While we had another beautiful, warm, daffodil-blooming day yesterday in NH … the snows were still melting up at the lake. Thanks for the pics, HollyCornblog!
In the Women’s Final Four last night the games that looked on paper like they could be run-away’s both offered some nailbiting moments as they wended their ways to their expected denouments. The final will pit Stanford against UConn tomorrow night … the rematch that we’ve been looking toward all year.
Kudo’s to Oklahoma and Baylor for making it very interesting! Baylor, in particuler, with their freshman Brittney Griner, looks like they should be in the mix for quite a few years to come. But last night, Maya Moore took over and did it for the Huskies!
In our brackets, looks like, barring an upset, tylerdewdney is headed toward riches untold!
In other sporting news (AMR, I was paying attention!) the Red Sox came back after the evil-ones pounded Beckett … and won their season-opener against the Yankees at Fenway 9-7. The Phillies open up today against the Nationals, with POTUS throwing out the first pitch.
Tonight it’s Butler versus Duke in the men’s final (too late for yours truly, I’m afraid) … and what’s with the Eagles, Redskins, and McNabb? Does this mean we’ll be watching Kevin Kolb for the birds this coming season? Will I be able to get used to that? And why trade him to a division opponent? Seems crazy. really.
So … it’s down to the wire in our bracket tournament. As I see it playing out it’s between reades and afboyny23. Should Butler pull off the upset, reades will be set for life … sorta. And should Duke win its 4th national championship, afboyny23 will need to be hiring an attorney and an accountant to help with managing the windfall! Me? I’m just thinking maybe we should have a pool to bet on who’s gonna prevail? Will it be a college-level version of “Hoosiers” or kinda like the Yankees winning another World Series?
Oh, and sorry, murraydewd … it would’ve been quite a story, though, had West Virginia pulled out the win for ya!
But today the focus shifts (for some it never left) to the women’s side … as San Antonio rocks with this year’s Women’s Final Four!
In the earlier final we have Stanford versus Oklahoma and, in the late … UConn versus Baylor. These are interesting match-up’s … and while I am usually a fan of the underdog, I am unabashedly rooting for UConn this year. I enjoy the spirit, as well as the skill and work ethic of the 2010 Huskies. And honestly, there’s something about Baylor that gets under my skin. I’ll try to figure it out tonight … should anyone be interested … and mostly I just hope it’s a good game.
And the early game? I keep expecting Stanford to fall for some reason … will the Sooners take ’em down, or will we get the final that everyone has been expecting pretty much since the season began? Stay tuned!
Anyone know a good hashtag that’s being used for the Women’s Final Four on Twitter? Looks like #wff is the place to check if you want to follow along and chat during the game!
Catch ya later … I’m off for a run! 😉
PS I see a visitor this morning from Wimberly, Texas … is that one of our bracketeers?
Tired of all the discusison about the women’s game from pundits who still mean the men’s game when they say “basketball”? And all the discussion about how UConn may be “bad” for the women’s game because of their dominance? Here’s a wonderful comeback from Rebecca Lobo in the NY Times …
For Women, a Return to Home Courts
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Lobo Rushin, a broadcaster for ESPN, is a 2010 inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Nine years ago in a bar in New York, I was introduced to a sportswriter who had recently ripped my profession. “Didn’t you just write something snide about women’s basketball?” I asked him.
I was playing for the New York Liberty of the W.N.B.A. at the time and he was a columnist for Sports Illustrated who blushed and stammered and admitted that he had. I asked him how many women’s games he’d ever attended. Glazed in flop-sweat, he said: “None.”
It’s a problem the women’s game still endures. Every year, people who openly admit to not watching women’s basketball denigrate its marquee event, the N.C.A.A. tournament. It’s like crashing a wedding and complaining about the food.
Close
This week alone, I’ve switched off several pundits — or sent their columns windmilling across the room — as they decried the dominance of the UConn women as bad for The Game. I love that people who haven’t seen a game are self-appointed custodians of The Game. (To show their impartiality, they often hide behind the fig leaf of “having daughters.”)
There are improvements I’d like to see to the women’s tournament. Any game seems less exciting when played in an empty arena, squeaking sneakers echoing through the gym.
I’d like to see first-round games return to the raucous home floors of the four highest seeds in each region (as was the case when I played for UConn in the mid-90s) rather than 16 pre-determined neutral sites. The old way gave the top seeds a home court advantage, but one they had earned. More important, it made for a big-game atmosphere that is impossible without crowd noise.
Full arenas would be good for The Game as well as the games. But then I actually watch those games. Incidentally, so does that sportswriter I met in the bar. We’ve been married for 7 years now and have three children.
This’ll be on the brief side, because I’m a bit bleary this morning after a WONDERFUL visit to Bates. The Mount David Summit was interesting and inspiring, the day was beautiful, and dinner afterwards was the best … food, conversation, you name it. Driving home we sang along to songs from the ’60’s and ’70’s … and forced Jill (the GPS) into several bouts of “Recalculating.” (We’re new enough to the GPS world that it’s still entertaining … mostly.) It felt bittersweet, too, driving down the dark ribbon of the Maine Turnpike … knowing that the trek to and from Bates won’t be happening that many more times. Congrats, again, rpe … great job!
It’s looking like a beauty of a Saturday … and I suspect that the bugs are feeling much the same. Thursday night I had a mosquito land on my arm as I sat outside. Can the black flies be far behind?
I continue to successfully fend off all impulsive urges to purchase an iPad. (Will keep you posted.)
Michigan State, Butler, Duke and West Virginia fans and players are waking up this morning and, I’m guessing, kinda feeling like it’s Christmas Eve (Easter Eve just doesn’t have the same feel to it … unless you’re really, really religious, I guess). Anyhow … a few folks in our bracket match have teams left. Good luck to ya! (I’ve been out of it and feeling quite relaxed for weeks now.) Meanwhile Beeg flies off to the Women’s Final Four this morning … in fact I am taking her to Concord for the Boston bus momentarily.
I can see that this post is utterly aimless and if I don’t stop now I may just circle back and start writing more about that mosquito … fatigue propelling me toward self-absorption (if sleep isn’t an option). Maybe I’ll work on the food shopping list … hmmm.
Curious, I checked it out, expecting some uncharactistic language, perhaps, from POTUS … some angry challenge not in keeping with the better angels of ANY of our natures.
What I found was that, rather than “calling out” the squid and the whale (you guess which is which), Obama was pretty much saying, in the calmest of ways, that the heated rhetoric was “troublesome” but not without precedent … and not something that he worries too much about. A far cry from calling anybody out.
And yet here we are … keeping the water boiling … sniping and taking potshots with overheated and misleading headlines … that folks like me click on.
Was I disappointed? Yes, a part of me wants him to use his intelligence and wit to tear these guys up. But listening, I am reminded of what actually works over the long haul … and I see the wisdom of staying calm and steady … of behaving like an adult.
That’s one of the biggest ironies of the current political scene, IMHO. With all its fear mongering and posturing, the GOP has typically pretended to a quasi-parental role. And many people have lapped it up. The message is that it’s a big, bad, scary world and Dick and Dicker (aka Dubya) will protect you from all those evildoers.
In reality, that’s a simplistic view of the world that even they don’t actually believe (okay, maybe Dicker did – it’s hard to know). It’s not a nuanced, adult view, that’s for sure. And for sure they don’t treat their constituents like thinking adults. So those GOP “parents” who want to take care of us all … they don’t want us to grow up and think for ourselves. They don’t want to deal with adults or with nuance and gray areas. They like a nice, simple black and white world … and yes, I do mean black and white. And yes, I would argue that they aren’t fully adult themselves.
But they don’t care about my opinion … it is such a foreign way of thinking as to be incomprehensible. So I admire Obama’s even-handedness. POTUS can sometimes seem Zenlike in his moderation and balance. I am so impressed!
On another note … I have been obsessing about iPads a wee bit (mostly because it’s hard to open a news site without being blasted with stories about how great they are). Whenever I feel the urge to buy, I just think about Droids … and so far, that is doing the trick. (JBD … are you seriously considering one? That would help me a LOT … I could satisfy my impulsive craving vicariously!)
Off to Bates today for the Mount David Summit … to hear rpe talk about her thesis and have a quick visit. Yahoo!
Off shore drilling is an April Fool’s joke from POTUS, right? That’s my latest theory. We’ll see how it plays out today.
Hard to pass up an opportunity to mention Sarah Palin on April Fool’s Day. Her new “interview show” on Fox has been running into some snags, as two (so far) of the interviewees have stepped up to say that Ms. Palin never interviewed them. What gives? Are things not what they appear in Sarah-land? How shocking!
And check out this April 1, 1957 news clip from the BBC. Always wondered where spaghetti came from! (And I do seem to be leaning heavily on video these mornings, eh?)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMNO2Kcvz2k
Finally, last night’s game between the USWNT and Mexico was played out to a 1-0 win for the US … in a Utah spring snowstorm. I watched the first half … very challenging conditions, to say the least!
No b-ball tonight … hmmmm … what to do? Maybe a run after work? Watch out, Concord, JordanCornblog is on the move!
and then there’s this 4-part video series … The Quest for Perfection.
Thanks, mld … UConn’s got it going on!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn7mJ8nM8ZM
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWsc7XWOL1w
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h1XbfUVvBI
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pSO8sMvcOo
Not to be forgotten … the USWNT plays Mexico again tonight … looks like it’s 7PM (MT) … meaning 9PM ET I believe – on ESPN2. It’s Pia’s 50th at the helm … wow … time flies when you’re having fun, eh?
The Duke women went down yesterday … further ravaging my bracket (not that it’s ALL about me). Meanwhile mikebroomall shot to the top of our women’s field … can he hang on? It’ll be interesting to see how Britney Griner and her Baylor Bears fare in San Antonio when the Huskies visit.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuDfRzY2Vqw
On the other side of the bracket … looks like Stanford survived a scare in the late game.
Speaking of surviving a scare … the Hutarees were arrested in Michigan … 8 out of 9 of ’em, from what I can tell. Who/what are the Hutarees? A far right religious militia group that was plotting to kill a police officer and then bomb the funeral, killing more police … all in the service of their delusional belief system.
According to those who know, these groups are seeing a dramatic rise … probably because the rest of us remain so blind and complacent while the end days are drawing nigh and evil reigns … and all that. SOMEONE has got to step into the breach … so why not a bunch of 8 year old boys (speaking developmentally) with lots of automatic weapons and heavy artillery … and extensive experience with video games and simplistic, fundamentalist Sunday School lessons? Why do you have a problem with that? (Oh, and I do apologize for being insulting to 8 year old boys, the vast majority of whom are more in touch with reality than these militia folks.)
According to The Southern Poverty Law Center … “The number of hate groups in America has been going up for years, rising 54% between 2000 and 2008 and driven largely by an angry backlash against non-white immigration and, starting in the last year of that period, the economic meltdown and the climb to power of an African American president.” (Remember who was President during that span?)
Last year also experienced levels of cross-pollination between different sectors of the radical right not seen in years. Nativist activists increasingly adopted the ideas of the Patriots; racist rants against Obama and others coursed through the Patriot movement; and conspiracy theories involving the government appeared in all kinds of right-wing venues. A good example is the upcoming Second Amendment March in Washington, D.C. The website promoting the march is topped by a picture of a colonial militiaman, and key supporters include Larry Pratt, a long-time militia enthusiast with connections to white supremacists, and Richard Mack, a conspiracy-mongering former sheriff associated with the Patriot group Oath Keepers.
What may be most noteworthy about the march, however, is its date — April 19. That is the date of the first shots fired at Lexington in the Revolutionary War. And it is also the anniversary of the fiery end of the government siege in Waco and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Here’s the data re. the NH March … which doesn’t appear to have a whole lot of activity associated with it. I’ll probably stay away from the State House on 4/10, nonetheless.
Congrats to RPE on getting the final thesis work done (big printing job, eh?) Also … looks like you’re golden on the men’s side … unless Duke loses and West Virginia gets to the final, in which case, it looks like it’ll be murraydewd walking away with those millions! 😉
In other news … I started daydreaming about an iPad this morning … a very, very dangerous development, as HollyCornblog can attest!
So, to put that out of my mind, I’ll turn my thoughts to … the USWNT … or to the women’s bracket … or to the Phillies …
… or maybe I’ll just go eat breakfast before I start getting cranky and thinking about Sarah Palin …
This, on the other hand, is a lovely piece about the tradition of the White House seder … I am so very impressed by the groundedness and substance of the Obamas. So refreshing.
Oh yeah, and congratulations to West Virginia for upsetting John Calipari’s Wildcats … and to Baylor (for totally screwing up my bracket on the women’s side). Ah well, as DaddyCornblog would say … whenever the Eagles or Phillies got knocked out of contention … “Now you can relax!” Oh, and we all relaxed a lot, back in the day!
Meanwhile Boltgirl has suffered through Ms. Palin’s leather-clad foray into Arizona, sounding as enthralled with her presence as Cindy McCainlooked.
I am ashamed to say that I woke up wondering what most Teabaggers do for a living. (Ashamed to say it because I hate it that my mind is that much taken up with them.)
But, fortuitously, I next came upon this article from the NY Times … which told me what I was expecting … these madhatters have time for tea parties because they mostly have nothing else to do. Not only that, but they are, many of them, on the dole. Go figure.
One of the most bizarre passages I read (it would be poignant if they weren’t being so hateful) was from a 67 year old woman who joined the movement with her husband when he lost his job and their house wouldn’t sell. Looking for an outlet for her rage, she came upon the Tea Partiers – and she is now one of their leading lights. What drew her? Among other things …
She liked that the Tea Party was patriotic, too. “They said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the national anthem,” she said.
How elementary school is that? You mean if Obama wore his flag pin and all, you’d be fine with healthcare reform? Is that the level of debate we are dealing with here?
But you know what? The flag pin wouldn’t help. That’s because all the frothing isn’t really about healthcare … as Frank Rich so aptly puts it … it’s about fear of the “other.” The heterosexual, English-speaking, white male dudes of our world, along with their faithful and adoring dudettes, are inexorably losing ground … and violently writhing and protesting in the process. It’s about demographics, not legislation … the census, baby, the census!
If Obama’s first legislative priority had been immigration or financial reform or climate change, we would have seen the same trajectory. The conjunction of a black president and a female speaker of the House — topped off by a wise Latina on the Supreme Court and a powerful gay Congressional committee chairman — would sow fears of disenfranchisement among a dwindling and threatened minority in the country no matter what policies were in play. It’s not happenstance that Frank, Lewis and Cleaver — none of them major Democratic players in the health care push — received a major share of last weekend’s abuse. When you hear demonstrators chant the slogan “Take our country back!,” these are the people they want to take the country back from.
Maybe as the Teabaggers get jobs the movement will lose some of its momentum. One can hope. But the venom won’t be gone any time soon. Poisonous stuff, this.
Let’s shift to sports … where we’ve got the Men and women playing more b-ball today … and the USWNT vs Mexico on the Fox Soccer channel at 2 PM (that’s PT). Here are the 18 who will be suiting up for the match:
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!
While we had another beautiful, warm, daffodil-blooming day yesterday in NH … the snows were still melting up at the lake. Thanks for the pics, HollyCornblog!
JordanCornblog 