If I Didn't Go to Movies, I'd Have Nothing to Write About.

No Country for Old Men ****

Wow. What an amazing film. Yes, I am a big Coen Brothers fan. How can you not be? Brother Where Art Thou? Fargo. The Big Lebowski. Barton Fink. Miller's Crossing. Raising Arizona. The Hudsucker Proxy. But this film had me holding my breath. So much came together so well. Gorgeous cinematography and, as usual, counterpoint perfect editing. And layered, mesmerizing performances. Tommy Lee Jones exhibits the most weathered, expressive face in film. Weariness just drips from him as he hold on to the moral center of the story. And Javier Bardem transmogrifies into mindless evil incarnate. Josh Brolin manages to rivet our attention in spite of the fact that we all know what's going to happen to him as soon as he make his first dumb decision. Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, and Tess Harper all deliver nuanced performances worthy of Oscar nods.

The dialogue is spare like the landscape; it lacks the constant wit and satire of Fargo, but that's not a problem. This terse dialogue is probably due in large part to Cormac McCarthy's novel on which the film was based. Often, when Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) speaks, however, his thoughtful, witty comments seem not so much directed at another person as toward the out-of-kilter universe or the God who, he is convinced, has passed him by.

The movie is extremely violent. Death comes suddenly with little warning. On one level, the movie is a thriller, a story of drugs and violence, a good, solid story. On another level, however, the movie channels Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal. A preposterous claim? I think not. The movie works as a metaphor for the transitory nature of our existence. Death comes for all. Some sooner. Some later. Bell is Everyman trying to make sense of it all. Pay attention to his description of his dream at the end of the movie. It is death toward which he moves, just as we all do. As the tagline points out, "There are no clean getaways."

A Few More Movies

Semesters are wonderful, but the relaxed pace is about to run pall-mall into the abyss in these last two weeks. I'm trying to stay on track but, of course, I'm on break, so I'm going to movies:

Lars and the Real Girl ****

The best movie I've seen in a long time. Don't let the plot description turn you away: a quiet, nerdy, lonely young man who lives in the garage of his brother's house, decides to send away for an anatomically correct life-size female doll. The young man, Lars, introduces Bianca from Brazil, the doll, to his brother and his wife. Bianca, it seems, is a missionary who loves children. Lars asks if she can stay in the house with them because it just wouldn't be proper to have her in the garage with him. Recognizing Lar's fragile hold on reality, the brother agrees to Lars' request. His pregnant wife, a wise young woman, suggests they bring Bianca to their family practice physician the next day just to make sure she's OK. And therein begins the real story -- how an entire town, out of deep affection for Lars, comes together to support him and see him through a difficult time in his life. The cast is Midwestern-real. Especially effective are Ryan Gosling as Lars, Paul Schneider as his brother, and the always compelling Patricia Clarkson as the doctor of all our dreams: patient, kind, and insightful. The film testifies to the prodigious power of community.

Dan in Real Life **

How do you make a film about a depressed, emotionally paralyzed man without making it incredibly boring? You make Lars and the Real Girl, that's what you do. Unfortunately, Dan in Real Life just remains a really slow-moving film about a very depressed guy who spends most of his time looking soulfully out into space.

Dan in real life has many of the right ingredients for a fine film, especially its excellent cast. I must admit I have a real soft spot for Steve Carrell. He transcended the silliness of The 40 Year Old Virgin and emerged an appealing, sensitive guy you'd like to take home to Mom. In fact, that sweet appeal of Mr Carrell is what will prevent the American version of The Office from surpassing the satire of the English version, which features the wonderfully vile Ricky Gervais. But I digress.

What is wrong with Dan in Real Life? 1) Zero chemistry between Carrell and his love interest, Juliette Binoche, who phones in her performance. 2) Also no chemistry between Diane Wiest and John Mahoney. Are they a long-married couple or did they just meet before filming? 3) A dreadfully slow pace. It's only about 90 minutes long, but I thought it was more like Return of the King with the extra scenes. Bottom line: rent it some winter night when you're really bored.

The Bee Movie **1/2

I wanted so much to like this movie. After all, Jerry Seinfield wrote it and is the lead bee. I really wish I hadn't read a recent article in the New York Times which detailed how erroneous Hollywood's view of bee life actually is. Reality is actually much more exciting. Here's the article. It's a great read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/science/13angi.html?ex=1195621200&en=fed2706bf65cfe12&ei=5070&emc=eta1.

And here's my big confession. I fell asleep about a half hour into the movie, right after the homage to The Graduate, which was witty in a Seinfeld sort of way. So, I asked Max, my grandson, what rating he would give it: his answer -- 6 on a 10 point scale. It's a good movie to take kids to -- nothing more.

It's Been a While

From October 25 through last Monday, my Dad was in the hospital with a broken hip. Needless to say, I spent a great deal of time with my Dad and then spent quite a few days driving back and forth from Evanston to see him. He's doing OK, and is recovering from surgery nicely. He has amazing tolerance of pain. He hasn't complained of being uncomfortable since the surgery. The biggest issue right now is that he's not cooperating with the physical therapists. He needs to get up and try to walk around. And that, of course, depends on his mood and how much he feels he's in control of any given situation.

Dad has had dementia for at least eight years and has been in a nursing home for the last four years. He has profound aphasia; he can't communicate in any meaningful way. Sometimes he speaks words, but they usually have nothing to do with the context. His cognitive abilities are seriously impaired. It's been a long, frustrating haul.

I just looked at a picture of him from four years ago. He could no longer take care of himself then and needed 24 hour care, but, looking back, I can say that was a good time for him. He was able to communicate his desires and frustrations. Strangely, if he had Alzheimer's, dealing with him might be easier. He wouldn't know us. He wouldn't care when we came to visit. He wouldn't expect us to take him home. But he does know us, and he still exhibits enough cognitive ability to be frustrated with his inability to communicate. Dementia is a hateful, destructive disease.