Water for Elephants

Deb 8 Me 8

As you know, I try to avoid too many mainstream movies. They’re cinema’s version of the best-seller list, which is the McDonald’s of literature. That is, appealing to the masses and not necessarily nutritious. Of course there are exceptions.

Water for Elephants is one of those books that has been read and enjoyed by every girl I know. Me going to see it is as inevitable as doing the laundry. But I heard it’s a circus movie and one of those hasn’t come to town in quite a while.

I liked it. It’s a good story and though you know certain things are inevitable from the start, the road to their resolution is interesting and entertaining. There’s a villain who is very credible, a nice guy hero who is a little flat and the heroine who is not flat at all. And then there’s the circus, a circus in the 30s, during the depression, which adds to the gala atmosphere. And the animals and their acts, the people and their escapades are all neat to see; the movie doesn’t dwell on them but provides us with a neat human-interest story set in a circus environment. It’s a neat story, a big story, and a story that would’ve made a great movie in the 30s or 40s and even makes for a good movie today. Speaking of the date, there was some confusion over the timeline presented in the film, dates would be better left out than inconsistent. The violence in the movie was handled very well, that is, it was left out, only implied. We saw the aftermath but didn’t have to watch it happen. I liked that very much, especially appropriate for a movie rated PG.

I didn’t read the book, but Deb did. She said the material they covered from the book was very well done, but they left about a third of the book out completely, only making slight suggestions about the things they edited out in the screenplay. But I didn’t miss any of it, ignorance is bliss. It was pretty tight, not too Hollywood (if that could apply to a circus movie) and I’m pleased to have spent my (senior) theater dollar on this one.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Deb 5 Me 5

Herzog is a famous dude and he comes up with some great movie titles. This one not so much, but he has a long distinguished career. Here he is tackling the cave paintings in France, thirty two thousand year old cave paintings perfectly preserved for us to see. And hear speculation about.

I was VERY excited about seeing this movie because the paintings really intrigued me. The movie was a let-down, but the paintings carried the day. There was some good background to the discovery of the cave, although the footage shot on the cave’s approach was terrible, better shots came from the untrained pranksters in Magic Trip. We were introduced to a gaggle of professionals whose work was never shown to us and soon they were abandoned altogether. The music was horrible. Werner played the part of Huell Howser, talking to us as if we were children throughout. Questions were posed and discarded all the time, partial facts and innuendo were provided that never satisfied these viewers.

But the paintings. Turn off your hearing aid and look at the paintings. It is incredible to think that man created these, regardless of the time or tools available to him. These are sophisticated creations beyond credibility. But they are credible artifacts of early cro-magnon dipping his fingers in soot and juices and rendering the most amazing art. Don’t let the low rating of this movie stop you from enjoying some really amazing visuals.

Magic Trip

Me 10

This was the one feature from the Newport Film Festival that was a must see for me. Sadly Deb had scheduling problems and I saw it alone. I’m excited for her to see it... and for you too.

I’m a big fan of Kesey and the gang, been to the farm, seen the bus, the whole shot. Somewhere I have some footage of Kesey in his fields on VHS. So, like a lot of folks, I was fully aware of the origins and destiny of this footage. What I didn’t know was that the whole shootin’, match was turned over to a couple capable individuals (Alex Gibney and Alison Ellwood) who turned all that raw color into a delightful movie.

It was exactly the movie it should be. It started by establishing who’s who, where they are, how they got there and where they’re heading, why and how. Then you leave. This is a fabulous trip across America, filled with sincere protagonists and onlookers. Just seeing (and remembering) how we all looked back then (1964), the cars, buildings and roads had a different feel to them back then, a little more organic, less corporate look. It was before designer labels on everything, before the paranoia of drugs and those who use them, back when we all had a little longer leashes.

Anyone who has an interest in the Beat Generation, the Hippie Movement or just the general origin of the species will be delighted buy this. General audiences will too. I mean, I’m biased, but this look at our country by a handful of intrepid explorers is fascinating. The protagonists of the time are revealed with an intimacy I never experienced from reading. Everything I’ve ever read on or by these folks (which is pretty comprehensive) now has a clarity that escaped me before. I mean, I know what frenetic is, but now I know what it looks like too. I can’t say enough good about seeing this film and recommend you find a way to see it too.

Win Win

Deb 10 Me 10

I don’t know why my shortest reviews seem to be reserved for the best movies. I had no idea what to expect with this thing. Thought it might be one of those feel good sports movies or something, the trailers weren’t really that inviting. It was sort of a throw your hands up in the air and say, “Let’s just go see it”.

I liked the characters, their lot in life was effectively revealed and the story unfolded in a graceful way. Soon I really liked the people and was interested in what would happen next. This is where a lot of movies fail, the next thing that happens is often predictable. Here we had a few Hollywood coincidences but for the most part the story took an unseen path without looking like it was trying to be unpredictable. It was just good storytelling.

This was enhanced by some great acting, there’s a kid who is the central focus who really wins you over, and there’s some great comic moments that were sincere and just plain funny. We both dug this one and felt like it was time well spent.