Moneyball

Deb 10 Me 9

This one wasn’t on the list of things to see, but the timing was right and, after all, it’s a baseball movie. Actually it’s a big movie about individual people that uses baseball as a vehicle. It’s written by Aaron Sorkin who always does a lot of homework for his scripts. There are three main people, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman and a handful of support people who move the story along. Hoffman is a reliable actor and this Jonah Hill guy seems to have gone to the same school of getting a lot across with the least amount of outward effort. Pitt did a great job. You could almost forget he’s Brad Pitt, but he’s kinda like Clark Gable in that no matter how well he acts you never overlook that he’s a famous actor, and it keeps you (me) from being totally immersed in the film. There are all the ingredients I like, trying to be a better person, trying to improve situations against all odds and a solid human interest story. Add to this some baseball and you got yourself a pretty neat movie. The only real slight against the movie was too much involvement with the ex and the kid. I felt like they were included to create a wider appeal and get a little music in there.

And then there’s baseball. This beautiful game is a perfect allegory for so many facets of life and they give us a bunch of them here, some subtle, some overt, but all on target. Deb is not a baseball fan and she loved it. I am a fan and loved it. I guess it’s just a loveable movie.

Circumstance (Sharayet)

Deb 1 Me 1

This is an over ambitious film that proves to be very boring. As is often the case, there weren’t a lot of people in the theater, but each of them indulged in yawns and fidgeting distractions after the first hour of eternity. It’s an Iranian film, sub-titled poorly and punctuated with indigenous music. We follow the adventures of two young ladies through events that are seldom revisited and somewhat pointless. In their adolescent quest for liberation from the strict cultural confines of Iran they encounter a never ending series of deviants, ignorant authorities, despicable spies and generally un-likeable people.

I was able to identify with some of the girls methods of “breaking out” but it wasn’t enough to justify watching the whole movie. Another thing I came away with was why so many eastern cultures hate America. The whole society, with its primitive roots, has taken the worst of western culture and tried to assimilate it into their lives. The clothes and cars of opulence, the films and music that glorify indulgence are celebrated in nightclubs and backrooms throughout the land. These decadent social ingredients are all interpreted by people who have few social rights and no historical training in self-indulgence. So many elements were presented in the movie that it was hard to digest. After thinking about it for a couple days, parts of it seem palpable, but the fact is that this was WAY too boring and not really worth a second thought.

Hedgehog

Deb 9 Dave 9

Here’s a delightful little French number with sub-titles. There’s not an overwhelming amount of dialog here, so keeping up isn’t an issue. The movie is just so interesting to watch that a lot of yakking isn’t necessary. There’s a little girl and her family and the janitor lady who keeps up the upper crust apartment building in Paris. There’s a trend in movies of having some sort of vehicle for moving from plot to plot, or just recurring and used as a symbol of some sort or another. Think of the paper blowing around in American Beauty or the Feather in Forrest Gump. This one has a good one but is ultimately unresolved and left me a bit hollow.

It’s a slow movie, but it’s the right pace here. The people in it, especially the main lady, are just good to watch, the stuff in the rooms is good to look at and there’s enough story to keep you going throughout. We both really liked the movie and caught some friends on the way out who REALLY liked it. It’s just good old fashioned human interest with a bit of a moral to the story and was a valid chunk of film making.

Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

Deb 7 Me 3

This is a biopic of a fellow called Serge Gainsbourg. We follow him from pretentious youth through his adulthood rise to prominence as a songwriter and performer of controversial French pop tunes. We are introduced to him as a young man in the pre-war period. At this point in the movie we are introduced to some recurring thematic vehicles that are quite interesting. The parts about his youth are the best parts of the movie because there is a story progression you can follow. From there on out it is merely a list of reenactments of this guys life, which may be well presented and true to form, but without any context or story. It’s like reading random notes in a stranger’s diary. All the ingredients for a good movie are here, but they need to be defrosted before putting them together as this film left me cold.

After the movie Deb “Googled” him and found that he had indeed done a lot of neat things with some prominent people over a long span of time. These interesting things weren’t in the movie. Nor was there a time reference, didn’t know if we were in the 60s, 80s, current or what. And really didn’t care after a point, it is just heartless.

Senna

Deb 10 Me 10

This is a movie about auto racing’s Formula One champion Ayrton Senna. The movie is largely compiled from ESPN television footage, some professional film and some home movies. The movie follows the career of charismatic Senna from his early days in kart racing to his rise to world champion. It is a great look at the men and the politics of the world’s richest and most technically advanced motor sport.

I am an avid F1 fan and have been for a long time. I remember this period of racing in the late 80s through 90s with clarity. Deb knows little to nothing about it and Senna is a new name to her. We both loved the movie. That says enough for me, but I’ll add a little more anyway. The only place I felt it lacked was in some F1 101. Some introduction to the basics of the sport, what F1 is, a bit of history, that there are team owners who hire drivers, this is stuff I thought it could use. But apparently I’m not right on target here because without any of that background Deb really liked the movie. For her it wasn’t a story driven movie but a character driven movie. The film’s success was carried more on the personalities involved than what they were up to. Senna is a good looking guy and we see him evolve from a kid with broken English to a fully conversant champion. It's as good a human interest story as you're likely to find.
And the theater was packed! A buddy went to see it on a Thursday afternoon and he said there 50 people in there! I definitely think you ought to see this one.

Crazy Stupid Love

Deb 7 Me 7

So this was a movie on convenience, the time worked into our schedule. This was my first Steve Carrell movie, I’ve avoided them thinking they would all be silly (and perhaps they are). I usually avoid movies with TV stars in them, the crossover is seldom rewarding. Travolta, Hanks and Depp have all gained credibility on the big screen, and maybe Steve will too, and this might help. I do watch The Office due in large part to his character, which is pretty much the same guy as in this movie. What surprised me was this was an actual movie, I expected a list of running gags and simple minded one liners. My own prejudice shows again.

But I gotta tell you, this was a pretty nice movie and explored a part of puppy love and teen angst and it’s aftermath in a way I don’t remember seeing before. I actually like the movie and hesitated to rate it all, having to admit I saw it being the central issue. I saw it, liked it and don’t think you’d go too far wrong seeing it either. As long as it fits in your schedule.

Magic Trip Movie Review

Deb 10 Me 10

So now I’ve seen this thing three times. I really like it. I’m sure there were some incredible obstacles for the filmmakers; if it comes out on DVD I hope they explore some of that. There are a few very well done recreations, which aren’t true to a documentarian’s spirit, but for entertainment value, they were welcome.

Everyone I’ve talked to who has seen the movie has really liked it too; even those who weren’t around in the 50s and 60s and know nothing about the scene or its role in modern history. For a lot of viewers it’s an interesting period travelogue. It offers human interest, some drama, some comedy and a bit of education all in a colorful entertaining package.

I just love seeing the footage. It’s something I’ve felt vicariously “part of” for decades and cherished every frame in this thing like it was my own history being relived. I’ve been told that people learn a lot more about me than movies by reading these “reviews” and this is a good example. There’s not a lot I can say about the movie without talking about myself or my experiences or lessons from my own explorations. I will say the film pretty much limits itself to the buttered side of the toast, there are a few gaffs presented here, but everybody smelled to high heaven and Neal had to drive you crazy after a while. This sort of romanticizes the expedition and that's fine with me. Magellan’s crew stank and had a few misfits too, but it doesn't diminish their accomplishments. Look for it. Watch it. Get on the bus.