I was messing around on the web before bed last night (one of those sessions when you plan to “just check a couple of things” and end up on the computer for an hour). In my travels I came upon a Blog called Boltgirl on the Loose that I enjoyed quite a bit … and there went my time.
Aside from enjoyable writing, I found lots of intriguing ideas there (like brief blurbs about music, restaurants, books – all in the sidebar). Exploring the site got me thinking about how many fascinating people there are in the world. The woman writing Boltgirl is funny, smart, engaged, thoughtful, a great writer … and did I say funny?
But close on the heels of these thoughts, I can feel my mind edging its way toward depression. Nothing deep, mind you. More the junior high school version of depression … I don’t say the right things, don’t have the right clothes … my glasses are weird … that sort of thing. “I’ll never measure up to Boltgirl,” I think whinily. (Is that even a word? If not, let’s coin it right here!) Her blog is fast-paced and full of zingers, witty and biting. I feel pedantic and plodding. I write like I have a damn bun … and stiff posture … and sensible shoes. (Okay, maybe the latter is true, but I wouldn’t know how to make a bun if my life depended on it.)
Ugh – this is no way to start a Saturday! How come I can’t appreciate someone else’s talents without turning it on myself like an insatiable, impossible-to-please, competitive stage mother?
I’m going to put it on the table this morning, because I feel used. There it is. Oh, and did I say alone? Abandoned?
This time last week in NH we were the focus of the US political universe (with the exception of planet Rudy, whose erratic orbit careened toward a different solar system). This time last week the snow was clean and our minds were awash with questions. “Change,” was just becoming the buzzword that it now is. It had not yet been uttered upwards of a billion times. Oh yes … and The Daily Show wasn’t back on the air yet.
Now, NH is an empty shell of its former self. Once busy campaign headquarters are just empty storefronts. Main Street, NH now has a look that more closely matches the realities of the US economy, having lost the lively bustle and false appearance of prosperity that all those occupied buildings gave it!
And the streets? The coffee shops? There’s NO ONE HERE! No one cares what we think anymore. We were courted and dropped. Damn – now I remember how that feels. It’s been years (four, to be exact).
And as if to add insult to injury, here’s our weather for today in Central NH: Freezing rain and sleet…changing to all rain by afternoon. Areas of fog. Highs in the lower 40s. Light and variable winds…becoming southeast around 10 mph this afternoon. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.
Notice where the winds are blowing? If that’s not South Carolina I don’t know what it is! Damned South Carolina … isn’t that where they all went last time? I feel so stupid … so used!
A friend sent me, this morning, a link to Gloria Steinem’s ope ed piece in the NY Times, with reference to the Maureen Dowd piece which followed the next day (and which she found churlish). So here they are: Maureen Dowd and Gloria Steinum going at it with quite divergent views of Hillary and her candidacy.
I appreciated the issues raised in the Steinam piece and found Dowd’s commentary rather predictable and mean-spirited. Stepping back, I realize that I LOVE Dowd’s facile humor when she’s aiming it at Bush et al … but maybe Maureen’s a one-trick pony and I need to re-think my appreciation of her.
Is it because Hillary is Hillary that she is getting the particular form of scrutiny that she is … or is it because she is a woman? Some combination, I suspect. The way she gets discussed in the press (not to mention around water coolers) can be so full of venom – and the venom is presumed to be so “acceptable” – that’s what’s striking to me. No journalist would dare write with the same tone about Obama, dissing him for some behavior that is seen as “stereotypical” … or just (eye roll here) typical.
We should not congratulate ourselves that our culture has moved that much further along on racial issues than it has on women’s issues … I think we have miles to go on each (before we sleep). But I do think that what is seen as acceptable discourse in the mainstream press is quite different when we’re talking about gender and when we’re talking about race. Dissing a woman as a woman is still okay (wink, wink), but dissing an African-American man in similar tones puts one in the company of Ann Coulter.
Dowd’s op ed is a weird validaton of what Steinem wrote the day before. Come on, Maureen – surely you can do better than that.
What a night! I love Chris Weigart’s take on the NH Primary results. Anything that shifts the focus from the polls and pundits back to the candidates and the voters is a good thing. Whatever the reasons for the surprising results … and I’m sure the reasons will be explored ad naseum … I love that, at least as of 1/8/08, the question of who will be the nominee (in both parties) remains an open one. Thanks, NH, for being your contrarian self!
Yesterday I put on my snowshoes and took the dogs out into the woods near our house in New Hampshire. The snow has to be about two feet deep, even as it thaws and gets more compact. It’s a little disorienting, all that snow, as it’s such a deep blanket. There are lots of tumbled down stone walls and fallen trees that have temporarily disappeared from the landscape. I was particularly confused when I missed a fallen log that just weeks ago needed to be clumsily clambored over … must have just walked right over it without even knowing!
Anyway … there is a nicely worn, single file snowshoe path from our house down across the field and along a woods road to where the snowmobilers have a wintry thoroughfare about a quarter of a mile further into the woods. We haven’t had much wind, so the trees are still laden and the snow in most places off the path is still unsullied and pristine white. And did I say it is deep? The deepest we’ve ever seen at this time of year … mayby ANY time of year!
I noticed, yesterday, that there was deer scat in the path near our barn. (The dogs definitely noticed as well.) Then I also saw the marks of deer hooves, daintily traversing the trail of nice, hard pack snow that we’d created on our walks. Walking through a stand of hemlocks, I glanced down and saw that some wild turkeys had used the path, too. And then there were the paw prints … maybe our dogs, or neighborhood canines, or the coyotes that we hear at night.
Interesting how the deep snow challenges us and brings so many disparate travelers together into a shared path, isn’t it?
Here’s a fascinating site to check out in the last hours before the NH Primary vote.
I continue to feel torn … amongst the compelling arguments that each of the top three Democrats offer. Hillary is incredibly knowledgeable, competent, and ready to go as of day one. Obama is inspirational and appears to offer change. John Edwards offers a populist, progressive message that appeals to me and has also taken an anti-nuclear energy stand.
In the Democratic Party we have an embarrassment of riches. Not a bad situation by any means – but a tough one in which to make a choice. Do YOU have any suggestions? I’d love to hear them!
Please check out the newest additions to the Blogroll here at JordanCornblog.
You can browse and get a taste of Margaret McWethy’s artwork. Margaret is a wonderful artist whose work reflects her love of color, light, and the objects in her world. Following is biographical information from one of her shows:
“Margaret McWethy is an Impressionist painter with a lifelong interest in art and the natural world. She paints the scenes that surround her, but her real subjects are the brilliance of light and the rhythms of nature.
“Margaret studied art history and biology at Swarthmore College. Since graduating in 1977 she has sought teachers who base their art on training, careful observation and understanding. Nationally known portrait artist, Cedric Egeli, master colorist, Henry Henche, Impressionist, John Ebersberger and sculptors, David Farrell and Stephen Perkins have all been influential teachers who have helped Margaret learn the skills and discipline she needs to express her personal view of nature. Though their disciplines are different-drawing, painting, and three-dimensional form- their philosophies are similar: only through diligent development of vision can truth be re-created. The pursuit of knowledge to enhance her ‘seeing’ of the world has become an ongoing journey for Margaret.
“Margaret’s background in the sciences tends to make her approach a blend of the analytical and the intuitive. “I like the idea of reducing things into parts to see how they work, then reconstructing and editing, not with the object of reducing problems to formulas but to reach some real understanding with which one can then begin to create.”
“Margaret McWethy is a native of Annapolis, Maryland. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband and young son. Margaret teaches workshops at The Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown and she is also featured in two books, Painting the Impressionist Landscape by Lois Griffel and Capturing Radiant Color in Oils by Susan Sarbeck. Margaret’s work has been exhibited internationally.”
Following the call of a different muse is Brian Dickerson. His compelling work is abstract and full of feeling … as noted in the following review excerpted from the Philadelphia Inquirer:
The subdued and vaguely mystical paintings that Brian Dickerson is showing at the Mangel Gallery evoke the Schoharie Valley west of Albany, N.Y., where he grew up. Specifically, the paintings refer to the Helderberg escarpment, which runs through the region.
The references are oblique because the paintings, all on wood constructions, are abstract. Assembled from pieces of aged wood, with tiny compartments cut into their faces, they project the character of reliquaries. The “relics” in this case are the artist’s memories of his boyhood in a geographically striking and archaeologically fertile place.
Dickerson achieves spiritual resonance less through form than through color, or the lack of it. His most effective paintings are done in soft black, dark brown, gray and bronze, all of which impart sober religiosity.
Flashes of color, such as scarlet or bright green, enliven several works, and several others are done mainly in lighter hues such as yellow or pale peach and white. Yet the darker ones carry more emotional weight because they appear to be more deeply felt, or remembered.
I came away from the Democratic debate reminded again (after a seven year drought) of how refreshing it is to hear people who speak with knowledge and thoughtfulness about complex issues. Sure, they were also using buzz words and spin and the shorthand of political rhetoric to some degree … but their command of facts and their thoughtfulness about the issues was clear – and in stark contrast to the shrill and slightly hysterical cacaphony that is the Republican slate of candidates.
There is a whole lot of substance among the Democrats remaining. It is reflective of the sad state our political discourse has fallen into that I feel compelled to repeat that they (with the occasional exception of Bill Richardson) spoke in complete and logical sentences and were able to use words like perpetuity and excoriate correctly in those sentences! Amazing! We actually witnessed a debate that wasn’t reduced to black and white, good and evil, us and them rhetoric from the get go. Ideas were discussed and it was occasionally necessary to use larger-than-normal words to get points across. Wow – I can only imagine the puzzled look on Bush’s face as he listened … but then again, he probably wasn’t listening – relying instead on his staff to boil it down into comprehensible bits and brief him in the morning.
It is unfortunate that after the debate the on-the-spot pundits (very much like Bush’s handlers) find it necessary to reduce it all to buzzwords again. I think last night it was change versus experience or some such construction, that the entire evening was boiled down to by our helpful commentators. Let the voters deconstruct the debate themselves! Here in the Granite State we don’t need your help to figure out what to think or what we’re seeing.
Here’s a nice write-up by Lindsey Dolich on ESPN’s soccernet about how things are going at the USWNT camp under Pia Sundhage’s tutelage.
It sounds like the morale is improving substantially. Her emphasis on tactics, communication, and each player rediscovering her passion for the game should go a long way toward bringing this team back after its devastating World Cup experience.
This morning I noticed an anti-Hillary ad on the internet. At the bottom it said it was paid for by John McCain (of all people). It uses a crystal ball and an unflattering photo to set her up in a most childish way and ask if this is what we want in our future … very mature and compelling stuff!
I’d gone to bed last night kind of rooting for McCain on the Republican side … and given the other players, I probably still am … but he’s lost a whole lot of points with me, that’s for sure. Why stoop to that? What are you afraid of, John? Is this straight talk?
It says nothing at all meaningful or substantial about Hillary … but it does seem to speak volumes about Senator McCain and the people he’s attempting to make his pitch to.
I hope it doesn’t play well in NH. It reminds me of the sort of thing Bush typically does. Most tellingly, perhaps, it reminds me of the kinds of things Bush did to him in South Carolina … back when McCain was riding high after his NH win. And here’s an interesting tidbit from The Nation (via the Common Dreams website) … apparently McCain is getting substantial support these days from the Swiftboaters. What a disappointing development!
It’s too bad that the self-proclaimed Straight Talker seems to have learned from his nemesis and is now stooping to his tactics. Too bad.
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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