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!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
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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