Review: Rachel Getting Married

Review: Rachel Getting Married

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

Anne Hathaway has spent most of her acting career in family films like Ella Enchanted and The Princess Diaries. She was always charming, but the roles weren't -- well-- challenging. The Devil Wears Prada stretched her a bit; she was, after all, acting with Meryl Streep. But, in this film, she moves into entirely different territory, delivering a performance which consistently portrays a tense young woman barely able to control her emotions. Unpredictably, she lashes out like a viper from time to time, disturbing everyone in her dysfunctional family. She is a woman in the middle of her recovery from addiction, and she has all the prickliness we can expect in such a state. It is impossible to tell whether she will move forward in recovery or slip back into her addiction. It's a remarkable performance. If you've ever been close to someone in the middle of his or her recovery journey, you will recognize the symptoms.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Ghost Town

Review: Ghost Town

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Ricky Gervais delights me. The original British version of The Office, which he created and starred in, never ceases to amuse me. His portrayal of the office manager, David Brent, has an edge that just doesn't exist with Steve Carell's Michael Scott. Also, there's something weirdly endearing about Michael Scott; David Brent, on the other hand, has almost no redeeming qualities. He's delicious.

Gervais' character in Ghost Town, Bertram Pincus, D.D.S., is another unlikable guy -- but, in this case, he manages to grow and learn by the end of the movie, winning our hearts for a change. The film is a romantic comedy crossed with Ghost. This may sound derivative and predictable, but it's not. Tea Leoni's sensible sweetness is a perfect foil for Gervais' caustic humor. A more traditional comic lead here, say Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn, would have made this a very, very ordinary movie. Put it on your Netflix list.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: The Secret Life of Bees

Review: The Secret Life of Bees

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 56%

I loved the book, but, as you probably know, I don't expect movies to follow their book source slavishly. (The exception that proves the rule was Lord of the Rings.) And this movie actually followed the book quite closely -- well, as closely as I can remember. (I have a terrible memory for the details of plot in novels. Thus, novel was definitely not my speciality in my English Lit grad program.). So, I found the movie fairly satisfying, but, unfortunately, it lacked the whimsy of the book. The acting was fine; the stars appealing. Dakota Fanning is always a revelation and Queen Latifah was her charming self. It's a great rainy afternoon movie, and, yes, definitely it's a chick-flick.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Frozen River

Review: Frozen River

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Frozen River is not a feel good movie. Even winter in Chicago looks balmy in comparison to the frozen moonscapes of northern New York and Quebec. There are glimmers of hope by the end, but, at that point, we know too much about the characters and their circumstances to foresee any dramatic changes in the way they approach life or make decisions.

This is the story of two single mothers: one (Melissa Leo) trapped by her gender and lack of education; the other (Misty Upham) trapped by her gender and race -- and both are trapped by their poverty, living from week to week on minimal wages and illegal earnings. And, oh yes, this is a thriller of sorts -- a hold-your-breath kind of movie. There's nothing like driving over a frozen river to Canada on smuggling runs. I probably haven't succeeded in making you want to see this movie, but, trust me, it's worth it -- not the least because of the compellingly real performances of the two leads.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Burn After Reading

Review: Burn After Reading

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

I can not begin to tell you how much I love the Coen Brothers' movies. I've seen them all. I love them all. I own the script of Big Lebowski. After seeing O Brother, Where Art Thou? I wrote an essay on the film's motifs, imagery, themes, characters, and situations -- all compared to the Odyssey -- for myself! I love the Coen Brothers.

But I disliked this film. I wanted to like it. I tried to like it. But I couldn't. A great cast miscast. Clooney plays the same kind of grinning nitwit he portrayed in Intolerable Cruelty -- a Coen film which, in truth, I almost hated. Brad Pitt plays against type as a pretty boy nitwit working in a health club. And Frances McDormand plays a another type of nitwit so poorly I can't believe some people are suggesting she be nominated for an Academy Award.

The story was mindless. I found I really didn't care what happened to any of the people -- which was a good thing because dire things occur. Other people have loved this film. You may love it. But, if you don't, don't blame me. I told ya so.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Flash of Genius

Review: Flash of Genius

Rating: *1/2

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 57%

Before I saw this movie, I asked myself why I would want to sit through the story of the college professor who invented intermittent windshield wipers and spent twelve frustrating years in a patent dispute. Well, Greg Kinnear is a good enough reason. Then I saw the movie. It was . . . well . . . pretty ordinary. Someone must have seen a great story here at some point, but that story was never realized. Instead, the characters are two dimensional and there's too much of an emphasis on technical jargon. My eyes glazed over on a regular basis. It might not seem so tedious if you're watching it "free" on cable, but don't rent it -- not unless you really get off talking about circuit boards and transistors. Then this movie may be for you.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Vicky Christiana Barcelona

Review: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 82%

Vicky Cristina Barcelona has come into its share of good reviews. After a string of mediocre Woody Allen films, critics seemed delighted to have a movie they could discuss without disparagement. The story is well told and the acting is natural and engaging. Javier Bardem, thank the Lord, is not channeling Woody Allen the way Kenneth Branagh did in Celebrity (for my money, Allen's worst film). Bardem is at his charming best. Penelope Cruz does "Penelope Cruz Crazy And Out Of Her Mind" and has earned some recognition (including, with Bardem, a Golden Globe nomination). The picture has also been nominated for a Golden Globe. Why? I'm not quite sure. It's a harmless piece of fluff which, like so many of Allen's films seems to be playing out his fantasy life -- in this case a menage a trois (and then a quatre). The bottom line is that the arrangements don't work. Women get jealous. Not such a huge surprise. Not exactly great revalatory theatre. I don't think the film is worth all the fuss. Woody can do better.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Tropic Thunder

Review: Tropic Thunder

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

This movie really made me laugh. The satire was brutal; the dialogue was pretentiously silly. Ben Stiller is one of the best comedic actors out there -- not at all afraid of making himself look absolutely asinine. Tropic Thunder is not a laugh-a-minute-out-loud kind of movie. Instead, it develops a plot which gets increasingly ludicrous, silly, and bizarre. The situation drives the comedy. And the satire focuses on movies themselves -- no holds are barred. Stiller plays a Tom Cruise-type action hero bent on being taken seriously after a disastrous appearance in a "sensitive role" about a retarded man called "Simple Jack." Brandon Jackson plays a hip hop star, harboring a secret, who hopes to be taken seriously as an actor. Jack Black portrays an Eddie Murphy comedian whose films focus on an obese family (all members played by him) whose lives revolve around passing gas. Robert Downey Jr. is a "serious" Australian method actor (a la Russell Crowe) who has undergone a pigment change so that he can play a black soldier in this picture about a group of men fighting in the Viet Nam War. Rounding out this bizarre group is Tom Cruise playing a cameo as a deranged studio exec sans scruples. It's over-the-top (sometimes gross-out) humor and Downey and Cruise deserve their Golden Globe nominations. Don't blame me if you hate it. It's not for everyone, but the send up of the movie industry is priceless.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II

Review: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $ or #

Rotten Tomatoes: 63%

There's a definite sequel problem with this film. The freshness and originality of the first movie are missing; the girls are older and wiser and less interesting. What was new and charming in the Part I is old and stale here. And, gentlemen, this is most decidedly a "chick-flick," so fuggedaboutit.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Brideshead Revisited

Review: Brideshead Revisited

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 64%

If you've never read Evelyn Waugh's novel of the same name or, especially, if you've never seen the BBC's 1981 11-part, 11-hour version starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews, and if you enjoy period pieces, then this version of Brideshead Revisited is likely to please you. Now, I'm not one to demand that movies follow the books they are based on religiously. The genres are as different as reality and imagination; each has its strengths and weaknesses. However, Brideshead begs for an 11 hour treatment. The novel, a tale of class and religion, is lush and sensual, steeped in a simultaneously ascetic and erotic Catholicism that demands attention to detail. If I attempt to be as fair as possible to the 2008 release, I find myself agreeing that it's beautifully photographed and well-acted in the way we expect English actors to act. However, Matthew Goode as Charles Ryder and Hayley Atwell as Lady Julia Flyte just don't convey the passion and guilt of their relationship in the way Jeremy Irons and Diana Quick do. So, you might rent the 2008 film for a rainy afternoon and enjoy it, but I suggest you consider renting the 11-part series and invest the time to appreciate why it almost always makes critics' lists of the 10 best series on television.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Hellboy II

Review: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Yes. Critics liked this one 88% of the time -- and they weren't wrong. I'd seen Hellboy I on cable and enjoyed the irreverent humor and ironic twists on the comic book genre. I generally don't have high expectations for sequels, but this one truly blew me away. Guillermo Del Toro's direction was downright phantasmagorical; he used myth and magic with a sure hand. His creatures echoed those in Pan's Labrinth, but were entirely appropriate to this genre, so very different in tone and story. Ron Perlman turns in a commanding performance as Hellboy, full of heart and swagger, and Selma Blair, his love interest, develops a third dimension (i.e., a true personality) in the sequel. Doug Jones as Abe Sapien (and other characters) has more screen time in the sequel and uses it well. Missing, however, is Abe's "voice" in Hellboy I, the inimitable, uncredited David Hyde Pierce.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 76%

After viewing Journey to the Center of the Earth, I was ready for a rousing adventure film -- one with a charismatic hero and plenty of action. I couldn't have been more disappointed with this latest offering in the Indiana Jones franchise. I got the feeling that a studio exec had said to Harrison Ford: "Listen, all you have to do is put on the hat and the jacket, wield that whip a few times, and we'll pay you a zillion dollars." And that's just about what Ford does. He's Indy without the passion and the energy. I wanted to give him a bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol for all his obvious aches and pains. I hate to say this, but he's too damn old to play the part, and the plot, a cold war version of Raiders of the Lost Ark, seemed tired and worn. Karen Allen, on the other hand, managed to inject her energy and spunk every time she was on screen. Rent this one on a cold winter night.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 61%

It's a bad sign that all I can remember about this movie are the scenes I preferred from the 1959 James Mason/Pat Boone classic. The 2008 version is fast-paced, replete with special effects, and blessed with the presence of the always entertaining Brendan Fraser, but the whole thing seems decidedly flat as it careens toward its final scene. The movie just does not convey the magic, the awe, and the wonder I experienced as a child watching the earlier version. Max, the 10 year old critic was not terribly impresssed with the film -- a good reason to wait until it appears on cable.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Dark Knight

Review: Dark Knight

Rating: ****

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Much has been written lately about how this film has been ignored for the most part by award givers. So far, only Heath Ledger's performance has received recognition. Maybe there is something sensible about film distributors not releasing films until Christmas. It does seem as if evaluation committees have forgotten this remarkable movie released last summer. Heath Ledger's performance is, however, outstanding and, definitely, disturbing. Early on in the film he gives an explanation for his depraved behavior. Its triteness should be a tip off. What we begin to understand about his motivation becomes more and more unsettling as the film moves inexoracbly to its close. This is a film about evil; it's a film about sin. Almost everyone, including Batman, is guilty of some ethical breach -- some less so (Morgan Freeman's character); some more so. In the space of a week, I saw this film twice. I haven't done that since Doctor Zhivago (3x). What still remains for me the most compelling scene is Batman with his phone standing on the corner of the Sears Tower in the hazy night. It wasn't CGI. Christian Bale was standing on the corner of the Sears Tower.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental

$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Mamma Mia

Review: Mamma Mia

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 52%

I saw this film the first week it was released in Richmond, VA. I realized about half way through, as the audience around me sang every word of every song, that I had been smiling with abandon since the first scene -- and I have never been an Abba fan. The delight in this film was infectious. Even Pierce Brosnan's beyond horrible singing didn't ruin the experience for me. (His discomfort with his role radiates from every stiltled gesture and grimace.) Meryl Streep, however, is a dancing/singing revelation even though, as several critics have pointed out, she is too old for the role. No matter. She pulls it off in the glorious scenery of the Greek Islands. I gave the soundtrack to my son and daughter-in-law for Christmas and we watched it that night. My son and brother began to complain in the first five minutes and gave each other raised-eyebrow "chick flick" looks, but they stayed for the whole film and I caught them singing along more than once. Don't skip the credits. Amanda Seyfried's voice is perfect for "Thank You For the Music"

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Wall-E

Review: Wall-E

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Critics' high praise for this film was well-deserved. One observed that the first half of the movie is the best silent comedy since the films of Charlie Chaplin. It's a rare thing -- an animated film that delights adults. My favorite 10-year-old reviewer Max, however, although he liked the movie, judged Kung Fu Panda the superior film. The morality tale aspect has seemed heavy-handed to a few reviewers, but it's a morality tale worth telling over and over -- a dire warning against the abuse of God's glorious creation. If you haven't seen it, make sure you put it on your NetFlix list.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Kung Fu Panda

Review: Kung Fu Panda

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

As animated features go, Kung Fu Panda fills the bill for 3-11 year olds. Jack Black's Panda never stops moving -- his body or his mouth -- and kids love it. It's not the adult-pleaser that Wall-E is, but I didn't fall asleep either. So, this one is worth the Matinee price if you're with a kid; otherwise, watch it some late night on HBO when you're really bored.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Thank you, Cubs

The Cubs rest high on my gratitude list today -- and especially this marvelous guy pictured here: Aramis Ramirez. I belong to a family in which the members practice different religions -- Cubsfanaticism and Soxfanaticism. Needless to say, animosities abound. What a fine weekend this has been! The gloat factor is stratospheric. My, my, my. I do love baseball. If you are a Cub fan, make sure you join Westside Rooters Social Club. (http://www.westsiderooters.com/). And, when they ask you who urged you to join, enter donnarnold@rocketmail.com. Thank you for your support.

Review: The Visitor

The Visitor ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

The Visitor has been playing in Evanston for the past two months. I thought it would never come to the Western Burbs, but this week it finally did. It was worth the wait.

The film tells the story of a Connecticut college professor of Economics who clearly is just going through the motions. His syllabi never change from class to class; his sparsely attended lectures are dreary and tired; his latest collaborative paper was actually researched and written by a younger colleague seeking tenure. He attends an academic conference in New York where he has an apartment. He enters his apartment and discovers that a young couple, illegal immigrants, are living there. The man is from Syria; the woman is from Senegal. They rented the apartment in good faith and are more than willing to leave when they discover they have been scammed.

Walter watches them as they leave, walking the street with their baggage. And there the story really begins. He decides to allow them to stay in his apartment. I don't want to reveal anything else about the plot; suffice it to say that there is no pat happy ending. The professor, however, played by Richard Jenkins (the father on Six Feet Under), is transformed, renewed, and revitalized by the end of the film. The change that occurs opens him to the world and to the other human beings who populate it.

The film does an excellent job portraying the plight of hardworking illegal aliens, desperate to stay in this country, but it is Jenkins' performance that makes the film worth watching. His acting is subtle and nuanced. We understand a great deal about him, his life, and his relationship with his deceased wife, but little of this understanding comes to us through dialogue.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price
$ = Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Sex and the City

Sex and the City: ***
Nonna Rating: $$$
Rotten Tomatoes: 53%

This review is simple. If you are a fan of the show, male or female, see the movie. You'll love it. If you're female and not an avid watcher of the series, but you're not a hater of the series, see the movie. If you're male and have no relationship of any kind with the series, DO NOT SEE THE MOVIE. Do not even accompany your significant other who is a fan out of love and selflessness. You will not like the film and you will slip and say SOMETHING that just ticks her off. I guarantee. Better to avoid this film than do anything that interferes with the pleasure of a woman who is out to see what is, in essence, five episodes of the most girly TV show in history back to back.

What can I say? It's fun. I'd love to talk about my favorite scenes, but I'd spoil them for all of you who are planning to see the movie. See it with girlfriends. Go out for cosmos afterwards. Celebrate sisterhood!

Nonna Rating System:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price
$$ = Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Four Movies to Consider -- At Least

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: **1/2
Nonna Rating:$$$
Rotten Tomatoes: 65%

Max, my 10-year-old grandson, loved this movie. For that reason alone, I say "Pay for a matinee and take a kid with you." The film differs from the first one, and, I confess, I liked it better in many ways -- perhaps because, although I've read Prince Caspian, I don't remember much about it, but I did remember The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe very well and had some very specific expectations of that movie. I remembered nothing about Prince Caspian, and so was continually surprised by the storyline. Caspian is much more of an action film -- filled with battle scenes and fewer charming, loquacious animals. It is set hundreds of years in the future, long past the time of the Snow Queen's rule in Narnia. The children all turn in excellent performances and Lucy (Georgie Henley pictured above) is as charming as ever. Anna Popplewell, who plays Susan, actively participates in the final battle and seems to be channeling Legolas from Lord of the Rings with her bow and arrow. Ben Barnes, who plays Caspian, is guaranteed to make many adolescent hearts flutter. I agree with quite a few of the critics who have predicted this will be a breakthrough movie for him and possibly lead to many other meaty roles. Caspian is definitely a movie to be seen on the big screen with its very big special effects.

And, oh yes, Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan is terrific, but I always feel odd about reviewing Aslan's character. It's like critiquing Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Just not done.

Persepolis: ***

Nonna Rating:$$$
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Every once in a while a movie appears that pushes the boundaries of what we've come to expect from the medium. Persepolis is one of those films. It's a cartoon. In black and white. It tells the story of a young Iranian girl, Marji, who grows up under the repressive regime of the Shah. The Shah is overthrown and everyone around Marji rejoices, envisioning freedom and a new Iran. Instead, soon enough, they discover the new government of religious fundamentalists is even more repressive than the government of the Shah. All this history is interpreted through Marji's innocent, intelligent eyes. Seeing this history through a child's perspective makes it even more ominous and horrifying. But Marji is exactly the opposite of the stereotyped submissive Muslim woman. She is outspoken and ready to fight for her rights. This frightens her parents; they send her to school in Europe where she will be safe. But Western society is no haven for Marji. She doesn't fit there and she doesn't fit in Iran either. Much of the film chronicles her turbulent adolescence and confused coming of age. She marries, is unhappy, and returns to Iran. But neither Europe nor Iran is this a solution to her confusion and angst. She leaves Iran again, a stronger young woman who knows herself and accepts that she must live day by day in ambiguity.

(Note: Anyone else reminded of the Madeleine books and Miss Clavell when you look at the picture above?)

Chicago 10: **1/2

Nonna Rating:$$
Rotten Tomatoes:

In the summer of 1968, I was paying a lot of attention to my newborn son, Peter. My campus activist days were on hold. I was a house-bound nursing mother in Omaha. Before Pete was born, I had worked on the Eugene McCarthy campaign in Omaha. In our office, there was a picture of Robert Kennedy on a dart board. As far as we were concerned, he was a part of THE PROBLEM. Gene was clean. On June 6 the picture came down. Pete was only 10 days old, so I didn't see it happen. I just heard about it.

Even though I had not been a Kennedy supporter, his death and that of Martin Luther King just two months before were emotionally devastating. My wasbund and I followed the news from Chicago about the coming convention. The park filled with demonstrators. Friends became more rabid about "bringing on the revolution" by the minute. We all knew there would be a confrontation in Chicago before or during the convention. It was inevitable. We didn't own a TV, so we rented one for the convention. What I will never forget was holding Pete in my arms, crying, and watching The Today Show the morning after THE riot. They were showing film of the night before, sometimes in slow motion. Over it, they were playing Frank Sinatra singing "My Kind of Town."

Chicago 10 chronicles the trial of those accused of conspiracy to start a riot. There were 8 "conspirators" and two lawyers included in the 10. The trial was, with no exaggeration, a circus. The judge, Julius Hoffman, was as much a buffoon as Abie Hoffman (no relation) was. Each day brought on more outlandish behavior and as many four letter words as possible. For the documentary, the filmmaker, Brett Morgen, uses archival footage, dramatization, and cartoons to tell the story. Interestingly, he chose to use music popular now rather than the golden oldies of the Sixties. This has an interesting effect. The older music would have placed the film firmly in the revolutionary context of the sixties without the perspective of "what we know now." The newer music serves as an ironic commentary and keeps forcing us to face how different these two worlds are. It's a fascinating film. It's not a great film but it deserves viewing -- if only for it's creative use of media in its storytelling.

There Will Be Blood:***

Nonna Rating:$$$
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Warning: I am a huge fan of Daniel Day-Lewis. (Long ago, I was actually a fan of his father, Cecil Day-Lewis, once the poet laureate of Great Britain.) I am also a big fan of the film's director, Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed what I still think is one of the great unrecognized films of the 20th century, Magnolia.

Blood is well-written and beautifully directed. The cinematography of the American southwest is expansive and gloriously shot. The supporting actors in the film make significant contributions to its overall excellence. Paul Dano is especially disturbing, prophetic, and magnetic. But, there is really only one good reason to see this film: the performance of Day-Lewis. The first word that comes to mind is complex. Many things, like his character's motivation, are left unexplained in the movie. Day-Lewis' performance complements this ambiguity in the writing perfectly. He truly deserved his best actor Oscar, his Golden Globe, and his other awards.

Nonna Rating System:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price

$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price

$$ = Worth a rental

$ = Wait for cable

# = Skip it

Three Movies To Avoid

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: *
Nonna Rating: #
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

I saw Sweeney Todd at Lyric Opera and hated it. But I went to movie with a relatively open mind, expecting that it might tranlate better to the screen. After all, Rotten Tomatoes' reviewers were approving at a rate of 86%. Well, they were wrong. It's still a dark story about truly despicable human beings. There's no smidgen of hope or redemption. The cartoonish stage violence of the opera gives way to graphically violent murders in the movie, each one more nauseating than the other. (Here, I must confess that, as a matter of policy, I do not attend slasher or horror films. I just don't get why some people find them enjoyable.) Finally, even Sondheim's music does not redeem the film. Only one song, "A Little Priest, is memorable at all.

Here is a film with a marvelous cast: the always fascinating Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and Sacha Baron Cohen -- and they do their best, but it's not enough.

Whenever I pan a film, I try to recommend another which is thematically similar. In this case, that's pretty tough. There's nothing quite like this movie unless we turn to much less violent films based on Dickens' novels. If you're looking for a violent film that is worth watching, try Eastern Promises.



Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: *
Nonna Rating: $
Rotten Tomatoes: 76%

Another film with a great cast that, in my estimation, falls far short of the rating it received on Rotten Tomatoes (76%). So, a 1920s English drawing room farce starring two American actresses: Frances McDormand (with an accent) and Amy Adams (playing an American). English farce depends entirely on excellent actors (at least we have that here), impeccable timing (completely absent), and brilliant physical comedy (also absent). English farce should be nothing short of delightful. We should have smiles on our faces during most of the action. When it really works, the upper classes get a satiriacal treatment that's deeply satisfying. So skip this one or watch it on cable. If, after ten minutes, you're feeling sleepy or bored, bail.

Instead, rent Season 1 of Jeeves and Wooster, the brilliant BBC/Granada adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse's novels starring the inimitable Stephen Fry as the archetypcal British butler Jeeves and Hugh Laurie (yes, Hugh Laurie of House , who is definitely very English) as the ultimate English twit, Bertie Wooster. Watch one episode. You'll be hooked and watch all twenty-three.

Leatherheads: *1/2

Nonna Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 53%

Maybe doing movies about the 1920s is the problem. Here's another film that doesn't make the grade. About half the critics were right on this one. Another movie with big stars, a disappointing script, and lackluster acting. I had high hopes for this would at least be a pleasant diversion. After all, George is in it. The problem is that Clooney seems to sleepwalk through the film. And then there's Renee Zellweger who is fast becoming a perpetually annoying actress with her squinched up face (If you've ever seen Tracy Ullmann imitate her, you know what I mean). John Krasinwski is his charming self, but it's a one note performance that certainly can't sustain the movie. The film seems to aspire to the screwball comedy of Howard Hawkes. It doesn't come close.

So, rent His Gal Friday, one of Hawkes most brilliant films. Hawkes direction, Ben Hecht's play, and the suberb acting of Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant combine to make this one of the best comedies ever filmed. And if you acquire a taste for screwball comedy, rent I Was a Male War Bride, It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby, Holliday, Some Like It Hot, The Lady Eve, My Man Friday, The Awful Truth, Philadelphia Story, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, To Be or Not to Be, and Arsenic and Old Lace.

Nonna Rating System:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price
$$ = Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Young at Heart

Young@Heart ****
Nonna Rating: $$$

My friends Elizabeth Molitors and Jerry Hinck (independently -- they don't know each other) insist that I've never seen a movie I didn't like. Not true! In fact, I have seven backlogged movies to review in the next few days and several of them were just plain awful.

In my defense, I tend to see movies that have been well-reviewed, so as not to waste time or money at clunkers. I use the Rotten Tomatoes website, which collects reviews from everywhere, so, often there are as many as 100 opinions posted on a film. The neat thing is that the site computes the proportion of positive reviews for each movie. Generally, I've found that movies with a 75% or higher are worth seeing -- there have been exceptions, however. Anyway, the site serves as a good guide. (Yes, there have been a few movies with lower ratings that I have liked. What can I say?)

So here's my review of Young@Heart, which received a whopping 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.

As my friend Linda McCarthy said yesterday after seeing the film with me, "There are a lot of life lessons in this movie." So true, but it's not preachy or sentimental or cloying: it just focuses relentlessly on life with all its joy, humor, and sadness. The film highlights an aging singing group (average age 80) based in Northhampton, MA. They could choose to sing the great romantic ballads of the 40s, but instead they belt out songs by Coldplay, The Clash, Sonic Youth, The Rolling Stones, and Talking Heads to name a few.

The film follows the group as they prepare for a concert in their hometown -- before they take off on another tour of Europe. Along the way, they perform a free concert for the local prison. That segment alone provides reason enough to see the film. The expressions on the faces of the prisoners attest to the power of music to heal and to the joy that it generates.

The film, however, does not portray old age as "cute." Many of the group are dealing with serious medical problems. But these senior citizens are not going gentle into that good night. Their energy and commitment model how to grow old and why it behooves us all to respect and care for the elderly who have much to teach us.

Nonna Rating System:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price
$$ = Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Alleluia

Easter has come and gone. I feel as if I went into the tomb during the triduum and am just now emerging. And now it's ordinary time. Time for tears. I've been damming up my sorrow for too long.

Yesterday heralded the 150th commencement for Seabury. Andrew Shirota and Karen King orchestrated an excellent service at St. Luke's in Evanston. We all talked on the garth and ate a light lunch. Well, we didn't all talk. I just listened and smiled and posed for pictures. I was sad.

I went back to my apartment and began to pack my car. Three times I found myself sitting in a chair staring at the walls. Sadness. It took me three and a half hours to pack my car. I think it should have taken one and a half at the most. People had gathered in the yard behind our building to talk and drink and eat some more. I didn't want to be there; I just wanted to go home. I began to wonder if I might be suffering from a clinical depression.

Today, I don't think so. I'm just sad. Really sad. In the past two months I've been very conscious of putting off grieving for my Dad. Whenever I became sorrowful, I'd allow myself five minutes of wailing and then I got back to work. The result: I managed to get through the semester and finish on time, but I'm sad. Now, I have a whole month ahead of me with absolutely nothing planned. I intend to loaf, read, nap, watch soaps, and be sad whenever I need to be. I expect I will be so bored with this behavior by the end of the month, I will more than ready to plunge into an active June.

And then there's the sadness of Seabury. Yesterday at the commencement service, I felt as if I was finished also -- without the benefit of a diploma. This semester has had one "little death" after another. The "non-closing" closing of Seabury, the layoffs of the staff, the blanket firing of the faculty, the resignations of Frank Yamada and AKMA Adam, Ruth Meyers' sabbatical, and Rosemary Gooden's visiting professorship at Virgina Theological Seminary. Then, there's the dissolving fall schedule and the closing of the bookstore. Sunt lacrimae rerum. I know next year will be sad but I also know that there will be joy and that we will be alright. The Dean suggested the other night that we bless God for what is. I intend to do just that -- and to feel sad when I need to.

And I have a backlog of about seven movies to review. I'll get busy. Most of them are out of the theatres already, but I can always mislead you about whether to rent them or not.

One Long Holy Week

At 10:15 tonight, Good Friday 2008, my Dad, Art Ialongo, died peacefully. My brothers, sister, and I were all there, sad and relieved at the same time. Dad has spent the last four years in nursing homes suffering from a dementia which affected him cognitively and produced a profound aphasia. He knew us to the end, however. That was a blessing and a curse. He remembered enough to make him incredibly frustrated with his situation in life on a regular basis.

My mother died on All Saints Day and my dad on Good Friday. There's a lovely symmetry about that. My mother outlived her doctor's prediction of the time of her death by seven days. She died when we all left her room to argue about where we should purchase take out food. She was finally alone, she knew we would be all right, and, so, she died. My Dad was in the same mode. His doctor predicted he would not live past Tuesday evening. So, we decided to go out for dinner tonight and kissed him goodbye. Five minutes later we received a call that he had no discernible pulse, so we rushed back. He was only breathing every 10 seconds or so. This went on for an hour, so we decided to tell him we were going out to eat again. We just went as far as the front lobby. After about 20 minutes, his nurse told us to come back. She thought he had died, but we noticed that every 25 seconds or so, his jaw and throat would move. This lasted only 10 more minutes or so. He finally rested. I, on the other hand, am very tired.

Valley of the Dry Bones Sermon

My bones have always managed to give me a bit of trouble. I was born with misaligned knees, so the cartilage in my knees wore away until I couldn’t walk more than twenty yards or so without having to sit down. I found it impossible to pick up my grandchildren and could only ascend stairs with my hands on the risers above me. Finally, after using and discarding every arthritis remedy available – glucosomine and chondriton, copper bracelets, and Montmorency cherries to name a few – knee replacement surgery became my only viable option.

In this type of surgery, the old, damaged knee is removed and replaced by a titanium and plastic or, sometimes, ceramic joint. The surgeon looks like he’s dressed for a hazardous materials cleanup. He’s completely covered with a bulky white suit and wearing a helmet and a visor. He saws through the femur and tibia in order to place the prosthetic device correctly. When my first knee was replaced, I had a spinal anesthetic, so I remained awake during the surgery. I have distinct memories of hearing the saw, the hammer, and the drill. I also remember how detached I felt from the whole proceeding. I was no longer in relationship with my body. While I listened dispassionately, sinews and flesh and skin were sewn back into place.

But, like the bones that had come back to bones in Ezekiel, these bones had no breath in them. They did not live. That resurrection would only be accomplished by brutal physical therapy, hard work on my part, and, of course, the grace of God.

Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones showed the dispirited exiles from Judah that rebuilding their community was far from impossible. This group constituted a remnant which had survived through God’s enduring mercy. Through Ezekiel, Yahweh was calling them yet again to an exemplary life as his people. Their heritage had not ended in captivity; it had become a new story, built on the solid foundations of their old story and Yahweh’s special loving-kindness.

We are the Seabury remnant. For one hundred and fifty years, others have come before us. For about half that time, future priests have lived in this corner of Evanston, learning all they could about loving and serving the Lord. Now, only a few of us, a remnant, remain. The sinews, flesh, and skin on our bones have been ripped away.

We can choose to spend the rest of our time here buried, bones piled on bones in the ground. We can choose to acquiesce to our anger and grief -- to live in an atmosphere of victimization.

Or we can choose to do what the returning exiles, the Hebrew remnant, were asked to do. We can choose to envision a new community -- to prepare worship that springs from our spiritual needs, to push the boundaries of our classes to create new spaces for learning, and to be community in ways that may only last as long as we are here, but in ways that will feed us for the rest of our lives.

God calls us to a new place – a bleak, uncomfortable place, a valley of our dry bones. We must don those hazardous material suits. We must do the hard work: replace the sinews, the flesh, and the skin on those bones. We must wait for God’s breath to give us life again. Called or not called, God is here, and God has promised us nothing less than resurrection.

Just A Few Pictures

10 Best Movies of 2007

It's about time that I got around to picking the 10 best movies of last year. After all, the Oscars will be awarded tomorrow night. I decided I have a right to do this because I saw 48 movies IN THEATRES last year. Yes, 48. I don't even want to think about how much this amounts to in ticket and concession costs. I do believe this love affair I have with the big screen points to an addiction on my part. What can I say?

I also believe I have a right to do this because top ten lists among movie critics are notoriously inconsistent. It's rare that one or two films make "everybody's" list. So, here's my inconsistent list.

As I write this, I'm watching North By Northwest. I never get tired of watching this film: "How does a girl like you get to be a girl like you?" It's worth viewing over and over just to hear that line.

I'm bothered by how many violent films I have on this list (at the top yet), but they were damn good films. I'm not quite sure why the numbers aren't showing up on the list, but No. 1 is No Country for Old Men.

1. No Country for Old Men



2. Eastern Promises



3. There Will Be Blood



4. Across the Universe



5. Charlie Wilson's War



6. La Vie en Rose



7. I'm Not There



8. Hairspray



9. Lars and the Real Girl



10. American Gangster

Honorable Mention (in no particular order): Breach, Zodiac, 300, Blades of Glory (it really WAS funny), Knocked Up, Ratatouille, 3:10 to Yuma, Michael Clayton, The Kite Runner, Juno, The Savages

Ave atque vale?

Latest Favorite Picture of the Gang

Today I delivered my first sermon at Seabury. It's also possible it will be my last. All we know at this point is that no new students are being accepted for the '08-'09 school year and that Seabury will no longer offer a residential 3-year M.Div. program. Beyond that, we are still waiting for the details. I had written another sermon for today, but it just didn't work anymore. So, last night at 11pm, I wrote another one.

Seabury Sermon: 2/22/08

Yesterday morning I woke up reciting a poem I had memorized 44 years ago for Sister Agnes Joseph in my sophomore English class at Aquinas Dominican High School on the south side of Chicago. She had asked us to memorize one of Shakespeare’s sonnets. My choice was odd for a sixteen year old. The poem is a carpe diem poem. If you saw the movie, Dead Poets Society, you heard a lot of talk about carpe diem, usually translated “seize the day.”
Carpe diem poems generally express, in some poetic way, the sentiment: “life is short and time flies, let’s make the most of it.” Often, in these poems, a male lover addresses a woman he admires and tries to convince her that loving him would be a very good idea indeed. It’s kind of a “Birds-do-it.-Bees-do-it.-Even-educated-fleas-do-it.-Let’s-do-it.-Let’s-fall-in-love.” approach to life.

What made this poem an odd choice for a sixteen year old in a girl’s prep school was that the speaker of the sonnet is wooing the addressee with the argument that he is quite old, so “time’s a wastin.’” -- love me or I may be gone soon.
Right now at Seabury, I daresay all of us are experiencing a veritable panoply of emotions. Sadness, fear, anger, confusion, skepticism, helplessness, powerlessness, paralysis, grief to name a few.

Right now, we are living in ambiguous uncertainty. It doesn’t feel good. In times like these, Carpe diem may be a helpful world view to adopt. The past is gone. We have no hope of bringing it into the present. The future isn’t here. We can’t control it. We can’t act in it. There really is no point in worrying about it. As Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”
Although our emotional rollercoaster will continue to climb and drop, let’s seize the day. Let’s practice letting go of the past and letting go of worrying about the future. Let’s be present to one another in the here and now. Let’s be mindful of each other’s gifts. Let’s rejoice in this day, the day the Lord has made. Let’s remember that we are loved and that nothing can separate us from that love.

Yesterday morning, as I lay in bed reciting my Shakespearean sonnet, I thought how, as with the Bible, we can read and reread Shakespeare and hear it every time in a new way. As I listened to the sonnet, I heard that it was Seabury that was the speaker.
I now know that the reason I memorized this unlikely sonnet 44 years ago was to recite it to you this morning:

That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire
Consumed with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.