Tree of Life

I wanted to see Tree of Life, really I did. A person such as myself who likes to think she is up on all that’s cool, hip and now (in movies that is) should see Tree of Life. But it sounded kind of boring. So how did it stack up against my preconceived ideas? Well, it was kind of boring. Yes, it’s cool looking and all that – but on my small screen the awesome visuals could not make up for the inexplicable. For example: What is with the molten lava amid opera music? Views of space overlaid with whispered words — and then dinosaurs? I was like Wha? The whole experience reminded me of watching the animated Fantasia – a movie everyone praises for its loveliness, and I find torturous to watch (have I mentioned that I’m not a big fan of animation). Now, Tree of Life

has a narrative where a family is struggling after the death of one of their boys. There is good acting – I was especially drawn to the oldest as a boy who has an expressively sad face. But the director’s, Terrance Malick, decision to present the story with little dialogue where we merely get a glimpse on everyday scenes of their life, is frustrating. I think there is supposed to be a grand theme about the birth of life or some such thing, but man, I gotta have some plot!

Margin Call

Do you want to be annoyed/angered at the rich bastards who cavalierly rob the general public out of their meager dollars? Then Margin Call is the movie for you. Granted I don't understand half of what is going on about how the millions of dollars are blithely moved around by a phone call here or there, but I understood enough to be pissed off! Margin Call “follows the key people at an investment bank, over a 24-hour period, during the early stages of the financial crisis." (I quotes because I can't figure out how to explain this one) Stanely Tucci's character uncovers some major ef up that will apparently cost the regular Joe a financial crisis on the same day that he is getting fired for downsizing. Tucci's brilliant underling puts the pieces together and calls the big bosses, starting with high-powered characters played by Paul Bettany, Kevin Spacey, Simon Baker, Demi Moore (token female suit) and then the big, big gun Jeremy Irons. The big guns try to decide how to minimize the damage to the company before the public gets wind of the major ef up. At first I thought there was going to be a character who was going to act as a whistle blower – a heroic character whose conscience would get the get the better of him and he would risk all and call the newspaper and or some such thing but to no avail. These a-holes are way more worried about their own million dollar salaries than the impact their actions will have on society. Margin Call makes me want to occupy Wall Street!