Recently viewed films

[Poor Deportee]

Out of the Furnace with Christian Bale, Casey Affleck and Woody Harrelson. An entertaining movie that brings riveting performances from Bale and Harrelson in particular (and Forest Whitakker is remarkably squirm-inducing as the archetypical weasely fat-assed small-town police chief, wearing the worst glasses you can possible imagine). It really wants to be an entry in the spirit of those dark 1970s masterpieces (Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy, The Deerhunter, Deliverance, etc.) that offer bleak and gritty explorations of the undersides of American life. Despite the requisite alienated veteran, Appalachian hillbillies, and working class woe, I'm not sure it succeeds in this. In its vision of an America where (unpleasant but viable) jobs are available at the local steel mill, it clings to an older model that no-longer holds in today's de-industrialized USA although, in fairness, the threat of mill closure does loom; and second, bleak Americana ultimately works here as an evocative backdrop more than part of the point of a story that drifts dangerously close to that ol' Hollywood standby of "righteous American goes looking for revenge when the system lets him down."

Worth watching, though. Given the violence, not for the faint of heart. But in the end I think we need a movie that is of the now (as it were) rather than so clearly an effort to be those earlier films.

[Jack of All Parades]

That one is on my radar for a holiday cinema visit- now more so thanks to your review even if it is a tired trope- that cast is killer

[Poor Deportee]

That one is on my radar for a holiday cinema visit- now more so thanks to your review even if it is a tired trope- that cast is killer

Harleson alone was worth the price of admission for me, in full-bore Natural Born Killers psychopath mode and inhabiting the role with unspeakable relish

[ice nine]

The book Thief is a beautiful and well acted movie. It really is everything the commercials claim the movie is. I believe that Emily Watson will win Best Supporting Actress.

[Jack of All Parades]

A Christmas day viewing of American Hustle by David O Russell. A continuation of a solid hot streak of movies following last year's Silver Linings Playbook. This latest movie is a sublime comedy about duplicity, corruption, ambition and the convoluted ways of love. It features a cast of actors who are at the top of their game and who work so well as an ensemble that Russell should have them at his beck and call with regularity. It is the late 1970s and the FBI is eager to net some corrupt Congressmen and Senators as they take the cash that is being handed to them on camera. It is the fictionalized story of Mel Weinberg and ABSCAM and it is profoundly and sadly hilarious.

Russell uses the viewpoint of his two lead characters- Irving Rosenfeld-Christian Bale- and Sydney Prosser- Amy Adams-to frame his tale in a guiding voiceover that alternates between the two and ultimately merges into one voice. The two are 'good' con artists who have bonded over a love of Duke Ellington and the thrill of easy money. They are good but not good enough to not get caught by the riotously incompetent dreamer of an FBI agent Richie DeMarco- Bradley Cooper- who is seemingly always one step behind the people he his trying to catch in the act. When Irving and Sydney are persuaded to assist in nabbing the politicos led by a well meaning Carmine Polito-played by Jeremy Renner- the real fun begins. Throw in Jennifer Lawrence as Irving's ditsy wife Rosalyn with her bedroom voice and you have screwball heaven. Russell makes his scene shifts subtle elisions with his skilled usage of music and the movements of his actors. Scenes flow into one another with the ease of accomplished visual story telling. Lawrence is a joy to watch and hear in her harpies voice but the real fun is Adams with her combination of bad/good wrapped in a visual package that is hard to ignore. The scene with her and Bale in the dry cleaners with the clothing rotating around them is visual poetry. When she confronts Lawrence at the end the screen explodes with their visual disdain for one another. Christian Bale is the soul of this movie and his hair has to be seen to be believed. It is a character in and of itself.

This is a comedy for the ages and one that is taken to another level when Robert De Niro turns up towards the end. It is bittingly sad as these characters work their cons on one another.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 7178,d.cWc

[Jack of All Parades]

The Wolf of Wall Street by Martin Scorsese this past New Years Eve with my wife. 3 hours of rabid excess and moral destitution led by a glorious Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort, a real life robber baron, in the most alive performance he has given in many years. It starts off fast with the foot on the accelerator and never lets go. The screen is filled with a polymorphous blend of greed- money, drugs, sex and a general disregard for others. And as much as it repulsed me I could not keep my eyes off the action because Scorsese frames it so entertainingly. Odd angles, quick cuts, overlapping dialogue, character narration, freeze frames, you name it he pulls a multitude of story telling tricks out of his back pocket to keep you interested as the story unfolds. The best single sequence for me was near the beginning when Matthew McConaughey, as a big time broker at a Blue Chip firm, where DiCaprio's character has just been hired as a broker trainee, pulls the curtain back while hosting the new employee to lunch on his first day and shows him how Wall Street really works. It is a 'fugazzy'= 'pixie dust' which benefits no one but the smarter brokers forcing the trades.

I wish the film had a stronger moral bent to it. I would have liked to have seen Jordan Belfort and his fellow wolves strictly punished and made to atone and provide restitution to the many people they hurt in the 80's and 90's. It does not happen just like it continues to not happen for the other merchants of Capitalism who purvey their perverted hypocrisy of 'greed is good' and the notion that they are producing something that benefits us. It is not going to happen. I recognize that now. Too many of the people like me are not shocked by these types of behavior. They are not angry at what happened to them but instead apparently are only upset that they are not afforded the same chance to misbehave. The last shot of the movie is all too telling- a grinning Belfort at a motivational sales meeting in New Zealand with a glint in his eye and a glib message of continued greed on his tongue. He is still in the game and taking all he can from others who can ill afford to lose what little they have in this world.

This movie has a huge black heart and soul at its core. At least in DiCaprio's previous rags to riches role you at least thought there was some good within his character, Jay Gatsby's, moral core. That he had a nominal moral compass. I looked long and hard at the screen during this movie and failed to detect a single moral fiber in Belfort's being. That still has me depressed two days after watching the movie as it continues to haunt me and I suspect it will continue to bother me in the months and years to come.

[Jack of All Parades]

The Company You Keep by Robert Redford and staring him, as well. This one last night had all the ingredients to be a stinker. A potentially trite story line, older actors trying to relive past glories, sanctimonious preaching. Instead it was a vibrantly engaging two hours. Jim Grant-played by Redford- has been hiding in upstate New York for over thirty years as a fugitive from the FBI for his activities with the Weather Underground in the late Sixties and early Seventies in the anti war protests of the time and for his involvement in a botched bank robbery that left a security guard murdered. When Sharon Solarz-played by Susan Sarandon- is captured by the FBI as she emerges from her hidden life as a country housewife in Vermont, the action unfolds in a non stodgy manner as Redford craftily manages several story threads with ease and a non stolid touch- a cat and mouse chase, a re-evaluation of past mistakes by former partners in political conviction and a love story. The fellow cast mates- Julie Christie, Nick Nolte, Richard Jenkins, Stanley Tucci, Sam Elliott, Brendan Gleeson and Shia LaBeouf serve the various story lines properly and no one embarrasses themselves. I particularly enjoyed the sparing between the LaBeouf character, Ben Shepard, and Redford's character. There is a legitimate questioning of the current generation and its seeming indifference and jaded reactions to two unjustified wars and a twenty years and counting erosion of their economic, social and political safety nets by the very same forces that Redford's character and his cohorts continue to fight and question, albeit in subtler ways by some.

http://youtu.be/UELonDEqAMw

[Jack of All Parades]

Stories We Tell by Sarah Polley. A richly nuanced documentary that delicately and intuitively explores the nature of personal narratives, in this case those of her family as they relate to her deceased mother, Diane Polley. Polley's examination of narrative is exhaustive as she interviews brothers and sisters, aunts and fathers, friends and colleagues trying to peel back the layers of time and the words that blurred the supposed truths that her family has always shared. The initial Super 8 footage of her vibrant mother is consistently undercut by memories and recreations of family and personal history. The initial projections of the 'truth' as provided by the home movies proves to be quite elusive and slippery as the various narrative streams begin to unspool from the various participants as they are filmed talking. All the participants are quite likeable and seem to have lived very full and satisfying lives. That is what makes watching them talk all the more enjoyable. They are good people. The real revelation for me is the dialogue provided by Sarah's 'father', Michael Polley. He provides the 'narrative' for the documentary and his take when contrasted by the one provided by Sarah's other 'father' is sad and touching and it speaks the most directly of all the filmed speakers to the unreliability of memory and how we are all always reconstructing our pasts in our recollected conscious and unconscious memories.

Ms. Polley is a real talent- I have completely enjoyed her three films- Away From Her, Take This Waltz and now this one. I will unabashedly be looking out for her next project. She has a fresh, perceptive eye and take on things. She is yet another Canadian we need to take notice of in the years to come and like Alice Munro- a master story teller.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... mEqjMpWxUg

[Jack of All Parades]

"Love is All You Need" by Suzanne Bier last evening. A light and ever so predictable romantic comedy by a director who has done better work in the past. The story line of a wedding and its complications has been done too many times but this variation is partially saved by Pierce Brosnan and his understated performance as a bitter, disheartened widower and a new actress for me, Trine Dyrholm, and her winning portrayal of an eternal optimist as the mother of the bride to be. Their infectious interplay keeps you going with the movie. Well that and the gorgeous scenery of Sorrento, Italy and the lemon grove on the grounds of the estate Brosnan's character owns. If I never hear Dean Martin's sappy and syrupy "That's Amore" again it will be soon enough. That song insinuates itself into the movie too frequently and too unctuously. I would rather have the tartness of the lemons that hang in the air around the characters.

http://youtu.be/gHS51O_Sn9Q

[Jack of All Parades]

The Hunt by Thomas Vinterberg last evening with my wife. This one stars the incomparable Mads Mikkelsen and it packs a firm cinematic gut punch. Mikkelsen plays Lucas a kindly daycare employee in a small backwater Danish community where he has lost his previous employment as a school teacher due to the bad economic times. His life is still reasonably comfortable and his easy going charm and persona is warmly supported by a close circle of friends in his small town who seem to sincerely care about his well being- is he lonely with the failure of his marriage? is he depressed?, etc.. Then the unthinkable happens and he is accused of exposing himself to a child. How he faces up to and deals with this accusation is the crux of the film. It is a vivid and exacting representation of how a lie grows and reverberates as the 'truth' is distorted. And you know it is a lie right from the beginning, there is no equivicating with the visual truth. This false guilt weighs heavy on Lucas and he is automatically deemed a criminal- innocence, presumed or not, is irrelevant. The growing isolation he is made to feel by towns people and friends is astonishing and you see this weight grow and grow on Mikkelson's cypher of a face. How quick we make judgements is exposed as the film progresses. The director is a careful watcher of faces and a good chunk of the action takes place in closeups of people's faces as actions and words register in their eyes and their facial muscles. The young actress, Annita Wedderkopp, who plays the accuser Klara, is particularly accomplished at doing this along with Thomas Bo Larson who plays Lucas's best childhood friend and Klara's father. It only dawned on me this morning the significance of the final hunting scene- with its symbolic culling out of perceived evil.

I also note this afternoon that the film has been nominated for this year's Oscars as a Best Foreign Film contender. Based upon what I saw last night that is a solid choice.

http://youtu.be/ieLIOBkMgAQ

[Jack of All Parades]

Renoir by Gilles Bourdos. It is 1915 and the Cote D'Azur farm household of the great painter is safely hidden from the reality that is consuming the bulk of France up north. But not really as Pierre Auguste's two oldest son's have sustained severe injuries in military service for their country- Pierre to his arm and Jean to his leg. Try as he may Pierre Auguste cannot keep the war out of his life. He clearly states a creed towards the beginning of the film that "a painting should be something pleasant and cheerful. There are enought disagreeable things in life. I don't need to paint more."

And it is a minor miracle that he is still painting as his hands and legs and joints are severly crippled with rheumitoid arthritis. He literally has to have the paint brushes he uses tied to his hand in order to hold and use them. Life is closing in on him. The appearance of a young woman, recommended as a model by Matisse, brings the great man and his convalescing son back to life. Andree Heuschling, as played by Christa Theret, enchants both pere and fils, allowing the father to achieve a last burst of creativity and the son to begin to focus on his interest in Cinema. You see the convergence of the end of one artistic form and the stirrings of a new one.

What makes the movie watchable though is the way it is shot mirroring ever so subtly the colors and vitality that filled Renoir's canvas's at the time. The sunlight filters through waving trees and branches and it slides over shifting grasses and running streams while human flesh is exposed and contemplated by the great man's eyes and paint brushes. It borders often on soft core pornography but no more than the actual paintings do as they celebrate our human form, particularly the female.

Not the best film but watchable if only once.

http://youtu.be/3Cv9KxLIHAE

[Poor Deportee]

My goodness, Chris, this thread is turning into your private blog entry site! Not that that's not great and all, but... Where are all the thoughtful interlocutors to respond to all of these well-developed reflections on cinema??

(I can't add much value here myself - I'm busy out of my mind at work at the moment, sorry)

[Poor Deportee]

Watched "Jeff, who Lives at Home" on Netflix last night - the result of a compromise with the missus who wanted something "light" while I, as usual, pushed for dramas etc.. A somewhat contrived little tale about two adult, loser brothers (Ed Helms and Jason Segal) and their mom (Susan Sarandon). One brother lives in her basement, looking compulsively for patterns of meaning in random events and basically dysfunctional; the other at least holds down a job but is caught in a soul-destroying marriage and the vacuum of his own cynicism. Mom, meanwhile, is a middle-aged widow in a long dry season, thrilled and troubled by a secret admirer at work. Boy, she gives a strong performance - managing to convey a great deal of emotional complexity while sitting in an office chair for most of the film. Anyway, bizarre events conspire to entwine their somewhat disjointed lives more tightly together. Billed as a comedy, it isn't especially funny; it's more one of these quirky, offbeat little films about life's little challenges and victories amidst hopes for more dramatic redemption. Not a bad way to spend an hour and a half, but it is a film that asks you to accept its peculiar characters and plot turns and roll with them, and not everyone will. I liked it all right, though; and the missus shed a tear or two at the end, so it served its purpose as an affable diversion.

[Jack of All Parades]

PD- you truly caught the essence of that movie. I enjoyed it thanks to you taking the time to write about it.

Last night- Don Jon- as written and directed and starring Joseph Gordon -Levitt. A movie about a porn addicted and emotionally stunted young male should not have held my interest. But as presented by Mr. Levitt it did that and more as he poignantly developed his character- who just cannot deal with the real breathing young ladies who fill his life as he retreats into his limited emotional world. His mantra of "my body, my pad, my ride, my family, my church,my girls, my porn" constantly fills the screen, visually and aurally throughout the bulk of the movie. Levitt's retelling of the Don Juan story is funny, engaging and ultimately triumphant. His character's conversion from extreme narcissism, with his underlying vein of on animism, is a 'sentimental education' for today. And Scarlett Johansson gets a role to relish. Her Barbara Sugarman is portrayed as every young man's dream and ultimate nightmare. The real standout for me was Julianne Moore- her damaged older woman who enters John's life is trans formative-just as her character is on John. It was also nice to see Glenne Headly, my wife's old high school classmate, get a current role. Her 'mother' holds its own in her scenes. A solid first directorial effort by Mr. Levitt.

http://youtu.be/6615kYTpOSU

[Poor Deportee]

Interesting that there seems to be a recurring theme of "emotionally stunted, dysfunctional males" in these movies. I wonder if they're putting their finger on a genuine social phenomenon/problem, of if it's a ricochet off a more mythological and Boomer-centric narrative about the Millennials' supposed "failure to launch." My guess is that, in a society in which career-track jobs have sunk down below degrading part-time and temporary employment, and in which the future almost always looks worse than the past except for a tiny sliver of plutocrats and lucky upper-middle-class types, this really is a genuine issue. Why it *seems* to afflict males disproportionately is quite an intriguing question, though.

[Jack of All Parades]

Interesting that there seems to be a recurring theme of "emotionally stunted, dysfunctional males" in these movies. I wonder if they're putting their finger on a genuine social phenomenon/problem, of if it's a ricochet off a more mythological and Boomer-centric narrative about the Millennials' supposed "failure to launch." My guess is that, in a society in which career-track jobs have sunk down below degrading part-time and temporary employment, and in which the future almost always looks worse than the past except for a tiny sliver of plutocrats and lucky upper-middle-class types, this really is a genuine issue. Why it *seems* to afflict males disproportionately is quite an intriguing question, though.

I am with you on this one, PD. As the father of three successful daughters, I have seen it up front- a good many of their male contemporaries are not at the same stage in their lives as they are. To the point, my eldest has found male companionship, not with a young man of her age, but with one closer to my age.

The Dallas Buyers Club last evening with my wife. This movie rises so far above the weepie of the week thanks mostly to the incredible performances of its cast-particularly Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, and the direction of Jean-Marie Vallee. This story of a real life person, Ron Woodroof, and his transformation from a self-absorbed,misogynistic, homophobic rube into a decent, caring human being through the contraction of AIDS is riveting. Right now, McConaughey, for my money, is the best American actor working on the screen. His string of recent films- Mud, Magic Mike, Killer Joe, The Wolf of Wall Street[where he was the best thing in the movie] has been a marvel to watch. Here he fully imbues and creates a human being with a dignity, compassion and intelligence that is hard earned. And he does it without really losing the underlying bad boy charm that made his original persona somewhat tolerable. Leto's, Rayane, is equally poignant[and he has better legs than I have seen on many women]. There is a tenderness and pain in his portrayal that oozes out of this damaged character. The relationship that is kindled between the two, Ron and Rayane, is a joy to observe. It was also nice to see Griffin Dunne in a small but well developed role. The movie is shot almost as if it were a documentary which helps in keeping this movies angry, feisty spirit. Just a first class job all around.

http://youtu.be/Hs1kpGNSRVk

[Jack of All Parades]

Forgot to post about this one- Rush by Ron Howard. This adrenaline energized film, starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl, as the Formula One drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda is most watchable if not entirely memorable. It is the strongest racing film I have ever seen; the most realistic. You do feel a part of the vibrant action. The rivalry between Hunt and Lauda however never really comes to life for me. These are flawed individuals who seem to only find fulfillment when they are pitted against one another. Then they are their most human and alive. Who is the better though is unanswered- the 'plodder' or the 'hedonist'- my vote goes to the hedonist who is fully alive at any moment. Watchable but easily forgotten.

http://youtu.be/lzNbGH1oZJc

[Jack of All Parades]

In a world........last night with my wife. Written by , directed by and staring Lake Bell. This was a total and unexpected surprise that Lisa had picked by chance at the library. Every once in awhile one is thrown such a bonus. A few years back it was the delightful Cedar Rapids; this year Ms. Bell's enchanting and capricious comedy. It is an all together smart, generous debut. She effortlessly juggles several movies in one- a romantic comedy, a social satire, a feminist critique and a family drama and the viewer never feels a let down in any of the stories.

Ms. Bell plays Carol, a reluctant and struggling 30 year old vocal coach who has been living with her father, Sam, as played by Fred Meland, a real voice over artist, is a legendary voice over performer and mono maniacal chauvinist and insecure father and man. Carol is trying to make an in road into the mostly male voice over community and her attempts are captured by Ms. Bell with a charm and youthful goofiness that shows brightly her quick witted ways and her self-motivated under achievement as the narrative rambles amiably amongst her interactions with her family, her friends and her community. I last saw Ms. Bell as the second wife to Alec Baldwin's character in "It's Complicated". She now has my full attention. This is a sweet movie with a hard message and an engaging cast of characters who never fall into the 'creepy' side of personae but stay firmly rooted in the whimsical, all too human aspects of people we encounter daily.

This is a first rate movie that I suspect too few people saw in Theaters. Valentine's Day is Friday. One could do considerably worse then spend the evening watching this movie with someone you love. This is what I watch movies for- the chance to find the odd gem.

http://youtu.be/bZHBjLFu5is

[Jack of All Parades]

20 Feet from Stardom a documentary by Morgan Neville that beautifully celebrates the 'unheralded' backup singers who put the 'special' in so many of the songs we have treasured from the fifties, sixties and seventies and beyond. It focuses on four primarily- Merry Clayton, Darlene Love, Claudia Lennear, and Lisa Fischer. What I had never realized is that they all were preacher's daughters and learned their trade in the Sunday services they attended as young girls. It is exhilarating to hear their stories and also painful as they were so often under appreciated, abused or blocked as in the case of Ms. Love by that monomaniacal monster Phil Spector. But most of all it is about their love of singing and being on stage and letting the moment take over. Ms. Clayton is best at retelling the stories- her recounting of the session she cut with The Stones on "Gimmie Shelter" is funny and most empowering as she demonstrates how she just blew them out of the recording studio that night and Mick Jagger can only re acknowledge the truth of that story. Ms. Lennear the paramour of Mr. Jagger at one time now is a teacher of Spanish in a public school. Ms. Love cleaned houses for many years. The real find for me was Ms. Fischer. Her ethereal voice is haunting and just a superb instrument as Sting rightfully acknowledges in the documentary. And I had forgotten that David Bowie used Luther Vandross along with Ms. Lennear on Young Americans. At least the British artists that used these women knew their value and appreciated their efforts on their records. A first rate documentary in all. It is up there with the one about the Funk Brothers band- the house band of Motown- from a few years ago.

http://youtu.be/tWyUJcA8Zfo

[Jack of All Parades]

"All is Lost"- the sophomore film by JC Chandor whose Margin Call I previously admired. Staring Robert Redford as a solo sailor 1700 miles out from the Sumatra Straits and sailing solo in the Indian Ocean when the unthinkable happens. The existential tale that evolves from a chance encounter far out to sea is riveting and is made all the more horrific by the exceptional performance turned in by Mr. Redford. I am a sucker for sea tales and this one was most satisfying including its ending. Do not 'go into the light'. I love to be on the open water but I am most respectful of its power and danger. This movie respects that majesty and fear, as well. My wife muttered at the end that she was glad she had not paid to see it in the theater. I wished I had because the big screen would have enhanced all the aspects of sailing.this movie presented- even when shaken to the core as this movie did to me.

http://youtu.be/0AeH38Z36Jo

[Jack of All Parades]

"Blue is the Warmest Color" with my wife. I say it upfront there is human sexuality in this film-thankfully not of the gratuitous kind that fills certain venues- but of the thoughtful and engaging kind that sparks the synapses of one's mind and makes one feel alive and of this moment. This film, by Abdellatif Kechicne, and staring two young actresses- Lea Seydoux[when did young French women all start looking like a variation of Marian Courtillard?] and Adele Exarchopoulus in breakout performances that should have been recognized at this year's Oscars, deserves a wide audience. It also should have used the original French title too-"La Vie de Adele Chapters 1 & 2".

It is a three hour story that richly develops these two characters- Emma and Adele. You grow to love their story and their heated and sharp interaction together. Mostly you embrace the sight of Adele and her face. In fact this movie is filled with faces that are intently filmed in intimate closeups. To watch Adele play Adele is to witness one come of age or to use that old cliche to witness the 'full blushing of youth'. That is why watching the faces of the characters in the movie is so important. Adele's face is a canvas which is constantly emoting her inner feelings. She is often on her own and when she connects with Emma it is electric. I wanted to think of Bertolucci but I found myself more reminded of Truffaut and his stories of a young man coming of age. Other characters in this movie talk of life[and one of the subversive elements of the film is that talk which pokes fun at French intellectualism and types] but Adele lives it in the open. One is consistently fascinated by her young life's journey and its 'coupe de foudre'. When the love cools, much as Emma's hair loses its blue tinge, the scenes that show that cooling rightfully and naturally explode on the screen between the two leads in acting that is artfully life like in its depictions of their individual pain.

The sex is graphic but it is also essential to the story and is never just on the screen to show bodies involved with one another. It also seems to be real and human as the story evolves on the screen.

I hope we will get the chance to see Adele age over the years. Her's is a character I would love to follow.

http://youtu.be/Y2OLRrocn3s

[Jack of All Parades]

Watched "Hannah Arendt" last evening with my wife. This film as directed by Margarethe Von Trotta and staring Barbara Sukova as the brilliant thinker and political and social theorist is only half successful. The problem is how do you keep an audience's attention when your main subject spends most of her time smoking, lying on a chaise lounge or gazing out windows in deep thought. Granted this is one of the most original and thoughtful minds of the twentieth century, but there is only so much of the camera lingering on Ms. Arendt in contemplation that will hold an audience. Well you shape the movie around the single most explosive event in her life- her coverage of the Adolf Eichmann trial in the early 60s and the publication of her subsequent book-"Eichmann in Jerusalem" and the uproar it caused amongst her circle of friends and the world in general. You also throw in a bit of her earlier involvement with Martin Heidegger both as student and lover. You throw in scenes with her best friend, Mary McCarthy, played beautifully by Janet McTeer, and you think you have a film which catches Ms. Arendt in all her originality and mental toughness.

Unfortunately this is not quite what you get. In essence, you get only a partial taste of this complicated and extremely intelligent woman. This is a woman who asked tough, complicated questions and thought deeply about the nature of power and evil and social structures and interactions within them. The movie reduces her to the one expression, now cliched, that came out of the Eichmann experience- 'the banality of evil'. There is just so much more to this woman. This movie misses that. At least there is the final climatic scene. It rings so true as Ms. Arendt passionately defends her critique to an audience of students and peers. For the real person- one needs to go to the seminal works like "The Origins of Totalitarianism" and "The Human Condition". She and Lionel Trilling were my two inspirations when I started to think about going to College. They fueled a young 14 year old's thoughts of studying in Manhattan where these two lived and worked. Ironically they both passed on in the mid 1970s as I was setting out for the city.

http://youtu.be/KDO5u2YSbm0

[Jack of All Parades]

"Kill Your Darlings" last evening with Lisa. Heady times on Morning-side Heights or this ain't Hogwarts anymore. A nineteen year old Allen Ginsberg has received his acceptance letter to Columbia and it is 1944 and he is escaping a suffocating home in Patterson, New Jersey where his mentally unstable mother, Naomi, and his on the edge father, a minor poet, have him hostage. The look on Ginsberg's face[played by Daniel Radcliffe] as he steps foot on the quad for the first time and views Low Library and Alma Mater is much how I felt thirty years later. What ensues is the birth of a literary revolution but as told through the obscurer story of an infamous and particularly brutal murder and its repercussions in the protagonist's lives. What I saw on screen is that a good part of the Beat movement stems from misogyny, lust and repression; that it also stems from guilt, lust, murder and friendship. The Lucian Carr episode is central to the movie and Radcliffe and Dane De Haan, who plays Carr, are quite credible in their roles. They make the movie watchable. This film also gets the writing life right, too. Its scenes of fevered inspiration and questioning of accepted authority feel honest. Ginsburg ultimately was expelled from Columbia for his involvement in the Carr episode. Kerouac and William Burroughs went on to literary fame, as well. Thankfully this film catches the sparks that set Ginsberg on his literary way.

http://youtu.be/AxGgkEHmHHg

[ice nine]

I think "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is the best Wes Anderson film yet. Very good performances.

[Jack of All Parades]

I saw this one over a week ago with my wife but I have been thinking long and hard about it since viewing- Wadjda, the first feature film to be made in Saudia Arabia by the female director Harfaa al-Mansour. What could have been cutesy or too over the top with seriousness instead strikes just the right balance of humor and drama and most importantly life. It is all pulled together by the title character portrayed delightfully by the 10 year old Waad Mohammed. Her smile and self-confidence is mischievous as she wears Chuck Taylors under her gown and refuses to wear a head piece when outdoors. She is perceptive enough to know that her life has to be better, that the father she adores is drifting away from her mother and that the society she lives in represses women and girls. The scenes with her mother are heartbreaking. That wish for a bike and the final image of her riding gleefully down the street with her young male friend is exhilarating.

http://youtu.be/3koigluYOH0