Slow Burn

I’ve just been to see the new Coen Bros. flick “Burn After Reading” and wow...I’m kinda speechless. I liked it…mostly. Actually more than I thought I would, with a couple of minor exceptions. More on that in a sec…

A couple of things really impressed me. First, there’s a LOT going on here…it’s a dark comedy with plenty of twists and turns, mistaken identities, and sudden (and surprising) shocks. It could have been confusing, but the Cohen’s have a way of puzzling you while always keeping you up to speed. I like that it takes its time introducing us to these folks before things get really fucked up...which they do pretty quickly. And second, there’s the PERFECT cast.

Frances McDormand has one of the most expressive faces in movies today. I’m not sure how she manages to find so many levels of quirkiness and still hold on to a characterization, but she does it to great effect for the Coen Bros. I was kind of rooting for her from the beginning- even though she’s completely naïve, jumps to conclusions with no thought, and hangs out with total losers like Brad Pitt. Speaking of whom…

Anyone who’s followed my blogs knows that I’ve come to respect Pitt a LOT as an actor. At first I wasn’t sure if he was parodying his earlier dumb-but-pretty roles here, or if he meant us to take this character seriously. Well, you can’t really take him TOO seriously, but after some thought I think he’s pulled off a major feat- his fitness trainer/extortionist is not dumb…exactly. More like innocent…not too bright and completely childlike in his approach to life. His character is simply too…well, simple, to see the consequences of his actions. He and McDormand bounce off each other nicely.

I was looking forward to seeing Tilda Swinton again- she was (IMHO) the best part of “Michael Clayton” and she’s equally good here…but in a completely different way. Where Karen Crowder was a nervous breakdown waiting to happen, Katie Cox is strong, self-assured, bitchy...and a lot of fun to watch. All that AND we get to hear her using her real accent. Great part, great actress.

George Clooney sheds the good-guy image to give us a character that’s twitchy, paranoid, and…well, a little bit of a perv. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’m not sure I really liked him, but I sure cared what happened to him. His reaction in a particularly violent scene is at once funny and distressing. As a matter of fact, from this scene on I was riveted and couldn’t wait to see where the film would go.

Also on a casting note…somebody get J. K. Simmons (Juno’s dad) a bigger role in something. Anything. He’s only in 2 scenes, but it both, he’s the voice of US, the audience- asking questions we would ask, and saying the things we would say if we were there. Every line is delivered in a complete deadpan, no expression whatsoever. And he’s funny as hell. Small part, HUGE impression.

Casting segues nicely into the couple of problems I had with the film. Regarding John Malkovich, I have to say that I was just not impressed with his one-note, grate on the nerves performance. I know I’ll get shit for this, but pretty much any actor could have shaved his head, adopted a pissed-off, “the world’s done me wrong” attitude, and huffed and puffed numerous variations on the “WHAT THE FUCK?” theme 20 or 30 times. What a total waste of an enormously talented actor.

Another problem for me is that the film seems to want to be a throwback to 30’s screwball comedies except with a dark side, and I’m not sure it completely pulls it off. The dialogue is dead-on, but some of the twists and turns are SO preposterous that I found myself just shaking my head on occasion.

And is it just me (probably), or did anyone else feel like there was something missing from the ending? I don’t particularly need (or even appreciate) a film that wraps up all its loose ends, but the final act of this one felt rushed, abrupt, and unfinished. On the whole, though, “Burn After Reading” is an entertaining way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Enchanted

In the past I’ve experienced some remarkable vacation destinations: the Southern charms of Savannah and Atlanta; the hustle and bustle of Vegas; the friendliness of Puerto Vallarta; the excitement that is The Big Apple. But there’s one place that I’ve visited that draws me back time and again. It’s a place of beauty and a place of fun, where you can travel the world, experience thrills (if that’s your thing), or just sit back and enjoy the magic, whether you’re a kid, or just a kid at heart. It’s also the #1 vacation destination in the U.S. and one of the top vacation resorts in the world. It is, of course, the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.

I first visited The World almost exactly 20 years ago, and my first impression wasn’t a good one. I had booked the trip on a whim, expecting to go with a friend. The friend backed out and instead of canceling, I decided to go it alone- my first solo trip anywhere, ever.

I had booked a room at the Polynesian Village, a sprawling, island-themed resort that I was told sat on a lake directly across from the Magic Kingdom. I arrived in a thunderstorm, and I was soaking wet by the time I finally made it to the hotel. After calling the folks to let them know I arrived safely and then changing into dry clothes, I headed out to see what the resort had to offer. Unfortunately, thunderstorms in Florida mean gray, dark skies, heavy humidity haze, and constant dampness. I ventured out to the beach and found the lake, but it was so hazy I couldn’t tell where the water ended and the sky began, and I certainly didn’t see any signs of a kingdom, magic or otherwise. So, I found an ice cream shop, had a quick snack, and went back to the room to hang out. I looked through park info, watched a tour of the resort on TV, listened to it rain, and finally went to bed- not quite what I had expected from my first night.

The next morning I woke up bright and early, with the Florida sun streaming through the windows. The Orlando news showed the temperature as 79° and 80% humidity…at 7:00 in the morning- not a great start. I ventured outside and found the beach again, and from there I roamed up a grassy hill that overlooked the beach and the lake. It was all haze across the water, with nothing to be seen but gray skies, and I couldn’t believe I was finally at Walt Disney World, and I was disappointed. And just then, something amazing happened. As I stood there, a gentle breeze stirred through the palm trees, the skies across the lake began to brighten, and floating in the sky at the far side of the lake was the glint of something golden. As the breeze continued to blow the haze away, spires came into view. And as the last of the haze faded away, Cinderella Castle emerged from the mist, gleaming in the morning sun. The Magic of Disney, indeed.

I just came back from my 7th trip to WDW, and no matter how many times I experience it, my first glimpse of Cinderella Castle sitting majestically at the end of Main Street always takes me back to that first moment, some 20 years before, when my first Disney trip really began. And I’m happy to report that to this day, the Magic lives on.

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