Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Movies
I've seen a lot of movies with Laura since I came out to Chicago in 2006 and saw Stranger than Fiction. I often think about writing mini-reviews of the movies we see (as many of you know, we have a fairly regular habit of seeing a movie every Friday night, unless there's something else going on - like a concert, baseball game, et cetera). I've never gotten around to it and probably won't anytime soon, but I figured I'd write a little bit about some of the films we've seen lately, since the Oscars are coming up on Sunday.
Last Friday, we went to see The International, with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. I like Clive Owen; there were a lot of rumors that he would be the next James Bond after Pierce Brosnan, but of course Daniel Craig got the job. Anyway - it was a good 'popcorn movie', but nothing too special. As I mentioned on Facebook that night, "if you happen to enjoy ridiculously implausible action sequences with multiple uzi's firing hundreds of rounds, this film is for you." The storyline is about a multinational bank that is involved in money laundering, destabilizing the governments of various countries, and illegal arms trading. Several unlikely events during the movie made me exclaim (internally) "what?!"
The previous week, we saw one of the Oscar favorites - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The movie is definitely long (165 minutes), but it held my interest. It's quite predictable, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the film, which is beautifully shot and has a lot of great moments. Brad Pitt is bearable, and I almost always like Cate Blanchett. Taraji P. Henson is nominated for Best Supporting Actress as Pitt's adopted mother - she was excellent.
It might be a tough call in that category; I thought that Viola Davis was fantastic in Doubt - she stole a powerful and painful scene with Meryl Streep. I saw The Wrestler as well, and though I have a great deal of affection for Marisa Tomei - I think it'll be difficult for her to win. She deserves some kind of award for doing some great acting while mostly naked for much of that film though... impressive.
I haven't seen Sean Penn in Milk, and he is a favorite among some to win Best Actor. Haven't seen The Visitor with Richard Jenkins either. I'll take Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler over Pitt in Benjamin Button or Frank Langella as Tricky Dick in Frost/Nixon. Speaking as a major fan of professional wrestling from the ages of 8-13 or so, I think Rourke accurately captured the vibe of a former champion on his way down as the glory fades away.
It seems to be an act of sacrilege to speak about anyone but Heath Ledger winning Best Supporting Actor. Maybe it was all the hype surrounding The Dark Knight's release after Ledger's death, but I just didn't think it was that great... good, sure - but it certainly didn't blow my mind. In fact, my mind was intact enough to think that that movie was running a little long - and I like Batman... So - not that anyone cares, but I would definitely give the nod to Philip Seymour Hoffman for his awesome portrayal of a priest in Doubt. Hoffman is among my very favorite current actors, and he lives up to his regularly exceptional standard in Doubt. If Hoffman played baseball like he acts, he would be suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs.
Kate Winslet would be my pick for Best Actress, in The Reader (a hauntingly great film with Ralph Fiennes). We actually went to two movies the night we saw that, following The Reader with Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. Although Torino wasn't nominated for anything, I felt it was among the best pictures I've seen in the last year.
Slumdog Millionaire may well win Best Picture and a bunch of other Oscars on Sunday. This movie really bothered me. I can certainly recognize that it was very well done, the acting was good, the cinematography was effective... it just made me very uncomfortable. Fareed Zakaria and seemingly everyone else have praised it. I think my dislike and discomfort are my own fault. At some point, I saw a preview that referred to it as an uplifting or feel-good movie. The film is many things, but it is not that. I shouldn't have been taken in by the marketing. I feel like if I had been a bit more prepared for the many disturbing things that happen to the main characters, I would have had different (better) reactions toward it. As it was, I left the theater feeling pretty alienated and distressed by what I had seen. But, it's probable that many film-makers would rather have their audience feel that way than to feel nothing much at all, so they'd probably be just fine with my impressions. Anyway, don't go to see it and think you're going to 'feel like a million bucks' afterward, because you won't. It's a love story - a compelling one, but it's also about the injustices and the realities of the slums of Mumbai.
In Bruges is up for Best Original Screenplay. I think I must have seen that at the beginning of 2008. I would recommend it - I would describe it as a dark comedy or comedy noire or something to that effect. A fun movie.
I could go on, but I've been at this on and off for quite a few hours. Enjoy the Oscars.
Last Friday, we went to see The International, with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. I like Clive Owen; there were a lot of rumors that he would be the next James Bond after Pierce Brosnan, but of course Daniel Craig got the job. Anyway - it was a good 'popcorn movie', but nothing too special. As I mentioned on Facebook that night, "if you happen to enjoy ridiculously implausible action sequences with multiple uzi's firing hundreds of rounds, this film is for you." The storyline is about a multinational bank that is involved in money laundering, destabilizing the governments of various countries, and illegal arms trading. Several unlikely events during the movie made me exclaim (internally) "what?!"
The previous week, we saw one of the Oscar favorites - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The movie is definitely long (165 minutes), but it held my interest. It's quite predictable, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the film, which is beautifully shot and has a lot of great moments. Brad Pitt is bearable, and I almost always like Cate Blanchett. Taraji P. Henson is nominated for Best Supporting Actress as Pitt's adopted mother - she was excellent.
It might be a tough call in that category; I thought that Viola Davis was fantastic in Doubt - she stole a powerful and painful scene with Meryl Streep. I saw The Wrestler as well, and though I have a great deal of affection for Marisa Tomei - I think it'll be difficult for her to win. She deserves some kind of award for doing some great acting while mostly naked for much of that film though... impressive.
I haven't seen Sean Penn in Milk, and he is a favorite among some to win Best Actor. Haven't seen The Visitor with Richard Jenkins either. I'll take Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler over Pitt in Benjamin Button or Frank Langella as Tricky Dick in Frost/Nixon. Speaking as a major fan of professional wrestling from the ages of 8-13 or so, I think Rourke accurately captured the vibe of a former champion on his way down as the glory fades away.
It seems to be an act of sacrilege to speak about anyone but Heath Ledger winning Best Supporting Actor. Maybe it was all the hype surrounding The Dark Knight's release after Ledger's death, but I just didn't think it was that great... good, sure - but it certainly didn't blow my mind. In fact, my mind was intact enough to think that that movie was running a little long - and I like Batman... So - not that anyone cares, but I would definitely give the nod to Philip Seymour Hoffman for his awesome portrayal of a priest in Doubt. Hoffman is among my very favorite current actors, and he lives up to his regularly exceptional standard in Doubt. If Hoffman played baseball like he acts, he would be suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs.
Kate Winslet would be my pick for Best Actress, in The Reader (a hauntingly great film with Ralph Fiennes). We actually went to two movies the night we saw that, following The Reader with Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. Although Torino wasn't nominated for anything, I felt it was among the best pictures I've seen in the last year.
Slumdog Millionaire may well win Best Picture and a bunch of other Oscars on Sunday. This movie really bothered me. I can certainly recognize that it was very well done, the acting was good, the cinematography was effective... it just made me very uncomfortable. Fareed Zakaria and seemingly everyone else have praised it. I think my dislike and discomfort are my own fault. At some point, I saw a preview that referred to it as an uplifting or feel-good movie. The film is many things, but it is not that. I shouldn't have been taken in by the marketing. I feel like if I had been a bit more prepared for the many disturbing things that happen to the main characters, I would have had different (better) reactions toward it. As it was, I left the theater feeling pretty alienated and distressed by what I had seen. But, it's probable that many film-makers would rather have their audience feel that way than to feel nothing much at all, so they'd probably be just fine with my impressions. Anyway, don't go to see it and think you're going to 'feel like a million bucks' afterward, because you won't. It's a love story - a compelling one, but it's also about the injustices and the realities of the slums of Mumbai.
In Bruges is up for Best Original Screenplay. I think I must have seen that at the beginning of 2008. I would recommend it - I would describe it as a dark comedy or comedy noire or something to that effect. A fun movie.
I could go on, but I've been at this on and off for quite a few hours. Enjoy the Oscars.
Return of the Beard
I’m in the process of growing a beard again. Laura hates it (and hates facial hair, as a rule – especially on me) and we had a big fight this weekend that stemmed entirely from a conversation about me growing a beard. I have clearly defined the life of the beard, confirming that I will be shaving it in early April, or perhaps right after I return from my ‘bachelor weekend’ camping trip to Shenandoah at the end of March, but that doesn’t seem to appease her. I admit having perhaps an inordinate amount of nostalgia for the days of being able to decide my own appearance without outside pressures, particularly for the bearded days at Allegany in 2002 or in Fort Collins in 2003, or even in Fredonia in 2005. Laura reminded me that she keeps her hair much longer than she otherwise would, purely because of my preference. I think it’s a stupid thing to fight about, but she has a visceral hatred for it – telling me that it makes me less attractive to her and that she’s the one who has to look at me all the time, obviously more than I look at myself.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 09, 2009
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Win Five Grammys for Raising Sand
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
New York Times
By BEN SISARIO
LOS ANGELES — Defeating hard-core rap and arena-filling rock, Robert
Plant and Alison Krauss swept the 51st annual Grammy Awards, at
Staples Center here on Sunday night, with an album of gentle and
luxuriant renditions of old rockabilly and country songs.
Mr. Plant and Ms. Krauss's album, "Raising Sand" (Rounder), took five
prizes, including album of the year and best contemporary
folk/Americana album, as well as awards for three songs on that album.
"Please Read the Letter" — which Mr. Plant had originally written with
Jimmy Page, his former partner in Led Zeppelin, for their 1998 album,
"Walking Into Clarksdale" — took record of the year (which recognizes
the performers of a single track); "Rich Woman" took best pop
collaboration with vocals; and "Killing the Blues" won best country
collaboration with vocals.
"I'm bewildered," Mr. Plant said while accepting the award for album
of the year, although he appeared fully confident and calm. "In the
old days we would have called this selling out," he added while gazing
at the Staples Center crowd, "but I think it's a good way to spend a
Sunday." "Raising Sand" pulled ahead at the end of the night after a
tight contest with Lil Wayne and Coldplay, who had the top two
best-selling albums of 2008.
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