First, the death of Walter Cronkite brings back so many memories of his voice and presence – not so much as I was growing up (our household was too chaotic to remember the evening news), but after college. Marking his death throws into bright relief the movement of broadcast journalism from news to entertainment. From Walter Cronkite to Fox “News” and Brian Williams and Katie Couric … no comment …
… except to say that it reflects something about our devolution as a nation/culture, too. As ye sow, so shall ye reap … yup. Here’s the news of JFK’s assassination – a tragic and iconic moment that apparently didn’t require spin or graphics or a theme song to hold our attention. Imagine that!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K8Q3cqGs7I
Then we have the Gang of Six – that’s six senators bent on postponing healthcare reform. It’s reminiscent of the watering down of the stimulus by some of the same folks – something that many agree has made it much less effective. Anyway, these are the six: Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.),Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Independent Joe Lieberman (Conn.), Olympia Snowe (R-Me) and Susan Collins (R-Me). Paul Krugman thinks they are full of shit … and I have to say that any measure that Joe Lieberman backs is suspect in my book. Would that this crew had been so careful and circumspect about voting to wage war in Iraq …
Krugman writes: If the Gang of Six really does kill reform, remember their names; they will bear the responsibility for vast, unnecessary suffering over the years to come.
Lets get the rest of the bad news out of the way. I ran into Alice yesterday after work (that’s not the bad news). She told me about a lecture she had attended recently about Lincoln and his record regarding civil liberties. The speaker (whose name I didn’t catch) had done a study of presidents through history and found that most were pretty abysmal when it came to upholding (or not violating) civil liberties. I did a Google search under “Lincoln” and “torture” and came up with a surprising number of citations – including a book by Mark E. Neely, Jr. titled The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties – don’t know if he’s the guy Alice heard – but he sounded in the ballpark. I may take a look at it, as it sounds fascinating (and it’s challenging for me to round out my picture of Lincoln and let go of childhood worshipfulness).
Still, I do see him as a human of depth, seriousness and ethical scruples who would not have done whatever he did lightly. It is disturbing to think of Lincoln being used as an excuse and/or justification for ANY of the actions of Bush et al … and/or to think that they would view post 9/11 America as in any way comparable to the situation Lincoln confronted.
News flash – just found the article from the Concord Monitor – it WAS Mark Neely – sorry I missed it!
As for the Phillies part of this post … just wanted to say they won another on – in 12. This makes 7 wins in a row and 11 out of the last 12. Go Phils! The Red Sox started their second half on a high note, too – beating the Jays 4-1!
The undefeated Boston Aztec WPSL Team is hosting a single elimination playoff game at 7 p.m. tonight at Amesbury Sports Park in Amesbury, MA. The Aztecs are the Breakers’ reserve team for 2009. Should Boston win their match against Lancaster, they would host the Mutiny/Lynx winner on Tues. 7/21. Here are directions to the park, soccer fans! Ski will be there … and JordanCornblog is on the fence.
In other women’s sports news, here’s your weekend schedule … ;>) … and beyond!
Today at 5PM ET the Freedom play St. Louis in a match that will be webcast by the Athletica!
Today in the WNBA we have NY vs. Washington at 7PM ET and Detroit vs. Phoenix (without DT) at 10PM ET. Both games will be available on the web via Live Access. Here’s the rest of the WNBA schedule for the month.
Tomorrow we’ve got the Red Stars vs. surging Sky Blue FC at 4:30 PM (ET) on FSC. Prior to that, at 3PM ET on ESPN, we have the USWNT vs Canada. Then at 8PM ET, the Breakers face off against FC Gold Pride … and you can follow on MatchTracker at the WPS or the Breakers’ site. I haven’t seen anything about a webcast.
On Wednesday night (7/22/09 – 8PM ET) the US and Canada face off again – this time on FSC.
Here in NH we’ve one from September-like weather to the dog days of summer in the space of @ 24 hours. Heat and humidity are here … along with a good dose of fog this morning in Canterbury. And another Friday has rolled around, seemingly in the blink of an eye. I’m looking forward to some unscheduled time at home of the next several days .. ahhhh.
Meanwhile, ChristopherCornblog is up at the lake – in what’s gotta be some perfect weather for hanging out on the dock and reading a summer page-turner. Enjoy!
And aren’t those impressive woodpiles that HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew have stacked in the woods? They had to take a couple of old trees and/or limbs down … and made good use of the results!
On the news front, I saw this really bizarre story on The Huffington Post about an online game that the RNC had been marketing called the Obama Card. It is, of course, difficult to tell what the point of it all was, aside from basic hatefulness, and they have since pulled it – but happily, this post includes plenty of screen shots so you can get the gist. What an embarrassment the GOP continues to be. They, like Sarah Palin, seem to have come unhinged in some disturbing and disorienting way that goes even beyond the hateful and fear-mongering excesses of the Bush/Cheney years. Hard to know where it will all end – but I am very relieved that they are, at least, out of power as they decompensate!
Meanwhile, DT has been suspended by Phoenix for two games (and is learning from the experience) … the Fever are on a 10-game win streak … and Charde Houston answers some questions about her season and the strength of the Lynx (even without Seimone Augustus). Here’s what she says about their strength as a team:
I would definitely have to credit that to our sense of camaraderie. Everybody predicted us to fail. But we understood that the only way we could go down is if we did not support each other. With this team we don’t have one person that can carry us. In order for us to continue to win games and play as well as we’ve been playing, we have to look to one another and just be there to support each other. As you can see every night it’s always somebody different that steps up, that has an amazing game. It makes us more dangerous and goes to show that we have an unbelievable amount of talent on this team. And when you put it all together and have it work all together, as opposed to individually, it just shows that we are such a great team.
How cool it would be – to see them go all the way!
And as I catch up with the WNBA, I am interested to see that Chamique Holdsclaw is back … this time with the Atlanta Dream. Hope she can hang in with it – her stats look good!
On the soccer front, we’ve got the WPS and USWNT in action (vs. Canada) this weekend. I’ll get you the game times and TV information tomorrow!
The Breakers won last night – scoring in the first half and hanging on for the 1-0 victory over the Red Stars (and sole possession of third place). The goal was a beautiful one-touch effort by Angela Hucles after a perfect feed from Lil. The win is significant for any number of reasons – not the least of which is that it was accomplished without the services of Kelly Smith and Alex Scott. Lots of players stepped up for the Breakers … a special standout being Mary Frances Monroe, getting her first minutes and playing her heart out.
Next up? Sky Blue FC (again). Let’s not let them sweep us, Breakers, okay? This will be an interesting match-up, as both teams will be missing many of their internationals. Sky Blue are coming off a 4-4 tie with the Freedom (yes, you read that right).
I’ve had a request to write more about the WNBA – and need to acknowledge that I’ve been terribly neglectful of them this year (so far). I’m hearing that the Lynx are the team to watch … and it’s cool to see them up in second place in the Western division! Hey – with Renee Montgomery, how can you go wrong!!
It’s the Red Stars tonight in Cambridge, as the Breakers begin their final push to the play-off’s. It’ll be a challenging stretch as many teams are depleted by national team duties – but the Breakers may be more challenged than most – as they lose Kelly Smith and Alex Scott to England for the next two games …and Candace Chapman to Canada (not Latham???) …
Oh, and there’s more. Four Breakers were called up to the USWNT. Heather Mitts (back), Amy LePeilbet (back), Amy Rodriguez (forward), and Angela Hucles (midfielder) will miss the July 19 game. That puts the Breakers seven players down for that July 19 match with FC Gold Pride, a team at the bottom of the table, yet one Boston has yet to beat. The Breakers lost, 2-1, to Gold Pride in Santa Clara to start the season, and then on June 17 at home, they drew, 1-1.
Meanwhile … is Lindsay Graham an obnoxious dude or what? I can’t find the link, but there was a good piece on NPR last night re. his baiting of Sotomayor re. her “temperament.” It is so tiresome, watching these Senators posturing.
And dang it if the AL didn’t beat the NL again! Oh well, I’d rather win the World Series than the All Star game. ;>)
Then I notice through a triple-Americano-awakening moment,
in the mall food court, a young Latina cleaning around by the chrome rail
at Sbarro Pizza. Maybe a Guatemalan, possibly Salvadoran or
Honduran—
could’ve been Argentinean or Columbian, Chilean, Bolivian,
Panamanian—good chance a Peruvian, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Mayan,
Toltec, Sephardic, Huichol coffee plantation or U.S. Fruit Company
or tobacco company or auto industry slave labor robot or CIA-trained
death squad Guardia Nacional butchery massacre survivor.
Several tables down from mine–roughly stacking chairs on tops
of tables—cussing in Spanish, in the mall food court, she hates her job,
I hate her job.
Of course I am running wicked late … but wanted to mention that the Breakers host the Red Stars tomorrow night in Cambridge … and NEED TO WIN … after losing the series with Sky Blue FC on Sunday. Complicating matters, I believe the B’s will be without Alex Scott and Kelly Smith. A-Rod – will you be stepping up to the plate? It’ll be interesting to see A-Rod vs. Carli Lloyd – two players who came into the season with very high expectations on their shoulders – and haven’t delivered consistently … at least not yet.
What else – Sarah P has penned an op ed for the Post. Any thoughts on how much of it she actually wrote?
Finally – Alison – thanks for the link to Gail Collins’ great piece about Senator Ensign’s exploits … and the prayerful support and advice he’s received from his righteous GOP brethren. I’d love to hear Bill Clinton’s commentary on all this.
Sunny Monday – and I have to share this video from Alice … and echo the comment of one viewer who said, “moments like this are a gift to the world.” This is definitely worth a watch!
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k
Thanks for shairng, Al – and you saved me this morning, as I am just getting back from a weekend away and wasn’t finding a lot of time for blogging.
This is an amazing story from David Brooks … check out the video … on Huffington Post … yikes! The issue of dignity in politics … wonder who that GOP Senator was – any guesses?
On the Soccer front, the Breakers battle Sky Blue FC on Sunday (and need a win). This match will be televised on FSC.
Here’s a nice piece from The Herald – Tony and Lil reminiscing about 1999. Ten years ago – hard to believe!
Meanwhile, looks like the Breakers will be missing Smith and Scott for the midweek game as the English WNT is off playing some friendlies. I think England is going to surprise people this summer in Euro 2009!
I’ll be offline tomorrow … unless I find a wireless hook-up (unlikely). Sorry ’bout that, folks. (Alice – the invitation to be a guest blogger is still open!)
Last night I saw Aimee Mann give a great concert at Tupelo Music Hall … her voice … her lyrics … her fights with the record companies … love ’em all! Here’s an interview with Aimee from Out Magazine …
Aimee Mann had her first taste of fame in 1985 when her band, ‘Til Tuesday, hit the Billboard Top 10 with their song “Voices Carry.” Five years later Mann left the group to begin a solo career and since then she has released nine albums (including the soundtrack to the film Magnolia which scored her an Oscar nomination, a live album, and a Christmas record), the most recent of which is 2008’s @#%&*! Smilers.
Over the last 18 years Mann has been signed to a major label, left to languish on said major label, gone indie, and secured a ferocious fan base that has already scooped up enough tickets to sell out much of her upcoming tour. Beloved for her uncanny ability to distill the anguish of lost love and the surprises and disappointments of everyday life into gorgeous, four minute melodic folk rock packages, Mann chatted with us about her saddest song, her new hobby painting the worst presidents in American history, and trying to nail her single speaking line on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The Phillies won …Red Sox lost … I’m NOT rooting for Lance … and what’s with the Phillies talking to Pedro? They need pitching, but Pedro? Isn’t he kind of old and whiney?
Oh, and HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew had some more dead trees taken down at the lake … looks like I’ll have plenty of firewood come September … thanks, guys!!!
It’s been awhile since I wrote about HollyCornblog and her hops. Guess that’s what incessant rain does to a body – makes ’em lose sight of what’s important … get all caught up in Palin’s and forget about Pilsner’s.
What’s up with that?
So anyway – here are some photos from HollyCornblog her own self … illustrating the fabulous growth and development of her Cascades and Mt. Hoods and all manner of other hoppy plants.
Isn’t the Hop Trellis beautiful?
And here are the hops themselves .. against a big, beautiful (sunny) sky).
I cannot wait to see what she concocts out of these gems, once fall rolls around!
Looking forward to sampling something hoppy, whilst watching the Eagles beat the Giants … or the Cowboys … or maybe even TO and those bad Buffalo Bills (if they’re playing ’em, that is) … ahhhh!!!!
Selling Americans on professional soccer has been tough. Selling them on women’s team sports has been tougher. Selling them on a new women’s soccer league during a deep recession may prove to be the toughest task of all.
Meanwhile, we’ve got this interesting Abby tidbit in an update re. the Sol …
The scorecard for the Washington Freedom’s Abby Wambach this season: 13 games, three goals – and two challenges that led to season-ending injuries to both opponents.
Yikes! I think the Breakers are all finished with the Freedom … good thing!
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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