by Bob Martin | Jan 26, 2009 | Actors, Film, Movies
Albert Finney as John Newton
Keri Russell - The Waitress
Seems this is the time of the year to get caught up with all the movies you said you would see and didn’t. This habit is related to the Academy Awards, basically because I have difficulty in being judgemental (a sin, but like chocolate a necessity) if I’ve not seen any of the movies. What always happens is that I find older movies that I overlooked like the The Waitress a film that filled my need for a lighthearted, cynical and comical conclusion to this past week. I also came across Amazing Grace, which brought me back to the significance of inauguration of President Obama this past Tuesday. Albert Finning who portrays John Newton a man who is personally tormented by his contribution to slavery. Newton is not the main character but maybe the most important as it relates present day history.
by Sandy | Jan 12, 2009 | Actors, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll
It got me again. The 2nd season of “Damages” has begun. This TV show on the FX channel, stars Glenn Close, as lawyer Patty Hewes, Rose Byrne, as her protégé Ellen Parsons, and a group of other excellent actors, looks like it will be as terrific and full of plot twists as its 1st season.
The show will again highlight violent conspiracy amongst ambitious, “A” personality types. All the major characters are so smart, so devious, so manipulative and so dishonest, – all done with a half smile. It sort of undercuts your faith in your fellow human beings (who said, “If you’re looking for loyalty, get a dog”). Meanness and intrigue can be so addictive. It’s like watching a bunch of snakes in a barrel. Like seeing an accident and not being able to turn away, no matter how gory.
Season 1 is available online and as cable loves to do, there will probably be repeats of all season 2 episodes in some sort of weekend marathon event and I will probably watch the reruns just as I did last year.
“Damages” is not “fun, family” TV, but it is excellent TV.
by Bob Martin | Oct 27, 2008 | Actors, Film, Movies
I was once in a workshop about intimacy and I remember this one quote that just stuck with me:
One Day Someone You Love, Will Do the Most Despicable Thing to You-And You Will Just Have to get Over It.
Two movies, “In the Valley of Elah” and “Before the Devil Knows Your Dead” says to me that sometimes you just can’t get over it.
J
ust before “In the Valley of Elah” was released I got to see this one scene, Both my Boys with Tommy Lee Jones (who I feel is an under rated actor) and Susan Sarandon and I thought to myself that the pain etched on Jones’ face was a pain that I never want to experience.
A number of the early reviews of this movie focused on it being an Antiwar flick. I saw it more about two families, both of them culpable in having the unthinkable happen. We are suppose to be safe with family, both immediate and extended family. In this case the military.
When we talk about war and the tragedies that ensue once the soldiers return home, we erroneously believe that the war is responsible, rather than the war being the thing that confirms the true nature of being. War never falls from the sky, we go to war – it never comes to us.
In Time, the Worst Things will Happen on Their Own-No Need for us to Agitate the Situation
“Before the Devil Knows Your Dead” is also about family and trust. Trust Me! We are often blinded (by closeness) when asked for our trust. This is not to say that we should not trust fam
ily or people in general, but you have to look deeply to see if you can find yourself in what is being asked of you. In this movie, one person had the chance to end the craziness before it started, but didn’t.
This family never heard the phrase “As you Sow, so Shall you Reap” or my favorite “Birds of a Feather Flock Together”
by Bob Martin | Oct 23, 2008 | Actors, Film, Movies
A rule of thumb is how often can you watch a movie and still find it enjoyable and new. Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters is one of many movies that I enjoy watching over and over. A recurring theme in Allen’s work is a search for significances and meaning. This movie, with all its twists, says life can still be more than pleasant even without having meaning. The movie is set in New York and portrays a type of “tony” family grouping that is disappearing.
Look at all these people, trying to stave off the inevitable decay of their bodies.
They have a quality about them that reminds me of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ movies without the dancing. Another difference is that we wanted to be Fred and Ginger but in many of Allen’s movies, we can easily recognize ourselves in his characters.
by Sandy | Sep 27, 2008 | Actors, Blogroll, Film, Movies
When there is a reference to “blue eyes”, we often think of Frank Sinatra – but, there was another blue eyed star – Paul Newman. The 1st full face close up that I remember was in “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof”. The eyes just jumped off the screen, amazing.
A good actor and humanitarian, he led a long, full and varied life. He contributed.
I don’t know why I was shocked to hear that he passed at 83. (If I’m getting older, so is everyone else.) However, Mr. Newman will forever be frozen in celluloid at his loveliest. Some of my favorites: “The Sting”, “The Hustler, “Road to Perdition”, “Hud”
Thank you.
by Sandy | Sep 14, 2008 | Actors, Blogroll, Directors, Film, Movies
“A History of Violence” – don’t let the name turn you off. This movie is as much about blood as it is about a family that stays together despite outrageous mayhem.
It opens as 2 men go to great lengths to avoid paying a motel bill and the plot escalates from there.
We meet an owner of a small diner, played by Viggo Mortensen, who comes to the aid of his employees when they are threatened by the 2 motel thugs and becomes something of a hero. His violent response is so quick, so natural and so effective, like second nature?
He becomes a local celebrity and his extreme action in self defense gains interest even outside of his small community. Some guys from out of town pop up to look him over, the accomplished actor Ed Harris is great as the leader, and insist on calling our hero by another name, which he denies, but, he gets this haunted look in his eyes. (Whenever I get to these “UhOh!” moments in any movie, the theme from “Jaws” starts to play softly in my head for a few seconds.)
So, who is he really? These sinister men, former “friends”, refuse to go home. Are they threatening him, are they threatening his wife, played by Maria Bello, and kids? What becomes clear is that our small town diner guy does not want to be found and does not want his family to know how he got his skills.
The family rallies around their dad, or rather they rally against those that want to take him away even though they’re not quite sure why – they want him to remain the man he is in their lives, not go back to whoever he was. As a father, he also wants to protect his family and the nice quiet life he has invented for himself.
Who is tracking him down and why? He closes the diner and takes a trip. He drives back East into his old life to erase it however he can, which is easier said than done. We are introduced to his evil, vengeful brother, played with much fun by William Hurt – and the battle is on.
After much chasing, fighting, and shooting, the father returns home to have breakfast with his family. No one asks where he’s been or why he looks like he’s been put thru a meat grinder. They just pass the eggs.
Written by Josh Olsen and directed by David Cronenberg, the cast is terrific. I enjoyed “A History of Violence”, 2005 (now on DVD) – good movie!
