Happy Christmas Justified

Looking out my window in Upstate New York this morning, my car window was covered with snow. I lost the opportunity, though contemplated it, of writing in the snow: Spring break ends? Hence, I was justified in watching Joe Swanberg’s “Happy Christmas” who I found out about via Marc Maron’s podcast. While I enjoyed hearing… Continue reading Happy Christmas Justified

Red Army: Slap Shot-esque Stokholm Syndrome

I knew I liked Gabe Polsky’s quirky documentary on Russian hockey player Viacheslav Fetisov for a reason. He’s got that Werner Herzog idiosyncratic eye and ear that captures the odd ball in us all. Red Army traces Viacheslav’s rise from Russian youth hockey to the Olympics and beyond. When he requests to play for the… Continue reading Red Army: Slap Shot-esque Stokholm Syndrome

Wild Tales, my subtitle: It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

The Oscars and Time Magazine agreed, nominating Wild Tales for best foreign film and claiming it as one of 2014’s best movies respectively. I don’t disagree though I have a tough time with gratuitous man on man violence. I just can’t bear to watch or listen to the punching, hitting, etc. In Wild Tales, one… Continue reading Wild Tales, my subtitle: It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

Leviathan, tis the season

I was thinking how depressing a movie Leviathan (direcetd by Andrey Zvyagintsev) is, not depressing in the, ‘Boy do I feel melancholia!”, but more of a super realist/pragmatist life reference. Yet, isn’t that what our pre-Easter/mid lent period is all about? Suffering and self-denial leading up to the…ta-da!- resurrection. But I digress. Leviathan was up… Continue reading Leviathan, tis the season

Peaks and Valleys: The Imitation Game and 50 Shades of Grey

There’s no connection between these two films. Though my opinion going in was reversed in both cases. I thought The Imitation Game would be maudlin historical fiction, but due to Benedict Cumberbatch’s genuine portrayal and Kiera Knightley fantastic as his beard, I was truly moved. I don’t, however, think it was best picture worthy and… Continue reading Peaks and Valleys: The Imitation Game and 50 Shades of Grey

Force Majeure and Brene`Brown’s The Courage to Be Vulnerable

Force Majeure is so original that I wonder why it’s missing from Oscar’s best foreign films nominations. The acting and sound design were impeccable. And while running this morning, listening to NPR’s On Being, I realized the importance of an important theme that may be lost in the shuffle of the film’s moral question: when… Continue reading Force Majeure and Brene`Brown’s The Courage to Be Vulnerable

The American Sniper Question; the man, technology’s decimation or age’s wrath?

Here’s the deal: I saw the 73% Rotten Tomatoes, but wanted to see ‘American Sniper’ anyway. Was the percentage accurate? I guess so, considering Cooper’s acting performance and the sand storm scene which were both well executed. Yet the story lacked those moments that evoke sentiment, other than the obvious, ‘war is hell’. Other peripheral… Continue reading The American Sniper Question; the man, technology’s decimation or age’s wrath?