Mud

Matthew McConaughey is everywhere in 2013 but underlooked as the titular character Mud. Mud is in Arkansas and is hiding out in the backwaters while being helped by some local boys, Ellis and Neckbone (awesome character name, no?) played by Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland; I mention their names because they are fantastic in this movie and Ellis in particular carries the movie. I like how these tough little independent scrappers actually behave like adolescent boys who try to act tough but really have such a naive view of the world. I was reminded of Great Expectations (maybe it's a kind of retelling?) where a lost little boy encounters and helps a hardened criminal in the marshes. Mud is definitely worth seeing.

A Few Others

Originally I was thinking I would write a list of all the other movies that I have seen in the past few months but after checking out my Netflix DVD activity and racking my brain for the movies I saw in the theater, I could only come up with the following few: What's happening to Mary? I'd like to say she is spending more time in contemplation and reading but that would probably not be true.

The Sessions: strange little film that I saw because the lead actors were nominated for a Oscar, so I wanted to see it. It is from the perspective of a poet who is also living in an iron lung and trying to find love. It is nice film and it gets you thinking. As a side note, it also has a rare positive film depiction of a priest.

Enough Said: Another rarity, a romantic movie about oldish people, or maybe that's a trend now? thinking of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Anyway, Enough Said does a good job of depicting the issues people have when after failed marriages and empty nest fears, they struggle to find companionship. I love Julia Louis Dreyfus and she is almost perfect in this movie but was sorry that she was made to behave in a really immature/ insecure way in this movie, and I can't decide if it was realistic or not. No spoilers here, but it is kind of appalling. Also, James Gandolfini is great as the lumpy paramour.

Hello I Must Be Going: another little film about a recently divorced woman in her 30s regaining her confidence in the arms of a 19-year-old. Other the age disparity twist, the movie is pretty conventional. It has though a nice performance from Melanie Lynskey who I was reminded was the young New Zealander opposite Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures when she was just 15 years old. That was a great movie!

Catching Fire

Since Winter's Bone (see my blog entry on this movie here) I have been on the Jennifer Lawrence band wagon. I can see why the producers of the Hunger Games chose here for Katniss Everdeen. She has a way of being kick ass and likable at the same time. As in the Hunger Games she stomps through the movie with a righteous fervor sometimes oblivious to what is happening to the people around her. Compared to the books, I thought Catching Fire was better than the book. When reading it I was not happy when she had to reenter the Games. Give me a new plot device Suzanne Collins! It was not quite as irritating to me in Catching Fire (probably because I was prepared) but I actually kind of enjoyed them this time around. I loved the teaming up of the victors, and I enjoyed another female character with moxy, Johanna. I especially liked the electrical ending and the lifting up of our heroine into the clouds. I am excited to see the next one and to see what Jennifer Lawrence is going to do next.

Some Good Ones!

The Way Way Back

I just loved The Way Way Back. It’s a movie from the perspective of a teen-aged boy named Duncan played nicely by Liam James who’s on vacation at a beach town with his mother and her jerky boyfriend (Steve Carrel can play a jerk, who knew?). The girl next door calls it spring break for adults. The adults in his world mainly seem messed up or too self-involved to see Duncan until he makes his way to the water park where he meets the wacky owner Owen played by Sam Rockwell. Owen introduces Duncan to silliness and fun. Maybe The Way Way Back isn’t one of the most original movies there ever was, but it sure is one of the most fun. I can’t remember a movie that I laughed as hard as I did or genuinely rooted for the main character as much as I did.

Blue Jasmine
Blue Jasmine didn’t seem like a typical Woody Allen movie to me. There are comical over the top characters like in most of his films, but I think it is Cat Blanchet’s role as a modern Blanche Dubois that gives the movie more resonance than a typical Woody Allen movie. Blanchet is just plain mesmerizing in this movie. I also liked Sally Hawkins who is the delightful British actress from Happy-Go-Lucky. Some of the other characters, particularly the brutish male clichéd roles kind of bugged me. But overall I really liked Blue Jasmine.

The Spectacular Now

I saw The Spectacular Now today. It’s a sweet movie about a pair of mixed up teenagers who both have mixed up family situations and find solace in the other. Miles Teller plays Sutter, a surprisingly young full blown alcoholic who plays a very sad smiling life of the party. Teller is so good in the movie that I hope he will be nominated for an Oscar. Despite the fact that I left the theater today feeling really sad, I’m glad I saw this movie with great acting and good story telling (although I’m a bit confused by the ending).

Sullivan's Travels

I watched Sullivan’s Travels, a 1941 film that was recommended to me by a learned friend who calls this film one of his favorites. Sullivan's Travels is directed by the highly regarded Preston Sturges who I basically didn't know anything about, but do now!

Sometimes when you watch an old film you have to try not to look at with contemporary eyes; try not to get thrown by the overly dramatic music or the sometimes old fashioned acting. So I was trying to appreciate Sullivan’s Travels

, but I was having some trouble. I found it a bit strange as a matter of fact. This earnest man, Sullivan played by Joel McCrae, is a big Hollywood director who decides to try to see what is like to live as a hobo and then make a film about it. He does this very poorly and ends back at his mansion pretty quickly but gives it a go again and this time with a beautiful ingénue played by Veronica Lake. They dress like bums and ride the rails (this part is all done as a musical montage by the way). Then, as fate would have it, Sullivan ends up indeed suffering and living as a prisoner in a chain gang and, of course, learns some lessons about his experiences. One of those lessons is that the poor need to laugh, so in the end he decides to make a comedy.

The tone of the movie jumps from comic and romantic, to serious, (again is that modern me talking?) not sure. But I’m glad I saw it. It is like no other movie I have seen and seems to want to make a great statement about life for the poor in America. The scene in the black church is particularly moving, more so than the rest of the film I felt, where the preacher shares a theme of the film about the equality of man. So thanks, Bob, for introducing me to this movie. I also watched one of the extras on the DVD about Sturges that is pretty fascinating.

Update on movies with my new ratings' system

Ratings:
bad: just plain bad
Ennh: not bad but not that good
Hmmm: curiously strange and not that likable
Wha?: so weird
It's okay: but not great
It's good: but wish a little fix here and there to make great
It's great!: it's so rare but it happens

Rebecca: Alfred Hitchcock's wonderful adaptation of Du Maurier's book from 1940. It's good or great?
A Dangerous Method: freaky story of Jung and Freud's friendship with a disturbing Keira Knightly role (I can't get her contorted facial expression out of my mind) Hmmm
Hyde Park on the Hudson: Bill Murray as dirty old man/FDR Ennh
The Queen of Versailles: documentary about profligate wealth Wha?
Hope Springs: painful to watch marriage counseling movie Hmmm
The Guard: buddy cop movie of the Irish kind with a dash of Don Cheadle It's good
The Five-Year Engagement: I love Emily Blunt but she could not save this stupid movie Ennh
Liberal Arts: sweet little movie with a strange ending It's okay
Save the Date: really like Lizzy Caplan but this odd movie fell short It's okay
Carol Channing: Larger than Life: documentary about Carol Channing Ennh
Too Big to Fail: can't remember it, bad sign or I'm getting too old It's okay
Your Sister’s Sister: another Emily Blunt movie, she's good but the movie limps along Ennh
Game Change: politcal movie about Sarah Palin played by Julianne Moore (she's great) from the people who brought you Recount another great movie It's good
Trouble with the Curve: romantic comedy of the lamest variety bad:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower: sadly bland Ennh
Celeste and Jesse Forever: another stupid romantic comedy bad:
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: likable movie for the oldsters -- I liked the Indian setting Ennh
Magic Mike: Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey as strippers, surprisingly good It's good
The Avengers: I thought it should see it since it had my favorite Mark Ruffalo who everyone said he was fantastic but I tell you I can not get into a super hero movie no matter how hard I try (I did not try that hard)Ennh

Two Documentaries

Two nights in a row I watched a couple of documentaries that just happened to be at the library. Both tell the story of brilliant men who dropped out society in very singular ways. The first one is called Surfwise which is the story of the Paskowitz family, 8 boys and one girl, who grew up traveling from surf town to surf town in a 24 foot camper. The father, Dorian Paskowitz, believed that the best education for these children was to learn to surf, read, and basically drop out of regular society. He did not think that his children need be concerned about material things or going to school. In the first part of the documentary you think, while the father is weird, he really seems to be in touch with the elemental qualities of life, and his children seem pretty amazing, their mother saint-like, beautiful, and peaceful, and this way of raising a family is a good one. But then as the story progresses the filmmakers start to reveal the underbelly of family life and you learn that as adults these Paskowitz’s end up pretty screwed up by the father’s controlling and sometimes abusive behavior and that most of the 9 children struggled as adults.


Searching for Sugar Man tells of another man and father who lives simply despite great talent and fame. The 70's musician Rodriguez, never had financial success as an artist and stopped making and performing music (a very talented singer song writer with a sweet voice). Instead he did construction and raised three daughters in poverty in Detroit. Meanwhile, in South Africa, he was a huge success. The movie tells about the story of a handful of South Africans who try to find out the story of Rodriguez even though they believe him to be dead. When we get to know a little bit about the enigmatic Rodriguez, we learn that he still lives in a run-down neighborhood of Detroit in a very modest house even though in the end he finally has resources, and he seems to have raised three lovely daughters who share his diffident and humble manner. If I had to choose between these two fathers, I would definitely pick Rodriguez.

Before Midnight and Frances Ha

I was so excited to see Before Midnight. I rewatched both Before Sunrise and Before Sunset; I heard the Fresh Air interview with Richard Linklater, director, Ethan Hawk and Julie Delpy, cowriters and actors, and I had numerous conversations all in preparation. At last I was able to sit in a theater, by myself as a matter of fact (I guess not a lot of people going to movies on a Monday at 12:15) And it did not disappoint. I know many wonder how a movie where two people are talking the whole time can be so captivating but it is, this one more than the other two, I think. It’s like you are eaves dropping into the world of a couple who seem so comfortable with each other and who can tear at each other with such fervor, humor, and anger. It’s just something to see, but so much more satisfying if you have seen the first two. I can only hope about 10 years from now there will be a fourth! Before Lunch?

I also so Frances Ha (same day, I know kooky right? I did have an appointment between the two movies) I was also alone in the theater for that one. I had also been looking forward to this movie but not with as great of anticipation as Before Midnight. Frances Ha is interesting, visual pleasing, but certainly not as captivating as Before Midnight and even at times a little puzzling. What is with this wacky gal? At my age (middle-aged that is) I find Frances nutty and spineless. Actually I am pretty sure I would have found her that way when I was her age. But I was always more pragmatic than your average 20 year old. It was a good day though: Raining outside, and movies on the big screen just for me. Thanks Zinema!

Mary's Lame List

I’m so lame. My blog was limping at the beginning of the year but then it became bedridden. I shall push on by keeping the following pitiful list:

In the Theater –
Life of Pi – if I could stand to watch it again, I would. It made me want to read the book again too. I like its ponderings about religion and the amazing visuals – I actually saw it in 3-D (first one for me in the modern era)

57 and Up – part of the 7UP series. If you haven’t seen this documentary series, you should. Director Michael Apted has chronicled the lives of 10 or so real English people from different classes, starting when they were age 7 in 1964. This movie makes me think – mainly about what makes a meaningful life.

Silver Linings Playbook-- I thought it was going to be a simple little meandering indie flick, enjoyable but not great. But it turned out to be great, funny, with a cohesive plot that builds to a very satisfying conclusion. I just loved it!

Anna Karenina – beautifully and uniquely made and staged. I didn’t think that another Anna Karenina was needed but this one offered something new.

Argo – fast paced and thrilling. Worthy of best picture? Not sure. But definitely well made.

Lincoln --a dark little film. By dark I mean actually dark, faces half-lit, figures silhouetted against a grey sky. Sometimes it seemed liked you had to strain to see what was happening both strain the eyes and the ears. With that being said, I liked it. I liked imagining what it might have been like to be that political world where you are reminded of our current divided country. Daniel Day Lewis, who plays Lincoln, holds the movie together with his wonderful performance. His Lincoln seems so kind and entertaining and even funny in parts. He seems like an august grandfather who you want to sit at the feet of and soak up some of his wisdom.

DVDS Since the beginning of December. I’ve put the more forgettable ones into a couple of categories but will highlight the deserving standouts.

SELF-INVOLVED INDIE FILMS: (not bad, but they don’t have much to say) 2 Days in New York, Safety not guaranteed, Your Sister’s Sister, Ruby Sparks, Darjeeling Limited

MEDIOCRE ROMANTIC COMEDIES: What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Think Like A Man, Friends with Kids

STANDOUTS:
Game Change: this movie depicts Sarah Palin’s story surrounding the 2008 presidential election. Fascinating and I found it myself more sympathetic towards Palin after I watched it.

Monsieur Lahzar (French subtitles): sad story about a teacher and his students dealing with oppressive grief – a beautiful film.

Catch Up

She’s baaaack. I know, where would you be without knowing about ALL the movies I have seen in the last several months? I just searched my NetFlix Queue, Library Account information, and my brain to try to remember the few movies I saw in the theaters which, I think, were Moonrise Kingdom and Sleep Walk with Me. I’m annoyed with myself for letting my blog rest dormant for so long, but I will try to be better this winter. Of course, this list is really just for me. I always want to keep a list of all kinds of things: books read, witticisms, best TV shows, and what not. Therefore, keeping a public list is a way to keep myself more accountable. So I venture on keeping a list of ALL the movies I have seen. The list below is arranged from most recently seen and goes back all the way to the summer. Must sees will get a *****. All the other movies will merely get a snarky, reductive summary.

Friends with Kids -- kinda cute but ultimately dumb romantic comedy.
Next Stop Wonderland – You’d think a movie with Hope Davis and Phillip Seymour Hoffman would be good but this “smart” romantic comedy was also kinda dumb.

Sleep Walk with Me – Mike Birbiglia bio pic about his sleep disorder with help from This American Life’s Ira glass. It’ a likable movie, but I didn’t think it was a great one.

Drive – Come on, Ryan Gosling. What else do you need to know? He struts around intensely or should I say drives around in a strutting fashion.

Wallis & Edward – Madonna tells the oft told story of the king who abdicates his throne with and addition of an unnecessary modern-look-back angle.

Idiocracy – The comedic movie is kind of a mess but I appreciated the effort to show what a future of increasingly dumber and dumber people would look like. I think this movie makes same good points about our modern American society.

Bernie – I like Jack Black and I thought he did a good job as a real-life funeral director who waits upon the rich lady in town who is played by Shirley McClain. The highlight of this movie is definitely the real Texans who narrate the scandal in their kooky vernacular.

Moonrise Kingdom ***** love, love, want to see again from the man who brought you Rushmore but better than Rushmore I thought. So wonderfully weird!

The Hunger Games – read all three books this summer and was excited to see the movie. I also really like Jennifer Lawrence from Winter's Bone who plays Katniss. I guess I thought the movie was pretty good but ultimately don’t think it captured the books intensity and the main character’s coolness.

Higher Ground ***** -- I’m going to five star this movie even though I know that not all would enjoy it, but I thought Vera Farmiga’s role (she also directed) about a woman’s search for God in her life is so beautifully depicted (and does not denigrate a religious person as so many movies do) that it really makes this movie worth watching.

Flipped – cute little nostalgic romance between two preteens – now that I think about it, a romance between pretweens. That’s kind of weird.

Marley ***** I did write about this one already but worth repeating because it’s so awesome! “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”

Margaret ***** This lovely – tortured movie by writer director Kenneth Lonergan of You Can Count on Me (one of my favorite movies) is well worth watching. Anna Paquin plays a teen who really acts like a teen who encounters and has to learn to accept tragedy. The dialogue is so rich and compelling that I wanted to rewind and hear it again.

Sherlock Holmes – I got this at the library after watching the excellent PBS TV modern take on Holmes. This one with Robert Downey Jr. has a lot of flash but little substance.

Cinema Verite – is a fictionalized account of the making of a 70s PBS documentary called The American Family or one of the first reality TV shows. The movie stars Dianne Lane, James Gandolfini, and Tim Robbins who are kind of fun to watch in all their groovy 70s attire. The movie also sheds some light on the reality of reality TV.

Prime – a romantic comedy starring Merryl Streep, Uma Thurman, and as Streep’s son, the very cute Bryan Greenberg. Not great but not bad. Also, after watching this movie I got the HBO series How to Make it in America, also with Greenberg which I enjoyed.

We Bought A Zoo – I guess I kinda liked this sappy family drama. What are ya goin’ do?

Albert Nobbs – story of a cross dressing gay woman played by Glen Close during 19th Century Ireland. I found this movie just plain sad. Well acted but very grim.

Phew, feels good to be caught up!

Liven Up Yourself

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.”

Marley is a pretty straight forward biography of Bob Marley’s life, from being born of a white man in St. Ann Parish in Jamaica to his final treatments for melanoma in the mountains of Germany. This documentary doesn’t take many risks when telling us about the life of Bob Marley, but it does manage to infuse the movie with Bob’s irrepressible spirit. Or maybe it’s just that Bob’s lyrical music is playing throughout making it seem so joyous and sad at the same time. Knowing that this great man who had so much energy and musical genius, who had such an impact on not only the world of music but on issues relating to the poor and violence in his country, died at a mere 36 years old seems so very wrong and so sad. I couldn’t help loving Marley and don’t think it’s just because I love Bob Marley.

50 Best Movies on Netflix Instant from Paste Magazine

I thought this list was interesting. I particularly recommend Winter's Bone with Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) and Half Nelson (Edgy teacher movie) with Ryan Gosling.

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!

Two Documentaries

Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
Documentaries can be so wonderful because there about real things and often tell stories that if they were fictional, no one would believe it. This is so true of Resurrect Dead. This movie tells the story of tiles, tiles that a mysteriously show up throughout the Eastern United States and South America.

(see a picture of one here) They show up on busy roads, smack dab in the middle of the road. Not only is this the story of cryptic tiles, but also it is the story of those who seek to solve the mystery of the tiles, in particular one man named Justin Duerr. While getting the answers to the mystery are worth watching this movie for, the portrayal of Duerr is another compelling part of the movie. He becomes obsessed in this kind of low key way. If an obsessed person can be low key, that is. I think this movie tells us something about the nature of obsession and what makes people pursue an endeavor that to others seems pointless. Suspense builds as Duerr and his companions get closer and closer to the answers of the tiles and while the answer may or may not be everything we hope for, we realize that the journey was pretty cool.

Project Nim
Project Nim is the story of one cute, sad, and abused little chimpanzee and the freaky folks who took turns trying to care for him. Nim starts out as a test subject in one university doctor’s effort to teach a chimp sign language. Nim’s first host family is a 7Os hippy mother who goes as far as to try to breast feed Nim but not discipline at all and Nim rules her strange household. The Doc in charge, who by the way previously had an affair with hippy mom, decides Nim needs a new home and finds a secluded mansion that he stocks with eager graduate students ready to teach Nim sign language. The egotistical doc has an affair with one of the students. Meanwhile Nim grows up gets violent and unruly. Finally, unable to care for him, the doc moves him again abandoning his language project. This time Nim is sent to a crazy place that houses chimps and does experiments on them. There’s more to Nim’s story and while I won’t give away the ending, it does end in a satisfying way, sort of. The movie is full of real people, most who turn out to be shmucks (from the documentarian’s perspective, of course) but a few turn out to be heroic in their small way.

Catch Up

Summer Vacation! A time when I can take a deep breath and slowly exhale! But before I can start watching a whole host of movies and TV series on DVD, I have to finally get around to writing about the movies I watched this Spring (some of these I actually watched as far back as January). Yikes.

So here they are:
Mildred Pierce: a two part HBO series that is a remake of a 1945 film of the same name. The title character is played by Kate Winslet as the mother who is both ambitious for herself and her daughter (Evan Rachel Wood -- she sure has played some freaky characters for such a young actress). I had heard the movie dragged but I liked it. I think it revealed what it might have been like to be a woman with ambitions in the 30s and 40s even though this particular woman was a tad off her rocker. Despite the craziness of some scenes or maybe because of it, this series was fascinating to watch.

50/50: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen play two randy young men about town. This movie starts out as a buddy movie but quickly turns toward a much more serious topic: cancer. Levitt’s character learns he has a rare cancer in his spine and has to learn to cope amid his hip-happening lifestyle. 50/50 is well acted and says something real about patients and friends who go through this diagnosis even if at times it seems overly trite on the topic.

Cedar Rapids – Ed Helms plays a lovable, naïve goof ball (similar to his Office character, actually) who is also a small town insurance agent who goes to the mid-sized town convention where he encounters all kinds of new experiences from silly to absurd. I was kind of ho-hum about this movie although it did have some original moments.

Secretariat – I did not see this movie when it first came out but was at the library so I thought what the heck. I liked it even if the script was full of cliché’s of the sports movie variety. Predictable but not the worst.

P.S. I Love You – dumb, sorry I watched it, but did watch the whole thing, so maybe it wasn’t that dumb. No, it was that dumb.

Like Crazy

– I had heard this naturalistic indie film about the romantic lives of two hipster-types was good. What I found was a painful trip through two not very likable characters kind of boring relationship. Did NOT like.

Zeigfield Girls (1941) – The CBS Sunday Morning Show profiled Heddy Lamarr who was a fascinating person: she was both one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood and a brilliant mathematician. After seeing this profile, I decided to watch one of her most famous movies, Zeigfield Girls. Every once in a while I like to watch an old movie just to remind me how far movies have come, especially in the way they portray women and minorities but in this film there are so many other fascinating weirdnesses for the modern eye. Heddy Lamarr plays a married woman who is forced to become a Zeigfield girl because she and her husband are near financial ruin. Her story is just one of many in the film of women who seek the dream of become one of these famous dancers. Others in this ensemble cast are the likes of Judy Garland, Lana Turner, and Jimmy Stewart.

Ides of March again

I watched Ides of March again. Such a great movie. It’s a movie that’s got it all. It’s got PLOT! It has political intrigue, character development, style, and, Ryan Gosling. What else do you want in a movie. I first saw it in the theatre and thought it seemed a little long, but today I watched it on DVD and found it trim and speedy (101 minutes, actually). This one belongs on my list of great political movies too!

Hereis my original blog entry:

Bad Teacher

“Hi, I’m a math terrorist with close ties to algebra; I have weapons of math instruction.”

“You are going to get your teachin’ on!”
-- Amy Squirrel from Bad Teacher

Bad Teacher almost reaches the heights of getting on my list of favorite edgy teacher movies – I mean it is hilarious in parts and shows the absurdity of middle schools and teachers and just teaching in general– Cameron Diaz as Elizabeth Halsey is quite funny as the bitchy, self-centered teacher who is indeed in it for summers off and nothing more. She shows movies all the time; she has a false drawer in her desk with booze and drugs; she doesn’t know any of her students’ names. My favorite part, probably because I’m an English teacher myself, happens after she learns that she could earn a bonus if her students do well on the state test. So when she finally decides to actually try to teach To Kill A Mocking Bird she gives essays where she writes on them “stupid” and “stupider” and worse and has her class visit the gym where she wails a basketball at kids who give the wrong answer.

But, unfortunately, Bad Teacher misses comedic perfection in a lot of ways. The screen play is not very tight with throw away scenes here and there and a shameful underuse of some great character actors like Molly Shannon, Jillian Armenante (I always she think she’s hilarious in anything she’s in), and Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family). Plus, the student scenes in the movie are not very well developed.

But even with all those flaws, I got some big laughs out of Bad Teacher, and, you know, I just might add it to the list.

Skateland

Skateland is a little indie flick with no big name actors that takes a stab at being the next nostalgic coming of age drama taking place in the early 1980s. It’s about a recent high school graduate Ritchie Wheeler who works at a roller rink and is stymied by indecision about his future. The sound track, Blondie, New Order and the like really brought me back to my high school years, and I enjoyed taking the wistful trip. It’s not a very original movie but it is well acted, especially by the lead actor Shiloh Fernandez who is not only adorable but has that je ne sais quoi quality. I predict future stardom for this young feller.

Win Win: Guest Entry

Friends Beth and Bruce both enjoyed Win Win as did I. Here are their thoughts on the movie:

I loved Paul Giamatti"s character and his wife played by Amy Ryan and the wrestler played by Alex Shaffer (an actual high school wrestler by the way), but I especially loved the friend of the main character played by Bobby Cannavale. I thought the movie was a good mixture of funny, real-life, and a little cheese. Bruce (former wrestler himself) said the wrestling practices were realistic and well done. I’m looking for a teenage wrestler to add to my family. Win Win was entertaining without being too preachy.

P.S.
I have been thinking about the title of Win Win. Both the wrestler and coach were kind of losers according to their own moral compasses before they met each other and then they influence each other into a win, win situation for both of them by doing what is right in the end.