Thursday, January 31, 2008

This & That Thursday

Playing President: Well, Giuliani and Edwards have bitten the dust. Romney, McCain, Clinton & Obama are still kicking it. It's shaping up to be McCain and either Clinton or Obama. Probably Clinton. I honestly believe that in a match up with McCain, the Dems don't stand a chance. That's just my opinion and it comes not from pessimism but from a reality check. McCain has the conservative base which came out in full force in the last two Presidential elections. Clinton is a woman and that will put off more than just a few voters. I don't even think she'll get the woman vote; Obama is more likely to get that vote.

Music Man: The album that I'm currently playing to death is a CD from last year. James Blunt's second release, All The Lost Souls. I liked his first CD, Back To Bedlam, but I'm still really enjoying this CD. In fact, after playing it over and over when it first came out, I picked it up again and am currently giving it a second life. My ears are thanking me.

It's still winter and the weather in Western, NY is still crummy. Enjoy the little cracks of sun that we get now and again.

peace,

paul

Only 24 more days till the Oscars!!!!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Breaking down my predictions

I predicted the nominations in 8 categories; that's 40 predictions. Of the 40, I correctly predicted 36. The four that I did not correctly predict were a bit of surprise to me. Below, I break down the eight categories. These are the real nominees:

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Paul Thomas Anderson-There Will Be Blood
Joel & Ethan Coen-No Country For Old Men
Christopher Hampton-Atonement
Ronald Harwood-The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Sarah Polley-Away From Her

**I did not predict that Polley would get a nod in this category. I, instead, predicted that Aaron Sorkin would get one for Charlie Wilson's War. Polley deserves this nod and I raved about her film Away From Her when I reviewed it. Another film that was left out in the cold was Into The Wild.

Best Original Screenplay:

Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava & Jim Capobianco-Ratatouille
Diablo Cody-Juno
Tony Gilroy-Michael Clayton
Tamara Jenkins-The Savages
Nancy Oliver-Lars And The Real Girl

**I predicted that Adrienne Shelly would get nominated for her sweet distaff story:Waitress. She died before the film was released and I was banking on the sympathy nod; it was also a good film. Instead the animated film Ratatouille took the spot.

Best Supporting Actress:

Cate Blanchett-I'm Not There (4th & 5th nods-one win for Supp. Actress)
Ruby Dee-American Gangster (1st nod)
Saoirse Ronan-Atonement (1st nod)
Amy Ryan-Gone Baby Gone (1st nod)
Tilda Swinton-Michael Clayton(1st nod)

**I correctly predicted all 5 nominees and there is no sign of Julia Roberts from Charlie Wilson's War. Sadly, her "big comeback" was shut out of the best of the year. An omission even bigger than Julia, is that of Catherine Keener for her performance in Into The Wild.

Best Supporting Actor:

Casey Affleck-The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (1st nod)
Javier Bardem-No Country For Old Men (2nd nod-1st was for Best Actor)
Hal Holbrook-Into The Wild (1st nod)
Philip Seymour Hoffman-Charlie Wilson's War (2nd nod-1st was for Best Actor)
Tom Wilkinson-Michael Clayton (2nd nod-1st was for Best Actor)

**Again, I correctly predicted all five correctly. Shut out of this category is the wonderful Paul Dano from There Will Be Blood. Also, Tommy Lee Jones was nominated but not in this category. I think he should have been recognized here for his performance in No Country For Old Men. He was witty, droll and smart. Ben Foster, who gave a creepy yet compelling performance in 3:10 To Yuma, was shut out; I thought for sure the movie would score some love by his recognition.

Best Actress:

Cate Blanchett-Elizabeth:The Golden Age (4th & 5th nods)
Julie Christie-Away From Her (4th nod-one win)
Marion Cotillard-La Vie En Rose (1st nod)
Laura Linney-The Savages (3rd nod)
Ellen Page-Juno (1st nod)

**I did not correctly predict Cate Blanchett (interestingly, she was nominated for the same role 10 years ago in Elizabeth). I had predicted that Angelina Jolie would get a nod for A Mighty Heart. Even before the movie had come out in the summer of last year, there was lots of talk about how she would get a nod. Sadly, this is one of the few races she was shut out of. I'm surprised she got two nods in two different categories. I would have rather seen her only in the Supporting Actress category; of course, I've yet to see The Golden Age. I'll be seeing that this week. Blanchett is one of the few actors to ever be nominated for two Oscars in one year. The last time this happened was in 2005 when Jamie Foxx was nominated for Best Actor for Ray and Supporting Actor for Collateral. Also shut out was Atonement's Keira Knightley for her role as an upper crust whose suitor has a false accusation made against him.

Best Actor:

George Clooney-Michael Clayton (2nd nod-one win)
Daniel Day-Lewis-There Will Be Blood (4th nod-one win)
Johnny Depp-Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (3rd nod)
Tommy Lee Jones-In The Valley Of Elah (3rd nod-one win)
Viggo Mortensen-Eastern Promises (1st nod)

**I got 4 out of 5 in this category. Shut out were Ryan Gosling for Lars And The Real Girl and Tom Hanks for Charlie Wilson's War. Gosling really did deserve a nod for his role as a man who begins a relationship with a blow-up doll. I wasn't really that impressed with Mortensen's performance in Eastern Promises but there's no chance he'll win anyway, so it's a moot point. Also shut out was James McAvoy for his role as a falsely accused servant's son in Atonement. So too was Denzel Washington shown no love for either American Gangster (expected) and The Great Debaters (not expected). Emile Hirsch, who gave a haunting performance in Into The Wild, was also snubbed.

Best Director:

Julian Schnabel-The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (1st nod)
Jason Reitman-Juno (1st nod)
Tony Gilroy-Michael Clayton (1st nod)
Joel & Ethan Coen-No Country For Old Men (2nd directing nod for Joel; 1st for Ethan)
Paul Thomas Anderson-There Will Be Blood (1st directing nod)

**I correctly predicted all 5 nominees but am surprised that Sean Penn was overlooked for his direction of Into The Wild.

Best Picture:

Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

**Another category in which I correctly predicted all 5. Something to say about these films is that none of them, at this time, has grossed $100. The highest grosser is Juno at $87 million. With the exception of Michael Clayton, I think this category looks great. I would much rather have seen either Into The Wild or even American Gangster in this category over Michael Clayton; although Into The Wild would have been more deserving than Gangster.

I'll soon be making my picks for who I think will win the little gold man. Stay tuned...

paul

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

link

Check out this video from former VP Al Gore. He's on our side!!!!!!

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0108/Gore_for_samesex_marriage.html

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

movie minute

Blood Brother: In the new film by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love), an oilman gets everything he wants and then some while at the same time losing everything that's most important in life. There Will Be Blood (R) is an epic about Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) who, in 1898, is searching for oil in the hills of California. Soon, we see him hit the motherlode and begin going from town to town in order to get people to sell their land to him so he can dig for more oil and, at the same time, guarantee that they will reap the rewards.

When Daniel is approached by a stranger named Paul (Paul Dano) claiming that he knows of a place that has more oil than Daniel can imagine, Daniel is intrigued yet skeptical. He sets off for parts unknown and encounters the Sunday family. Paul Dano shows up again as Eli (Paul's preacher brother) who has some skepticism of his own when it comes to Daniel. He urges Daniel to have the drilling site blessed before it commences, however, Daniel plays by his own rules. When bad things start happening, Paul is convinced it is because the site was not properly blessed. Daniel's personal luck goes downhill from there. His financial luck looks brighter than ever.

Daniel takes with him on his trips his adopted son, H.W., whom he took as his own when the boy's father died in a rigging accident. H.W. is played by newcomer Dillon Freasier and he is Daniel's confidant and ticket to wealth for a while before tragedy strikes.

Daniel Day-Lewis is playing a repulsive megalomaniac and yet watching him one cannot take their eyes off of him. He commands attention even while committing vile acts. What he does with this character is not elicit one ounce of sympathy and yet demand that we watch him to see what he will do or say next. Not a small feat for a character this unlikable.

Paul Dano is also compelling as Eli Sunday, a faith healer preacher who keeps going head to head with Daniel in a battle of wills. The electricity and tension between Day-Lewis and Dano is palpable. Originally Dano was only cast as Paul and another actor was cast as Eli, however, Anderson decided to make the brothers identical and have Dano also play Eli; smart choice. Dano is a revelation her and I'll be surprised if this role does not propel Dano to the next echelon. Dano was seen last year as the brother in Little Miss Sunshine; a role which hinted at the talent he shows off here.

The movie continues with Plainview experiencing more and more success and becoming more and more unbalanced with power; much to the detriment of those around him. It spans the length of 29 years and we see how wealth and power has affected Daniel.

There are a lot of terrific scenes in the film. One of which is the scene in which Plainview is baptized. Another is the last scene in the film which is polarizing and I'm still not sure whether I thought it was spot on or completely untrue of what came before.

There Will Be Blood is loosely based on Oil! by Upton Sinclair. I never read Sinclair's novel so I'm not sure how much of the book is in the movie. However, the film is, in my opinion, Anderson's best and the score is discordant and imaginative and is one of the best scores of 2007.

Day-Lewis is magnificent and funny as Plainview and I would say that he is a lock for the Best Actor Oscar; if he doesn't turn off voters with his repugnance.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 5

peace,

paul

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Yeah, Dude, let's party!!!

Check out this video from youtube. Here's one kid who needs to be put over a knee and spanked.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWj4gQivR3o

Saturday, January 19, 2008

My predictions

Out of 40, I correctly guessed 32 last year. This year, I'll try to beat that. That said, here is who I think will get a nod on Tuesday morning in the race for the ever elusive Golden Man.

Best Original Screenplay:

Juno-Diablo Cody
The Savages-Tamara Jenkins
Lars And The Real Girl-Nancy Oliver
Waitress-Adrienne Shelly
Michael Clayton-Tony Gilroy

Best Adapted Screenplay:

No Country For Old Men-Joel & Ethan Coen
Atonement-Christopher Hampton
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly-Ronald Harwood
There Will Be Blood-Paul Thomas Anderson
Charlie Wilson's War-Aaron Sorkin

Best Supporting Actress:

Saoirse Ronan-Atonement
Ruby Dee-American Gangster
Tilda Swinton-Michael Clayton
Amy Ryan-Gone Baby Gone
Cate Blanchett-I'm Not There

Best Supporting Actor:

Javier Bardem-No Country For Old Men
Hal Holbrook-Into The Wild
Casey Affleck-The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Philip Seymour Hoffman-Charlie Wilson's War
Tom Wilkinson-Michael Clayton

Best Actress:

Angelina Jolie-A Mighty Heart
Laura Linney-The Savages
Ellen Page-Juno
Julie Christie-Away From Her
Marion Cotillard-La Vie En Rose

Best Actor:

Daniel Day-Lewis-There Will Be Blood
George Clooney-Michael Clayton
Johnny Depp-Sweeney Todd
Viggo Mortensen-Eastern Promises
Ryan Gosling-Lars And The Real Girl

Best Director:

Julian Schnabel-The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Joel & Ethan Coen-No Country For Old Men
Jason Reitman-Juno
Tony Gilroy-Michael Clayton
Paul Thomas Anderson-There Will Be Blood

Best Picture:

Atonement
Juno
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Michael Clayton

peace,

paul

Thursday, January 17, 2008

A quick look at the GG's

The Golden Globe awards, oops, sorry the Golden Globes press conference, has come and gone and there were a few surprises on hand to rev us up for what will hopefully be an actual Academy Awards ceremony.

Actor-Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd) won for Best Actor in a comedy or musical and Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) won for Best Actor in a drama. As a result, Tom Hanks (Charlie Wilson's War), who could still win the big Oscar was deprived of a win, as was Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Savages) and Denzel Washington was left out for American Gangster.

Actress-This race was much more exciting and I'm quite thrilled with both winners. For musical/comedy, Marion Cotillard won for La Vie En Rose, which means Ellen Page (Juno), Amy Adams (Enchanted), Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray) and Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd) came up empty handed. The first two were the only others who would have been most deserving to win. The actress award went to the radiant Julie Christie for Away From Her. Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart) and Keira Knightley (Atonement) lost to Christie who IS the most deserving of the Academy Award although Jolie still has a good shot of winning.

The supporting actor award went to Javier Bardem for No Country For Old Men which means that, once again, Hoffman (Charlie Wilson's War) lost out.

Supporting Actress went to Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There!!??!!! Yes, that's right, one of the most boring and pointless movies, in my humble opinion, of last year. The Bob Dylan pic was so slow and tedious and I would have rather have seen any one of the other four women win this award. There could be another winner come Oscar time; I hope so.

Best Picture comedy/musical was no surprise: Sweeney Todd. Juno was the only other film I think was most deserving.

Best picture drama was no surprise (maybe): Atonement. This film, along with No Country For Old Men was the most deserving. I haven't yet seen There Will Be Blood but it opens in my area this weekend.

Best Director was most shocking of all. Winner Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (another movie that hasn't yet opened in my area) is getting many critical acclaims and beat out Tim Burton, Joel & Ethan Coen, Ridley Scott and Joe Wright. Will there be an upset at the Oscars? It's happened before.

My predictions for who will be nominated for an Oscar are coming up.

Stay tuned....

paul

My Woman

Which woman celebrity would I most like to meet? Like you have to ask....Celine Dion, of course. I saw her in Boston a year before she broke through big time with the Titanic song and she was funny and personable. Many do not like her but here is proof of just how funny and down to earth she is. Check out this link from youtube and enjoy. Discover just how f****ng awesome Celine Dion really is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQrcNujVTPA

peace,

paul

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Link to a neat video

Check out Uncle Jay at www.unclejayexplains.com and while you are there make sure you view the archives for the July 2, 2007 clip. It shows just how hard our Congress has it. Whew!

Enjoy.

peace,

paul

Hot Topic Tuesday

In Da Buff: Cyclists, baseball players, Olympic athletes and now rap stars? Yes, unidentified law enforcement official has claimed that rap stars such as 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Timbaland, Wyclef Jean and others may have either had steroids delivered to them and/or taken them. The investigation is part of a steroid investigation in Albany. The singers themselves are not part of a criminal investigation. I won't pass judgment, however, I've seen Timbaland and Wyclef Jean and they look like they could use some steroids. Mary "Juiced" Blige and 50 Crunk, um, Cent on the other hand look like they've been sipping some special sauce. But maybe it's a result of good old fashioned working out. Has somebody measured their heads and feet recently?

A Vote For Debonair: He's been called stunning! No, not George Clooney. He's been called dashing! No, not Orlando Bloom. He's been called a perfect 10! No, not the next bachelor. It's Presidential hopeful and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Yes, the self-professed Mormon always looks good with nary a hair out of place. He's neatly dressed and pressed and speaks eloquently, though a bit robotic, and has the perfect smile. Ok, but really, Mitt Romney!?! He really does nothing for me. If I was looking for a hot, sexy man and his face was in a sea of many, my eyes would pass him right by. Now, Mike Huckabee on the other hand.....Hmmmmmmm........

Don't touch the controls, we'll do it: The government of California wants to install remote controlled temperature devices in their homes next year. Refusal to comply could result in loss of a building permit.

The devices, which the government is hoping will control rolling blackouts and free up electric and natural gas resources, would regulate temperature by 4 degrees, either up or down. The devices would also control refrigerators, pool pumps, electric water heaters and computers and lights based on responses to signals from the utility companies.

Glenn Beck, a conservative radio and tv host, thinks this idea is a bad one. So do I! I agree with Glenn Beck!!! Should I be concerned about saving money and energy? Yes. Should I be forced to have my heating/cooling controlled by someone else? No. If I want to waste money and energy, I should be able to do so in the privacy of my own home. Talk about Big Brother. George Orwell is probably rolling in his grave right now.

Just call him Goober: A band teacher in the New Caney ISD in Houston, TX is in trouble for a punishment that was inflicted on one of his students. A week ago the teacher, who is on paid leave and has not been identified, allegedly told students to empty the spitvalves of their instruments into the hand of one of their classmates. The student had forgotten to bring a trumpet to class. I do believe in children being punished and learning lessons but that is just disgusting and unsanitary.

I hope you are stirring up discussion today with some topics of your own.

peace,

paul

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Movie Minute

Kickin' the Bucket: In Rob Reiner's new film, The Bucket List, two terminally ill patients decide to live life the way they've always wanted and show each other a thing or two about what each other has been missing in his own life. It sounds trite and overdone, and it is. However the strength and real acting of the two leads are what keeps this film a step above a movie-of-the-week sudser.

Jack Nicholson plays hospital owner Edward Cole. Cole has cancer and seems to have more money than Donald Trump and when he ends up as a patient in his own hospital, he is flabbergasted that he doesn't have a private room. Instead he is forced to share his space with another cancer patient, Carter Chambers, played by Morgan Freeman.

The film has some good writing and the two characters do a lot of the typical I'm-dying-so-I-have-to-do-this things such as skydiving, seeing the Taj Mahal and sitting on top of the Pyramids. It's not a great film; it's not even a good film but it is a fast moving and entertains just enough to keep one interested. Let's face it, the film won't win any awards but Nicholson is clearly acting in a role in which he is almost guaranteed an Academy Award nomination (it would be his 13th). Although, I must admit, I tend to forget how good Nicholson is at playing a "nice" guy; one who is not a mobster or dangerous.

Considering this is the first time Nicholson and Freeman have acted together, one would think that there would have been fireworks instead of sparklers. And, being a Rob Reiner film, and one in which the two lead characters are dying, the director does pull out almost all the stops for the tears. The only character that I found wanting to see more of was Edward's assistant Thomas, played by Will & Grace's Sean Hayes. As the pooped upon, long suffering assistat, Thomas gives the crap right back to Nicholson's Edward. And though Hayes is basically wasted, he does give the role his most oomph. What would have really elevated this film is if Nicholson and Freeman had swapped roles; now that would have been interesting.

See The Bucket List for two powerhouse actors; just don't expect to be blown away.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 2.5

peace,

paul

weekly email from January 12, 2008

Hello Friends & Loved Ones,

Well, the new year is underway and how many of you (like me) have already forgotten about your new year's resolutions? Oh, still sticking to them? Well, great for you!!!! Let's face it, it's difficult to stick to our resolutions or as I like to call them goals. I will tell you two of my goals for this year; two that I intend to keep anyway. The first one is to continue to be assertive and speak frankly to people. The second one is to go scuba diving or at least learn how to scuba dive. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time now and will finally, somehow, do this year. I can't keep talking about the skydiving, that is so five years ago. Those two things, not simple things for me, I plan on committing to and doing. I hope that whatever goals you have for this year you are able to stick to and actually get results.

Looking for a DVD this week? My pick is a remake of a 1957 movie. Yes, I'm actually recommending a remake! I saw the original 3:10 To Yuma, starring Van Heflin and the gorgeous Glenn Ford, just last year. The remake, which just happened to be released last year, stars Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.

It's the story of a down-on-his-luck rancher who is trying to keep his family afloat (sound familiar in today's cut-taxes-for-the-rich-society?) who jumps at the chance to help lead a captured fugitive to a prison train. The original had Van Heflin as the rancher and he was truly believable as sad sack rancher Dan Evans who just couldn't catch a break until Ben Wade (the outlaw) "fell" into his lap. Glenn Ford is Ben Wade who is more manipulative and suave than dangerous or scary. The film moves along briskly and is a '50's western well worth seeing (BEFORE THE REMAKE).

In the remake, Russell Crowe plays the desperado Ben Wade. And, like Ford before him, Crowe is suave AND this time also dangerous. Batman portrayer Christian Bale plays Dan Evans and, while he does a decent job as the downtrodden rancher, I didn't totally believe his performance. James Mangold (Walk The Line) directed this remake and he does a great job. The film is brisk and offers some nice and believable changes from the original, including a surprising and realistic twist at the end. I started watching this movie with Heflin and Ford's performances fresh in my mind and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. If I'm recommending a western, that's big news.


Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy and stay happy. Pray for each other as I pray for each of you.

love,

paul

Saturday, January 12, 2008

War of the Words

It's been crippling, devastating and unbelievable! No, not the fact that Britney Spears's sister is pregnant out of wedlock (we should have ALL seen that coming) but the effect the writer's strike has had on the television industry and those of us who sit glued to it every night from 8 to 11.

The strike, which began back on November 5, 2007, is currently going on it's third month with no end in sight. Most of the late-night hosts have returned with the provision that they cannot deliever pre-written material. Some of the soap operas (yes, I know you're out there too) have episodes taped through the month of January. And there are some saving graces: American Idol, Lost (though I'll get really into it right about the time the episodes run out), Cashmere Mafia, Breaking Bad, The New Survivor, and Dexter on CBS.

That's why I'm not too worried about not knowing how newlyweds Kitty & Robert are coping on Brothers & Sisters; or, how much chaos and death Jack Bauer will cause on the newest season of 24 (the season has been postponed because of the strike); or, just how close Gabby & Edie will really become now that they've gone through that "whirlwind experience" on Desperate Housewives; or, knowing if Henry is really the father of Charlie's baby on Ugly Betty. Don't get me wrong, I will miss these shows but I haven't gone into withdrawal. By the time AI, Survivor and those other new shows that I want to check out are over, it will be summertime and everyone knows there's NOTHING good on during the summer. Right!

The strike has no doubt been terrible for the livelihood of the thousands of writers, however, it has been good for me because I've actually had more time to read, catch up on the news, spend more time with friends and blog more. Ok, maybe not the last one; but I'm trying. Yes, this is where my spouse would say, "Yes, Paul, you are very trying."

But I digress! The fact is that, I, a veritable tv junkie am actually enjoying the freedom from the tube. It's something I never thought I'd be saying. Of course, I will be watching the paltry 8 episodes of Lost and following the tuneless antics of the Hollywood Hopefuls on AI but it's nice to not have between 15 and 20 shows (at least) that I "just have to watch" every single week.

Having said that, I am truly hoping that the writer's strike ends.....SOON! Not just for the families of the writers that are affected but because I will be deeply disappointed if the Academy Awards are affected by the strike. The word is still out on how the Golden Globes will look.

There is one other reason that I'm not freaking out about the tv situation and that is because in today's tv-on-dvd culture, almost every tv show ends up on DVD so one can watch a whole season in one sitting; provided that the season aired and wasn't a victim of a scribe strike. Check out your favorite shows online too. Missed an episode and want to catch up before you start watching again, go online and see the eps you missed. Make sure you have high speed or wireless. It just doesn't work well on dialup.


So, for a while at least, I can enjoy going to the movies during the work week (I do still have some movies to see before the telecast of the big O) and not waste my whole weekend at the cinemas.

And if I do happen to get bored, I can always catch up on how the parenting book by Lynne Spears is coming or just which athlete Jessica Simpson is currently dating or catch up on the latest escapades of O.J. Simpson or which of the Dems/Repubs are ahead and behind. And while I'm catching up on the juice I will be quietly dreaming of once again returning to the days of being held prisoner by the picture box.

peace,

paul

Sunday, January 06, 2008

weekly email from December 31, 2007

Hello Friends & Loved Ones,

Here it is just a couple of days from the New Year and many of us, myself included, are eager to say good riddance to 2007. For me, 2007 was a turbulent and unsettling year. Yes, there were lots of good times and happy memories but there were way too many negative and disappointing moments that I'm glad to say goodbye to....forever.

If you are looking for some feel good movies to see in the next week or two, I've got two for you that both Jim and I saw and enjoyed.

P.S. I Love You: A woman loses her husband (and not in the produce section of Wegmans) and starts the mourning process only to receive gifts and letters from her departed beloved. The scheme is to get her to start living her life again but it only complicates matters when she refuses to let him go. Hilary Swank is a wonderfully comedic actress and Lisa Kudrow is perfect in the role of one of Swank's friends (even though it's just a variation on her Friends character). The film also stars Gerard Butler, Kathy Bates, and the hunk from Grey's Anatomy Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It's not really a comedy but if I laugh out loud at least a dozen times, it's got to be worth seeing.

Juno: Another movie with a wonderful lead actress. A high schooler becomes pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. She seeks out a couple who are unable to have children and as her pregnancy moves further along, she begins to wonder if she made the right decision. I won't tell you exactly what happens, but the actress Ellen Page is simply remarkable. The Canadian actress is 20 years old but very convincingly plays a 16-year old and even more convincingly played a 14-year-old teen with a grudge against a suspected pedophile in the film Hard Candy. She's a young actress who will be in at least several more movies in the coming year and could have a long and tremendous career. The film also stars Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman and Michael Cera (from Superbad & Arrested Development).

Those are two movies that should be greatly enjoyable.

For the coming days and the new year, I pray for each of you peace, love, laughter and lots of joy.

Pray for each other as I pray for you.


peace,

paul

Friday, January 04, 2008

movie minute

For Whom The Bell Tones: In director Joe Wright's (Pride & Prejudice) new movie Atonement, a child's imagination and war rips apart two lovers.

As the film begins, it's a beautiful summer day in England in 1935. The Tallis household is in excitment as the oldest brother will soon be returning to visit bringing with him chocolate magnate Paul Marshall (creepily played by Benedict Cumberbatch Thirteen year old fledgling writer Briony Tallis is working on her play to celebrate the occasion. Soon, however, the anticipation and excitement turns to betrayal when Briony (wonderfully played by newcomer Saoirse Ronan) catches sight of the housekeepers son Robbie Turner (a terrific James McAvoy) and older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) in a compromising position. Soon there is a disappearance and Briony stumbles upon her cousin who says she was attacked. Speculation becomes truth when Briony implicates Robbie in the attack.

The film's second part deals with the after effects of Briony's claim and the effect WWII has on the three main characters. We soon see Briony (now played by Romola Garai) as a nurse and with age has come maturity and a realization at the power her statement has had on the people she loves.

McAvoy gives a truly moving performance, especially in the scene in which he confronts a grown up Briony. Both actresses who play Briony do a decent job, although Ronan has the meatier role and could easily score an Oscar nod. Knightley is decent as the lovestruck and then bitter sister, however, I wasn't blown away by her the way some other reviewers are. She does definitely have an unconventional beauty and she'll almost certainly score an Oscar nod but there's no way she'll win with this role.

Wright does a good job directing but the first part of the film could have been punched up just a bit. There are a number of shots in the film that are too long. There are also some unnecessary shots; especially of a certain word while 13-year-old Briony reads a fateful letter.

Atonement does deserve the acclaim it is receiving and it will definitely get at least several Oscar nods; maybe even the most of any film this year. Last year that distinction went to Dreamgirls; it had eight.

See the movie Atonement and marvel at the story, acting and cinematography and complexity of human emotion. Just prepared to be disappointed by what is lost if you are a fan of the book.

Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 3.75

peace,

paul

Fevered Friday

Caucus Take One: Well, the first caucus is history and there's a couple of surprises to come out of Iowa; on both sides of the aisle.

First, the Republicans weren't congratulating Mitt Romney, instead they were celebrating the victory of Mike Huckabee. Mike Huckabee? Yes, the outspent and recently single-digit trailer managed to take the lead with 34% of the vote. Romney had only 25%. Huckabee, or Fuckable as I like to crudely call him, is a former Baptist minister and claims to be a man of God. Ok, so I don't really want another Republican president but I wouldn't kick him out of my bedroom. So what!

The Democrats are the bigger surprise, in my opinion. Instead of frontrunner Hillary Clinton celebrating today, Barack Obama took the victory in Iowa with 38%. Clinton placed third, yes third, behind Edwards. She must really be loving that!

Now the candidates prepare for New Hampshire which takes place next week. No doubt there's going to be a lot of scrambling going on; for both the winners and the rest of the pack.

Stay tuned...

paul

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Thursday Tidbits

Pat Nutterson?: Well, "Mr-let's-assassinate-Hugo Chavez" has spoken again. Yes, Pat Robertson has made his annual prediction of doom and gloom. You may remember that last January Robertson predicted that a "mass killing" would affect major cities and possibly millions of people. He predicted the terrorist attack would occur in the U.S. sometime after Sept. '07. The previous year he stated that God told him "the coasts of America will be lashed by storms" and that there could well be a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest. Aren't the coasts of America lashed by storms of some kind every year?

This year Robertson is predicting a recession and a major stock market upheaval and also says that oil will reach $150 a barrel; currently it's at $100. "I also believe the Lord was saying by 2009, maybe 2010, there's going to be a major stock market crash." Just what the people on Wall Street want to hear!

I believe the man who once said that Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine retribution for the Gaza Strip pullout is suffering from a condition known as megalomania. Can't wait to hear what's all in store for next year.

Hot Panties: When a British woman's kitchen almost caught fire, her unmentionables saved the day. Darren Lines was frying bread in his aunt's kitchen in Hartlepool when the kitchen caught fire. Quick thinking Lines used the best thing he could think of to put out the flames...his aunt's powder blue XL underpants.

A fire official said Lines made a good decision by running the underpants under the water and smothering the flames.

The condition of the panties: Slightly scorched. Gives new meaning to the term "smokin' hot."

peace,

paul