GOOD IS GOOD-GREAT IS BETTER and A THROWBACK

ENTERTAINED

AMUSED

MOVED

     "I just love films. I have since I was a kid," my friend Troy says sitting on a shaded park bench, near the theatre he and Syrie had departed while Lana and I are on the way to the box office, our third time in three days.  Yea, we love films too.

        A MOST WANTED MAN

     A masterful John le Carre' intrigue populated by a great cast including another brilliant Phillip Seymour Hoffman portrayal. I mourned this great actor's tragic death seeing him embody the wizened soul of Gunther Bachman, a German counter terrorism spy running the snares of life including bone headed politicians and their sycophants. Hoffman seamlessly weaves a character into life. He gets first class cooperation from Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright and Grigori Dobrygin. The excellent Daniel Bruhl (RUSH, THE FIFTH ESTATE) shines in a supporting role. Wright's performance as a CIA executive is so good you may end up wishing her a bad outcome. 
      Director Anton Corbijn and screenwriter Andrew Bovell do le Carre' and this great cast a great service. A MOST WANTED MAN is entertaining, with more than a hint of truth.  As an old spy quoted to me-"There's a lot of fiction in truth and a lot of truth in fiction."

I WISH I WAS HERE

     Lana and I consider this a great film.  Zach Braff, who gave us Garden State, ups his skill as director, writer and star in this smart, funny, challenging and moving cinema art.

       Braff is a clever actor and his co-stars were incredible. Kate Hudson and Mandy Patinkin create roles that will stay with you.  Patinkin as the aging patriarch, and Hudson as Braff's long suffering and supportive wife. Pierce Gagnon is a cute son and Josh Gad as the genius ner-do-well brother displays his great comedic chops as awarded in his Broadway work the Book of Mormon. Young Joey King as daughter Grace can break your heart with just a look. She stole several scenes, and you'll see why.

       Some scenes are indelible; Patinkin in a couple of moments not to be disclosed so as to not spoil the plot,  Hudson and Braff's interaction by a washing machine as a couple "rediscovering" each other. Hudson is brilliant here.  And there are precious moments with Braff with his running interior dialogue.

       Beside the obvious story line and full screen entertainment there is the lasting truth of coming to understand limits to dreams. It can be tough to come to a realization about goals for a life.  As Braff says "We can't all be the super heroes, some of us are the ones who need to be rescued."

       This is another important work from a superbly talented story teller.

AND SO IT GOES

     Rob Reiner is another great director and I consider this film as his tribute to a 1940's era romantic comedy, coupled by in this case two Academy Award winners who you just enjoy watching.
       Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton could read letters to the editor and light up the screen.  Douglas as a cranky realtor, living next to a fragile and frequently tearful lounge singer Keaton set up plenty of light, though still probing moments that are well crafted by Reiner's talent as a director and humorist.  Reiner himself dons a terrible toupee and makes a supporting appearance as Artie the always smiling but somewhat hapless piano player.
       Cute is an appropriate description. There is nothing ponderous, but there are nice reflections on family, forgiveness, finding romance later in life and getting past grief. This is a feel good, date night type film.  And during this summer season Reiner's stunning visual treatment of Connecticut lake country feels like a vacation.

LAUNCHING IMAGINATIONS

      Memories of this visit to the shore will last while.

FILLING THE BAY

    Smooth sailing on this side of Morro Rock, inside the bay.

THROWING IT IN THROWBACK

   It may have been a few years ago, but once I had a vertical leap! The arms, hand and wrist tell you I have just let go with an outside jump shot.  I'm thinking, "nothing but net!"  Where did that slender hot shot go?  Well, it was 1964.

   See you down the trail.

        

        

A LETTER TO MARTIN SCORSESE & LEONARDO DICAPRIO & SHINE THOSE BOTTOMS

STRETCHING THE BOUNDARIES

OF ECLECTIC 

AND FILM

Wherein this post searches for a center of gravity

WOLF OF WALL STREET

     Dear Mr.'s Scorsese and DiCaprio,

          I've read a wide array of the reviews and articles and have seen you both interviewed. Since the 1970's I have broadcast and published my admiration and respect for your movie making and story telling genius Mr. Scorsese. Many of your films are among my all time favorites.  Mr. DiCaprio I have been impressed by your acting since the days of Gilbert Grape. Still, I have been arguing with myself since seeing WOLF OF WALL STREET.  

          I'm still not sure if I think it is a brilliant lampoon of money hustlers told as a dark comedy, high slapstick, a political lancing of some of the noveau 1%, an indictment of the morality, or lack there of, of Wall Street, a contact high, a celebration of libido, history, the highest use rate of the F-Bomb in film history, a precise portrayal of a cretin, a religious affirmation of the evil of greed, a remake of ("...greed is good...) WALL STREET on steroids and a lot more cocaine, a disgusting exploitation film, your joke on everybody else (can you believe we are getting rich on making this kind of film?) or all of the above or some combination there of.
        Clearly you left your mark.  I'm still trying to approximate some judgement on this 3 hour romp.  For sure you immerse your viewers into the maelstrom of Jordan Belfort's rise and high life style. You seemed to recreate the sales room, lavish parties, drug use, sex, opulence and mindless and pointless lifestyle with your directorial and acting brilliance.  You got terrific supporting roles Jonah Hill, Rob Reiner, Kyle Chandler, Margo Robbie, and others. Matthew McConaughey's chest pounding chant cameo is one of those scenes you'll never forget. Robbie Robertson's musical supervision was brilliant.
      I guess I'm inclined to think that what you've made is a multi-million dollar cartoon.  You were able to reduce a time, place, ethos and personalities to big screen tragic-comedy cartoons.  Leo, your lude induced crawling scenes made buffoons and jack asses of anyone ever so loaded, or anyone who would desire to be so loaded.  
     Gentlemen you have created a cinema work that will, as you know, especially you Martin with your love for film history, live for decades.  I guess you have provided 22nd Century sociologists a core sample of western decadence, worship of money and hedonism that no historian could do so graphically.  
      I'm still wondering though about the older woman who wandered into the theatre a little more than half way through.  My guess is she was "theater hopping" joining a film in progress after the movie she paid for had ended.  She came in slowly, not looking at the screen so as to amble to a seat in the row in front of us.  She sat down at the moment that cocaine was being snorted off the buttocks of a young woman while the f-bomb was offered up and carnal athletics ensued.  She was up and out of her seat much more rapidly than she wandered in.  Would love to have been able to read her thoughts.  Her action drew a few snickers from those of us who by now had become somewhat sated and even bored by the outrage and sexuality.  And on that reflection I realized that you Mr. Scorsese had accomplished a great deal.  Your three hour assault so deadened our senses to such excess that we sort of expected it, even accepted it as normal behavior, of those whom we watched. Touche'!
    Did we laugh, yes.  Was it comedic, yes. Was it wretched excess, yes indeed. Did we get it, yes. Does it say something about the quality of life and even morality, yes. But I bet that while some of us will give this thought, contemplation, look for morality or signs of political statement, see it as brilliant comedy, there are other's, future Jordon Belforts or Gordon Gekkos, for whom you have raised the bar.
    And finally Mr. Scorsese you have pounded Oliver Stone. His crafting of WALL STREET, good as it is, was not nearly as immersive as WOLF OF WALL STREET, cartoon and morality tale in one.  BTW, how many times was the F-bomb used?
    

AND NOW FROM THE PROFANE TO

DOWN HOME

    After dinner last evening and while cleaning up, Lana said to me she wanted to try something to clean the bottom of a Revere Ware pan.  She said she had heard about a combination of salt and lemon juice.  Our original Revere ware pans are dated to the beginning of our marriage. 

Here, is what ensued.

     By the way, I scrubbed as well.

     See you down the trail.