A cozy house, tucked far back in the woods on a cold and snowy Christmas Eve. The only lights- a fire in the fireplace, the flickering of candles, the lights of the tree, and the pale glow of moonlight reflecting off the snow. Friends and family visit while carols play, and the night is spent simply enjoying the company of those closest to us. A glimpse of Christmas from Ages Past.
But today, Christmas is not simple. It is Big Business. Who has the best deal, the cheapest prices? It’s one long commercial from Halloween to Christmas Eve. It’s hustle and bustle. Crowded and frantic. It’s loud when it should be silent. Hurried when it should be leisurely. And cold when it should be warm. Whatever one’s beliefs, Christmas should be a time when we all coexist in harmony; yet all over the world, wars are waged in the name of religion- the very force that should unite, not divide. Peace must be “kept” instead of cherished. Suicide rates are at their highest. And for the truly trivial, consider that the news is full of reports of parents battling each other to get to the “best” toys, at the “best” price. The Ghost of Christmas Present, indeed.
So on this cold winter’s night, I find myself bundled up in front of the Christmas tree, eggnog (yes, spiked) in hand, considering these things and appreciating the many blessings in my life:
I’m blessed with a job that provides me with the things I need to be healthy and happy. I am not rich, but I have a home, food, clothes. I can pay my bills and still enjoy a night “on the town” every once in a while. That’s as close to rich as I’ll ever come.
I’m blessed with the gift of being able to find inspiration in a song, or joy in a piece of music; to be moved by a book, or enlightened by a movie. No small gift, that.
I’m blessed with freedoms - of choice, of speech, of personal expression - that other people in the world can only dream of. And I’m blessed with the knowledge that there are people who are willing to fight-and die-for us ALL in order to protect those freedoms.
And most importantly, I’m blessed with family and friends who love, support, and encourage me through every step on my journey. Life on Earth could not exist without them. Ok, slight exaggeration. VERY slight.
And so, in the spirit of all the Christmases Yet To Be, here’s my wish to one and all: May joy, happiness, faith, and the comfort and company of family and friends be yours. But most of all, may your lives be full of hope, peace, and love.
Merry Christmas
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
A Christmas Carol?
Monday, November 26, 2007
The Evil That Men Do
So, the other night a couple of friends and I went to see “No Country For Old Men.” I’d been looking forward to this sucker since the first trailer hit the ‘net, and I was stoked. Two hours later, I was…confused. Did I understand it? Maybe. Did I like it? Immensely.
Now, those two guys who saw the flick with me may question “immensely” based on our discussions after the viewing, because I clearly wasn’t as blown away as they were…yet. During the course of those discussions, they brought up such startling observations that I started to consider other possibilities. And I pondered on this damn movie literally for days. I haven’t thought about a film this much since…Christ, I’ve never thought about a film this much. I am simply haunted by it. So, I may not know much, but here’s what I do know:
The casting director deserves an award. Perfectly cast from the top-name stars on down. Gotta love Tommy Lee Jones. As an aging sheriff whose time is almost over, he’s all introspect; quiet and wise, with perfect dead-pan humor, seeing the way the world is changing but unable to stop it. He’s Yoda in a 10-gallon hat.
Then there’s Javier Bardem as killer-for-hire Chigurh. Holy shit is this guy creepy. He’s a killing machine with no expression, no remorse, no soul; only a very strict moral code to which he remains utterly true. And he’s scary as hell. “Heads or tails,” anyone?
And when did Josh Brolin get this good? It’s the perfect marriage of actor and role, and as Llewelyn Moss, he more than holds his own in his cat-and-mouse duel with Bardem. I love it when these underrated actors come out of nowhere and create amazing characters (yo, Casey!). An Oscar nod for both Bardem and Brolin might be a nice gesture. Yes, they’re that good.
The Brothers Coen have filmed the most beautifully photographed killing spree in recent memory, and filled the story with gut-wrenching violence, tension, and dread. And you can’t take your eyes off of it. They’re pretty handy in the editing room too, creating scenes that will be talked (argued?) about for a long while to come.
This film has a couple of things in common with another of my faves this year (see “The Ballad of Jesse James”). I sometimes wonder how much credit should be given to the director for the tone of the piece and how much actually belongs to the cinematographer, and this one blurs the line a bit. Texas never looked so good. Or hot. Or dusty. And to say this film has no soundtrack isn’t quite correct; there may be no musical underscore, but as in Jesse James, the sounds themselves become the soundtrack. It heightens the feeling of anxiety and terror to an almost unbearable pitch. Brilliant.
Now, the reason for my less-than-thrilled initial review; the ending. As the movie came to its conclusion (?), many people left the theater voicing comments of the “what the fuck?” variety. I agreed…that night. But what this film does best of all is leave the ending, and the meaning, open to interpretation. Is it a morality tale? Yes, for some. Others will see correlations to our current political situation and the war in Iraq. Still others will see a tale of greed and retribution. I’ve thought it through, I’ve made my choice, and I won’t post it here to influence yours. If you’ve seen it, comment! I’d love to hear your take.
And for you guys that saw it with me- my opinions have changed greatly since that first conversation, so perhaps a few drinks and a new discussion are in order?
Now, those two guys who saw the flick with me may question “immensely” based on our discussions after the viewing, because I clearly wasn’t as blown away as they were…yet. During the course of those discussions, they brought up such startling observations that I started to consider other possibilities. And I pondered on this damn movie literally for days. I haven’t thought about a film this much since…Christ, I’ve never thought about a film this much. I am simply haunted by it. So, I may not know much, but here’s what I do know:
The casting director deserves an award. Perfectly cast from the top-name stars on down. Gotta love Tommy Lee Jones. As an aging sheriff whose time is almost over, he’s all introspect; quiet and wise, with perfect dead-pan humor, seeing the way the world is changing but unable to stop it. He’s Yoda in a 10-gallon hat.
Then there’s Javier Bardem as killer-for-hire Chigurh. Holy shit is this guy creepy. He’s a killing machine with no expression, no remorse, no soul; only a very strict moral code to which he remains utterly true. And he’s scary as hell. “Heads or tails,” anyone?
And when did Josh Brolin get this good? It’s the perfect marriage of actor and role, and as Llewelyn Moss, he more than holds his own in his cat-and-mouse duel with Bardem. I love it when these underrated actors come out of nowhere and create amazing characters (yo, Casey!). An Oscar nod for both Bardem and Brolin might be a nice gesture. Yes, they’re that good.
The Brothers Coen have filmed the most beautifully photographed killing spree in recent memory, and filled the story with gut-wrenching violence, tension, and dread. And you can’t take your eyes off of it. They’re pretty handy in the editing room too, creating scenes that will be talked (argued?) about for a long while to come.
This film has a couple of things in common with another of my faves this year (see “The Ballad of Jesse James”). I sometimes wonder how much credit should be given to the director for the tone of the piece and how much actually belongs to the cinematographer, and this one blurs the line a bit. Texas never looked so good. Or hot. Or dusty. And to say this film has no soundtrack isn’t quite correct; there may be no musical underscore, but as in Jesse James, the sounds themselves become the soundtrack. It heightens the feeling of anxiety and terror to an almost unbearable pitch. Brilliant.
Now, the reason for my less-than-thrilled initial review; the ending. As the movie came to its conclusion (?), many people left the theater voicing comments of the “what the fuck?” variety. I agreed…that night. But what this film does best of all is leave the ending, and the meaning, open to interpretation. Is it a morality tale? Yes, for some. Others will see correlations to our current political situation and the war in Iraq. Still others will see a tale of greed and retribution. I’ve thought it through, I’ve made my choice, and I won’t post it here to influence yours. If you’ve seen it, comment! I’d love to hear your take.
And for you guys that saw it with me- my opinions have changed greatly since that first conversation, so perhaps a few drinks and a new discussion are in order?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Never Cry Beowulf
Ok, I admit it. It was the teaser trailer of a naked, wet Angelina Jolie rising from a mystical lake that first drew my attention to Robert Zemeckis’s new vision of the epic poem “Beowulf.” So, is it great art? No. But it certainly has its merits, and for the most part I was entertained.
I’ve seen reviews complaining that the filmmakers added characterizations, changed situations, and “sexed up” this version of the story instead of following the tone of the original poem. Let’s be fair here- the screenwriters started with a poem of an unknown time period (somewhere between the 8th and 11th centuries), with unknown religious “affiliations” (could be Christian, as it was written in post-conversion England; or Pagan, since it takes place in pre-Christian Scandinavia, and references to both sit side-by-side in the original manuscript), and even of unknown authorship. Personally I’m glad that the writers have given it some originality. And as for “sexing it up”? Well, that’s just good movie making!
There’s really not much to the story- it takes place in a time of heroes when great men did extraordinary things, and magic, demons, and dragons flourished. Beowulf is the hero (arguably, in this version), and we follow his escapades from the battle with the monster Grendel through his final dragon-battling days. The script is well thought out and makes the most of a rather clichéd genre, but it’s the presentation that makes this film stand out. I had the choice of seeing it in the “standard” format or in Digital 3D. To be honest, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much without the 3D gimmick; it’s what makes the film enjoyable.
It takes a while to get over the feeling that you’re trapped in a very well-conceived video game over which you have no control; instead you’re forced to sit back and watch Zemeckis play. Not a bad thing, once you get used to it. The entire film is rendered with an amazing attention to detail, and the CGI animation serves it very well. There are, of course, objects thrust in our face (these effects are VERY convincing- I jumped in my seat a couple of times), but even beyond that, there is crystal clarity and depth to even the quietest scenes. We’ve come a long way since the days of those flimsy red and blue glasses.
Character animation has come a long way in the last few years as well. The men are animated beautifully, with every detail of their worn, haggard faces portrayed perfectly. The women, on the other hand, still seem to suffer a bit from the frozen expressions of “The Polar Express”, Zemeckis’s earlier CGI experiment. But this is, after all, a warrior society ruled by men; perhaps the lack of definition in the female characters is intentional and simply reflects the view of the times? In any case, it’s hard to tell where the actor’s performance stops and the CG performance takes over, and that’s saying something.
And now, an observation. Those who know me know that I am no prude. In any sense of the word. And yet I couldn’t help wondering about the rating of this film. I’ve seen films where there is no violence, no nudity, but the utterance of a single “fuck” will get you a PG-13 rating. Have the balls to say it again, and you’ve got yourself an R. In this film we’re treated to a battle of monster-versus-man…in which both monster AND man are totally nude. You see, our hero claims he wants to be on even ground when meeting the monster Grendel, which apparently means being bare-assed, as Grendel is not one of those civilized monsters that wears clothes. We never get a full-frontal (although they do find lots of amusing ways to hide the “naughty bits”), but even for me it was a bit of a distraction watching the naked cartoon guy fight with the naked ugly monster guy.
During this battle, we also get to see some interesting acts of mutilation. Arms and legs are ripped from sockets, men are pulled in half, heads are eaten And the blood…those amazing CGI blood splatters, so prominent in last year’s “300”, are flung everywhere in gory, glorious 3D.
Then there’s the aforementioned Angelina Jolie. Her scenes go FAR beyond the trailer (yeah baby!), but we’re talking Full Monty here. Full front. Full rear. She does seem to be covered in some kind of gold slime, but that really doesn’t hide a whole hell of a lot. There’s more tit displayed here than in all of Angie’s other films combined. And this film is rated…PG-13??
Does the fact that a film is animated mean that male asses, female breasts, and blood galore lose some of their shock value in the eyes of the members of the MPAA? Apparently, the answer is yes. Shocking to me? Not in the least. But I’m glad I’m not the parents with the two pre-teen boys who were sitting in front of me. I’ll bet there were some pretty interesting discussions (or awkward silences and blank stares?) going on at that house later.
I’ve seen reviews complaining that the filmmakers added characterizations, changed situations, and “sexed up” this version of the story instead of following the tone of the original poem. Let’s be fair here- the screenwriters started with a poem of an unknown time period (somewhere between the 8th and 11th centuries), with unknown religious “affiliations” (could be Christian, as it was written in post-conversion England; or Pagan, since it takes place in pre-Christian Scandinavia, and references to both sit side-by-side in the original manuscript), and even of unknown authorship. Personally I’m glad that the writers have given it some originality. And as for “sexing it up”? Well, that’s just good movie making!
There’s really not much to the story- it takes place in a time of heroes when great men did extraordinary things, and magic, demons, and dragons flourished. Beowulf is the hero (arguably, in this version), and we follow his escapades from the battle with the monster Grendel through his final dragon-battling days. The script is well thought out and makes the most of a rather clichéd genre, but it’s the presentation that makes this film stand out. I had the choice of seeing it in the “standard” format or in Digital 3D. To be honest, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much without the 3D gimmick; it’s what makes the film enjoyable.
It takes a while to get over the feeling that you’re trapped in a very well-conceived video game over which you have no control; instead you’re forced to sit back and watch Zemeckis play. Not a bad thing, once you get used to it. The entire film is rendered with an amazing attention to detail, and the CGI animation serves it very well. There are, of course, objects thrust in our face (these effects are VERY convincing- I jumped in my seat a couple of times), but even beyond that, there is crystal clarity and depth to even the quietest scenes. We’ve come a long way since the days of those flimsy red and blue glasses.
Character animation has come a long way in the last few years as well. The men are animated beautifully, with every detail of their worn, haggard faces portrayed perfectly. The women, on the other hand, still seem to suffer a bit from the frozen expressions of “The Polar Express”, Zemeckis’s earlier CGI experiment. But this is, after all, a warrior society ruled by men; perhaps the lack of definition in the female characters is intentional and simply reflects the view of the times? In any case, it’s hard to tell where the actor’s performance stops and the CG performance takes over, and that’s saying something.
And now, an observation. Those who know me know that I am no prude. In any sense of the word. And yet I couldn’t help wondering about the rating of this film. I’ve seen films where there is no violence, no nudity, but the utterance of a single “fuck” will get you a PG-13 rating. Have the balls to say it again, and you’ve got yourself an R. In this film we’re treated to a battle of monster-versus-man…in which both monster AND man are totally nude. You see, our hero claims he wants to be on even ground when meeting the monster Grendel, which apparently means being bare-assed, as Grendel is not one of those civilized monsters that wears clothes. We never get a full-frontal (although they do find lots of amusing ways to hide the “naughty bits”), but even for me it was a bit of a distraction watching the naked cartoon guy fight with the naked ugly monster guy.
During this battle, we also get to see some interesting acts of mutilation. Arms and legs are ripped from sockets, men are pulled in half, heads are eaten And the blood…those amazing CGI blood splatters, so prominent in last year’s “300”, are flung everywhere in gory, glorious 3D.
Then there’s the aforementioned Angelina Jolie. Her scenes go FAR beyond the trailer (yeah baby!), but we’re talking Full Monty here. Full front. Full rear. She does seem to be covered in some kind of gold slime, but that really doesn’t hide a whole hell of a lot. There’s more tit displayed here than in all of Angie’s other films combined. And this film is rated…PG-13??
Does the fact that a film is animated mean that male asses, female breasts, and blood galore lose some of their shock value in the eyes of the members of the MPAA? Apparently, the answer is yes. Shocking to me? Not in the least. But I’m glad I’m not the parents with the two pre-teen boys who were sitting in front of me. I’ll bet there were some pretty interesting discussions (or awkward silences and blank stares?) going on at that house later.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Beautiful People
I started this blog with the intention of sharing my life, voicing my opinions, writing about the things that affect me day-to-day. And so far I’ve published a welcome post and two movie reviews. Well, maybe it’s time to stretch a little. So for tonight, something a bit more personal.
I haven’t been feeling well for the last week or so; just a virus, but it comes with a complete lack of energy that leaves me drained by the end of the day. Most nights I’ve come home and gone to bed. But tonight I can’t sleep- there are too many memories and thoughts running through my slightly feverish brain. So I’ve bundled up, made some hot tea, and I’ve been sitting here quietly, alone with my thoughts. I get a little introspective when I’m feeling like this, and not always with good results. Tonight, though, has been a good night.
Looking back over the last few months, I can say that I was deeply depressed. Some folks know why, others don’t, and I won’t go into it here, but known or not, everyone could see it. Money matters, health issues, even things from my childhood had haunted me to the point where I couldn’t sleep anymore, couldn’t focus. The “spring in my step” was gone, and I missed it. I couldn’t see the end. And then, as hard as it was for me, I took a good hard look at my life, and it was then that I finally realized that I was surrounded by the one resource that I had never sought out; those people in my life that are beside me every day. So I gathered up a little courage, took a deep breath…
And I started talking. I talked to family. I talked to friends. And they listened. And they talked back. When I doubted myself, they supported me. When I confessed a deep, dark secret, they accepted without question. And when I needed laughter, and fun, and happiness in my life, they were there in spades.
I have the most phenomenal family on the planet. Why I was lucky enough to be blessed with their presence in my life I’ll never know. My Mom and Dad love unconditionally, and unfailingly. They are the reason I live, and my reason for living. I would do anything for them.
As kids, my younger brother and I were like all brothers I guess. We fought. A LOT. We were totally different in style, and spent most of our childhood apart, preferring our own set of friends to each other. As adults, I can honestly say that not only do I love the guy…I like him too. We can talk about anything and know that nothing changes between us. I hope he knows how proud I am of him.
And then there are my friends. Things in my past have shaped the way I view friendship, and I don’t make friends easily. And sometimes I don’t make it easy to BE my friend. Yet this group hangs on. They are the people who take me out for my birthday, go with me to the movies, buy me dinner when I’m broke, and just listen to me rant and rave over coffee. They are people that I can bare my soul to and know that they won’t judge. I don’t know if they realize how much I appreciate them in my life. Well, maybe they do now.
Amazing how a little soul-searching can clear the mind and calm the spirit. But a little goes a long way- here’s hoping I haven’t scared anyone off. No more heavy blogs, at least for a while. Hey, maybe next I’ll try…a movie review!
But for tonight…I think I can sleep now.
I haven’t been feeling well for the last week or so; just a virus, but it comes with a complete lack of energy that leaves me drained by the end of the day. Most nights I’ve come home and gone to bed. But tonight I can’t sleep- there are too many memories and thoughts running through my slightly feverish brain. So I’ve bundled up, made some hot tea, and I’ve been sitting here quietly, alone with my thoughts. I get a little introspective when I’m feeling like this, and not always with good results. Tonight, though, has been a good night.
Looking back over the last few months, I can say that I was deeply depressed. Some folks know why, others don’t, and I won’t go into it here, but known or not, everyone could see it. Money matters, health issues, even things from my childhood had haunted me to the point where I couldn’t sleep anymore, couldn’t focus. The “spring in my step” was gone, and I missed it. I couldn’t see the end. And then, as hard as it was for me, I took a good hard look at my life, and it was then that I finally realized that I was surrounded by the one resource that I had never sought out; those people in my life that are beside me every day. So I gathered up a little courage, took a deep breath…
And I started talking. I talked to family. I talked to friends. And they listened. And they talked back. When I doubted myself, they supported me. When I confessed a deep, dark secret, they accepted without question. And when I needed laughter, and fun, and happiness in my life, they were there in spades.
I have the most phenomenal family on the planet. Why I was lucky enough to be blessed with their presence in my life I’ll never know. My Mom and Dad love unconditionally, and unfailingly. They are the reason I live, and my reason for living. I would do anything for them.
As kids, my younger brother and I were like all brothers I guess. We fought. A LOT. We were totally different in style, and spent most of our childhood apart, preferring our own set of friends to each other. As adults, I can honestly say that not only do I love the guy…I like him too. We can talk about anything and know that nothing changes between us. I hope he knows how proud I am of him.
And then there are my friends. Things in my past have shaped the way I view friendship, and I don’t make friends easily. And sometimes I don’t make it easy to BE my friend. Yet this group hangs on. They are the people who take me out for my birthday, go with me to the movies, buy me dinner when I’m broke, and just listen to me rant and rave over coffee. They are people that I can bare my soul to and know that they won’t judge. I don’t know if they realize how much I appreciate them in my life. Well, maybe they do now.
Amazing how a little soul-searching can clear the mind and calm the spirit. But a little goes a long way- here’s hoping I haven’t scared anyone off. No more heavy blogs, at least for a while. Hey, maybe next I’ll try…a movie review!
But for tonight…I think I can sleep now.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Michael Clayton, We Hardly Knew Ye
I went into “Michael Clayton” with high expectations: I expected suspense. I expected thrills. Unfortunately, one explosion and a false-start complete with a “Four Days Earlier” flashback does not a suspense thriller make. And since we have George Clooney as the title character, I was also hoping for an interesting character study. Ah, success at last…well, almost.
Tom Wilksinon is always great to watch, and he uses everything he has as corporate lawyer Arthur Edens. He goes from seemingly mad to razor sharp, and shows us everything in between. Wilkinson is as good with the small details as he is with the big scene-chewing speeches (think “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” and you’ve got the gist of it), and it’s a hell of a performance.
The same can be said for Tilda Swinton’s Karen Crowder. My first impression was that Jodie Foster should have played this part, but the more I’ve thought about it since then, the more I realize how right Swinton is for the role. She looks the part, and brings a certain coldness to the character that suits her perfectly. Now this is a true character study: we watch her rehearse every word and nuance of a speech; we see the obsessive way she lays out her clothes. We understand what drives her ambitions, and we see that she has nowhere to go but down. This woman literally falls apart before our eyes, and her final scene is (in my opinion) the best written and well-delivered of the film.
Which leaves us one character short, and that’s a major problem when it’s the title character.
Some films benefit by relating events out of sequence; this one does not. For my money, the film should have forgone the lame “ending at the beginning” structure and started with George Clooney’s “janitor” sweeping in and saving the day, showing us why he has the respect (and fear) of everyone around him. It would have continued by giving us more of Michael’s relationship with Arthur, and the effect it has on him as the events of the story unfold. And what an opportunity missed by not letting two intelligent, charismatic actors like Clooney and Swinton clash in a game of cat-and-mouse, leading up to that brilliant finale.
All that being said, this movie looks great, and thanks to a tight script it moves along at a nice pace. It’s a solid effort with hints of greatness scattered throughout, and it’s a (mostly) enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Case closed.
Tom Wilksinon is always great to watch, and he uses everything he has as corporate lawyer Arthur Edens. He goes from seemingly mad to razor sharp, and shows us everything in between. Wilkinson is as good with the small details as he is with the big scene-chewing speeches (think “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” and you’ve got the gist of it), and it’s a hell of a performance.
The same can be said for Tilda Swinton’s Karen Crowder. My first impression was that Jodie Foster should have played this part, but the more I’ve thought about it since then, the more I realize how right Swinton is for the role. She looks the part, and brings a certain coldness to the character that suits her perfectly. Now this is a true character study: we watch her rehearse every word and nuance of a speech; we see the obsessive way she lays out her clothes. We understand what drives her ambitions, and we see that she has nowhere to go but down. This woman literally falls apart before our eyes, and her final scene is (in my opinion) the best written and well-delivered of the film.
Which leaves us one character short, and that’s a major problem when it’s the title character.
Some films benefit by relating events out of sequence; this one does not. For my money, the film should have forgone the lame “ending at the beginning” structure and started with George Clooney’s “janitor” sweeping in and saving the day, showing us why he has the respect (and fear) of everyone around him. It would have continued by giving us more of Michael’s relationship with Arthur, and the effect it has on him as the events of the story unfold. And what an opportunity missed by not letting two intelligent, charismatic actors like Clooney and Swinton clash in a game of cat-and-mouse, leading up to that brilliant finale.
All that being said, this movie looks great, and thanks to a tight script it moves along at a nice pace. It’s a solid effort with hints of greatness scattered throughout, and it’s a (mostly) enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Case closed.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Ballad of Jesse James
Last Friday, on my birthday, I took myself out to see a movie. It was at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's 2 hours and 40 minutes long. And it stars Brad Pitt. Nuff said? Not by a long shot. And even with the ending given away before the movie starts ("Michael Clayton" anyone?), I was riveted.
Brad Pitt stars in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Brad Pitt's pretty. Damn pretty. TOO pretty. But this is a performance I can appreciate. Cocky, self-assured, but unraveling slowly into paranoia and despair. The man sent chills down my back with a single laugh. Impressive.
The real story, though, is Casey Affleck as the aforementioned "coward." As Robert "Bob" Ford, every movement, every expression, every vocal inflection is pitch-perfect. There is no Casey, only Bob. What this guy does with his eyes alone, most actors can't pull off with their entire being. If there's justice in the world, Ben's younger bro is lying by the pool right now waiting for his Oscar nod to arrive.
There is SO much to pay attention to in this film. The lighting is incredible. The sound design is so distinct that it almost becomes a character in itself. And the film is blessed with a script that is a wonder for those with an ear for the near poetic use of language.
Brad Pitt stars in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Brad Pitt's pretty. Damn pretty. TOO pretty. But this is a performance I can appreciate. Cocky, self-assured, but unraveling slowly into paranoia and despair. The man sent chills down my back with a single laugh. Impressive.
The real story, though, is Casey Affleck as the aforementioned "coward." As Robert "Bob" Ford, every movement, every expression, every vocal inflection is pitch-perfect. There is no Casey, only Bob. What this guy does with his eyes alone, most actors can't pull off with their entire being. If there's justice in the world, Ben's younger bro is lying by the pool right now waiting for his Oscar nod to arrive.
There is SO much to pay attention to in this film. The lighting is incredible. The sound design is so distinct that it almost becomes a character in itself. And the film is blessed with a script that is a wonder for those with an ear for the near poetic use of language.
By the time Jesse gets his due, the movie has been slowly building for 2+ hours, and it ain't over yet. Some will say that the film is far too long, and though I myself would have appreciated a bit more brevity in dealing with Ford's life after the shooting, the content is needed to bring the story to its conclusion. For those who can appreciate the thoughtful way the movie unfolds- I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
For those who can't- saddle up, it's gonna be a LONG night.
Monday, October 29, 2007
You Had Me At Hello
I spend a lot of time at the "third place." You know the one- the place between work and home, the one popularized by a corporate conglomerate (dare I say, monopoly??) masquerading as a coffee shop. What can I say, I like their coffee. But more than that, I like having a comfortable place where I can sit, sip, and chat with friends about anything, everything. Movies. Music. Politics. Love. LIFE.
Thus the title of my blog site. I hope that this will become a second "third place," a comfortable corner cafe where I can come and write about all those things that inspire late-night conversations over a cup of coffee. Those things that interest me, excite me, even piss me off a little.
Thus the title of my blog site. I hope that this will become a second "third place," a comfortable corner cafe where I can come and write about all those things that inspire late-night conversations over a cup of coffee. Those things that interest me, excite me, even piss me off a little.
If you should chance to wander by and like what you see, please share with friends, and leave a comment so that I know you were here. This is a new experience for me. I welcome it. I look forward to it.
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