Well, round one is done! A strong showing for Obama and Huckabee … which will make the NH primary all the more interesting. Will they solidify their positions, or will there be more shifting and jockeying before this is done? My money’s on the latter.
I liked Howard Fineman’s analysis and agree with the message of CHANGE that is blowing in from the prairie. So the question is, while the message may be that change is what the country thirsts for, are Obama and Huckabee the messangers we’ll end up with? NH will add an interesting twist as we all try to answer that question!
Here in the Granite State, the Ron Paul signs have been sprouting like trees, the snowbanks are littered with political detritus going all the way back to Tancredo, and John Edwards seems to have growing support among progressives in NH and around the country. Mitt took a hard hit from the Concord Monitor, and meanwhile McCain is definitely on the rise. Hillary has a very strong, committed, organized base in NH, as does Obama – and Rudy continues to hang out in warmer climes for some reason. It’ll be an interesting several days here in NH, no doubt about it.
My guess is that there will be a different set of “front-runners” after Tuesday – sending the pundits and the rest of us all to Michigan and South Carolina with more questions than answers, as the primary season continues to unfold.
PS And meanwhile … if you think the problems presented by our culture of gargantuan consumption aren’t serious, check out this piece from the NY Times … sobering stuff.
By tomorrow morning we’ll know something new about this year’s presidential race. How much of what we’ll know tomorrow morning is of substance – and how much is the result of spin will be interesting to try to sort out.
With the NH Primary coming so fast on the heels of Iowa, even a little momentum garnered in the Hawkeye State will hit New Hampshire like winter storms sweeping in from the prairies. (And in NH, we’re running out of places to put the snow already – a good metaphor for campaign rhetoric and spin in this campaign season.)
I read, last night, a provocative (is there any other way) piece by Michael Moore that my sister forwarded me from the Common Dreams website. I’ve been undecided for months now and continue so, to a large degree. But I surely do agree with Edwards in what he says about corporate greed and the choke hold that corporations seem to have on our democratic institutions. I think that my heart is with Edwards’ message – as it was 4 years ago … but I’m hearing that if he doesn’t win in Iowa he’s pretty much a goner.
Why? That’s what I wonder. This is what the pundits tell us … and hearing such things then factors into the decisions that the next batch of voters make. It’s as if the outcome of one of the bowl games were being decided, not simply by the play on the field, but also by what the announcers and coaches were saying to the fans about the game. (Come to think of it, I guess that is kind of how the BCS system currently works … and just look how pleased everyone is with the outcome!)
I hope that, whatever the outcome is in Iowa today, the NH voters aren’t so terribly swayed by all the punditry. (I hope that I am not swayed!) For the good of this country, the Democrats sorely need to pick a winner, IMHO … but at this stage of the game, everyone needs to vote for the candidate they agree with … not the one the pundits have annointed. The voters need to give the pundits some real data to chew on – not simply reflect back what they’re hearing from their TV’s and radio’s and computers!
So here it is, the pristine new morning of a pristine new year. (Wouldn’t it be nice if that particular illusion were true.) I do find meaning in new beginnings, beginner’s mind, and such concepts … however I don’t go so far as to think they erase the past. No, that’s with me always – and hopefully functions as a touchstone and anchor, but not as a millstone or weighty set of shackles!
This pristine morning as I groggily chatted and downed my first coffee I ran smack dab into a wee bit sarcasm and felt pierced by it. It was nothing major – as I said, a wee bit – but the experience made me think about how sarcastic my humor typically is – and how it can hurt to be on the receiving end of it. I marked the moment, this morning, and added to my list for 2008, the resolve to work to be more aware of (and less generous with) my sarcasm.
I remember visiting a friend and her family some years ago, and hearing her husband make a side comment about their daughter that took my breath away. It was nothing horrible … and was meant to be humorous, I’m sure. It was the kind of sarcastic aside that is our daily fare, in many ways, and certainly a staple for him. His remark was conveyed lightly, in a tone that was warm and almost affectionate on the surface. But the content was so cutting that I remember it brought me up short at the time. How confusing for a kid! It was the sort of comment that would lodge corrosively in a child’s psyche without her knowing it. If she were lucky, it might be exorcised years later in therapy – but not before it had sapped her confidence and eroded her self image for years … in those subtle but debilitating ways that such things do.
People nearly always laugh when I make my sarcastic remarks … but a few will take the risk to get back to me and point out that something I said as a “joke” was actually hurtful … actually not that funny. I have worked, over the years, to be more aware – but it’s a very ingrained habit. It’s a way I get attention (making people laugh) and also a way I think I sometimes express my own insecurity and/or anger. Definitely, when I’m feeling angry or “off” I’m much more likely to be sarcastic … so I need to keep working away at it – and working, too, to be open to hearing honest feedback when it comes.
Here’s to 2008 … and to living my life the best way I know how!
It’s @ 4PM on New Year’s Eve afternoon. We’ve been digging out after @ a foot of lovely soft snow here in NH. The old year goes out awash in new snow, with more expected for tomorrow. I’ve no particularly heavy thoughts this New Year’s Eve. Maybe that’ll come later, by the chiminea, as the evening winds down.
I know I feel very lucky to be alive and very appreciative of my friends and family, my work, my health. I am looking forward to living ever more skillfully in the coming year.
I don’t know what that will mean, except that I want to stretch my capacities and live more mindfully, appreciating the moments that come my way and learning to manage the parts of me that can get in the way. I’m thinking of those feelings of victimization and self-criticism … the “poor me’s” and “bad me’s” … that only narrow and hobble and sour and constrict the ME that I bring to each moment and each situation of my life.
Here’s to developing the quiet capacity to live 2008 to its fullest, with ALL OF ME, whatever the year may bring!
PS I just watched an amazing piece about our culture of cumsumption which is definitely worth a look. It’s called “The Story of Stuff and, while it takes twenty minutes to watch, it’s time very well spent. It has certainly given me a lot to mull and chew on as I step into 2008. And here’s another, related piece, from the NY Times. Good reading!
… I wanted to share this interesting site (and undertaking) that my sister sent to me recently. (Thanks!)
It’s about a man from Vermont who is walking to DC to highlight his (and others’) efforts to get impeachment onto the Congressional table in a real way. He says: “I’m walking from Faneuil Hall to House Speaker Pelosi’s office to encourage her to put impeachment “back on the table.” Can’t come with me? I’ll march in your name. The March started from Faneuil Hall at 10:30 a.m. on December 1st.” There’s lot more information, including a blog, videos … and a place to sign his petition … on his site at the link above.
As this old year draws to a close, and I find myself reflecting on the things that have been done by Bush, Cheney, etc., etc., etc. in my name (as an American) I am embarrassed, horrfied, enraged, chilled.
May the new year bring accountablity and change … and more of us putting ourselves out to help make what we hope for into a reality!
Saddened and angered and frightened by the assassinaton of Benazir Bhutto and the precarious state of the world, I was struck this morning by how such events don’t alter Dubya’s vacation schedule. That got me to looking for specifics about the absolutely obscene number of vacation days Bush has taken since he became president.
Here’s some data from the Common Dreams article referenced above: “According to the Washington Post’s tabulations, by August 2003, Mr. Bush had spent 250 days – 21% of his presidency – on vacation (166 of those days ensconced at his Crawford ranch) …
“When it comes to jetting off on extended vacations, George W. is simply following in the contrails of his famous father. President George H. W. Bush spent 543 days relaxing at Camp David or Kennebunkport, Maine, all on the taxpayers’ dime. Even Ronald Reagan (no stranger to clearing brush on the family ranch) didn’t come close to the Bush Family Record. Reagan only spent 335 days at his Santa Barbara ranch during the entire eight years of his presidency.
“For taxpayers interested in getting a good return on their investment, Democrats clearly have the better record as conscientious, time-clock-punching government employees. Workaholic Bill Clinton claimed just 152 days of vacation in the first three years of his presidency. In 2000, Clinton clipped his vacation to a mere three days. Jimmy Carter was the real stuck-in-the-saddle champ. Carter only took 79 days off – all at the family home in Georgia.”
Here are some figures based on a CBS News tally back in 2004. The pattern is clearly well established and unaltered by world events. As of August, 2007, according to one blogger, Bush’s vacation day tally was (at least) 418 days (or about 1 year and 2 months). I have to think that by now it’s reached a year and three months … that’s 15 months … sound familiar?
Juxtapose Bush’s 15 months of R&R with the following, reported by the AP on 4/12/07: “Stretched thin by four years of war, the Army is adding three months to the standard yearlong tour for all active-duty soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, an extraordinary step aimed at maintaining the troop buildup in Baghdad.
The change, announced Wednesday by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is the latest blow to an all-volunteer Army that has been given ever-shorter periods of rest and retraining at home between overseas deployments.”
Obscene doesn’t begin to describe it …
However, a number of our comedians have done their part, unmasking the hypocrisy and making Dubya the butt that he deserves to be! Here’s one of many … “President Bush is going on his annual vacation. The White House says he goes to his Texas Ranch to unwind. I’m thinking, when does he wind?” –David Letterman.
My final thought? For the sake of the country (not to mention democracy) wouldn’t it be great if Cheney would pick up a few of Bush’s habits?
The new USWNT coach, Pia Sundhage, held her first, mini training camp in early December out in Carson, California. She began the first session with a song! It’s going to be very exciting to see how this team evolves under her tutelage … and I can’t wait ’til she pulls out her guitar!
On another note (Bowl Football) I regret that bed beckoned last night and I gave up on Central Michigan toward the end of the second quarter. It sounds like it was a wild second half out there in the Motor City. Purdue pulled it out in the end – but not before things got VERY interesting!
After a lovely Christmas shared with family and friends I somehow wended my way to Ann Coulter’s website before bed. (As I recall, that journey had started with Elizabeth Edwards and one thing led to another … most unfortunately!)
After reading but a few of her vituperative words, I could feel the Christmas spirit evaporating FAST. What a grotesque product of our culture she is! What an opportunistic, shallow, venomous individual!
I read on her site that she is not a believer in evolution … and thought to myself that I might just have to agree. Ms. Coulter is one of the best and most conclusive arguments AGAINST human evolution that I have come upon in my lifetime!
Awake in a mostly-sleeping house, I find time to be still and contemplate before the day gets underway. Christmas is such a marker of the passage of time and of the status of our hopes and dreams – or so it feels to me at the moment. No matter how I feel about what our culture has done to Christmas, it is a celebration that has occurred in each and every one of my 55 years – and so it is a touchstone. From my vantage point in 2007 I survey backward over my years of Christmases. Then, zooming in close, I remember the year that’s just passed and reflect on all that has transpired in those 365 days … what I’ve learned, where I’ve changed … people/experiences/lessons that have come new to me this year … and things that have passed.
As I write I’m listening to one of the old albums I “digitalized” with my Numark turntable. The Spinners … “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love?” Hearing the old songs, time suddenly foreshortens and I am back in 1972 or 3 as if it were yesterday. Sunshine heats the warm April walkway from Parrish Hall to McCabe library at Swarthmore College. My jeans are patched and my hair is long. Nothing extraordinary is happening … just a walk from my mailbox to the library. A spring day in the early ’70’s is unfolding in front of me. Birdsong trills … then I enter the shade and coolness of the library. Soft carpeting muffles my steps. So quiet and full of purpose it is. I sink into the feeling of it.
What amazes me is how real it can feel … how fully I can feel myself back there. And just like that, when I think back to past Christmases, they can be right here. Faces long gone are gathered amidst wrapping paper and ribbon. I like that – it’s all here inside … waiting to be seen/felt/smelled/heard again … and maybe that’s the biggest gift of all!
It rained hard last night and stayed warm, so we woke to an iceless world (thankfully). Snow still blankets most everything, but where it had been plowed and shoveled, the bare ground shows through. What’s left must be very wet and heavy – and whenever it freezes it’ll be amazing!
Yesterday we had several visits from a huge flock of wild turkeys – 15-20 birds in all. They’d walk up our long driveway and then wend along the narrow, shoveled paths til they got to the birdfeeder and the strewn seed underneath. There they’d scracth and eat, until something startled them and they rose as one, flying through the mist, back down the hill to safety. Later they’d all troop back up the driveway, march through the maze of shoveled paths, eventually arriving again at the birdfeeder for more food.
It is just amazing to see those large critters foraging in the snow along with the sparrows and chickadees. Our two cats were as fascinated as we were – and seemed quite unsure as to what they’d do out there amongst the birds, given the chance (which they were not given).
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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