Documentaries: GM Truck Plant, Fighting Cancer in Mondays at Racine and Polio in the Final Inch

1/14/17 The Last Truck - Closing of a GM Truck Plant, nominated Best Documentary Short, 2009

2007-2008 were pretty tough years in this country: banks failing, mortgage companies failing, homeowners failing, and auto makers failing. The hows and whys are covered in other movies and documentaries, but the who is what is important in this documentary short about the GM truck plant in Moraine, Ohio, near Dayton. The plant was huge, bigger than the Pentagon, with miles and miles of conveyor belts and assembly lines, employing thousands of people, many for decades. GM announced the closing of the plant right near Christmas time, 12/23/2008 (I cannot believe someone didn't think about just pushing that into the next year, but I think that it may have been common to close down the plants for those two weeks, so maybe they thought that wouldn't make sense, but in any case, seriously, Christmas?), and the documentary followed several workers from the time of the announcement to the closing. It was heartbreaking watching the workers talk about their pride in the factory (which had won awards), the quality of work, their co-workers. The filmmakers only talk with union workers, but there is definitely a tension between the union and management (commonly painted as people who may know something, but nothing about making trucks; like when the last truck can't be completed because they didn't have the right amount of hinges, which it was the responsibility of management to order). I think this provides a personal view of what was happening and gave the workers a voice. It was a beautiful homage to the men and women on the line. I worked for a subsidiary of General Motors until 2008, and we experienced many of the same emotions, with many of my co-workers out of work for months, some needing re-training and finding new career paths. It's eight years later, and I really hope those workers have found some way to use their skills, because they definitely have skills.

1/14/17 Mondays at Racine, nominated Best Documentary Short, 2012

Oh, wow. I cried a lot more than I laughed during this documentary with a Long Island salon at its center, but in the end, I felt incredibly uplifted. Two sisters, Rachel and Cynthia (Racine), opened a salon in Long Island, and since 2003, they have set aside the third Monday of the month to provide free services and emotional support to those suffering from and fighting cancer. We're introduced to the sisters and the film periodically goes back there, but director Cynthia Wade follows different clients of the salon and talks to them and their husbands about what they're going through, and the impacts it has had on their relationship. Two woman are the focus, and they are both pretty amazing. Linda, who at the time of filming was 58, battled cancer for 18 years; she and her husband talk about the strain cancer and her terminal diagnosis has had on their marriage; Warren drinks too much and has made some poor decisions, although it is very clear from the interviews that he is in as much emotional pain as his wife is in physical pain. I liked Linda immediately, but I liked her more hen I learned we share a birthday. Linda finds comfort in her church and singing in the choir, while Warren is angry and does not believe the church, his faith or God are going to help his wife. Cambria is a mother of two very young children, one of them is a foster son that she and her husband want to adopt, but fear they might not be able to because of the cancer. Cambria goes into the salon for support and is going to have her head shaved because she has been losing it in clumps. You think it's just hair, but it is really so much more than that, and that's what Rachel, Cynthia and their team realize, and before Cambria gets her hair shaved, she starts to cry and the stylist gets Rachel to hold her hand. It's that emotional support that the women get and share with each other. Cambria and Linda become friends. I don't think there are too many people who have not been touched by this hideous disease in it's various forms; my mom had breast cancer twice, and beat it both times, but it was scary and stressful, and I lost two people that were very important to me to breast cancer, so watching this was personal. This movie is about the people, not the clinical. I'm sure there are salons across the country that do what Rachel and Cynthia and their staff do, but if there's not, there should be. In Judaism, we call it a 'mitzvah'. If you can find this movie from your library or online, you should watch it. Racine Salon: http://racinespa.com


1/16/17 Under the Sun, not yet nominated, 2015

Given the inauguration that was held on Friday (1/20/17), I thought watching a documentary on North Korea would help prepare me for the propaganda ministry of the next four years. Under the Sun follows an 8 year-old girl as she is groomed for the Korean Children's Union, but to me, the hidden value of watching a film like this is watching North Korean officials manipulate and stage the film for the Russian film making crew (I think that might be irony). The director, Vitaly Mansky, realized that he was not going to be able to make the film he wanted, and he and his crew devised a way to make two copies of the digital film, giving one to the authorities and smuggling out the other copy. North Korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world, and that is by choice, or at least by choice of its leaders. As interesting as the concept of the film is, personally, I found it hard to watch, partly because of teeny tiny subtitles that were too hard to read, and it seemed to go on forever, belaboring so many points. It's almost two hours long, and this was a film that I think would have been fine as a short film; that probably wouldn't have been reflective of the hard work and risk the film crew undertook, but I think it would have made a more accessible film. I did feel sorry for the little girl, who, towards the end, realized what kind of life she was headed to with the Korean Children's Union, and the 'handlers' tried to hide her tears.

1/20/17 The Final Inch, nominated Best Documentary Short, 2009

We don't hear much about polio in America these days, or in most of the world, thanks to doctors, nurses and medical volunteers all over the world. Unfortunately, it's not eradicated completely, and India, Afghanistan and Pakistan still had many cases at the time of filming. The film shows us health workers, many of them volunteers, going through villages in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, trying to convince parents to let them vaccinate their children; in India, there were 4 MILLION people working to eradicate polio. One of the health workers is a young Muslim woman, who goes from house to house in a burka, speaking with parents or grandparents about the importance of the vaccine. She doesn't wear the burka all the time, but she feels it's very important for her to wear it when she is meeting with villagers so they trust her. She isn't afraid to be blunt, when she sees a young man who has polio, and looks to his mother and asks 'wouldn't you prevent this if you could? You could have stopped this and you can stop it for your other children' (paraphrasing). One of the local imams also tries to educate those who attend his mosque, which is important because there are many people who believe the vaccine is poison or a sterilization drug from the United States. The doctors and volunteers are persistent, visiting and re-visiting villages and homes, trying to never take 'no' for an answer. The filmmakers add a different perspective to the film by including interviews with two Americans who came down with polio when they were younger, back in the 1940s and 1950s before it was stamped out in America; one of them has been in an iron lung for over 50 years. They both use their voices to support the efforts to rid the world of polio. The Final Inch wasn't the best documentary I have seen in terms of drama and strife or the underdog overcoming the odds, but it was still very good, and very informative, and I was impressed and inspired by the dedication of the workers under hard conditions. The Final Inch lost the Oscar to another medical inspired documentary called Smile Pinki, which I know I saw, but cannot find the review.


1/21/17 The Garden, nominated Best Documentary Feature, 2008

I did not think I would get so emotional about community gardening. Seriously. And yet, there I was in my recliner, cheering on the farmers to beat the establishment. The South Central Farm was a community garden in South Central Los Angeles and the farmers were predominately, if not all, Hispanic. The farm/garden started after the Los Angeles riots in the 1990s to give people a purpose, a way to raise their own fresh food. When the movie opened, I didn't realize they were in Los Angeles, because of the huge fruit trees; I thought they were in Central or South America. At the time, it was the largest urban garden in the United States. The controversy and attempts to evict the farmers came about because they didn't really own the land they had been cultivating for over ten years. The land was intended for industrial use after the city bought it from Ralph Horowitz for $5 million dollars, but never pursued the project, ironically due to the efforts of another community organization, led by Juanita Tate. Mr. Horowitz, under some suspicious circumstances, bought the land back form the city for the same amount of money, and wanted to evict the farmers. The farmers organized and tried to protest at City Hall where they seemed to find some support from their councilwoman, Jan Perry and a couple other councilmen who (claim to) see this as a great oasis in the city. The farmers, with the help of a local law firm, get an injunction; they also uncover potential evidence of a secret deal between Jan Perry, Juanita Tate and Ralph Horowitz. Tensions run high on all sides, with the farmers fighting among themselves as they try to enforce their own rules, including not making money from the garden (making this a money-making venture would change the land use). There are racial issues that bubble up between the Hispanic farmers and Juanita Tate and Jan Perry who are black; although, former Black Panther Deacon Alexander is one of the advisors to the farmers. There are also charges of anti-Semitism by Horowitz against the farmers, which they deny, and blame on misinformation from other factions. This garden/farm gained attention throughout Los Angeles and people like Dennis Kucinich (who at the time was a presidential candidate), Darryl Hannah and Danny Glover, and Joan Baez. Community gardens are a very important feature in urban areas; they give people a chance to grow their own fruits and vegetables, as organically as they like, creating a sense of purpose in the process. I love seeing these oases in the city. The movie definitely seems to be on the side of the farmers, and I have no problem with that; they do give the other side a chance to have a voice, but it devolves into hostility or non-responses. The movie also shows that people, regular people, do have power if they speak together; they might not win all the time, but it doesn't mean that they should be silent. The Cove, about the killing practices of dolphins in Japan, won the Oscar.

Hidden Figures, Malcolm X and The Milk of Sorrow

1/16/17 The Milk of Sorrow, nominated Best Foreign Film, 2009

This is a tough review to write. I didn't like the movie, but because I thought the heart of the story was important, I really wanted to. I think this would have made a good live action short, instead of 90 minutes. The Milk of Sorrow is a Peruvian film that centers on a young woman whose birth was the result of her mother being raped by paramilitary soldiers. There is a folk belief that trauma experienced by women who were raped can be passed on through the breast milk. After Faustina's mother dies, she needs to make her way in the world, but she is severely handicapped by the trauma. Faustina moves from her rural home to Lima to be a maid at for a rich lady. Honestly, I'm not really sure of too much else. The reason I wanted to like the movie is because invading, conquering or fighting forces have used rape as a means to humiliate, demean and suppress their enemies, and it's a difficult, but important topic; it gives women a voice and some way to fight back and reclaim what has been stolen from them. But, I didn't really like it, and perhaps that was due to me not totally understanding all of the nuances of the film or Peruvian culture. I felt very badly for Faustina, and the actress portraying her had a very tough role, but...something just didn't work for me. If you're interested, I would encourage you to make up our own mind. The Secret in Their Eyes won the Oscar that year, and I did really like that movie, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

1/16/17 Malcolm X, 1992, National Film Registry

Denzel Washington plays Malcolm X in this biographic film directed by Spike Lee. The movie takes us from Malcolm's childhood, through is troubled adulthood that saw him spend time in prison and discover Islam through his assassination in 1965. Spike Lee packs a lot of information and history into three plus hours, but unlike some long movies, I didn't really notice the length of the film. Malcolm X was a contemporary of Martin Luther King, Jr., and for most of their time in the Civil Rights Movement, they were not on the same side, and the movie only tangentially refers to their contemporaneous paths. Malcolm was a smart kid, but like so many black children, there were very few outlets for that intelligence; he was also raised by a father who was outspoken about black rights at the time, and was brutally murdered by white men. Malcolm turned his brains into running numbers with a local gangster in New York. He also gets involved with a white woman, Sophia, not exactly the safest relationship in the 1940s, 1950s or 1960s. Eventually, he and Sophia team up with Malcolm's buddy, Shorty (Spike Lee) to commit burglaries; this is what gets him sent to prison. Before prison, Malcolm is not a very nice person, especially towards women. Sophia and a young black woman, Laura, are used and then tossed aside, or treated very badly by him. In prison, Malcolm meets Baines, a practicing Muslim, who tells Malcolm he will help him get through prison life and improve his mental, emotional and spiritual being. Malcolm is a wise guy, but eventually starts studying and converts to Islam. After leaving prison, Malcolm meets the prophet Elijah Muhammad and begins speaking and proselytizing around the streets of New York City. Eventually he meets his future wife, Betty (Angela Bassett), who isn't cowed or intimidated by him. He makes his pilgrimage to Mecca where he meets Muslims of all colors, including white, which causes him to re-think the anti-white rhetoric he has believed for many years. Malcolm, intentionally or unintentionally, builds his own following and group of supporters, which creates rifts between him and those close to Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm learns about some of Elijah Muhammad's extramarital relationships with young women in the Nation of Islam, and becomes disillusioned. His disillusionment leads to him breaking away from the Nation of Islam and threats against him and his family. This is the third or fourth time I have watched Malcolm X and every time, I pick up something new, or put Malcolm's life in context of the turmoil of the 1960s, and understand his role in the Civil Rights movement. I think Lee did a wonderful job of telling Malcolm's story, using music, great actors in large and small roles (Washington was nominated for Best Actor, and I think Bassett should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actress - she was a powerful, but quiet force). The costumes were fabulous, especially the zoot suits that Shorty and Malcolm wore early in the movie. If you haven't seen this before, I would suggest you watch; it may give perspective to some of the events of the past few years.

1/22/17 Hidden Figures, nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, 2017

I love movies that make me laugh, cry, cheer, get pissed off. Boy, Hidden Figures does all of that and more. Oh my gosh, I don't even know where to start, really. Hidden Figures is about the women known as 'computers' who did the computations, calculations and derivations in the nascent space program. There were black and white women who worked as 'computers', but this movie focuses on the black women, specifically three of them, who were working in the 1960s (the same time that Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were leading the Civil Rights Movement) in Virginia. The three women, Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) who is a genius in geometry and other mathematical things (although, honestly, to me, all of those women were geniuses); Mary Jackson, an aspiring engineer (Janelle Monae who is sassy and not afraid to speak up and challenge the system); and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer in an Oscar nominated performance), who essentially supervises the black women without the actual title or pay, she becomes a leading expert in Fortran and the supervisor. Kevin Costner is the gruff, but somewhat open-minded Director of the Space Task Group, Al Harrison; Kirsten Dunst is the supervisor of the women computers, and butts heads with Dorothy. I really want you to see this movie, so I'm not going to tell you too much more, except it's an incredible story. I don't think it sugarcoats the racism that these women experienced; it's nothing that hits you over the head, but I think if you are the slightest bit enlightened or just human, you feel sick at the separate rest rooms, separate sections in the library, and the other injustices. I did; I was embarrassed, even more so because there are people who would rather ignore what happened. But, even as I was angry, I still laughed; laughed at Mary who speaks her mind, and drives like a bat out of hell as the women get a police escort to Langley; laughed as the women quietly got the better of their male counterparts, and the men knew they were beat. I cheered as Katherine finally explains why it takes her forty minutes to use the bathroom; seriously, I was pumping my fists, hoping the audience would burst into cheers; cheered as Dorothy figured out the new IBM computer, when the actual computer programmers couldn't even plug it in correctly. Jim Parsons is allowed to be other than the lovable, but quirky Sheldon Cooper as he plays Paul Stafford, head engineer of the STG, and he has serious issues working with Katherine, and is threatened by the fact that she has to double-check his work. Theodore Melfi directed, and he directed St. Vincent starring Bill  Murray and Melissa McCarthy, which incorporated humorous and serious material very adeptly, and he brings out some very good performances from the cast. I would watch this movie again. Support your local STEM programs!

Drama, Animation, a Short and Basketball: LA Confidential, Beauty & the Beast, Wasp, Hoosiers

1/7/17 L.A. Confidential, 1997, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay, National Film Registry

It's hard to believe that at one point in time Russell Crowe was 'unknown' in the United States, but it's true. Back in 1997 Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce were known mainly in Australia and New Zealand, yet they were put in starring roles in L.A. Confidential. Pearce is an up-and-coming police officer, Ed Exley, living in the shadow of his father, who was killed in the line of duty; Exley is a rule follower, which can be problematic because of the corruption running through parts of the department. Crowe is Bud White, an LAPD detective who has anger issues and isn't above beating a confession out of a suspect. It's 1950s Hollywood and the two men find themselves on opposite ends of case involving a Hollywood gossip magazine writer Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito), a cop/consultant to a Hollywood television series, Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), White's partner, Captain Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) and a call girl who resembles Veronica Lake, Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger in her Oscar winning role for Best Supporting Actress). Does that sound like a lot going on? Yeah, it is. It is not a movie to watch while you're multi-tasking, trust me. I'm not going to try and recap the plot, there's too much going on and if you haven't seen it, I would hate to ruin it for you. I liked the way the story as told, giving you some information up front in your face, but also leaving enough hidden and up to your own detective skills, that it does keep you engaged. Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland won the Oscar for Best Writing for an Adapted Screenplay. Exley is earnest in his desire to follow the rules and do things the right way, but he does learn to play the game; White is a good detective, but may look to enforce the law his way; Vincennes seems jaded and skeptical, but something about the case at hand reminds him that he must have been a good detective at one point. 1997 was the year of Titanic, and Gloria Stuart was nominated for her role as 'old' Rose, and she was my sentimental favorite even if I hated the movie itself (okay, not hate, but after seeing it 15 times, I never need to see it again). Minnie Driver was also nominated for her role in Good Will Hunting. L.A. Confidential takes all of the elements from 1950s Hollywood: the scandals, the gossip magazines, taboos (sex and drugs), drugs and corruption, and pulls them into a suspenseful thriller.


1/7/17 Il Divo, nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, 2008

When I saw that Il Divo was directed by Paolo Sorrentino, who directed The Great Beauty (which I loathed), I almost turned it off. I mean, it was only a nominee after all. But, that would be against the spirit of the almighty list. Il Divo is based (I cannot comment on how accurately) on the political life of former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. Bad things seem to happen to people around Andreotti, like they died under mysterious circumstances. Unless you're reading Wikipedia as you watch this, or you're very familiar with Italian politics, a lot of what happens makes little sense, even with little explanations that pop up on screen. Sorrentino use of music is alternately annoying and interesting; which is what I thought in The Great Beauty and Youth, but it's not enough for me to like the movie. The film was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling which seems so strange to me considering ALL of the movies released in a year, that this was nominated in that category. It lost to Star Trek.

1/8/17 Wasp, Best Live Action Short, 2004

A friend and I were talking about short features and how they have to pack so much into a really short amount of time (you have read that before from me). A lot of the filler or extra plot lines have to be left out to focus on the one main theme. In this case, it is Zoe, a single mom of four young kids somewhere in England, struggling to just get by. At one point the kids are hungry and she gives the oldest a bag of sugar and tells her to 'share it out' with the other kids. She meets up with an old boyfriend, but can't find anyone to watch the kids, so she brings them to the pub and leaves them outside, bring them two packs of crisps and a Coke to share. Zoe doesn't tell David that she has children, much less that they are outside the pub. This could go all kinds of bad, and I found myself getting ticked off at Zoe, but you can see she loves her kids, and is just so overwhelmed, and is stressed and probably scared and could use some help. There is no telling how this ultimately resolves, but I was hoping for the best.

1/12/17 Beauty and the Beast, 1991 Best Music Original Score, Best Music Original Song, National Film Registry

It has been a very long time since I've seen Beauty and the Beast, and I don't remember loving it the way so many people did and do; don't get me wrong, I like it, I like the 'staff' of the castle, Lumiere (Jerry Orbach) and Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers), and of course Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), and the story, of course, but I haven't watched it in 25 years, so clearly, I'm not that attached to it. I wanted to make sure I saw it before the new live action movie comes out in early 2017. The Beast (Robby Benson) has locked himself away in his castle for many years because, he's a beast; he used to be a prince, but because of his arrogance and ill treatment of an old beggar (really an enchantress in disguise), he was turned into a frightening beast and his staff were turned into household items, like a candlestick, armoire, clock, tea cup, etc. Belle (Paige O'Hara) is a young village girl who likes her books and independence; she lives with her father, an inventor. Belle is also pursued by the muscle-bound but clueless, Gaston. After her father disappears, Belle goes looking for him, and finds him in the enchanted castle that also happens to be where the Beast lives. The Beast is less than pleased with the intrusion of Belle and her father, he makes a deal to let her father go, but Belle must stay. At first the relationship is a little tense, but the Beast begins to have feelings for Belle, and as they learn about each other, accept each other's differences, love begins to grow. Of course, it's never that simple. Gaston rallies the villagers against the Beast and attacks the castle; to say that Gaston made a tactical error would be a small understatement. The film score and one of the songs ("Beauty and the Beast" sung by Angela Lansbury and also Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson) won Oscars, music is a large part of what makes the film so beloved. The movie was the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture. Little girls love to be Belle, and I don't think it's just because she gets the prince, but she is an independent young woman, who loves to read and learn and make up her own mind. Clearly the film and story resonate because there have been so many different incarnations: musicals, Disney on Ice, Disney World and Disneyland, straight to video sequels, and of course, the upcoming live action film. So, I guess while I don't personally love it, I did like it and think it's a good story and movie for families.

1/13/17 Hoosiers, 1986, National Film Registry

How have I never seen this movie? Seriously, I have never seen this story about an underdog basketball team from small town Indiana, starring Gene Hackman as head coach Norman Gale. Hoosiers is set in 1950s Hickory, Indiana and the high school team is getting a new head coach. Like many small towns, strangers are looked at with a bit of skepticism, and it's no exception here. Norman Gale has a bit of a mysterious past and some unconventional coaching methods which lead the townspeople to question his every decision. Not only are his coaching methods under scrutiny, but Gale brings in Shooter Flatch (Dennis Hopper), the father of one of his players, who is also the town drunk. Shooter is a fan and student of the game, and Gale gives him a moment to shine in front of his neighbors, and his son. Even though Gale tries to keep his past to himself, one of the teachers, Myra Fleener (Barbara Hershey) finds out why he is no longer coaching college out east, but is in rural Indiana coaching high school. Hopper was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Jerry Goldsmith was nominated for Best Score. 1986 was the year of Platoon, Hannah and Her Sisters, A Room with a View and several other big movies, so maybe there just wasn't enough room at the table for Hoosiers, but it certainly has had lasting value in the pantheon of sports movies. It's a great story of underdogs beating the odds, whether that's the small town of Hickory, its basketball team, Shooter, or Coach Gale finding his place. I really loved this movie. Gene Hackman is one of our great actors, if he is playing Popeye Doyle, Lex Luthor, the coach in The Replacements, the bad guy in Unforgiven, or Coach Gale. There's something about his acting style that doesn't seem like acting. Hopper is really good and less annoying than he was in Blue Velvet. The kids who played the players were good and believable, but I don't know if any of them continued with acting. If, by some freak of movie watching, you have not seen this movie, I totally recommend it.

Documentaries: Warriors of Qiugang, Gov. Booth Gardner, Bob Dylan, Trouble the Water - Hurricane Katrina

12/28/16 Warriors of Qiugang, nominated for Best Documentary Short, 2010

I was struck by how American this story was: villagers rallying together to fight a factory that was polluting their air, water and land; making them sick. It sounds like a story made for Erin Brockovich. The villagers of Qiugang, many who are not very educated, are trying to use Chinese law to fight the environmental damage begin caused by three chemical factories. It occasionally seems hopeless, but they get some assistance from a Chinese NGO committed to environmental causes as well as laws that are on the books. I was impressed by the faith that the villagers put in the national government, not so much the local leaders, but in the President. I would say that is not necessarily so true in the U.S. at the moment. One of the villagers in particularly takes the lead, if a little unwillingly, but once he is among other Chinese who are fighting the same fight in their villages, he comes back energized and ready to fight. The film didn't win the Oscar, but hopefully it inspired and continues to inspire other Chinese villagers and people in other situations to join together and reclaim their lands from the pollution.

1/6/17 The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner, nominated for Best Documentary Short, 2009

A person in the United States has the right to buy an armory's with of weapons, but if they want to die with dignity, it is an uphill battle. A battle that former governor of Washington, Booth Gardner, was ready, willing and mostly able to fight. Gardner, who served two terms as governor (1985-1993), and very possibly could have won a third term, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1994, and he decided that he wanted to decide when he would die, not the disease. As of 2016, only four states in the United States permitted legally assisted suicide; at the time of filming, only Oregon allowed it. The film shows both sides of the issue, potentially letting viewers make up their own mind, but it seemed to slant towards the death with dignity side. When the documentary starts, Governor Gardner shows some effects of the Parkinson's but he is still able to debate, discuss and orate without much difficulty, but as the weeks go on, and the rigors of a statewide campaign are taking its toll. Music by Prudence won the Oscar for the Best Documentary Short this year, and it certainly is one of my favorites, but there is something about watching a film like The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner and how it fits into one's own belief system. I do happen to believe that a person should be able to die with dignity and if there is a protocol with safeguards, I do not think it would be abused the way opponents do; opponents also try to impose their own religious beliefs, which may or may not align with someone who would like the option of assisted suicide. This is still a very contested topic, and I think that Governor Booth was a very able spokesman. Booth Gardner died in 2013.

1/6/17 Dont Look Back, 1967 National Film Registry

Disclaimer: I like Bob Dylan songs...when someone else sings them. If people were surprised or shocked at his response to winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, which seemed like indifference, they wouldn't have been if they watched Don't Look Back, D. A. Pennebaker's documentary on Bob Dylan's English tour in 1965. When he is engaging with fans, he can be very pleasant, but when he is being interviewed by journalists, Dylan is combative and diffident. Pennebaker also films Dylan's manager, Albert Grossman, who was himself a large figure in music in the 1960s, gets into an argument with hotel staff who have been getting noise complaints; he also gets into negotiations with British television to see if Dylan goes on BBC or Granada Television. The movie opens with Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" playing and him holding the iconic cue cards with key words from the lyrics; perhaps one of the first music videos. There is no narrative for the film, just Pennebaker following Dylan and letting the action happen, including an argument with folk singer Donovan about who threw a bottle from the hotel, or a sing-along in the hotel with Donovan singing and playing the guitar, and then Dylan taking a turn. There is also live footage from some of the concerts. There is no doubt that Bob Dylan is a musical and American icon, and his songs have been part of the political and social tapestry for over fifty years, and this film gives a little insight into those early years.

1/7/17 Sun Come Up, nominated for Best Documentary Short, 2010

I have never heard of the Carteret Islands, which I learned are part of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific. They are also very quickly going under water, due to climate change, and its inhabitants are trying to find another place to live. This film follows the islanders as some of the younger people go to Bougainville hoping that they can buy land for their families. They meet with some resistance, Bougainvilleans (sp?) seemed to look down on the 'simple' people from Carteret, who are called lazy, and it's implied they might not want to do hard work. The Carteret Islanders are simple, they don't really drink alcohol, they're not used to people waving guns (Bougainville had a ten year civil war),they use shell money, they try to raise crops, but the increasing level of sea water has made that almost impossible. Eventually they get to a village that sympathizes with their plight and understands that global warming is an aspect that must be faced. Moving thousands of people is no easy task, but some of the island leaders formulated a plan to be carried out over a period of ten years. It's heartbreaking to see these people prepare to lose the only home they have known for centuries; there is very little they can do, except share the story of their island home with the world and raise awareness to the harm of global warming.

1/7/17 Trouble the Water, nominated for Best Documentary, 2008

As I was watching Trouble the Water, one of my thoughts was that this should have won the Oscar over Man on Wire (which I will re-watch in the coming weeks). Trouble the Water made me angry, sad, frustrated, encouraged and uplifted, all due to the couple that was the focus of the movie, Kim and Scott Rivers. My other thought while watching was I would really like to meet these two, and I hope that eight years after the movie was released that they are doing well. Kim, Scott and their neighbors lived in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The filmmakers, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, follow Kim and Scott as they try to rebuild their lives, going to Alexandria, Louisiana, then to Memphis, and back to the Ninth Ward. They also include footage that Kim filmed during the storm and during their journey. Also included are absolutely agonizing 911 calls, with 911 operators telling callers that there would be no rescue attempts 'until the weather was better'. Unreal, but it happened. Kim's brother was in Orleans Parish jail for a misdemeanor during the hurricane, and we hear from him and in the extras, from a defense attorney, about the conditions in the prison: no food, no water, no guards because they left. A few times people interviewed mentioned how they felt abandoned by President Bush, Governor Kathleen Blanco, the National Guard, the military. Kim Rivers mentioned that it was like they took away their citizenship. I should also say that for as frustrated and upset as Rivers and her husband were, they were respectful and appreciative of the National Guardsman working in their neighborhoods. I really liked this film, and think that there are a lot of messages that resonate today, especially regarding race relations in this country and the treatment and marginalization of poor people in our country. There is a scene at the end of the film that shows a white woman who works for perhaps the tourism board complaining that people don't want to hear about the devastation or the flooding or anything, they just want to have a good time. She proceeds to put in a DVD that was produced that showed a shiny, happy New Orleans, meanwhile, a year later, the Ninth Ward still looked like it had been through the wars. I wanted to poke her in the eye.

A weekend of movies: Suicide Squad, When Harry Met Sally, the original Ghostbusters, Terminator

12/31/16 Suicide Squad, 2016 not yet nominated

Ambivalent, half-hearted, reluctant. There are the words I would use to describe my feelings about watching Suicide Squad. I believe it was while waiting for Batman versus Superman that my brother and I saw the trailer, and he asked me what I thought. I said "I think it's stupid". That may sound harsh, and I may modify it a bit, but not much. Perhaps this gives you an idea of what I thought: around the middle of the movie I said to my friends, "All I can think about is pancakes." My hosts did nothing to help my craving.

Here is what I did like: there were probably more strong, leading female characters than I recall seeing in any other super hero movie, Marvel or DC, including Amanda Waller (Viola Davis channeling her ruthless side); Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn (who was so good I think I recall reading she may get her own stand alone movie), Cara Delevingne as Enchantress (who was terrible, by the way); and Karen Fukuhara as Katana (who intrigued me and I would like to see more). I also liked seeing so many characters with whom I was not familiar, including El Diablo and Killer Croc. I also liked seeing a different aspect of Will Smith's acting as Deadshot, another character I kind of liked. Oh, and as my young friend mentioned, the soundtrack was pretty good.

What I didn't like: a lot of the acting and writing was really not very good, even for a superhero movie. The actor playing Rick Flag, Joel Kinnaman was not great. Jared Leto took a big chance, playing the first Joker incarnation since Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar, and it's hard to judge the portrayal in a vacuum; essentially, he creeped me out and I thought he was more of a distraction to the story line than a bonus.

I only paid a dollar to watch it, so I may have gotten off cheaper than most people, and the only reason I wanted to see it was in case it was nominated for any effects Oscars and in case the spinoff movies are forthcoming.

12/31/16 When Harry Met Sally, 1989

As I was watching this with my friends on New Year's Eve, we were sure this won an Oscar for something, or was on the National Film Registry. It had to be; hell, The Breakfast Club is on the National Film Registry. But no, it's not on any of my lists. We were shocked. We had seen the movie before, but it has been about ten years for me, and unlike a lot of movies, it holds up twenty five years later. The writing from Nora Ephron, Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal is so good at portraying the relationship between men and women (is there a gay version, because that could be funny too). Reiner directed and kept the movie at a good pace; I never felt we stayed in one place for too long. Billy Crystal as Harry Burns is cynical, sarcastic, jaded, but also hilarious; and Meg Ryan, America's sweetheart, was a good sparring partner as Sally Albright. These two are so perfect together as actors, that as viewers you yell at the screen telling them to figure it out. It was a little bitter sweet watching this though, because Carrie Fisher is Sally's best friend, Marie, who marries Harry's best friend, Jess. We first meet Harry and Sally as they leave college and Chicago and head east to New York. They begin their relationship debating whether men and women can just be friends, or does it have to end in sex, and maybe dating (although, not a necessary component). It follows the pair over several years as they meet at different times before reconnecting as 'friends'. Intercut in the movie are interviews with older people, some of whom have been married for decades, and those scenes are fun to watch. I don't know if Billy Crystal is as appreciated as he should be for his incredible talent; back in the 1980s and parts of the 1990s, he had quite a streak going: movies, hosting the Oscars, live shows. Meg Ryan was no slouch either. Definitely glad I watched it again. And now I would like some pecan pie.

1/1/17 In Darkness, nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, 2011 

In Darkness is not the movie to watch if you're looking for whimsy or levity, but director Agnieszka Holland's film about Polish Jews hiding in the sewer system during the Holocaust shows us another story, and a true story at that. In Lvov, Poland, Jews are being harassed, tortured, killed in the streets and those that aren't killed outright, are sent to camps. There is a small group who decide to try and tunnel into the sewer system to hide. As they dig their entrance, they encounter Leopold Socha, a plumber who has a side business stealing and hiding his loot in the sewers. At first he agrees to help them hide if they agree to pay him, but after a while, it stops becoming about business and becomes about humanity, theirs and his. He does this at the risk of his and his family's life, as well as those he is aiding. It is a very hard movie to watch, visually, because so much is 'in darkness', underground, and the topic is very heartbreaking, and for me, it makes me angry and sad, and I felt very tense, until the end. I've only seen three of the nominated films for this year, including the winner A Separation, which I thought was very good, and Monsieur Lazhar which broke my heart. I know a lot of people avoid foreign films in general, and Holocaust movies in particular, but if you can, I recommend watching all three of them (although, not in a row, that's too much). Holland also directed Europa, Europa, another Oscar nominated film set during the Holocaust.

1/1/17 The Night of the Iguana, Best Costume Design, 1964

I love Richard Burton, he could be reading the phone book, and I'd still listen, enthralled, but I could not deal with him, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr in the John Huston-directed The Night of the Iguana. I was telling a friend it was just too much yelling, and he said, it's Tennessee Williams, what do you expect? Burton is a shamed priest who is hiding out in Mexico giving cheap tours, and during the film, he happens to be taking out a nice ladies church group, with a lovely young lady among them. She makes some moves on him, and he struggles against all of his inner demons to control himself. After that, I actually started drifting in and out and could not bring myself to re-watch what I missed (which I usually do). All I could think of was when I watched Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? also with Burton as well as Elizabeth Taylor, and the yelling. Is that what 1950s drama was all about? I'm sorry if I've offended any theatrical sensibilities, but consider this one crossed off the list.

1/1/17 Ghostbusters, 1984 National Film Registry

So, I watched the original Ghotsbusters for the very first time ever. Apparently that just surprises people. I'm sorry, but I didn't love it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. I laughed harder at the remake, but that may have been because I really wanted the remake to succeed. Anyway, we s lowly get introduced to the ghostbusting team, which is Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), Peter Venkman (Billy Murray) and Ray Stantz (Dan Ackroyd). Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) seeks the help of the ghostbusters, but gets extra attention from Venkman. Rick Moranis is Louis Tully, kind of a nudgenick, who would love to get to know Dana better, but instead gets possessed by a demon, the Keymaster; Dana is also possessed by the demon, Zuul. The Ghostbusters, plus their new member, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), fight the demons, pretty much destroying the city in the process. There is something about movies like Ghostbusters, The Terminator or When Harry Met Sally, that if you know anything about cultural references, you know something about these movies, they are part of our collective cultural history. If someone says "Who ya gonna call?" You say "Ghostbusters". You might not even know why. I may not have loved it, but I did appreciate finally seeing it, and seeing/hearing the references in their context. And you get a sense of the immense comedic talent on the screen (I did forget to mention Annie Potts was hilarious as the less than helpful secretary, Janine Melnitz). I'm reviewing this because it's on the National Film Registry, because most of you have probably already seen it.

1/2/17 The Terminator, 1984 National Film Registry

I honestly do not remember watching this before, but I did watch Terminator 2, and you would have thought that I would have watched 1 before 2, but I guess not. This is not a great movie; the acting is terrible, it's like a bunch of amateurs, but, like a friend said, it sets the table for the rest of the franchise. Arnold Schwartzenegger is the Terminator of the title, and is his most iconic role (sorry for those of you that thought it was Conan the Barbarian), and he is after Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Poor Sarah has no clue what's happening, especially after Reese (Michael Biehn) also starts chasing her, but to protect her. Reese and the Terminator have come form the future to prevent something from happening in the future. Does your head hurt? Yeah, don't think about it. Just enjoy the special effects (which do seem a little dated thirty years later), and enjoy this as one of James Cameron's short movies, and less pretentious to boot.

A classic - The Blackboard Jungle, Depp in Black Mass and Alice through the Looking Glass

12/25/16 The Blackboard Jungle, 1955, National Film Registry

My first recollection of hearing about The Blackboard Jungle was in reference to it being the first (or one of the very first) feature films to include a rock and roll song, "Rock around the clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets. I recently watched a documentary about a school struggling with violence, poverty and hopelessness, so I watched The Blackboard Jungle, starring Glenn Ford and a very young Sidney Poitier and Vic Morrow, with the kids of Stanton Elementary School in mind. In I am a Promise, one of the teachers bemoans the fact that children don't respect their teachers like they used to, but then you watch The Blackboard Jungle, set in the 1950s, and you wonder if kids ever respected their teachers or parents. Sometimes the acting seemed a bit clunky and unbelievable, over the top, but overall, the story of an inner city trade school that is ethnically diverse, although it seems to be male-only, set the stage for later films and television shows set in unruly high schools. Glenn Ford is Richard Dadier, a new teacher at North Manual Trades High School, who is taken aback by the apparent chaos by the students and the crass indifference by some of the teachers. Dadier tries to connect with the students, but he is aggressively thwarted by Gregory Miller (Poitier) and Artie West (Morrow). West seems pretty hopeless, but Dadier sees a glimmer of hope in reaching Miller. Richard Kiley is Joshua Edwards, a fellow rookie teacher who tries to get some of the students to understand mathematics by listening to music. Unfortunately, it does not go quite as planned. I think we have a picture of the 1950s represented by the television show Happy Days, but The Blackboard Jungle shatters that, with gang violence and attacks on teachers. Younger audiences may only know Glenn Ford as Jonathan Kent from the Superman movie franchise with Christopher Reeves, but he was in over 30 movies by the time he made The Blackboard Jungle. This was Sidney Poitier's breakthrough role and nine years later he won an Oscar for Lilies in the Field. I don't think the movie is great, but it has some very good performances, and it is considered groundbreaking, it's worth a look.

12/25/16 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, nominated Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, 2011
When it comes to movies about 9/11, I usually run the other way. Having lived through "the worst day" as young Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) refers to it, I don't feel the need to watch movies about it. Oskar's father, Thoms Schell (Tom Hanks) is killed when the towers collapsed. He leaves several voice messages for Oskar and his wife, Linda (Sandra Bullock), but they never speak to one another. Oskar and his father have a strong relationship; Thomas was one of the few people who could engage and relate to Oskar. After Thomas died, Oskar finds a key that he thinks was left for him. The envelope that held the key had 'Black' written on it. This leads Oskar on a hunt across New York City, meeting people with the last name of 'Black' (including one played by Viola Davis) which make for some very touching, emotional and funny scenes. For part of his journey, Oskar is joined by his grandmother's lodger, only called 'The Renter' (Max von Sydow in an Oscar nominated role). Oskar's quest is eventually rewarded, but I won't spoil it by telling you how. It's almost a week later and I still don't now if I liked the movie; I liked certain scenes and certain story lines, but I don't know if I would recommend it or watch it again (in fact, I have been avoiding this movie for five years). It was nominated as Best Picture, and this was the year that I lost a lot of faith in the Oscars; this was the year that The Artist won Best Picture when I was pretty sure The Help or Hugo or maybe even War Horse should have won. Von Sydow lost Best Supporting Actor to Christopher Plummer, whom I love, but I could not stand The Beginners, but I wasn't overly impressed with the other nominees, at least as far as being Oscar caliber.

12/28/16 Black Mass, 2015

I feel like I have seen a lot of mob/mafia movies and television lately, and I wasn't overly keen to watch Black Mass, but my younger brother kept recommending it. Johnny Depp is Jimmy "Whitey" Bulger, the crime boss in Boston, who was also an FBI informant. Benedict Cumberbatch is William Bulger, Whitey's brother; Joel Edgerton is FBI Agent John Connolly, who also grew up with the Bulgers. The movie is told interspersed with flashbacks as various members of Whitey's crew are interrogated and some become informants. We see Whitey in all of his violent glory; ruthlessly killing anyone he perceives as a threat, and if he can't do it, he has someone else do it. Connolly uses Bulger to raise his profile at the Bureau, and is eventually shown to be as corrupt as Bulger is sadistic. I thought Black Mass was something to be endured and didn't really enjoy it.


12/29/16 Alice through the Looking Glass, not yet nominated, 2016

I am always intrigued when a new Tim Burton movies comes, intrigued, but cautious. I don't think I have ever seen a Burton film in the theater because I'm never sure if I'll like it or not. Since I have started doing this blog, I have watched several Tim Burton movies, and some I've liked and some I have not (I could not make it through Sweeney Todd, but I really enjoyed Alice in Wonderland, and so it goes). Burton makes colorful, big, special-effects filled movies that are often nominated (and sometimes win), and I was curious to see Alice through the Looking Glass. Many of the characters from Alice in Wonderland reprise their roles: Mia Wasikowska as Alice, although a little older and tougher; Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen; Alan Rickman as Absolem the Butterfly; Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter (to name a few). Sacha Baron Cohen (as Time) is introduced. We catch up with Alice as she is sailing her father's ship "The Wonder" through high sea adventures, only to return to England and face the choice of giving up the ship to reclaim her family home from Hamish Ascot (her former fiance). While at the Ascots, she returns to Underland where she meets her friends, including the Hatter who seems to be dying from sadness. Alice thinks changing the course of past events is the key to helping him, and to do that she must meet Time. She finds a very cool gadget that will help her move through the past, but that upsets the balance of Time. It's all very fast and frenetic, and a blast back to the childhoods of the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Red Queen and the Mad Hatter. We learn why the Red Queen's head is shaped the way it is and why she is so bloody angry!! The actual story line seemed very scattered and too all encompassing, like it was trying to do too much. I was turned off by Baron Cohen; I just found him and his accent annoying. However, I did enjoy the movie as a visual treat; Burton and his production team get the best colors and effects not seen in a science fiction film. I could watch the other characters from Underland just have a tea party; Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas) are pretty funny; Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat is delightfully snide and acerbic; the problem is there are SO many characters.  I really loved the score by Danny Elfman, and the song at the end of the film by Pink "Just Like Fire" was really good as well. Wasikowska is pretty fearless as Alice, willing to do anything to help her friends and family; not quite as selfish as she was when she was younger. Depp is Depp. He seems very adept and at home behind the garish Hatter makeup. I liked him, I can't help it, I liked the humanity he brought to the Hatter. I would say the same for the Red Queen/Bonham Carter. I think if the script could have left out Time, maybe it wouldn't have been so frantic. So, my guess is that there will be a few nominations for the film around the production, visual effects and makeup, possibly for the score and long shot for the song. I liked it and was entertained.