Movie- The Baader Meinhoff Complex

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.