London River

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in London on 7/7/2005, two parents arrive in search of their children: a white woman who lives in Guernsey, and an African man who comes from France, where he works. She is Christian, he Muslim. She is aghast at the changes in London: Muslims everywhere, including the neighborhood in which her daughter had a flat. When she arrives at the address, she incredulously verifies with the taxi driver that it is indeed the right place. He has lived in France for 15 years, has not seen his son in all that time, and arrives at the behest of his estranged wife to find their son.

Stephen Holden writes in the NY Times: Its stars, Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté, couldn’t possess more dissimilar screen presences. Ms. Blethyn, the British actress best known for “Secrets and Lies,” belongs to the Mike Leigh school of minutely detailed naturalism. Mr. Kouyaté, who died in April 2010 at 73, was associated for many years with the ritualistic theater of Peter Brook. Tall and gaunt, with graying dreadlocks, his deep-set eyes conveying a stoic, bone-weary resignation, he suggested a mythic African pilgrim leaning on a walking stick while roaming the world on an endless spiritual journey. “London River,” whose title evokes the city’s multicultural stream, was his final film.

A reviewer in the Telegraph UK praised it. Kouyaté, the Burkinabé veteran who died in April this year, won Berlin’s best-actor award, and it’s hard to imagine this film without his gangly, dignified stoicism at its heart. For Blethyn, who has sometimes been broad to the point o caricature, it’s a rare chance to explore a deeply plausible character from the inside out, reminding you how subtly she can handle reflexive, Middle England prejudice while keeping you on side. The film around them is timid at times, a little hemmed in by its own scrupulous humanism, but it still affords as moving an acting partnership as you’ll see all year.


In RottenTomatoes, it gets 90% - 65% marks, well illustrating how critics have a different (in this case, better) grasp of the artistry of a film.

I very much liked it.

Ten little Indians

Saw last 45 minutes of this film, on TCM. {Is that a politically correct expression these days?}It is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None. One of the characters was played by Hugh O'Brian was a favorite of mine, years ago.

Time is not kind to anyone's looks, except those who choose to try and defy time and its effects. To those time is cruel, and deservedly so.

2007

Iron Lady

I approached the film skeptical about objections voiced by some admirers of Mrs. Thatcher, to the effect that the former PM was shown disrespect by the film's treatment of her. Part of that was an abiding respect to Meryl Streep's talent and career. Part of it, as well, was my contempt for her admirers; I was never a fan of her politics or policies.

After watching the film, I have two distinct impressions: Streep, as always, nails the role in a way that, perhaps, no one else could have: she becomes Margaret Thatcher, not just with her hair and her accent and her manner, but in the very essence of her.

Secondly, I think the film was indeed disrespectful of Thatcher. The former PM is reduced to a demented former PM haunted by the ghost of her husband. Everything about her revolves around that haunting, to the point that her political career seems secondary. Margaret Thatcher was a far more important political figure, both in British and world politics, than that.

Rogert Ebert begins his review: You have to be very talented to work with Meryl Streep. It also helps to know how to use her. "The Iron Lady" fails in both of these categories. Streep creates an uncanny impersonation of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, but in this film she's all dressed up with nowhere to go.

 In RottenTomatoes, the film gets 53% - 51% ratings. A reviewer in the Guardian UK site does like it. Eventually, the film-makers suggest, Thatcher's increasing isolation, brought about by her rigidity, singlemindedness, inability to accept advice and contempt for most of her colleagues, brings about a form of madness that foreshadows the Lear-like dementia ("I will not go mad") that infects her dotage. He does criticize it, certainly praises Streep, but, in the end, does like the film (Breathtaking in its detail and nuance, its subtle gestures and inflections, this multifaceted jewel of a portrait is altogether grander than the commonplace setting of the film.)

One review I thought well captured the film was by AO Scott in the NY Times: As for “The Iron Lady” itself, beyond the challenge it poses for Ms. Streep, its own reason for being is a bit obscure. It is likely to be the definitive screen treatment of Mrs. Thatcher, at least for a while, and yet it does not really define her in any surprising or trenchant way. You are left with the impression of an old woman who can’t quite remember who she used to be and of a movie that is not so sure either.

Love or hate her, Margaret Thatcher is a grand historical figure who can not be reduced to a tottering old woman who once used to be Prime Minister.

Secretariat (2010)

Rather good dramatization of a legend. Rousing, heartwarming, and squarely traditional, Secretariat offers exactly what you'd expect from an inspirational Disney drama -- no more, and no less.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Murky remake of the Alec Guiness's serialisations of two novels by John le Carré: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People. A little difficult to follow, for the slow twists and subtle turns, as well as the at times thick accents, but, ultimately, good cinema.

Fever pitch (2005)

What a piece of garbage. Jimmy Fallon plays a school teacher whose entire life is defined by his fanaticism: he is not just a Boston Red Sox baseball fan, but everything in his life is about the baseball team. I imagine there actually are people of his ilk. Drew Barrymore plays a driven career woman who for some reason falls for this guy. Inexplicably, the film gets 64% - 62% readings in Rotten Tomatoes. Luckily, the DVD was damaged, and I got a good reason to turn this thing off.

3 books returned

The checklist manifesto: how to get things right, Atul Gawande.
Explores the use of checklists, originating in aviation, in medicine. Gawande logically moves through how lists were developed, and refined, his acceptance and adoption of lists in his medical practice, and in the WHO in a study and project on reducing the number of surgeries performed. In his usually meticulous manner, the good doctor lays out the case for using checklists: conscientiously used, well written (concise and comprehensive), they can help in any field. I quite agree. I have begun to develop a checklist for investing.

Bing Crosby: a pocketful of dreams : the early years, 1903-1940, Gary Giddins.
The only biography that seemed worth reading turned out not to be. Giddins is a music wroter with a long record; I have read some pf his work. But, in this case, he seemed to be (too) enamored of his subject matter. I put it down rather quickly. I'll have to look for another biography. My desire to read about Crosby came from reading Seabuiscuit; Crosby was a racehorse owner who was in friendly, and not-so friendly competition with the Biscuit's owner, Charles Howard. Of course, crosby also has a connection to Bix Beiderbecke. I was hoping to read all about both, but, alas, this was not to be the book for me.

The fountainhead, Ayn Rand ; with special introduction by the author. After Paul Ryan was nominated for the Republican VP nomination, I thought I would take a look at this work that he lauds as being very important in his life. I read two pages and put it down; it was very poorly written, for my taste.




One out of three is good: a .333 batting average is baseball is very good.

Water for Elephants (2011)

Cute, had its weaknesses, but it worked, for me.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)

Better than expected, really. Fairly good, rather enjoyable.

Quirky and a little reserved, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is nonetheless a charming little romantic drama sold by some strong central performances.

 McGregor's accent is rather quirky. Scott Thomas's character was quite the caricature, and weakened the film, if anything.

The Debt

Anthony Lane (not David Denby, as I mistakenly misremembered) reviewed this film in the New Yorker 21 September 2011 issue.
As with Spielberg’s “Munich,” there is an awkward, irresoluble tension between the movie’s urge to thrill and the weighty pull of the historical obligations that it seeks to assume. How much, to be blunt, should we be enjoying ourselves? What do we owe to “The Debt”? Whatever the sum, it is more than the film itself, gloomy with unease, seems able to repay.

It received a 6.9 rating in IMDb.com, and a 76% - 67% rating in RottenTomatoes. I have a calendar entry on 26 August 2011, moved up from earlier. I finally got it yesterday, and watched it last night. I rather liked it.

I liked it quite a bit. The three less renowned, younger, actors do much better work than the older, more renowned actors. All six rather botch the Israeli accent, but, again, the three younger ones do better with it.

A.O. Scott in the Times: The labors of the cast help to make “The Debt” a compact, reasonably clever and sometimes piquant entertainment, but they also make you aware that it could have been more.