The Baader Meinhof Complex, from Germany, was nominated for an Oscar in the Foreign Film category. It did not win.
The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008) tells the true story of a German domestic terrorist group, the Red Army Faction (RAF) which performed dozens of terrorist acts against Germany and American companies and armed forces in Germany.
The movie takes you inside the group, from the beginning, so you can understand why the group felt compelled to be so violent. But understanding does not make sympathy at all, because these people were crackpots...thinking indiscriminate killing could somehow transform the world into a utopia.
And while I could understand the frustration of not being heard by the government,to resort to the type of violence they did is unconscionable.
And there lies the problem with the movie in my mind...understanding the formation and acts of the group does not change a damn thing...they are still cowardly terrorists, like they always were. While governments are often wrong, killing innocent people is just as wrong, and hurts any thing you may be trying to change.
While technically, the movie is excellent, it did not move me in any way, except to dislike this group even more. And somehow, from the way the movie was made, I don't think that was the point of it.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
TV on Netflix- All Creatures Great and Small, Season 5
The fifth season of this charming show is more of the same, though a bit less of our old characters than I would like.
In season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small, Tristan (Peter Davison) is mostly absent, and the new vet with the practice isn't nearly as much fun. Calum is the new guy, and we have to go through his painful love life with Deirdre. I could have done with less of that.
But with James (Christopher Timothy) and Siegfreid (Robert Hardy) still making their rounds with the amusing farmers of the Dales, the show still has legs. And the small animal practise is booming, and that still carries a lot of emotion as people sometimes lose their long time companions.
While not quite as good as the first few seasons, All Creatures is still fun and amusing.
In season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small, Tristan (Peter Davison) is mostly absent, and the new vet with the practice isn't nearly as much fun. Calum is the new guy, and we have to go through his painful love life with Deirdre. I could have done with less of that.
But with James (Christopher Timothy) and Siegfreid (Robert Hardy) still making their rounds with the amusing farmers of the Dales, the show still has legs. And the small animal practise is booming, and that still carries a lot of emotion as people sometimes lose their long time companions.
While not quite as good as the first few seasons, All Creatures is still fun and amusing.
Movie- Secuestro Express
A young, rich couple are kidnapped after a night on the town in Caracas, Venezuela. The kidnappers want ransom, of course, as this is a money making enterprise. But in Secuestro Express (2004), this does not just go straight forward. There are many twists and turns, and that is why I liked this movie, even though it was a bit uneven.
The twists are things I did not see coming, the relationship between the kidnappers and the victims change, and the is a bit of a value change on who are the "good" guys, and who the "bad."
Mia Maestro is particularly good in the movie, as Carla...she pretty much makes it I think, though Jean Paul Leroux is also good as Martin, the other half of the kidnapped pair.
Secuestro Express is not great, but it offers an interesting, and unique, bend in a movie that could have been very typical
The twists are things I did not see coming, the relationship between the kidnappers and the victims change, and the is a bit of a value change on who are the "good" guys, and who the "bad."
Mia Maestro is particularly good in the movie, as Carla...she pretty much makes it I think, though Jean Paul Leroux is also good as Martin, the other half of the kidnapped pair.
Secuestro Express is not great, but it offers an interesting, and unique, bend in a movie that could have been very typical
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Movie- Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Based on Sijie Dai's fantastic little novel, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2002) translated excellently to film. Telling the story of two young men in Maoist China that who are set to the country to do manual labor and be "re-educated," the movie tells its story gently, nostalgically.
The tow are good friends, relying on each other to learn what they need to so they can fit in with the mountain village people. They also both fall in love with the seamstresses daughter. And she falls under their spell as well, and under the spell of the forbidden Western literature that they have hidden.
Going out to the remote ponds and wild areas, they share this literature, and she is especially entranced by Balzac. She and one of the boys become involved, but an ending comes to their love affair, that I will not explain fully.
The film is lovingly shot...with the mountainous areas are beautiful. A feeling of nostalgia somehow pervades even in the filming of the movie. It is quiet and yet profound. The film is really nicely done all around, a movie that is not geared to be a blockbuster, but to be more timeless, more a work of art.
The tow are good friends, relying on each other to learn what they need to so they can fit in with the mountain village people. They also both fall in love with the seamstresses daughter. And she falls under their spell as well, and under the spell of the forbidden Western literature that they have hidden.
Going out to the remote ponds and wild areas, they share this literature, and she is especially entranced by Balzac. She and one of the boys become involved, but an ending comes to their love affair, that I will not explain fully.
The film is lovingly shot...with the mountainous areas are beautiful. A feeling of nostalgia somehow pervades even in the filming of the movie. It is quiet and yet profound. The film is really nicely done all around, a movie that is not geared to be a blockbuster, but to be more timeless, more a work of art.
Restaurant- Tofu House
Nothing is better on a cold winter's night than hot soup. And it does not get any hotter than at Tofu House ( http://www.tofuhaus.com/) on Convoy.
A Korean restaurant that specializes in boiling hot tofu soups, it has really good food and fantastic prices.
Now tofu soup may not sound that great...but Sharlynn had the seafood tofu soup. Excellent broth, lots of tofu and shrimp and other seafood, makes it delicious. I had the potsticker tofu soup with several small homemade potstickers in it, along with the tofu. These soups come to the table boiling hot, and you are encouraged to crack a raw egg that is sitting at your table into the broth and let it cook.
One of the things I love about Tofu House is the Korean appetizers that come with your soup. Kim Chee and spiced, slice cucumber. Pickled turnip and one or two other little Korean specialties also arrive prior to your meal.
And the price...for the both of us...under $20 bucks. Unbelievable.
Tofu House is great eating at a fantastic price!
A Korean restaurant that specializes in boiling hot tofu soups, it has really good food and fantastic prices.
Now tofu soup may not sound that great...but Sharlynn had the seafood tofu soup. Excellent broth, lots of tofu and shrimp and other seafood, makes it delicious. I had the potsticker tofu soup with several small homemade potstickers in it, along with the tofu. These soups come to the table boiling hot, and you are encouraged to crack a raw egg that is sitting at your table into the broth and let it cook.
One of the things I love about Tofu House is the Korean appetizers that come with your soup. Kim Chee and spiced, slice cucumber. Pickled turnip and one or two other little Korean specialties also arrive prior to your meal.
And the price...for the both of us...under $20 bucks. Unbelievable.
Tofu House is great eating at a fantastic price!
Movie- 17 Again
When we rented this movie, we were under a lot of stress, so we needed something mindless, light and amusing. 17 Again (2009) qualifies on all counts, more than qualifies on some.
Starring Matthew Perry and tween heartthrob Zac Efron, this plot has been done many times. Disillusioned adult, Mike (Perry), is going through a divorce, his kids hate him and he pretty much hates life. Wondering how it all went wrong, some miracle occurs and he becomes 17 again (Efron), and thereby comes to realize what is truly important about life.
He becomes adult once the lesson is learned, wins back wife and kids and lives happily ever after.
Perry is his usual self, and Efron is plainly likable. The movie is completely inane, but it watches like cotton candy eats...sweet and light. Too much and your stomach can hurt, but if you need it, you gotta have it.
Starring Matthew Perry and tween heartthrob Zac Efron, this plot has been done many times. Disillusioned adult, Mike (Perry), is going through a divorce, his kids hate him and he pretty much hates life. Wondering how it all went wrong, some miracle occurs and he becomes 17 again (Efron), and thereby comes to realize what is truly important about life.
He becomes adult once the lesson is learned, wins back wife and kids and lives happily ever after.
Perry is his usual self, and Efron is plainly likable. The movie is completely inane, but it watches like cotton candy eats...sweet and light. Too much and your stomach can hurt, but if you need it, you gotta have it.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Movie- Away We Go
A unique movie about a unique couple, Away We Go (2009) is the story of Burt and Verona. They are a couple that don't seem to be doing so well, the house they live in is not so great, they don't seem to have any friends, and they live on the edge, though they love each other deeply. And Verona is pregnant.
Early in the movie she asks Burt, "Are we fuck ups?" And the journey they make, to find a place where they belong, also brings an answer to that question.
The journey is made to find a new place for them to live. They look up old acquaintances in different cities, ranging from Phoenix to Montreal, and see if the city or the people are right for them. It is quirky and many times a funny journey, but always filled with empathy and commitment between the two of them.
And as they make they journey, seeing people who are successful and have big houses and "real" lives, the question Verona asked gets answered.
Are they fuck ups? And it is clear, they are no bigger fuck ups than anyone else, outward appearances aside. In fact, with the real love they have, and the bond the have, they are probably less fucked up than anyone they know.
Away We Go is a contemplative movie, that does not rely on cliche and easy answers. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph do a excellent job portraying this sensitive and loving couple, with all their complexities. They are not fuck ups, and the journey they take to find that out is one that I was happy to join in on.
Early in the movie she asks Burt, "Are we fuck ups?" And the journey they make, to find a place where they belong, also brings an answer to that question.
The journey is made to find a new place for them to live. They look up old acquaintances in different cities, ranging from Phoenix to Montreal, and see if the city or the people are right for them. It is quirky and many times a funny journey, but always filled with empathy and commitment between the two of them.
And as they make they journey, seeing people who are successful and have big houses and "real" lives, the question Verona asked gets answered.
Are they fuck ups? And it is clear, they are no bigger fuck ups than anyone else, outward appearances aside. In fact, with the real love they have, and the bond the have, they are probably less fucked up than anyone they know.
Away We Go is a contemplative movie, that does not rely on cliche and easy answers. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph do a excellent job portraying this sensitive and loving couple, with all their complexities. They are not fuck ups, and the journey they take to find that out is one that I was happy to join in on.
Movie- Four Christmases
Despite me not exactly agreeing with the premise of the film (we plan on taking a nice vacation next Christmas, someplace warm and fun), Four Christmases (2008) was a fun movie.
Starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon as Brad and Kate, a couple who wants to just enjoy life, unencumbered by familial obligations, especially during the holidays. Every year they cancel on their families and go someplace fun...this year it is Fiji, until they get fogged in, and are caught by a TV news crew reporting on flight cancellations. Their families immediately call them and tell them to come over.
And there are not just two families, because both sets of parents are split up, so Brad and Kate set off to visit all four. Robert Duvall plays Brad's dad, in a tough as nails house, where anyone who is not rough and tumble is considered weak. And Sissy Spacek as Brad's mom, who is holistic and and earthy and now living with Brad's former best friend as her new lover.
All the families are eccentric in one way or another. But the movie is trying to send a typically sappy message of the importance of family during the holidays. And this is where it is weakest. Because in many ways, I would have rather Brad and Kate got to Fiji...that could have been just as fun a movie. Instead, the movie falls back on cliches of family Christmas time, and it just doesn't feel right with as eccentric as these families are.
You know, sometimes you stay away from your family for a good reason. I'm just saying.
Four Christmases is fun...but it is not any more than that. It is not a holiday classic nor does it bear much consideration as it is so cliche ridden. Even if Brad and Kate did have to visit their families, I think it would have been a better movie if they realized going to Fiji was the better idea.
Starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon as Brad and Kate, a couple who wants to just enjoy life, unencumbered by familial obligations, especially during the holidays. Every year they cancel on their families and go someplace fun...this year it is Fiji, until they get fogged in, and are caught by a TV news crew reporting on flight cancellations. Their families immediately call them and tell them to come over.
And there are not just two families, because both sets of parents are split up, so Brad and Kate set off to visit all four. Robert Duvall plays Brad's dad, in a tough as nails house, where anyone who is not rough and tumble is considered weak. And Sissy Spacek as Brad's mom, who is holistic and and earthy and now living with Brad's former best friend as her new lover.
All the families are eccentric in one way or another. But the movie is trying to send a typically sappy message of the importance of family during the holidays. And this is where it is weakest. Because in many ways, I would have rather Brad and Kate got to Fiji...that could have been just as fun a movie. Instead, the movie falls back on cliches of family Christmas time, and it just doesn't feel right with as eccentric as these families are.
You know, sometimes you stay away from your family for a good reason. I'm just saying.
Four Christmases is fun...but it is not any more than that. It is not a holiday classic nor does it bear much consideration as it is so cliche ridden. Even if Brad and Kate did have to visit their families, I think it would have been a better movie if they realized going to Fiji was the better idea.
Restaurant- Farmhouse Cafe
In late November we met an old friend for dinner at the Farmhouse Cafe on Adams Ave. ( http://www.farmhousecafesd.com/ ).
It is a small place, and gets very crowded, but we had a nice table, and didn't feel too squished in, though I could see how other tables might feel that way.
Farmhouse Cafe offers country French cuisine, and uses as much sustainable, local, seasonal and organically grown food as possible.
We started off splitting some of the soup du jour, which was a potato and leek soup. It was very tasty, with a little bacon in it, and nice bits of potato and leek.
We went from there to our main courses, which we all tasted. We ordered the Grilled Flatiron Steak...a pasta dish with boneless short ribs, and a special of the day, a grilled fish. Everything was good, but nothing really stood out as excellent, and we all agreed, most everything was too generously salted, except for the fish. In fact, that was our biggest problem with the meal...just too much salt did not let the dishes natural flavors really blend.
We did split a dessert three ways, and it was excellent, and Almond Panna Cotta that was amazing...subtle, smooth and delicious. With just the right amount of sweetness, it was creamy and really nice.
I would be willing to give Farmhouse Cafe another shot...I think it is good, with the potential to be excellent. And maybe we caught them on an off night. But, unless we get less salted food on another visit, we would not go back again.
It is a small place, and gets very crowded, but we had a nice table, and didn't feel too squished in, though I could see how other tables might feel that way.
Farmhouse Cafe offers country French cuisine, and uses as much sustainable, local, seasonal and organically grown food as possible.
We started off splitting some of the soup du jour, which was a potato and leek soup. It was very tasty, with a little bacon in it, and nice bits of potato and leek.
We went from there to our main courses, which we all tasted. We ordered the Grilled Flatiron Steak...a pasta dish with boneless short ribs, and a special of the day, a grilled fish. Everything was good, but nothing really stood out as excellent, and we all agreed, most everything was too generously salted, except for the fish. In fact, that was our biggest problem with the meal...just too much salt did not let the dishes natural flavors really blend.
We did split a dessert three ways, and it was excellent, and Almond Panna Cotta that was amazing...subtle, smooth and delicious. With just the right amount of sweetness, it was creamy and really nice.
I would be willing to give Farmhouse Cafe another shot...I think it is good, with the potential to be excellent. And maybe we caught them on an off night. But, unless we get less salted food on another visit, we would not go back again.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Movie- Orphan
Orphan (2009) was actually a scary movie without a ton of gore...using circumstances and situations to provide eeriness, rather than loads of fake blood.
A couple decides to adopt a kid after a very late term stillbirth. They have two kids but are looking for one more, and find a 9-year-old girl at an orphanage. She is a bit of a loner, but is also very artistic and bright. They bring her into the family and everything seems good.
But Esther keeps acting...off a bit. And mom Kate figures out she is a manipulator and maybe not as innocent as she first seemed. Trying to get some more info on Esther's background, Kate finds she is an unknown...she has no background.
Things spiral from here...and get freaky weird. I don't want to give away the whole plot, but the big twist about who Esther is...well, it was disquieting to say the least.
Of course there is some violence and bloodletting as is a requirement in this genre, but overall, it was a psychological freak out, more than a visual one.
Orphan truly freaked me out, and startled me. That does not happen too much anymore. Add to that a really good performances by the main cast, and a great setting, and it adds up to a good movie.
A couple decides to adopt a kid after a very late term stillbirth. They have two kids but are looking for one more, and find a 9-year-old girl at an orphanage. She is a bit of a loner, but is also very artistic and bright. They bring her into the family and everything seems good.
But Esther keeps acting...off a bit. And mom Kate figures out she is a manipulator and maybe not as innocent as she first seemed. Trying to get some more info on Esther's background, Kate finds she is an unknown...she has no background.
Things spiral from here...and get freaky weird. I don't want to give away the whole plot, but the big twist about who Esther is...well, it was disquieting to say the least.
Of course there is some violence and bloodletting as is a requirement in this genre, but overall, it was a psychological freak out, more than a visual one.
Orphan truly freaked me out, and startled me. That does not happen too much anymore. Add to that a really good performances by the main cast, and a great setting, and it adds up to a good movie.
Movie- The Proposal
The Proposal (2009) is not a great movie, but it is a fun, light romantic comedy, of the kind that star, Sandra Bullock, does VERY well.
Bullock plays a hard ass book editor Margaret Tate, who is about to be deported back to Canada. To save her career, she tells her bosses that she is getting married to her long-suffering assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). The bosses are thrilled, but Andrew is not, especially when he needs to bring her home to Alaska to meet his family.
None of this is really original, but it is done really well here, and is truly fun, so you don't really care too much. There are some very funny scenes, and Betty White and the grandma is hilarious. Pro actors all the way around, with Craig Nelson and Mary Steenburgen, and the usual great work by Bullock. And Reynolds does a very nice job, holding the line between attraction and repelance very nicely.
The two eventually realize their attraction, and of course, they have another thing that seems to tear them apart. But, this being the genre, they end up together and happy.
A side note...Bullock looks great in her near nude scenes. Hello! Hhhhhot!
Bullock plays a hard ass book editor Margaret Tate, who is about to be deported back to Canada. To save her career, she tells her bosses that she is getting married to her long-suffering assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). The bosses are thrilled, but Andrew is not, especially when he needs to bring her home to Alaska to meet his family.
None of this is really original, but it is done really well here, and is truly fun, so you don't really care too much. There are some very funny scenes, and Betty White and the grandma is hilarious. Pro actors all the way around, with Craig Nelson and Mary Steenburgen, and the usual great work by Bullock. And Reynolds does a very nice job, holding the line between attraction and repelance very nicely.
The two eventually realize their attraction, and of course, they have another thing that seems to tear them apart. But, this being the genre, they end up together and happy.
A side note...Bullock looks great in her near nude scenes. Hello! Hhhhhot!
Book- Too Far to Walk
I have been praising a number of John Hersey novels, with an exception of The Child Buyer. Unfortunately, Too Far to Walk does not live up to the praise I have given many of Hersey's other works.
It seems to be a novel about the apathy (or spoildness) of young people. They have it all, yet are bored and try drugs, and can't be motivated, etc. And it could have been OK if it stayed that route. But Hersey adds in a distracting and strange supernatural element to this, that is so discordant with any social commentary, that it left me distracted, annoyed and badly surprised.
The novel focuses on an middle-upper class student, John Fist, at a good eastern university. And he is bored and finds the sanctimonious taint to the staff exceedingly dull.
Now first off, Hersey's portrayal of college students seems WAY off. So much so that I would call it BS. But John Fist is his caricature of this type of student. And he gets tempted to try life a different way. No, he does not do drugs, or rebel by becoming a hippie (this book was written first published in '66) or go for free love.
No, John Fist is tempted by another student that is really Satan in disguise, gets him to sign a contract with him, and then, pretty much, nothing happens except John Fist does stupid things.
Really? That is what this book is? Look, if Hersey did not like the attitudes of young people in that age, that is fine, write a socially relevant novel. But this is not that novel. If he wants to write a supernatural novel about dealing with temptation, write it, but this is not that novel either. It is an extremely bad synthesis of the two, and it just does not work.
There are many very fine works by John Hersey...this is not one of them.
It seems to be a novel about the apathy (or spoildness) of young people. They have it all, yet are bored and try drugs, and can't be motivated, etc. And it could have been OK if it stayed that route. But Hersey adds in a distracting and strange supernatural element to this, that is so discordant with any social commentary, that it left me distracted, annoyed and badly surprised.
The novel focuses on an middle-upper class student, John Fist, at a good eastern university. And he is bored and finds the sanctimonious taint to the staff exceedingly dull.
Now first off, Hersey's portrayal of college students seems WAY off. So much so that I would call it BS. But John Fist is his caricature of this type of student. And he gets tempted to try life a different way. No, he does not do drugs, or rebel by becoming a hippie (this book was written first published in '66) or go for free love.
No, John Fist is tempted by another student that is really Satan in disguise, gets him to sign a contract with him, and then, pretty much, nothing happens except John Fist does stupid things.
Really? That is what this book is? Look, if Hersey did not like the attitudes of young people in that age, that is fine, write a socially relevant novel. But this is not that novel. If he wants to write a supernatural novel about dealing with temptation, write it, but this is not that novel either. It is an extremely bad synthesis of the two, and it just does not work.
There are many very fine works by John Hersey...this is not one of them.
Trip to Oak Park
In mid November we made a quick trip to Oak Park, just outside Chicago, with one purpose: to surprise the frak out of our dear friends Sharon and Alex as they were having a house warming party for their first house together. And boy, did we succeed!!!!
We were all excited flying out on a Saturday. We would get in Sat afternoon and go to the party Sat., night, and they had NO idea we were going to be there. We stayed in one of the two hotels right in Oak Park, just a few miles from their house.
When we checked in, we were starving, so went to the bar restaurant right on the corner (OK, we were thirsty too), and from there I texted them, saying we were thinking about them, but were so overwhelmed with the house remodel. They seemed to buy it hook, line and sinker, saying they wished we were there...little did they know that in just a few hours we would be! So much fun!!!!!
We had a rental car and drove to their house. Our friends Stella and Yannis have recently moved to Chicago too, and were going to the party...they knew we would be there, and we kept communication going, knowing when they arrived. As we pulled up, Alex was greeting some people at the door, so we stayed around the corner, and then came to the door...
The door is glass, and we knocked. Now most of the time we would just go right in, but we wanted them to answer, and Stella helped. "Alex, there is a strange man at the door, I think you better answer it!" Well, that much was true anyway! HA!
We saw Alex coming down the stairs, trying to peer through the glass...we were giggling away! He opened the door, Sharon a few feet behind him, looked at us and said, "What the fuck are you doing here?" with a shit-ass grin on his face!
Sharon was looking at us in disbelief...now she is not often at a loss for words...not often at all (ahem), but she was close to speechless, she stuttered out, "Wh...what are you doing, how are you here," as her eyes watered up!
It was so good to see them, we hugged and laughed. We told them we were just in the area and thought we would drop by. Then we went in and hugged and laughed with Stella and Yannis too! It was soooooooo nice to be with such good old friends!
The party was great! The next day we went out to see Stella's new house, and Alex and Sharon came with us, so we had a wonderful dinner, great company and wine too!
Sharon took Monday off, and we explore Oak Park and hung out again. It was a perfect few days, and it makes us smile even now thinking of it.
We were all excited flying out on a Saturday. We would get in Sat afternoon and go to the party Sat., night, and they had NO idea we were going to be there. We stayed in one of the two hotels right in Oak Park, just a few miles from their house.
When we checked in, we were starving, so went to the bar restaurant right on the corner (OK, we were thirsty too), and from there I texted them, saying we were thinking about them, but were so overwhelmed with the house remodel. They seemed to buy it hook, line and sinker, saying they wished we were there...little did they know that in just a few hours we would be! So much fun!!!!!
We had a rental car and drove to their house. Our friends Stella and Yannis have recently moved to Chicago too, and were going to the party...they knew we would be there, and we kept communication going, knowing when they arrived. As we pulled up, Alex was greeting some people at the door, so we stayed around the corner, and then came to the door...
The door is glass, and we knocked. Now most of the time we would just go right in, but we wanted them to answer, and Stella helped. "Alex, there is a strange man at the door, I think you better answer it!" Well, that much was true anyway! HA!
We saw Alex coming down the stairs, trying to peer through the glass...we were giggling away! He opened the door, Sharon a few feet behind him, looked at us and said, "What the fuck are you doing here?" with a shit-ass grin on his face!
Sharon was looking at us in disbelief...now she is not often at a loss for words...not often at all (ahem), but she was close to speechless, she stuttered out, "Wh...what are you doing, how are you here," as her eyes watered up!
It was so good to see them, we hugged and laughed. We told them we were just in the area and thought we would drop by. Then we went in and hugged and laughed with Stella and Yannis too! It was soooooooo nice to be with such good old friends!
The party was great! The next day we went out to see Stella's new house, and Alex and Sharon came with us, so we had a wonderful dinner, great company and wine too!
Sharon took Monday off, and we explore Oak Park and hung out again. It was a perfect few days, and it makes us smile even now thinking of it.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Book- Wedding Song
Egyptian Writer Naguib Mahfouz was the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1988. Wedding Song is the first book I have read by him, but I will be back for more.
Wedding Song tells the same story 4 times, from the point of view of the 4 main characters. Each voice adds more detail and more insight into the events being talked about, and more than that, each voice offers a different philosophical viewpoint on life.
But Wedding Song is not some heavy tome, it is entertaining and though it certainly deals with death, has so much life to it. Each character is so distinct, and as the layers are added to the story, you really feel like you know them. And for a small book, this is no small task. I felt like I could see the building they described, and smell the air around the theater.
There is also inherent to the book, a discussion about the meaning of literature...whether it is mere entertainment, and is it, and should it be, something more...something real that makes people feel and act.
That is a lot to pack in a slim volume, but every page was enjoyable. As I said, I will be buying more of Mahfouz's works.
Wedding Song tells the same story 4 times, from the point of view of the 4 main characters. Each voice adds more detail and more insight into the events being talked about, and more than that, each voice offers a different philosophical viewpoint on life.
But Wedding Song is not some heavy tome, it is entertaining and though it certainly deals with death, has so much life to it. Each character is so distinct, and as the layers are added to the story, you really feel like you know them. And for a small book, this is no small task. I felt like I could see the building they described, and smell the air around the theater.
There is also inherent to the book, a discussion about the meaning of literature...whether it is mere entertainment, and is it, and should it be, something more...something real that makes people feel and act.
That is a lot to pack in a slim volume, but every page was enjoyable. As I said, I will be buying more of Mahfouz's works.
TV- Mad Men finale
OK...I know I am behind on this one too, but I had to remark on the finale of Mad Men, and the whole of season 3.
The episode first of all...it blew me the frick away!!! Completely turns the show around, remakes it, restarts it, re-energizes it. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) finally grew a pair and confronted his life and people in authority. Sure, he could jump on Peggy or Pete, but when it came to real issues, and people above him, Don was always a capitulator. Not any more. He sets out to control his own destiny, as a partner in a new firm. And as a man without a wife.
Once again, the scenes with him and Betsy (January Jones) were electric, visceral and frightening. The last few episodes should certainly garner them Emmy nominations. And Bets gave as good as she got from Don. I cannot imagine how they could come together again after all that was said.
The plan of the new firm coming together was something out of a heist movie...almost like The Sting, or Ocean's Eleven. Gathering the conspirators, laying down the plan, and pulling the job. Fun, energizing and great acting and writing!
The season got some bad buzz at the beginning, but the first episodes, which people called boring, were really laying groundwork for the last 5-6 eps, that were literally some of the best television I have ever seen.
So many great scenes...Joanie is back, kicking down the art room door, confronting Pete, Don and Peggy, Harry Crane being threatened with being tied up if he did not join the new firm...TOO many to mention.
Mad Men is my favorite drama, and among my top few shows. And this finale still has me breathless a month and a half later.
Great television! Television at its best! Mad Men!
The episode first of all...it blew me the frick away!!! Completely turns the show around, remakes it, restarts it, re-energizes it. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) finally grew a pair and confronted his life and people in authority. Sure, he could jump on Peggy or Pete, but when it came to real issues, and people above him, Don was always a capitulator. Not any more. He sets out to control his own destiny, as a partner in a new firm. And as a man without a wife.
Once again, the scenes with him and Betsy (January Jones) were electric, visceral and frightening. The last few episodes should certainly garner them Emmy nominations. And Bets gave as good as she got from Don. I cannot imagine how they could come together again after all that was said.
The plan of the new firm coming together was something out of a heist movie...almost like The Sting, or Ocean's Eleven. Gathering the conspirators, laying down the plan, and pulling the job. Fun, energizing and great acting and writing!
The season got some bad buzz at the beginning, but the first episodes, which people called boring, were really laying groundwork for the last 5-6 eps, that were literally some of the best television I have ever seen.
So many great scenes...Joanie is back, kicking down the art room door, confronting Pete, Don and Peggy, Harry Crane being threatened with being tied up if he did not join the new firm...TOO many to mention.
Mad Men is my favorite drama, and among my top few shows. And this finale still has me breathless a month and a half later.
Great television! Television at its best! Mad Men!
Movie-2046
Not a lot to say about this movie except that it was impossible for me to watch the whole thing. I am pretty tolerant with movies, so it takes a LOT to get me to turn one off...and 2046 (2004) succeeded.
It was a completely confused storyline...if there was a storyline at all. The acting was bad, and it was totally non-sensical.
Miss it, skip it, stay away from it.
It was a completely confused storyline...if there was a storyline at all. The acting was bad, and it was totally non-sensical.
Miss it, skip it, stay away from it.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Movie- Pineapple Express
I love a good stoner-farce movie. Harold and Kumar---AWESOME! Fast Times at Ridgemont---DUDE!
And Pineapple Express (2008) starts out in that vein, before descending into endless violence and gunfights, that were just stupid..not funny stoned stupid...just plain old stupid.
Written by and starring Jeff Rogen, who I like mostly, this movie just did not carry well at all...it is like it has multiple personalities, and in the middle switches from one to the other. If we had gotten a whole movie, it would have been good, but two disparate halves...not so much.
I am fine with the sexual humor, the scatological humor, even the need in ALL of Rogen's movies to have full frontal male nudity (he explained that in a Playboy interview last year). But not enough funny and too much shooting people a la Rambo, just was too much, and not enough at the same time.
And Pineapple Express (2008) starts out in that vein, before descending into endless violence and gunfights, that were just stupid..not funny stoned stupid...just plain old stupid.
Written by and starring Jeff Rogen, who I like mostly, this movie just did not carry well at all...it is like it has multiple personalities, and in the middle switches from one to the other. If we had gotten a whole movie, it would have been good, but two disparate halves...not so much.
I am fine with the sexual humor, the scatological humor, even the need in ALL of Rogen's movies to have full frontal male nudity (he explained that in a Playboy interview last year). But not enough funny and too much shooting people a la Rambo, just was too much, and not enough at the same time.
TV Season- V
I am a little behind in my posts, but the debut of a new show was a little behind too. V debuted in November on ABC. We got 4 episodes and we will see at again in March I think.
V is the remade mini-series from the 70's, about alien visitors that come to Earth, acting like they are friends, looking like humans too. But the are really reptiles who are out to take over the planet for themselves, and wipe out human kind. How fun is that? LOL!
But V is a thrill ride- with great special effects, and an excellent cast, including the leader of the Vs. She understands PR all right, and pushes all the right buttons to claim the sympathies of human kind. Curing disease and helping with the myriad other problems of humanity with the Vs superior technology.But she is just softening us up...I think she would rather have us for lunch, than have us over for lunch.
Good pacing and story telling, good acting and really high production values, I will be waiting for V in March.
V is the remade mini-series from the 70's, about alien visitors that come to Earth, acting like they are friends, looking like humans too. But the are really reptiles who are out to take over the planet for themselves, and wipe out human kind. How fun is that? LOL!
But V is a thrill ride- with great special effects, and an excellent cast, including the leader of the Vs. She understands PR all right, and pushes all the right buttons to claim the sympathies of human kind. Curing disease and helping with the myriad other problems of humanity with the Vs superior technology.But she is just softening us up...I think she would rather have us for lunch, than have us over for lunch.
Good pacing and story telling, good acting and really high production values, I will be waiting for V in March.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Book- Masks
Masks, by Fumiko Enchi, is about two psychologically twisted women. One woman, widowed, and her mother-in-law, play a twisted game of seduction and sex, using people for their own purposes, and using each other too.
Enchi surrounds this novel with the paraphernalia of the Japanese Noh dramas. But you do not have to know about Noh (couldn't resist) to enjoy this book at all. The book, though a slim 141 pages, is deep and penetrating. The two women keep everyone they use guessing at their purposes, guessing whether they even like each other, guessing at who is the smarter of the two, guessing at whether they are lesbian lovers---all this guessing keeps anyone from finding the real purpose of the game they play.
While the end is not horrific, it is disturbing in that their end plan is completely morally dubious.
The book is captivating and shows the difference in Japanese culture and ours in many ways. The Japanese, so forthright about sexuality in many ways, compared to our prudishness. It also highlights the masks that they constantly wear, shifting from one to the other, constantly to keep revealing their true face.
Masks is an excellent book, and one that stays with you.
Enchi surrounds this novel with the paraphernalia of the Japanese Noh dramas. But you do not have to know about Noh (couldn't resist) to enjoy this book at all. The book, though a slim 141 pages, is deep and penetrating. The two women keep everyone they use guessing at their purposes, guessing whether they even like each other, guessing at who is the smarter of the two, guessing at whether they are lesbian lovers---all this guessing keeps anyone from finding the real purpose of the game they play.
While the end is not horrific, it is disturbing in that their end plan is completely morally dubious.
The book is captivating and shows the difference in Japanese culture and ours in many ways. The Japanese, so forthright about sexuality in many ways, compared to our prudishness. It also highlights the masks that they constantly wear, shifting from one to the other, constantly to keep revealing their true face.
Masks is an excellent book, and one that stays with you.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Movie- The Great Raid
There is nothing wrong with an old-fashioned war movie. A movie that is not trying to tell the story of moral ambiguity or how war warps people's minds, but a movie about heroism and daring deeds. The Great Raid (2005) is one of those movies, and a true story to boot.
Of course most of these old-fashioned war movies need to be set in WW II because there was a lot less moral ambiguity in that war. It is set in the Phillipines as America tries to take those islands back from Japan near the end of the war. Japan had many prisoner of war camps there, and the Japanese were known for their brutality to enemies in that era. So they were killing the prisoners in terrible ways, rather than allowing them to be rescued by the advancing Americans.
The raid is to rescue all the prisoners in one of these camps, to get ahead of the advancing lines, into territory still held by the enemy, and save these hundreds of men.
Benjamin Bratt and James Franco play the men who led this successfull mission and they both do good jobs. The scenes interplay between the rescuers and the POWs who are trying to still survive amidst starvation and illness, nevermind the beating and brutality. And there is another story line of the underground movement in the Phillipines who are trying to aid POWS. Joseph Fiennes plays the head officer in the camp, who has worked with the underground that is being now also being slaughtered by the Japanese.
The raid itself is the nexus of the movie, and plays out heroically. It is one of those war movie moments when the good and the bad are clearly defined, and the good wins out. Like I said, an old-fashioned war movie---and I mean that as a compliment.
Of course most of these old-fashioned war movies need to be set in WW II because there was a lot less moral ambiguity in that war. It is set in the Phillipines as America tries to take those islands back from Japan near the end of the war. Japan had many prisoner of war camps there, and the Japanese were known for their brutality to enemies in that era. So they were killing the prisoners in terrible ways, rather than allowing them to be rescued by the advancing Americans.
The raid is to rescue all the prisoners in one of these camps, to get ahead of the advancing lines, into territory still held by the enemy, and save these hundreds of men.
Benjamin Bratt and James Franco play the men who led this successfull mission and they both do good jobs. The scenes interplay between the rescuers and the POWs who are trying to still survive amidst starvation and illness, nevermind the beating and brutality. And there is another story line of the underground movement in the Phillipines who are trying to aid POWS. Joseph Fiennes plays the head officer in the camp, who has worked with the underground that is being now also being slaughtered by the Japanese.
The raid itself is the nexus of the movie, and plays out heroically. It is one of those war movie moments when the good and the bad are clearly defined, and the good wins out. Like I said, an old-fashioned war movie---and I mean that as a compliment.
Movie- Saint Ralph
Saint Ralph (2004) is not an awe inspiring movie that garners a lot of awards and buzz. In some ways it is a bit sappy. But if done well, sappy can sure tug on the heart strings, and be really enjoyable, and this movie is done well.
Starring Campbell Scott and a boy Adam Butcher who plays the title character, the movie tells the story of a boy whose mother is in a coma. He goes to a strict Catholic school and has no other family, and he is anything but a saint. He is just coming into adolescence, and lusts after girls, while engaging in self abuse. He is not a great student, cheats on class assignments and is a good-hearted ne'er-do-well.
But when his mother falls into the coma, he hears that only a miracle would save her, so he tries to make one, by going out with the track team and training to win the Boston Marathon. He also tries to be pure by stopping his self-abuse, a task that he does not face well.
Set in the 1950's, the movie has humor, pathos and really good acting. There is the villain (the headmaster/priest who is an ogre) a hero (Ralph) and a mentor (Scott, playing Father Hibbert, who was an Olympic marathoner in his day). There is even a love interest for young Ralph.
All the elements add up to a very enjoyable flick. Again, not Oscar buzz type of movie, but a really good movie to watch.
Starring Campbell Scott and a boy Adam Butcher who plays the title character, the movie tells the story of a boy whose mother is in a coma. He goes to a strict Catholic school and has no other family, and he is anything but a saint. He is just coming into adolescence, and lusts after girls, while engaging in self abuse. He is not a great student, cheats on class assignments and is a good-hearted ne'er-do-well.
But when his mother falls into the coma, he hears that only a miracle would save her, so he tries to make one, by going out with the track team and training to win the Boston Marathon. He also tries to be pure by stopping his self-abuse, a task that he does not face well.
Set in the 1950's, the movie has humor, pathos and really good acting. There is the villain (the headmaster/priest who is an ogre) a hero (Ralph) and a mentor (Scott, playing Father Hibbert, who was an Olympic marathoner in his day). There is even a love interest for young Ralph.
All the elements add up to a very enjoyable flick. Again, not Oscar buzz type of movie, but a really good movie to watch.
TV on Netflix/Movie-Grey Gardens
This HBO movie starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange won wide praise. But Grey Gardens (2009) is not exactly a feel good movie...it is psychologically disturbing, as two co-dependent women, mother and daughter, manipulate each other and prey on each other's weaknesses, to become recluses in a broken down mansion.
What is more disturbing is that this is a true story.
Based on a 1975 documentary of the same name, Grey Gardens tells the story of the Beale's, relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The mother, Lange, pretty much castrates any freedom of daughter, Barrymore, because she knows how to prey on her fragile psyche. And she wants her daughter to dote upon her, and stay with her forever...because, she is so screwed up, she cannot fathom being alone, without someone waiting on her every whim.
This is not a loving story of mother and daughter.
The movie shows the documentary being filmed (in the extras they show excerpts and you can see how spot on the actresses were) but goes much further than the documentary in showing these two women. As the mansion falls to ruin around them, and they have no money, the become increasingly insular, until finally Jackie O. hears about it and helps restore the home. But she cannot restore a healthy ego to either of them, and the continue their terrible, crippling co-dependence.
Grey Gardens is a very good film...I can recognize that, and see the remarkable acting of the two leads. But it is not a movie that really left me feeling good at all...it left me feeling like I stared at a fatal car wreck too long.
What is more disturbing is that this is a true story.
Based on a 1975 documentary of the same name, Grey Gardens tells the story of the Beale's, relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The mother, Lange, pretty much castrates any freedom of daughter, Barrymore, because she knows how to prey on her fragile psyche. And she wants her daughter to dote upon her, and stay with her forever...because, she is so screwed up, she cannot fathom being alone, without someone waiting on her every whim.
This is not a loving story of mother and daughter.
The movie shows the documentary being filmed (in the extras they show excerpts and you can see how spot on the actresses were) but goes much further than the documentary in showing these two women. As the mansion falls to ruin around them, and they have no money, the become increasingly insular, until finally Jackie O. hears about it and helps restore the home. But she cannot restore a healthy ego to either of them, and the continue their terrible, crippling co-dependence.
Grey Gardens is a very good film...I can recognize that, and see the remarkable acting of the two leads. But it is not a movie that really left me feeling good at all...it left me feeling like I stared at a fatal car wreck too long.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Book- Beirut Blues
Hanan al-Shaykh, a native Lebanese writes a hugely evocative novel about her homeland. Beirut Blues is told through a series of letters written by the main character, Asmaran, a woman who has decided to stay in war-ravaged Beirut. The letters are not just to people, they are to the city, and the war also. And those that are to people, you must doubt that they are ever sent---the letters are just a way for Asmaran to tell her feelings about the calamity that surrounds her, as civil wars rage through the city.
And the novel is like the blues. So sad in many ways, a lament for something now gone, that you hope to find again, if you can just stick it out. It is the blues of love, but a love that is no longer valid, but you hope to find again. This is Beirut Blues.
Each letter seems to capture part of Asmaran's story of her life, and how she decided to stay in Lebanon. It is her reflection on those who left, and her confusion as the many sides of the civil war keep changing alliances, and of outside countries invading to try to ostensibly keep the peace, but in reality to make Lebanon dependent on them.
Al-Shaykh writes wonderfully, with her character confused, disoriented but strong too. Each chapter is the beginning of a new letter, but it tells a complete story. Her letter to the war itself is particularly poignant. Beirut Blues captures the soul of this woman, and perhaps the also the soul of the city and country it is an ode to.
And the novel is like the blues. So sad in many ways, a lament for something now gone, that you hope to find again, if you can just stick it out. It is the blues of love, but a love that is no longer valid, but you hope to find again. This is Beirut Blues.
Each letter seems to capture part of Asmaran's story of her life, and how she decided to stay in Lebanon. It is her reflection on those who left, and her confusion as the many sides of the civil war keep changing alliances, and of outside countries invading to try to ostensibly keep the peace, but in reality to make Lebanon dependent on them.
Al-Shaykh writes wonderfully, with her character confused, disoriented but strong too. Each chapter is the beginning of a new letter, but it tells a complete story. Her letter to the war itself is particularly poignant. Beirut Blues captures the soul of this woman, and perhaps the also the soul of the city and country it is an ode to.
Friday, November 6, 2009
2 Magazines
The October issue of Playboy was amusing in many ways. The interview with Woody Harrelson being just one of them. The article on the Kenny Stabler Raiders was actually fun...I know I am supposed to hate them, but it was a unique team. The Sex on Campus article and pictoral and the vampire-ish Bloddlust pictoral were all just fun.
In National Geographic it was more like awe, rather than fun, that the October issue provoked. The awe owed to the redwoods, shown in the article, The Tallest Trees, was almost heavenly. The images that went with the words were captivating. Then the article about Byrde's whales...the imagery blew me away! And the Sahara...what is more awe-inspiring than that...? But the thing that really blew me away, was the article about Indonesia, and facing fanatical groups preaching killing and hatred. The bravery of Nat Geo to confront issues like this, to present without dogma and cant, the issues of religous fantacism in a particular culture...that truly provokes awe. Because it is rare in this day and age, and it needs to be treasured.
In National Geographic it was more like awe, rather than fun, that the October issue provoked. The awe owed to the redwoods, shown in the article, The Tallest Trees, was almost heavenly. The images that went with the words were captivating. Then the article about Byrde's whales...the imagery blew me away! And the Sahara...what is more awe-inspiring than that...? But the thing that really blew me away, was the article about Indonesia, and facing fanatical groups preaching killing and hatred. The bravery of Nat Geo to confront issues like this, to present without dogma and cant, the issues of religous fantacism in a particular culture...that truly provokes awe. Because it is rare in this day and age, and it needs to be treasured.
Movie- Coraline
They call Coraline (2008) a movie for kids, but despite it being animated, and with a main character a kid, it is not a movie for kids.
It is scary, anti-establishment and sexual. And not that there is anything wrong with any or all of those things...it just is not a cute kid movie---and thank god for that. Because this is a really well done feature...an animated film not done all on computer, but mostly stop action animation. And the result, just visually, is fantastic.
Add to that the in-depth story of Coraline, a young girl who is not particularly cute or sweet. She is stubborn and resentful and petulant, among her other intriguing qualities. She is also in a new home that is more than creepy, and left alone a lot by too busy parents, who seem to think that she can raise herself.
But Coraline finds a portal to a different world...much like her own, but with a mother and father who pay attention to her, and spoil her a little...OK, a lot. But that world that seems so perfect...has a hidden dark side...VERY dark.
Coraline has very sexual parts too...with the neighbors, who in their younger days were at least burlesque girls, at most prostitutes. The scariness as the dark side of the other world and the themes of not obeying parents and authority all mark this as an excellent film, with complexity and layers. But it is not a kid's movie.
Coraline should be an animation classic, and I am surprised it was not nominated for an Oscar.
It is scary, anti-establishment and sexual. And not that there is anything wrong with any or all of those things...it just is not a cute kid movie---and thank god for that. Because this is a really well done feature...an animated film not done all on computer, but mostly stop action animation. And the result, just visually, is fantastic.
Add to that the in-depth story of Coraline, a young girl who is not particularly cute or sweet. She is stubborn and resentful and petulant, among her other intriguing qualities. She is also in a new home that is more than creepy, and left alone a lot by too busy parents, who seem to think that she can raise herself.
But Coraline finds a portal to a different world...much like her own, but with a mother and father who pay attention to her, and spoil her a little...OK, a lot. But that world that seems so perfect...has a hidden dark side...VERY dark.
Coraline has very sexual parts too...with the neighbors, who in their younger days were at least burlesque girls, at most prostitutes. The scariness as the dark side of the other world and the themes of not obeying parents and authority all mark this as an excellent film, with complexity and layers. But it is not a kid's movie.
Coraline should be an animation classic, and I am surprised it was not nominated for an Oscar.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Book- The Child Buyer
The Child Buyer was one of the few John Hersey books that I was not wildly enthusiastic about. Not that it was badly written, but the plot was odd, and I could not connect to the themes in the novel either. And while the style was unique, using a state senate hearing to tell the story, I thought the characters were charactatures, and the whole things together a bit...well, weird.
This state senate hearings take place because three senators are looking into an accusations that a man has come into one of their towns looking to buy a child. And they want to get to the bottom of it. The lead senator Senator Mansfield, and his counsel seem to only want to make a name for themselves by pursuing it this matter, while another senator (Senator Skypack) is an arch-conservative war hawk and the third, a senile, petty old man. Now these three are not full fledged characters...there is no dimension to them at all. And their witnesses, the people of the town, are as fully one-dimensional as the senators.
As the hearing unfold, we find out that the child buyer is working for a firm that has contracts with the defense department, and he wants this kid because they feel he is a genius. But the use they are going to put him to is so far off the grid, that it loses its impact.
Now Hersey may have been writing this to respond to something in the culture at the time. But it does not translate well at all to our time frame, unlike his previously read, The Conspiracy. It seems far-fetched and a bit ridiculous. Add that to his characters, and this was not my favorite book of Hersey's. Luckily, he is so good with words, that that aspect gave me some enjoyment.
This state senate hearings take place because three senators are looking into an accusations that a man has come into one of their towns looking to buy a child. And they want to get to the bottom of it. The lead senator Senator Mansfield, and his counsel seem to only want to make a name for themselves by pursuing it this matter, while another senator (Senator Skypack) is an arch-conservative war hawk and the third, a senile, petty old man. Now these three are not full fledged characters...there is no dimension to them at all. And their witnesses, the people of the town, are as fully one-dimensional as the senators.
As the hearing unfold, we find out that the child buyer is working for a firm that has contracts with the defense department, and he wants this kid because they feel he is a genius. But the use they are going to put him to is so far off the grid, that it loses its impact.
Now Hersey may have been writing this to respond to something in the culture at the time. But it does not translate well at all to our time frame, unlike his previously read, The Conspiracy. It seems far-fetched and a bit ridiculous. Add that to his characters, and this was not my favorite book of Hersey's. Luckily, he is so good with words, that that aspect gave me some enjoyment.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Movie- The Soloist
I should always be a bit wary when I think I may not like a movie Robert Downey Jr. is in...he somehow elevates any script he is given, and he certainly does that in the case of The Soloist (2008).
While the plot (a true story) may not be as deep or as moving as the film intends, Downey, as an LA Times columnist, and Jaime Foxx as mentally disturbed concert cellist Nathaniel Ayers, both play their roles perfectly. Downey plays Steve Lopez as a earnest, but somewhat shallow, columnist hotshot, who tries to help the street musician he hears one day, without really thinking about what help may mean to Ayers.
Ayers was an amazing cellist, studying at Julliard before mental illness overcame his ability to continue, not only at the school, but in "normal" life. Foxx is excellent, skirting the line between totally nutso, and sympathetic, troubled artist. And that is what Lopez has trouble discerning...that line, because he feels like if he just gives Ayers a cello and some stability, things will be fine. And he will be able to go on his merry way to another column.
But it is more complicated than that in dealing with mental illness...stability can be just as hard on someone like Ayers as instability.
What bogs this film down is the story itself. While intriguing and well acted- well made all-around- the story does not inspire particularly. I mean, I feel bad for Ayers, but I didn't feel that he was that much different from any other street person...they all have stories. And Lopez only helps Ayers, while ignoring the bigger, societal problems that let Ayers down in the first place. It is fine to help this man, but what about all the other people afflicted with mental illness and/or homeless. Ayers seems no more deserving than them.
The Soloist is not bad at all, but for me it does not have any bigger message or point.
While the plot (a true story) may not be as deep or as moving as the film intends, Downey, as an LA Times columnist, and Jaime Foxx as mentally disturbed concert cellist Nathaniel Ayers, both play their roles perfectly. Downey plays Steve Lopez as a earnest, but somewhat shallow, columnist hotshot, who tries to help the street musician he hears one day, without really thinking about what help may mean to Ayers.
Ayers was an amazing cellist, studying at Julliard before mental illness overcame his ability to continue, not only at the school, but in "normal" life. Foxx is excellent, skirting the line between totally nutso, and sympathetic, troubled artist. And that is what Lopez has trouble discerning...that line, because he feels like if he just gives Ayers a cello and some stability, things will be fine. And he will be able to go on his merry way to another column.
But it is more complicated than that in dealing with mental illness...stability can be just as hard on someone like Ayers as instability.
What bogs this film down is the story itself. While intriguing and well acted- well made all-around- the story does not inspire particularly. I mean, I feel bad for Ayers, but I didn't feel that he was that much different from any other street person...they all have stories. And Lopez only helps Ayers, while ignoring the bigger, societal problems that let Ayers down in the first place. It is fine to help this man, but what about all the other people afflicted with mental illness and/or homeless. Ayers seems no more deserving than them.
The Soloist is not bad at all, but for me it does not have any bigger message or point.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Movie-March of the Penguins
I will admit it...March of the Penguins (2004) was pretty good. I remember all the hype and discussion about it when it came out, making it sound like the best thing since Titanic. So I was wary as I prepared to watch it.
Like I said, it was pretty good...entertaining, with great visuals, educational, and amazing in many ways. However, I really got annoyed at the amount of anthropomorphising they did in the film. Attributing human emotions to the behavior of these creatures, is OK on a small scale, but they did it so epically in this film, that I wondered why it wasn't OK just to portray these animals as what they are: penguins, instead of making them strange little human beings.
I think in the past the idea that animals do not have any feelings or emotions has been overdone, many animals clearly have emotions and feelings, almost every dog owner in the world will attest to that...so I am not opposed to some of that...but this just took it to another level. And it became cloying and at one point, ridiculous.
Apart from that, I enjoyed the movie, and can see why it became popular.
Like I said, it was pretty good...entertaining, with great visuals, educational, and amazing in many ways. However, I really got annoyed at the amount of anthropomorphising they did in the film. Attributing human emotions to the behavior of these creatures, is OK on a small scale, but they did it so epically in this film, that I wondered why it wasn't OK just to portray these animals as what they are: penguins, instead of making them strange little human beings.
I think in the past the idea that animals do not have any feelings or emotions has been overdone, many animals clearly have emotions and feelings, almost every dog owner in the world will attest to that...so I am not opposed to some of that...but this just took it to another level. And it became cloying and at one point, ridiculous.
Apart from that, I enjoyed the movie, and can see why it became popular.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Book- Blood of Requited Love
Manuel Puig's book, Blood of Requited Love, was not one of my favorite books. The narrator (Josamar) offers a jumbled, untrustworthy monologue about his life, saying things happened one way, and then another, as he recounts his childhood and his current situation as a young man with totally shattered dreams.
He portrays himself as a remarkable boy and teenager, whose prowess at soccer and love know no bounds. But we are given clues first, then recanted accounts of parts of his narrative, and we see that his childhood was really as an abused, lonely and alienated child. And we realize as his brags about his love life, that this is all fantasy and than his current situation, very poor and unable to get ahead, is the reason he tries to imagine a better past.
But the confused narrative did not work well for me, and while I could sympathize with him to a certain extent for his current conditions, I also had a bit of antipathy towards him, finding him annoying and even silly, in a sleazy kind of way. His resentment of his father (and a cow) are overwrought (especially the cow) and ultimately so immature that my annoyance grew even more.
Josamar can find no foothold to fulfill the dreams that once seemed attainable. But those dreams were from a troubled adolescence, and that he still clings to them is troubling. I don't deny that Manuel Puig may have been trying to get these feelings evoked...but that does not make me enjoy the work any better.
He portrays himself as a remarkable boy and teenager, whose prowess at soccer and love know no bounds. But we are given clues first, then recanted accounts of parts of his narrative, and we see that his childhood was really as an abused, lonely and alienated child. And we realize as his brags about his love life, that this is all fantasy and than his current situation, very poor and unable to get ahead, is the reason he tries to imagine a better past.
But the confused narrative did not work well for me, and while I could sympathize with him to a certain extent for his current conditions, I also had a bit of antipathy towards him, finding him annoying and even silly, in a sleazy kind of way. His resentment of his father (and a cow) are overwrought (especially the cow) and ultimately so immature that my annoyance grew even more.
Josamar can find no foothold to fulfill the dreams that once seemed attainable. But those dreams were from a troubled adolescence, and that he still clings to them is troubling. I don't deny that Manuel Puig may have been trying to get these feelings evoked...but that does not make me enjoy the work any better.
Movie-Duplicity
Duplicity (2009) is the kind of spy movie where it is hard to keep track of the twists and turns, to the point of being unsure if it all makes sense. But you have a blast along the way, mainly because of the two stars, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. With Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson both in supporting roles, this cast is about as good as it can get.
Roberts and Owen have good chemistry together, both for love, and for spy vs spy antics. It takes awhile in the flick to know whether they are working together or against each other, and you wonder sometimes if even if their characters are sure of this. They are involved in corporate espionage, seemingly on opposite sides, Roberts working for Wilkinson's corporation and Owen working for Giamatti's.
The twists and turns remind me a bit of a modern age "The Sting," pitting allies in a dance of intrigue that seemingly puts them at odds with one another---but they are prepared for this---or are they? The ending was a surprise, but made me laugh.
Duplicity is fun, but I think there are a couple of twists they could have left out, just so we could ALMOST follow the plot. Roberts and Owens are REALLY good together, and I would like to see them paired in another movie in the future.
Roberts and Owen have good chemistry together, both for love, and for spy vs spy antics. It takes awhile in the flick to know whether they are working together or against each other, and you wonder sometimes if even if their characters are sure of this. They are involved in corporate espionage, seemingly on opposite sides, Roberts working for Wilkinson's corporation and Owen working for Giamatti's.
The twists and turns remind me a bit of a modern age "The Sting," pitting allies in a dance of intrigue that seemingly puts them at odds with one another---but they are prepared for this---or are they? The ending was a surprise, but made me laugh.
Duplicity is fun, but I think there are a couple of twists they could have left out, just so we could ALMOST follow the plot. Roberts and Owens are REALLY good together, and I would like to see them paired in another movie in the future.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Movie- Melinda and Melinda
Woody Allen goes through his ups and downs in movie making, with weemingly more down in recent years, so I honestly did not know what to expect in Melinda and Melinda
(2004).
The movie is set up at a dinner party, with a dramatist and comedic playright discussing whether comedy or tragedy tells a story better. And then they are challenged with an initial premise...and asked, is this better as a comedy or a drama...which medium can better effect a meaningful story out of this premise?
And so, we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guests a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is an old friend of the woman of the house. This story goes on a bit and then we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guest are a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is a neighbor from down the hall. One a drama, one a comedy.
These two stories continue side by side, one episode after another, similar in many respects, but very different in others. And I was caught up in both!
Will Ferrell, who lately has done really crappy stuff, is actually really good in this film. He captures Allen's spirit and sounds much like him, with some classic Allen throw away lines and observations.
All in all, I really enjoyed this movie. It is smart, with a great cast, including Amanda Peet, Josh Brolin and starring Radha Mitchell as Melinda in both the drama and the comedy.
(2004).
The movie is set up at a dinner party, with a dramatist and comedic playright discussing whether comedy or tragedy tells a story better. And then they are challenged with an initial premise...and asked, is this better as a comedy or a drama...which medium can better effect a meaningful story out of this premise?
And so, we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guests a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is an old friend of the woman of the house. This story goes on a bit and then we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guest are a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is a neighbor from down the hall. One a drama, one a comedy.
These two stories continue side by side, one episode after another, similar in many respects, but very different in others. And I was caught up in both!
Will Ferrell, who lately has done really crappy stuff, is actually really good in this film. He captures Allen's spirit and sounds much like him, with some classic Allen throw away lines and observations.
All in all, I really enjoyed this movie. It is smart, with a great cast, including Amanda Peet, Josh Brolin and starring Radha Mitchell as Melinda in both the drama and the comedy.
Book- Minaret
I will admit a prejudice I found in myself after reading Minaret, by Leila Aboulela---I am not big on books where the characters find happiness through religious conversion...whether that is Christian or Muslim, I have a hard time with that.
But despite that being a theme in Minaret, there is much that I also liked. The story of a girl who grew up in wealth, and was in a family of political power in Sudan, and is then without means as she has to emigrate to London, is fascinating and has such a ring of authenticity, that it overcame my disdain for the religious aspects of the plot.
Najwa's father was high up in the the cabinet of the president of Sudan, but a coup left him in jail, and later executed, as the family fled to their summer home in London. And suddenly, all the wealth disappeared, and Najwa, her brother and mother have to find a way to cope and live in a place where they do not feel at home. Najwa's brother gets involved in drugs, ending up in jail, and Najwa herself tries to fit in, but ultimately turns to religion.
The novel is told in alternation, with present time taking turns with flashbacks to explain how she got from there to here, and it is mainly an effective way of telling this story. Even her search for meaning at the Mosque is OK, just her ultimate decision on relying on religion, I found grating. That part felt like a religious tract.
Minaret was a good book, but had Najwa simply found a path of her own, I would had enjoyed it better.
But despite that being a theme in Minaret, there is much that I also liked. The story of a girl who grew up in wealth, and was in a family of political power in Sudan, and is then without means as she has to emigrate to London, is fascinating and has such a ring of authenticity, that it overcame my disdain for the religious aspects of the plot.
Najwa's father was high up in the the cabinet of the president of Sudan, but a coup left him in jail, and later executed, as the family fled to their summer home in London. And suddenly, all the wealth disappeared, and Najwa, her brother and mother have to find a way to cope and live in a place where they do not feel at home. Najwa's brother gets involved in drugs, ending up in jail, and Najwa herself tries to fit in, but ultimately turns to religion.
The novel is told in alternation, with present time taking turns with flashbacks to explain how she got from there to here, and it is mainly an effective way of telling this story. Even her search for meaning at the Mosque is OK, just her ultimate decision on relying on religion, I found grating. That part felt like a religious tract.
Minaret was a good book, but had Najwa simply found a path of her own, I would had enjoyed it better.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Movie-Turtles Can Fly
It has been said war is hell, usually by the participants. But it can be hell too, for those living in the midst of war.
In Turtles Can Fly (2005) we are witness to a Kurdish town in Iraq as the American forces are about to cross the border to invade the country. These people are caught in the middle--on one side Saddam Hussein is afraid of them, and so cuts off all communication outlets in the area. He is afraid they will help the U.S. forces. On the other side is the U.S. forces who will come driving through this town, and may treat them as the enemy.
But war is not new to these people, with land mine fields all around the town, there are many children with blown off body parts. These people are not actors, but real kids who encountered these mines.
The movie focuses on a young man, a boy really, nicknamed satellite. He has a knack for getting satellite dishes working, and what the people here want most of all is information. When are the tanks coming, from where, and how many. Satellite is the leader of the seemingly orphaned children...and he tries to keep them safe, and let them earn some money from his business.
Despite the harsh aspects of the film, it is also heartwarming in many ways, as Satellite faces a rival for the kid's allegiance, as he tries to find love. It is also tragic, very much fitting the idea that war is hell. For these people, caught between two forces, it seems like it will get worse before it gets better.
In Turtles Can Fly (2005) we are witness to a Kurdish town in Iraq as the American forces are about to cross the border to invade the country. These people are caught in the middle--on one side Saddam Hussein is afraid of them, and so cuts off all communication outlets in the area. He is afraid they will help the U.S. forces. On the other side is the U.S. forces who will come driving through this town, and may treat them as the enemy.
But war is not new to these people, with land mine fields all around the town, there are many children with blown off body parts. These people are not actors, but real kids who encountered these mines.
The movie focuses on a young man, a boy really, nicknamed satellite. He has a knack for getting satellite dishes working, and what the people here want most of all is information. When are the tanks coming, from where, and how many. Satellite is the leader of the seemingly orphaned children...and he tries to keep them safe, and let them earn some money from his business.
Despite the harsh aspects of the film, it is also heartwarming in many ways, as Satellite faces a rival for the kid's allegiance, as he tries to find love. It is also tragic, very much fitting the idea that war is hell. For these people, caught between two forces, it seems like it will get worse before it gets better.
Monday, October 5, 2009
TV Season- Some Thoughts
Modern Family is a winner! LOL funny!
Cougar Town...second episode was funnier than the first and overall much better. The tequila shot thing...so classic...many of us have been there!
Heroes is rebounding some. Still skeptical, but not too bad so far.
Still not sure about Eastwick, but it is enough to keep me watching.
Community is pretty funny. 2nd episode lost a bit, but the 3rd redeemed it. It is now on my watch list.
Cougar Town...second episode was funnier than the first and overall much better. The tequila shot thing...so classic...many of us have been there!
Heroes is rebounding some. Still skeptical, but not too bad so far.
Still not sure about Eastwick, but it is enough to keep me watching.
Community is pretty funny. 2nd episode lost a bit, but the 3rd redeemed it. It is now on my watch list.
TV Season-First Returning Show Dropped
Buh-bye Dollhouse. As much as I like Eliza Dushku, and think she is smoking...I can't watch this anymore. Joss Whedon usually does such good work, but this show has become...boring and lackluster. It seems to try to find a way to fix itself, but the first episodes of this season have been really bad.
And it is not the fault of Eliza...I think her character is fine. It is EVERYTHING else that is so bad. I wish they could just start over. Good premise, good lead...let's try again.
Aw well...goodbye Eliza!
And it is not the fault of Eliza...I think her character is fine. It is EVERYTHING else that is so bad. I wish they could just start over. Good premise, good lead...let's try again.
Aw well...goodbye Eliza!
TV Season- Series Premier-Hank
OK, I am really big fan of Kelsey Grammar, but his new show, Hank is definately lacking. He plays a big exec of a self-made sporting goods store empire, who gets dumped by his board of directors, and has to downsize his lavish lifestyle.
Part of that is moving back home to his small town roots, with his wife and two kids.
Kelsey provides his usual bravado and bluster, but he needs to even tone that a little. We need to have a reason to like these people, and pure bluster does not do it.
The writing is so-so, and I do not like the supporting characters much either. I will give it three episdoes, but I don't think I will be sticking with this one.
Part of that is moving back home to his small town roots, with his wife and two kids.
Kelsey provides his usual bravado and bluster, but he needs to even tone that a little. We need to have a reason to like these people, and pure bluster does not do it.
The writing is so-so, and I do not like the supporting characters much either. I will give it three episdoes, but I don't think I will be sticking with this one.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
TV Season- Series Premier-Medium
Well, Allison DuBois was in a coma, and then NBC cancelled the show Medium. But, CBS picked the show up within a few seconds, and Allison recovered from her coma, so Medium is now on CBS, Friday nights.
I still have an affection for this show, though I honestly don't know how much longer it can keep chugging on. I think the family aspects of the show are as good, if not better, than the crime procedural aspects. As I have said before, Joe and Allison have the most real TV marriage of any show I have seen. They get irritated with each other, and have little spats. But they get over it, and come together always.
This show is not the "best" anything. But its components, all good, come together and form a very likable show. And this season, for Halloween, they are inserting Allison in the original Dawn of the Dead movie! Excellent! Zombies!
I still have an affection for this show, though I honestly don't know how much longer it can keep chugging on. I think the family aspects of the show are as good, if not better, than the crime procedural aspects. As I have said before, Joe and Allison have the most real TV marriage of any show I have seen. They get irritated with each other, and have little spats. But they get over it, and come together always.
This show is not the "best" anything. But its components, all good, come together and form a very likable show. And this season, for Halloween, they are inserting Allison in the original Dawn of the Dead movie! Excellent! Zombies!
TV Season- Series Premier- Dollhouse
Dollhouse is one of those shows I am constantly "about" to stop watching, but then comes a couple of pretty good episodes that has me hoping it has turned the corner. One of the problems is I REALLY like the star Eliza Dushku, and her role. The rest of the show lacks some luster.
The season premier did not make me want to keep tuning in. It again just lacked a focus. Like the series, it seemed to want to try something to make the show better, and just kept throwing stuff in there, hoping for something to stick.
I will give it some episodes to try, but it is barely on my watch list, and may be the first returning series to be cut.
The season premier did not make me want to keep tuning in. It again just lacked a focus. Like the series, it seemed to want to try something to make the show better, and just kept throwing stuff in there, hoping for something to stick.
I will give it some episodes to try, but it is barely on my watch list, and may be the first returning series to be cut.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
TV Season- First Show Dropped
After three episodes of The Vampire Diaries, I am done with it. I know vamps are the craze right now, and I am not saying the show is bad. I am simply not in the demographic to enjoy it I think.
Brooding angst-filled teenagers, all totally hot, writing in their diaries and worrying about the cheerleading squad does not do it for me, fangs or no fangs.
I think it may do well as a show, but I will not be watching it.
Brooding angst-filled teenagers, all totally hot, writing in their diaries and worrying about the cheerleading squad does not do it for me, fangs or no fangs.
I think it may do well as a show, but I will not be watching it.
TV Season- Series Premier- Eastwick
There have been some critics who did not like Eastwick very much, but I thought it was decent. Based on John Updike's novel, and the movie, Witches of Eastwick, the premise is the same. Three women from the small New England town of Eastwick are witches...they just don't know it yet. But they start finding out as a dark, mysterious man comes to town...could it be the prince of darkness, the lord of lies, the crown prince of hell...hmmmm, perhaps...SATAN!
OK, that was my church lady gag. My one and only.
The stars of the show of all nice to look at and easy to like. Roxie, the earthy, artsy chick played by Rebecca Romijn; Joanna the uptight reporter played by Lindsay Price and; Kat the mom, played by Jaime Ray Newman. All three have a different power that is just waiting to be unleashed by the devil.
While I am not saying the show is great, it was fun to watch. I can see why some may not like it, but to me, it was lighthearted enough to be fun, and yet has some intrigue and darkness behind it too. My big concern is that the series may have a hard time sustaining itself, it does not seem like a premise that lends itself well to sustainability.
But as of now, I enjoyed the premier and will be back to watch more.
OK, that was my church lady gag. My one and only.
The stars of the show of all nice to look at and easy to like. Roxie, the earthy, artsy chick played by Rebecca Romijn; Joanna the uptight reporter played by Lindsay Price and; Kat the mom, played by Jaime Ray Newman. All three have a different power that is just waiting to be unleashed by the devil.
While I am not saying the show is great, it was fun to watch. I can see why some may not like it, but to me, it was lighthearted enough to be fun, and yet has some intrigue and darkness behind it too. My big concern is that the series may have a hard time sustaining itself, it does not seem like a premise that lends itself well to sustainability.
But as of now, I enjoyed the premier and will be back to watch more.
TV- The Emmy Awards
I have been a bit remiss in not discussing last weeks Emmy Awards Show. What can I say? It was a MUCH better show than the previous many years. Some of that was due to Doogie Howser, Neil Patrick Harris, who was an excellent host. He kept the show moving, did a great song and dance number, a funny skit and was funny withouot being smarmy or snarky.
The format, of grouping the awards into genres was also good. It menat when I watched on DVR I could fast forward through the complete reality show section and be happy. Also, Sarah McLaughlin singing one of her death songs during the in memorium section was excellent too, not a dry eye in the house!
Actors and actresses all looked great. And it only ran 2-3 minutes over! A minor miracle.
Let's keep the Emmy show goign strong like this. Bring back Doogie next year!
The format, of grouping the awards into genres was also good. It menat when I watched on DVR I could fast forward through the complete reality show section and be happy. Also, Sarah McLaughlin singing one of her death songs during the in memorium section was excellent too, not a dry eye in the house!
Actors and actresses all looked great. And it only ran 2-3 minutes over! A minor miracle.
Let's keep the Emmy show goign strong like this. Bring back Doogie next year!
Friday, September 25, 2009
TV Season- Series Premier- Cougar Town
Another ABC comedy, Cougar Town, was one I was looking forward to also. And it was OK. While not nearly as fully realized, or as funny as Modern Family, it still could get better, there is a lot of potential.
Starring the amazingly good looking 45-year-old Courtney Cox, playing a 40 year old newly divorced mother, Jules Cobb. But she is having a tough time, feeling lonely and older, even with her thriving real estate business. So, she decides to get in the game, and at the urging of a younger friend, goes on the prowl, as only a cougar can do.
The show is a little over the top, with Cox sometimes being too loud and hysterical. But the show has some nice comedic moments, and Cox is easy on the eyes, and easy to like. Travis Cobb is quite likable also, as Jules' 17-year-old son, embarrassed by his mom. I really liked his work in Aliens in America a couple of seasons ago.
If Cox can modulate her character just a bit, this show has a real chance to be funny long term. As it is, I will be tuning in for awhile...again, she is easy on the eyes, and has a lot of scenes showing off her body...And isn't that what TV is really all about?
Starring the amazingly good looking 45-year-old Courtney Cox, playing a 40 year old newly divorced mother, Jules Cobb. But she is having a tough time, feeling lonely and older, even with her thriving real estate business. So, she decides to get in the game, and at the urging of a younger friend, goes on the prowl, as only a cougar can do.
The show is a little over the top, with Cox sometimes being too loud and hysterical. But the show has some nice comedic moments, and Cox is easy on the eyes, and easy to like. Travis Cobb is quite likable also, as Jules' 17-year-old son, embarrassed by his mom. I really liked his work in Aliens in America a couple of seasons ago.
If Cox can modulate her character just a bit, this show has a real chance to be funny long term. As it is, I will be tuning in for awhile...again, she is easy on the eyes, and has a lot of scenes showing off her body...And isn't that what TV is really all about?
TV Season- Series Premier- Modern Family
Modern Family premiered Wednesday. Critics have given this new comedy very good reviews, and I was looking forward to it. I am happy to say the critics are right this time. It is one of the funniest new shows I have seen for quite awhile, and I am frequently disappointed with comedy.
Ed O'Neil of Ed Bundy fame, stars as the older man married to a hot younger woman (who has a son from another marriage that she completely coddles). We have yet to find out what has happened to his first wife. He also has two of his own kids, both with their own families.
First is Julie Bowen (who could easily slip her way onto my top 5 list) as Claire. She is married to a man who thinks he is a "cool dad" but is really just ineffective. Some of his scenes were painfully funny. She is a bit...um...controlling with her kids, as she remembers what she was like as an out of control teenager.
Then there is her brother, Mitchell. He is gay, and has just adopted a Vietnamese baby with his partner Cameron. Some of the funniest scenes, laugh out loud funny, were with these two. The scene in the jet was frickin' hilarious, as was the scene when they got home and Mitchell tried to give the baby to Cameron for cuddling.
This is really an ensemble show, with the whole cast getting plenty of screen time. The humor is sometimes subtle and sometimes over the top funny, but there is also an underlying warmth in it.
I hope the show can keep its momentum, as it could become one of the funniest shows on TV.
Ed O'Neil of Ed Bundy fame, stars as the older man married to a hot younger woman (who has a son from another marriage that she completely coddles). We have yet to find out what has happened to his first wife. He also has two of his own kids, both with their own families.
First is Julie Bowen (who could easily slip her way onto my top 5 list) as Claire. She is married to a man who thinks he is a "cool dad" but is really just ineffective. Some of his scenes were painfully funny. She is a bit...um...controlling with her kids, as she remembers what she was like as an out of control teenager.
Then there is her brother, Mitchell. He is gay, and has just adopted a Vietnamese baby with his partner Cameron. Some of the funniest scenes, laugh out loud funny, were with these two. The scene in the jet was frickin' hilarious, as was the scene when they got home and Mitchell tried to give the baby to Cameron for cuddling.
This is really an ensemble show, with the whole cast getting plenty of screen time. The humor is sometimes subtle and sometimes over the top funny, but there is also an underlying warmth in it.
I hope the show can keep its momentum, as it could become one of the funniest shows on TV.
TV Season- Season Premier
Heroes debuted Monday night. This once hugely popular show, that went badly off-track, keeps promising to restore the confidence of the viewers. I am not convinced of that. And the series premier, while it held some promise, also had to keep the story from last year's terrible season finale.
The premise that Sylar was turned into the dead Nathan via Matt Parkman was not inventive, was not surprising, did not make for good drama, and will lead the series into another mess. And they are holding onto it. And to keep Hiro blinking through time(didn't they get the message when fans started abandoning them in season 2 as Hiro was in feudal Japan) away from everyone else is dumb. Hiro is a character that should be with the other heroes, not flinging solo through time.
I did like the Claire story line, and the Noah/Nicki (or whoever the hell she is now) story was good too. And the circus is intriguing...but you can sense that it could badly awry.
I keep giving Heroes a chance, as do others. But unless it really comes through, this will be the last season I think.
The premise that Sylar was turned into the dead Nathan via Matt Parkman was not inventive, was not surprising, did not make for good drama, and will lead the series into another mess. And they are holding onto it. And to keep Hiro blinking through time(didn't they get the message when fans started abandoning them in season 2 as Hiro was in feudal Japan) away from everyone else is dumb. Hiro is a character that should be with the other heroes, not flinging solo through time.
I did like the Claire story line, and the Noah/Nicki (or whoever the hell she is now) story was good too. And the circus is intriguing...but you can sense that it could badly awry.
I keep giving Heroes a chance, as do others. But unless it really comes through, this will be the last season I think.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
TV- Season Premier- Two and a Half Men
The season premier of Two and a Half Men was fairly typical of the series. Ribald jokes and sexual situations abound, along with drinking and lots of T&A.
But, that is why I enjoy the show and watch it, so why mess with a good thing! LOL! Allan continues with his relationship with his former receptionist, and Charley must choose between his fiancee and ex-fiancee (both hot). Meanwhile Jake is growing up fast and Berta is her usual wise-ass self.
Altogether a fine episode...not too groundbreaking...but why break what ain't broken?
But, that is why I enjoy the show and watch it, so why mess with a good thing! LOL! Allan continues with his relationship with his former receptionist, and Charley must choose between his fiancee and ex-fiancee (both hot). Meanwhile Jake is growing up fast and Berta is her usual wise-ass self.
Altogether a fine episode...not too groundbreaking...but why break what ain't broken?
Book- Half of Man is Woman
Half of Man is Woman by Zhang Xiannliang was a bit of a disappointment for me. It was similar in many ways to the recently read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, in that it describes the life of a Communist political prisoner. Except this prison is in China rather than Russia.
Similarities do not end merely at subject matter. Both writers were themselves political prisoners, so the books are authentic in theme. Both writers express similar feelings of how to survive these years in the system, and how they feel dehumanized in those conditions.
But whereas Ivan Denisovich compelled me to feel sympathetic for the character, Half of Man did not. In fact I found myself getting annoyed with the main character, as he had chances to make life better for himself and chose not to. Now I am all for upholding a moral code, but there is compromise that you can live with, that upholds moral ground and yet allows life.
What is missing in the main character is the realization that the best revenge is survival. Without that, any protest, any non-compromising attitude doesn't matter. You are dead. And dead can protest not at all.
Zhang Yonglin has a chance to have a happy married life, and he refuses to keep it because it does not allow him to express himself in writing for fear that it may come back and harm his wife. While a noble sentiment, he takes it even further and starts hurting his wife himself, so she will want to divorce. He wants to be free to criticize the government, and take their punishment, up to and including death. So instead of making some kind of peace, even as he can see a better government possibly coming up, he hurts his happiness and his wife's.
Part of my disappointment may have to do with my own faults as a reader. I may not quite be at ease with some of the Eastern philosophy that may color attitudes of the characters in this book, and I have less of an understanding of historical/political events that are discussed than I might have.
But while I found the story of trying to survive this dehumanizing system good, I found the internal struggle underwhelming.
Similarities do not end merely at subject matter. Both writers were themselves political prisoners, so the books are authentic in theme. Both writers express similar feelings of how to survive these years in the system, and how they feel dehumanized in those conditions.
But whereas Ivan Denisovich compelled me to feel sympathetic for the character, Half of Man did not. In fact I found myself getting annoyed with the main character, as he had chances to make life better for himself and chose not to. Now I am all for upholding a moral code, but there is compromise that you can live with, that upholds moral ground and yet allows life.
What is missing in the main character is the realization that the best revenge is survival. Without that, any protest, any non-compromising attitude doesn't matter. You are dead. And dead can protest not at all.
Zhang Yonglin has a chance to have a happy married life, and he refuses to keep it because it does not allow him to express himself in writing for fear that it may come back and harm his wife. While a noble sentiment, he takes it even further and starts hurting his wife himself, so she will want to divorce. He wants to be free to criticize the government, and take their punishment, up to and including death. So instead of making some kind of peace, even as he can see a better government possibly coming up, he hurts his happiness and his wife's.
Part of my disappointment may have to do with my own faults as a reader. I may not quite be at ease with some of the Eastern philosophy that may color attitudes of the characters in this book, and I have less of an understanding of historical/political events that are discussed than I might have.
But while I found the story of trying to survive this dehumanizing system good, I found the internal struggle underwhelming.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Movie- Coach Carter
Coach Carter (2005) is a true story about a man who starts running a High School basketball team in a downtrodden school in Richmond, CA. It has a lot of the expected scenes of many of this genre of sports movie. The kids rebel, then come to respect, this guru. Some discipline problems ensue, but the team gets past it. Yes, somewhat derivative.
But most of those sports movies do not have Samuel L. Jackson playing the coach. This actor can bring so much power and authenticity to a character, that is makes the movie. That is the case in Coach Carter.
When this Carter speaks...it with with the voice of certainty...certainty of what the character stands for, and the certainty of this actor to pull it off. Jackson is why this movie works.
That is not to say that the story itself does not have good points, it does, and the cast of the basketball players do well in their roles. But it is clear that Jackson rules each scene he is in.
In any event, no matter why, this sports movie works. Coach Carter's insistence that these boys perform academically as well as on the court is a strong message in a society that gives up on too many. This is certainly a movie that entertains and gives a message.
But most of those sports movies do not have Samuel L. Jackson playing the coach. This actor can bring so much power and authenticity to a character, that is makes the movie. That is the case in Coach Carter.
When this Carter speaks...it with with the voice of certainty...certainty of what the character stands for, and the certainty of this actor to pull it off. Jackson is why this movie works.
That is not to say that the story itself does not have good points, it does, and the cast of the basketball players do well in their roles. But it is clear that Jackson rules each scene he is in.
In any event, no matter why, this sports movie works. Coach Carter's insistence that these boys perform academically as well as on the court is a strong message in a society that gives up on too many. This is certainly a movie that entertains and gives a message.
TV- Season Premier-Fringe
Fringe ended last season with a blast, after starting a bit unfocused. The last 6-8 episodes were fun and creepy, and this season is starting off with the intrigue carrying over in a big way.
Fringe is about an FBI unit assigned to investigate strange paranormal phenomena (I know, shades of X-Files). But these phenomena are not separate incidents, they have a larger pattern. Anna Torv stars as Olivia Dunham, and she is getting better and better in her role. With Joshua Jackson and the excellent John Noble as the crazy scientist Walter Bishop, the cast is great.
The show offers great subplots but keeps each episode going on its own too.
I am looking forward to the mysteries of the other dimension revealed in the season end, and also to more Leonard Nimoy as William Bell.
Fringe looks like it will be even better this season.
Fringe is about an FBI unit assigned to investigate strange paranormal phenomena (I know, shades of X-Files). But these phenomena are not separate incidents, they have a larger pattern. Anna Torv stars as Olivia Dunham, and she is getting better and better in her role. With Joshua Jackson and the excellent John Noble as the crazy scientist Walter Bishop, the cast is great.
The show offers great subplots but keeps each episode going on its own too.
I am looking forward to the mysteries of the other dimension revealed in the season end, and also to more Leonard Nimoy as William Bell.
Fringe looks like it will be even better this season.
TV- Season Premier- Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation had a problem last season, in that they painted themselves in a hole...you see, it was all about the hole---the pit that Amy Poehler's delusional Leslie Knope is trying to fill in.
But it is off to fresh start this season, and Leslie, ineffectual public servant that she is, is trying to promote the local Pawnee Zoo. And the publicity stunts that she does...well, a little too close to home, which makes all the funnier to me!
From a birthday for a macaw, to a wedding for two new penguins. And there is the problem for Leslie. She does not realize the penguins are gay! And the local right-wing community wants her resignation for condoning and taking a stand on same-sex marriage. Which again, feels REALLY familiar to me! LOL!
The good thing is that Parks and Rec is opening up for many other situations, besides the Pit. And kudos to the writers for getting out of the corner they painted themselves into. It was a really funny episode, especially as the gay community embraced Leslie, perhaps the first time in her life she had been a hero to anyone.
I hope Parks and Rec can hold up to the premier. It has the potential to go south really fast. But if they keep to this standard, they will be gold.
But it is off to fresh start this season, and Leslie, ineffectual public servant that she is, is trying to promote the local Pawnee Zoo. And the publicity stunts that she does...well, a little too close to home, which makes all the funnier to me!
From a birthday for a macaw, to a wedding for two new penguins. And there is the problem for Leslie. She does not realize the penguins are gay! And the local right-wing community wants her resignation for condoning and taking a stand on same-sex marriage. Which again, feels REALLY familiar to me! LOL!
The good thing is that Parks and Rec is opening up for many other situations, besides the Pit. And kudos to the writers for getting out of the corner they painted themselves into. It was a really funny episode, especially as the gay community embraced Leslie, perhaps the first time in her life she had been a hero to anyone.
I hope Parks and Rec can hold up to the premier. It has the potential to go south really fast. But if they keep to this standard, they will be gold.
TV- Series Premier-Community
Many times sitcoms leave me very disappointed. With boring premises, and unlaughable lines, many recent sitcoms have sounded what some have called the death of sitcoms.
Now that is an exaggeration, surely (and don't call me Shirley), we just seem to have lost the creativeness of comedies to other genres. But this season there are several that look promising. And the first one to appear is Community.
And I laughed! I know, amazing isn't it? Community is about a snarky lawyer (The Soups Joel McHale), who faked his credentials and was caught by the bar association. Now he has to go back to a community college and earn his academic credits. A good line from the show is about this. A former client (and now big wig in the community college) says, "I thought you got your degree from Columbia?" The answer, "Yeah, well, now I have to get it from the United States."
At the school, he tries to hit on a hottie by forming a Spanish study group, fully intending it to be just him and her. But all sorts of other characters join, and we have great scenes in the library as this new group interacts.
McHale is great as is the rest of the cast, including Chevy Chase who is not quite into the PC posture of today. He asks, "How can I be sexually harassing you if you turn me on so much." No one does deadpan like Chevy.
This show is very open-ended, it can build so many ways, and touch on so many things that I think its potential for comedic situations is vast. Sure, there are things that can go wrong, especially with such a large cast. But the premier was very funny, even with having to introduce us to the concept and to the cast. It held together really well.
I hope it continues in that strong vein. I could use more laughter on TV.
Now that is an exaggeration, surely (and don't call me Shirley), we just seem to have lost the creativeness of comedies to other genres. But this season there are several that look promising. And the first one to appear is Community.
And I laughed! I know, amazing isn't it? Community is about a snarky lawyer (The Soups Joel McHale), who faked his credentials and was caught by the bar association. Now he has to go back to a community college and earn his academic credits. A good line from the show is about this. A former client (and now big wig in the community college) says, "I thought you got your degree from Columbia?" The answer, "Yeah, well, now I have to get it from the United States."
At the school, he tries to hit on a hottie by forming a Spanish study group, fully intending it to be just him and her. But all sorts of other characters join, and we have great scenes in the library as this new group interacts.
McHale is great as is the rest of the cast, including Chevy Chase who is not quite into the PC posture of today. He asks, "How can I be sexually harassing you if you turn me on so much." No one does deadpan like Chevy.
This show is very open-ended, it can build so many ways, and touch on so many things that I think its potential for comedic situations is vast. Sure, there are things that can go wrong, especially with such a large cast. But the premier was very funny, even with having to introduce us to the concept and to the cast. It held together really well.
I hope it continues in that strong vein. I could use more laughter on TV.
TV- Season Premier- The Office
As far as season premiers go...this one was pretty good for The Office. The did not try to make it an hour long, which makes for terrible episodes of this sitcom. They did not try to overdo it with really way out there situations.
What they did right was take a normal office phenom...gossip... and Michael Scott it. That is when The Office works the best. With other sub-plots, Jim and Pam's secret pregnancy, Stanley's affair, the gossip that Michael takes to new levels of absurdity, is funny (Dwight upset that Michael suggested that he uses commercial fertilizer) and hurtful...much like office gossip can be.
The Office can miss badly every few episodes, but this season premiere was really funny, and I do look forward to the Jim and Pam saga.
What they did right was take a normal office phenom...gossip... and Michael Scott it. That is when The Office works the best. With other sub-plots, Jim and Pam's secret pregnancy, Stanley's affair, the gossip that Michael takes to new levels of absurdity, is funny (Dwight upset that Michael suggested that he uses commercial fertilizer) and hurtful...much like office gossip can be.
The Office can miss badly every few episodes, but this season premiere was really funny, and I do look forward to the Jim and Pam saga.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Movie- Sunshine Cleaning
Sunshine Cleaning (2008) is not quite as funny as I was expecting...but it is a lot warmer and touching.
Starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt as sisters who both find they need more money, they open a cleaning agency that specializes in cleaning up death and crime scenes. Now this is a real thing...I read an article in Playboy about this a couple of years ago, and they make a load of money...of course there is the downside...some of the scenes they come across are grisly and gruesome.
But the sisters have little experience and take care of the dirty places much as they would a regular house cleaning...they even dump a mattress that had a decomposing body on it in a dumpster, in one of the funniest scenes of the movie.
But it is the touching parts that make this movie run. In one scene where they go to take care of a suicide scene of an old man, they meet his widow on the front porch. The scene with Amy Adams and the old lady is one of that may go down in movie archives...as filled with the human spirit, the sadness and the way one person can help another for a few moments in time. I call that scene a classic already.
Amy Adams is wonderful, as she tries positive affirmations to get her through her days of loneliness. She has an on-going affair with a married man to try to fill that void, but it ultimately also plays out. Adams has a way of showing inner revelations on her face and with body language without saying a word.
Blunt is not quite Adams equal here, but she does a really nice job as the screw up sister, who just can't seem to find her place, her niche. Her loneliness projects also.
Nice supporting roles for Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn and Clifton Collins Jr. (who really reminds me of a co-worker, Sam in security, that it was scary).
The movie was not perfect, it overplayed some things and underplayed others. But what it got right it got SO right, that I could not hold any of those things against it. It was a pretty darn good film.
Starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt as sisters who both find they need more money, they open a cleaning agency that specializes in cleaning up death and crime scenes. Now this is a real thing...I read an article in Playboy about this a couple of years ago, and they make a load of money...of course there is the downside...some of the scenes they come across are grisly and gruesome.
But the sisters have little experience and take care of the dirty places much as they would a regular house cleaning...they even dump a mattress that had a decomposing body on it in a dumpster, in one of the funniest scenes of the movie.
But it is the touching parts that make this movie run. In one scene where they go to take care of a suicide scene of an old man, they meet his widow on the front porch. The scene with Amy Adams and the old lady is one of that may go down in movie archives...as filled with the human spirit, the sadness and the way one person can help another for a few moments in time. I call that scene a classic already.
Amy Adams is wonderful, as she tries positive affirmations to get her through her days of loneliness. She has an on-going affair with a married man to try to fill that void, but it ultimately also plays out. Adams has a way of showing inner revelations on her face and with body language without saying a word.
Blunt is not quite Adams equal here, but she does a really nice job as the screw up sister, who just can't seem to find her place, her niche. Her loneliness projects also.
Nice supporting roles for Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn and Clifton Collins Jr. (who really reminds me of a co-worker, Sam in security, that it was scary).
The movie was not perfect, it overplayed some things and underplayed others. But what it got right it got SO right, that I could not hold any of those things against it. It was a pretty darn good film.
TV- Series Premier- The Vampire Diaries
Now let me say up front here...I have not seen True Blood yet. It is in my queue, and I will see it sooner rather than later. So I don't come to The Vampire Diaries with any comparison between the two shows.
The Vampire Diaries is OK. It is VERY CW...meaning hot, young things, full of hormonal angst, sharing their deepest feelings...but a couple of them have fangs.
Hot (at least that is what CW hopes everyone will see) vampire Stefan returns to his smallish hometown, where he grew up...oh...a couple of centuries ago, and re-enrolls in high school. And he sees Elena, who has a UN-canny resemblance to Catherine, his true love from last century. Stefan only feeds on rabbit blood though, he is a good vamp. His brother Damon isn't. Again, hot stud muffin. But he feeds on humans. Stephan and Elena start getting hots for each other, Damon complicates things.
These are really pretty people...no doubt about that. And the show isn't bad, but it is a bit angsty for my taste. I'll give it a few episodes, to see how it plays out. I have seen 2 so far. And while it has a nice supporting cast, it is just not quite creepy enough for a vamp show...not enough visceral danger present.
The jury is still out for me on The Vampire Diaries.
The Vampire Diaries is OK. It is VERY CW...meaning hot, young things, full of hormonal angst, sharing their deepest feelings...but a couple of them have fangs.
Hot (at least that is what CW hopes everyone will see) vampire Stefan returns to his smallish hometown, where he grew up...oh...a couple of centuries ago, and re-enrolls in high school. And he sees Elena, who has a UN-canny resemblance to Catherine, his true love from last century. Stefan only feeds on rabbit blood though, he is a good vamp. His brother Damon isn't. Again, hot stud muffin. But he feeds on humans. Stephan and Elena start getting hots for each other, Damon complicates things.
These are really pretty people...no doubt about that. And the show isn't bad, but it is a bit angsty for my taste. I'll give it a few episodes, to see how it plays out. I have seen 2 so far. And while it has a nice supporting cast, it is just not quite creepy enough for a vamp show...not enough visceral danger present.
The jury is still out for me on The Vampire Diaries.
Book- Under the Eye of the Storm
Under the Eye of the Storm is another impressive book by John Hersey. He never writes the same thing, and rarely in the same style, but he always writes with purpose. While not always stylish, it is careful, precise writing...I have a feeling he chooses each word and each sentence with care, and then builds a whole paragraph with intent.
Under the Eye of the Storm is a a psychological story, about two couples in a sailboat, intending to spend a short vacation together on the water, cruising the New England Atlantic. Dr. Tom Medlar owns the boat, Harmony, and he loves her, loves the routine of keeping her ship shape, pours his soul into her upkeep, maybe to the detriment of his wife Audrey.
Joining them are Flicker and Dot Hamden, who Tom does not really like too much for long periods. But away on Harmony they go, with initial tensions easing as the journey begins.
We see things from Tom's eyes, knowing his feelings about what is going on on Harmony, and the while the tensions of the other three continue to ease, Tom's increases as he suspects an affair between Audrey and Flicker. And then the storm hits. A hurricane that was supposed to go out to sea comes towards the coast.
They tie up in a good place in a harbor, prepared to ride it out, but the storm's violence causes a fishing shack on shore to get tangled in the anchor line and they have to cut loose or go under, and they must now ride out the storm in open water.
But this could be a story about a wagon crosses the prairie in the past or a spaceship in deep space...it is more about how these people act in a crisis, and how they view things during duress, in relative isolation, with only each other to react to. It is also somewhat existential, because it really asks: "If I perceive it such, does that make it so, or can there be other truths?"
Hersey knows sailing, no doubt, and you feel he is accurate in every term he uses, but he is even more accurate in how he describes these four people, how is shows their psychological states. None of the characters are completely noble, nor are any really bad people, they are real, with faults common to many of us. But caught in the maelstrom will they continue to be who they were, or will they sense and see that they can have a new perception?
This is another excellent John Hersey book.
Under the Eye of the Storm is a a psychological story, about two couples in a sailboat, intending to spend a short vacation together on the water, cruising the New England Atlantic. Dr. Tom Medlar owns the boat, Harmony, and he loves her, loves the routine of keeping her ship shape, pours his soul into her upkeep, maybe to the detriment of his wife Audrey.
Joining them are Flicker and Dot Hamden, who Tom does not really like too much for long periods. But away on Harmony they go, with initial tensions easing as the journey begins.
We see things from Tom's eyes, knowing his feelings about what is going on on Harmony, and the while the tensions of the other three continue to ease, Tom's increases as he suspects an affair between Audrey and Flicker. And then the storm hits. A hurricane that was supposed to go out to sea comes towards the coast.
They tie up in a good place in a harbor, prepared to ride it out, but the storm's violence causes a fishing shack on shore to get tangled in the anchor line and they have to cut loose or go under, and they must now ride out the storm in open water.
But this could be a story about a wagon crosses the prairie in the past or a spaceship in deep space...it is more about how these people act in a crisis, and how they view things during duress, in relative isolation, with only each other to react to. It is also somewhat existential, because it really asks: "If I perceive it such, does that make it so, or can there be other truths?"
Hersey knows sailing, no doubt, and you feel he is accurate in every term he uses, but he is even more accurate in how he describes these four people, how is shows their psychological states. None of the characters are completely noble, nor are any really bad people, they are real, with faults common to many of us. But caught in the maelstrom will they continue to be who they were, or will they sense and see that they can have a new perception?
This is another excellent John Hersey book.
Movie-Defiance
This is a tale of true life bravery, in the face of a terrifying evil, the Nazi regime and its systematic plans to destroy all Jews.
In Belarus, the invasion of the Third Reich was not much different than the invasion of other countries and territories. They gathered Jews into ghettos and started killing them. Defiance (2008) tells the story of those who escaped into the forest and formed a community that saved the lives of a couple of thousand of people--- men, women and children.
This community was led by Tuvia Bielski, and aided by his three brothers, who defended, fed, clothed and taught this community, while keeping it together in the face of the Nazi onslaught. Daniel Craig does a great job as Tuvia. Together with Liev Shreiber as Zuz Bielski, and other wonderful performances, this film is well acted, and heartfelt. The courage it took for them to stand against the "unstoppable" German war machine was tremendous. They knew the best revenge against the Nazis was survival, and they were determined to survive.
In the extras features there are interviews with some of the survivors and the kids of the Bielski brothers, and it is excellent. I would encourage watching this feature also.
There have been many films telling the story of survivors of the Holocaust, from Schindler's List to many others. Each one adding a layer to the courage of a people that Hitler wanted to wipe from the face of the earth. While I will not say Defiance is as good as Schindler's, I will say it ranks up there with the next tier of this type of movie. That is pretty damn good.
In Belarus, the invasion of the Third Reich was not much different than the invasion of other countries and territories. They gathered Jews into ghettos and started killing them. Defiance (2008) tells the story of those who escaped into the forest and formed a community that saved the lives of a couple of thousand of people--- men, women and children.
This community was led by Tuvia Bielski, and aided by his three brothers, who defended, fed, clothed and taught this community, while keeping it together in the face of the Nazi onslaught. Daniel Craig does a great job as Tuvia. Together with Liev Shreiber as Zuz Bielski, and other wonderful performances, this film is well acted, and heartfelt. The courage it took for them to stand against the "unstoppable" German war machine was tremendous. They knew the best revenge against the Nazis was survival, and they were determined to survive.
In the extras features there are interviews with some of the survivors and the kids of the Bielski brothers, and it is excellent. I would encourage watching this feature also.
There have been many films telling the story of survivors of the Holocaust, from Schindler's List to many others. Each one adding a layer to the courage of a people that Hitler wanted to wipe from the face of the earth. While I will not say Defiance is as good as Schindler's, I will say it ranks up there with the next tier of this type of movie. That is pretty damn good.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Movie-Towelhead
This movie was an uncomfortable watching experience. While it is billed as a coming -of- age story for a Arab-American teenager, Towelhead (2007) is mostly about her burgeoning sexuality, and the selfish, crappy people in her life.
Can there really be that many adults so crapped up in one person's life? It looks like they are all normal people, but they are so self-centered and so un-adult, I found it hard to believe.
The uncomfortable part is her sexuality. This is supposed to be a 13-year-old girl. But the way adults treat her is like an of-age adult. They treat her like a sexual object. The trouble with this is that it is not played like mis-treatment, it is played, at times, seductively. It makes you a voyeur of sexual molestation without taking a hard "that is wrong" stand. Even as the adults become culpable for their behavior, it does not feel like it is enough, and even then, stills plays it as somewhat erotic.
While there are some good things about this movie, it still left me feeling bad for watching it. Not quite what I expected it to be.
Can there really be that many adults so crapped up in one person's life? It looks like they are all normal people, but they are so self-centered and so un-adult, I found it hard to believe.
The uncomfortable part is her sexuality. This is supposed to be a 13-year-old girl. But the way adults treat her is like an of-age adult. They treat her like a sexual object. The trouble with this is that it is not played like mis-treatment, it is played, at times, seductively. It makes you a voyeur of sexual molestation without taking a hard "that is wrong" stand. Even as the adults become culpable for their behavior, it does not feel like it is enough, and even then, stills plays it as somewhat erotic.
While there are some good things about this movie, it still left me feeling bad for watching it. Not quite what I expected it to be.
The Andrew Awards-Best Documentary Film
With seeing The Betrayal, I have seen all the Oscar nominated documentary films, and it is time to hand out the Andrew Award for this category.
The nominees are:
The Betrayal: Nerakhoon
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man On Wire
Trouble the Water
I hated Encounters at the End of the the World. How it received a nomination I do not know, but it should not win anything, except maybe a Razzie.
The two films The Betrayal and Trouble the Water were both excellent, and treated their subjects in a unique way. And I learned a lot from both of them---but, they were quite good enough for best documentary.
That leaves The Garden and Man On Wire. The Garden was really, really good. But the winner of this year Andrew Award, Best Documentary goes, hand's down, to...Man On Wire! (Wild applause...cue standing ovation).
Man On Wire tells the story of Philippe Petit, who planned and carried out his goal, in 1974, of walking between the Twin Towers on a tight rope. When I heard about this film, with rave reviews, I thought it still sounded boring. But it plays as a thriller, captivating, sometimes edge of your seat thrilling, and simply amazing.
There is only one category left for the Andrew Awards, and this is best foreign film. If the year before is any example, it will be awhile before all those nominees are out on DVD.
The nominees are:
The Betrayal: Nerakhoon
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man On Wire
Trouble the Water
I hated Encounters at the End of the the World. How it received a nomination I do not know, but it should not win anything, except maybe a Razzie.
The two films The Betrayal and Trouble the Water were both excellent, and treated their subjects in a unique way. And I learned a lot from both of them---but, they were quite good enough for best documentary.
That leaves The Garden and Man On Wire. The Garden was really, really good. But the winner of this year Andrew Award, Best Documentary goes, hand's down, to...Man On Wire! (Wild applause...cue standing ovation).
Man On Wire tells the story of Philippe Petit, who planned and carried out his goal, in 1974, of walking between the Twin Towers on a tight rope. When I heard about this film, with rave reviews, I thought it still sounded boring. But it plays as a thriller, captivating, sometimes edge of your seat thrilling, and simply amazing.
There is only one category left for the Andrew Awards, and this is best foreign film. If the year before is any example, it will be awhile before all those nominees are out on DVD.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Andrew Awards- Best Documentary
With The Betrayal, we have now seen all last years nominees for an Oscar, and I am prepared to present the Andrew Award for Best Documentary feature film.
The nominees are:
The Betrayal: Nerakhoon
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
First of all, Encounters at the End of the World was terrible. It should never have been nominated for best of ANYTHING!
The 3 movies The Betrayal, The Garden and Trouble the Water were all great movies. Of the three, The Garden hit me the hardest and seemed like the best movie.
But, the winner, by a pretty large margin is Man on Wire! (Standing Ovation)
I was very skeptical about this movie. I had heard great things about it from really good reviewers, but frankly it sounded boring. It was NOT! It was intriguing a showed like suspense thriller. It chronicled Philippe Petit's amazing feat of tight rope walking between the Twin Towers. This movie was breathtaking in its content and how it was presented,a true testament to documentary films (a genre that has been very prolific in the past 5-7 years).
This time The Andrew Awards and the Oscars agreed on the recipient. At least the Academy got it right THIS time.
The nominees are:
The Betrayal: Nerakhoon
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
First of all, Encounters at the End of the World was terrible. It should never have been nominated for best of ANYTHING!
The 3 movies The Betrayal, The Garden and Trouble the Water were all great movies. Of the three, The Garden hit me the hardest and seemed like the best movie.
But, the winner, by a pretty large margin is Man on Wire! (Standing Ovation)
I was very skeptical about this movie. I had heard great things about it from really good reviewers, but frankly it sounded boring. It was NOT! It was intriguing a showed like suspense thriller. It chronicled Philippe Petit's amazing feat of tight rope walking between the Twin Towers. This movie was breathtaking in its content and how it was presented,a true testament to documentary films (a genre that has been very prolific in the past 5-7 years).
This time The Andrew Awards and the Oscars agreed on the recipient. At least the Academy got it right THIS time.
Movie-The Betrayal: Nerakhoon
The Betrayal: Nerakhoon was nominated for an Oscar as best documentary. It did not win.
The Betrayal (2008) is a very personal documentary, and tells the story of a Laotian who now lives in America, but was part of the turmoil in Laos when the U.S. bombarded that country with bombs during the Vietnam War. The U.S. also armed partisans and set them against the North Vietnamese who were using Laos as a hiding place to escape the U.S. bombings in that country.
But when America pulled out of Vietnam, they also abandoned all the partisans in Laos and left them to be victims of the communist party.
Thavisouk Phrasavath's father was one of those left to fend for himself, and ended up in a reeducation center. This personal story is of what happened to his family.
The amazing thing about The Betrayal is that it takes these HUGE foreign policy decisions and shows how those effect real people. How this country's decisions to get involved in other nations internal problems can have devastating consequences in the "little people."
Phrasavath is not afraid to show the effects this had on his family...the terrible effects, and the good also. He opens up his family's chest and shows its heart, beating still, though weathered. He makes a journey back to Laos to find the two sister's his mother had to leave behind to escape from certain death, along with seven other children, and he finds them. But on the road the reflective journey of how he got from one place to the other is alternately uplifting and heartbreaking.
It is a journey well worth following.
The Betrayal (2008) is a very personal documentary, and tells the story of a Laotian who now lives in America, but was part of the turmoil in Laos when the U.S. bombarded that country with bombs during the Vietnam War. The U.S. also armed partisans and set them against the North Vietnamese who were using Laos as a hiding place to escape the U.S. bombings in that country.
But when America pulled out of Vietnam, they also abandoned all the partisans in Laos and left them to be victims of the communist party.
Thavisouk Phrasavath's father was one of those left to fend for himself, and ended up in a reeducation center. This personal story is of what happened to his family.
The amazing thing about The Betrayal is that it takes these HUGE foreign policy decisions and shows how those effect real people. How this country's decisions to get involved in other nations internal problems can have devastating consequences in the "little people."
Phrasavath is not afraid to show the effects this had on his family...the terrible effects, and the good also. He opens up his family's chest and shows its heart, beating still, though weathered. He makes a journey back to Laos to find the two sister's his mother had to leave behind to escape from certain death, along with seven other children, and he finds them. But on the road the reflective journey of how he got from one place to the other is alternately uplifting and heartbreaking.
It is a journey well worth following.
Movie- War of the Worlds
I was not expecting much from War of the Worlds (2005). Though it was billed as a blockbuster from Steven Spielberg, it was mostly panned in reviews. Add to that I don't like Tom Cruise all that much, and I was even wondering why I still had it in my queue.
I think the low expectations helped, because it was not terrible. There was some almost decent stuff in the movie. Cruise was horribly miscast though, as a ne'er-do-well father. But the special effect were pretty good, and Dakota Fanning did a nice job as the perpetually terrified kid.
Don't get me wrong...it isn't Blade Runner! The way the story was presented was weak, especially the resolution. But, if I can watch this movie and be mildly entertained, well, I call that a plus.
I think the low expectations helped, because it was not terrible. There was some almost decent stuff in the movie. Cruise was horribly miscast though, as a ne'er-do-well father. But the special effect were pretty good, and Dakota Fanning did a nice job as the perpetually terrified kid.
Don't get me wrong...it isn't Blade Runner! The way the story was presented was weak, especially the resolution. But, if I can watch this movie and be mildly entertained, well, I call that a plus.
TV- The New TV Season
So the new TV season is upon us. A few shows have started this week, but the bulk of them start next week.
A will be giving a review to every new and returning show as it premiers, but just wanted to post what I am going to be watching this season (at least as of now).
Returning shows:
Mon- 2 1/2 Men and Heroes. I know Heroes may be on its last legs, but I will give it one more chance.
Thurs- NBC Comedies, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock. And on Fox, Fringe moves to Thursday.
Fri- Medium moves networks to CBS, and nights, to Friday. And I will give Dollhouse one more shot...cannot resist Eliza Dushku.
And midseason Chuck returns! Probably my favorite.
New Shows:
Tues- V starts in Nov.
Weds- Lots of new shows. Hank with Kelsey Grammer. I like him so much I will give the show a shot. Mercy, a nurse drama I will try. Eastwick, based on the Witches of Eastwick. Love Lindsey Price and Rebecca Romjin. And two shows I am really looking forward to, two half hour sitcoms, Modern Family and Cougar Town, the latter with Courtney Cox.
Thurs- Will try the Vampire Diaries on the CW and the other sitcom I am looking forward to (that takes the place of My Name is Earl) Community.
9 returning shows (counting Chuck) and 8 new shows all together. Of the 8 new ones, there will probably be 4-5 I like, and of those, maybe 2 will survive. Of the returning shows, I don't think Dollhouse will make the full season, and I think Heroes will go away after the season.
Stay tuned for lots of TV coming up.
A will be giving a review to every new and returning show as it premiers, but just wanted to post what I am going to be watching this season (at least as of now).
Returning shows:
Mon- 2 1/2 Men and Heroes. I know Heroes may be on its last legs, but I will give it one more chance.
Thurs- NBC Comedies, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock. And on Fox, Fringe moves to Thursday.
Fri- Medium moves networks to CBS, and nights, to Friday. And I will give Dollhouse one more shot...cannot resist Eliza Dushku.
And midseason Chuck returns! Probably my favorite.
New Shows:
Tues- V starts in Nov.
Weds- Lots of new shows. Hank with Kelsey Grammer. I like him so much I will give the show a shot. Mercy, a nurse drama I will try. Eastwick, based on the Witches of Eastwick. Love Lindsey Price and Rebecca Romjin. And two shows I am really looking forward to, two half hour sitcoms, Modern Family and Cougar Town, the latter with Courtney Cox.
Thurs- Will try the Vampire Diaries on the CW and the other sitcom I am looking forward to (that takes the place of My Name is Earl) Community.
9 returning shows (counting Chuck) and 8 new shows all together. Of the 8 new ones, there will probably be 4-5 I like, and of those, maybe 2 will survive. Of the returning shows, I don't think Dollhouse will make the full season, and I think Heroes will go away after the season.
Stay tuned for lots of TV coming up.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Movie-Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) is a high intensity Korean flick, that starts out with nice promise, but devolves quickly into mere bloodshed and gore, not even stylishly done.
A deaf mute young man sells his kidney on the black market to get enough money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant (he is of the wrong blood type to give her his directly). When he is betrayed by the black marketeers (duh) he and his terrorist girlfriend decide to kidnap a rich man's daughter and make the money that way (the rich man fired him from a job).
The daughter dies accidentally and then the gore begins. The rich man wants vengeance on the deaf mute guy, the deaf mute guy wants vengeance on the black market people and there is just lots of blood and some electrocution.
Really could have been done much better. Very disappointing.
A deaf mute young man sells his kidney on the black market to get enough money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant (he is of the wrong blood type to give her his directly). When he is betrayed by the black marketeers (duh) he and his terrorist girlfriend decide to kidnap a rich man's daughter and make the money that way (the rich man fired him from a job).
The daughter dies accidentally and then the gore begins. The rich man wants vengeance on the deaf mute guy, the deaf mute guy wants vengeance on the black market people and there is just lots of blood and some electrocution.
Really could have been done much better. Very disappointing.
Restaurant-China Ann
I would have never eaten at China Ann except, one day, on our porch, a flyer was left. It was for a Chinese restaurant, and usually would have been ignored but for those words we had been looking for for so many years: "Free Delivery!"
Seriously, we have been wanting a Chinese delivery place for quite awhile, so one evening, having had a hard day and a margarita, we ordered. About 45 minutes later (and another margarita), we had our food, and you know what? It was pretty damn good!
Now China Ann will not be confused with Emerald or other top-notch Chinese places, but we were really happy with everything we had. Lots of fresh veggies and everything was piping hot! We were very happy and will order again soon!
Seriously, we have been wanting a Chinese delivery place for quite awhile, so one evening, having had a hard day and a margarita, we ordered. About 45 minutes later (and another margarita), we had our food, and you know what? It was pretty damn good!
Now China Ann will not be confused with Emerald or other top-notch Chinese places, but we were really happy with everything we had. Lots of fresh veggies and everything was piping hot! We were very happy and will order again soon!
Book- The Only Daughter
Jessica Anderson is an Australian novelist with a deep understanding of the complexity of human emotions. She sees that a person can feel multiple things at once, even if the things are in conflict: love and loathing, care and selfishness, lust and distaste.
In The Only Daughter she portrays this mass of conflict as we see a fractured family. The father, a tough man, lies in bed after suffering a devastating stroke. His second wife cares for him, but there is an intensity of discord between them. His step family hovers, and his son from his first marriage is there too. And from abroad comes his only daughter, who was on her way home anyway, and did know until she got there of his condition.
The step family starts speculating right away, "Who will get the old man's money?" "Who will care for their mother (his current wife) if she is left out of the fortune?" And underlying it all are those conflicting emotions...they are wondering about the money because they care about their mother and/or, they are also greedy.
This is a very adult book...it deals with the messes we make of things, and the inevitability of no one understanding our true motivations, sometimes not even ourselves.
Anderson's writing is detailed, and her characters are not formulaic, but people I may know. She portrays none as heroes, but none are villains either...they are just people trying to get by, with their mass of conflict, looking to make each day worth it, and trying their damnedest to do the right thing.
In The Only Daughter she portrays this mass of conflict as we see a fractured family. The father, a tough man, lies in bed after suffering a devastating stroke. His second wife cares for him, but there is an intensity of discord between them. His step family hovers, and his son from his first marriage is there too. And from abroad comes his only daughter, who was on her way home anyway, and did know until she got there of his condition.
The step family starts speculating right away, "Who will get the old man's money?" "Who will care for their mother (his current wife) if she is left out of the fortune?" And underlying it all are those conflicting emotions...they are wondering about the money because they care about their mother and/or, they are also greedy.
This is a very adult book...it deals with the messes we make of things, and the inevitability of no one understanding our true motivations, sometimes not even ourselves.
Anderson's writing is detailed, and her characters are not formulaic, but people I may know. She portrays none as heroes, but none are villains either...they are just people trying to get by, with their mass of conflict, looking to make each day worth it, and trying their damnedest to do the right thing.
Movie-Trouble the Water
Trouble the Water was nominated for an Oscar as best documentary film. It did not win.
Katrina, from the perspective of a person in the eye of the storm, Trouble the Water
(2008) is harrowing in the true sense of the word. The video taken from Lower 9th Ward residents Kimberly Roberts is intense. She started keeping a video diary as Katrina started to loom as a threat to New Orleans. Calls for evacuation did not reach many residents because they did not have TV. And even if they did, how were they to evacuate?...they had no cars.
Roberts, an aspiring rapper, starts filming as people are stocking up on supplies. She is not a very good videographer, but it is visceral in its immediacy and truthfulness. We see winds picking up, rain starting and becoming incredibly intense. The house starts to flood in the rain, and then the levees fails. Rivers of water are in the street, as the family moves up into the rafters of the house. And the water continues to rise.
Trouble the Water can be intense, and evokes intense reaction. Anger that people could have been left to die so casually by all levels of government, and disgust as we see these people and this area try to recover, and see the level of incompetence as FEMA and other agencies continue to ignore their plight.
The journey taken by these people is difficult and often despairing. But it also is uplifting as they see their proximity to death, and resolve to make their own lives trues, more moral and more meaningful. Trouble the Water captures all that and more.
Katrina, from the perspective of a person in the eye of the storm, Trouble the Water
(2008) is harrowing in the true sense of the word. The video taken from Lower 9th Ward residents Kimberly Roberts is intense. She started keeping a video diary as Katrina started to loom as a threat to New Orleans. Calls for evacuation did not reach many residents because they did not have TV. And even if they did, how were they to evacuate?...they had no cars.
Roberts, an aspiring rapper, starts filming as people are stocking up on supplies. She is not a very good videographer, but it is visceral in its immediacy and truthfulness. We see winds picking up, rain starting and becoming incredibly intense. The house starts to flood in the rain, and then the levees fails. Rivers of water are in the street, as the family moves up into the rafters of the house. And the water continues to rise.
Trouble the Water can be intense, and evokes intense reaction. Anger that people could have been left to die so casually by all levels of government, and disgust as we see these people and this area try to recover, and see the level of incompetence as FEMA and other agencies continue to ignore their plight.
The journey taken by these people is difficult and often despairing. But it also is uplifting as they see their proximity to death, and resolve to make their own lives trues, more moral and more meaningful. Trouble the Water captures all that and more.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Movie- Brick Lane
Brick Lane (2007) is a chronicle of a Bangladeshi woman's journey---from her home country to America, and eventually, from a quiet servant of her husband to a fully realized woman and human being.
It is a quiet movie, with no seemingly huge moments, but all the small moments add up together into change for Nazneem (Tannishtha Chatterjee). She is married in an arranged marriage and shipped to her much older husband in the U.S. She gives him two children and stays subservient to him...all the while longing to be reunited with her sister in Bangladesh.
But things start to change as he does not get promotions, and her dreams of meeting her sister dim. She takes work, sewing that she can do at home. Her passionless marriage feels more and more confining, and after much indecision, takes a younger man as a lover.
But this is not about finding herself in another man. Nazneem rejects that option too. She chooses finally to find herself as a woman, mother and as an person who can make her own decisions.
Brick Lane is a nice movie. It does not always go with the conventional, and I liked that. Chatterjee plays Nanzeem magnificently. She is quietly perfect. The performance and the film are not flashy, nor does the film go for gimmicks. This really is a movie about change--- profound change. And it works well.
It is a quiet movie, with no seemingly huge moments, but all the small moments add up together into change for Nazneem (Tannishtha Chatterjee). She is married in an arranged marriage and shipped to her much older husband in the U.S. She gives him two children and stays subservient to him...all the while longing to be reunited with her sister in Bangladesh.
But things start to change as he does not get promotions, and her dreams of meeting her sister dim. She takes work, sewing that she can do at home. Her passionless marriage feels more and more confining, and after much indecision, takes a younger man as a lover.
But this is not about finding herself in another man. Nazneem rejects that option too. She chooses finally to find herself as a woman, mother and as an person who can make her own decisions.
Brick Lane is a nice movie. It does not always go with the conventional, and I liked that. Chatterjee plays Nanzeem magnificently. She is quietly perfect. The performance and the film are not flashy, nor does the film go for gimmicks. This really is a movie about change--- profound change. And it works well.
Movie-The Polar Express
OK...I know this came out a few years ago, but I never got to it then. So I was interested in seeing if The Polar Express (2004) was the holiday classic that it was hailed as when it came out.
You know, it is!
Tom Hanks did great voice work here, as many different characters, including the conductor of the Polar Express, a train (imaginary?) that takes kids to the North Pole to see Santa. This is a wonderfully made piece of animation. The movie is about as good as it gets in that realm.
The great part of the movie is not the animation though, but the story. It is not sickeningly sweet like many holiday confections...but offers some mysticism, and a lot of angst. It is a tale of a young boy growing up, and learning the cynicism of the world. And just as he about to lose his belief in the magical, the Polar Express takes him for a ride.
This is a holiday movie that stands on its own legs, does not need the artifice of the Christmas season to be enjoyed. That is what makes it a classic first, and a holiday classic second.
You know, it is!
Tom Hanks did great voice work here, as many different characters, including the conductor of the Polar Express, a train (imaginary?) that takes kids to the North Pole to see Santa. This is a wonderfully made piece of animation. The movie is about as good as it gets in that realm.
The great part of the movie is not the animation though, but the story. It is not sickeningly sweet like many holiday confections...but offers some mysticism, and a lot of angst. It is a tale of a young boy growing up, and learning the cynicism of the world. And just as he about to lose his belief in the magical, the Polar Express takes him for a ride.
This is a holiday movie that stands on its own legs, does not need the artifice of the Christmas season to be enjoyed. That is what makes it a classic first, and a holiday classic second.
2 Magazines
Well, I have to say I was disappointed in the Sept. issue of Playboy. They had hyped the Heidi Montag pictorial, and it was not very good. And the interview with her, by her husband was so narcissistic that it made me ill. Now I don't really know who the hell this stupid girl is, but her husband is even stupider, and a damn ass too. This made me want to not renew this magazine...that is how bad it was.
The Sept, issue of Nat Geo was good---not one of the top ones--but still excellent. Really liked the article on Somalia...that poor devastated country. The orchid photo story was also amazing. And the article about the emerging solar industry gave me hope for the future. If the government would give them even half the incentives they give big oil, we would not need fossil fuels ever again. Keep pushing for solar energy!
The Sept, issue of Nat Geo was good---not one of the top ones--but still excellent. Really liked the article on Somalia...that poor devastated country. The orchid photo story was also amazing. And the article about the emerging solar industry gave me hope for the future. If the government would give them even half the incentives they give big oil, we would not need fossil fuels ever again. Keep pushing for solar energy!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Movie-Gran Torino
There was huge critical praise for this movie and Clint Eastwood when Gran Torino
(2008) came out, but I just don't get it.
The ending was somewhat moving, I'll give it that. But the movie directed by and starring Eastwood was over-acted, unrealistic and somewhat shallow. If I would title it, it would be "Gran Torino: Dirty Harry, Septuagenarian."
Eastwood is an old man named Walt Kowalski, who has just lost his wife. He is a mean SOB, even his kids don't like him. He growls at people, demeans them, bullies them, and uses racial epitaphs like they are common conjunctions. He is racist, biased and just frakin' mean. All of this because of his stint in the army fighting in Korea.
So he has to make do alone. And his neighborhood, once solidly white, is now a hothouse of Hmong immigrants. As you can imagine, Dirty Harry, I mean Walt, does not like this much, and pulls out guns to defend his property.
But he starts grudgingly accepting his next door neighbors and by the end of the movie, they become closer to him than his family.
What crap! Look, if a man is a bigoted, hateful racist for the first 73 years of his life...he will not change in a month or two, just because his neighbors are somehow noble. People do not change that much and that quickly unless really compelled to. This just seemed SO unbelievable that it made Eastwood's overwrought acting more disconcerting.
And his use of racial epitaphs is also not quite right. He uses them in everyday talk, as part of his language. Really, there are very few who just use the words like that anymore. Almost everyone knows that those words are not OK, and if they use them, they do it with a small knot of closely-knit friends who feel the same way about other races. They just don't walk on the street spouting this language.
Gran Torino was a nice try, but for me, it really misses. I don't buy Harry's character (sorry---it's Walt) and I don't buy the plot of his transformation.
(2008) came out, but I just don't get it.
The ending was somewhat moving, I'll give it that. But the movie directed by and starring Eastwood was over-acted, unrealistic and somewhat shallow. If I would title it, it would be "Gran Torino: Dirty Harry, Septuagenarian."
Eastwood is an old man named Walt Kowalski, who has just lost his wife. He is a mean SOB, even his kids don't like him. He growls at people, demeans them, bullies them, and uses racial epitaphs like they are common conjunctions. He is racist, biased and just frakin' mean. All of this because of his stint in the army fighting in Korea.
So he has to make do alone. And his neighborhood, once solidly white, is now a hothouse of Hmong immigrants. As you can imagine, Dirty Harry, I mean Walt, does not like this much, and pulls out guns to defend his property.
But he starts grudgingly accepting his next door neighbors and by the end of the movie, they become closer to him than his family.
What crap! Look, if a man is a bigoted, hateful racist for the first 73 years of his life...he will not change in a month or two, just because his neighbors are somehow noble. People do not change that much and that quickly unless really compelled to. This just seemed SO unbelievable that it made Eastwood's overwrought acting more disconcerting.
And his use of racial epitaphs is also not quite right. He uses them in everyday talk, as part of his language. Really, there are very few who just use the words like that anymore. Almost everyone knows that those words are not OK, and if they use them, they do it with a small knot of closely-knit friends who feel the same way about other races. They just don't walk on the street spouting this language.
Gran Torino was a nice try, but for me, it really misses. I don't buy Harry's character (sorry---it's Walt) and I don't buy the plot of his transformation.
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