"Two Lanes Of Freedom": A-. The mark of a great album: When I've listened to the album enough times that I know what I'm going to write, yet I continue to listen to the songs again. Such is the case for Tim McGraw's latest release, Two Lanes Of Freedom. This is McGraw's first effort on the Big Machine Records label, after a nasty divorce from his old label, Curb Records. The main bones of contention were the timing of the release of McGraw's last album, Emotional Traffic (reviewed here on February 11, 2012), which the singer wanted to release earlier than Curb's desired date, plus the decision of Curb to put out a greatest hits compilation (2010's Number One Hits) without the McGraw's blessing.
Two Lanes finds McGraw singing songs about some familiar themes, one of which is his love of the South. The title song of his 2009 album, Southern Voice, paid homage to some of the greats in American history (Hank Aaron, Martin Luther King, Michael Jordan, Billy Graham, Bear Bryant, etc.) who hailed from there. On Two Lanes he continues the praise in a general way with Southern Girl, preferring the dixie belles to their counterparts up north, and Nashville Without You, a very clever paean to the stars of Nashville who kept the city from being "just another river town." In the latter song he gives shout outs to the Everly Brothers ("cryin' in the rain"), Johnny Cash ("burnin' round the ring"), Kenny Rogers ("hey gambler"), Dolly Parton ("hey Jolene"), Tammy Wynette ("no woman standin' by her man"), George Jones ("he stopped loving her today"), Patsy Cline ("hey crazy"), and several others, all of whom have or had connections to the Music City.
On his 1995 album, All I Want, McGraw sings a song titled I Didn't Ask And She Didn't Say which is about running into his old flame in the Dallas airport. He wonders if she ever thinks about some of the special times they once shared before they broke up. One of my favorite songs on Two Lanes, Annie I Owe You A Dance, continues that theme, as McGraw sings about another such encounter, this time in a grocery store. He hasn't seen her in twenty years, but before she exits with her little girl the singer and his old sweetheart have a short dance at the check-out lane. (The song also reminded me of Dan Fogelberg's Same Old Lang Syne.) Likewise, Friend Of A Friend covers similar territory in which he runs into a former girl friend who moved to a different part of the country and got married. There is a surprise ending in the last verse, as the song does not go where I expected it to go.
Of course a country album wouldn't really be country without songs about the road, which leads us to a third familiar theme. Whenever an album contains a title track, I am always curious whether that song is worthy of such distinction. The opening song of Two Lanes Of Freedom is, in fact, the title track, and I hereby give it my Seal Of Approval. The song evokes scenes of getting off the interstate and enjoying the country roads. I have driven thousands of miles on North Dakota country roads, and that was the first thing I thought of when I heard the tune.
I know God's working down from that sky blue ceiling,
And he made these old country roads for driving and dreaming,
Mine's coming true, girl, here with you on two lanes of freedom.
The next time I make a road mix, the song Two Lanes Of Freedom will be on it. Two other songs on the new album sharing the road theme are McGraw's first single off the album, the rollicking Truck Yeah, and a duet with Taylor Swift called Highway Don't Care, featuring some heavy duty guitar work by Keith Urban.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that the songs I mentioned above are the only ones worth paying attention to. (I'm sure when you saw my grade of "A-" you realized that.) Three of the best of the rest are (i) One Of Those Nights, a song about the anticipation of knowing you are about to embark upon an evening you'll be remembering a long time from now, (ii) Book Of John, about a scrap book the singer's deceased father had stuffed away in the attic, only to be discovered just as the family was ready to toss it out, and (iii) Number 37405, a lament from a man finishing up a fifteen year prison sentence for vehicular homicide.
Well she used to come and see him every other weekend
And bring him all the news from way back home,
It's been two birthdays since he's kissed her,
Five seconds since he's missed her,
Now the perfume on those letters ain't that strong.
A final Public Service Announcement, and one which I've made before with regard to other CDs: If you are inclined to purchase the album Two Lanes Of Freedom, be sure to cough up the extra three bucks that it takes to acquire the three bonus tracks. They include Annie I Owe You A Dance, a live version of Truck Yeah, and a very good "apology song," Let Me Love It Out Of You.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
The Fours & Field Contest
Three weeks from today is not only St. Patrick's Day, but Selection Sunday as well. This means bracketology, office pools, hating Duke, wishing the Gophers weren't in the NIT, Cinderella teams, fans forgetting to call the two play-in games on March 19 and 20 "first round," Charles Barkley not knowing much about the college game but still managing to make the best observations of any of the studio talking heads (other than Jay Bilas), Gus Johnson screaming into the play-by-play mic, Digger Phelps using a felt tip marker which is color-coordinated with his tie, Dick Vitale waving his hands from side to side while he uses the word "unbelievable" in every other sentence, Clark Kellogg informing us that the losing team "doesn't need a three" even though they are trailing by five with under twenty seconds to go, spectacular slam dunks, miracle finishes, and of course, One Shining Moment. The three week NCAA men's basketball tournament is possibly my favorite time of the year, right up there with the World Series (which, incidentally, lasted only four games last year).
One reason why the Big Dance takes over the country for that three week period is that even people who have not watched a college basketball game all season can get involved. Most of the major sports websites, such as cbssports.com and si.com, host their own "fill in the brackets" on-line contests in which fans can participate for free. The prevailing wisdom is that US worker productivity takes a nosedive right before and during the tournament while people fill out their brackets and discuss their predictions over the proverbial water cooler. Almost all of the contests out there involve filling out a complete set of tournament brackets for all sixty-seven games. While this is fun in its own way, let's face it. We probably can't name even one player on most of the tournament teams, so there is quite a bit of luck involved.
Although I am not a big gambler, I feel that the tournament is a little more interesting for those who have some money at stake. Accordingly, I am proposing a contest, which I have dubbed the Fours & Field Contest. For purposes of this post, I'm calling it "The FFC." All you need are seventeen warm bodies who each have ten bucks to throw away. Of course, these are make believe bucks I'm writing about, since gambling is a no-no under the law.
The FFC is all luck; your fortunes depend solely on the luck of the draw. There is, however, a lot less work involved than trying to predict the winners of sixty-seven games (which, as I pointed out, also involves a huge portion of luck). Here is how it works.
The NCAA tournament is comprised of sixty-eight teams which are announced on Selection Sunday. Two "first round" -- actually play-in, regardless of what the NCAA says -- games are held on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 19 and 20, resulting in sixty-four remaining teams. Those teams are assigned to one of four regions, East, West, Midwest and South. Each region has its own two-week tournament, with each team therein seeded from 1 through 16. The winner of each region goes to Atlanta's Georgia Dome for the Final Four on April 6 and 8.
Some time between now and March 20, the Organizer of the FFC collects the imaginary $10 from each of the seventeen participants. Seventeen cards are put into a hat. One card is labeled "FIELD." The other sixteen cards have a seeding number from 1 through 4, plus the name of one of the four regions. For example, one card will be labeled "2 EAST." Another card will be labeled "4 SOUTH," etc. Once all the money has been collected and all seventeen cards are in the hat, those participants present for the drawing blindly pull a card out of the hat. For any participant not present, the Organizer selects someone to draw for that absent participant. When all the cards are drawn, there will be seventeen participants, each with her own card.
Let's say that the number 3 seed in the Midwest Region (as announced on Selection Sunday) is the Cincinnati Bearcats. Whichever participant has the "3 MIDWEST" card will have the Bearcats as her team throughout the tournament. If the number 1 seed in the West Region is the Gonzaga Bulldogs, then whichever participant has the "1 WEST" card will have the Bulldogs as her team throughout the tournament.
What about the participant who draws the card labeled "FIELD"? That lucky person will have all fifty-two teams which are not seeded in the top four of their respective regions.
Obviously, the Organizer needs to establish what the payoff structure will be before the money is collected and the cards are drawn from the hat. Since I am planning to organize my own FFC (if I can come up with seventeen people), my initial plan for how to distribute the imaginary $170 is as follows:
$5 to each participant whose team makes it to one of the four Region Finals (aka, the "Elite 8"), for a total payout of $40; plus
$10 more to each participant whose team wins one of the four Region Finals (aka, the "Final 4"), for an additional payout of $40 (cumulatively, $80); plus
$20 more to each participant whose team wins one of the two National Semifinal games in Atlanta on April 6, for an additional payout of $40 (cumulatively, $120); plus
$50 more to the participant whose team wins the National Championship game in Atlanta on April 8 (cumulatively, $170).
If the FFC participant who draws FIELD is lucky enough to have more than one team seeded 5 or below make it to the Elite 8 (or beyond), that person will be entitled to cash in for each such team. For example, if two of the teams which make it to the Elite 8 are seeded, say, # 7 and # 12, the participant who holds the FIELD card would win $10 (not just $5) at that stage.
Here are some historical tidbits about the Final Four for the last thirteen seasons (i.e., 2000-2012):
* Of the 52 teams which have reached the Final Four, 19 (37%) were # 1 seeds, 12 (23%) were # 2 seeds, 7 (13%) were # 3 seeds, 4 (8%) were # 4 seeds, and 10 (19%) were seeded # 5 or lower (i.e., from "the field").
* A # 1 seed has won the National Championship 9 out of the 13 seasons (69% of the time). A # 2 seed has won once (8% of the time), and a # 3 seed has won 3 times (23% of the time). No team seeded lower than # 3 has won the National Championship during the thirteen season span.
* The Final Four has had at least one # 1 seed 11 out of the 13 years (85% of the time). Only once, in 2008, have all four # 1 seeds made it to the Final Four.
Four quick final thoughts. First, Selection Sunday will be much more enjoyable and dramatic if the card drawing is done before the CBS telecast of the announcement of the tournament brackets. (ESPN also has a Selection Sunday show.) The show usually comes on the air at 5:30 CST. If you are going to participate in a FFC, consider having the drawing ceremony thirty minutes before the telecast. Second, I recommend having a "no trading" rule. You have to live with the team you draw. Third, if at all possible, don't allow anybody to play more than "one hand." The FFC works best with seventeen people, not fifteen with two participants paying double and drawing two cards. And fourth, I am not advocating the FFC as a replacement for the standard "fill in the brackets" contest. The latter is as American as apple pie (to coin a phrase). I am suggesting the FFC as an additional source of merriment and entertainment.
Enjoy the tournament, remember that we're talking about imaginary dollars, and by the way, Go Irish!
One reason why the Big Dance takes over the country for that three week period is that even people who have not watched a college basketball game all season can get involved. Most of the major sports websites, such as cbssports.com and si.com, host their own "fill in the brackets" on-line contests in which fans can participate for free. The prevailing wisdom is that US worker productivity takes a nosedive right before and during the tournament while people fill out their brackets and discuss their predictions over the proverbial water cooler. Almost all of the contests out there involve filling out a complete set of tournament brackets for all sixty-seven games. While this is fun in its own way, let's face it. We probably can't name even one player on most of the tournament teams, so there is quite a bit of luck involved.
Although I am not a big gambler, I feel that the tournament is a little more interesting for those who have some money at stake. Accordingly, I am proposing a contest, which I have dubbed the Fours & Field Contest. For purposes of this post, I'm calling it "The FFC." All you need are seventeen warm bodies who each have ten bucks to throw away. Of course, these are make believe bucks I'm writing about, since gambling is a no-no under the law.
The FFC is all luck; your fortunes depend solely on the luck of the draw. There is, however, a lot less work involved than trying to predict the winners of sixty-seven games (which, as I pointed out, also involves a huge portion of luck). Here is how it works.
The NCAA tournament is comprised of sixty-eight teams which are announced on Selection Sunday. Two "first round" -- actually play-in, regardless of what the NCAA says -- games are held on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 19 and 20, resulting in sixty-four remaining teams. Those teams are assigned to one of four regions, East, West, Midwest and South. Each region has its own two-week tournament, with each team therein seeded from 1 through 16. The winner of each region goes to Atlanta's Georgia Dome for the Final Four on April 6 and 8.
Some time between now and March 20, the Organizer of the FFC collects the imaginary $10 from each of the seventeen participants. Seventeen cards are put into a hat. One card is labeled "FIELD." The other sixteen cards have a seeding number from 1 through 4, plus the name of one of the four regions. For example, one card will be labeled "2 EAST." Another card will be labeled "4 SOUTH," etc. Once all the money has been collected and all seventeen cards are in the hat, those participants present for the drawing blindly pull a card out of the hat. For any participant not present, the Organizer selects someone to draw for that absent participant. When all the cards are drawn, there will be seventeen participants, each with her own card.
Let's say that the number 3 seed in the Midwest Region (as announced on Selection Sunday) is the Cincinnati Bearcats. Whichever participant has the "3 MIDWEST" card will have the Bearcats as her team throughout the tournament. If the number 1 seed in the West Region is the Gonzaga Bulldogs, then whichever participant has the "1 WEST" card will have the Bulldogs as her team throughout the tournament.
What about the participant who draws the card labeled "FIELD"? That lucky person will have all fifty-two teams which are not seeded in the top four of their respective regions.
Obviously, the Organizer needs to establish what the payoff structure will be before the money is collected and the cards are drawn from the hat. Since I am planning to organize my own FFC (if I can come up with seventeen people), my initial plan for how to distribute the imaginary $170 is as follows:
$5 to each participant whose team makes it to one of the four Region Finals (aka, the "Elite 8"), for a total payout of $40; plus
$10 more to each participant whose team wins one of the four Region Finals (aka, the "Final 4"), for an additional payout of $40 (cumulatively, $80); plus
$20 more to each participant whose team wins one of the two National Semifinal games in Atlanta on April 6, for an additional payout of $40 (cumulatively, $120); plus
$50 more to the participant whose team wins the National Championship game in Atlanta on April 8 (cumulatively, $170).
If the FFC participant who draws FIELD is lucky enough to have more than one team seeded 5 or below make it to the Elite 8 (or beyond), that person will be entitled to cash in for each such team. For example, if two of the teams which make it to the Elite 8 are seeded, say, # 7 and # 12, the participant who holds the FIELD card would win $10 (not just $5) at that stage.
Here are some historical tidbits about the Final Four for the last thirteen seasons (i.e., 2000-2012):
* Of the 52 teams which have reached the Final Four, 19 (37%) were # 1 seeds, 12 (23%) were # 2 seeds, 7 (13%) were # 3 seeds, 4 (8%) were # 4 seeds, and 10 (19%) were seeded # 5 or lower (i.e., from "the field").
* A # 1 seed has won the National Championship 9 out of the 13 seasons (69% of the time). A # 2 seed has won once (8% of the time), and a # 3 seed has won 3 times (23% of the time). No team seeded lower than # 3 has won the National Championship during the thirteen season span.
* The Final Four has had at least one # 1 seed 11 out of the 13 years (85% of the time). Only once, in 2008, have all four # 1 seeds made it to the Final Four.
Four quick final thoughts. First, Selection Sunday will be much more enjoyable and dramatic if the card drawing is done before the CBS telecast of the announcement of the tournament brackets. (ESPN also has a Selection Sunday show.) The show usually comes on the air at 5:30 CST. If you are going to participate in a FFC, consider having the drawing ceremony thirty minutes before the telecast. Second, I recommend having a "no trading" rule. You have to live with the team you draw. Third, if at all possible, don't allow anybody to play more than "one hand." The FFC works best with seventeen people, not fifteen with two participants paying double and drawing two cards. And fourth, I am not advocating the FFC as a replacement for the standard "fill in the brackets" contest. The latter is as American as apple pie (to coin a phrase). I am suggesting the FFC as an additional source of merriment and entertainment.
Enjoy the tournament, remember that we're talking about imaginary dollars, and by the way, Go Irish!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Fifth Annual Movie Ratings Recap
This is the week that has Hollywood all abuzz with eagerness and anticipation. No, not because the Academy Awards ceremony is one week from tonight. That is small potatoes. The electric vibe is due to today being the day I publish my Fifth Annual Movie Ratings Recap. To refresh your memories, you might want to take another quick look at my posts from January 12 and 15, 2012, which give a little background on my grading system and a mini-history of the Ratings Recap process. Additionally, as I wrote in my December 31 post, I decided to break with tradition -- it's tough for linear guys like me to do so -- and include the movies I saw last month with the movies from 2012. This resulted in the four movies I saw in January 2013 being included in the Ratings Recap below. If I do a Ratings Recap next year, it will be for the movies I watch in a theater from February 1, 2013 through January 31, 2014.
As you will see, I attended and reviewed thirty-seven films during the thirteen month period which ended January 31 of this year. The movies are listed in the order of my preference. For example, of the eight movies I graded an A-, I liked The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo the best. I have put the month of my review in parentheses next to each title. The movies released last year collectively comprised a strong group, slightly ahead of the 2011 offerings which I also felt was a good crop. Let's hope the trend continues for 2013.
A:
The Artist (January '12)
Les Miserables (February '13)
A-:
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (January '12)
Searching For Sugar Man (November '12)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (May '12)
Arbitrage (September '12)
A Separation (February '12)
Carnage (February '12)
Monsieur Lazhar (May '12)
Hyde Park On Hudson (December '12)
B+:
Skyfall (December '12)
Snow White And The Huntsman (June '12)
Rock Of Ages (June '12)
The Bourne Legacy (August '12)
The Hunger Games (April '12)
Silver Linings Playbook (November '12)
Argo (October '12)
Zero Dark Thirty(January '13)
Flight (November '12)
Chasing Ice (December '12)
B:
To Rome With Love (September '12)
Django Unchained (January '13)
Goon (April '12)
Thin Ice (March '12)
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen (June '12)
The Sessions (January '13)
B-:
The Grey (February '12)
The Vow (April '12)
Moonrise Kingdom (July '12)
People Like Us (August '12)
Trouble With The Curve (September '12)
Tower Heist (January '12)
The Iron Lady (January '12)
C+:
Lincoln (November '12)
Hope Springs (August '12)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (January '12)
C:
Cabin In The Woods (April '12)
As you will see, I attended and reviewed thirty-seven films during the thirteen month period which ended January 31 of this year. The movies are listed in the order of my preference. For example, of the eight movies I graded an A-, I liked The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo the best. I have put the month of my review in parentheses next to each title. The movies released last year collectively comprised a strong group, slightly ahead of the 2011 offerings which I also felt was a good crop. Let's hope the trend continues for 2013.
A:
The Artist (January '12)
Les Miserables (February '13)
A-:
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (January '12)
Searching For Sugar Man (November '12)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (May '12)
Arbitrage (September '12)
A Separation (February '12)
Carnage (February '12)
Monsieur Lazhar (May '12)
Hyde Park On Hudson (December '12)
B+:
Skyfall (December '12)
Snow White And The Huntsman (June '12)
Rock Of Ages (June '12)
The Bourne Legacy (August '12)
The Hunger Games (April '12)
Silver Linings Playbook (November '12)
Argo (October '12)
Zero Dark Thirty(January '13)
Flight (November '12)
Chasing Ice (December '12)
B:
To Rome With Love (September '12)
Django Unchained (January '13)
Goon (April '12)
Thin Ice (March '12)
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen (June '12)
The Sessions (January '13)
B-:
The Grey (February '12)
The Vow (April '12)
Moonrise Kingdom (July '12)
People Like Us (August '12)
Trouble With The Curve (September '12)
Tower Heist (January '12)
The Iron Lady (January '12)
C+:
Lincoln (November '12)
Hope Springs (August '12)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (January '12)
C:
Cabin In The Woods (April '12)
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Movie Review: "This Is 40"
"This Is 40": B+. In the winter of 1971-72 I was a twenty-four year old unattached bachelor in my third and final year of teaching sixth grade at Most Holy Trinity School in St. Louis Park. Our new principal was a guy named Terry Fenne, who also served as athletic director and hockey coach. One Saturday afternoon the two of us were riding around in his car, doing various errands for the school's hockey program. One of those errands was to stop at a house of one of the school families to pick up some hockey gear and equipment. This particular Irish family had seven extremely energetic kids, the oldest one being a seventh grader at MHT. As we were heading for the house, Terry asked me if I ever thought about getting married and raising a family. I gave a vague answer to the effect that the notion was not really anything I'd spent much time thinking about. He then said to me, "Well, after our next stop, you will probably be dissuaded from ever having children." He said this with a chuckle, but my curiosity spiked.
Sure enough, when we arrived the kids were running around all over the house, climbing on furniture, sliding down bannisters, laughing, crying, interrupting each other, in general having a wild time. It was chaos like you might see on a TV sitcom. Don't get me wrong, they were also very sweet and cute, and excited that two of the teachers from school were in their living room. But the pandemonium was over the top. Terry and I were only in the house for five minutes, but the experience wore me out. When we got back in the car I said to him, "I see what you mean."
Wednesday I was reminded of that day from forty-one years ago when I saw This Is 40. I am not sure any young single adults would be attracted to this movie, but for those who see it they just might readjust their thinking about what they'd be getting into with marriage and kids. The movie is mostly played for laughs, although there is a fair measure of serious moments. In the very first scene, Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) are showering together but the romanticism quickly ends when Pete confesses that he uses Viagra. Debbie takes that as an insult, apparently reading his usage as a sign that he does not naturally find her "hot." With that the tone is set. Some of the jokes are raunchy, some are lame, but almost all of them are funny. The few people in attendance at the Hopkins Theater, including Momma Cuandito and I, laughed out loud at several points throughout the story, including a hilarious outtake shown during the closing credits. I wish we had seen the movie with more people, as laughter is contagious.
Pete and Debbie own a beautiful California house, complete with backyard swimming pool, which they cannot afford. Pete quit his well-paying job with Sony Music to start his fledgling record label, employing two other people, one of whom is married to Debbie's best friend. The start-up company is losing money big time, as they have attracted only one artist, relative has-been Graham Parker. The records aren't selling and the promotions are flops. Debbie is also a small business owner, with a dress shop employing two other people, including the gorgeous Desi (Megan Fox). Debbie discovers that one of her employees has stolen $12,000. Which one?
Pete tries to hide the financial woes from his wife. His credit cards are maxed out and he has missed a mortgage payment. To make matters worse he has secretly loaned his dead beat father (Albert Brooks) $80,000 over the past two years. Debbie has troubles with her father (John Lithgow) as well. Although he lives nearby, he hasn't seen her in seven years, and does not even know the names of his granddaughters. For a couple which finds the time to conduct several heart-to-heart talks, Pete and Debbie seem to run their lives on two separate paths. Their two daughters add another dynamic to the story. The thirteen year old is a sweetheart one moment, then launches into a tirade the next. When Debbie confronts her daughter's classmate who is a cyber bully, some of the funniest conversations ensue. The boy's mother is played by Melissa McCarthy, and she is absolutely at her comedic best.
Leslie Mann is the wife of the film's director, Judd Apatow. The couple's two daughters, Maude and Iris, are the two youngsters in the movie, which may explain why the tantrums directed at Debbie are so real. Mann and Rudd share an on-screen chemistry which struck me as authentic. The title of the movie suggests that when a person hits age 40, life starts to change for the worse. Smooth times are behind you, and now you have to work harder to remain happy. Pete is okay with hitting that milestone, but Debbie fears it to the point where she shaves a couple of years off her true age. If you are a parent who has 40 in your rear view mirror, this movie will probably bring back some memories, good and bad. On the other hand, if you are younger and childless, the movie could be scary as to what the future portends.
Sure enough, when we arrived the kids were running around all over the house, climbing on furniture, sliding down bannisters, laughing, crying, interrupting each other, in general having a wild time. It was chaos like you might see on a TV sitcom. Don't get me wrong, they were also very sweet and cute, and excited that two of the teachers from school were in their living room. But the pandemonium was over the top. Terry and I were only in the house for five minutes, but the experience wore me out. When we got back in the car I said to him, "I see what you mean."
Wednesday I was reminded of that day from forty-one years ago when I saw This Is 40. I am not sure any young single adults would be attracted to this movie, but for those who see it they just might readjust their thinking about what they'd be getting into with marriage and kids. The movie is mostly played for laughs, although there is a fair measure of serious moments. In the very first scene, Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) are showering together but the romanticism quickly ends when Pete confesses that he uses Viagra. Debbie takes that as an insult, apparently reading his usage as a sign that he does not naturally find her "hot." With that the tone is set. Some of the jokes are raunchy, some are lame, but almost all of them are funny. The few people in attendance at the Hopkins Theater, including Momma Cuandito and I, laughed out loud at several points throughout the story, including a hilarious outtake shown during the closing credits. I wish we had seen the movie with more people, as laughter is contagious.
Pete and Debbie own a beautiful California house, complete with backyard swimming pool, which they cannot afford. Pete quit his well-paying job with Sony Music to start his fledgling record label, employing two other people, one of whom is married to Debbie's best friend. The start-up company is losing money big time, as they have attracted only one artist, relative has-been Graham Parker. The records aren't selling and the promotions are flops. Debbie is also a small business owner, with a dress shop employing two other people, including the gorgeous Desi (Megan Fox). Debbie discovers that one of her employees has stolen $12,000. Which one?
Pete tries to hide the financial woes from his wife. His credit cards are maxed out and he has missed a mortgage payment. To make matters worse he has secretly loaned his dead beat father (Albert Brooks) $80,000 over the past two years. Debbie has troubles with her father (John Lithgow) as well. Although he lives nearby, he hasn't seen her in seven years, and does not even know the names of his granddaughters. For a couple which finds the time to conduct several heart-to-heart talks, Pete and Debbie seem to run their lives on two separate paths. Their two daughters add another dynamic to the story. The thirteen year old is a sweetheart one moment, then launches into a tirade the next. When Debbie confronts her daughter's classmate who is a cyber bully, some of the funniest conversations ensue. The boy's mother is played by Melissa McCarthy, and she is absolutely at her comedic best.
Leslie Mann is the wife of the film's director, Judd Apatow. The couple's two daughters, Maude and Iris, are the two youngsters in the movie, which may explain why the tantrums directed at Debbie are so real. Mann and Rudd share an on-screen chemistry which struck me as authentic. The title of the movie suggests that when a person hits age 40, life starts to change for the worse. Smooth times are behind you, and now you have to work harder to remain happy. Pete is okay with hitting that milestone, but Debbie fears it to the point where she shaves a couple of years off her true age. If you are a parent who has 40 in your rear view mirror, this movie will probably bring back some memories, good and bad. On the other hand, if you are younger and childless, the movie could be scary as to what the future portends.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Movie Review: "Les Miserables"
"Les Misreables": A. Proving once again that no mountain is too high, no river too wide, and no expense too steep for me to do right by my multitude of blog readers (cough! cough!), I drove over to Willow Creek on Wednesday and plunked down my $5.50 to see, for a second time, Les Miserables. The first time I saw Les Miz was three weeks ago when I went with my daughters, The Dolphin and The Minnow, to the AMC Southdale 16. It was an evening screening, and the temperature inside the theater was at least 90 degrees. I did not realize I had dozed off until a few days later when I read a review describing a couple of early scenes of which I had no recollection. Based on the last 75% of the movie which I did see, I realized the greatness of this movie -- not to mention my writing responsibilities here -- deserved better attention from me.
Of the movies released in 2012, Les Miz is my favorite. Themes of love, loyalty, revenge, retribution, honor, patriotism and bravery pervade almost every scene. The dialogue is sung by the magnificent cast, and unlike most musicals which have a featured song or two, here there are many of them which enhance and advance the story. The soundtrack has no fillers or throwaways.
Even though my sister sometimes calls me "Jean Valjean," I was not familiar with the story. I certainly had not read Victor Hugo's massive 1400 page novel; that surpasses my self-imposed page limit rule by a thousand. The plot unfolds over a period of eighteen years, two decades after the French Revolution. Essentially, it is a story of three rescues, all involving Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman). The first occurs in two quickly succeeding events at the story's beginning, following Valjean's release after having served a sentence of nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew. He has been ordered to report to a probation officer on a regular basis. Although he is nominally free, no one wants an ex-con under his roof. Accordingly, he can't find lodging until a kind priest takes him in. The desperate and destitute Valjean steals from the church, but the priest lies to the authorities to save Valjean from a return to prison. Valjean, having thus been rescued by the priest and realizing he will never really be free as long as he is under the thumb of the government, then goes on the lamb and assumes a new identity -- in effect, a rescuing of his own soul. The ruse works, although he correctly predicts that Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) will never give up the search for him. The stage is now set for the rest of the story.
The second important rescue occurs eight years later. Valjean is a successful business man who owns a factory which employs a hundred people, including Fantine (Anne Hathaway). The factory foreman fires Fantine after she is accused of immorality, but by the time Valjean finds out about her termination, Fantine is working as a prostitute. Suffering from pangs of guilt, Valjean promises the dying Fantine that he will rescue her daughter, little Cosette (Isabelle Allen), from her pitiful surroundings and take care of her. He finds Cosette living a sub-Cinderella life under the guardianship of The'nardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter), innkeepers who fleece and scam their guests. What little humor there is in this film can be found in the related scenes, accompanied (of course) by a funny tune, Master Of The House. Valjean pays the pair for releasing Cosette to his custody, a deal the innkeepers are all too eager to accept.
The third rescue occurs too late in the story to reveal much detail without spoiling the outcome. Suffice it to say that it happens in the heat of battle on the streets of Paris, and once again the noble Valjean is the hero.
There are so many things to admire and enjoy about this movie that pages could be written, and indeed pages have already been written by others over the last six weeks. I will briefly touch on three aspects. First, I salute the writers for a story structure in which only one important new character, Marius (Eddie Redmayne), is introduced in the final third of the story. He is the romantic interest of the older Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). The other characters appearing in the final third are all older versions of the characters we've met earlier. Compare this, for example, to the sloppy writing in the final season of the hit TV series Lost, where new characters were still showing up in each of the final three episodes of the six year series!
Second, there were several scenes which, two days after viewing, still remain vividly etched in my memory. Mostly I'm referring to scenes which tug at the heartstrings while depicting timeless predicaments concerning personal relationships. Some examples. Valjean's surprise and bewilderment when the priest whose expensive furnishings Valjean has stolen lies to the authorities, thereby sparing Valjean from imprisonment. The pleading of Fantine to the factory foreman to let her keep her job, followed shortly thereafter by her pleading with a nobleman to forgive her for striking him, even though he had it coming. The look on Valjean's face when he overhears Marius express his love for Cosette right before a battle against overwhelming odds versus the French army. Valjean has loved her like a daughter, but now she is a woman with a love of her own. And my favorite --again, involving eavesdropping -- when Eponine, the daughter of The'nardiers (beautiful Samantha Banks), realizes that Marius, the man of her dreams (unbeknownst to him), has fallen in love with Cosette. When the three of them sing the same song, Heart Full Of Love, without Cosette and Marius being aware of her presence, I almost lost it. Good thing I was by myself in the theater.
Finally, as noted above, the singing is performed by the actors concurrent with the action. This must be extremely difficult to pull off, but that is the vision director Tom Hooper had for the story. I knew that Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway possessed that talent, and of course we remember Amanda Seyfried's stellar turn in the musical Momma Mia. What surprised me was the singing chops of Russell Crowe, whom I believe has been handed a bum rap by the music snobs. Despite their ridicule of Crowe, I did not find fault with his crooning at all. He plays the part of a rugged government tough guy, and that is what he sounds like when he sings. What did the snobs expect, Michel Buble?
Of the movies released in 2012, Les Miz is my favorite. Themes of love, loyalty, revenge, retribution, honor, patriotism and bravery pervade almost every scene. The dialogue is sung by the magnificent cast, and unlike most musicals which have a featured song or two, here there are many of them which enhance and advance the story. The soundtrack has no fillers or throwaways.
Even though my sister sometimes calls me "Jean Valjean," I was not familiar with the story. I certainly had not read Victor Hugo's massive 1400 page novel; that surpasses my self-imposed page limit rule by a thousand. The plot unfolds over a period of eighteen years, two decades after the French Revolution. Essentially, it is a story of three rescues, all involving Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman). The first occurs in two quickly succeeding events at the story's beginning, following Valjean's release after having served a sentence of nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew. He has been ordered to report to a probation officer on a regular basis. Although he is nominally free, no one wants an ex-con under his roof. Accordingly, he can't find lodging until a kind priest takes him in. The desperate and destitute Valjean steals from the church, but the priest lies to the authorities to save Valjean from a return to prison. Valjean, having thus been rescued by the priest and realizing he will never really be free as long as he is under the thumb of the government, then goes on the lamb and assumes a new identity -- in effect, a rescuing of his own soul. The ruse works, although he correctly predicts that Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) will never give up the search for him. The stage is now set for the rest of the story.
The second important rescue occurs eight years later. Valjean is a successful business man who owns a factory which employs a hundred people, including Fantine (Anne Hathaway). The factory foreman fires Fantine after she is accused of immorality, but by the time Valjean finds out about her termination, Fantine is working as a prostitute. Suffering from pangs of guilt, Valjean promises the dying Fantine that he will rescue her daughter, little Cosette (Isabelle Allen), from her pitiful surroundings and take care of her. He finds Cosette living a sub-Cinderella life under the guardianship of The'nardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter), innkeepers who fleece and scam their guests. What little humor there is in this film can be found in the related scenes, accompanied (of course) by a funny tune, Master Of The House. Valjean pays the pair for releasing Cosette to his custody, a deal the innkeepers are all too eager to accept.
The third rescue occurs too late in the story to reveal much detail without spoiling the outcome. Suffice it to say that it happens in the heat of battle on the streets of Paris, and once again the noble Valjean is the hero.
There are so many things to admire and enjoy about this movie that pages could be written, and indeed pages have already been written by others over the last six weeks. I will briefly touch on three aspects. First, I salute the writers for a story structure in which only one important new character, Marius (Eddie Redmayne), is introduced in the final third of the story. He is the romantic interest of the older Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). The other characters appearing in the final third are all older versions of the characters we've met earlier. Compare this, for example, to the sloppy writing in the final season of the hit TV series Lost, where new characters were still showing up in each of the final three episodes of the six year series!
Second, there were several scenes which, two days after viewing, still remain vividly etched in my memory. Mostly I'm referring to scenes which tug at the heartstrings while depicting timeless predicaments concerning personal relationships. Some examples. Valjean's surprise and bewilderment when the priest whose expensive furnishings Valjean has stolen lies to the authorities, thereby sparing Valjean from imprisonment. The pleading of Fantine to the factory foreman to let her keep her job, followed shortly thereafter by her pleading with a nobleman to forgive her for striking him, even though he had it coming. The look on Valjean's face when he overhears Marius express his love for Cosette right before a battle against overwhelming odds versus the French army. Valjean has loved her like a daughter, but now she is a woman with a love of her own. And my favorite --again, involving eavesdropping -- when Eponine, the daughter of The'nardiers (beautiful Samantha Banks), realizes that Marius, the man of her dreams (unbeknownst to him), has fallen in love with Cosette. When the three of them sing the same song, Heart Full Of Love, without Cosette and Marius being aware of her presence, I almost lost it. Good thing I was by myself in the theater.
Finally, as noted above, the singing is performed by the actors concurrent with the action. This must be extremely difficult to pull off, but that is the vision director Tom Hooper had for the story. I knew that Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway possessed that talent, and of course we remember Amanda Seyfried's stellar turn in the musical Momma Mia. What surprised me was the singing chops of Russell Crowe, whom I believe has been handed a bum rap by the music snobs. Despite their ridicule of Crowe, I did not find fault with his crooning at all. He plays the part of a rugged government tough guy, and that is what he sounds like when he sings. What did the snobs expect, Michel Buble?
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