Book and Movie Reviews
BOOKS
A NATION FOR ALL: How the Catholic Vision of the COMMON GOOD can save America From the Politics of Division
Chris Korzen & Alexia Kelley
Published by www.josseybass.com
While this book is guided by deeply Catholic principles, Americans of all faith traditions will draw inspiration from its powerful call to build a culture, an economy, and politics in which everyone, rich and poor, has a place at the table.
—
Sister Helen Praejean —
Korzen and Kelley situate the Abortion issue within the wider context of social justice. In fact, they say the solution to abortion is social justice. Until poor women such as for example Mary Ann, a single mom working for a minimum wage are offered good prenatal care, maternity leave, and other social justice aids, they will too often see abortion as their only out.
— Fr. William Fitzgerald —
"Petain" Williams
The tragic life story of Marshall Petain France's hero of World War I who signed the armistice with Hitler and ruled over Vichy France the southern part which the Nazis did not occupy. After World War II he was tried for treason and died after a long imprisonment.
The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini. A growing up story of two boyhood friends in Afghanistan and the betrayal of one by the other. An interesting story of family, of betrayal and redemption. A good read.
Doctored Evidence
Donna Leon. The author is my favorte mystery writer, her tales all in Venice where Commissario Guido Brunetti eats and walks his way on the way to solving the crime. This one not quite as good as her usual, but still good enough.
Particular Friends
Michael Lawler a professor at Creighton University. This is his first novel and a good one. The tale of two priest classmates, one gay, the other heterosexual and of their path through seminary, and early priesthood and of a lovely Irish woman who loved one, and had great care for the other.
Sea Glass
The novel is also set in the depression years. It tells the stories of individuals first and then has them converging and joining their lives together. It has a bittersweet ending and is an engrossing story.
It made good summer reading.
MOVIES
Bernie
Rating: Excellent
If you liked the movie Fargo I think you will love the movie Bernie. It is a sunnier version of the movie Fargo’s dark humor. It is also a satire on the funeral industry, Texas, and small towns with their variety of characters. Bernie is a town favorite and local undertaker. He gets attached to Shirley McLaine the local town crank. Life with her is hell. And one day, the very nice guy Bernie, at the end of his rope, impulsively shoots her.
There is a trial and I will not tell you the verdict. I laughed more than anyone else in the theatre, but they were laughing too. I recommend it as an offbeat funny summer excursion.
The Help
Rating: Excellent
This enjoyable movie tells the untold stories of the black maids who did a lot of the raising of white babies who eventually turned out to imitate the racial attitudes of their parents. It is laced with humor as well as pathos. Get it on Netflix.
The Descendents
Rating: Very Good
The Descendents is a tale of infidelity, its infliction of wounds on families, as well as an ending of both forgiveness and retribution. It is also a story that honors the earth and portrays in a beautiful way some of the beauty and culture of Hawaii. I like Clooney in this one much better than in Ides of March.
The Artist
Rating: Good
The Artist is a throwback to black and white and is mostly a silent movie about a silent film star who goes into the pits when talkies come and his eventual comeback. This will sweep a lot of awards. People I went with gave it a five star. I had a little trouble getting into it, but finally did and enjoyed it. You have to accustom yourself to reading facial expressions. George Wendt the former bar fly companion of Cliff Claven on Cheers has a face that is fascinating and readable. He has a major role as a movie producer.
War Horse
Rating: Good
I recommend obtaining and reading “To End All Wars” prior to seeing this World War I drama. The book highlights the utter stupidity of the British Military, before, and all during this senseless war, who couldn’t wait to get into it, and then throughout believed the infantry would make a break through the German lines and then the cavalry would charge through to end the war. It never dawned on them that horses make fine targets for machine guns. The film will well illustrate the folly of such a stubborn strategy. The star of the movie is of course the horse. It’s his story and Speilberg tells a good story.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Rating: Confusing
A cold war spy thriller where a cold war English spy works to root out a mole in the English secret service. Rated excellent by film critics and some viewers I have spoken with. Note this advisory from a reviewer in The Week: “Because it is almost impossible to follow the screenplay’s intricate threads and arcane spy jargon, you may want to read the book before you buy your ticket.” I did not read the book and I did find it impossible to follow.
The Ides of March
My most disappointing current movie: The Ides of March directed and starred in by George Clooney. I am quite politically literate and looked forward to this movie, which is highly reviewed elsewhere, although the New Yorker was less kind. The previously reviewed movie, The Guard, was filled with flawed characters, Ides is too. Only in The Guard there were flecks of gold amid the grit, there was no gold to be found in Ides. It is all about power corrupting and absolute power absolutely. If you are a cynic now, you will exit from this movie a super cynic. And just a minor correction. George Clooney you don’t clearly identify one of the characters as Catholic and then have them buried from an Anglican church. You should know better. This for me was a dreary movie.
The Way
No flecks of gold here—all gold. A splendid tale about a father carrying the burden of his son on the ancient pilgrimage road to St. James tomb in Compestella. Martin Sheen and his three pilgrim companions take you with them as a fellow pilgrim. (There is a parallel symbolism here, when one considers the real life burden of Martin carrying his son Charlie.)
The Way and Bill Cunningham- New York rate as the two best of 2011 for me. Before you see this movie, Google The Pilgrimage to Compestella. Not only has Sheen made this pilgrimage, so too have such diverse persons as Saint Francis and Shirley MacLaine!
The Guard
Another outstanding movie I saw recently is “The Guard.”
Filmed in Ireland it tells the tale of a local garda (cop) who teams up with an FBI agent to catch Irish drug smugglers. The cop, Boyle, is a flawed but fascinating character, up against a murderous drug smuggler group who are also very literate and converse about literature!
Where else but in Ireland? The climax is an Irish version of the American Western Shoot Out at High Noon.
Bill Cunningham—New York
The best movie I have seen in the last six months, an unlikely choice was:
Bill Cunningham—New York. This true documentary is about an 80-some year-old man who rides his bike abound the streets and takes photos of women in striking fashion array for his Sunday column in the New York Times. His story is the story of the journey of a soul. You come away from this film loving this old man.
W
This movie is somewhat of a psycho drama about W and his dad. Not really comedic unless you sometimes laugh at W's denseness. It's all about a "good old Texas boy" who is in over his head, surrounded by a neocon crowd who are out of their heads. One comes away almost sad for W and for the country.
Bottle Shock
An interesting story of how California wines came into their own versus the establishment: French wines...A nice little romantic sub plot as well.
Sicko
A movie must. It is the best work Michael Moore has done, less directly political and more thought provoking and compassionate as well as being extremely creative in his story telling. He does indict the HMO's no question. Six doctors in Phoenix were asked to crituque this movie and all agreed with Moore's premise that our health care system is broken for a lot of people. See the movie. Talk about it. It is pertinent to everyone.
Once
A low budget Dublin film featured at Sun Dance: about a young aspiring musician and the imigrant girl he meets on the street who conspire to put together a hoped for musical hit. She is blithe and has an innocent charm and so does he. This is a musical film with a bittersweet friendship woven into it. Lovely.
Black Book
This Dutch thriller has many twists and turns and you won't know til the end. It is about a Jewish girl who escapes an ambush in World War II and joins the Dutch underground. She takes the assignment of infiltrating the Gestapo and ingratiating herself with its German commander in Holland. It is based on a true story and is high drama at its best. At times there is intense violence and there is a scene with full frontal nudity.
Namesake
This is an epic story of a family down into the second generation--and of a family straddling two worlds: life in India and eventual life in the USA.
You will pick up some of the vibrant Indian culture as well as marvel at the challenges ordinary imigrants face in a strange new land. It is a story well told and ideal for appreciating the nuances of family adjustments.
Lives of Others: Best Foreign Film!
Locale
East Germany during Communist regime's chronicles the regeme's spying on a writer and other artists. But it is much more than that: it is a tale of personalities and character and the possibility of growth in the most unlikely places. No violence--just a good, tense story well told. (German: English subtitles)
Miss Potter
A lovely biographical tale about the spunky authoress of the Peter Rabbit stories, about her love, her sorrow, and her growth. A tale set at the turn of the 19th Century: visually gorgeous, heart tugging, and well acted.
Breach
The true story of the traitor Robert Hansson, now imprisoned for life after being a mole for the KGB in the FBI and responsible for the deaths of several Soviet friendly sources. How tortured and unknowable the human heart! This drama is both a pycho-drama as well as riveting history of great betrayal. Through it all, Hansson is a "devout" and "elite--Opus Dei Catholic." You will have to judge for yourself what drove him: a film well worth seeing.
Lyrics and Music
With Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, a cute little ditty about a song writer and aging rock performer from the 80's who gets a chance to write a song for a pop star but he needs a wordsmith to match his lyrics: behold Drew, his plant lady. Some kind of sweet tunes. And if you like to see Hugh Grant bemused, lots of that.
Sweet Land
Once every couple of years a movie comes along that stands out like a bright star from a blurred milky way. "Sweet Land" for my liking is a magnificent movie! It is the story of a young German girl, an immigant to the USA at the beginning of the 19th century when there was a virulent anti-German feeling. It is about her struggle but it is also a lovely and warm love story about her and her Norwegian bridgroom, both trying to integrate within their church and civic community. The both of them turn in marvelous performances. I loved this movie and hope you will see it. I also hope that some viewers might fill in the dots and see connections to the situation of immigrants from Mexico in our own time.
The Illusionist
This is another period piece about a magician, his secret love and the secrets of his trade. Watch it carefully because the title gives you a clue about hidden illusions in the tale. Entertaining; filmed in Prague by an Irish Film Company.
Mrs. Paltrow at the Claremont
An elderly English woman moves into a hotel filled with eccentrics; she befriends a young man and they have a valuable friendship--a very touching tale about becoming old. Very good.
The Sunshine Girl
A dysfunctional family par excellance, on the way to their daughter's talent contest...have many adventures which become funnier and funnier. I enjoyed it a lot. If you can disregard the "F" word from the grandpa in the first 15 minutes, then you will enjoy it too.
Scoop
With Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansson. If you do not like Woody Allen movies read no farther. If like me, you do, then do not miss this tour de force. It has clever lines, a clever plot, and a mystery that keeps you guessing right to the end. It also contained for me a lot of chuckles. In fact as I came out to the parking lot, I found myself still chuckling. Enough said.
The Lost City
Set in Havana during the time of Castro's revolution it is the story of an aristocratic family's stuggle to survive and of the divisions that the revolution brought to the family. Some flamboyant dancing scenes, also some very bloody scenes. Interesting and different especially since it takes place in Cuba.
The Devil Wears Prada
Meryl Streep as always, a superb actress plays a devilish fasion designer to the hilt. This might well be called a "Girl Flick" because its theme is fashion. However I enjoyed it. It might be called "a fast moving fashion show that turns into a morality play." Recommended.
Prairie Home Companion
Entertaining! But in a surprising way. It's more a Country Western Musical than an actual broadcast, since Garrison Kellior who is prominent in the movie, does no long story telling. There is also a surprising undertow to this movie, a kind of morality tale about stoicism in the face of the endings of all things. Indeed the plot is about the last radio perfomance of this famous Saturday night radio show. One of the surprises is the good singing of Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin. A singing duo including Woody Harrelson also sing some bawdy cowboy lyrics which I found fun and not offensive.
Click
Would you invite a bird suffering from bird flu into your house? Then don't invite this turkey in either. It is crude, vulgar and contributes greatly to the dumbing down of America. After being stupid throughout, at the end it tries to deliver a serious message, but it is too little, too late, in this tedious and very long sick bird of a movie.
An Inconvenient Truth
You owe it to yourself to see this movie, for your own good, and the good of those you love. You will not be bored. It is cleverly produced with a variety of graphics, human, scenes, and a cartoon. Is Global Warming real and does it impact your life? See the movie and decide for yourself.
Failure To Launch
I had very low expectations for this film, however I found it suprisingly entertaining. It about the dating travails of a mama's boy who still lives at home and whose parents hire a female whose task it is to get him to move out. One of the pleasant surprises was the performance of the second lead: a room-mate possessed with the need to rid her yard of a mocking bird who is giving her insomnia. She is very funny. All in all I found it an amusing summer light comedy and romance.
My Rich Friends
Entertaining. The trials and travails of upper mobile thirty somethings. In one sense their failures and pretenses are sad. On the other hand, there is a lot of humor, and the central character, (Jennifer Aniston) is a sympathetic "loser" who cleans houses and dates loser after loser until finally she finds a winner? I enjoyed this movie more than most I have seen in the last six months.
American Dreamz
This satire on George Bush, Washington, and American Idol is as subtle as a sledge hammer. As much as I would like to like this movie, for me the chuckles were few and far between.
Inside Man
This is a thriller with several twists. It is about a mysterious group siezing a bank and holding a large group of hostages. But what is really the purpose behind their action? That question poses the quandry for the police as it becomes evident that bank robbery is not really what it is all about. If you like this kind of action, this is a mind teaser.
Thank You For Not Smoking
A sometimes in your face, sometmes subtle comedy about the follies of the smoking industry. Good for quite a few chuckles. It is not a documentary, but rather a plotted movie about a salesman who has sold his soul to tobacco promotion.
Mrs. Henderson Presents
A true story which I thought for the first third of it, was rather trivial. However, midway the plot thickens and it turns into a genuine drama. Basic story is about a bored widow (Shirley Dench) who buys a theatre and later pumps up attendance with nude, artistic backgrounds. But it is much more than that. I found it quite good.
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Right! The country that gave us Shakespeare and even James Bond has sent this clinker to get even for the Boston Tea Party? A movie, within a movie--it follows an English film star as he attempts to film a 17th Century battle. This movie is about good for three or four snickers, not laughs.
The Pink Panther
If you like sight gags, you will like Steve Martin's take off on the role which originated with Peter Sellers. Martin is no Sellars, but he does the Panther justice. I laughed a lot.
Firewall
With Harrison Ford. A tense drama where Ford's family is held hostage in their own home. Plenty of violence at the end, with the father rescuing his family. Its not great, but not bad either.
The Chronicles of Narnia
This film adaptation of C.S. Lewis's Narnia is remarkable in the way it has images of animals interacting with live actors and actresses. Indeed in this allegory the brave and noble lion turns out to be the Christ figure. Enjoyble and of course imaginative.
The Producers
I saw this in September on Broadway and loved it. I feel they did a good job of adapting it to the screen. This is a long movie, almost two hours, and it ain't over til its over as there is some lively music with the credits. Why doesn't Hollywood make more musicals? Well they made this Mel Brooks musical comedy and it is quite enjoyable. It is about two daffy New Yorkers who figure they can make more money with a real loser of a production than with a winner. So they produce a musical about Hitler. Its interesting that when you are at show on Broadway, the audience is full and it laughs at all the laugh lines and applauds all the comedy. In a movie house, some people laugh at certain times and some don't. At the end of this movie,a stranger sitting next to me remarked to me: "I'm glad you laughed a lot!" I'm glad too!
Brokeback Mountain
This film just received multiple Oscar nominations. It deserves them based on beautiful Wyoming mountain photography and a very credible acting performance by its two male leads who play two cowboys who fall in love but later enter into heterosexual marriages which have tragic consequences for all involved.
Is this movie a bright bold attempt to reveal the inner conflicts and struggles of two men who must give up their genuine true love for each other and are forced by societal demands to enter unhappy heterosexual unions, OR is this movie an effort at promoting the gay sexual lifestyle and thus in some sense propaganda?
In my opinion, it is a little of both. Abstracting from the whole gay question, this movie is about two men who are serially over a number of years unfaithful to the pledges they once made to their wives.
This is a tragedy in itself that impacts their wives and children.
Gay lifestye promotion? Consider the imagery. We see images of freedom out in the midst of gorgeous Wyoming scenery, the two male lovers frolicking and living freely contrasted to their heterosexual marriage scenes where one lives with two squalling infants and his wife overhead a laundromat. The other marries into a rich Texas family whose patriarch is the epitome of an overbearing, interfering tyrant. The images are powerful and the gay lifesytle wins the "attraction prize" easily.
There is another aspect of course and that is that this film would create more understanding of the dilemma and interior suffering of many gay people who try to cope with their inner demands and the conflicting expectations of society.
All in all, the movie is deserving of some awards for giving us a new look at the age old literary theme of unrequited love and for telling the story in an interesting way.
The movie is never boring. If you take offense at scenes of gay love making, don't see it. Otherwise, it is a movie probably worth seeing and talking about afterward.
Munich
This joins the list of films below which I have found somewhat disappointing. It follows the revenge murders by the Israeli Mossad of those involved in the Olympic hostage taking and deaths of Israeli athletes. Perhaps it was the methodical almost mechanical killings that produced not suspense, as much as a sense of numbness. Speilberg does at times raise some moral questions regarding the legitimacy of these killings which violated not only international law, but local government law. And perhaps raising these questions is timely since in seems more and more that Americans are led to believe that our government can do as it pleases with no accountability in the "war on terror."
This movie is obviously violent as murders are; it eventually takes its toll on the murderers. It has one particular grisly scene of the murder of a woman in her home. I do not recommend this movie.
Rumor Has It
Blockbuster cast: Costner, Aniston, McLaine. I expected a lot. Got less than expected. A fictional take off on the story behind the story of the original Graduate film. The plot teases about the possibility of incest. Seems to me a weak story line for a romantic comedy. Jennifer goes through the film bewildered, bemused, and brow furrowed. You might like it. I was disappointed.
The Squid and the Whale
The acting may merit an Academy Award for Jeff Daniels who plays a narcisstic, selfish father spliting with a similiar partner. The losers in the film: the two muddled children. This was picked by one expert as one of the 10 best films of 2005. If you like character study, you might like it. If not, miss catching the whale.
Syriana
With George Clooney, a thriller with such a bzyantine, shifting plot and scenes that it is hard to follow without a map. One graphic torture scene. It does look at the development of two innocents into terrorists which is a side plot to the main plots which summed up says: Americans will do anything to get our oil. Clooney for the leading man, lopes through the film with few words and a dazed expression. This movie is not "Christmas fare."
Pride and Prejudice
This lovely movie is "Christmas Fare." Jane Austen's plot plus beautiful filming makes this movie a treat. Maybe an Oscar for the leading lady? Be sure to see it.
Capote
This movie is about Capote's literary journey in writing "In Cold Blood" the story of two killers who slew an entire Kansas family in their farm home. It is memorable for its stark (black and white) depiction of the west Kansas plains and for its realistic portrayal of Capote--perhaps an Oscar deserved here. There are quick grisly shots of the actual murders. Capote, who was homosexual is drawn into a fascination with one of the killers. The movie ends with the killer's execution by hanging. The movie is gripping but don't go if you are easily depressed.
Good Night and Good Luck
Another black and white film-a documentary about Edward R. Murrow's gutsy oppositon to the bully Senator McCarthy. The interuptive dialog catches a feel for real life conversation. Well acted by George Clooney. The movie moves fast and you are surprised at its quick ending. It serves a good slice of early TV history.
Everything Is Illuminated
This is an interesting Russian odyssey. An adventure over the road with a disparate trio who find more than they could have expected.
Broken Flowers
Bill Murray. Be advised, this is not a comedy. It is the story of an intriguing journey into his past by an aging and morose, fading Don Juan. Does he learn from it? That is the question the movie leaves unanswered, or does it? That is for you to find out. The unanswered question will leave some unhappy, others intrigued. (There is one short scene of frontal nudity.)
The March of the Penguins
Awesome!
Mad Ballroom Dancing
Uplifting, exhilerating!
Mad Hot Ballroom
A delightful documentary with a story line that tells the tale of 11 year old ballroom dancers in the New York City schools. It is an adventure in diversity and a delightful story of young hopes and dreams. Since I am back into dancing, I enjoyed it all the more.
Monster in Law
Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez: Boom!
Boom! Boom!= a BOMB!
Sideways
This is a tale of two fellows on a journey. One is a roustabout rogue, the other a serious recent divorcee in mourning, who wants to take his wild friend on a tour of California wineries on the way to meet his bride for the wedding.
All his buddy is interested in is "getting laid" which he accomplishes but this movie is really about his disgusted and forlorn buddy. It is an odyssey tale about his journey. I loved it!