Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Dead Again

Great movies pairings ooze chemistry when they work together on the big screen. Actors like Gable and Lombard, Tracy and Hepburn, O’Hara and Wayne, and one couple, like Gable and Lombard, who were actually married in real life Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson – each of these couples had that elusive “it.” Drama or comedy and plot aside, they made their audiences wonder what’s going to happen to these two; we’re going to stick around to find out.

Directed by Branagh, Dead Again is a murder mystery/love story with a unique series of plot twists. It was released in 1991 when Branagh and Thompson were still partners, personally and professionally. Andy Garcia fans will find their favorite fellow playing a rumpled, charming, and sometimes dapper, 1940s reporter named Gray Baker who moves the story along and keeps a protective eye on Margaret Strauss. Comedian Robin Williams has a small part in this piece and proves he should be taken seriously in any role he decides to take on. Derek Jacobi, another favorite, is amazing in every movie, mini-series, or tv show he’s in and his versatility is essential to this particular piece.

One more thing….. there is a “smoking” scene between Gray Baker and Mike Church in a nursing home….wait for it because it is towards the end of the movie. I’ve been around a long time and have never seen someone smoke a cigarette that way….see what you think. Eewww!

Quotes

Cozy Carlisle (to Mike Church): You take what you’ve learned from this life and use it in the next. That’s karma.

Plot Summary

This movie is going to be hard to describe because I do not want to give any of the plot away – none of it. I hope you will trust me that this is a unique movie that goes from black and white to color and back again many times. It is part psychological thriller, part love story, part murder mystery – one you have never seen before and when it is over you will say – what an imagination, how did the writer, actors, and directors do that?

Here are some points to ponder along with your popcorn:

· Major and minor characters play dual roles so watch closely or you will miss them.
· Do you like the use of black and white and color in this movie?
· Robin Williams is a good actor.
· Scissors are used as a plot device and when you watch this movie for the second or third time – count the number of times you actually see them on the screen.
· Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, and Dereck Jacobi have been in many movies together and it’s wonderful to watch these “old friends” interact with each other.
· Claddagh rings have an interesting history – a minor point, unless you always wanted to know what the crown, hands, and heart on this Irish ring are all about…and which direction you are suppose to wear the ring
· Look up the words, past lives, karma, and reincarnation and ask yourself “What do you believe?”

Life Lessons

Some times you just have to take a chance – risk makes life interesting and shakes the cobwebs off. I remember my husband and son had to TALK ME INTO watching the movie Speed – I thought a movie about a runaway bus, how good can that be. It WAS good; as a matter of fact I thought it was an excellent action adventure movie and one I would have passed on if they hadn’t persuaded me to give it a chance.

At our house we call those types of film fare sleepers, movies that are good, but for whatever reasons do not appear on our radar screens right away. Dead Again is like that – I spotted it on the preview “reel” for another movie we were watching and I wrote it down in my journal so I could remember to rent it the next time I went to our local movie rental store. I wound up liking it so much, we own a copy of it.

So what is the lesson here…..every once in a while, step out of your box and try something new…take a risk…whether it is a movie, a grilled Portobello mushroom sandwich, dance lesssons, or something larger like going back and getting your degree.

Here is the deal….

As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do, but wanted to. So be bold!

Dead Again Movie Cast

· Kenneth Branagh as Roman Strauss/Mike Church
· Andy Garcia as Gray Baker
· Derek Jacobi as Franklyn Madson
· Wayne Knight as Pete Dugan
· Hanna Schygulla as Inga
· Campbell Scott as Doug/Actor
· Emma Thompson as Grace/ Margaret Strauss
· Jo Anderson as Sister Madeline/ Starlet
· Robin Williams as Dr. Cozy Carlisle
· Gregor Hesse as Frankie
· And others

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Mean Girls

High School cliques stereotypically included various groups labeled ROTC, preps, jocks, nerds, intellectuals, hotties, rich kids, poor kids, special needs, girls who eat their feelings, girls who don't eat anything, desperate wannabes, burnouts, trend setters, eccentrics, artists, toughies, cheerleaders, farm kids, shop or band geeks.

Most of us gravitated towards a group of gals or guys who were similar to us in label and personality. Within each of these individual groups was a pecking order – a place where you fit into your pack – be it leader, follower, counselor, oddball etc.. If you had your spot that made high school a good place to be – you had “like-minded” people to run with……except when your pack turned on you.

Let’s face it… there is nothing meaner on the face of the earth than a pack of females (young or old) when they get it in their head to ostracize someone. The main weapons of choice – the cold shoulder, disdain, and the biggest soul bruiser of all……gossip.

For those of you, who had a hard time in high school, let me share something….do yourself a big favor and go to your 30 year class reunion and observe. As you look about the room, you will realize that life is a great equalizer and those people, the ones that hurt you….have no power anymore. You have lost the need for their or anyone’s approval…except the person who looks back at you in the mirror every morning. I hope you have learned to love and respect that good and gracious person.

This movie is not a guy flick and would appeal more to woman – ages 10 -30s, but I am in my 50s and I enjoyed it because the message is timeless. It is a “high school comedy,” but if you like the humor and writing of Tina Fey of 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live fame, you are going to want to see this – Fey acts in this one too. If you like this movie, you might consider reading the non-fiction book it is loosely based on, Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman.

Quotes

Chip Heron: Hey, how was school?
Cady: Fine.
Betsy Heron: Were people nice?
Cady: No.
Chip Heron: Did you make any friends?
Cady: Yes.


Cady: I think I'm joining the Mathletes.
Regina, Gretchen, Karen: No! No, no!
Regina: You cannot do that. That is social suicide. Damn! You are so lucky you have us to guide you.


Cady: (voiceover) The weird thing about hanging out with Regina was that I could hate her, and at the same time, I still wanted her to like me.
Regina: (to Cody) Okay... you have really good eyebrows.
Cady: Thanks.
Regina: (pushing Gretchen) Move.
Gretchen: Ooh.
Cady: (voiceover) Same with Gretchen: the meaner Regina was to her, the more Gretchen tried to win Regina back. She knew it was better to be in the Plastics, hating life, than to not be in at all. Because being with the Plastics was like being famous... people looked at you all the time and everybody just knew stuff about you.

Plot Summary

Previously home-schooled in Africa by her zoologist parents (Ana Gasteyer and Neil Flynn), new kid Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) attends her first day of public high school in Illinois. She is befriended by Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan) and Damien (Daniel Franzese), two “walk to their own beat” classmates, who accept Cady into their fold and share high school survival secrets. Cady is warned about a group of three popular girls called the Plastics led by Regina George (Rachel McAdams), a former friend of Janis.

Janis wants revenge against Regina because she started a rumor about her in junior high so she comes up with a plan for Cady to “infiltrate” the Plastics. The battle plan against Regina, who is a stinker and the stereotypical snotty girl, is to alienate her from her boyfriend, turn her two best friends Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert) and Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried) against her, and to “ugly her up” through various methods such as a bogus diet plan. Wanting to fit in a pack and to please Janis and Damien, Cady agrees and the adventure begins.

Life Lessons

Irony - The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning.

“Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter acquired a reputation as a wit, noted for her barbs and repartee. She often said that she cared nothing for social convention or what other people thought of her. She liked being outrageous and spoke her mind. One of her best friends gave her an embroidered pillow which Alice proudly showed off. It said: "If you haven’t got anything good to say about anyone come and sit by me."

Excerpt from a Jo Freeman review of: Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker

Remember now, you didn’t hear this from me….

Gossip is fun.

Who cares about the person being targeted? Their life struggles, losses, health issues, or background history, all of which have contributed to making them the person they are today. Empathy, what does that mean? Oh yeah, sensing the feelings of others by imaging ourselves in others’ lives or others’ situations. What a waste of time when we all know walking a mile in someone else’s shoes doesn’t get a person anything, but a case of aching feet and a pair of worn out shoes.

Gossip is fun.

Learning the truth before you speak? Why, when everyone knows the truth is no where near as interesting as the embellishments added as this tantalizing tidbit gets passed from person to person, each person adding their own personal take on the matter. Besides a person’s busy and how fair is it to expect a body to waste their precious time listening to “both” sides of the story before they form an opinion. Nope, the secret is not to spend precious time thinking for yourself, but to let other people’s opinions of someone be yours so you’ll never have to worry about fitting in. While a person is at it, they should always make sure to form an instant opinion about someone they’ve never spent any quality time with based on the gossip they have heard and then share that opinion with others, especially their children so they can learn to gossip and not think for themselves too.

Gossip is fun.

When you hear gossip, do not take the time to reflect why the “gossiper” is sharing information about the “gossipee.” Revenge? Jealousy? Anger? Boredom? Attention? Mean-spiritedness? Just because they’re talking about that person behind their back doesn’t mean it’s a pattern with them and they would do it to you? Or does it?

Gossip is fun.

Don’t forget to snicker, make snide remarks, talk behind your hand, or roll your eyes when the victim walks by. All of these are effective tools to make you feel superior and put the person in their place, showing everyone around you just the type of person you are capable of being. For goodness sake before you share your juicy bit of news, never take a moment to reflect on how you would feel if what you are about to say about someone was said about you.

Gossip is fun, loads and loads of fun… until we or someone we love are the targets of gossip, then it’s not so fun anymore, it just hurts.

“We must always think about things, and we must think about things as they are, not as they are said to be.”
George Bernard Shaw

Mean Girls Movie Cast

Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron
Rachel McAdams as Regina George
Lacey Chabert as Gretchen Weiners
Amanda Seyfried as Karen Smith
Tina Fey as Ms. Sharon Norbury
Tim Meadows as Principal Ron Duvall
Jonathan Bennett as Aaron Samuels
Lizzy Caplan as Janis Ian.
Daniel Franzese as Damien
Amy Poehler as Mrs. George
Ana Gasteyer as Betsy Heron
Neil Flynn as Chip Heron

Monday, April 12, 2010

It Happened One Night (1934)

Do you like movies that are smart, funny, have good dialogue, and no rump shots -- people keep their “threads” on? Well.....there is a topless scene in this one that caused men’s undershirt sales to drop drastically. How about a film from the 1930s which was the template for all the romantic comedies that came after it?

It Happened One Night was released in 1934 right in the middle of the Depression and people saved their egg money and flocked to it because it gave them a short respite from what was going on in their world. Films like this one and My Man Godfrey poked fun at the rich and almost every Frank Capra film ever made tells the tale of the “common man” who always fought the good fight and persevered over adversity.

Did I mention this one won five Oscars and has Clark Cable shirtless in it? Yep, the Gone With the Wind guy – though the role of Rhett Butler did not come to him until 1939. I don’t care that he was old enough to be my Grandpa when I first saw this film on Turner Classic Movies – Clark Gable is, was, and always will be the “cat’s meow.”

Please don’t let the age of this movie keep you away from it. Let this one give you the inspiration to watch more of these “old flicks” to discover where the ideas for the “new flicks” originally came from and for the joy of watching good actors do their work.

Quotes

Alexander Andrews: Oh, er, do you mind if I ask you a question, frankly? Do you love my daughter?
Peter Warne: Any guy that'd fall in love with your daughter ought to have his head examined.
Alexander Andrews: Now that's an evasion!
Peter Warne: She picked herself a perfect running mate - King Westley - the pill of the century! What she needs is a guy that'd take a sock at her once a day, whether it's coming to her or not. If you had half the brains you're supposed to have, you'd done it yourself, long ago.
Alexander Andrews: Do you love her?
Peter Warne: A normal human being couldn't live under the same roof with her without going nutty! She's my idea of nothing!
Alexander Andrews: I asked you a simple question! Do you love her?
Peter Warne: YES! But don't hold that against me, I'm a little screwy myself!

Plot Summary

Tired of always being told what to do, society princess Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) rebels and marries a “gold digger” named “King” Westley (Jameson Thomas) against the wishes of her wealthy father Alexander Andrews (Walter Connolly). Mr. Andrews manages to bring his daughter back home before the honeymoon, but she runs away again – making the headlines of all the major newspapers throughout the country. Frantic to find his daughter before she actually “does the deed” with King and ruins her chances for love and happiness with someone who wants her for her, not her father’s money, Mr. Andrews offers a reward for her safe return.

On the lam and making her way back to King she boards a bus where she meets Peter Warne, a newspaper reporter who is always one step away from being fired and re-hired by his kind, but hot-headed editor. Peter recognizes her and offers her a deal. He wants the exclusive rights to her story and if she agrees he will help her find her way back to Westley. If she does not agree he tells Ellie he will call her father and collect the reward money. She takes the deal and the adventure (and misadventures) begins.

Life Lessons

I have a senior friend named Bob who grew up on a farm in Illinois during the Depression. He said, “Sue we were all poor, but none of us knew it because everyone one else was in the same boat.”

My dad’s family fared pretty well during that time period because my great grandpa and my grandpa had been businessmen in the small community of Melrose, Iowa. In the ‘30s you couldn’t throw a rock in that town and not hit one of my relatives. You might remember them, let’s see there was Red Bob (my dad’s cousin), Black Bob (my dad’s brother), Babe (my dad), and then that guy Chicken poop (dad’s other cousin). There were lots of Parks places in that little Irish town over the years – the livery stable, post office, a general store, wool business, a small farm with chickens and eggs, and large gardens – all family owned and while the Depression was not easy and they were not rich, they didn’t go without.

My mother’s family did not fare as well. My grandfather chose to leave his prosperous family (they were in the construction business and the family story is they helped build their stretch of Route 66) in Illinois in the 1910s – 20s. He followed the adage “go west young man,” and completely left his life in Illinois behind, and gypsy that he was, after a stint as a dynamiter out west, hired out as a farm hand at various farms throughout the Midwest. He was educated, a math whiz, an amazing storyteller, and he married my grandmother right out of the catholic orphanage she was raised in. Mom tells the story of a period when she was little where her family lived off onions, their garden, and beans if they were lucky. Mom said, unflattering homemade flour sack undies aside, it wasn’t all bad, neighbors helped each other and people made it through.

Make no mistake though, the Depression left its mark on that generation of folks and they learned early on about what “making do” was all about. Did your parents or grandparents save bits of soap in a jar, string around an old farmer’s match box, Montgomery Ward catalogs for those long and sometimes cold journey to the small house on the hill - one or two-holers that were homes for wasp nests and spiders during the summer? Mine were like that too, they hated to throw anything out – everything was utilized and to throw away a piece of cooked corn on the cob when it could be reheated and used for tomorrow’s lunch was a crime against humanity.

The Depression was like that – it showed what people were made of. Some people lost everything and it broke them, but most people, like my parents, your grandparents, or your great great grandparents just put one foot in front of the other and kept going, having faith that their economic troubles were temporary and better times were just around the corner.

Dr. Seuss is timeless and I love his philosophy about troubles, maybe you’ll like it too – here it is:


“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”
~Dr. Seuss


It Happened One Night Movie Cast

· Clark Gable as Peter Warne
· Claudette Colbert as Ellie Andrews
· Walter Connolly as Alexander Andrews
· Roscoe Karns as Oscar Shapeley
· Jameson Thomas as “King” Westley
· Charles Wilson as Joe Gordon
· Alan Hale (Sr.) as the light-fingered motorist
· And Others

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Sherlock Holmes (2009 Version)

I was first introduced to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at Frank L. Smart Junior High School as an extra credit assignment by my then English teacher and grew to become a fan of his Sherlock Holmes novels. Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are closer to Conan Doyle’s original vision for his detective duo unlike the Holmes and Watson of the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, who were diluted or “cleaned up” versions of the men.

Gone is the cliché “Elementary My Dear Watson” (which was never in any of Doyle’s original novels) and in its place is an adventure movie with unique camera angles, slow mo sequences, non-stop action, verbal sparring, humor, suspense, Gladstone the English Bulldog, and Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in one of the best pairing in a buddy film since Newman and Redford’s chemistry in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Quotes

Sherlock Holmes (to Dr. Watson): Never theorize before you have data. Invariably, you end up twisting facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.


(Mrs. Hudson, the housekeeper, starts to clear a spot for the tea)

Sherlock Holmes: Don't touch. Everything is in its proper place... as per usual, Nanny.
(On her way out, Mrs. Hudson notices Gladstone the English Bulldog, laying on the floor – out cold) Mrs. Hudson: Oh, he's killed the dog. Again.
Dr. John Watson: What have you done to Gladstone now?
Sherlock Holmes: I was simply testing a new anesthetic. He doesn't mind.

Plot Summary

It’s the late 1800s in London England, Victoria is queen, William E. Gladstone has stepped down as Prime Minister, the tower bridge is being built, and Sir Arthur Conan’s Doyle’s characters Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downy, Jr.) and Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) are on the trail of a murderer, who dabbles in the occult, named Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong).

On this adventure, they appear “in the nick of time” to save a girl (staked out on a ritualistic altar) from Lord Blackwood clutches, arriving on the scene three steps ahead of the police and Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan). Arrested and sentenced to death Lord Blackwood is hanged and pronounced dead by Dr. Watson. Mission accomplished. Or is it?

A short time later Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), a thief and Holmes former flame, visits Holmes at 221B Baker Street and asks him to help her find a missing man named Reordan. Through a series of events, Holmes learns that Reordan is connected to Lord Blackwood. But who is the guy in the carriage Irene appears to be working for?

Did I mention Watson is contemplating matrimony?

Days after Lord Blackwood’s death, a groundskeeper claims to have seen his Lordship walking towards the gate of the cemetery. Holmes, Watson, and the police go to the graveyard, find the tomb destroyed, and discover…sorry that’s all you get.

I know it is a short plot summary this time, but I don’t want to spoil the movie for you. Lots of twists and turns in this one so pay close attention – it might be one of those movies you have to – no cross that out – you want to watch twice so you make sure you catch everything.

Life Lessons

I chose to watch this movie for two reasons – as I mentioned earlier, I used to read the Sherlock Holmes series (Hound of the Baskervilles is my favorite) and because of Robert Downey, Jr.'s acting. I think he is a gifted actor and after watching him in this role I can’t imagine anyone else playing the eccentric Sherlock Holmes as well as he did.

Are there any major life lessons in this movie? Sure there are - friendship is important, loyalty to those who are loyal to you is always good, and your friends are family you aren’t related to.

Sherlock Holmes Movie Cast

· Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes
· Jude Law as Dr. John Watson
· Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler
· Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood
· Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade
· Robert Maillet as Dredger
· Geraldine James as Mrs. Hudson
· Kelly Reilly as Mary Morstan
· William Houston as Constable Clark
· Gladstone the English Bulldog
· And others