A break from movies, but it's for a good reason. (I do promise to write my Iron Man review soon.)
On Monday, my father turned 60 years old. On Monday, 23-year-old Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester threw a no-hitter. Both of them are cancer survivors, and every day they personify "survivor" in ways beyond any flowery cliche.
As many of you know, I found the 2007 title season more meaningful than the 2004 version, in part because my father's ups and downs mirrored the team's and Lester's.
http://womanonfilm.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-red-sox-cant-trade-jon-lester.html
Since that mid-December posting, my father's health has continued to improve. It's been 13 months since his diagnosis - hey, there's that number again! - and he really does seem to be "back," and maybe even better than before. He's working full time. He's been on vacation to Portland, OR, with Alan. He and my mother plan to drive to visit all their New York-based children next month. (I suppose the last part really ought to be the indication he's doing well - he won't leave the driving to Peter Pan, Greyhound, Amtrak, or anyone else.) Sure, he can't eat everything just yet, and his taste buds are still fried. Then again, one doesn't really need to eat beef and barbecue.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox didn't trade Lester, or Jacoby Ellsbury or Clay Buchholz, for that matter. (Thanks, Theo!) Our young lefty's season has been erratic so far - too many walks, too many pitches per start - but he did appear to be maturing more with each start. The team also seemed to play with greater streakiness than before. It's been a fun but frustrating year.
Then we hit Monday. Actually, first we hit Sunday.
My cousin Cathy invited us with her to use her brother's season tickets. Our seats were amazing, 13 rows back in a field-box seat at the edge of the outfield grass. This time, we could get there early. My father could eat a sandwich and roam the park for hard lemonade for my mother. She could sing along with "Sweet Caroline." We could stay for the whole game. And this time, the team cooperated and won. What a great turnaround from our September experience, which itself was more than we thought it would be.
That would be the greatest Red Sox birthday present for my father - right?
As I was returning home Monday night, I saw on my phone that Lester had held the Kansas City Royals hitless for seven innings. I wanted to call my parents, but I knew the superstition. (Don't talk about a no-hitter while it's in progress.) When ESPN began broadcasting the ninth inning, I began praying aloud. It was my father's birthday - would fate be kind enough to grant this gift?
YEEEEAAAHHHH! I waited 30 seconds after the game ended - where was my parents' call? Answer: They were watching House and had no idea what was happening. People!
Lester has said he doesn't want to be recognized for his medical charts anymore, that he'd rather be seen for what he does on the mound. I believe my father feels similarly (minus the baseball reference). Of course we can respect that, but at the same time, there's nothing wrong with embracing feel-great stories in cynical times.
P.S. Dad, your buddy pitched a no-no 21 months after his doctors delivered devastating health news. Twenty-one months since your cancer diagnosis would be January 2009. Hey: Walt Disney World has a series of races then. Maybe you should sign up for the 5K. There's still room. ... :)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Great Actors Don't Equal Great Product
I actually saw Smart People in April, but I was buried in those many, many Tribeca reviews. I so wanted to like this movie. I adore SJP and have for more than 20 years, and I really like Dennis Quaid. Yet the flick fell short for me; it was in love with its perceived braininess.
A lack of acuity dulls Smart People. A shame: With a gifted cast of Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page and especially Thomas Haden Church, this comedy/drama should have been more than it settles for. Alas, writer Mark Poirier skimps on character development, particularly in the relationship between gruff professor Lawrence (Quaid) and his doctor/former student, Janet (Parker). Director Noam Murro also struggles, overreaching with Sideways and Wonder Boys similarities. The banter between strikingly similar adopted brothers Lawrence and Chuck (Church) suggests the wry wit Smart People could reach, yet the film climbs to those summits all too infrequently.
A lack of acuity dulls Smart People. A shame: With a gifted cast of Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page and especially Thomas Haden Church, this comedy/drama should have been more than it settles for. Alas, writer Mark Poirier skimps on character development, particularly in the relationship between gruff professor Lawrence (Quaid) and his doctor/former student, Janet (Parker). Director Noam Murro also struggles, overreaching with Sideways and Wonder Boys similarities. The banter between strikingly similar adopted brothers Lawrence and Chuck (Church) suggests the wry wit Smart People could reach, yet the film climbs to those summits all too infrequently.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Tribeca Dispatch: Sunday, May 4
Originally, I’d planned on taking in another two volunteer screenings, to give myself 15 flicks in all. Then my friend’s father died in Boston, so I traveled north for a funeral. Therefore, this entry serves as the festival wrap-up.
On an organizational level, this year’s model was more successful than the 2007 version: fewer movies (120 vs. 160), cheaper tickets (as little as $8, as opposed to as much as $25), more centralized setting (mostly the Village East and the AMC Village VII, which are around the corner from each other, rather than trips to the Upper West Side). I know it’s silly the TRIBECA Film Festival barely took place in Tribeca, but the only large theater in the area, the Regal at Battery Park, wouldn’t give up its screens for 12 days.
The quality of the films seemed better this year. While I myself had only three movies to which I would give high marks – Kassim the Dream (which grew on me over the week), Pray the Devil Back to Hell and most notably Fighter – I at least marginally liked almost everything I saw. Last year, I think I disliked all the features and many of the documentaries. When I asked Tribeca employees and critics what they enjoyed, a consensus emerged, one reflected in the awards. Once again, documentaries ruled; I think Tribeca gets caught up in star power when it comes to features.
As I hinted in a couple of previous posts, volunteer organization could be better. Schedule us in blocks, have us work outside the box office on the day tickets go on sale (I stood in line for four hours because my fellow customers were clueless when they would get inside), make sure we have something to do, don’t overbook us. I’d consider working for the festival in 2009, but honestly, I don’t want to give up my volunteer perks of vouchers and surprise screenings!
Why was I more cranky and drained this year? I’m not 100% sure. I’ve seen more than a dozen films each of the prior two years, so it’s not that. It might be that keeping up the blog was hard work! It also might be that the weather was lousy and that I couldn’t have the entire week off from work.
Still, I love Tribeca. It really is one of the highlights of my year.
On an organizational level, this year’s model was more successful than the 2007 version: fewer movies (120 vs. 160), cheaper tickets (as little as $8, as opposed to as much as $25), more centralized setting (mostly the Village East and the AMC Village VII, which are around the corner from each other, rather than trips to the Upper West Side). I know it’s silly the TRIBECA Film Festival barely took place in Tribeca, but the only large theater in the area, the Regal at Battery Park, wouldn’t give up its screens for 12 days.
The quality of the films seemed better this year. While I myself had only three movies to which I would give high marks – Kassim the Dream (which grew on me over the week), Pray the Devil Back to Hell and most notably Fighter – I at least marginally liked almost everything I saw. Last year, I think I disliked all the features and many of the documentaries. When I asked Tribeca employees and critics what they enjoyed, a consensus emerged, one reflected in the awards. Once again, documentaries ruled; I think Tribeca gets caught up in star power when it comes to features.
As I hinted in a couple of previous posts, volunteer organization could be better. Schedule us in blocks, have us work outside the box office on the day tickets go on sale (I stood in line for four hours because my fellow customers were clueless when they would get inside), make sure we have something to do, don’t overbook us. I’d consider working for the festival in 2009, but honestly, I don’t want to give up my volunteer perks of vouchers and surprise screenings!
Why was I more cranky and drained this year? I’m not 100% sure. I’ve seen more than a dozen films each of the prior two years, so it’s not that. It might be that keeping up the blog was hard work! It also might be that the weather was lousy and that I couldn’t have the entire week off from work.
Still, I love Tribeca. It really is one of the highlights of my year.
Yes, but Can They Make Money?
As Michelle and Liz inquired, what are the box-office prospects for some of these movies?
Alas, Tribeca doesn’t have that great a track record. Transamerica, from 2005, remains the most successful money-maker to date, with $9.5 million in ticket sales and two Oscar nominations. In the past two years, a documentary has made the Best Documentary roster at the Oscars, with Taxi to the Dark Side winning for 2007.
Of my baker’s dozen, Savage Grace and Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot have release dates of May 30 and June 27, respectively, but subject matter and odd opening time likely will hurt both. Why not save Gunnin’ for Labor Day, during the Elite 24 tournament, or either the start or finish of college-basketball season? Baghdad High and The Zen of Bobby V will play on cable television later this year – HBO for Baghdad, ESPN for Bobby V – which is where both belong, as does Milosevic on Trial. (That’s played on TV overseas.)
If the Weinstein Co. picks up Trucker, expect a loud Oscar push for Michelle Monaghan. She’s very good, but not quite that great, and Harvey no longer has the Midas touch. I’d love to see Fighter receive a U.S. release and be marketed to a teen audience, but sadly, I’m not sure people can accept reading subtitles if it isn't Chinese kung-fu. (Fighter is Danish/Turkish kung-fu, though. ...) Could Theater of War ever attract anyone outside New York? Its subject matter seems limited, and it feels like a two-week run at Film Forum. I’m not sure how This Is Not a Robbery would work in a theater - TV would be better, but where? The same goes for Eden.
The Africa trio – Kassim the Dream, Pray the Devil Back to Hell and I Am Because We Are – has the biggest hurdles. No matter how much critical acclaim they receive, how much star power is behind them, how much they’re in the news, Africa documentaries simply don’t do well at the box office. Kassim has a better chance because it has the viewer friendly sports angle, but even that probably won’t be enough. Documentaries, while chic, don’t attract audiences these days, likely because the outside world is weighty enough. They’re worth a release, but an eager viewer and his or her friends need to spread the word the first week, before the movies disappear to DVD.
Alas, Tribeca doesn’t have that great a track record. Transamerica, from 2005, remains the most successful money-maker to date, with $9.5 million in ticket sales and two Oscar nominations. In the past two years, a documentary has made the Best Documentary roster at the Oscars, with Taxi to the Dark Side winning for 2007.
Of my baker’s dozen, Savage Grace and Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot have release dates of May 30 and June 27, respectively, but subject matter and odd opening time likely will hurt both. Why not save Gunnin’ for Labor Day, during the Elite 24 tournament, or either the start or finish of college-basketball season? Baghdad High and The Zen of Bobby V will play on cable television later this year – HBO for Baghdad, ESPN for Bobby V – which is where both belong, as does Milosevic on Trial. (That’s played on TV overseas.)
If the Weinstein Co. picks up Trucker, expect a loud Oscar push for Michelle Monaghan. She’s very good, but not quite that great, and Harvey no longer has the Midas touch. I’d love to see Fighter receive a U.S. release and be marketed to a teen audience, but sadly, I’m not sure people can accept reading subtitles if it isn't Chinese kung-fu. (Fighter is Danish/Turkish kung-fu, though. ...) Could Theater of War ever attract anyone outside New York? Its subject matter seems limited, and it feels like a two-week run at Film Forum. I’m not sure how This Is Not a Robbery would work in a theater - TV would be better, but where? The same goes for Eden.
The Africa trio – Kassim the Dream, Pray the Devil Back to Hell and I Am Because We Are – has the biggest hurdles. No matter how much critical acclaim they receive, how much star power is behind them, how much they’re in the news, Africa documentaries simply don’t do well at the box office. Kassim has a better chance because it has the viewer friendly sports angle, but even that probably won’t be enough. Documentaries, while chic, don’t attract audiences these days, likely because the outside world is weighty enough. They’re worth a release, but an eager viewer and his or her friends need to spread the word the first week, before the movies disappear to DVD.
Tribeca Dispatch: Saturday, May 3 (Pray)
Now for my ninth documentary ...
Second movie seen: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
What it is (description from TFF Web site): After more than a decade of civil wars leading to more than 250,000 deaths and one million refugees, a group of courageous women rose up to force peace on their shattered Liberia and propel to victory the first female head of state on the African continent.
Viewing partners: Michelle and Liz
Pray Review: The vibrant Pray the Devil Back to Hell deservedly earned Best Documentary honors at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, showcasing a riveting storyline and compelling women telling their own story, with no narrator. It also successfully balances text and narrative, using factoids that act as transitions.
In 2002, as civil war raged in Liberia, social worker Leymah formed the Christian Women’s Peace Initiative, which even Muslim women joined – the first time the two faiths came together. Journalists, police officers, secretaries and market workers engaged in seemingly simple tactics in pressing their agenda: prayer, fish market sit-ins, even initiating a sex strike. After more than a year, they made it to the peace talks in Ghana and, when all hope seemed lost, pushed the movement forward with dramatic action.
“Inspiring” and “hero” are such overused words in the English language, but they really apply when discussing the ladies of Liberia. The model of mission statements and peaceful protests legitimately could inspire women everywhere, be they in Iraq or Darfur, to urge their men to stop the violence. (Indeed, producer Abby Disney said she and director Gini Reticker have shown the film in Peru and plan to screen it in Ramallah.)
At only 72 minutes, Pray the Devil actually could stand to be longer, as the film glosses over the women’s role in Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s election as Africa’s first female head of state. Besides, it would be a pleasure to spend more time with Leymah, Janet, Asatu and their compatriots.
Second movie seen: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
What it is (description from TFF Web site): After more than a decade of civil wars leading to more than 250,000 deaths and one million refugees, a group of courageous women rose up to force peace on their shattered Liberia and propel to victory the first female head of state on the African continent.
Viewing partners: Michelle and Liz
Pray Review: The vibrant Pray the Devil Back to Hell deservedly earned Best Documentary honors at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, showcasing a riveting storyline and compelling women telling their own story, with no narrator. It also successfully balances text and narrative, using factoids that act as transitions.
In 2002, as civil war raged in Liberia, social worker Leymah formed the Christian Women’s Peace Initiative, which even Muslim women joined – the first time the two faiths came together. Journalists, police officers, secretaries and market workers engaged in seemingly simple tactics in pressing their agenda: prayer, fish market sit-ins, even initiating a sex strike. After more than a year, they made it to the peace talks in Ghana and, when all hope seemed lost, pushed the movement forward with dramatic action.
“Inspiring” and “hero” are such overused words in the English language, but they really apply when discussing the ladies of Liberia. The model of mission statements and peaceful protests legitimately could inspire women everywhere, be they in Iraq or Darfur, to urge their men to stop the violence. (Indeed, producer Abby Disney said she and director Gini Reticker have shown the film in Peru and plan to screen it in Ramallah.)
At only 72 minutes, Pray the Devil actually could stand to be longer, as the film glosses over the women’s role in Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s election as Africa’s first female head of state. Besides, it would be a pleasure to spend more time with Leymah, Janet, Asatu and their compatriots.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Tribeca Dispatch: Friday, May 2 (Fighter)
Second movie seen: Fighter
What it is (description from TFF Web site): This high-energy martial arts drama chronicles a driven high school student caught between the expectations of her traditional Turkish family and her kung fu dreams. With slickly choreographed fight scenes, Fighter is an empowering story that culminates with an emotional punch.
Viewing partners: none
Fighter Review: Bend It Like Beckham and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon can add another member to the cinematic girl-power family: Fighter, an exhilarating Danish/Turkish production about a wannabe teen kung-fu fighter.
For Aicha (Semra Turan) to achieve her dream, she has several obstacles to tackle: gender bias, failing grades, familial disapproval, and suspicions about her relationship with cute training partner Emil (Cyron Melville). Much of this sounds like the Beckham blueprint, but in Fighter, the struggles run deeper. As a member of Copenhagen’s close-knit Muslim Turkish community, Aicha will suffer grave consequences for her defiance. When her family learns her secret, we watch a food fight unlike any other, with awesome wire work – as well as punches and cruel slams of Aicha’s character.
Writer/director Natasha Arthy doesn’t make Aicha’s life a total downer: A training run with Emil over rooftops would boost even the laziest theatergoer’s endorphins, and Turan glows during the fight sequences.
The end of Fighter may not be the traditional crowd-pleaser in the American sense, but it honors Aicha and her heritage, and it still makes a person cheer. After 11 movies at the Tribeca Film Festival, I finally felt alive after this feature.
What it is (description from TFF Web site): This high-energy martial arts drama chronicles a driven high school student caught between the expectations of her traditional Turkish family and her kung fu dreams. With slickly choreographed fight scenes, Fighter is an empowering story that culminates with an emotional punch.
Viewing partners: none
Fighter Review: Bend It Like Beckham and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon can add another member to the cinematic girl-power family: Fighter, an exhilarating Danish/Turkish production about a wannabe teen kung-fu fighter.
For Aicha (Semra Turan) to achieve her dream, she has several obstacles to tackle: gender bias, failing grades, familial disapproval, and suspicions about her relationship with cute training partner Emil (Cyron Melville). Much of this sounds like the Beckham blueprint, but in Fighter, the struggles run deeper. As a member of Copenhagen’s close-knit Muslim Turkish community, Aicha will suffer grave consequences for her defiance. When her family learns her secret, we watch a food fight unlike any other, with awesome wire work – as well as punches and cruel slams of Aicha’s character.
Writer/director Natasha Arthy doesn’t make Aicha’s life a total downer: A training run with Emil over rooftops would boost even the laziest theatergoer’s endorphins, and Turan glows during the fight sequences.
The end of Fighter may not be the traditional crowd-pleaser in the American sense, but it honors Aicha and her heritage, and it still makes a person cheer. After 11 movies at the Tribeca Film Festival, I finally felt alive after this feature.
Tribeca Dispatch: Saturday, May 3 (I Am)
It was my third consecutive double-feature dip and my second double-documentary day. This time, I had company in my madness: my friend and former boss Michelle and my sister-in-law, Elizabeth. Michelle saw three movies Saturday, something I couldn’t bring myself to do on any day of the festival. Meanwhile, I don’t think Liz ever has seen two movies back to back.
First movie seen: I Am Because We Are
What it is (description from TFF Web site): Executive producer Madonna exposes the tragic stories of the millions of Malawi children orphaned by AIDS, offering both a call to action and a revelatory personal journey. Featuring interviews with Bill Clinton and Desmond Tutu, the film is a testament to survival, change, and hope.
Viewing partners: Liz and Michelle
General festival notes: 1) While waiting for Michelle – at the wrong theater, as it turns out – Liz and I saw Michael Moore (again, in my case). 2) My beloved Tribeca really ought to think about scheduling its volunteers better, as many were fried and snippy at the Village East. I did my four days of volunteering in the middle of the festival, and I thought it was just right: I could refresh the staff without burning out myself. 3) People with rush tickets for I Am Because We Are began coming into the theater much too late. The film has a lot of subtitles, which we could not read because folks were streaming in as much as 20 minutes after the movie started. 4) Michelle and Liz debated the documentary over our halftime dining. Their discussion prompted the direction of my first review, and it’s given me something else to ponder – box-office viability – for a later post.
I Am Review: As a call to awareness, I Am Because We Are offers devastating scenes of poverty, suffering and orphaned children. (Malawi’s population of 12 million includes 1 million orphans.) It also features a much-needed reminder that AIDS remains a problem: The image of a 75-pound mother so gaunt a wheelchair overwhelms her will linger in my memory for a long time.
While I admire the sentiment behind the Madonna-narrated documentary, I am not here to evaluate its social merits. I am here to examine its cinematic ones, and those credentials are somewhat shakier.
The biggest problem, ironically, is with the narrator herself. Madonna’s writing borders on clichéd – “I didn’t (choose Malawi). It chose me” - and in her attempt t0 sound dispassionate, she can come across as clipped. Watching Madonna play with the children more effectively conveys her emotions than much of what she says, although I like when she makes the connection between the death of her mother and her identification with the orphans. While Madonna (thankfully) doesn’t turn I Am into the story of her son’s adoption, it’s surprising she and director Nathan Rissman don’t delve into the issues with international adoption from Malawi.
The other hang-up comes with the overreliance of talking heads. The roster, while impressive – Jeffrey Sachs, Desmond Tutu, Bill Clinton – overwhelms after a time. I would have preferred to hear more from the people of Malawi. It’s their spirit and hope we’re supposed to admire, so let’s give them more air time.
First movie seen: I Am Because We Are
What it is (description from TFF Web site): Executive producer Madonna exposes the tragic stories of the millions of Malawi children orphaned by AIDS, offering both a call to action and a revelatory personal journey. Featuring interviews with Bill Clinton and Desmond Tutu, the film is a testament to survival, change, and hope.
Viewing partners: Liz and Michelle
General festival notes: 1) While waiting for Michelle – at the wrong theater, as it turns out – Liz and I saw Michael Moore (again, in my case). 2) My beloved Tribeca really ought to think about scheduling its volunteers better, as many were fried and snippy at the Village East. I did my four days of volunteering in the middle of the festival, and I thought it was just right: I could refresh the staff without burning out myself. 3) People with rush tickets for I Am Because We Are began coming into the theater much too late. The film has a lot of subtitles, which we could not read because folks were streaming in as much as 20 minutes after the movie started. 4) Michelle and Liz debated the documentary over our halftime dining. Their discussion prompted the direction of my first review, and it’s given me something else to ponder – box-office viability – for a later post.
I Am Review: As a call to awareness, I Am Because We Are offers devastating scenes of poverty, suffering and orphaned children. (Malawi’s population of 12 million includes 1 million orphans.) It also features a much-needed reminder that AIDS remains a problem: The image of a 75-pound mother so gaunt a wheelchair overwhelms her will linger in my memory for a long time.
While I admire the sentiment behind the Madonna-narrated documentary, I am not here to evaluate its social merits. I am here to examine its cinematic ones, and those credentials are somewhat shakier.
The biggest problem, ironically, is with the narrator herself. Madonna’s writing borders on clichéd – “I didn’t (choose Malawi). It chose me” - and in her attempt t0 sound dispassionate, she can come across as clipped. Watching Madonna play with the children more effectively conveys her emotions than much of what she says, although I like when she makes the connection between the death of her mother and her identification with the orphans. While Madonna (thankfully) doesn’t turn I Am into the story of her son’s adoption, it’s surprising she and director Nathan Rissman don’t delve into the issues with international adoption from Malawi.
The other hang-up comes with the overreliance of talking heads. The roster, while impressive – Jeffrey Sachs, Desmond Tutu, Bill Clinton – overwhelms after a time. I would have preferred to hear more from the people of Malawi. It’s their spirit and hope we’re supposed to admire, so let’s give them more air time.
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