OMG – the wind woke me up last night and then it felt like it took hours to get back to sleep, as I’d listen to it roaring over the hill and past the house, seemingly trying to rip the roof off. (Being on the 3rd floor, and under a roof window is a scary feeling on nights like that!) We’ve been on the generator since @ 1 AM I’d say … thankful for that!
I wonder what the woods look like … and spent some significant time worrying about how it is in Upstate NY (including at the lake) where it looks like they had snow, rather than the rain we got. Hope they didn’t get the wind … that would wreak havoc coupled with wet snow!
Noodling around the net (and trying to avoid news of the infuriating, ongoing healthcare stalemate) I came upon a new (to me) and interesting-looking women’s hoops blog called Swish Appeal … and Pat Griffin’s excellent LGBT Sports Blog (which has been focusing on Focus on the Family and the NCAA of late).
I am loving that Claire Danes is back front and center. After seeing “Me and Orson Welles” last week, I’m looking forward to catching Temple Grandin!
This is more random than usual, eh? I’ve got an article about unsung heroines, for Black History Month, that Beeg sent me. Her particular focus? The nurse practitioner who does house calls, of course! Scharmaine Lawson-Baker sounds like an extraordinary woman … as do the rest. Thanks be to Beeg!
If it weren’t for Scharmaine Lawson-Baker, some of the elderly, poor and disabled in New Orleans would receive any medical care. She’s willing to make house calls, whether it is to a FEMA trailer, the projects, group homes or assisted living facilities.
Lawson-Baker, DNP, FNP-BC, a nurse practitioner, initiated Advanced Clinical Consultants in 2005 with a mission to provide a house call to every senior or disabled person in New Orleans who is unable to visit their regular primary care physician. In addition, she runs a non-profit clinic two days a week.
Lawson-Baker also created a non-profit, Geriatric Initiatives, that is staffed with volunteers to assist patients/clients with obtaining resources to maintain their housing/residence, address their mental and behavioral health concerns, purchase medications, obtain medical equipment, transit services, scheduling of medical appointments, obtaining food stamps, among other services. Her philosophy is that no one, especially and 85-year-old woman surviving off of $300 per month in Social Security Income should have to decide whether to purchase sanitary needs or buy medication.
Several months after she opened her business, Hurricane Katrina hit, making her services more vital than ever. She visited crumbling houses on abandoned, debris-strewn streets.
“I love everything I do. I enjoy meeting a need. A lot of my patients are in the 9th Ward and lack heath care. Where care is available, there is a long waiting list to see a health care provider. If I didn’t see them, they otherwise probably wouldn’t get care. This is my passion,” says Lawson-Baker.
Today she remains the lone nurse practitioner making house calls, but she one day hopes to be able to add someone part-time assistance. Growing her business is a challenge as her primary source of income comes from Medicaid and Medicare. But, Lawson-Baker, 42, doesn’t do what she does because she’s motivated by money. “I like making a difference.”
As I write, and glance out the wondow, I see the clouds (maybe) breaking up on the eastern horizon. A hopeful sign, even if only temporary.
In sporting tournament news … RPE has got to be happy, as the Bates College men’s and women’s basketball teams are both involved in tournament play this Saturday … as are the Belmont High School Boys. The BHS girls play Fall Mountain today.
This is the Cheney-monster I’m obsessing about – THAT Dick. Is it just me, or are you checking on-line for breaking news about his demise? I feel like a shark with blood in the water. Circling. Waiting.
And this has got me thinking about Dick more broadly. Wondering what it does to your head when you have a heart attack at 37. When you’re already probably a kind of angry, ambitious guy. You probably grab what you can, fear lots of stuff, and also feel done-to a lot. (You might even be angry enough to shoot a good buddy in the face from time to time.)
I think that to deal well and wisely with one’s mortality, a hefty bit of wisdom and gravitas is needed. Not the kind of fake gravitas that you can get with power and a manly, snarly voice. No, the real thing. Dick ain’t got it. Dick is a dick.
I think he has lived his whole life in terror … so battling terrorists comes kinda naturally to him – in his very scared and simplistic and childish way. Dick works off of terror … seeing it everywhere, and sharing it generously.
Thanks, Dick!
In other quick news … the USWNT beat Iceland in their first game at the Algarve yesterday … with the help of Hope Solo … who saved 2 PK’s on the way to the win! Breakers newbie Lauren Cheney had a goal! (And I caution myself here … A-rod had gals under Pia, too … not so much with Tony. Let’s stay tuned!) Next up for the USWNT is Norway tomorrow – 10 AM (ET).
The decision by the NCAA came in response to vocal protests from advocates for gay and lesbian athletes — which quickly grew into a broader audience of critics who sent e-mails and set up what has now become the standard, a Facebook page — who complained that the group’s views that homosexuality and abortion are immoral are inconsistent with the NCAA’s stated nondiscrimination policy.
“Focus on the Family did have a banner ad on NCAA.com. Today, it was decided to remove the ad from the website as a result of concerns expressed by our membership,” Bob Williams, an NCAA spokesman, said via e-mail late Tuesday.
Who knew that I’d be rooting for Scott Brown as the rabid right rips into him following a vote signalling that he, perhaps, failed to drink the Kool Aid! His enraged “fans” have taken over his Facebook page … and apparently his daughters’ as well.
Scott’s probably wondering what he got himself into.
In other political news … the NCAA is experiencing lots of well-deserved pressure for apparently accepting ads from Focus on the Family to run during March Madness. You can sign the petition, urging the NCAA to reject these divisive and misleading ads here.
And who knows … maybe if the right gets any nastier with Scott Brown, he’ll sign, too! 😉
Meanwhile, I missed Edna St. Vincent Millay’s birthday … which was yesterday. Thanks, Alice!
The Breakers announced yesterday that they signed Australian National Team forward Sarah Walsh. She joins England’s Alex Scott and Kelly Smith, Brazi’s Fabiana, and Spain’s Laura Del Rio as Boston’s fifth international player.
I’m very psyched about Walsh … she’s a firebrand up top! Here’s what Tony had to say: “Sarah has fantastic speed and attacking abilities. She loves to get behind defenses and has the ability to score herself and create goals for her teammates. Her leadership and experience will also provide a lot to our success. I look forward to coaching her and I think the Breaker fans will love her work ethic and abilities.”
Expect some exciting things from Walsh and Weimer for the B’s!
On the baseball front … here’s a Tweeted photo of the Phillies’ Jayson Werth … love the Paul Bunyan look!
In other soccer tidbits, here’s a profile of Seymour, Connecticut’s Alyssa Naeher – the Breakers’ second pick in the college draft and former Penn State keeper.
In college B-ball, I see Tennesse rolling toward their title … Lady Vols 70 LSU 61. Er, maybe “rolling” is a little strong.
High school hoops? The Prospect Mountain Timberwolves weren’t able to take it to Belmont twice, succumbing last night to stifling defense and their own cold shooting. One couldn’t help but feel that Jeri Blair’s Timberwolves were being bested by the defense that he had coached for many years at Belmont … an irony for sure. Prospect Mountain will be back next year … as will BHS.
And finally, loved this piece from the Writer’s Almanac this morning …
Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew.
It’s the same when love comes to an end,
or the marriage fails and people say
they knew it was a mistake, that everybody
said it would never work. That she was
old enough to know better. But anything
worth doing is worth doing badly.
Like being there by that summer ocean
on the other side of the island while
love was fading out of her, the stars
burning so extravagantly those nights that
anyone could tell you they would never last.
Every morning she was asleep in my bed
like a visitation, the gentleness in her
like antelope standing in the dawn mist.
Each afternoon I watched her coming back
through the hot stony field after swimming,
the sea light behind her and the huge sky
on the other side of that. Listened to her
while we ate lunch. How can they say
the marriage failed? Like the people who
came back from Provence (when it was Provence)
and said it was pretty but the food was greasy.
I believe Icarus was not failing as he fell,
but just coming to the end of his triumph.
Obama hosted the Governors in DC at a dinner where he toasted them with water … fitting for the times, I’d say.
And hee’s a bit about Colin Powell rejecting Cheney’s false assertions about Obama and the terrorist threat … fitting from someone with a brain and scruples. (I think of it as “Colin rejects Dick” … a headline that, with a small spelling change, NH’s own Nancy Elliott would certainly support.)
Gotta go to work today 😦 and find out what the Bureau of Behavioral Health thinks of us after our audit … but in the meantime, those who can should check out the Breakers’ site for announcements re. the new international joinging the squad. Who will it be????
And, as you start preparing for March Madness, better work Women’s Hoops Blog into your on-line repertoire. The teams you pick (other than UConn of course) are gonna make all the difference.
Apparently (according to a thread on BigSoccer) Christine Latham has been waived by the Breakers … and an announcement about a new international acquisition is in the offing. Any guesses?
Meanwhile .. bad blood between the B’s and Sky Blue FC, eh? Breakers’ GM Andy Crossley sounds (not surprisingly) PO’d as he responds to Gerry Malone (Sky Blue FC GM) over-sharing in his tweets.
First we had OCNN – Ochocinco News Network – and now apparently we have the Sky Blue News Network. That’s not an official transaction on the league website nor has it been formally announced by the Breakers and it is our transaction after all.
If a rival league exec chooses to tweet what he sees on the waiver wire before it is public knowledge – whatever, I don’t consider that an arms race of information that I need to take part in. We make our own announcements at our own pace. I don’t break Sky Blue transactions on my Twitter account, but then again, I’m also not engaged in a “Twitter War” to generate followers at the moment and he is, so maybe I’m just not in the proper competitive mindset.
Anyway…yes, Christine Latham was put on waivers on Friday. You will see a formal announcement in the next day or two, because as RevsFan1 has surmised there will be a simultaneous announcement of the addition of a new international.
Who could it be?
In other soccer news, Lori Chalupny is taking an “indefinite leave” from the USWNT and from the St. Louis Athletica due to concerns about concussions. That is very worrisome – and I’m glad she’s taking care of herself – one of my favorites in women’s soccer these days!
The CPACers have continued their shrill rhetoric … from wherever the hell they are meeting. Glenn Beck got the already-rabid crowd even more fired up with his typically irresposible and error-filled verbal vomitus. Here’s an image you’ll want to keep in mind …
Talking about personal responsibility, Beck brought his own redemption story. Before becoming a wealthy television host, Beck said that 15 years ago he was drinking, had lost his family, and found himself in the fetal position of his one-bedroom apartment.
Lucky family, I’m thinking.
Not that I’m against redemption … but I like these stories better when they also include a smidgeon of self-awareness and a dash of humility. Sadly, these are not ingredients that will be found at CPAC … where pseudo redemption is bought with the coinage of repression. It’s a transaction that inevitably leds to hatred, judgment, self-alienation, inauthenticity … lots of putrid ooze and vileness right under the self-rightous surface. Glenn Beck – ugh! Rush Limbaugh – ugh! Newt Gingrich – ugh! There are twisted skeletons in those dark closets. I’d stay away if I were you.
In a development with some Shakespearean twists to it (if you are from this region and follow NH high school girls basketball, that is) the Class M Tournament slate has been posted and … 6th seeded Prospect Mountain faces 11th seeded Belmont at Prospect Mountain in Round 1. Timberwolves’ first year coach Jeri Blair has gotten his team to the tournament for the first time in its history … only to run smack dab into Belmont (the team he’d brought there for many, many previous years in his long coaching career at that school). It’s an irony that won’t be lost on many from this area who’ve followed the sport. We’ll just leave it at irony …
Been awhile! I think I’m heading toward a not-every-day schedule here – or at least, let’s say a less predictable schedule. We’ll see how it goes.
In the meantime, life goes on, the days lengthen, snow falls and melts, and who should be reappearing on the landscape but Mitt Romney! He’s starting to make the rounds, beginning with a stint at the podium at CPAC (that’s the Conservative Political Action Conference, for the curious) praising the likes of Dubya and Dick. Here’s the odd intro from HuffPo: “The annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, is known as a mecca for conservatives nationwide. This year luminaries like Glenn Beck, Mitt Romney, Marco Rubio and Andrew Breitbart will be speaking before an audience of thousands.”
Luminaries? Glenn Beck? Same sentence? Come on, HuffPo, ya didn’t have to do that! I will admit that Sarah Palin makes Mitt look like an intellectual heavyweight (as opposed to a washed up but well-preserved star of old, B-grade Dracula movies). Maybe that’s been the plan all along. But enough, already – I’m only upsetting myself.
So … there’s a glimpse of what we’ll be doing in these parts, come spring! Nice that the B’s will be on TV a fair amount, too.
Looks like Prospect Mountain gets home court for round 1 of the Class M Girls’ B-ball tourney no matter what happens tonight in their rematch with Somersworth. (They defeated Epping last night 26-18!) Congrats to Jeri Blair and his Timberwolves!
Here’s the Tournament schedule …
Preliminary Round Mon. 02/22/10 Home of Higher Seed 7:00 p.m.
Quarterfinals Fri. 02/26/10 Home of Higher Seed 7:00 p.m.
Semifinals Sat. 03/06/10 Southern NH University 1:30; 3:30 p.m.
Final Wed. 03/10/10 Southern NH University 6:00 p.m.
And finally, here’s a nice glimpse of Pia’s style with the USWNT … compliments of Yael Averbuch. You Can Get It id You Really Want … with a Swedish accent … nice!
Rushing off this morning to make sure we’e all set for our audit (fun) … and to drop off some necessary items for a friend in need … I am neglecting JordanCornblog this morning.
😦
I may switch to a not-every-day schedule … stay tuned!
Nice morning … with Canada getting their first gold and some snow on the way for us oddly snowless New Englanders. We could use it (IMHO) and I just hope it doesn’t interfere with travel plans for our friend Margaret and her family, who are Pat’s Peak bound this week.
We had a nice, surprise visit from RPE last night – en route from Boston back to Bates. What a treat!
For Oly aficionados (I am way behind the 8-ball on this one) here’s the NBC Olympics site. There’s probably an official Canadian site that’s much better (er, less, uh, American) … maybe this is it. Yeah – that looks MUCH better.
On the soccer front (WPS soccer, that is) I see that Brandi Chastain has been cut from FC Gold Pride’s roster. (I guess if you want a draw, and you have Marta, you hardly need Brandi.) I wish that she had retired, rather than forcing the issue. Ah well.
As part of the Getting Silly With … series, here’s a piece focusing on the Breakers’ Alison Lipsher – born and raised in Hawaii – who knew?
On the college b-ball front, St. John’s gave UConn quite a scare – ’til Tina Charles took over! Sounds like it wasn’t very pretty for either team, but St. John’s was hanging in.
But when Charles scored 13 straight UConn points, the Huskies went on a 21-6 second-half run to finally shake off the pesky Red Storm and extend the second-longest winning streak in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to 64 games.
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!
Scott’s probably wondering what he got himself into.
On the baseball front … here’s a Tweeted photo of the Phillies’ Jayson Werth … love the Paul Bunyan look!
JordanCornblog 