My friend, Joanna, and I went to the theater on Sunday evening to see the five Oscar-nominated, live-action short films. I saw that they were playing and decided that I wanted to be informed when I watched the Oscars.
Joanna holds an Oscar party every year. And every year all the guests receive a ballot to fill out, indicating who you think the winner will be in each category. I've had some good luck with this over the past couple of years. I usually watch most of the movies up for best picture, and therefore know the actors and actresses as well. But, I've never seen the shorts - live-action or animated. This year I wanted to be able to make a choice based on real, personal belief in what was the best.
The live-action shorts were:
The Confession
"Quiet and sincere 9-year-old Sam is worried about making his first confession. His conscience is clear, therefore he cannot hope for any relief from the experience. He and his friend Jacob decide to remedy that situation, but their initially innocent prank turns unexpectedly tragic."
26 Min.
The Crush
"Ardal Travis is in love. There's just one problem. He's an 8-year-old schoolboy and the object of his affection is his second class teacher, Miss Purdy. But, when her boyfriend arrives on the scene Ardal is heartbroken. His reaction, though, is a little unexpected. He challenges Miss Purdy's boyfriend to a duel. To the death."
15 Min.
God of Love
Lounge-singing darts champion Raymond Goodfellow finds his prayers are answered - literally - when he receives a mysterious package of passion-inducing darts. The cath is that the one woman he loves - Kelly, a drummer in his band - is already in love with Ray's best friend Fozzie, the guitarist in the band. But, when Ray uses the darts in a loony scheme to resolve this strange romantic triangle, he learns a surprising lesson about unrequited love and discovers his own place in the universe. Romance is in the air in this bohemian charmer."
18 Min.
Na Wewe (My pick for the Oscar)
"1994: There is a civil war in Burundi, a small country in central Africe that directly borders Rwanda. When a gang of Hutu rebels attack a minibus, the 'selection' process begins. But who is a Hutu and who is a Tutsi?"
19 Min.
Wish 143
"A fifteen-year-old boy with only months to live is granted one wish from the Dreamscape Charity. But David doesn't want to go to Disneyland or meet Gary Neville; what he really wants is an hour alone with a naked woman."
24 Min.
As I indicated above, I'd like to see Na Wewe (meaning "you too") win. It was the best quality film, with the best actors, and the least contrived script. The Confession was almost there, but some less than stellar acting from the young boy playing Jacob left me dissatisfied. The Crush could have been good, but there was only one good actress in the short, and the others were awful! God of Love...what to say...cute, but worthy of an Oscar? I'm not so sure. And lastly, Wish 143 - completely contrived, and again, only one good actor in the bunch (Jim Carter).
Hopefully on Thursday Joanna and I will be off to the theater again to see the animated shorts. If you'd like to catch them too you can check out this site and find the theaters where they're playing. Happy watching!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Life is a Cabaret, My Friends!
I saw Cabaret (1972) when I was younger. And after having just watched it again I can say that I remembered most of it fairly accurately. I remembered the singing and dancing, I remembered some of the relationship dynamics, and I remembered the movie being slightly frenzied.
Cabaret is set in pre-WWII Germany. The Nazi party is on the rise and Jews are beginning to be persecuted. It's here that we find the two main characters, Sally and Brian, played by Liza Minnelli and Michael York. She, an American, is a cabaret performer, and he, a Brit, is an English teacher. We see them through the rise and fall of their relationship and all of the intricacies in between. They are joined by a colorful cast of characters, including the Master of Ceremonies at the cabaret, who is played fantastically by Joel Grey.
I didn't remember everything though. And I'm finding that to be a common occurrence when re-watching movies that I saw before I was an adult. What I didn't remember from before was the ever-increasing Nazi brutality toward Jews and any others who didn't like their politics or methods. I also forgot the fact that after becoming pregnant, Sally eventually decides to have an abortion to save herself and Brian from what she sees as a bleak future. And, I didn't catch before the way in which the movie deals with the sexuality of Michael York's character. It's all of these things, and more, that make the movie so interesting.
When I saw Cabaret on the list, I don't think I really understood why it was there. I thought, yeah, sure, it was good, but one of the top 100? I don't know about that. But, I can say now that I agree with AFI. I think it should be on the list. The acting, themes, costumes, music, choreography, directing, etc. are all great. In fact, the movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, and took home 8, including best director, best actress, best supporting actor (Al Pacino was robbed), best cinematography, best editing, best music, best art direction, and best sound. It only lost best picture and best screenplay to The Godfather. Not too shabby.
My overall recommendation: You should definitely pick it up the next chance you get.
Cabaret is set in pre-WWII Germany. The Nazi party is on the rise and Jews are beginning to be persecuted. It's here that we find the two main characters, Sally and Brian, played by Liza Minnelli and Michael York. She, an American, is a cabaret performer, and he, a Brit, is an English teacher. We see them through the rise and fall of their relationship and all of the intricacies in between. They are joined by a colorful cast of characters, including the Master of Ceremonies at the cabaret, who is played fantastically by Joel Grey.
I didn't remember everything though. And I'm finding that to be a common occurrence when re-watching movies that I saw before I was an adult. What I didn't remember from before was the ever-increasing Nazi brutality toward Jews and any others who didn't like their politics or methods. I also forgot the fact that after becoming pregnant, Sally eventually decides to have an abortion to save herself and Brian from what she sees as a bleak future. And, I didn't catch before the way in which the movie deals with the sexuality of Michael York's character. It's all of these things, and more, that make the movie so interesting.
When I saw Cabaret on the list, I don't think I really understood why it was there. I thought, yeah, sure, it was good, but one of the top 100? I don't know about that. But, I can say now that I agree with AFI. I think it should be on the list. The acting, themes, costumes, music, choreography, directing, etc. are all great. In fact, the movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, and took home 8, including best director, best actress, best supporting actor (Al Pacino was robbed), best cinematography, best editing, best music, best art direction, and best sound. It only lost best picture and best screenplay to The Godfather. Not too shabby.
My overall recommendation: You should definitely pick it up the next chance you get.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Question of Death
I just read a really interesting article about the subject of ageing (British spelling) and death in China.
Apparently, it's taboo to discuss death, because it might help the process along. And to even think about placing an elder in hospice is anathema.
I think that we could learn something from the Chinese regarding the care of our older loved ones. It seems to me that we push them off into nursing homes or assisted living facilities all too easy. We see ourselves as individuals and we want the opportunity to make our own way. Many times this means that we are unwilling to make sacrifices in order to keep our parents or grandparents from being alone in old folks homes. Here's the thing though! We can look around and see the pain caused when parents don't have time for their children. Shouldn't we learn from this and ask ourselves what pain is being caused when children don't have enough time for their parents?
It seems though, that the Chinese have room to grow as well. Because discussing death is seen as bad luck, talks about end of life care and things such as wills are largely neglected. And with 25% of their population, approximately 400 million people, reaching retirement age, the article posits that these types of issues really do need to be addressed.
Definitely thought-provoking...
Read the article here.
Apparently, it's taboo to discuss death, because it might help the process along. And to even think about placing an elder in hospice is anathema.
I think that we could learn something from the Chinese regarding the care of our older loved ones. It seems to me that we push them off into nursing homes or assisted living facilities all too easy. We see ourselves as individuals and we want the opportunity to make our own way. Many times this means that we are unwilling to make sacrifices in order to keep our parents or grandparents from being alone in old folks homes. Here's the thing though! We can look around and see the pain caused when parents don't have time for their children. Shouldn't we learn from this and ask ourselves what pain is being caused when children don't have enough time for their parents?
It seems though, that the Chinese have room to grow as well. Because discussing death is seen as bad luck, talks about end of life care and things such as wills are largely neglected. And with 25% of their population, approximately 400 million people, reaching retirement age, the article posits that these types of issues really do need to be addressed.
Definitely thought-provoking...
Read the article here.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Who do you think you are?
Luke 18: 9-14
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (NIV)
The Message puts verse 14 like this:
Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."
To me, this passage begs the question: Who do we think we are?
We like to be self-sufficient, right? We like to brag to others about our accomplishments. But, when we come before God, shouldn't we have a little more perspective? I mean, he knows what's going on. All the time. He's know what we're doing. What's in our hearts. Our minds. What we think about our next door neighbors or the person who sits next to us at work. And yeah, he knows the good stuff, too. Like when we shovel all the sidewalks in the neighborhood. Or when we spend time with family and friends and make them feel loved. But, the key I think, is that, in the words of Jesus, "Only God is good."
So, what's my point? Well, it's that God knows us and that we can't fool him. We need to remember to check ourselves. This past weekend I had a prayer retreat with my co-workers. During worship we were singing this song about God helping people to see that they need him. And I started to think of some others. Not myself. Some others. But, thankfully, I was quickly reminded that the song was about me, too. I need God to heal my blindness. To unstop my deaf ears. I need God's grace. And I always will.
We all need to recognize that we're not really self-sufficient and we really aren't all that awesome. But God is right there. He justifies and loves us because of HIS goodness and mercy. It's good to remember that that's really who I am...or should be, at least.
Who do you think you are?
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (NIV)
The Message puts verse 14 like this:
Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."
To me, this passage begs the question: Who do we think we are?
We like to be self-sufficient, right? We like to brag to others about our accomplishments. But, when we come before God, shouldn't we have a little more perspective? I mean, he knows what's going on. All the time. He's know what we're doing. What's in our hearts. Our minds. What we think about our next door neighbors or the person who sits next to us at work. And yeah, he knows the good stuff, too. Like when we shovel all the sidewalks in the neighborhood. Or when we spend time with family and friends and make them feel loved. But, the key I think, is that, in the words of Jesus, "Only God is good."
So, what's my point? Well, it's that God knows us and that we can't fool him. We need to remember to check ourselves. This past weekend I had a prayer retreat with my co-workers. During worship we were singing this song about God helping people to see that they need him. And I started to think of some others. Not myself. Some others. But, thankfully, I was quickly reminded that the song was about me, too. I need God to heal my blindness. To unstop my deaf ears. I need God's grace. And I always will.
We all need to recognize that we're not really self-sufficient and we really aren't all that awesome. But God is right there. He justifies and loves us because of HIS goodness and mercy. It's good to remember that that's really who I am...or should be, at least.
Who do you think you are?
AFI Update
We're about a week into February and I'm still moving along on my AFI Top 100 list. I haven't watched as many movies as I had planned, but I'm slowly making progress and I've added in a few that seemed necessary.
Last time I wrote about the list I had already watched The Godfather (1972). After that it took me a bit, but I also watched The Godfather, Part II (1974), which is also on the list. And honestly, could I really have stopped at that point and not watched Part III (1990)? Of course not. I have to say that Part I is my favorite and quite possibly one of my top movies of all time. Part II is phenomenol as well and Part III is good. I know that people get down on Part III, but I think that some of those people haven't even seen it. They're just going along with what they've heard. Does it match the brillance of the first two? No. But, it's part of the story and I think it's necessary to complete the whole picture. And what is the whole picture? A devastating tragedy. Michael Coreleone didn't want the family business, but he took it over because he loved his father. And as a result, he lost everything else. Truly heartbreaking. The whole thing guts me. If you haven't seen them, you should. One, for the story, and two, for the brillance of Al Pacino.
Besides The Godfather Saga, I've also watched Duck Soup (1933) and On the Waterfront (1954). What can I say about Duck Soup? It's a Marx Brothers movie. Zany. Screwball. Ridiculous. But, I actually found it somewhat entertaining and good for a laugh. On the Waterfront is fantastic. Marlon Brando is a superb actor and portrays beautifully a young man wrestling with a major moral decision that has far-reaching consequences. It's interesting to watch Brando in his younger days after seeing him in The Godfather.
One thing that I'm really coming to appreciate is the further exposure to actors of different generations. It's one thing to see a movie or two that someone has done. It's another to watch actors progress through their careers film after film. The AFI list will help me out with that, and I'm sure I'll add in a few films here and there as well.
Next up: After a short break to watch a more recently released film (Let Me In), it'll be on to Cabaret (1972).
Last time I wrote about the list I had already watched The Godfather (1972). After that it took me a bit, but I also watched The Godfather, Part II (1974), which is also on the list. And honestly, could I really have stopped at that point and not watched Part III (1990)? Of course not. I have to say that Part I is my favorite and quite possibly one of my top movies of all time. Part II is phenomenol as well and Part III is good. I know that people get down on Part III, but I think that some of those people haven't even seen it. They're just going along with what they've heard. Does it match the brillance of the first two? No. But, it's part of the story and I think it's necessary to complete the whole picture. And what is the whole picture? A devastating tragedy. Michael Coreleone didn't want the family business, but he took it over because he loved his father. And as a result, he lost everything else. Truly heartbreaking. The whole thing guts me. If you haven't seen them, you should. One, for the story, and two, for the brillance of Al Pacino.
Besides The Godfather Saga, I've also watched Duck Soup (1933) and On the Waterfront (1954). What can I say about Duck Soup? It's a Marx Brothers movie. Zany. Screwball. Ridiculous. But, I actually found it somewhat entertaining and good for a laugh. On the Waterfront is fantastic. Marlon Brando is a superb actor and portrays beautifully a young man wrestling with a major moral decision that has far-reaching consequences. It's interesting to watch Brando in his younger days after seeing him in The Godfather.
One thing that I'm really coming to appreciate is the further exposure to actors of different generations. It's one thing to see a movie or two that someone has done. It's another to watch actors progress through their careers film after film. The AFI list will help me out with that, and I'm sure I'll add in a few films here and there as well.
Next up: After a short break to watch a more recently released film (Let Me In), it'll be on to Cabaret (1972).
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
She
She sat alone.
She always seemed to be alone.
She lingered in the dusty barn as the light streamed through the old wooden slats.
And she loved the barn.
And she loved being alone.
She sat on one of the beams that stretched across the structure, let one of her legs dangle off the side, and straightened her other leg along the dark brown lath. She leaned up against another beam that extended from floor to ceiling supporting the timeworn building.
And she loved the barn.
She loved the smell of the hay and how she felt like she was in her own secret place. She loved the quiet.
And she loved to read there.
As she sat on the beam she flipped through the pages of her book for hours, lost in a world that was not her own.
And why not?
Because her own world was one that she could live without. Or at least she imagined living without. Without the fear and anger and rejection.
If she chose to be alone, to read her books, and to be lost in her own thoughts, she was safe.
And it was in this solitude that she found her refuge and she made a world for herself.
And so she sat alone.
And in that moment, she was peaceful and she was happy.
She always seemed to be alone.
She lingered in the dusty barn as the light streamed through the old wooden slats.
And she loved the barn.
And she loved being alone.
She sat on one of the beams that stretched across the structure, let one of her legs dangle off the side, and straightened her other leg along the dark brown lath. She leaned up against another beam that extended from floor to ceiling supporting the timeworn building.
And she loved the barn.
She loved the smell of the hay and how she felt like she was in her own secret place. She loved the quiet.
And she loved to read there.
As she sat on the beam she flipped through the pages of her book for hours, lost in a world that was not her own.
And why not?
Because her own world was one that she could live without. Or at least she imagined living without. Without the fear and anger and rejection.
If she chose to be alone, to read her books, and to be lost in her own thoughts, she was safe.
And it was in this solitude that she found her refuge and she made a world for herself.
And so she sat alone.
And in that moment, she was peaceful and she was happy.
Rice and Syrup?
After I left work tonight I walked next door to a Japanese grocery store. They didn't have what I usually get (Inari), so I just got some prepared rice instead. When I got home I started to eat the rice. But, I stopped, because it was really missing something. A little bit later I figured it out. Sugar. So, I went to the fridge, got out the pancake syrup and poured it over the rice. Yum!
As I sat eating, I felt like Buddy the elf. Syrup on rice? What? Tell me, is that weird??
As I sat eating, I felt like Buddy the elf. Syrup on rice? What? Tell me, is that weird??
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