Last evening I attended a celebration in which, as part of the evening’s activities, everyone present had the opportunity to draw two Angel Cards. I drew “Purpose” and “Grace” and have been pondering them off and on ever since.
Purpose is a good one for me – as I’ve been thinking a lot along those lines over the past year and will continue to in 2008. What are my goals at this stage of my life? And, in a larger sense, why am I here?
“Grace” is interesting and more puzzling, though. I take it to mean Grace in the expansive, theological sense rather than the physical sense. (If it’s the latter I’m afraid I’m in big trouble!) So … Grace as gift … something seemingly unearned, unasked … arriving unexpectedly. Grace. Hmmmm. It almost seems at odds with “Purpose” – or certainly in a different realm entirely.
As I let the words percolate, it comes to feel like Purpose and Grace may be about Head and Heart – different ways of approaching life that work together quite well. Living purposfully, I think, plan and do, using my head to the utmost. Living gracefully, I am open to what comes … from the universe … from the deepest recesses of my memory and my emotional nooks and crannies.
Each informs and enriches the other. Each alone, is less. My mind takes me so far … but can’t find its way to the wellsprings that grace bestows. And grace, left to its own devices, might never get anything done. So grace and purpose – each a gift to the other – each a gift to me!
I’m heading outside this morning to continue the clean-up from our big snowfall on Thursday. The mounds are huge and with predicted rain on tomorrow’s horizen, it’ll be a mess if everything isn’t cleaned up. They’re saying it’ll rain tomorrow and then we’re heading into a big freeze – so whatever snow is left on the ground will be transformed into concrete for all intents and purposes – and may well be around for weeks to come.
The metaphor is obvious – with snow representing emotional debris, interpersonal tangles, you name it. What’s not dealt with doesn’t go away. It turns into the equivalent of “concrete” – weighing down our souls and spirits. The clean-up can be hard work, like shoveling snow – but it’s sure worth it.
(An apology here … I’d have been more artful in leading into/describing the metaphoric meaning of the snow, concrete, etc. – but I’m quite suspicious that at this point my writing is just bald-faced avoidance of shoveling – so I’m being quick and getting myself out there.)
It’s nearly Solstice and we’ve had some major snow here in NH for this early in the winter. December 20th and the paths we’ve shoveled have 3-foot mounds on either side of them. Amazing! (Lately I’ve had a daydream of putting my head down, racing through that maze of snow-mounded paths, and scooting a quick/crafty route right around Christmas and out the other side without anyone noticing. What do you think the chances of that happening are? Yeah, I thought so …)
My family gave me, this year, for my birthday, a digital turntable, and I’ve been having a blast pulling out old albums and listening to them as I digitalize them. Often, as now, I’ll do other work as the vinyl turns. Tonight it’s Buffy Sainte-Marie “Fire & Fleet & Candlelight.” I love the wafting memories the music evokes … and I’ll make some of these old records into CD’s for stocking stuffers. Daydream as I may about avoiding the Christmas juggernaut, I do enjoy many of the traditions that our family has evolved through years of holidays … stockings being one of them.
So the time’s been flying .. and the snow’s been flying … and the political rhetoric has been flying in these parts, too. Things are heating up as the NH Primary draws near. John Edwards seems to be making a strong push (with Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne in tow*) and I find myself more and more drawn to his message. I remain overall undecided, however.
One final note – in these truly RANDOM thoughts – did you notice that there was a fire in the VP’s office in DC yesterday? Ten bucks says that something incriminating got burnt up in that little conflagration. Something key is going to turn up missing and the fire will be blamed. Just wait … and remember, you read it here first … errrr, maybe second or third … as I see that many in the blogosphere are speculating on this!
* NOTE TO SELF: Don’t forget to pull out the old Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne albums!
I don’t know about you, but I often find that I can get so caught up in the details of my everydays that I lose sight of the bigger picture – the larger sweep of this life that I’m living. It’s important to remember the things on my “To Do” list and to tick them off as I go along – but there’s more to each moment than tasks and accomplishments! I’m always happy when I discover small ways that I can weave meaning into small, daily moments. So here’s one I’d like to share:
Every day … every twelve hours, in fact … our clocks run through an entire calendar year of dates. (Bear with me here.) Right now, I glance at my watch and it reads 10:10 PM. Translating that into a date, it’s October 10th … and that’s my paternal grandmother’s birthday. I pause and think of her. She died in 1975, when I was just six months out of college – and here I am thinking of her on a December night in New Hampshire in 2007. I like that.
Yesterday as I was driving to town I noticed that my digital clock read 12:19 PM and my thoughts turned to my father, who died suddely on 12/19/94. I think of him often, still. And I ALWAYS do when I notice that time on my clock dial. The emotions that accompany the thought are ever-changing. I like that.
This is an unobtrusive way of touching on meaning, on your history, on important people and events in your life … even as you focus on accomplishing tasks. It can be as cursory or as feeling-laden as you want it to be. Sometimes an anniversary date might pull you up short. More often it’s a nice reminder or a warm, fleeting thought.
Think about it … the next time you glance at your digital clock!
The other day I caught myself thinking about my diet and my exercise regimen. I was thinking, “Well, the holidays are coming, so I might as well wait until after the New Year to buckle down and get healthy!” This was on December 4, mind you! I was glad to see that the thought didn’t ring entirely true, even to me! Then I started wondering why it would even occur to me.
It has to do, in part, with a somewhat defeatist attitude, and a track record that is suspect, at best. In addition, I think it has to do with a way that I can tend to think about time and the tasks that I need to get done. Say my exercise goal is to spend at least half an hour working up a sweat. What with getting ready, and then winding down, it can be an hour before I’m entirely finished. So, if I survey my time and see that I don’t have a big enough chunk of time I don’t even try to exercise. It’s off the list!
Similarly, if I’ve got the holidays on the horizon, and I know I’m going to eat junk at various points during the period, my tendency is to just write off the whole span of time. Healthy eating? It’s off the list! (Interestingly, this way of approaching things also gives me carte blanche to do whatever I want – once I’ve written something off.)
So, what will be helpful for me as I approach tasks or goals is to focus more on the moment — each and every moment.
If I have 15 minutes free, and am able to squeeze in a mile on the treadmill in that time, that’s WAY better than nothing. Hey, I’m breaking a sweat!
If I eat a salad for lunch, but then have fruit cake at a party that afternoon (ugh!), the fruitcake doesn’t entirely negate the salad … I still ate the salad, too!
I’m not going to exercise or eat well all the time, necessarily — but if I don’t at LEAST put myself in a position to try, I’m not even giving myself a chance. And if I set my expectations too high, I’m sabotaging myself before I even get TO (let alone out of) the starting gate.
If I put myself on the treadmill, I’m more likely to run for whatever length of time I can, then if I never set foot on the thing!
If I go to the kitchen and pull the lettuce out of the refrigerator, I’m more likely to make myself that salad than if I don’t even visit the kitchen!
We all know the famous Nike slogan “Just Do It”!
Well, I’m adding my own slogan — the necessary prerequisite for doing it … “JUST SHOW UP“!
Oh well … guess the Rom[an]o bested the Wisconsin Cheddar. Hope Favre is okay and can continue his amazing string of consecutive games started. Guess it’ll have to be left to the Eagles to rope in the Cowboys! 😉
Hey, it’s another Thursday night football game. Here’s to a nice, decisive spanking of the Cowboys at the hands of the Pack! It’s time for the high-flying Romo to learn a thing or two from his childhood idol … the equally high-flying Mr. Favre.
I know I said that I’d mellowed on the Cowboys’ front … believe me, this IS mellow!
It seems I’ve got a lot of catching up to do on the sports front.
First and foremost, the USWNT has a new coach! On November 13 the US Soccer Federation announced their selection — Pia Sundhage! Needless to say, I am ecstatic and have high hopes for positive changes on the women’s team. It’s my sense that they need change in many areas — tactical, stylistic, and (lest we forget the Hope Solo debacle and all its inevitable sequelae) team morale. It will be interesting to see whether Pia can do what’s needed in time for the team to make a good showing at this summer’s Beijing Olympics. She is running a mini camp in December, and the team will begin residency, and play in at least one tournament (I believe) in January.
I hope that someone, one day, writes a book about the USWNT and its history. This recent World Cup will certainly make for an interesting chapter!
In football news, the Philadelphia Eagles lost a heartbreaker to the Patriots this past Monday night. The Eagles came up three points short, just as they had been when they played the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Interesting twist to this one was that they were 22 point underdogs going in, and McNabb was injured — so AJ Feeley led the team and did a stellar job. Their play-calling at the end of the game was odd in my book, as they were at the Pats’ 29 yard line with about four minutes to go and threw a deep pass that was intercepted. I, along with the Sunday night commentators, was expecting the Iggles to run the ball and eat up the clock, and if necessary kick a field goal for the tie. It’s sad, as they played so well and, to my mind should have at least taken it to overtime on this one.
Shifting gears slightly … it’s been very interesting this year having my first experience of playing fantasy football. I’m involved in two leagues — and am doing pretty horrifically in both! I’m in one league with my sister Holly, and we’ve been having a blast discussing players and configuring and reconfiguring our teams. It’s another thing that eats up time, so that’s a little bit problematic for me. But on the plus side, it has expanded my interest in football and has made me far more aware of teams other than the Eagles and Patriots … and of other players … than I normally am. (I have also noticed that my dislike for the Dallas Cowboys seems to have dwindled this year. Whether that’s related to fantasy football or simply to general mellowing, I don’t know. It’s an interesting development, though… at least to me!)
In other news on the soccer front, I’ve noticed that a number of perennial favorites have been knocked out of the Division I Women’s NCAA tournament . North Carolina is notable for its absence from the Elite Eight, having lost to Notre Dame. Stanford was, I believe, another number one seed that bit the dust. Santa Clara was knocked out in the first or second round. It seems that parity is becoming a reality!
I woke up this morning to the sound of Willie retching and then puking.Ah well – must’ve been the grass he was eating yesterday down at Myosotis.The next thing I became aware of was the wind and the rain in the dark.An indoor day.
I love that I can sit here at the table and look up, through the open front door, to the windy, grey lake. The storm door is nice and tight – and provides another means for whatever wan light there is today to come in.All the shutters, but for the front windows, are closed.It feels very cozy in here!
After some good strong coffee and some work getting the fire started up again, I start writing.Interesting, how it goes.I begin writing from my head – as if there’s some formality to be observed – as if I’m not so well acquainted with myself after the dream-filled night. At some point, well into the writing, I feel the formality and settle down … settle in … basically asking myself … “So how ARE you!” It reminds me of something I’d say to a friend who’s giving me the news, but in a slightly impersonal way. The question finally gets me started in a whole new, more grounded vein.And it makes me think about how, after the wanderings of each night, there probably IS some need to get reacquainted, in a grounded way, with myself each morning.
Intimacy.Self-intimacy.I feel almost shy with myself.Who am I?What do I bring to this relationship?What am I afraid to share with myself? To explore? To see?I don’t want to be walking around stiffly and fearfully and half blind – and yet I can feel how afraid I am to let down my guard – even in this luxury of solitude.
I recently spent a few days “away from it all” with Willie (a shy, sweet, black lab) at a rustic cottage that my brother, sister and I share in the Helderberg Region of New York. It’s a tradition going back quite a few years, for me to spend some days in November there.
The solitude is often refreshing — sometimes kind of scary (when my imagination runs away with me) — and always offers things for me to think about. I thought I’d share, in the coming days, some tidbits from that time. This first entry felt particularly interesting on the morning of Thanksgiving … when “gathering” is the mot du jour!
First evening at the lake.The fire is going and Willie and I have eaten.The lake was still as a mirror as the daylight disappeared.I can still see it reflecting the lingering glow of the sky through the silhouettes of the trees.Quiet here.So quiet.
This is intimacy being here with just myself. It’s a bit of a jolt, as I slow down and take in the truth of the matter that I am alone here in the world that we all are.There is nothing wrong with that it��s just a fact – but one that surprises and somewhat frightens me, because I generally ignore it.
I am struck by a dual awareness — both the absence of others and the presence of myself.
I am here. I am always here.No matter what is going on around me.No matter where I am what cacophony surrounds me I am always here, just like this. Most of the time I just don’��t notice, as I’m caught up in the other things.
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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