There is no quick way Through. These are the lessons I need. Keep going.
I always relied on flashes of insight to get through. And they meant something, to be sure. They were on the right track. But the insights couldn’t take root. Roots need tending…need repetition. Practice. And rote learning was never my forte.
Now I am learning to accept that practice is what brings change. It’s not so much about insights (although they still energize me) but about the repetitive work of recognizing and letting go of old habits…and introducing new ones.
I have chosen each And every lesson that comes My way every day.
I’m fully taking this in the more I realize that my Karma is mine. I chose the family I was born into. I am experiencing and learning exactly what is necessary.
So no more whining or complaining! The lessons are perfectly calibrated to give me just what I need right now.
This exercise of Burning up karmic seeds is Almost joyful now.
The word karma has been of growing importance as I mull this process. There are millions of seeds scattered across the ground that is under my feet, and they are the karma that is mine to work with in this lifetime.
The things that hook me going all the way back to the beginning of this life of mine, aren’t really personal. In some ways, part of the pain is the fact that none of it is or was ever personal. But that’s because a part of me wants to be important enough to have been acted against.
Ultimately, though, it’s far more helpful for me to think of everything that comes my way as a vehicle for the karmic lessons that I need to learn. Every bit of shenpa is simply a seed to be burned. And each seed burned means one less seed scattered on the ground under my feet, waiting to sprout.
I wonder if I am just making this up or if Pema would agree with the small learnings that are sparking inside of me…
By popular demand, here is an uneducated American take on this event, starting with the tournament itself, which features a shortened form of Cricket that is intended to have a broader appeal than the original version. The game has evolved over the years and has various formats, ranging from T-10(Ten-10) played in around 90 minutes to Test matches which can last up to five days!
My only personal exposure to Cricket was many, many years ago when I was riding my bike around the Main Line and came upon a match being played at Haverford College. I stopped and watched for maybe 45 minutes and was NEVER able to figure out what those men dressed all in white were doing. But here’s a history of Cricket (with many thanks to Wikipedia). Some things that jumped out at me:
The first reference to cricket being played as an adult sport was in 1611, when two men in Sussex were prosecuted for playing cricket on Sunday instead of going to church.
The Laws of Cricket were codified for the first time in 1744 and then amended in 1774.
These laws stated that “the principals shall choose from amongst the gentlemen present two umpires who shall absolutely decide all disputes.”
Cricket started off as one of the more popular sports in America, especially when it was adapted to allow for higher-scoring matches that could be completed in an afternoon, rather than over the course of a few days.
However, baseball overtook cricket’s popularity in the United States during the Civil War. Soldiers who had played baseball during the war went back to their homes across the country and took the game with them. Some factors in favor of baseball’s rise were that it had a much shorter playing duration and that it could be played on any patch of land (rather than requiring special preparations such as the cricket pitch).
Aiming to grow the game, the ICC expanded its development program, hoping to produce more national teams capable of competing in various formats. Development efforts are focused on African and Asian nations, and on the United States. In 2004, the ICC Intercontinental Cup brought first-class cricket to 12 nations, mostly for the first time. Cricket’s newest innovation is Twenty20, essentially an evening entertainment. It has so far enjoyed enormous popularity and has attracted large attendances at matches as well as good TV audience ratings. The inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Cup tournament was held in 2007.
The tournament is held every 2 years, and England is the reigning champ.
This year it’s being hosted by the US and the West Indies. Matches are being played at venues in Dallas, Bridgetown, Providence, New York, Lauderhill, North Sound, Gros Islet, Kingstown and Tarouba.
India and Sri Lanka will co-host the 2026 edition, Australia and New Zealand will co-host the 2028 edition, and the United Kingdom and Ireland will co-host the 2030 edition.
Here’s more info about the tournament and its history.
Now, as for what actually happens during a cricket match, I suggest that you simply watch the tournament on TV, figure it out, and then let me know in a comment here. Streaming options appear to be pretty limited, but you can also drive to Providence and catch a live match! (Oops, sorry, that’s Providence Stadium in Guyana, not Rhode Island!)
So in the WNBA most teams are three games into the Commissioner’s Cup. Here are the standings — with Caitlyn Clark and the Fever looking not too shabby. They won a nail-biter against the Mystics last night.
On the soccer front I was having a devil of a time figuring out what was going on. Then I stumbled upon this Schedule Page on the TST site. Looks like the women’s matches are starting up again at 6PM tonight – and the US Women (that team with probably more star-studded coaches than players) lost yesterday to Streetball FC Canada. The score was 3-0.
Oh, and the Phillies are playing the Mets in London. Thanks for the photos, Holly!
I am rewriting My history as I see More and more of it.
History isn’t static or objective. Witness this country and the repressed parts of our collective past that come to light when we are brave enough to look (and include more than what the dominant voices taught).
So much evolves as we explore inside and become incrementally better at managing feelings that once felt unmanageable. “Facts” often aren’t facts but rather necessary fictions that served at the time.
It’s likely I will never arrive at actual facts—if, indeed, they exist and my human eye can discern them. But I am happy to keep chipping away at the fictions that no longer serve.
The new will always Open to me when I make One choice differently.
Pema Chödrön advises that we soften whatever is hard in us when we have the opportunity to choose — which is always.
When confronted with a hook (Shenpa), can I be brave enough not to repeat an old story and instead choose to be still and experience the feelings that lie underneath it all?
That is when the seeds get burnt.
And I simply don’t know what will happen next. Terrifying at one time, this can now be a joyful thing (especially if you are a brave fire sign…) 🙂
In the WNBA, the Commissioner’s Cup started yesterday with the Fever vs. the Sky. And the Fever took the match-up, winning their first home game of the season. The WNBA is ‘buzzing’ as the new season gets underway and the crop of rookies find their niches in the pros. And the Commissioner’s Cup adds to the buzz (although it hardly seems necessary this year).
This Cup is an annual in-season competition for the WNBA. In the end, after the slate of games have been played through, the team from each conference with the top record competes for a $500,000 prize pool in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship.
Each team plays a total of five Commissioner’s Cup games, one against each of its in-conference rivals. All games played during the two-week period from June 1-13, 2024 will be Commissioner’s Cup games. All of these games are a part of the team’s 40-game schedule and count toward the team’s regular-season win-loss record. The Commissioner’s Cup Championship will be played on Tuesday, June 25 at the arena of the team with the best record in Cup play.
So, stay tuned. You can follow the standings HERE.
The Soccer
In soccer, well, bear with me as I wrap my head around this upcoming soccer tournament, okay? I haven’t written about soccer in a long time. But with the Olympics looming, it’s time to start greasing those gears. So here’s what I’ve found online about TST:
This soccer tournament (TST) includes $1 million, winner-take-all tournaments for men and women. The men’s and women’s soccer tournaments are both 7 v 7. There are 8 teams on the women’s side and a LOT more on the men’s (48 to be exact). Pretty good odds for those 8 women’s teams, I’d say!
Heather O’Reilly captains the team named US Women, and its head coach is Carla Overbeck. Recently Mia Hamm and Carli Lloyd joined the coaching staff, which also includes Michelle Akers, Wendy Palladino, Bill Palladino, Kacey White, Lisa Pittaro, Jen Mead, and Kendall Fletcher White.
Maybe the coaches should play…just sayin’!
The women’s 8-team field is split into two groups of four. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals on June 9. Both the men’s and women’s events will conclude in a winner-take-all championship doubleheader on June 10, with a total of $2M in prize money being awarded. I’m guessing that these will likely be on TV, but can’t say for sure.
I’ll be trying to pay attention…but feel free to nudge me if I fall asleep at the switch.
I’ve got several generations of 5-year diaries in my room now. The handwriting can be confounding, but here are the entries for June 1st, insofar as I’ve been able to decipher them.
The generations are four on my mother’s side of the family. While not wealthy, they carried the privileges of whiteness, education, and connection. These entries start with Gracum Emma—the name she was given by her two Grandchildren. She was the mother of my Grandfather and my Great-Aunts Helen and Emma. Then comes my mother, and the entries end with me.
These are the lives of girls and women as they were recorded on June 1.
Gracum Emma-49 Years Old (Born 1860)
1909, Tuesday, Rensselaerville, NY: “Harriet writes that as it is so cold they will wait another week. Such a relief. I’ll have Mrs. Charlie Barkman to wash windows, etc. A good worker but great talker and of unsavory reputation. We take naps and have afternoon tea on piazza. A lovely day. No wind.”
Great Aunt Helen-60 Years Old (Born 1893)
1953, Monday, Germantown, PA: “Cool. Town about Hearing aid. Leave with —-. Visit Art Alliance while waiting for decision. After, meet —-. Susie to woods. Nap. Lunch.”
Great Aunt Emma-57 Years Old (Born 1896)
1954, Tuesday, Germantown, PA: “Very hot. Pretty bad going back to school. Irritable. See first firefly in garden tonight. Courtney puts plug in kitchen. Ready for refrigerator.”
Mom-17 Years Old (Born 1925)
1943, Tuesday, Ridley Park, PA: “I didn’t have to take any exams except French this semester. I delivered the stationery that I sold and collected for it. We played Bridge this evening and Pa and I beat Malcolm and Ma by a big score. We all had ice cream later on. Pa got a hive of bees late this evening that swarmed on a bridge. It is a beautiful day. I got my commencement invitations this evening.”
Me-67 Years Old (Born 1952)
6/1/2020, Canterbury, NH: “Worked on making the Woods Loop more walkable and did some laundry and some mowing, too. Clear, chilly day to start the month of June. Meanwhile, COVID and riots and Trump — ugh!”
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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