First off, check out this photo – I call it “The Essence of Indian Summer” – Morning Glories backed by a glowing Maple. What could better sum up this time of year? Well … maybe baseball fever?
Here’s to Roy Halladay and the Phillies, as they start off their playoff run in fine fashion with a history-making turn by the Doctor!
I was bummed to see the Rays and the Twins lose, but if their fortunes must be sacrificed for the Phillies, so be it. Onward, Phillies – it’s Roy Oswalt on Friday! Can Roy top Roy and H2O continue their winning ways? We’ll see …. the pressure’s on, Little Roy!
While that’s some great baseball news, it’s an otherwise generally funky time for yours truly. I’m not sure why, but I do know that I need to introspect a bit and see what’s up.
Maybe it’s the wear and tear of work. Listening to people whose lives are hard and who are unhappy with their lot can be draining … most especially when they are, for whatever reason, also rejecting of any/all possible solutions. A wearing grind that I sometimes need to just step away from and take a deep breath!
And maybe it’s the time of year. The day’s shortening and the night’s lengthening is a transition that always entails some adjusting, and seems to lend itself to going inward.
When I welcome that change, it can be an exciting and fruitful time. But when I fight it, well, things get a little bit … uh … funky!
So here’s to inward explorations and to getting myself back on track. Life’s saver is too precious and too fleeting to let its moments be sullied by the funks!
It’s that time of year again! The Phillies are in the playoffs and the action starts today, with game one versus Cincinnati. Roy Halladay takes the mound for Game #1 and, I’m guessing, also takes the win. My predictions are notoriously offkilter, so if you really want to know what happens, it’s best to watch the game!
The first game today it’s the Rays against the Rangers, and in the nightcap it’s the Twins versus the Yankees (and I’m really really really really hoping that the Twins can take this series and move on)!
In other sports news, I hear the 3 Blitzen babes are looking for a new coach, having fired JordanCornblog recently, after another disappointing lossin fantasy football. Anyone interested?
But wait … check this out … maybe she WAS a witch … but she isn’t anymore?! Hmmmm … can’t wait to see what the Tea Partiers do with this one? It’ll be like watching some very talented circus contortionists at work, I’m thinking.
My goodness, you have to read Boltgirl’s post about Andrew Shirvell and watch at least some of the video. It makes me think that GOP must stand for something like Going Overboard Projecting. Of course, I didn’t actually see anywhere that our sweet little homophobe is a Republican.
Having taken leave of his senses, Andy has also taken a leave of absence at this point … and his blog was made “by invitation only” – presumably at the urging of the AG’s office. However, thanks to Google Cache, you can still access much of it. It is strange and (were he not so hateful) sad to read. Clearly Andy is smitten and it seems he also feels personally hurt by Mr. Armstrong in some way. I hope that he gets himself some help and is able to turn his sad and bitter life around.
Sounds like he’ll be facing some employment issues when he returns to work, too … and his beloved University, for whose purity and reputation he supposedly took up this battle, ain’t too pleased with him, either.
One commenter posting on YouTube noted the following, which I found interesting:
“Andrew graduated from Ave Maria Law School in Florida. This is sometimes referred to as “Domino’s Pizza Law School” because the school was funded by an endowment of the founder of Domino’s Pizza who is an ultra-conservative, pre Vatican-II Catholic. The same Domino’s founder also had attempted to build an actual city in Florida that would be centered around a Cathedral. This law school has a similar mission as Bob Jones, Liberty U. et. al. — to promote Lunatic Christian Dominion in America.”
As you probably know, I have long subscribed to the notion that, much as Boltgirl opines, these kinds of attacks are the result of projecton and self-loathing. After all, how many of the most rabid homophobes have been caught with their pants down lately?
Let this be a lesson … what you most vehemantly hate and rail against may be, in fact, what you deep down fear that you are.
For me, that means that I must fear the possibility that I am at heart, a former small-time beauty queen and ex-mayer with the vocabulary of a bright and feisty, full grown Westie.
Yep … it gives pause.
Finally – here’s Anderson Cooper’s interview with Andy … in case you want to watch it here (it’s also in Boltgirl’s post) …
I’ve come up for air and have looked all around,
But politics sends me right back underground.
With Ayotte ahead in the polls,
And Snowe keeping the rich on the dole,
It’s no wonder that football and baseball would take
My eyes away from these huge and looming mistakes.
Much better to focus on Halliday, Oswalt and Vick
Than to let politics leave my heart hurting and sick.
Of course Stewart’s rally still gives a small glimpse
Of the possibility of sanity in a world lacking sense
But I fear the momentum is not on his side
And like ’94 we’re in for a damn bumpy ride.
It feels like most voters have lost their minds.
Wish they’d vote with their brains and not their behinds.
Back from a great visit to HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew. It was so warm at the lake on Friday when we were pulling the dock in that yours truly actually went swimming! Not for long, mind you … but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
Now it’s back to work … after a weekend of football that saw Pliny nearly knock off the Tim Tebow Barbershop Brigade in what would have been a major upset. The 3Blitzen’ Babes play Tim this coming week … as the MLB play-off’s will be about to get underway.
Sir Hits Alot nearly caught brattybeaglebutts last night … as our two Dunbarton teams (the Dogs and the Destroyers) continue to roll, right along with Tommy’s Girls.
And then there’s the Dick Cheney clock ticking down too … just too much going on!
Why does the dark wind sound so different when it’s coming off of a lake? At once closer and like it’s come from miles, decades, centuries away … from the timeless place where the wind has its beginning.
Or is it just me?
Either way, after a wind-filled night, here I am, sitting at the table that’s graced this living room at the lake for, maybe, ninety years now … working at a laptop that would have been absolutely foreign, even 10 years ago. ZoeyHopBrew-Cornblog (the dog with the longest surname in Upstate New York) is here with me as her “masters” (we all know THAT’S not really true, don’t we, Zoey?) are off meeting a friend for breakfast.
Zoey and I are savoring the Sox, Phillies and Rays’ wins last night, listening to the chipmunks chattering outside, and generally just enjoying one another’s company.
I must say that I am slightly relieved to be on a dial-up connection. It slows everything down considerably … which is exactly what I need to do.
Ahhhhhhhh … to write, to read, to listen and look … ’tis a lovely thing. Zoey and I are going to commune now.
The Bonnethead was @ 3 feet long, unhurt, and got thrown back into the Gulf soon after this was taken.
Perhaps you’ll be able to catch him again on your next visit!
I’ll be out of town for the Breakers’ matchup with Philly on Thursday night, but will try to watch on TV (or via the web) depending on what the situation is, access-wise at the lake.
As I head out the door …
here’s another photo … this one of CharlieHopbrew surf fishing … waaaaaay out there in the Gulf.
See you soon, guys!
PS Phillies won again … Halliday’s 20th.
I’m not saying a THING!
PPS Vick is the starter for the Eagles this Sunday … and I am feeling reassured about Andy Reid.
Is it me, or does the political landscape seem like it’s going through a sea change? Or a slow-moving earthquake? Not the right metaphor … help me here.
My sense is that something big and violent is happening to the status quo … a tearing and overturning. It’s the sort of thing that we hoped was happening in the ’60’s. However, today it’s disheartening to feel that the groundswell of change is, in fact, coming from the right rather than the left. Or is it?
Interesting piece on Poliltico about the disgruntled GOP candidates who, upset in their primaries by Tea Partiers, are not playing nice but are instead, effectively running against their party. It seems part and parcel of the kind of black-and-white thinking that the GOP has been playing with for decades as it drifted farther and farther away from the shores of moderation and good sense. You get what you pay for, folks!
So maybe the bad weather that I’m predicting is actually going to break up and dissipate before it makes landfall. Maybe the GOP infighting will splinter the scary rightward momentum and we can keep moving along the path that we’re on. No … scratch that … move onto a BETTER path! Wouldn’t that be a relief?
I’m getting ready to head to HollyCornblog’s and CharlieHopbrew’s for a few days … and will sadly miss the Breakers’ playoff game against Philly on Thursday night. It’s viewable on FSC and via webcast. Winner plays FC Gold Pride out west on Sunday. Here’s the viewing schedule. Go Breakers!
In the meantime … Phillies over Braves in game 1 of their series. That’s eight wins in a row for the Fightens, who are 4 games up on the Braves. Cole Hamels is back to pitching like the ace that he is … love it!
And welcome back home, Boltgirl … starting a new phase … and tearing up the FFootball standings while she’s at it!
It looks like a beautiful Sunday here in New Hampshire, with lots to do, and the usual sense of having not – quite – enough – time. I love the luxury of sleeping in just a little bit, but looking back now from the vantage point of 7:45 AM, I kinda wish I’d gotten up a wee bit earlier!
On the docket for this lovely day is some more pesto making – using the last of our nasturtium leaves, and loading up the freezer with some summary savor!
I’ll also be trying to stay away from Daryl Hall’s wonderful video site as much as possible – but I do commend it to you for your enjoyment. I heard about it on NPR yesterday, and nearly lost an hour exploring the wonderful sights and sounds there.
Speaking of wonderful sights and sounds, the Bookeaters trekked up to Hardwick, Vermont yesterday to do a little exploring and check out Claire’s Restaurant. Another wonderful adventure during which the irony of driving 2 1/2 hours to “eat locally” was lost on no one. How lovely, though, to eat wonderful food, discuss a book, and then wind back down Route 89 under a bright, waxing moon listening to music, chatting, and laughing.
I will also be trying to stay away, as much as possible, from my fantasy football team. There’s little-to-nothing to work with there, and messing with it, or staring at it, isn’t gonna make any difference. I’ll leave it to the football gods to decide my fate – and try to focus on other things that I’m grateful for in my life!
Speaking of grateful … check out this spot where JBD and PaulaLR are doing some camping this weekend. I could handle that!
The first round of the WPS playoffs gets underway at 2:30 PM Eastern time today. The Washington Freedom will face-off against the Philly Independence, and my hearts with the independents (of course). Here’s a nice piece about Heather Mitts, as well as an overview of the playoffs.
Last but not least, I read that Hope Solo – who clearly needs a bit of a break from the limelight – will be having shoulder surgery, and will miss five or six months of soccer. I hope she heals well. She hasn’t seemed quite right this season – not sure what’s up with her, but Nicole Barnhart has looked the much stronger of the goalies to my eye this season. I’m sorry for Hope, but this provides a great opportunity for Nicole to step up and perhaps take over the number one slot for the USWNT.
Nope, this isn’t about Dubya … why dredge up THAT ugliness when there’s more than enough right-here in our tannin-crazed country. (Too bad those tea partiers aren’t more into red wine as a source of tannin – I am sure it would mellow them right up!)
No, this is about that other George – the one the tannin folks deify in that cute, over-simplified way that they have. (Just had an image of those wooden teeth of his chomping down angrily on Glenn Beck’s puffy butt … don’t know why, but I’m enjoying it.)
Anyway, “Where’s George” is a “currency tracking project” that I stumbled upon this week when I was handed a tracked bill as change. It had a stamp on it with a box around the serial number … and the address of the website. So I checked it out and was fascinated. Where’s George is a venue for following the travels of specific bills as they meander across the landscape from pocket-to-pocket. Kinda like banding birds and tracing their migratory patterns.
I’m hooked, and now keep my eye out for other bills (so far haven’t seen any). I haven’t entered a new bill yet … but will aim to today. In the meantime, here’s their FAQ page … join the fun … it’s free, and not nearly as time consuming as Fantasy Football!
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!
, check out this photo – I call it “The Essence of Indian Summer” – Morning Glories backed by a glowing Maple. What could better sum up this time of year? Well … maybe baseball fever?
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