So, I recently read somewhere that one of the leading lights of the Tea Party/Rabidly Conservative Republican base is going to be touring the “Heartland” in the not-too-distant future. I won’t mention his/her name because it’s really not important and I hate giving any extra Google hits to these people.
What was striking to me, and bothersome, was the use of the word Heartland to describe the area this individual would be visiting. Drilling down a bit further, it was actually the co-opting of the word heart that bothered me. It’s okay to call it land, because obviously except for the water, that’s what it is. But the word heart is definitely a misnomer and a travesty in my humble opinion.
Heart implies to me a couple of things. One might be compassion. Imagine that? When you think of America’s Heartland, does compassion spring to mind? Not so much, I’m sorry to say.
Heart also conjures the center of a thing – the core values – what makes it tick. Of course, taking that tack, perhaps I need to (sadly) admit that the term is correct – embarrassingly correct. Mr. or Ms. so-and-so, touring the Heartland, will be looking forward to finding lots of kindred spirits clamoring to drive out illegals, own more guns, cut taxes and any shred of the safety net that’s left, oh, and also repeal the pale beginnings of a much-needed reform to our medical insurance system.
Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of great people in the middle of the US … but the term Heartland … the way it has been taken up by the people I am talking about … is being used to describe something else. Something much whiter, smaller, and more pinched and hateful than any image of a heart that I hold dear.
Yeah, Heartland is, like Homeland, a term that reflects the fear-mongering and regressive efforts of the right to shore up an America that is pretty much bereft of heart and compassion and any core values that I can relate to. It’s an America that is based on grammar-school-level thinking, promulgated and exploited by people who are far more sophisticated and cynical than they ever, ever, ever let on.
So tour the Heartland to your shriveled and power-seeking and hateful and exploitative and dishonest and did-I-already-say-hateful hearts’ content.
Make money and fame off the fears of the Heartland folks.
Speak to the demons we fear rather than to the angels of our better natures.
Drive your hate-filled, venomous stakes further and further into the true heart of America while you exploit it for your own gain. It’s so sad to watch. No, not sad, infuriating.
I’ll save my other rants for tomorrow morning. Its way too beautiful a day to continue in this vein.
Get outside – feel the sun on your face – do some chores – open your heart!
It’s rather fascinating service on Amazon that I’ve been exploring recently. Basically, it’s a venue where developers can post tasks that computers can’t do, but humans can. These are generally repetitive tasks about tiny bits of information. If you take on a task and do it to the requester satisfaction, you get paid some varying amounts of money, depending on the task and the time involved.
I’m thinking about using the Mechanical Turk to earn money for my trips to Red River for a movie. So far I’ve spent about 45 min. and made $1.38. Not exactly a top wage – but not too bad for time that I might otherwise have spent meandering around the Internet anyway.
I’m thinking that it might be something I could usefully do while watching the Ravens play the Falcons tonight. Then maybe I’ll be able to go see Waiting for Superman with Alice on Friday!
So, the USWNT beat Costa Rica yesterday … and the milestone, in this case, is that it’s news at all, IMHO. I saw the first half hour of the game and have to say that given that this was do or die, I wasn’t so impressed with the US play. Lots of passes that were just enough off the mark to get picked off. Lots of runs that were just a half step short. It wasn’t inspiring … and didn’t have the energy and flair that I was expecting when Pia stepped in. I wonder what’s up. Discouragement and distraction steming from the state of the WPS?
This is probably not a very analytical comment, but from the matches I watched at the WCQ, the US team is lacking joyfulness/wit/creativity in its play. It looks like work and drudgery because they are playing that way. I know they’re not a team known for creativity, but I just get the feeling something is amiss–chemistry, spirit? They looked tense which surprises me because the take on Sundhage is always about how mellow and positive she is. I wish they looked like they were having some fun.
Ah well … other milestones …
Foothills Physical Therapy celebrated their 10th anniversary last week … and I was remiss in not mentioning it then. Congrats, guys!
The annual celebration for the NH Community Loan Fund is tomorrow at the Currier in Manchester … kudos to the NHCLF!
And finally, it was on this day, 11 years ago, that Willie came to live with us. What a time we had. Miss you, big boy!
I see they are calling for Pia’s head over on BigSoccer … as the USWNT teeters on the brink of NOT QUALIFYING for the WWC. This is strange new territory for the USWNT … after they were upset by Mexico … and now must beat Costa Rica and Italy to qualify. Just to qualify.
USA and Costa Rica Will Play on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. ET live on ESPN2 at Estadio Quintana Roo for Playoff Berth. (I have a meeting that night … darn it … but will be able to see the first half hour live, anyway … then DVR the rest.)
Should (can we please say “when???”)the USA defeat Costa Rica on Monday night, the USA would travel to Italy for the first leg of the playoff series on Nov. 20. (I’ll probably be at HollyCornblog’s for that one …) then the home leg would be played on Nov. 27 (I’ll be on the road down in Storrs for U Conn vs LSU!!!) at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. with a kickoff time to be determined.
Yup … it’s time to send congratulations to HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew. May your next 17 years be awesome … and then the 17 after that, and the 17 after that!
Hope you enjoy nice weather at the lake … and November sunsets as nice as those October ones were!
Oh yeah … and Pliny (aka HollyCornblog) you must have some damn good wide receivers if you’ve got Brandon Jacobs on your BENCH!
Really? I’m afraid I don’t get it. Is it ego to think that, possibly, talking to the American electorate as if they are rational adults is reasonable? Is it ego to think that the voting public might be able to sift through lies and scare tactics … and remember beyond two years’ time and maybe even put the broader interests of the country above their own self interest? Is it ego to think that polarizing rhetoric isn’t good for the country?
So, we voted in some really, really scary, crazy people because Obama wasn’t humble enough? And that’s his fault?
“Humility is a great quality, and it’s one that people will respect,” said historian Douglas Brinkley, who teaches at Rice University. “Ronald Reagan could be seen as a polarizing presence, but he also knew how to play humble when it was necessary. Where is President Obama’s self-deprecating humor? Kennedy and Reagan could both be very self-deprecating. People liked that.”
“The worst thing that happened to Obama is he’s lost a lot of his aura. Even his friends think he’s thin-skinned and a bit highfalutin,” he said.
I’m sorry … but I think this is just way, way off track and we need to grow up and vote like adults. This isn’t a popularity contest … this is about suffering and survival.
Oh, and thanks for Kelly Ayotte, Governor Lynch. That one’s on you!
Now we’ve got John Boehner as Speaker. He’s apparently learned from what’s-his-name-Beck that crying is cool. Is he drunk, too? Good god .. he is very, very moved by himself, isn’t he? The American Dream, tan and all.
Here’s to bringing a World Championship to SF … and proving the pundits wrong … and kinda making the Phillies look good in the process.
And here’s to Dubya feeling sad. May that trend continue … as well as the pundits being proven wrong … as we all go to the polls today.
Be smart, America. Don’t vote out your fears and prejudices the way some would like you to (in order to grab back some power). Let’s hope the better angels of our natures prevail today!
I read this morning, in my Google Alerts that the WPS is in more trouble with (apparently) the impending demise of both FC Gold Pride and the Washington Freedom.
You can check out the thread on BigSoccer – probably the best source for rumors and breaking news (as the league site won’t be in a hurry to post what’s swirling aorund out there).
Meanwhile, in World Cup qualifying, the US women face off against Costa Rica for first place tonight. Gotta wonder what kind of a distraction this WPS “non-news” is for them.
And in closing … Jon Stewart closing the rally … ChristopherCornblog said that it was excellent!
Will it restore sanity? I kinda doubt it. But it does shine a light on where we are, and may be where were headed. I feel kind of sick when I think about this upcoming election, and yet I hope to be pleasantly surprised. (Don’t I always?)
And on the pleasant surprise front, I am also hoping that when the Bushes throw out their baseballs this evening down in Arlington, Texas, they will be opening play for the Ranger’s first home loss. It’s not that I really hate the team (I actually kind of like them) but it just bugs me so danged much to think of Dubya being happy.
I heard a great line on “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” yesterday. They were talking about how Bush was a former owner of the Rangers, and sold them back in 1998. They cited this World Series appearance as an illustration of the fact that it is possible to recover from Bush – and that it takes 12 years!
So here’s to the Giants, and win #3 tonight – with #4 coming tomorrow.
That’s my fervent hope, as I need to get some sleep!
Oh, and don’t be scared today … it’s just Halloween!
Okay, I admit it. I’ve been horrible on my coverage the WNBA here. The overlap with Women’s Professional Soccer makes it difficult – although that’s not the best of excuses, because my coverage of the WPS has pretty much sucked, too! But enough with the mea culpas.
I’m here to tell you that the Chicago Sky have changed all that in one fell swoop, by hiring Pokey Chatman as general manager and coach for the coming year! We knew she’d be back, we just didn’t know where or when.
Here’s Mechelle Voepel’s take on the the hire and its possibilities for Chicago. It’ll be nice to see Sylvia Fowles reunited with her former coach, and my money’s on a resurgence for this basketball team. Best of luck to Pokey, whose namesake sheep here is thriving! She’ll have to spend some time putting the past behind her (the human Pokey, I mean) … but once the season gets underway, that’ll be as forgotten as Mark McGwire’s steroid use. (See, you’ve so thoroughly forgotten about THAT that you don’t even get the reference!)
There’s something cosmically and culturally perfect about a team from San Francisco (with all that that city represents) absolutely thumping a team from Texas (with all that that state represents). Wouldn’t it be lovely if the Bushes were to throw out the opening pitches for the last game of a four-game sweep?
Somehow I think that would bode well for the upcoming elections, too. (Forget polls and pundits – JordanCornblog will go by superstition and gut feelings, as she pretty much always does.)
Finally, HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew are up at the Lake this weekend, testing out the insulation that they had blown into the walls last weekend. By all reports, it’s working well! HollyCornblog wrote and said that it’s rainy and windy and down to 33° outside (this was last night) – and inside it was topping 70°.
Can’t wait to test it out in a few weeks! In the meantime, enjoy your Saturday everyone – and go Giants!
And OMG … I just glanced up and the most amazing sunrise is happening right now … life is just spectacular sometimes. Random gifts … hope you receive lots of ’em today!
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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