Friday Night Netflix...Elegy

Directed by Isabel Coixet. Written by Nicholas Meyer, based on the novel The Dying Animal by Philip Roth. With Ben Kingsley, Penelope Cruz, Patricia Clarkson, Dennis Hopper, and Peter Sarsgaard. 

I expected more from this film.  Kingsley, Hopper, Cruz, Sarsgaard...Clarkson!  All that crazy energy in one room, so to speak.  With a nasty, self-loathing, misogynistic, old goat of a college professor who is vunerable to no one as he sleeps his way through his students. Wouldn't you expect some gnarly shit to happen?  Well...I guess it does.  But, it is so nice-i-fied, so flattened and softened up, even by the Vivaldi playing in the background, that it never engages fully.  

Kingsley's David Kepesh cares for nothing but himself.  Kepesh cares about books, music and art, but only for the pleasure he derives from them rather than any value they may have of themselves. He cares about women,too, has cared for many of them, and for the same reason he loves the arts. They make him feel more alive.  But, the women he loves, in the same way as the books, the photographs, the music and things he surrounds himself with, are just objects, after all.

David sets his eye on, and eventually beds Cruz' character, Consuela.  David is her professor.  He is a quasi-celebrity author, and she falls for his seeming wisedom and stability.  David becomes obsessed with Consuela. I know we are meant to believe he falls in love with her, but, he doesn't.  It's obvious he only loves himself.  It meant more to him to protect his ego then it did to show up at her graduation party.  He was willing to hurt her, to spare his feelings.  Fuck that.

At any rate, there were so many missed opportunities for something more.  Something heightened, something unbalanced? Embarassing? Unexpected?  Just when you think this man's obsession is going to become interesting and comical, the filmmaker goes near the edge and then turns around and runs back to safety. Every thing was a bit whitewashed for it's own good.  If you're going to go there...go there.  

The characters are interesting.  The actors are proficient.  There are some genuinely funny moments, and some real nice chemistry between Kingsley and Hopper, and Kingsley and Clarkson.  I think it's worth seeing for Kingsley's performance alone.  Whether you like him as an actor or not, there's always something worth looking at.  

I'm gonna recommend with reservations...and give this film a C+.

500 days Of Summer New trailer

Fox searchlight's newest sleeper hit to be- 500 Days Of Summer 

Opening July 17th  

Mind If I join you?

How much would I love to have a cup of Joe with Retta and Grace?

If you're not watching Saving Grace, you are missing something special. The show features one of, if not the best cast on television. Last night's episode was a mind blower. If more of ya'll were watching...we could talk about it!

Let's get on that.  

Saving Grace on TNT, Monday nights.  9pm and 10pm.  They'll be reruns until June...so, get caught up, and meet me back here.

Top 5 Favorite Characters

It's interesting. I started out with almost all women. The first list I made had 9 out of 10 women! How did so many fall off? Was it a state of mind kind of thing? As in, I was feeling all uppity and powerful when I made my first pass, and now, I'm all, deer in the headlights and vunerable? I dunno. Somewhere along the line, I crossed off Ripley from Aliens, Sarah Conner from Terminator 1 and 2.  Karen Blixen from Out Of Africa, Maude from Harold and Maude (how could I do that!?) Miss Celie from The Color Purple, and Ed from Raising Arizona. Also, dropped from the list, but not female...Mookie from Do The Right Thing, and Patrick Bateman from American Psycho.  

This is just an impossible task.  But, I have to finish...so, here's the Top 5.  What do ya'll think?  Which Peter Sellers should have been on this list?  Why did I leave off Travis Bickle?  Who would be your number 1?  

5. Dr. Frank-N-Furter...a scientist.  Rocky Horror Picture Show

 "Come up to the lab."

4. Auntie Mame...as played by Rosiland Russell in Auntie Mame.
"Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!"

3. Jean Louise Finch aka Scout...To Kill A Mockingbird
This is tough, because really, you could chose anyone from this cast.
Atticus, Jem, Calpurnia, Tom Robinson, Mayella Ewell...and of course Boo Radley.
I chose Scout because, really, miscast that role and the whole movie falls apart.
"Hey Boo."

2. Dorothy Gale from Kansas...The Wizard of Oz
Recast this role and it becomes camp. Who but Judy could rend our hearts into such a bittersweet, teary eyed mess at the very thought of her singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow?
"There's no place like home."

1. The Tramp.
Much to my embarassment, I didn't even think of The Tramp on my own. ( Thank you Miss Pink! )
Really, who is more iconic then he? No one. I grew up watching old Chaplin films rented from the library and projected in 8mm. All you young 'uns have no excuse not to be watching Chaplin's brilliance on DVD. If you're not...shame on you, and get to it!  

Nothing need be said, if you just smile.

For Numbers 5 - 10 and Honorable Mentions scroll to post below!

My Favorite Movie Characters of all time!

Here's a tag that I have been way slow getting to.  But, in my defense, trying to put together the ultimate list of ultimate characters seemed such a....task!  Because, I would feel guilty when, inevitably, I realized I had left someone out.  Someone loved and under appreciated already.  

 I don't really know where this meme started to begin with, or where it will end, but...it's been floating around the blogosphere for a few weeks, at least, and now it's my turn to play. The challenge is to pick your 10 favorite movie characters...ever!  ( If you haven't been tagged yet...then I'm tagging you now....so, get to work on your own list! )

Here is the best that I can do without going completely mental. I have six honorable mentions, because, I just have to, alright?  

Here's the Six honorable mentions:

Virgil Tibbs...In The Heat Of The Night

Dayum Sidney!

"They call me Mr. Tibbs!"

Slater...from Dazed And Confused.  Actually Rory Cochrane would be in my Top 50 twice. He also played Lucas in Empire Records.  Never understood why he didn't have a bigger career.  These two characters are night and day and he owns them both.

Mary Poppins..."practically perfect in every way".

Marge Gunderson...Oh, you betcha! Fargo

Hans Gruber..."Give me my detonators."

Die Hard

Keyser Soze...Who is Keyser Soze?

The Usual Suspects

Top 10...numbers 10 - 5

10. The Waco Kid...

Blazing Saddles

9. Jimmy Dugan...A League Of Their Own

Two alchoholics in a row...thoughts?

Moving on...

8. Doc Holliday...Val Kilmer style...Tombstone

"I'm your huckleberry."

Where was his Oscar nomination?

7. Charity Hope Valentine...Sweet Charity

6. Inigo Montoya, motha fuckers!

The Princess Bride

Tommorrow...the Top 5 revealed.

Goodnight moon.

Friday Night Netflix...

I've Loved You So Long.  I fell asleep...twice.  I think I should watch this again.  What I could tell for sure...very good performances...predictable plot...nice relationship between the sisters.  It's okay...comme ci, comme ca, you know?  Grade C, I think.  If it improves with a second viewing...I'll let you know.

Rogen, Rogen, Rogen...Rawhide?

A few weeks ago, I posted the trailer for Observe And Report, and made my own observation that it was "not Mall Cop 2."

The film opens this weekend, and while I think you should go see it, don't forget what I said. This is not a Hollywood, slick, formulaic, stoner comedy starring everyone's favorite schlub. This is Rogen's Cable Guy. This is Rogen's dark comedy that will let everyone know that , hey, the man can actually act. Just remember the word....dark.

If you're one of the many who have been wondering why Seth Rogen has lost so much weight, and will he be funny without it, here's my theory. Seth is more then Apatow. Seth is going to want to be taken seriously. Seth is hoping to go further down that path the Jim Carrey cleared. Seth is not going to end up like Will Ferrell. Seth Rogen will not be a one liner, okay!? 

 I'm in his corner. After all, Sean Penn has two Oscars and he's one of the biggest stoners in Hollywood. If he can do it, can't Seth?

Here's a clip from Observe And Report. Opening today!

And there's this...

Virginia Madsen is defying gravity. Variety reports the actress is getting involved with a new documentary called Fighting Gravity. The project focuses on women ski jumpers, and their battle to get the right to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Specifically, it'll follow 15 female athletes who have challenged the Intl. Olympic Committee's decision to bar them from the games -- making it the only men-only sport in the Games. Sometimes it's hard to believe we're in 2009.

The same always at-the-ready excuse was brought out once again..."there aren't enough women interested."  Which of course, is bullshit.  This is the excuse I was given for why girl's can't play baseball, for example, and why there were only two paintings by female artists hanging in the Getty Museum. There, I was told, it was because there weren't any female artists before the 19th century!  Really? Who knew?  

Oh, and by the way...women's baseball is starting to come on strong!  Including Little League teams! I can't tell you how happy this makes me!  Ooo, I really hope there is a senior league some day!

This is good for all of us...men and women, boys and girls. The more we all stand on an equal footing, the more we can all begin to respect each other as such, and hopefully, respect ourselves even more.

So, good luck to the ski jumpers.  I hope they get their Olympic dream. Another small step. And hurray to Virginia Madsen...she's a cool chick, a good egg.  Putting her name on this has already garnered publicity...so, right on Virginia!