Time For Some Movie Reviews

Mar and I have had the good fortune to watch several movies in the last few weeks, so I am going to give my opinion on the flicks we have viewed.

The Bourne Ultimatum- Starring Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen and David Strathairn. Wow. This movie totally knocked my socks off. I enjoyed the first two additions of this trilogy, but this one should go down as an action/suspense classic. Director Paul Greengrass was able to weave the intricate story of Jason Bourne's past with action sequences that left me catching my breath for the duration of the film. Without a doubt four stars and worth a view for everyone.

Wordplay- Featuring President Bill Clinton, John Stewart and Will Shortz. This is a charming little documentary about the world of crossword puzzles. Will Shortz is the editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle and also is the organizes the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Stamford, CT. I know this sounds a little quirky, but it was a fun watch and gives the viewer a window into the intricacies of making and solving crossword puzzles. Three stars.

King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters- Another documentary, but not nearly as entertaining or engaging as Wordplay. Kong follows two intense gamers as they fight to be the world record holder of the high score for the video game King Kong. The story had the potential to be engaging, but it gets lost on the way by picturing the video game world in a seedy, shallow light. Two stars.

Stranger Than Fiction- Staring Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah, Dustin Hoffman and Maggie Gylenhal. This was a very enjoyable romance with a little fantasy intertwined. Ferrell plays Harold Crick, an IRS agent that can hear his everyday life being narrated in his head. This narration comes courtesy of the Emma Thompson character, who is a writer. The writing is sharp, and the performances are fresh. It was nice seeing Ferrel drop the silly guy persona that he usually brings to life in exchange for someone we can all relate to. Bonus points for being filmed in Chicago. Three and a half stars.

Waitress- Starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion and Andy Griffith. This was a rather simple romantic comedy that takes place in a small Sourthern town. Russell gives a nice performance as a pie making waitress with an unexpected pregnancy and a failing marriage. She ends up falling for her OBGYN and decisions about her future must be made. It was a very nice movie to watch on a quiet day, and I would give it three stars.

Gone Baby, Gone- Starring Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. First and foremost, this was a stellar effort by first-time director Ben Affleck. This heart breaking drama based around a kidnapping triangle is haunting and keeps the viewer on edge the whole time. Casey Affleck gives a sparkling performance as a private detective who is trying to solve the kidnapping case of a young girl while dealing with moral decisions that he did not foresee. One of the better movies to come out of 2007. Four stars.

I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With- Starring Jeff Garlin, Sarah Silverman and Bonnie Hunt. I wanted to like this, I really did, but the whole flick was just a meandering mess. Marketed as romantic comedy written, directed and starring Garlin, follows a single actor in search of love. The only redeeming quality of this movie are the familiar Chicago locales that were the backdrops of the movie. One Star. Note to viewer: If Wrigley Field had not made several appearances, it would have been a 1/2 star.

Talk to Me- Starring Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Based on the real life and times of legendary Washington, D.C. disc jokey Petey Greene. Cheadle give Ejiofor give standout performances as we see Greene, played by Cheadle, rise from ex-convict to one of th most prominent voices in African-American radio during the seventies. Greene's story is engaging and was a joy to watch. Three stars.

I Could Never Be Your Woman- Starring Paul Rudd and Michelle Pfeiffer. A simple and satisfying romantic comedy from the writer and director of Clueless. Pfeiffer plays a sitcom writer in her 40's who falls for a twenty-something actor played by Rudd. Not much makes this movie distinguishable form other romantic comedy's, but it is enjoyable and fun to watch. Two stars.

Hot Fuzz- Starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. A totally off the wall British comedy that is a hoot. Pegg and Frost play cops in a sleepy English town that are out to solve a series of murders that are being covered up. What starts out as a typical cop cation flick turns to complete lunacy and hilarity ensues. There is cartoonish violence, so watch out. Three stars.

Eastern Promises- Staring Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts. An intense drama that centers around the Russian mafia in London. The story begins as Watts attempts to determine the identity of a young woman who died while delivering a baby. This leads her to unknowingly contact a Russian mob kingpin. Mortensen gives a tour de force performance that stays with you as a mob driver who is trying to earn his way to the captain level. The story unravels as we follow these two characters while they try to reach their goals. A surprise ending will leave your jaw on the floor while satisfying the viewer. It doesn't get much better than this, but it is not for those of us who are squeamish to violence. Four stars.

Rock On

I had the good fortune of getting Guitar Hero III for Christmas and I admit, I'm hooked. This game is a total blast. So far, I have beat it on medium, but I can't even beat a single song on hard. Even though I have beat the game, I still find myself going back for more in an effort to beat my previous scores. So, for those of us that still play a video game or two, I highly recommend this title.

Rocket Man

While I consider the fact that we had a "special congressional hearing" for Roger Clemens an embarrassment, I was totally enthralled when reading the transcript. That hearing made for some very juicy dialog and quite the theatrics. Who would have thought that hearing a couple of perceived liars lying about each other would be so entertaining? For the record, I am siding with Brian McNamee's version of the truth, since he had witnesses to corroborate the information that he gave to the Mitchell Report, which is quite a read.

The grilling that Clemens and McNamee took was very intense, and I would not say that either are better off after the hearing. Clemen's was particularly hurt by the sworn testimony of his friend Andy Pettite, who is a confessed user of HGH. Pettite's confession backed up what McNamee said, and casts a huge shadow of doubt over Clemens' testimony. Truth be told, I will never know the truth since I was not in the room when the alleged use of performance enhancers took place.

Even though this was a rather dramatic event, I have serious questions about the fact that our Congress decided to call a special hearing just for this case. The government has enough problems on their hands to be spending taxpayers money on something that is so frivolous. For those of us that think MLB needs a slap on their hands for the potentially hundreds of players that allegedly used performance enhancers, I think everyone knew something was in the players kool-aid. How else can the explosion in player statistics raise so fast? When it's all said and done, we Americans were willing to turn a blind eye because we wanted to just sit back and enjoy the show.

Sorry, But We're Leaving You Behind

Sorry to let you down kiddies, but we are forcing you to take a test in a language that you do not speak fluently. This is the message that we are sending to current students that are being forced to take the ISAT's or PSAE's in a language that they are not completely fluent. I take serious issue with this. Here is a little summation from the Chicago Tribune that will help fill in the blanks if you do not understand what I am describing. How can we say that we are keeping the best interest of the students in mind if we are putting them at a distinct disadvantage by requiring them to take a test in a language in which they are not fully literate?

The PSAE's and ISAT's are tests that are used to gauge progress under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act that help fund schools. If a school does not reach their Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) they will have there funding cut since they are not reaching levels that are in part determined by the tests that I have described. It is totally insane to test students for proficiency in math, science, history and other subjects when they cannot read the test. If we are looking to find out how a student has progressed, we should give them a fair shot. Would anyone in their right mind expect me to go to China take a test in Chinese? We all know that NCLB is a farce, but this decision by the Board of Education is totally unfair. Sorry if this sounds like a rant, but I am very passionate about this topic.

Grammy Review

Herbie Hancock for album of the year? Who the hell could have called that? Oh well, I have not listened to his recored, so I cannot make a judgment against him. Personally, I would have given the award to Kanye West. As I mentioned before, his record is and A++. I know that some people find his personality to be too abrasive, but the guy is supremely talented. Now for those of you that may question my acumen for reviewing rap records, I try to keep my eye on genres other than rock (except for abomination that is country music), which includes rap and hip-hop. Not all music from these genres suit my tastes, but I do not automatically turn a deaf ear to the artist's efforts.

As far as the best performance is concerned, it was a toss up between Kanye and the Foo Fighters. I thoroughly enjoy both of these artists, so it was tough for me to choose one. If I had to make an absolute decision, it would be Kanye due to the poignancy of his performance following the death of his mother. His rendition of the song "Hey Momma" was both heartbreaking and inspiring. Another solid performance was Alicia Keys who was joined by John Mayer. I was not a huge fan of Miss Keys when sher first burst onto the scene. Feeling that she was just a product of crafty producers, I dismissed her first album as nothing but a manufactured effort of the corporate music scene. Obviously, I was mistaken. Keys has s great voice to go along with her stellar writing, which has produced several top notch albums. If you have not given her a try yet, I highly recommend her MTV Unplugged album from 2005.

So, back to the awards themselves. As I mentioned, my one big complaint would be Herbie Hancock winning the nights biggest award. But, I also mentioned that I have not heard the album, and if his contemporaries agree, he must have deserved the recognition. The rest of the night was fairly predictable, at least as far as the predictions that I read about. Amy Winehouse cleaned up, and deservedly so. Even though she is wrestling with her own personal demons, the girl has a set of pipes and knows how to put them to use. Her Back to Black album was stellar from start to finish, while bringing a fresh sound to contemporary music.

Let's all hope that this coming year will bring lots of great music, because we all know that the industry has been lacking as a whole these last few years. Of course, that request is moot thanks to the fact that we already have Radiohead's latest masterpiece to chew on.

Treasure Found

I have an unabashed love for PBS programming and watch it constantly. While my two favorite shows are American Experience and History Detectives, my guilty pleasure is Antiques Roadshow. I am not quite sure what it is about this show, but I find it to be compulsively watchable. I think it is the fact that there is so much lost history that is rediscovered by everyday people. Sometimes Mar looks at like I am crazy when we have two or three episodes backed up on our DVR, but I just can't pass recording new episodes when they air. Anyways, most of my favorite items have been antique furniture. There is just something fun about people bring in their trinkets to be explained and appraised. So, go ahead and lambaste me for this confession, but I would recommend this show to anyone.

Burn, Baby, Burn

I spoke of this book awhile back, but I would like to revisit the topic. The book I am speaking of is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which I read back in November. This book knocked my socks off. I will fully admit that I am not very versed in the masters of American fiction, but I am starting to work on that problem, and this was a great book to get me started. When I mention that I had just recently read this book, people look at me a little puzzled, since most read it in high school. Well, I was never afforded this chance. My role at the school has me supporting multiple students of different grades, so I have to make sure that I am caught up in their assignments. This can be difficult since it has required me to read multiple books at the same time.

Well, Fahrenheit was one such book that I had the pleasure to read. Bradbury wrote this book in 1951 as a dystopian vision of the future. In this future, books are seen as dangerous and burned by modern day Firemen. These Firemen no longer put out fires, as homes are built to be resistant to fires. So, as books are found, they are burned and the suspect is arrested for committing the crime of reading. Montag performs his job without giving the ideals he was taught a second thought. He begins to question the morality of his job when he is approached by his young neighbor, whose inquisitive nature forces Montag to take a look at himself and the senseless society that he inhabits.

Bradbury paints a very bleak vision of the future that features a society that has no voice. Television and radio are controlled by the government, and independent thought is completely frowned upon. Once Montag begins to question the ways of society, he begins to hate his job and develop a yearning for the written word. This leads to Montag's eventually demise, as is discovered to be a holder of books and must run from the autorities to ensure his safety. That is about all I will say as a summation, but the consequences of Montag's reality are both disturbing and thrilling at the same time. On top of that, the ending will leave you jaw wide open after being hit with a ton of bricks.

Most of my students did not particulary care for this novel, but I found myself tearing at the pages, constantly hanging on the precipice with each new page. Bradury's portrait of the future is damn scary, but it is something that we as a socicety need to be aware of. If you have not had the pleasure of reading this masterpiece, do so, and you will be richley rewarded.

Please Let This Be True

Okay kids, my hopes and dreams may come true. The rumor mill is spinning about the possibility of an Arrested Development movie being produced following the end of the writer's strike. E! Online is reporting that all of the principle actors have been notified and are showing interest, depending on the script and budget. Creator Mitchell Hurwitz knows what direction he will go in and hopefully a studio with half a brain will allow him to work his magic. I have stated before that I believe this to be the funniest show to ever grace the small screen. Everything about this show is great. Everything. From Afternoon Delight to the Cornballer, I have never laughed harder at a television show. If my wish come true, I vow to wait in line wearing nothing but my never nudes and a pair of Chuck Taylors. So, wise up and go get the season on DVD, because they are well worth your time.

Here is a nice little tribute:




Greatest show ever.

No, Not The City In Alaska

I have waited to write this post for awhile, preferring for the film to actually come out and gain some steam before I wrote about it. Of course, the movie I speak of is Juno, and I cannot scream it loud enough: GO SEE THIS MOVIE. We saw this flick back in December at a special screening hosted by Fox Searchlight, the studio that released the film. Since that time, I have recommended it to anyone that would listen, even though it is about a sensitive topic. Juno is about a high school girl that gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. The thing that has made this movie a tough sell for me is the fact that is takes a humorous approach when dealing with the topic of teenage pregnancy. I will say this once and for all: I do not promote teenage pregnancy, but I will not ignore the fact that it is a reality of the society that we live in.

Juno is a heartfelt movie with a razor sharp script that makes you care about the protagonist and develop an understanding about how hard it may be to go through a similar situation. Once again, some people may not care for the approach to the topic, which can sometimes be carefree, but that is part of the movie's appeal. The ease with which the characters approach the arrival of the baby gives the film a very natural feeling, as opposed to to skirting the subject and giving in to how society might judge young Juno. The script that I mentioned is one of the freshest that I have heard in years, and provides enough laughs to keep you smiling. Along the way, Juno manages to put the audience at ease and allows for a wonderful movie experience.

Giant Upset?

Well, that was one hell of a football game. I know that some people called the game boring, but I found the defensive battle of the first three quarters to be wholly entertaining. There is nothing like seeing a rabid defense swarm around a quarterback and knock the tar out of him, especially when it's the "Golden Boy" Tom Brady. Now, I usually like Brady's style, but as with most Americans, I am sucker for the underdog, even if the other team was quarterbacked by a Manning.

I also question the fact that people are calling this an upset. Even though the line was set at a ridiculous spread (did anyone really think the Giants were 12 point 'dogs?), don't forget that the Patriots only won by 3 points in the regular season finale. There is no doubt that the Patriots had a fantastic regular season. No team had ever gone 16-0, and it will be a long time before we see it again, but the Patriots looked like they had slowed a step or two and the Giants took full advantage of it. On top of that, the Giants' front four on the defensive line were totally ferocious all game. They sacked Brady five times, a season high for the Patriots O-line, and knocked down a total of about twenty times. All of that abuse took a toll on Brady, and it was obvious by his performance. On top of all that, Brady was supposedly hurt, so all of the hits he took apparently compounded to affect his confidence.

Now on to the part that will pain me to write: Eli Manning played the way Rex should have last year. Say what you want about the gutless nature of the Manning family, but Eli held it together and did what he was supposed to do. I still do not know how he was able to escape a sack and complete that amazing pass to David Tyree. Perhaps the real MVP award should have gone to Tyree's helmet for the assist it gave him in order to complete that catch. Eli made all the right moves at all the right times and led his team down the field the way a quarterback should. Well, that is my summation of the Super Bowl. It was a fun game to watch, and it was nice seeing the Patriots fall.

BTW- The best commercial was the talking stain ad for the Tide To Go stick, just barley beating out the Audi spoof on the Godfather.

Super Tuesday

GO VOTE!!!!