Baseball is like church: Many attend, but few understand
“It’s hard not to be romantic about baseball” — Billy Beane Many great things have been said about the game of baseball (and a few silly things, too — Just Google Yogi Berra), but the above quote wraps it all up nicely and puts a bow on top. I would argue that you’d be hard-pressed … Continue reading
You are born, you die, and in between you make a lot of mistakes
Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life is a difficult film. It speculates, but does not clearly state. It admires a mother’s warm smile, the smallness of a newborn in its father’s arms, and the cosmic ballet of the universe as one in the same. In short, it is a film about everything, and it is … Continue reading
The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her
Hawaii is a vacation spot. To most of us, it’s not a place where people live and certainly not where anyone dies. My wife even remarked during the opening minutes of Alexander Payne’s The Descendants that it was strange to see office buildings through Matt King’s (George Clooney) own office window. “I didn’t know they … Continue reading
The Great Oscar Race, 2012: Already out of breath
So the nominations have finally come out and I find myself even further behind than last year. I have seen a total of two of the Best Picture noms, one of the Best Actor, and an impressive ZIPPO of the Best Actress. The supporting categories are even worse. Even cinematography, a favorite category of mine, finds me at a pathetic … Continue reading
Stumbling across the finish line: Oscar picks part 2
Best Cinematography: Matthew Libatique for Black Swan, Wally Pfister for Inception, Danny Cohen for The King’s Speech, Jeff Cronenweth for The Social Network, Roger Deakins for True Grit My pick: Roger Deakins for True Grit Probable winner:Jeff Conenweth for The King’s Speech Black Swan‘s gritty, realistic visuals provide a striking counterpoint to the madness it … Continue reading
Stumbling across the finish line: Oscar picks part 1
I have failed. I have fallen one movie short in the Best Picture category and four short of my overall goal. Thirteen films in three weeks can be tricky business for a married fellow with obligations. Damn you 127 Hours for not being as easily accessible as your fellow nominees! Damn you weather for thwarting … Continue reading
One must put away childish things
Pixar is money, pure and simple. They have raised the bar on the animated film, having mastered the ability to engage a child while still holding the interest of an adult. The Toy Story series has always been pretty kid-centric but not without its mature themes. Toy Story 3 heads into infinity and almost beyond … Continue reading
The house does not rest upon the ground, but upon a woman (two, actually)
Marriage is tricky, even when things are going well. In theory, one should constantly be evolving, growing. Things get difficult when two people are asked to grow together. Sometimes we’re in different places at the same time. Such is the case with Nic (Annette Benning) and Jules (Julianne Moore) in The Kids Are All Right, … Continue reading
He who acts most kingly is king
God, I hate period pieces. Actually, that’s too much of a blanket statement. I hate most period pieces. There’s something overly formal about them (like the costumes, stifled emotions and, well, formalities) that almost immediately turns me off. I have enjoyed a few of them. I’m a huge fan of Marie Antoinette, for example, but … Continue reading
True friends stab you in the front
Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) isn’t an asshole. It’s just that he’s just trying so hard to be. Well, that’s one of his lawyers’ opinions anyway. The rest of the world seems to have reached a consensus. Lord knows the people suing him have. You’re probably familiar with the name Mark Zuckerberg. You probably even followed … Continue reading
