I walk at my own Pace and don’t try to keep up With you anymore.
The foundational myth of my lifetime has always been The Pied Piper.
I was the child who could not keep up and was left behind. The loss felt excruciating. I never wanted to feel it again, so I strove to ‘keep up’ but believed in my heart of hearts that I couldn’t. And even at a very young age, I was also aware of a powerful irony embedded in the tale. It was the lame child, the one who couldn’t keep up, that survived to tell the tale. All the other children ‘disappeared’ along with the Piper.
And as I read the various versions of the myth today, it actually sounds like there may have been three children who could not keep up for one reason or another. One was lame, one was deaf (and could not hear the flute), and one was blind (so could not see where to go). They could not follow the charismatic, magical piper, and were saved.
I like that version and am coming to embrace it fully as my foundational myth — a tale of shared survival and triumph!
Now I walk around The leaning trunk I used to Bump my head on hard.
Years ago, a giant maple fell in our maple grove but was propped up enough that we could walk under it where it was still attached to the trunk.
Over the years, things slowly shifted until I had to duck in order to get under that obstacle. And sometimes I’d be talking or thinking, and would forget to duck.
BANG!
I mostly learned to be careful, but every once in a while, I’d still forget. Meanwhile, I also had to duck lower and lower to stay unharmed.
Finally, I realized that I needed to change my route and use a spot where I could step OVER the fallen tree, rather than trying to duck under it. And that’s made a huge difference, but it took me a very long time to take in the lesson.
It’s a lesson that reminds me of the old saw about the person who walks down the street and falls into a hole over and over again.
Here’s what Google shared with me about this:
The most well-known story about a person repeatedly falling into the same hole is the poem “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters” by Portia Nelson. The simple, powerful verses serve as an allegory for breaking harmful habits or destructive patterns in life.
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
Chapter I I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost … I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.
The following chapters detail the progression of the narrator’s experience with the hole.
Chapter II describes the narrator walking down the same street, pretending not to see the hole, and falling in again. They are surprised to be in the same place but still don’t accept responsibility, and it takes a long time to get out.
Chapter III shows the narrator walking down the same street, seeing the hole, and still falling in out of habit. However, with open eyes, they recognize where they are, accept fault, and get out immediately.
Chapter IV is brief, stating the narrator walks down the same street and walks around the hole.
Chapter V concludes the poem with the narrator walking down another street.
I don’t know if I’m on the same street and walking around the hole, or if I’ve chosen a different path. But I do know that I’m learning, making progress, and my head feels MUCH better!
It being the first of a new month, I thought I’d again share diary pages composed by ancestors through the years, starting with me.
Happy September, friends!
Let’s start with 9/1/21 from my 5-year Diary:
“Grey day…sick chicken that D and K had to put down. R and L picked up Freya today! She looks like a love!! Rainy PM — Canterbury Community Farmer’s Market and B-day songs for JBD there!”
Great Aunt Emma Murphy, September 1, 1945
“Very tired and languid all day. Hot. Clean, etc. a little. Supper to Kitchen Spigot. Very cool and breezy there. Evening putty front door and listen to surrender signing, the official one on board the SS Missouri. Truman makes short, fine speech afterward.”
Interesting that this entry was penned on 9/1/45. Everything I’ve read says that the war ended on 9/2/45. Aunt Emma wrote nothing about that on 9/2/45. I wonder if the time difference played into it all somehow…
Looked it up and, indeed: “News of the formal surrender ceremony on September 2, 1945, reached the U.S. East Coast on the evening of September 1, 1945, due to the time difference with Tokyo Bay. President Harry S. Truman announced the signing of the surrender documents in a radio address that night, declaring the next day, September 2, the official “V-J Day” for the U.S.”
Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signs the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Japanese Government, on board USS Missouri (BB-63).
Ann Murphy Cornog Diary, September 1, 1943
I went to work this morn. Ruth and I ate a big lunch at Kingleds. The work was pretty heavy today. We sent out statements. I only stayed till 5:30. I ate a late supper and then we took a walk. We stopped up at Mochel’s. It was a beautiful day.
The house where she grew up.
Great Grandmother Emma Murphy’s Diary, September 1, 1908
“Busy day as usual. P.M. Purves and I go to the library and I do some errands. Get a book on electricity out of library for P and I see I shall be kept busy reading it to him. Call on Mrs. Swain but she is in bed with Tonsilitis. Great excitement because of purchase of new cow for $25 — a food cow but ——“
Hoping you can decipher the missing word(s).
Here’s how Chat GPT transcribed the above:
“Busy day as usual. In P.M. Purves & I go to the library & do some errands. Put a book on electricity out of library for P. I see I shall be kept busy reading it to him. Call on Mrs. Swain, but she was into [Vanities?]. Great excitement because of purchase of new car for $25 – a good second hand sedan.”
Great Aunt Helen’s diary, September 1, 1954
“Beautiful day beginning. Boy who drves our car to —- does not like our trail. Prefers one from Ravine House. After 12:00 meet party coming down. (—) Rain begins. Man advises ‘Parapet Trail’ — less exposed to NW wind. Rain begins to worsen with a high wind. Can barely see from cairn to cairn. Get soaked. Nearly exhausted. Make hut at 5. Emma gets tea. I rub down, change into dry clothes and teeth chatter almost an hour after making shelter. E still trembling at supper has to drink soup from bowl. Dry clothes at stove.“
What an adventure — and more words here and there that I couldn’t decipher.
Interesting to note Emma’s ‘trembling.’ She developed Parkinson’s disease later in life, and I wonder if this was a foreshadowing. Growing up, I remember her ‘trembling’ quite vividly and her increasing difficulty with eating.
Here’s how Chat GPT transcribed the above entry:
“Wed 1954 – Beautiful day beginning. Dog wagon drives our car to Blue House, dols mit line on trails, presters thru Ravine House. After 12:00 am at [???] (Parapet Trail, less exposed). Rain begins 1:30 pm, passed to N.W. wind. Rain begins to worsen, wind high + wind. Can barely see for cairn to cairn. Get soaked, nearly exhausted. Mushy.
“Hot at 5. E gets tea, I rub dry, change into dry undies + shirt. Tie damp (managed to get 30a head). Teeth chatter almost out of hand after making shelter. E still trembles. Jig pot soup—has to drink soup. Find our dry clothes at stove.”
The last of August, and I’m taking a moment to catch up with myself as I pause before looking ahead to September:
I’m in my third of the Booker Long List books, and so far it’s my favorite. Love Forms by Claire Adam was my first read, and I felt engaged but not enthralled. Honestly, I couldn’t quite get the comparisons to Elizabeth Strout. But maybe it was me. My second read was Audition by Katie Kitamura, and I felt disoriented and put off by it. It was a very internal book, but I never really felt let in. And again, maybe it was me. Now I am reading Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga. At this point, I am bringing a certain amount of wariness to this entire enterprise, but so far, Misinterpretation feels more engaging and accessible to me, even though the title would imply otherwise.
As well, I have been listening to All’s Well by Mona Awad. It’s a novel about a theatre professor and centers around an exploration of her debilitating pain and the healthcare establishment’s denial about so much of it. I only listen to it when I’m driving, so it’s half-hour snippets at most — and it definitely affects the rest of my reading life.
I think I am looking forward to the Booker shortlist coming out. That will be on Tuesday, September 23, and maybe I’ll have a couple more read before then — and fewer books left on my list going forward.
Football season starts on Thursday with a match-up between the Super Bowl-winning Eagles and the hapless Cowboys. I have selected the lucky T-shirt that I will wear for all games, so long as the birds keep winning. (Hint: It’s got the number and name of a beloved former tight end on it.)
I’ve decided that I need to ride my stationary bike more (which would be any number of minutes greater than zero) this coming month. I’ll use this blog to stay accountable.
My reading experience may not be helped by the fact that I’m taking care of 3 energetic dogs at the moment. We take many walks, and I tend to be falling asleep after @ 15-minutes of reading (if I’m lucky). One of those dogs got groomed yesterday and is feeling pretty spiffy at the moment. (And no, she isn’t the photo on the left, although it’s kinda close!)
So, September 1 is the day my parents got married — an event that bore mixed results. But I am essentially glad that it happened, or I’d not be writing this. Whether it brings specific changes or not, the arrival of a new month always feels worth marking. And this year, September arrives with a number of changes beyond the start of school and fantasy football. And they’ve sparked some anxiety for me. ‘Nuff said.
I’ve been thinking about anxiety lately — MY anxiety — which has been a somewhat surprising discovery for me. I used to think of myself as easy-going. (I used to think of my father that way, too.) Neither thought is accurate.
Aware of it now, I see how often I anticipate things with anxiety. It could be big things/big changes in my life, or it could be things like a work meeting, or any kind of ‘appointment,’ or even walking up a steep hill. Will I be able to do whatever-it-is this time?
And it’s been interesting to see how closely my anxiety is tied to my breathing. And to learn how much self-talk can help me through anything!
I’m sure there will be more on this as September unfolds. Am I anxious about the Eagles vs. Dallas? You bet. The next new thing? Of course. Getting on that exercise bike? Uh-huh.
Yes, inspired by a friend who always sets very high goals for herself (you know who you are), I am jumping in with both feet. It’s a first for me (jumping into anything with both feet). But here I am, starting now and aiming to read the entire Booker Long List.
My first read will be Love Forms because with a description like the following from The Times, I could not resist: “Reads like a Claire Keegan story expanded by Elizabeth Strout.”
Here’s the long list if you are interested. Wish me luck (and Big Al, keep an eye on our Kindle).
I have a place in The Universe. And that’s for All eternity.
It looks like I wrote this back in early November 2024. As I sit with it now, I realize that I need to breathe and take it in more deeply than I have.
Much, much more deeply.
None of us is tethered, though we yearn to be. And this is a tough fact to take in. We continually strive to attach meaning to things, to pin things down, to find and sustain a solid ‘place’ in the universe.
How is it possible to at once be untethered and have a place?
I know I have felt it from time to time, but not for a while.
It’s surely worth finding my way back. So okay, time to start again!
Licorice Pizza: I'm starting anew here and have now been, twice, to Vax and Snax at Red River. These are Thursday night movies for vaccinated and masked folks, and you can get POPCORN! But I digress...Licorice Pizza was a sweet, coming-of-age in The Valley in the Seventies sort of movie that managed to include waterbeds and Jon Peters and two new stars -- Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman).
If Beale Street Could Talk: Quiet, beautiful, heartfelt, devastating. America wears many masks. This movie strips a few of them away. It shines a light on quite a lot of ugliness. As well, it illuminates dignity and resilience in the face of a system built on the abuse of privilege and power. A perfect movie to see on the eve of what is hopefully Donald Trump's last SOTU.
Shoplifters: A beautifully honest, quiet movie that is at once uplifting and devastating. Universal questions are raised and left open for pondering. What is a family? How do people survive in our world today? And how do we judge their choices?
Green Book: Very enjoyable movie and yet deeply flawed. The white guy comes across as the hero in ways that are typical for the American movie industry, and comfortably misleading in terms of the realities of our culture. Especially in the current socio/political atmosphere, can't we do better than this?
On the Basis of Sex: We applauded, we cried, we felt so glad that RBG was as prescient as she was. And I felt personally glad that her love of opera clearly predates her connection with Scalia. What an inspiring woman -- and a good movie about her early years as a student, professor, and attorney.
The Favourite: Did I say that being a queen was no fun? This definitely seems to have carried forward to Queen Anne's reign. Strong performances again, and more belly laughs than you'd think. And right along with it, grief, emptiness, ambition, and gouty excess.
Mary Queen of Scots: Being a queen was no fun in the 16th century. Excellent, complex performances in this one. I found Elizabeth especially compelling. Very unclear who actually wins out in this one.
Another Year: Loved this one! It's about a couple, and their friends, and their lives – painful in spots, and wonderfully everyday and enriching, to my mind. Great performances – and who knew there was so much wine being drunk in England!?
Tiny Furniture: A young woman (aka Lena Dunham) comes home after graduating from college and tries to find herself – or not. A character study that I found humorous and touching – and sometimes a little disturbing and/or self-indulgent. It's definitely a privilege to have the leisure to "find oneself." After this..."Girls."
Rabbit Hole: Painful/powerful movie about loss and grieving. Hard to watch but well worth the effort, with a strong cast and an especially on the mark performance by Nicole Kidman. I continue to be glad to see that she is clearly outstripping Tom Cruise as an artist. You go girl!
The Kids Are Alright: Very enjoyable movie with great performances and an excellent cast. Two kids whose moms are lesbians decide they want to find out something about their "father" – and everything moves on from that point.
The King's Speech: Warm, funny, inspiring – and apparently a bit of a rewrite of history, to boot! Colin Firth puts out an amazing performance – and was well rewarded for it. Everyone else is great too, and if you're one of the few people left who hasn't seen it, it's definitely worth a look!
Black Swan: This is a disturbing movie that I really loved – and in case you haven't noticed, I do have a tendency to like disturbing movies. What's real and what isn't? You be the judge. Also, be on the lookout for Winona Ryder – you'll never recognize her!
Blue Valentine: A couple in trouble – how they started and how they got to where they are. A good movie with excellent performances that left me wondering, especially in Michelle Williams' case, whether she was thinking about what's his name (her partner who died suddenly – the guy who starred in Broke Back Mountain – for some reason I can't remember his name – oh yeah, Heath Ledger).
Shutter Island: A dark period piece that has the creepy feel of the 1950s (creepy to me at any rate) and has stayed with me more than I would've thought. A movie with surprises – definitely worth a look.
Cyrus: I don't remember this one so well, but have a vague recollection of walking out of the theater feeling not so enthralled. I believe it's supposed to be funny – but as you can tell it didn't really make an impression.
I Am Love: Really beautiful, sumptuous movie that made me hungry, just watching it. A keeper!
The Girl Who Played with Fire: The second in the three part series involving the girl with the dragon tattoo, this movie was much harder to watch than the first, as Salander's triumph isn't quite so clear at the end. Painful, painful, painful.
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World: I loved this comic book take on young love. Went to the movie on a whim and came away very happy to have seen it! Quite a few laugh out loud moments – and touching, as well.
Going the Distance: A very lightweight romcom that kinda left me feeling like I had just spent an hour and a half reading People magazine. In other words, pretty much a waste of time.
Never Let Me Go: Wow! This was an amazing, stark, and moving movie about kids who are basically raised to become organ donors. Very much worth seeing.
The Town: Ben Affleck's movie about bank robbers. It's okay. Not great, but okay. It does make me curious about Charlestown – will have to go there one day.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: A Woody Allen movie that I honestly don't remember very well. It's pretty much about adults behaving badly – something that Woody knows a little something about.
The Social Network: The movie about Facebook. I found it very interesting and well done, and was especially fascinated/disturbed by the window on the incredible privilege and elitism still thriving at undergrad Harvard.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: Number three in the Dragon trilogy. I found this, in many ways, the weakest of the three movies – although that's not to say that it was weak. Perhaps my enjoyment was affected by the fact that I hadn't read the book. Anyway, it's a great trilogy and I was sorry to see it come to an end.
Fair Game: The movie about the Valerie Plame affair. One of the things that I found most interesting was how it uncovered my own biases, as she was clearly a very serious and talented agent, but because of her blonde haired beauty, I pretty much assumed that she was a lightweight in real life. I appreciated, also, the depiction of her husband as a bit of a media hound, which was how he seemed to me at the time. And of course, there are the despicable characters of the Bush administration. Glad they were on display in all their glory!
City Island: This was a fine, if predictable, movie about a family in which everyone has a secret and is telling lies. I mostly loved it because it gave me a glimpse of where my friend CB lives!
Winter's Bone: Wow! Unrelenting, stark, and ultimately uplifting – at least to my mind. This is a painful movie about life when you're the daughter of someone who runs a meth lab. Winter's Bone is a perfect title. J-Law is amazing!
Please Give: Quirky, sweet, slice-of-life movie. I loved the low-key character development and good humor of it all. Enjoyable, with a great cast and few false notes.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Tho' parts of the book were missing, this was an excellent rendition of an excellent book. Not for the faint of heart, tho'! Lisbeth Salander is an Emma Peel for the 21st Century (watch for more from Noomi Rapace - I will be)!
Me and Orson Welles: Or was it Orson Welles and me? (If Orson had anything to do with the title, I'm guessing the latter.) I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, even as it reminded me of why the world of the theatre holds absolutely no appeal for yours truly! Nice to see Claire Danes back ... still have to finish watching Temple Grandin, too!
Crazy Heart: I left this movie thinking ... "Eh?" but it has stayed with me. Jeff Bridges does give a wonderful performance. The amount of smoking and drinking was nauseating - as I guess it was supposed to be - all in an understated, Jeff Bridges sort of a way.
A Single Man: One of the best movies of the year in my book. Haunting, beautifully acted and filmed ... marred only by an unnecessarily heavy-handed ending, IMHO. That was the only flaw in an otherwise brilliant bit of artistry. Colin Firth was perfect, and this was an amazing writing/directing debut for Tom Ford! See it!!!
Young Victoria: I am eternally grateful to have not been born the heir to a throne. Life was confusing enough! This was an enjoyable, tear-jerker of a movie that left me wanting to know more about the details. Perhaps a bio for Bookeaters?
Precious: Wow, wow, wow. Two weeks in a row - another amazing movie at Red River. This is a challenging and important movie ... about life in America ... every single day ... everywhere.
The Messenger: Wow, wow, wow. This is one of the best movies I have seen in quite some time. Its focus is on two men who notifiy NOK (next of kin) when a soldier dies. It is a raw, wrenching, unflinching and uplifting journey - not to be missed. Seriously
Damned United: This was a study in soccer, ambition, and friendship. For soccer buffs who actually know the players (I'm a late-comer to the game) the movie would be that much better. I loved it, though - and recommend it highly.
A Serious Man: The Book of Job envisioned by the Coen brothers evoked the early sixties and suburbia with humor, pathos ... and a slightly nauseating quality that tells me they pretty much hit the nail on the head. As one of the goyim, I am sure there were hundreds of nuances that were lost on me ... but I loved it (nausea aside) nonetheless!
Cold Souls: The premise of this movie is deeply strange, yet it is presented in an entirely believable way. It's by turns very moving and then hilarious (in ways that, in retrospect, are hard to capture/explain). The ending leaves a puzzled feeling - but that's not really bothersome. In many ways, puzzled is the appropriate way to walk out of the theater after "Cold Souls." Check it out!
Adam: Nicely done! Not a movie that will stay with you for a long time, but I liked it. The father (Peter Gallagher) seemed a tad overdone -and unnecessarily so. Unmemorable soundtrack - but since I mention it, does that make it memorable? Now I'm starting to feel like Steven Wright - not necessarily a bad thing!
Taking Woodstock: Even going in with low expectations, this offering from Ang Lee just wasn't good. Vilma was a high point in an otherwise shoddy effort. Harsh, eh? And watch out, world - it's only 6:30 AM!
Julie and Julia: I was not as bothered by Julie as some reviewers were - maybe because I liked seeing a blogger hit the big time. Meryl Streep was amazing as Julia .. and this is definitely not a movie to see on an empty stomach! Never have I enjoyed watching people eat as much as I did watching this flick!
500 Days of Summer: I think I wasn't supposed to, but I loved it. Engaging characters and script, great soundtrack. Not as quirky and lovable as "Away We Go" - but not far behind, either.
Whatever Works: People either like or hate this latest offering from Woody Allen. I must admit that it's a little weird to see this May-December relationship on-screen, feeling so creeped out by Woody's real-life choices. But I'd say he pulls it off. There are some really great lines throughout the movie, and while not entirely believable, I didn't mind being along for the ride. A pleasant diversion for sure.
Goodbye, Solo: Interesting movie that basically contrasts life energy and death energy, IMHO. Solo is the epitome of resilience - love him! Meanwhile William seems bent on being miserable, for reasons that the movie leaves mysterious. I didn't find him very a likable or compelling character - but Solo makes up for it.
Moon: I hesitate to write this one up, as I was tired when I saw it - and missed portions. But form my bleary vantage point, this seemed an intriguing movie set on the moon and exploring themes of identity, isolation, etc. It was not my usual fare - and I wasn't up to snuff - but at least had the wherewithall to be able tell that it was quality work!
Cheri: I liked this a lot better than Easy Virtue - maybe because I went into it having already seen EV and had my expectations lowered. Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates are fun to watch as always - and I liked Rupert Friend in the title role. It all got a little too serious at the end - a tone-shift that didn't quite fit with the bulk of the movie. Still - a pleasant diversion on a rainy July evening!
Away We Go: This was an excellent movie in every regard. Great dialogue and plot line, endearing cast/characters, heartwarming/funny story that avoids tipping over into overly-sweet territory ... and great soundtrack, to boot! See it, if you haven't already.
Easy Virtue: Not my cup of tea - but I suspect it would have helped, going in, to know that this was a movie based on a Noel Coward play. The characters felt stilted and unbelievable to me, as it was - and I couldn't muster much concern for what became of them. All things considered, I'd rather have been in Philadelphia!
Sugar: Sugar is a baseball flick that is sweetly and realistically done - and definitely like no Hollywood film on the subject. The characters are real and the life is hard - and the film depicts it all in a matter-of-fact way that brings the realities home more surely than something more "dramatic" ever could. Two thumbs up on this one!
Sunshine Cleaning: Director Christine Jeffs has a winner in this tale about the hard times and resiliency of the Lorkowski family. Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin shine in this movie about a bio-hazard clean-up company. Yes, that's correct. And the movie had the potential to cross the line into sappiness several times but demurred. For that I am eternally thankful. (Okay, eternally may be a little over the top.) Darn good flick, though - check it out.
Milk: Sean Penn deserves an Oscar for his amazing portrayal of Harvey Milk. It actually didn't even feel like a portrayal - more a channeling. Such a loss - that yet another creative and energetic and good leader, was senselessly murdered all those years ago. Fear, hatred and guns - why don't we remove at least the last ingredient in the tragic mix?
Doubt: Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman are amazing, and Viola Davis is a heartbreaking revelation in this battle royale. I was left with less doubt at the end than some of my compatriots ... but that took nothing away from the experience. Meryl Streep deserves an Oscar, IMHO ... and I definitely want her on my side, always!
Slumdog Millionaire: Just a great movie, start to finish. Magical,epic, and a nail-biter (even though you know what's going to happen ... pretty much. The dancing at the end did my heart good - and having M.I.A. in the soundtrack didn't hurt, either!
The Secret Life of Bees: Or was it The Secret Lives of Bees? Anyway, whatever - I want Queen Latifah to be my mother!!! (What was Bill Clinton thinking, throwing her under the bus all those years ago?) The movie was entertaining but not a home run by any means. Too predictable ... but Alicia Keys was wonderfully cranky-verging-on-scary and the Queen was queenly and the honey looked delicious and it was nice hearing India Arie in the soundtrack!
Happy Go Lucky: I think I was supposed to like this more than I did. Perhaps it suffered by being seen pretty much on the heels of Rachel. I found Poppy to be a sometimes intriguing and sometimes annoying character. The relentless joking and "upbeatness" felt distancing and unnecessary. I didn't hate this movie by any means - but something was missing for me.
Rachel Getting Married: Jonathan Demme and an amazing script and cast just blew me away with this effort. The characters are fascinating and complicated and most every interaction in the film left me engaged and wanting to know more! Debra Winger was stupendous - although it's been so long since I've seen her that I kept trying to find the bull-riding Urban Cowboy persona within the steely, distant mother of this wedding movie. (She's not there.) Margot at the Wedding was very good - but Rachel puts her in her place. I highly recommend this to everyone!
Religulous: Bill Maher skewers the rampant "illogic" of religion in this free-wheeling film. His wit is right on target and as barbed as you'd expect. I found myself squirming every once in awhile. I don't mind you picking on the Pope, Bill ... but same as with Michael Moore ... sometimes when you set up "common folks" to look like fools, I cringe. Still, Religulous is worth a look for sure. The best point Bill makes? That conservatives of a religulous bent are about finding answers - while liberals are about asking questions. I can go with that!
Roman de gare: This was an intriguing, surprising, suspenseful, funny, quirky movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters and plot lines are deftly developed. You should definitely check it out if you get the chance!
Young at Heart: YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's a documentary about a choral group of octogenarians in Northampton, MA. Very inspiring ... definitely something to check out!
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: Enjoyable, light fare with a stellar performance by my favorite police chief, Frances McDormand!
The Visitor: Now this was an excellent movie ... from start to finish. It was similar to Smart People in that it had an academic as the main character. However, all similarities ended pretty much right there. In this warm, funny, and wrenching movie, the characters are well and subtly developed, the plot is (unfortunately) believable ... and there are no false notes. I would urge you to see it - you won't be sorry!
Smart People: Looks like we're getting back on track with our Tuesday night movie schedule ... for the time being. Smart People was enjoyable but left me unenthralled. (It probably didn't help that we ran into a totally enthralled movie-goer on the way in who was seeing it for the second time. High expectations may have killed this one for me.) Overall, I found the characters exaggerated and mildly unlikeable ... the dialogue stilted and self-conscious, perhaps just the way smart people talk. But then the lessons about loosening up and being less self-absorbed weren't exactly ground-breaking. Overall, it wasn't a wasted evening ... but not a movie I'll be putting at the top of my list, either.
4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days): Winner of the Palm D'Or at Cannes, this film by Romania's Cristian Mungiu certainly deserves the accolades it receives. It's a realistic and emotionally unflinching story of a woman who helps her friend obtain an illegal abortion in 1987 Romania. The story is harrowing, the acting wonderful, and the cinematography amazing. This film makes Juno look like Disney pablum!
Taxi to the Dark Side: This was a harrowing and eye-opening look at what our country has become under the leadership of Bush/Cheney after 9/11. The "road taken" has definitely been a trip to the dark side. Disgusting and important to see ... as we make our way back toward the light!
Michael Clayton: What an excellent movie! Engaging, engrossing, well-acted. Tilda Swinton certainly deserved an award for her protrayal of what I have to think must be the secret, inner life of Condi Rice.
Persepolis: This animated memoir is an engaging, heartbreaking, uplifting, realistic look at life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Go see it! It humanizes what our current regime so consistently tries to dehumanize. An important movie, Persepolis is based on the book by Marjane Satrapi.
Margot at the Wedding: Dark, funny, tough to watch and very well acted.
I'm Not There: Bob Dylan's not my favorite, but this was a fascinating movie to watch (albeit long) and since he wasn't there, I couldn't very well feel annoyed by him. Cate Blanchette was just amazing - and I loved the surreal, Fellini-esque feel of the Richard Gere parts.
Atonement: Lush, compelling, painful - I especially loved Vanessa Redgrave's starkly powerful 5 minutes - and the Fellini-esque (can you tell I love Fellini?) flavor of the scenes of the evacuating troops on the beach - complete with ferris wheels - somehow depicting the disorienting horror of war in ways that blood and gore never could. Great movie!
Juno: Well, I went to see it. I totally agree with my friends who found the clinic scene extremely misleading, off-base, and gratuitously negative in its depiction of the women's health movement and its workers. In an otherwise nice movie, this was a thoughtless lapse ... and I was sad to see so many women in Juno's age group in the theater (one of them actually pregnant) ... who'll be coming away with a false impression that could so seriously affect their lives!
The Savages: Wow, what a good movie! Philip Seymour Hoffman has had an amazing run this year between this, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," and that other movie with Tom Hanks ... the name of which is escaping me at the moment ... Charlie Somebody's War. Anyway - he and Laura Linney are just wonderful as siblings dealing with their aging/ailing father. Painful and real ... and set in gritty, wintry Buffalo ... in perfect contrast to Sun City. (The latter looks like a setting that would do David Lynch proud.) Check it out if you haven't seen it!
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