days of breaking a sweat under my belt!
I just added a link to Pandora Radio to my Blogroll under “Things to Check Out.” It’s an internet radio station that you create for yourself by giving it feedback about the music you prefer – so the more you listen the more it plays what you like.
I am listening to ‘Laura Nyro Radio” right now – and am magically back in a dorm room on Willets 3-North in January 1972. Ah, nostaligia. (But you don’t have to go the nostalgia route … try picking, I don’t know, Feist or something.)
Pandora Radio is part of something called the Music Genome Project. What can I say? It is very, very cool!
Okay, here it is. It’s 1/14/08 and my exercise regimen (the one I wrote about before the holidays) is almost non-existent. Meanwhile chocolate calls, blogging calls, football still calls … and with football there’s the whole beer and pretzels thing … and you get the picture.
I thought I had it licked, stepping back from “just do it” and telling myself that the key was to “just show up.” It’s true – that’s the key. But it turns out there is really no “just” about it. Between “just” and “show up” stretches a yawning gulf of volition. And it appears there’s “just” no way around that.
I thought the trick for me was to make exercise (and other healthy choices) as volitionless as possible. If it’s a really, really tiny choice that I have to make to get me started (so I’ve surmised), that’s the likeliest path to success. But what I’ve realized is … there is no getting around the fact that I have to make a choice. Choosing feels existentially different from doing … it’s where I set my course … or where I veer off track.
All weekend (when there was plenty of time) I chose to do “other” things. It didn’t actually feel like choosing – more like continuing a kind of momentum. My time wasn’t wasted by any means – but I didn’t entirely take charge of it either (at least not in a conscious, up front, grown up way).
So it’s not just choosing TO exercise, but also choosing NOT to do something else at some point. It’s choosing to paddle and steer, rather than just being carried downstream on a warm, sunny day .. ahhhh. It’s choosing to STOP and MAKE a choice … dammit! If I don’t stop, I know now that I will slide through my day – doing useful things in many instances – but NOT CHOOSING!
Come on, JordanCornblog … you can do it! It’s actually a very teeny, tiny choice that you need to make … but it’s a choice … yes indeedy … and you’re making it, one way or the other. Doing it consciously is power. You know how good it can feel when you do it. So just do it! (Watch out treadmill … here I come!)
Coach Pia Sundhage has named Christie Rampone as the new USWNT captain. To my mind it’s a great move. Rampone has always impressed me with her hard-nosed, steady, consistent (and damned fast) play. With Lil taking time off to have her first child … and the team still (I’m guessing) sorting out the fallout from the Ryan era and the Solo episode … it’s a great time for Christie to step in. Abby may have seemed the presumptive favorite … but as one of the “team leaders” during the WWC mess, she probably has bridges to rebuild and ties to re-bind.
Rampone is the most-capped member of the current team and I’m betting stayed out of the fray as much as possible. Cat Whitehill seemed to be right out there lobbying for the position in recent months – which kinda turned me off – as does my sense of her politics (based only on the tiniest bits of evidence- but I’m not shy about shamelessly and irresponsibly extrapolating).
So here’s to you, Christie! Filling the shoes of Foudy and Overbeck won’t be easy – and that’s the kind of leadership I think this team needs to recapture. I look forward to seeing what you (and the team) do in the coming months. And bravo, bravo, bravo Pia!
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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