New Year (Day) - 1/1/11

"The time is now." That statement can apply to many different situations, plans of action, thoughts and decisions. Right at this moment, it applies to my decision to stop everything and write this first blog entry of 2011. This is the first entry in a while and there is much to say, if it is assumed that anything I have to write is worth saying or reading. It may not be but I would implore you to read on anyway.

The plan is to write daily. Or, almost daily. I might even write more than once a day. What about? Oh, it could be anything. I love film and music as you might know and now that I'm living in NYC, I will be seeing my share of plays and musicals as well.

I live in NYC. That is the most unexpected occurrence of the most recent two months. As a kid, I would watch Letterman and Regis and Kathie Lee and long to be in the city. Now, I work for Bloom Avenue, a start-up and have relocated here. I did not dream that at the end of last year I would be in a new job and a new city (on the East Coast) but I am here and I am happy. This unexpected and almost spontaneous change in the holding pattern I was in has given me new life and I need to say again, I am happy.

Having just read Delivering Happiness by Zappos founder Tony Hsieh, I have a different perspective on happiness than I used to and also have a different perspective on customer service. This is so important and I have already reached back to some of the ideas in the past few days. I am grateful for Tony's book and also for the conversation I was allowed to eavesdrop on that let me find it. I am also grateful that I can feel happiness in such an uncharacteristically uninhibited way that I was able to read about it without rolling my eyes. I can also pass happiness along and fully intend to do so.

I cannot say that life is perfect. I miss my family and don't have much going on socially but I can see past these things and have plenty to do and a mind and heart that are more open to new and unplanned events than they have ever been before. I have met some cool people already; sharing a bottle of wine with a couple on their first date just because we all seemed to enjoy conversing and chatting with a total stranger over coffee because I was able to say hello. These are not unusual events where I am concerned but have been rare of late, until very recently when the weight of dismay with everything was lifted.

Let's talk Broadway. The blizzard of December 2010 caused me to miss a play I REALLY wanted to see but I am making up for it and catching it tomorrow, 1/2/2011. Today, I caught the matinee of Steven Sondheim's "A Little Night Music". I skipped this one last time I was in NYC and would have missed it altogether had it not been for a chance encounter with John Lithgow on the Subway. He recommended it. And, I am delighted that he did! I was scared to say anything when I recognized him but we ended up having a conversation that was lovely and I ended up seeing a great musical today.

Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch are closing out the show in just seven days so I was lucky to get the tip to see it when I did. Stritch is a legend and the performance was as described...legendary. Her lines were delivered flawlessly and it was a guaranteed laugh whenever she brought her wisdom and "advice" to the stage.

Peters is an actress that I do not think I've truly appreciated until now. That can be the case when one has only seen selected performances and then encounters an actress in a starring role on Broadway. I think I can only really name one Peters role which was in "The Jerk". I laugh to myself now thinking of that film but also know that there is much more to the actress than a film that was made over 25 years ago.
"Send in the Clowns" made me cry. Literally, I did not expect to cry at all, and I felt tears. There was a vulnerability and truth to her character that came out just then. An earlier speech by Henrik, the son of Peters' former lover referred to the "truth" as something all of the characters lacked. It was at this moment in the play that one truth was exposed.

It is the first day of 2011 and I have accomplished more than I did on most days in 2010 or even 2009.

Please visit often and I will too. Happy New Year. Smile about something today. It is not too late.

A Serious(ly) Man

I love the Coen Brothers. Joel and Ethan Coen rank among my Top 10, maybe even Top 3 filmmakers/screenwriters. "A Serious Man" was not my favorite movie. After seeing 5 films in one week, I can honestly put this one at the bottom of the 5. If I go back a few weeks or fast-forward a few weeks, it will most likely not be saved from last place unless I take my nephew to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel".

I thought that there were funny parts to this film that looks at the struggle of physics professor Larry Gopnik as his life hits a chaotic wall. His wife is leaving him, his pot-smoking son is becoming a bar mitzvah and his daughter is constantly trying to wash her hair while saving money for a nose job. Richard Kind plays his uncle, who has a cist that he is constantly draining and provides some entertainment. To add to it, a student is trying to extort Gopnik and his neighbors are distracting him.

There were some funny moments and some pretty dramatic moments but in all, I didn't love this film. I wouldn't even recommend it to anyone. It isn't the worst thing I've ever seen but I just didn't get it. I wonder if maybe I don't understand enough about Judaism to really see why it is special or if it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The son and Sy Ableman (the wife's new man) were my favorite characters and did inevitably make me laugh every time they were on screen.

Probably 2/3 into the film, Gopnik seeks the counsel of a few rabbis, one of which was played by Simon Helberg (Walowitz on The Big Bang Theory) and that was a great surprise! I think this happened too late in the film and should have come sooner. He is trying to become a serious man and doesn't think he can do it on his own.

Michael Stuhlbarg did a great job of making Gopnik a character a viewer could only sympathize with and deserves kudos for his acting abilities.

Overall, I give this one a sideways thumb and still can't wait to see what the Coen's have on tap next. If I want to laugh and see a dark comedy, I'll find my Fargo DVD and leave A Serious Man on the shelf.

As I conclude this review, I feel like I really am missing something and am trying to decide if having an awful day before seeing the film led to my lack of patience with it. Maybe you'll really like it. I did laugh and did cringe and that is usually enough but I think I just wanted more. Bummer.

Heavy Films, Heavy Heart

With awards season on the horizon, I have become somewhat obsessed with catching up and keeping up with the films that are available for viewing and in only one case have I been at all disappointed at the theater. I'll review that film later! One night last week, I caught a custom double-feature at the Hillcrest Landmark Theatre and was impressed and crushed twice. "A Single Man" and then "Precious" did me in and I wouldn't change that evening for the world.

"A Single Man" stars a personal favorite, Colin Firth, in a role that displays and challenges his abilities as an actor and he wins. As George Falconer, a homosexual professor who suddenly loses his partner and finds no will to live, Firth portrays sadness beautifully and convincingly. In order to give nothing away, I am being careful here but I held my breath several times and eventually became choked up during the glimpse at one day in the man's life. Julianne Moore's small role was entertaining and impacting and along with some flashback scenes offered a glimpse into Firth's character before the death of his partner. Nicholas Hoult, who you probably remember last from "About a Boy" is grown up and gorgeous as a student who plays a big part in Falconer's last day. The fashion, the actors, the cinematography and the script make A Single Man a unique, quiet and impacting film. The use of color was incredible as well.

"Precious" was difficult because of the subject matter alone. Precious is played by a first-time actress who effectively broke my heart from the start in a painfully authentic and unexaggerated performance as a teenage girl who is pregnant by her father for the 2nd time and still finds the will to try to improve her life. She lives with her terribly abusive mother and is still in Junior High. Things begin to change when she is placed in an alternative school and begins to learn about love. This isn't a typical after-school special or Lifetime-esque movie. This is a gritty and painful story and is very hard to watch but it is worth the time. There is some relief in Precious' daydreams of becoming someone else but otherwise, it is rough. Lee Daniels did an incredible job of telling the story of Precious and made the exact right casting decisions for the title-role. It is said that he initially looked for girls who were just like Precious--living in the projects, uneducated, etc. but then he went with someone who didn't come from that background and that was the best move.

Iron Man

Robert Downey, Jr. has been "back" for a while but I think Iron Man has made it official. He's not only healthy and still brilliant but he's also a superhero.

Iron Man is a must-see on the big screen if you're considering waiting for DVD and a must-see if you're on the fence about it. Why?

1. Political: the original comic version of Iron Man, the main character Tony Stark was in Vietnam and becomes a hero in the backdrop of the Cold War. The new story for the film brings the hero into modern times and since we have a war going on as we read and write he is relevant and the kind of hero we need.

2. Acting: Robert Downey, Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow...the film combines the best of the best with an excellent story. These actors are in atypical roles which is even better.

3. No 1: the film was number one and a record-breaker for a reason. If it was awful, word would have gotten out. You need to see it so you can talk about it. This is the compelling and content-vacant peer pressure reason. I am into lists at the moment and felt two good reasons wouldn't complete the list so I added this third reason.

Iron Man had a great dialogue, great characters and entertained and excited me. There are also two noticeable sequel set-ups including a worthwhile bonus scene after the credits that make really a fourth reason to see it. You'll need to in order to enjoy the sequel or a follow-up project of any sort if it happens.

Robert Downey Jr. Bonus news: He will play "playboy" Hugh Hefner in a big-screen biopic that is slated to be aptly titled "Playboy". This news was just released hours ago.

The Bucket List

This was better than the critics say and I'd give it 5 stars but I know it is not the best film. I had to go more than 4 though because I did really, really love it. Nicholson has had more complex roles and so has Freeman. But, they gave a lot to this film and it was lovely. Nicholson and Freeman pulled off heartfelt, deep performances, not always seen in what would be considered a comedy as much as a drama and in such a mainstream film.

The men forged a friendship and found a way to live life, even when there was little left to live. So what if there was some cliche here and so what if there was some predictability. Going on the journey with these two men was cleansing and inspiring and made me remember some bad things but I was glad they were able to go where they did. The writer didn't rely on lengthy monologues to make important point but instead let the actions of the characters create poignancy.

I had to cry and really wanted to weep at the end of this film but didn't want to become a total wreck. It is a wonderful thing to feel that much every so often, even if it is the result of fiction.

I wholly recommend this film not because it will win awards but because everyone faces their own mortality and sooner the mortality of loved ones and the guys in The Bucket List is a wonderful way to face it.

Sean Hayes deserves mention too as his character and the way he played it added to every scene he was in and wasn't at all intimidated by those he was in the scenes with. It was fun to see him again.

Va a Volver

Volver is Spanish director (my favorite director) Pedro Almodovar's latest film and I am happy to report that it exceeded my expectations when I saw it this afternoon. Of course I did vow to lower my expectations after my disappointments with other films lately but even so, I had the bar set pretty high and I am happy to report that it was a great film and one I recommend to those who don't mind reading subtitles and can appreciate great acting and a great story even when they can't understand the language the actors are speaking.

Volver explores death and the return of the dead in a darkly humorous way...my favorite way, by the way. I think this film is one that would most easily be consumed by American audiences in looking back on Almodovar's previous works, with "All About My Mother", one of his greatest accomplishments and then "Talk to Her" running 2nd and 3rd behind it. It was a less obscure film than his others and at times disturbing, at other times stunning, and most of all funny with the subtlety and darkness that few can accomplish.

Penelope Cruz leads a wonderful cast of Almodovar regulars (think Christopher Guest--there are certain people he always casts and for good reason) in the story of two women, Raimunda and Sole, whose mother passed away but returned from the dead. I would elaborate but it would ruin the movie. Raimunda's husband also experiences death and her daughter Paula is along for the ride as the subject is explored from several angles. The exploration of superstition and rebirth told in this way makes for an interesting film. It is actually really difficult to summarize though so I think I'll just end here and say it gets 4 stars or 2 thumbs up or whatever you'd like. I really need to come up with my own scale soon!

Volver = to return

Before I go, it was fun being at the movies on a weekday afternoon. I was in a theater where everyone else was about 60 or older except a group of girls who were clearly ditching work. This older guy of at least 70 started chatting with me in line and of course the first thing we talked about was the weather. He told me a great story about when he lived in Maine and the weather got down to 40 below. I love those random conversations that last the duration of a stay in line. That old guy, along with Almodovar, made my day.