And then there are the gay rumors … lots of ’em. Kinda cool … but truth be told, I just like Shelby … and as she might say, what the fu*k about the rest?
I’ll tell ya, after last night, Airstreams will never look the same to me … 😉
Here she is in CLEVELAND … singing about Airstreams! It’s a little dark … but nice to listen to … and it was filmed in Cleveland, for pete’s sake! (Maybe LeBron was there …)
Didn’t know that her sister, Alison Moorer, is also a singer-songwriter. Here they are together … with a song for their mother. Watching the two of them sing that song … amazing!
Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire’s esteemed former AG, is running for NH’s State Senate as a Republican. Her political prowess is so superior that even the great Sarah Palin (sorry Jordy, I broke your streak!) has endorsed her candidacy.
But, the truth about Attorney Ayotte is starting to leak out. Word has it that she is filtering funds to the adamantly anti-love group, Cornerstone Policy Research (I refuse to increase their site traffic to promote their ridiculous notions). Ayotte has examples of going back on her word in order to case herself in a different light to conservative voters. The letter below is an excellent example of her bait and switch politics:
EXCLUSIVE: In 2005, Ayotte wanted limits on carbon emissions, said it would create jobs
>
> by James Pindell
>
> Today a Washington organization backing Republican Kelly Ayotte for the U.S. Senate launched the most expensive attack television ad this cycle against Democrat Paul Hodes over his support of so-called cap and trade legislation. But in 2005 then state Attorney General Ayotte signed on to a letter with 13 other attorneys general urging the U.S. Senate to reject a George W. Bush backed environmental bill. One of the reasons that Ayotte and others opposed the Clear Skies Bill was its failure to limit and regulate carbon emissions.
>
> In addition to the environmental stand, the letter also went further to suggest that limiting carbon emissions would actually create jobs not destroy them as the Hodes ad suggested this morning.
>
> “More jobs would be created by more aggressive air pollution control programs such as EPA’s CAIR, but without the job-eliminating loopholes of this bill. A more stringent program that required the installation of scrubbers or the use of new clean coal technologies will both create more jobs and allow the continued mining of high sulfur coal. Addressing carbon dioxide would also create additional jobs related to the development of new technologies to control this pollutant,” the letter read.
>
> On Ayotte’s campaign website she talks about the need for more efficient and cleaner energy sources and goes on to say “Kelly understands that we need common sense solutions to our energy problems and opposes “cap and trade” legislation that is essentially a tax on Granite State families at a time when they can afford it least.”
Oh – what the heck. Here’s another article about Ayotte and Cornerstone for good measure: Manchester Union Leader
HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew have been very busy up at the lake … and fully engaged in their quest to become master carpenters! They’ve moved from replacing windows to removing and replacing rotting wood along the base of the house.
DaddyCornblog had a bit of a penchant for simply covering up problems and hoping they would go away (or fix themselves). I can relate.
Luckily for the longevity of the house, H&C are more prone to dig down and make a thorough job of it.
So, the first picture is of the rotting boards that DaddyC had covered up … and you can see the progress from then on as H&C worked through last weekend …
You can see where they sawed off the rotting wood … and then added the new boards and caulked and stained everything …
Nice work, you guys (and much appreciated)!
They also got last year’s excavations cleaned up – and new fill brought in. Hopefully the drainage will be much improved and keep the house from listing toward the lake every year.
As an added bonus, they got the steps fixed …
The ancient steps down to the kitchen door got dug up when all the major work was done last fall. Here’s how the steps looked circa 1954 …
And here’s how they look today …
I’m thinking these new replacements should do the trick very nicely (and will probably keep use from slipping and falling as we age and get less sure footed … not that that’ll be happening any time soon, mind you)!
THIS weekend, I hope H&C will spend some time sailing or drinking beer on the dock … but realize that is probably doubtful!
PS In other happy news, the terribly decimated Red Sox and Phillies continue to pull out wins (with the help of some questionable officiating in the latter case). I don’t care – I’ll take it. Hang in there, guys!!
It rained just a bit last night. We need more, lots more … but every bit helps … so bring it, Lordetta, bring it! My how the Morning Glories will thank you!
So, I’ve been scanning old photos, fascinated with the passage of time … and the way a moment can be captured … suspended … even tho’ other moments have superceded it in the linear march of our days.
Time is linear, of course …and then again, it’s not. Moments get snagged in our consciousness and we circle back to them again and again.
That’s just the way it is. It’s rich, isn’t it?
So I’ve been thinking about how I’ve had this lifelong feeling about the magic of water … how it’s especially magical where it laps up against the land. Two elements so different … touching but not merging. Why doesn’t the shoreline water turn into mud and melt into the lake? Why, indeed?!
Anyway … in coming upon this picture of me, I felt like I could see a bit of the birth of that fascination .. circa 1953.
While out for a quick morning run today I found myself thinking about how profoundly we must all be affected by the basic diurnal rhythm that marks our lives. Day and night, day and night, day and night.
How does each of us conceive of and experience day and night … seemingly opposed, yet eternally conjoined? And how does our conception affect our experience … and vice versa, of course? Is black and white dualism something that is embedded in our psyches .. or a cultural construct with racist underpinnings?
No answers here … just questions and musings, I’m afraid.
I remember being mildly afraid of … but also fascinated by … the dark. My mother told scary stories and read a scary poem or two, as we were growing up. The dark was a place that held surprise and mystery … ghosts, goblins … strange sounds and rustlings … and later, scary people.
In my childhood household it also, through the years, held lots of noise and fighting … sturm und drang. I remember many sleepless nights … too often right before a big test or a basketball game that I was trying to rest up for. So the night held, often, a kind of nervous anticipation of the next day.
Once I was out on my own, the night was a time of searching conversation, writing, relaxation … a small, daily “vacation” from work … or whatever tasks the day held. The night could also be a time of seering loneliness or aloneness … depending on circumstance and (as I’ve learned) choice.
The light of day brings a different energy entirely. Task-oriented and, to all appearances, grounded in solid reality, daylight lets us see what’s around us. There are fewer surprises during the day. No weird sights or sounds from the depths of the psyche … just bustle and accomplisment.
Even as I write this, I can tell that the day doesn’t interest me as much as the night. That doesn’t mean I’m a brave explorer of the dark … but it’s compelling to me (even tho’ I grab my flashlight and check the batteries before heading into the mysteries of the night)!
To know the dark
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is travelled by dark feet and dark wings.
Wendell Berry
On another note … rather disturbingly … I see in the Washington Post that quite a few Tea Baggers are visiting Williamsburg this summer. That’s not in itself disturbing … but apparently they are looking for leadership from the Founding Fathers by asking questions of the actors portraying Washington, Jefferson, et al. Here’s a taste of the scene down there in VA …
… they shout out about the tyranny of our current government during scenes depicting the nation’s struggle for freedom from Britain.
“General, when is it appropriate to resort to arms to fight for our liberty?” asked a tourist on a recent weekday during “A Conversation with George Washington,” a hugely popular dialogue between actor and audience in the shaded backyard of Charlton’s Coffeehouse.
Standing on a simple wooden stage before a crowd of about 100, the man portraying Washington replied: “Only when all peaceful remedies have been exhausted. Or if we are forced to do so in our own self-defense.”
The tourist, a self-described conservative activist named Ismael Nieves from Elmer, N.J., nodded thoughtfully. Afterward, he said this was his fifth visit to Colonial Williamsburg.
“We live in a very dangerous time,” Nieves said. “People are looking for leadership, looking for what to do. They’re looking to Washington, Jefferson, Madison.”
“I want to get to know our Founding Fathers,” he added. “I think we’ve forgotten them. It’s like we’ve almost erased them from history.”
It’s a common point of view among tea party activists. They say their unhappiness with Washington reflects how far the federal government has strayed, through taxation and regulation, from the Founders’ intentions.
“They all should come here and listen,” said Bob Rohrbacher, a retired plumber from Floral Park, N.Y., who opposes President Obama and was inspired to visit Williamsburg while watching Glenn Beck on Fox News. “They’ve forgotten about America.”
Were these elementary school students studying the Revolutionary War for the first time I could, perhaps, understand.
But these are adults looking for “answers” about the big problems of the day.
No wonder these same people are also drawn to the guy with Nazi-Tourette’s and she-whose-name-shall-remain-unmentioned-but-whose-daughter-is-now-UNengaged!
Slow going this morning as the sun slides up in the sky and it looks like another beauty of a day. (Wonderful – but boy do we need water!)
Thought I’d share a photo from August of 1958 … Jordan and ChristopherCornblog at the Lake. (Note the lucky rabbit’s foot … sure made me feel powerful and special)!
And boy do I need to get moving and go for a run. Feeling sludgy and slug-like this morning for some reason. Not the way I want to stay all day!!
So, as I see JBD heading out to walk in the woods, I scan the news and find that Chelsea is married and there are no signs that Dick is dead (yet).
I hear from folks who know about these things that it’s a very serious procedure that Mr. Cheney had. It’s done when heart failure is pretty imminently life threatening. One interesting and frequent side effect of the device that now moves Cheney’s blood around is that recipients often don’t have a pulse. Creepy, eh? I am sure that Mr. Cheney’s silence is a good indicator of how he is feeling. And of course, IMHO, it’s also a very welcome change in the tenor of our national discourse.
I was interested to read, in an article dated 7/19 in the NY Times, that “Medicare will pay for the pump and for implanting it, which is $150,000 to $200,000, said Dr. Ranjit John, who directs the device program at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.” My tax dollars at work … because I’m guessing that with the Bush tax breakes and all, Cheney hasn’t paid much of anything in taxes for quite some time!
In the sports world, Brad Lidge is killing the Phillies … blowing a save after a comeback. Ugh! Come on, guys- you can’t keep losing to the Nationals, for Pete’s sake.
The Red Sox pulled out a comeback win … and the Breakers won their 5th game in their last 6 … beating the floundering Freedom 3-1 last night. JBD said it was a great game!
Here’s Kelly Smith on the match … from the Breakers’ site:
On the victory
Real delighted with the win tonight. We scored three goals, which is good for our confidence and I’m just really, really, really pleased.
On her goal
It was a ball in the area and there were a lot of players in that area, so I pulled myself to the back post where I thought someone would head it and Jordan Angeli who had a great header and I was there to put it home.
On other players scoring and taking the pressure off of her
It’s taken a great weight off of my shoulders that other players are stepping up to the plate. Not just putting the ball in the back of the net, but having good individual performances too, from Leslie Osborne, Lindsay Tarpley and Fabiana. The bench players really made a difference tonight in the game.
Check out Marta et al on the Fox Soccer Channel today at 5 PM ET!
And I’d say that’s just about it, as I get myself moving. Have a great first day of this new month!
Last week we gathered to remember Judy and this morning we mark the actual anniversary of her death … 11 years ago. As people readied for the annual Canterbury Fair, a hearse arrived at our house on July 31, 1999.
The morning, this year, couldn’t be more different – crystal clear, bright, dry – almost with a September chill to the air.
Eleven years ago it was humid and hot … the air heavy with loss and the hard, hard work of Judy’s dying and death.
The photo is of Judy at the lake in August of 1997. Twilight. She is looking to the west … our gentle yellow lab Woody is there on the porch with her. You can just barely see him in the lower left-hand corner of the photo. That’s how he was – a quiet, gentle presence. A moment, frozen in time.
And here is a poem by Linda Pastan that we have read, these many years, as one of the ways of marking Judy’s passing …. and the long work of grief.
We light the Yarzheit candle and think of you, Jude … we remember!
This morning was one of those mornings when time and space get all bolluxed up. You know those mornings? You hit the snooze button several times … then come to blurry consciousness wondering what day it is … then realize that … shite … it’s NOT the weekend … and bolt out of bed.
Luckily, unlike the bad old days of my early 20’s, it was still a good 2 hours away from when I need to leave for work by the time I grabbed my coffee. However, my luxurious snoozing means that I missed going for a run (2nd day in a row – uh oh) and am feeling just a tad behind-the-eight-ball.
But you know what? It’s a glorious morning. JBD is out in the garden and the sheep are bleating as the sun comes up over the eastern treeline. I am doing my usual noodling around before work … and just signed up for a season pass to NFL Game Access, figuring that it will make it easier to spend the necessary work time on the computer without feeling too deprived once the games get underway this fall/winter. Seemed like a good deal, anyway … we shall see.
I reconnected, yesterday, with an old and dear friend on Facebook … and am feeling very lucky and perhaps a little boggled by the unfolding of the years. (Every once in awhile something reminds me about the passage of time … and a part of me intones, quizzically … “What the f**k?!”) That’s what happened yesterday, as memories of elementary school as vivid as yesterday washed through my 57 year old brain.
What the f**k, indeed!
Also, a sobering reminder of the passage of time … Beeg, JBD, RPE and I attended the memorial service at NHTI for Steve Ryan. Too many acronyms, I know … but I am HIPAA-trained and have no signed releases … 😉
Anyway, I was reminded of what an amazing person he was … and what a loss to our collective worlds. One of the things that stays with me from his service is the groundedness and generosity of his brilliant, incisive, and quirky spirit. When he was first diagnosed with cancer … I guess friends would speak with him, expecting his thoughts to travel along the usual lines of asking, “Why me?” But Steve, being a clear-eyed and logical soul who never approached life as a victim, always said, instead, “Why not me?”
I have been thinking about that ever since. What a revolutionary and freeing way to think about things! “Why not me,” indeed! It changes everything. Why burden myself with the expectation that life should be any easier for me … the expectation that bad things shouldn’t happen to me? Thanks, Steve … I needed that!
In other news … I send my best wishes for a smooth recovery to a very, very battered-looking Boltgirl! What you have done … I sure hope it helps whatever it needed to help … because it looks damn uncomfortable!!!
JPE and MLH (more acronyms) have (hopefully) landed safely up at Deer Island and will enjoy their first, full and beautiful day there with great good cheer!
The rumors are phlying … and maybe the Phillies will be bolstering their pitching rotation with Roy Oswalt as the trading deadline approaches. That would be a nice addition to their Roy collection! I hope they don’t lose Werth in the process, as he’s been picking it up lately … and the Phils look ready to roll along toward another World Series appearance (read that win)! Yes, I am getting ahead of myself. It’s half the phun!
In other news … here’s an interview with Alex Scott of Breakers’ fame. Another nice piece from Shekicks!
No news about Dick. I keep checking, though. My thoughts are with him … and that’s probably not a good thing.
Just a quick note before I head out. Gotta let my friend Alice know that when she’s out at Stanford she needn’t look for Condi. Seems the ex-Bushie is now traveling with Aretha!
Condaretha (as I like to call the duo) just performed in Philly in a concert to help raise money for the inner city kids that the Bushies pushed under the bus in favor of tax cuts for their rich Republican cronies.
Maybe Condi is trying to reclaim a bit of her soul … in every damn sense of the word!
Seems like it’ll take a wee bit more than playing back-up for the Queen. And Aretha, by the way, what were you thinking?
Check out the YouTube video posted by some folks in Philly who came out to show their feelings about it all …
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoTegjWPd2U
And when, oh when, oh when are we going to see Obama stand up and nominate Elizabeth Warren? The banks won’t be happy … Oh snap!
I see that the Bengals are going to give it a shot with TO. TO and Ochocinco — now THAT could get interesting fast!
The Red Sox won last night .. Lackey beating his old mates … and how about those Phillies? They are looking like their old selves (hesitate to say it … but there it is.) The Sox, Breakers and the Phillies … may the good times continue to roll!
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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