Thoughts on The Hobbit (Part 1)

Having fond memories of the book, I went to see the latest Middle Earth theatrical installment. I have enjoyed the previous films, even if some of my favorite bits were relegated to the Extended editions where I would have liked them to have been longer. I liked this one too.

I saw it in IMAX 3D at 48 FPS, and wish I could compare it to the same without the 3D, but that was rarely noticeable. Having dealt with headaches at previous long 3D showings such as Avatar, I was prepared to deal with the same, but it didn't happen during this movie. The worst of it was during the 3D previews, where the Jurassic Park 3D conversion gave me a practically instant headache and made my eyes water. I think I'll pass on it when it comes out. The extended Star Trek: Into Darkness preview was better, and the headache was quickly gone. I didn't particularly notice the visibility of props and such that other reviewers have mentioned in the 48 frame rate presentation, although I was too caught up in the story to look after the first bit. The images seemed very clear, almost hyperrealistic at times compared to the standard "movie" look, although having seen the beautiful cinematography in Skyfall on the same screen recently, I would put it down more to the IMAX resolution than the 48 FPS. I think what the 48 FPS really did was make the 3D presentation tolerable. I may try to see it again in a regular 2D presentation to compare.

Below this I'll be going into some spoilery observations on book vs movie, so come back later if you haven't seen it yet.



I liked how they brought in events that were happening "outside" of the Hobbit book itself, and referenced in other Tolkien works. While the orc patrols and Azog were definitely not part of the original story during this section, they do fit in quite nicely and link other things past and future in without changing things too much. I can't remember without rereading the book if Azog was actually mentioned in the end section, and the battle outside of Moria is definitely from Lord of the Rings appendices and such. I was somewhat disappointed that having shown that battle, they did not really hint at the threat of Durin's Bane preventing the dwarves from entering Moria at that point, as it was explicitly mentioned in that book.

The Misty Mountains sequence in the pass and goblin caverns more or less followed the book, although a number of details were altered. I don't really remember any clear description of the stone giants out in the pass, and their depiction here seems a bit over the top. I think the sequence of Bilbo's movements and getting to Gollum was a bit altered from the book also. While the Riddle Game had the expected riddles, the surrounding action again was a bit altered. The Company's fight through the caverns and outside was pretty well done. One of the bits that was missing was the goblins singing to the dwarves caught in the trees, but it didn't really fit with the grimmer orcs and goblins from the movies, so I was not terribly surprised. They did keep the dwarves singing at Bag End though.

I was pleased to see Galadriel with the "external" events tie-in, and Radagast was amusing (the delightful Sylvester McCoy, aka the Seventh Doctor). One of my disappointments with the Hobbit as a whole has always been the lack of women in the story, not that it was much better in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It would be nice to see the story of Beren and Luthien done in a movie, it's probably the most suitable part of the Silmarillion volume about the First Age, as well as one of the few Tolkien stories with a woman as a major character.  Luthien rocked, to put it mildly.

Overall this is the Hobbit as a Lord of the Rings movie prequel rather than the more whimsical children's story of the book, but it seemed appropriate, and it was well done.

Red (2010)

This is pretty much a popcorn action comedy with various strands of life swirled through it. It is a good one. There are a lot of very good and recognizable actors involved. Even with the limited screen time they each get, the script is written well enough and the characters are played well enough that we get the impression that these are people with a past and a future rather than just cardboard stock characters. The mix of comedy, action, and romance reminded me in a way of The Whole Nine Yards, which also had Bruce Willis in it.

As an added bonus, while the trailer had a lot of good lines in it, and gave a starting point of the plot, it did not give away where events went from there. I had a good idea of the sort of movie I was going to see, and I was not disappointed to find otherwise. Instead there was the entertaining pleasure of not knowing what was next or how exactly it would end.

Some Recent Movies

I've been meaning to post reviews or comments on movies as I see them for a while now, and it has been slipping. So here are notes on a number of films that I have seen in the last couple of months.


The Girl Who Played With Fire

I like the character of Lisbeth Salander quite a lot, even though there are aspects I do not like. I like her intelligence and quiet determination, and endurance in the face of horrible trials. Not so much a fan of the goth look, but it doesn't override the rest. The guarded attitude she has towards others is not entirely foreign to me, but she takes it to a much deeper extent. I suspect if I had suffered through the same things I would probably react in a similar manner, although probably not with the same fashion.

The second movie is different from the first a bit, and has less of a slowly thawing mystery and more of a wrongly accused thriller feel. It is somewhat Hitchcockian in that way, but certainly not in the look of the movie or the characters, and he probably would not have been the best choice of director for it. I am enjoying the character and overall story enough to really want to see the last of the trilogy and read the books, and it will be interesting to see the English remake. I don't know Rooney Mara's work, so she will hopefully do the role justice. If she doesn't, I will probably not forgive Fincher for not casting Ellen Page, who would likely have knocked it out of the park.


Salt

Salt was a very well done thriller and spy chase movie that left me wanting to see a sequel. I liked the human touches that made Evelyn Salt more interesting, such as making sure her cat was taken care of in the middle of being hunted and chased. Angelina Jolie was great in the role, and made the most of those little moments to make the character more than just a plot participant and stunt achiever. It was also nice to see intelligence being displayed on several sides of the story, with less of the wooden cut outs for characters that come up so often in the genre.


Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

I have mixed feelings on this one. Someone really needs to give Michael Cera a new role. The young slacker bit worked well in Juno and also in Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, but it is getting old, especially since I understand the same character has been played by him in other movies I have not seen. This movie is a decent ensemble piece with a heavy dose of video game sprinkled over it. It's probably pretty decent for the teen geek viewer, and it was visually interesting at that level. My older self was slightly amused by the references to older things they might not catch, and the overall romance was an interesting idea. It's definitely a niche movie though, and it will probably take an opportunistic second viewing before it makes it onto my movie shelves as anything other than a curiosity.


The American

Another "spy" thriller, but in a much more low-key European sense. It leaves out the chases for the most part in favor of a long slow simmer of character action. I liked the sense that we were watching a story about real people living their lives and happening to meet and interact and affect each other. George Clooney was very low-key in the movie, which makes the impact of his pounding the wheel much more significant. I liked the skilled craftsman he played, and the way he played it made it clear that he was not just an emotionless machine, but someone who was real and human underneath the mask he wore for his work, and wanted to remain so. I'll revisit this one again on video.


Inception

A brilliant film that was very carefully made. I loved the scene where Ariadne and Cobb were going over what being a dream architect involved, and watching the city fold back on itself. The movie sets up its own rules, and then follows them to weave a complex and intelligent puzzle. The movie is not perfect, it is almost too slick in a way, but it is very good. The most human and spontaneous moment comes in the middle when a kiss is stolen. I saw it a second time with friends about two months after the first viewing, and it remained impressive. There have been a number of clues to the central mystery posted online by people involved in the movie, and I have been content to avoid them and leave it a mystery.


The Town

I have to admire Ben Affleck, even if he has not always made the best choices of projects. I feel he's underrated as an actor, he is a good writer, and with my first observation of him as a director I have to consider him good at that as well. All three skills are on display here, and the movie benefits from it. It is a good crime caper movie, with a swirl of weird romance. Affleck and Rebecca Hall play the romance and the characters well enough that it would be interesting to have seen them meet under less unusual circumstances. I love the arc of both characters, and it makes the movie much more enjoyable than a simple crime caper, however well done. I would enjoy seeing a sequel with those characters, which would necessarily be a quite different movie.


Never Let Me Go

I intended to read the book by Kazuo Ishiguro first, but I barely got into it before it overwhelmed me with sadness because I could see where it was likely going and I just wasn't in the mood for it. I saw the movie when it finally made it to Portland and it did not disappoint. It is very well done, very thought-provoking, and very sad and very human, and it does not pull any punches. Having said that, it does not use overwhelming visuals to deliver them, and covers certain scenes in a very subdued manner that still delivers emotionally. The story is interesting, and I will have to go back and finish the book to see how that expands on certain details. The movie will make it onto my shelves at some point.


Let Me In

I have not seen the Swedish original yet (Let the Right One In), although the friends I saw this with had. For those who have, the word was that the American version had considerably more violence in it, which probably surprises no one. (They literally leaned over as the credits started and reassured me on that point, and repeated their recommendation for the Swedish movie.) It was a scary vampire movie, and yet it was also more thoughtful about the subject than something like the Twilight series. One could make the argument that it is one of the most "realistic" vampire movies. Not just in how it portrayed the violence, but more so in the characters and what they do and why they do it. I'm not a big fan of scary movies, but it was worth dealing with it for the rest of the movie. Like Never Let Me Go, it takes a situation that is upsetting and sad and looks at how real people would deal with it.

The Perfections of Love Affair

I don't know that I would go so far to say that Love Affair (1994) is a perfect movie, as I'm pretty sure such a thing does not exist. There are a lot of perfect touches in it though, or at least bits and aspects of it that touch pieces of me. I like the other versions of the story, especially An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr who are two favorite actors for me, but this version is my favorite.

The music is pretty much perfectly matched to the movie throughout, both the songs and the excellent Morricone score. The casting is superb, with everyone playing their parts big or small in such a way that the whole story meshes together and no one is a distraction. I can't think of a single shot that does not mesh into and serve the story and it is a pleasure to watch. There are so many little shots that show a little touch that enhances the story and moves it along efficiently.

Even though the whole is absorbing, it is also touching to think that Bening and Beatty were together when making this, and unlike some off-screen pairs who can't make it look like they're in love on-screen, they manage it quite nicely. It's an amusing parallel when they use old pictures of Warren to illustrate his character, and like his character, he was a playboy who settled down.

It is a joy to see Katharine Hepburn on screen again, physical imperfections and all. The scenes at her house and the superb acting there make the rest of the movie believable, especially in the aspect of making the audience believe Mike might actually be able to finally settle down. My other favorite scenes are when Terri and Mike are talking on the upper deck in the rain before the conga line interrupts, the party right before that, the conversation as they're flying into New York and in the terminal, and naturally the final scene.

Since I never was the social butterfly type like Mike, Terri's steadiness tends to be easier for me to identify with. I also love her intelligence and deft handling of Mike in the early parts of the movie. In any case, there are so many human moments in the film that it is quite amazing it holds them all. I've heard that Carrie Fisher did some uncredited work on the script to polish it, and it didn't surprise me when I heard it.

I love the ideas in this film. The idea that people can step out of the comfort of their routines and personas and take a chance on loving someone else who on the surface might not be a good idea. Ginny's observations that "The trick in life isn't getting what you want, my dear, it's wanting it after you get it" and "But I'm not sure Michael is a duck, although he does do a pretty good imitation of one...impostors are usually desperate to behave like what they know they're not." The idea that we can love people despite their imperfections. The idea that love can and will overcome tragedy, and we can keep going.

It's a carefully assembled brew of funny and sad, touching moments and amusing ones, and it just works.

The Last Ten Years

A decade has come to an end, and as long as we keep consistent, I suppose that the popular idea that decades end with the nine becoming a zero is hardly worth arguing about. Psychologically speaking it is much more powerful than the 1-10 chronology.

This decade has ended on a sad chorus for me, first with the economy turning distinctly downhill and then with my dad passing the night before Thanksgiving and my grandmother on 12/29. I will miss them both, each for their own reasons. Reflecting on them, I think I managed to learn the best of their traits and avoid the less pleasant ones, although I have my own flaws and limitations.

Not being much in the mood to review a decade I would really rather have not endured, although I am glad for my friends in it, I will return to movies as a favorite subject and perhaps a mirror. I'm not going to try to list a 10 best of the decade, as I did not see many films that many people might put on such a list, and such a list is too short for the many excellent films that came out, and in any case I do not feel like judging such a list. I will instead list the films that touched me most deeply for one reason or another, and we'll see how long the list is. They will basically be in chronological order.


Cast Away

The story of a person isolated on an island, and how he survives and returns to civilization. More than anything it inspires one to never give up.

Amelie

This delightful tale of a young woman in Paris was a comfort and reminded me it was ok to just be oneself.

Possession

This was a delightful mix of romance, discovery of the past and parallel tales.

The Harry Potter films

A wonderfully done and involving set of tales set in a different world that is not so different in other ways, I have enjoyed these and the books in the series immensely.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

I liked this illustration of the power of weddings to merge not just two people, but two families and different cultures.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Although I don't have the nest egg to do something like this, the idea of starting over some place else has a powerful appeal, as much as I love Portland and the people I know here.

Pride and Prejudice

I actually saw two versions of this classic tale in this decade, as well as reading the book for the first time. I prefer the 1995 miniseries when I have the time to watch it, although the 2005 movie is also interesting. The story is a favorite in written or visual form. I think part of the appeal is that I never had any sisters in my immediate family, but that is a minor portion of it.

The Holiday

This one I enjoyed because of the mixture of travel and discovering people in new places.

Music and Lyrics

This one was really just the perfect blend of music and the lyrics of a budding relationship. My favorite moment is actually during the first part of the credits where she sweeps her stuff off of the piano as he is reaching to remove it yet again.

Juno

This movie was a delightfully funny look at an often sad subject, and I loved it because it got its laughs by letting a girl be intelligent and interact with other intelligent people without resorting to stupid pratfalls.

Definitely, Maybe

This was an enjoyable look at the choices we make in our relationships and learning what we really want.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

This one came out at about the same time as Definitely, Maybe, and it appealed for similar reasons, even though the story was rather different and set back on a day at the eve of World War II instead of being spread out over a decade or more.

An Education

This one was about smart people and the choices they make and what they will and will not overlook, with an icing of second chances and what to do with them.


And a few more out of order that should be in the list upon further reflection:

Panic Room
Flightplan
V for Vendetta

I liked these three because they were about ordinary people pushed into corners who found the inner strength to get out of them.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

This was an extraordinary tale of long-ago China, and enjoyable on many levels, even with the ending.

Bladerunner

I will include this also, as we saw another cut released to theaters for the third decade in a row. I have always liked this movie for looking at what it means to be human.

The Bourne Trilogy
Casino Royale and Quantum of Silence

These films reinvented the spy action film genre and demonstrated that one could have characters driving the action instead of simply being cardboard cutouts. The also looked at how our memories shape who we are.

Stranger Than Fiction

This was a look at the characters we are and how we make choices, and a very intelligent film that gets to its ended based on the characters decisions rather than just a formula ending.


There were a number of other very good films over the last ten years. The ones I listed were movies that looked at what it is to be human and a person in society, and feel and care and make decisions based on that rather than just greed and selfishness. They showed that what we have inside is much more important than what we look like outside. They were movies that in at least a small but significant way managed to show me something about myself or something that I admired, in addition to being entertaining.

Before the Rains

This was a beautifully photographed and well-done movie that was a bit hard to find. I saw it recently when I was in L.A. on vacation, and at the time it had not been announced for Portland, although it is now mentioned in the Coming Soon list on the website.

The movie is set in 1937 India, and the drama of the plot unwinds carefully. It is an interesting period story that is told with care without getting overly judgemental, as it lets the viewer handle that portion of the experience. Without giving the plot away, the story is not a happy one, so if you are looking for the bouncy happy ending or a Bollywood musical, this has neither.

All of the main actors did an excellent job. I was hoping for more to Jennifer Ehle's role, since her involvement was how I found the movie, but she did well with what she had to work with. I hope one of these days someone persuades her to do a main character on film again, so often her roles are small, and things like her excellent scene getting cut from Michael Clayton don't help either. Thankfully that one showed up in the DVD extras.

Overall, if you like occasionally watching odd little movies that don't fit the Hollywood mold, this is a good one. It's not one I'll rush out to see again because the story is not the sort I enjoy seeing repeatedly, but I don't regret in the slightest the time spent on watching it.

Definitely, Maybe - They Rarely Make Them Like This Anymore

I meant to see this a week ago when it came out, but a trip on short notice to spend our mutual birthday with my grandmother intervened. That weekend was a good one, and this movie is good too and well worth the wait. It is smart, funny and sweet with just enough reality in it to work very well. A thank you to everyone who helped make it, you did well. It was also refreshing to have a movie where the trailer set the stage nicely and had me looking forward to this without actually giving the game away before it started.

I know it's early in the year to be talking about awards, especially with the Oscars for last year being handed out this coming weekend, but this one is worthy, starting with the screenplay and moving on from there. I'll have to see it another time or two to be certain, but so far I'm thinking this one will make the desert island list for me. If you like movies like this, it's highly recommended. If well done romantic comedies are not your thing, there are plenty of other movies out there.

The Ten Best Films I Saw In 2007

This was a tougher list than usual because I managed to see more films this year after a drought the last couple of years. There are other ones that are supposed to be good that I have not seen, although most of them simply do not appeal to me at this time. Some of them might swap places around after further reflection, although the top one is in no danger of moving down. Yes I know, I'm doing this a week or so early, but I am not aware of any films that will be out by the end of the year that look like they might crack this list. If it turns out otherwise, I'll update it.

1. Juno

This was a delightful film, carried by Ellen Page's great performance (Best Actress in my book, as well as making the longer term list of great performances), a wonderful script, and good work all around. It avoided a lot of stereotypes, and didn't rely on cliches for its humor. I won't go into details, as I do not want to spoil any part of this gem. Let's just say that while there are good lines in the trailer, there are many more that are not revealed, which is not the case for some movies trying to sneak money out of our wallets.

I went opening night here in Portland, aiming for a 10:00 PM showing to avoid the crowds at the earlier showings around 7:00 PM or so. It was playing on three screens at our arthouse complex, and I ended up having to wait until the 10:30 PM showing because the 10:00 was sold out like all of the earlier showings had been. The one I went to sold out also, to the extent that there were people sitting in the empty floor "seats" normally available for wheelchair users. Laughter burst out over and over during the film from the whole theater. After the movie, there was applause from the audience, which I haven't heard in years. It was well deserved praise.

2. Dan in Real Life

This was a fun movie, with relationships, family, kids and real life flowing through it. A lot of perfectly meshed performances that fed the story, and it was very well done.

3. Enchanted

An amusing twist on the usual Disney story, mixing animation and live action, as well as some nice twists on fairy tale conventions. Amy Adams simply makes this movie work, and would have been the Best Actress favorite for me if Juno hadn't come along as well this year.

4. Charlie Wilson's War

This was a enjoyable mix of drama and comedy about a true story. Good performances from Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julia Roberts simply make the movie work. The senator was a twist on Hanks' usual characters, and as well-played as usual, and the performances meshed together well, with none of them needing to steal scenes from each other. While there were some outdated attitudes displayed by the imperfect characters, they did seem to be in character, and some of the minor characters could have been stereotypes to fit that attitude, but they were not.

5. Waitress

This was an original pie of a movie, and I am sad that Adrienne Shelly is no longer around to make more good films like this. Keri Russell gave a very good performance at the core of the movie, and it all worked well.

6. Michael Clayton

Good work by George Clooney and others in this time-twisting drama kept me on the proverbial edge of my seat through the entire movie, with nary a glance at the time.

7. Atonement

This was a very well done movie, with excellent performances and a virtuoso tracking shot that seemed seamless to the point that I didn't notice it until it was done and there was another cut. Despite reading that there was an unexpected ending before seeing the film, the form of the twist was both logical and caught me by surprise.

8. Eastern Promises

Another well done drama, with good work all around, particularly from Naomi Watts and Viggo Mortensen.

9. The Brave One

A brave film, both in terms of a brave performance by Jodie Foster and a brave script. I am still trying to decide if the ending was a bow to Hollywood convention, or just the natural extension of the brave choices by the characters. I'm leaning towards the latter at this point.

10. Music and Lyrics

This movie was fun. A bit corny perhaps in parts, but still fun. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore were wonderful, and the movie simply worked well. They even saved some amusing moments for the credits. My favorite moment is actually there, and it works because the actors played the main section so well and earned it.



Honorable Mentions that I either enjoyed or thought were well done, or both:
Catch and Release
Black Book (Zwartboek)
Avenue Montaigne (Fauteuils d'orchestre)
The Bourne Ultimatum
2 Days in Paris
Lust, Caution
No Reservations
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Autumn Musings

It's November already, and the last few months have been busy. Figured I'd post a bit on my own blog instead of just commenting on others. Got a promotion at work, with the net effect being that I'm now coordinating two teams instead of one and I'm busier than ever. When I get the week after Thanksgiving off, it will take three people to cover what I normally do. I'm sure they will all be glad to see me when I get back, but it's been too long since I took a good vacation.

The other thing that has been on my mind is my dad. He's been dealing with the after effects of a minor stroke, maybe two, and still has a way to go. I visited him for a couple of hours the other day, and we managed to have a coherent conversation the whole time, although he was sometimes struggling to find the words he wanted to say and the course of it was bumpy to say the least. Considering he's 88 now, these sort of twists are not unexpected. He's frustrated by having to learn things over again, and laughed when I pointed out that he doesn't have the boundless energy that a kid does when learning such things the first time.

I hope when I get to have kids of my own that I do better than he did while they are young. He never really was the father I wanted when I was young, and while he kept food on the table and clothes in the closet, emotional needs were a totally different matter. I've gotten along with him much better the last decade or so, a few years after my parents divorced he finally started growing up himself. My mom finally remarried recently, and her new husband is much more mature. With my dad being 26 years older than her, I've always known he would likely be the first one to go and it would probably happen sooner rather than later, so it hasn't hit me that hard that he's probably close to it. It may also be because I distanced myself from him quite a bit when I started college and he wasn't as helpful as he should have been, and I'm still dealing with the effects of that. To a large extent he's been forgiven, and it certainly seemed that he finally realized that if he'd helped more then he wouldn't have needed to help later when he did with some things that came up as part of life.

I think it's safe to say I've grown wiser and more mature myself over those years as well, although I have to wonder where I'd be now if things had happened differently, and others hadn't broken promises which caused the whole mess that was life back then. I think about the inflation and other economic nonsense being imposed on the world over my lifetime, and realize that there have been many factors involved, but I still have to think that the storms would not have been as bad if the early path had gone the way I wanted it to, or even how it should have been. The short-sighted vision of those afflicted with greed is mind-boggling. Having that lesson first taught by the administration of a so-called Christian school contributed greatly to my general distrust of religions. There are so many that talk up a storm and it turns out to be nothing but lip service and a social club. Down the road I realized much later that much of the root of the problem is that none of them know the whole truth, and the egos that get attached to one flavor of belief or another can't accept that fact, so they go overboard trying to defend it and we get to deal with the results.

Taking a turn off those bits, I sometimes wonder how the world would change if we could introduce a web system of teleporting gates for public transportation. We'd get the polluting motor vehicles off the road for the most part, everyone could walk to work in a few minutes, and one could have dinner in a different city every evening. The system would have to be able to detect and exclude weapons and diseases, although that wouldn't help with excuses for not visiting relatives that you don't really want to see. The sticky point would be crossing national borders of course, plus the effects of crossing time zones. Wishful thinking to be sure, but I wonder if it could be done some day.

There have been a lot of good movies out recently, movies I went to, movies that I don't want to go to, movies I thought I wanted to see and then when they actually came out I wasn't in the mood. There were even a couple that I missed when I was sick for a week or so and didn't go do anything I didn't have to. I think at this point I'm looking forward to Juno, Enchanted, Charlie Wilson's War and the Golden Compass, and probably some others down the road. The trailer for Jumper reminded me of the transit system idea I mentioned above, although I don't remember what the original inspiration was.

Anyway, life goes on. There are times when I wish I could wake up and find things had jumped ahead a year or two, but it wouldn't be worth the lost memories.

Raving

I watched the short film Raving, written and directed by Julia Stiles. It's well done, interesting and amusing. Sometimes a small story concentrating on a couple of people can work really well, and this is one of those stories. Watching it in flash from the website isn't the best quality, but it will have to do unless it comes out on disk at some point. Not only is she a really good actress, but it appears she's going to be really talented behind the camera also. Hopefully this small start will turn into bigger projects down the road.

The Bourne Ultimatum

This was a very good movie, like the previous chapters in the series. I was particularly impressed with how they wove the ending of the previous movie into the story of this one. It was done so well I couldn't tell if they reused the footage interwoven with new footage or shot it again. The acting across the board is superb. The story fits in nicely with the previous movies, and the whole production sets a new level for spy movies.

I've liked the Bond movies for pretty much forever, despite misgivings about the character, but Bourne is a step above in the way that the movie is about the characters rather than about a formula that works well. It's not that Pierce Brosnan didn't try to make Bond so, and Daniel Craig seems to be doing so also, but it ultimately comes down to the writing allowing the actors to do it. The Bourne movies have resoundingly proved that you can take an action thriller like this and have it be about people rather than a collection of gadgets and stunts and one-liners. As satisfying as those can be, this is more so and also more lasting.

There are bits of movie music, specific themes that get the blood racing because you know that something familiar is coming and you know that it will likely be very enjoyable. The Bond theme has that ring, bits of the Star Wars music and so forth, and Friday night when the studio logo came on screen and the Bourne music started playing behind it I felt that same rush of anticipation coming to fulfillment.

It doesn't seem that another Bourne movie will be made, although it is certainly possible. Matt Damon has made the role his own, and I can't imagine anyone else playing it at this point, so it probably boils down to a simple question of him being willing to play the part again. Julia Stiles and Joan Allen would need to be on board also, as their characters are very much woven in and owned by them as well. It was very nice to see Julia get more to do in this one. Apart from the actors and hopefully Paul Greengrass being willing to direct, they would have to come up with a story to tell. I don't see Bourne working directly or regularly for the CIA, but I can see Bourne trusting Landy enough to listen to a request for an urgent job requiring his talents and not write it off to being just another bill of goods.


Even if they don't make another one, I'll be looking for movies involving any of those four.

Becoming Jane

The movie was well done, with a bittersweet flavor that was not unexpected, since it was based on Jane Austen's life, and we know she did not have a happy ending romantically like she gave her characters. The last bit of the film reminds me of Possession and in a way of The Age of Innocence as well, in that we don't have a totally Hollywood ending.

I don't mind endings where everything works out well, and would hardly like Jane's stories to begin with if I did. At the same time, it's nice to have some stories where things are not perfect, but there is not total heartbreak either. Given that I'm currently on course to mimic Jane's fate rather than Elizabeth's, small comforts are nice.

I read somewhere or another recently that Anne Hathaway almost did not do the film because of the pressure involved in the subject, and I'm glad she did. I'm rather beginning to like her performances, and hopefully she can continue the excellent work she has been doing recently. The rest of the cast was good also, and I was reminded that I want to watch the House of Cards trilogy with Ian Richardson again.


Upon further reflection, I'll toss in a warning to those who are intimately familiar with the history of Jane herself. It's a Hollywood film. If you can't suspend disbelief on it and forget about such things, you may want to pass, but then again, if you were paying attention to what they said they were doing while making the film, you'd already know that the film was a riff based on certain convenient bits while totally ignoring certain other bits. Jane has been big in movies recently, and something like this was pretty much inevitable. It's done now, there won't be a sequel, and we can move on and hope they come up with something based on her works again.

Three Colors: Red

I first saw the Three Colors trilogy about 10 years ago, when Red was released in Portland. They had Blue and White playing again to allow people to catch up, and I took advantage of it to see them in order. Blue is interesting, loss leading to freedom and discovery. White I haven't watched as often, somehow it didn't seem to interest me as much as the other two, but that may be a dim memory that I should refresh. It wasn't that it was not well done, it was simply different and didn't keep my attention the way Blue and Red have.

They are complex, full of thoughts and questions and coincidences. Red is the almost romance, full of near misses. A few feet here, a moment there. What might have been if two people were born closer together. Thirty or forty years apart seems like a huge gulf, but when it is compared to the centuries it seems so close. Perhaps I am influenced by my parents and their 26 year gap. It seems too much, and in practical terms I think that had much to do with the end of it, but I suppose it did not have to be that way. I have seen others where it worked anyway.

Maybe I am influenced by not having my interest returned so many times for so long. Somehow I have no doubt that when I see another opportunity, age differences will be the last thing on my mind. Well, on the other hand, the sort of difference in the more recent Venus with Peter O'Toole was too far, but I don't have to worry about that for a while yet.

Given how few people actually connect to us in that way, I suppose that letting trivial matters get in the way seems silly. Age, wealth, criticism, social class - what are they to that rare blessing? I suppose age is a more practical concern because of likely maturity differences, and the different sorts of social issues it raises. I wish it wasn't so. We wander through life, meeting people or not meeting people in a fairly random fashion, and to find a kindred soul in the vast variance of the masses seems so unlikely, yet it happens anyway. Hope springs eternal from disaster, spring follows winter, and life goes on.

It's been a long day, and hopefully sleep will come soon.

No Reservations

I saw a preview of No Reservations last night, and it was pretty good. There were quite a few people hungry by the end of the movie though, because there is a lot of food in the movie that looked quite good. There is enough variety to appeal to most, and from the reaction in the theater I'd guess most will see something less than appealing also.

It wasn't mind-bending or anything, but it was an enjoyable couple of hours if you like movies with a bit of drama, comedy and romance swirled around. I haven't seen Little Miss Sunshine yet, but after seeing this I'm not surprised Breslin got an Oscar nod for it. I didn't have any complaints about anyone else either, the cast worked well together.

It will be released on next Friday from what I've heard, so enjoy.

Opening Post

Hmm, the thing about serendipitious thoughts is that sometimes by the time you get to writing them down they are quite lost in the complicated pathways of the mind. Running through a bunch of hoops before writing them down certainly does not help.

In any case, this is a beginning, and more will come later. Movie reviews, bits of life, and thoughts on the state of the world. Once I get my photos sorted out and up on the web someplace there will likely be links to those as well.

One of the problems with liking to see movies in the theater is that the same trailers come with more than one movie, and if you happen to like a movie enough to see it more than once it's a sure thing to see the EXACT same set of trailers every time. See the same trailer enough times and it is possible to lose interest in seeing a movie that probably would be enjoyable. Less likely to happen with something you can't wait to see, but if it's marginal at all it's a big risk that obviously the marketing department did not bother to consider.

I probably should say a bit about me, since this is the beginning and you, the reader obviously don't know me yet. Question is, which bit to cover. Hmm. I do tech support via phone and web, and deal with all sorts of reasonable and unreasonable people. I've been doing it rather longer than I anticipated when I started, and I am getting rather tired of the unreasonable side of it, both from those seeking help and those nitpicky people we're providing the support for. Good customer service is good customer service, and when you market your product to people who are less than skilled, it takes longer to help them, and you have a choice between spending the time to help them and getting a reputation of a place with poor support. Ok, rant over.

I like writing, and haven't done enough of it recently, mostly due to the above unreasonable aspects draining creative energy at a horrendous rate, but I've been slowly jumpstarting the desire again, and it's becoming fun again. I've also finally started to wade through the technical aspects of photography to figure out why my nicely composed images were not turning out ok, and that has been a lot of fun also. The digital camera helped a lot with that. Having the freedom to just snap away and have many of them turn out ok automatically was a big improvement, but learning how to adjust the settings and choose different effects was even better.

As a side note, if you are using a digital camera with RAW file capability, use it. I didn't when I first got the camera, and there are a number of personally important images I'd love to have had the ability to clean up in the ways that format allows. Even if you don't have Photoshop or one of the other programs that allow easy manipulation of the RAW format, if you get one down the road it is amazing how much easier it is to fix certain things or interpret images in more than one way.

Anyway, enough for now, things to do and so forth.