June 15

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there today.

In Theaters:

Million Dollar Arm -   Although I am not a viewer of "Mad Men," I found Jon Hamm to be a most personable actor.  This film made me smile.  Based on a true story, sports agent JB Bernstein (Hamm)  is at the end of his rope as he has gone out on a limb to start his own agency and  when his one last prospect signs with another, he has to come up with an idea for getting new talent.  Enter the Million Dollar Arm reality show contest held in India.The interaction with Bernstein and his two prospects, Rinku Singh (Suraj Sharma of Life of Pi) and Dinesh Patel (Madhur Mitai of Slumdog Millionaire), is touching and Amit Rohan, the gentleman who comes along as translator and just guy Friday, is a a great comic relief. Alan Arkin plays a grouchy sports scout and Lake Bell is the love interest. The two prospects are eventually drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009 and played in their minor league teams.  Patel was eventually cut and went back to India to go back to school while Sing recently underwent surgery and hopes to play again.  It was a most enjoyable film.  My one pet peeve is that the trailers give too much away.  I knew what to expect.  Perhaps I should come to the theater after the previews! 

 Belle -  This film is based on the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle a biracial girl born in 1761 to a British admiral and African mother.  She is raised by her great uncle and aunt who treat as one of their own, but do put her in her place at times.  The uncle is the chief lawyer of England and is in the difficult position of making a decision about slaves.  Not sure I was going to like this, but it was wonderful.  The characters were intriguing, story thoughtful and acting well done.  Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Dido and is just breathtaking.  Tom Wilkenson plays her uncle and he is always good in everything he does.  Emily Watson and Miranda Richardson round out a wonderful cast.

On Netflix:

Austenland - I knew this film would not be anything that would interest Sy so I put it on my list as a guilty pleasure. Even with this in mind, it was not a very good movie.  Keri Russell stars as Jane Hayes who is so in love with all Jane Austen that she decides to go to an English resort that caters to Austen fans.  The movie is silly with a slight twist at the end, but not worth the time invested.  Jennifer Coolidge, from "Two Broke Girls", is ridiculous in the movie.  Her slapstick portrayal was annoying and not funny. Surprised to see Jane Seymour in this film, but I guess roles are not coming her way.  For a better use of your time, read a Jane Austen novel

.

The Herndon Towne Square Singers - We were in Shirlington and could not get Rush tickets.  I remembered that Becky Morgan, who is a member of this group, wrote on Facebook that they were singing this weekend.  We were in for a treat. The group sang songs of the movies.  It was hard not to sing along!  I believe it is important to support local talent and am glad we had the opportunity to see this group sing.  They have another performance today, Father's Day, at 2.

Wonderful Novel

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri - This novel begins in the 60's during the Naxalite movement in India.  It tells of two very different brothers and how their lives intertwine.  Givng you more than that would give away too much of the story. Suffice to say, it is a wonderful read and one that makes you think.  Lahiri is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and many have read her former book The Namesake.   Do yourself a favor and read this one, you won't be sorry.

New on TNT  TV:

Murder in the First - Thought this would be another crime show with two partners - one an Africian American male, Taye Diggs and another white female, Kathleen Robertson but  as the story unfolded, I realized it could not be completed in the first episode and thought it was a two parter  I found out that the series will follow one case throughout the season.  It is created by Steven Bochco and Eric Lodal so I had high hopes for it and was not disappointed.  It is good and I will continue to watch. The prime suspect right now is Eric Blount played by Tom Felton who played Draco Malfoy  in the Harry Potter series.  Steven Webber made a cameo in the first episode, but I believe will have a greater part in the series as his name appeared in the credits. Find it on demand to catch up.

Roberta

June 1

When something good happens I like to share.  If you have already read this on my facebook page just skip this paragraph.  Just got back from lunch with friends at The Glory Days Restaurant in the Fox Mill Shopping Center.  Three of us order grilled chicken salad. When they came, mine had a full breast of chicken, but the others had just a few pieces. We asked for the manager to express our displeasure. Not only did he bring out a plate of chicken for them, we had ordered bread and he gave us another loaf, coupons for free appetizers and the on top of it free dessert for the five of us - yummy ice cream sandwiches. We would have been content with just getting what we ordered, but this is how one should run a business; to rectify the mistake and go above and beyond. You can be sure that we will be patronizing this restaurant in the future. Way to go Glory Days!!

We also just attended their New Belgium Beer Dinner.  For $45 it was a wonderful deal with great food.  Arriving early, we were treated to a wonderful canape of some kind of cauliflower.  The first course was shrimp ceviche coupled with a summer  lager.  Lager was a bit watery.  Second was a peach caprese salad.  I love caprese salad.  This was coupled with a snapshot wheat beer.  The entree was a grilled pork loin with cherry compote served with a potato pancake and roasted asparagus.  This was paired with a transatlantique kriek.  I loved this beer as it tasted like champagne.  For dessert, they served homemade cheesecake infused with fresh basil and topped with blueberry and basil sauce.  This was paired with a Ramant Imperial IPA.  The food was not items that are usually served on the regular menu, but were very tasty.  Although I am not a beer drinker, Sy enjoyed the beers especially the fat tire served with the canape.  Lovely way to spend an evening.

In theaters:

Chef - When I finished watching  this film, all I wanted to do was go out to dinner.  This is a feel good movie about a chef, his dreams and how they become a reality.  No real drama, just a film that makes you smile.Jon Favreau stars as the chef and Sofia Vergara is his wife.  I like how they did not exploit Vergara's sexiness for this film, but used her Latino background as an integral part of the story.  The young boy playing their son ,Emjay Anathony, is wonderful and John Leguizamo is perfect as the line chef.  Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt and Bobby Cannavale round out this star studded cast.  

On HBO:

The Normal Heart - This poignant story about the beginning AIDS epidemic just about broke my heart.  It is based on writer Larry Kramer's story of the frustration in the gay community when the epidemic first broke out in 1981. He was a co founder of the Gay Men's Health Crisis.   Mark Ruffalo stars as the writer, Ned Weeks, who nurses his lover played by, Matt Bomer who is dying of this unnamed disease.  The story also tells of the doctor, played by Julia Roberts,who is puzzled and frustrated by having no resources to research it .Jim Parsons and Alfred Molina co star.  The movie will make you angry as the government did nothing to help this cause at the time.  And once they finally did, they following year decreased the budget for research. It will also touch your heart as the story between Weeks and Bomer is one of pure love. It is an important film to see.

The following was a review from the New York Times.  It is about the play which the movie is based: Frank Rich said:

Kramer accuses the governmental, medical and press establishments of foot-dragging in combating the disease—especially in the early days of its outbreak, when much of the play is set—and he is even tougher on homosexual leaders who, in his view, were either too cowardly or too mesmerized by the ideology of sexual liberation to get the story out. "There's not a good word to be said about anyone's behavior in this whole mess," claims one character—and certainly Mr. Kramer has few good words to say about Mayor Koch, various prominent medical organizations, The New York Times or, for that matter, most of the leadership of an unnamed organization apparently patterned after the Gay Men's Health Crisis

From the sublime to the ridiculous on HBO and Netflix:

The Heat -   I am a big fan of both of the leading stars - Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy so I put this on my list.  Was it silly yes.  Did it make me laugh out loud, yes.  Is it pure escapism absolutely!  It is an action comedy as Sandra Bullock plays a uptight FBI agent who is sent to Boston to help on a case.  She is paired with the unconventional street cop played by Melissa McCarthy who is crude, loud and does not follow anyone's rules.  You can write the rest of the story.  They bond and all is good in the end.  After watching the movie I thought about Bullock's career.  She has tackled so many different kinds of roles and does them all so well from a movie like this to Blind Side to Gravity.  She is truly a versatile actress.

May 26

On Netflix:

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete - I have had this film in my house since before we went away.  For some reason I kept putting off watching it, but finally decided to do it today   I am so glad I did not send it back before viewing it.  It was a poignant story that showed the loyalty and friendship of two young boys who are put in an unimaginable situation.  How they try to survive and the loyalty and friendship they exhibit when their mothers are arrested is a touching story. I made sure to see the credits as I thought for sure it was based on a true story.  The two young boys, Skylan Brooks and Ethan Dizon, who play the leads are marvelous and turn in convincing performances.  When you see a film like this, you realize how fortunate you are.  For a life affirming film, seen this one.

On Netflix and Streaming:

Masterpiece Classic:  Great Expectations 2011 - I must admit that my book group had this Dickens novel as their May selection and I never got around to reading it.  The day before the meeting, I decided to read a synaposis on the internet and then had the brilliant idea to see if Netflix had the video.  To my delight, they had various versions, but one from the BBC that I could stream.  So for three hours I sat and watched the series.  As with most Masterpiece Classics on BBC, it was very well done and true to the book.  The cast was unknown to me and the young actor playing Pip, Douglas Booth,  was in a word beautiful, not handsome, beautiful.  I was able to hold my own in the discussion and point out differences in the film version.  I felt like a cheating high schooler who did not do their homework, but enjoyed the film and the discussion as well.

At Signature:

The Threepenny Opera - This play was written in the 1920's based on John Gay's 1728 The Beggar's Opera.  Signature has modernized and updated the play in this production .  This time the play is set in the future surrounding the coronation of King William V (currently Prince William).  The Signature version portrays a world with violent crime, kickbacks, prostitution and poverty.  I had never seen the play and the only familiarity I had with it was Bobby Darin's version of "Mack the Knife."  The song he sang and the play I saw were not connected at all.  As always, the actors in this production were first rate.  Once again, Erin Driscoll, our favorite, played a major role as Polly, Mac's wife.  To say the play is dark is an understatement and you don't go out singing the songs.  In fact, it was hard to understand many of the lyrics.  Sy thought it was weird and hard to relate to.  Did I enjoy it, not sure as it is not your typical musical, but I am glad I saw it.  We also got rush tickets since we were in Shirlington meeting a new friend who met on our recent trip who is relocating to this area and after lunch we just went over to the theater and there were tickets to be had.  It was Memorial Day weekend and perhaps many had left town.

DWTS:

Well finally I agree with the outcome.  Although Meryl Davis is an ice skating dancer, I am glad she and Maks won.  It is about time he won and their dances were poetry in motion.  Although I did not know the contestants this season, I think the dancing was first rate.

Happy Memorial Day weekend.  Enjoy the beautiful weather on the east coast!

Roberta

May 14

As many of you know, Sy and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Eastern Europe.  As usual, I was able to watch four films in total on my flights to and from the US.  Here are my reviews of them:

On Planes and probably on Netflix or about to be released:

August: Osage County - I have to say I agree with the reviewers, the acting was superb, but the story tedious and depressing.  A death brings a dysfunctional family of daughters together.  The interaction between them and the secret that unfolds is disturbing.  I did see the play and did "enjoy" it then, but somehow in film form, it was not satisfying.  Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts head an all star cast who are all amazing. Not a film I would put at the head of my queue.  

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit - The second movie I saw was this one and it was quite good.  Not only did it hold my attention throughout, it was fun and exciting.  Chris Pine has taken over the role of Jack Ryan a CIA analyst and does a fine job with it.  I loved both Kevin Cosner and Keira Knightley in it as well.  The story has been told time and again - Ryan saves the US economy from disaster, but for pure escapism, it is worth of watch.  

Her - This film is categorized as a sci fi romantic comedy and that it is, but it is quite bizarre.  Joaquin Phoenix stars as a lonely writer who has all the tech bells and whistles in his life and falls in love with his operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson.  A bit of a stretch, yes, but I could see it happening especially to the young people who are so attached to their devices and have little social skills.  A film that makes you think, but not quite my cup of tea.  

Grudge Match - Before you all say is she kidding, this movie was a hoot.  Starring Sylvester Stallone and Robert Di Nero it tells the story of two washed up fighters who never had their final grudge match.  One does it for the money and the other for the glory.  There is a nice side story about relationships with Kim Bassinger.   Alan Arkin plays Styllone's manager and he is always good in the roles he plays.  Kevin Hart plays the promoter and he is very funny.  For a mindless film, but one that will make you laugh, see this one.  

In Theaters:

Draft Day - This was a sleeper.  The entire film takes place on one day - draft day for the NFL.  Kevin Costner plays the GM of the Cleveland Browns who has to make deals to secure a team he would be proud to call his own.  A side story with Jennifer Garner as the team's money person/lawyer is OK, but when they talk football it is even better.  A shot clock counts down the hours before the actual draft which makes the movie very suspenseful.  I couldn't leave my seat while waiting to see what would transpire.  Although I thought it would be a Moneyball rip-off, it was not. They also used a split screen technique which was very interesting and moved the story along. Denis Leary as the coach, Frank Langella as the owner and Ellen Burstyn as Costner's mother add to the ensemble.  Two actors from Veep - Timothy Simons (Jonah) and Kevin Dunn (Ben Caffrey) are featured as well.  Chadwick Boseman, a newcomer plays a draftee with heart.   For a great movie, even if you are not a sports fan, see this one.

DWTS:

It down to the finals and I must say the dancers are quite good.  I was disappointed That Charlie White, the ice skater, was  voted off this past week. I think Candace Cameron Bure is on only because she appeals to Middle America and the religious right (some of her comments about obeying her husband makes me gag!)  I have never liked Peta Murgatroyd, the professional dancer, so cannot root for her partner James Maslow who if I am being honest quite good. I believe that the final will come down to Derrick and his partner Amy Purdy and Maks and Meryl Davis, the ice skater.  They both are wonderful in their own ways. Watching Amy, a double amputee, is awe inspiring, but watching Meryl is beauty in motion. Just because he has never won, I'd like to see Maks win.   Time will tell if I am right!

April 20

On Netflix:

Dallas Buyers Club - I was fortunate to get this DVD as soon as it was released as I wanted to see for myself the performances of both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. As most of you know, they won the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Supporting Actors respectively.  The story is a touching one based on true events of Ron Woodroof who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986.  The way he extends his life is not only  brave and inspiring, but it forced the drug and medical establishment to look at  drugs available elsewhere and changing dosage of AZT.  Both actors do a very good job with their roles although McConaughey tends to mumble when he talks.  Leto brings a poignancy to his role and breaks your heart.  Jennifer Garner is a nice addition as the doctor who cares about her patients.  Uplifting in a way, but sad as well.

 

About Time - The premise of this film is absurd, time travel. Starring Domhnall Glesson as Tim and Rachel McAdams as Mary his wife, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life.  He is able to manipulate situations and not others.  It is poignant, but does not have any exciting climax.  It is just sweet.  Bill Nighy plays his father and is always a welcomed addition to anything he is in.

Frozen - This Disney award winning film is delightful for both children and adults.  Some of the jokes and side comments will go over the heads of the little ones, but delight the adults watching with them.  Abby knew all the words to every song and was mesmerized with it.  I thought the large snowman would be a bit frightening, but was not.  A sweet story about how love conquers all.  Put it on your list, you won't be disappointed.

At Woolly Mammoth Theater:

Arguendo - First let me define the title Arguendo as it is a Latin term meaning "in arguing" or "for the sake of argument."  This play contains the oral argument of an unusual case that reached the Supreme Court in 1991 - Barnes v. Glen Theater Inc.  Two South Bend Indiana clubs, Glen Theatre and the Kitty Kat Lounge sued to allow nude dancing in their clubs.  Indiana's public indecency law prohibited public nudity which required  the dancers to at least wear G-strings and pasties.  The summary sounded interesting and entertaining, but I forgot this was Woolly Mammouth and they do "interesting" things with their plays.  The play was a verbatim reenactment  of the lawyers' cases and the judges' questions and reactions.  The first part was a bit boring due to the actor playing the role of the lawyer, the second part picked up as their was a very surprising element in it.  After the show, there was a panel discussion with Marcia Coyle Chief Washington Correspondent for National Law Journal, Frank LoMonte, Executive Director of the Student Press Law Center and the moderator, Kevin Goldberg, a member of the law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth who has expertise in First Amendment, Freedom of Information Act and intellectual property issues.  They were most informative and shed light on the proceedings.  If you are interested in the law and how the Supreme Court works, this is for you.

Restaurants in and around DC:

Friends introduced us to Thai Noy in Falls Church on Washington Street.  We had a lovely evening, so we ate outside.  The food is very good.  My drunken noodles were a hit.  In fact, Sy liked them better than his dish so we switched.  The soups were interesting and for dessert we had sticky rice with coconut and mangoes which was yummy.  It is a local restaurant.  We had reservations, but I think you can get in without them.

The area around the theaters near Verizon center is really hopping, but has any wonderful restaurants.  We did not have reservations, so the wait was quite long even though there were free tables on a recent Saturday evening.  Restaurants either do not have sufficient help or hold their tables for those with reservations even if it is an hour off.  We did end up in an interesting restaurant - Zengo.  Their signature dish is blacken cod and our friends really enjoyed it.  We had short ribs and salmon which were both tasty.  The presentation is lovely and the location convenient to the theaters in the area.  They do have one strange policy, dishes come out when they are ready so one person might get their dish 5 minutes before everyone else.  I understand the policy, but not sure it is a good one.  

Last week I had lunch with a friend at Matchbox which is in the Angelika Mosaic Center in Fairfax.  The presentation our our lunches were lovely.  I had a traditional salad, since I did not want to eat bread, which was good while my friend had their gyro which came with fried chick peas in the shape of french fries.  She loved her dish.  It is a chain and I know they have a place downtown.  Worth a try.

Excellent Read:

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver - A well written story involving an unfilled woman who makes an incredible discovery and how life around her changes and she morphs into something else more beautiful just like her discovery.  Although the discovery comes early in the novel, I won't give it away here.  Read it, you will learn about the subject and issues facing our planet today.

As you can notice, I am not commenting on Dancing With The Stars.  Although I am still watching it (not in real time!) I feel no attachment to any of the dancers.

Spring has finally arrive!  Enjoy the beautiful weather.

Roberta

March 26

In Theaters:

The Grand Budapest Hotel - This Wes Anderson directed movie is in one word quirky.  When it first started, I said to myself I am going to hate it, but as it went on it grew on me.  Ralph Fiennes playing the concierge Gustave H and his lobby boy Zero played by Mathieu Amalric were wonderful in their roles. The story almost plays out as an English farce with someone dying, a stolen painting and running from the law.  Anderson has a tradition of including cameos of his favorite actors.  In this one F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Willian Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum. Jude law, Harey Keitel, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Tilda Swinton are a few that have brief, but important roles in the film.  We went with three other couples and there was no consesus on the film as one person laughed out loud and one fell asleep.  I am somewhere in the middle.

On Netflix:

Girl Most Likely - This indie dramady stars Kristen Wiig, Annette Benning, Matt Dillon, Darren Criss (Blake from Glee) and Cristopher Fitzgereld.  Not sure how I even found it and why it was on my queue, but glad it was.  It tells the story of a struggling playwright (Wiig) who tries to fit into the New York scene.  When her boyfriend leaves her, she stages an unsuccessful suicide to get him back..  She goes home to her mother (Annette Benning)  in Atlantic City and the story evolves from there.  It is touching and fun.  

Excellent Read:

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks - Although I am sure many of you have read this wonderful book, I am just getting around to reading it as many classes I have taken at OLLI as well as at my temple have referred to it.  Although this is a work of fiction, it is inspired by the true story of the Sarajevo Haggadah.  Some of the facts are true, but most of the plot and all the characters are imaginary.  The book goes back and forth from present day to the past as it traces the journey of this marvelous book.  The main character, Hanna Heath, uncovers clues to its history as she analyses and works to conserve it.  Brooks then retells these peoples' stories as they saved the book and how they came to work on it  A page turning historical novel is the best way to describe it.  If you haven't read it, do so,  you won't be disappointed.

BBC Production

The Six Wives of Henry VIII - I am watching this series though an OLLI class.  It is the 1970 BBC series starring Emmy Award winning Keith Mitchell as this colorful king.  This past week was Catherine of Aragon and it was very well done.  It is on Netflix both in discs and streaming.  It is worth your time.

DWTS:

I have to say this is the worse season of the show.  I don't care for the "stars" and except for the ice dancers, they aren't very good.  Will I still watch it, perhaps.  Although I am able to watch the two hour show in 30 minutes as I DVR it and only watch the dancing.  I think the show is ready to "jump the shark."

March 16

The pickings in the theaters are slim but here are some interesting other things to do.

On Netflix:

Don Jon - This indie movie starring Joseph Gordon-Leavitt , Scarlette Johansson and Julianne Moore tells the story of Jon Martello and his obsession with online porn.  This obsession prevents him from realizing a meaningful relationship..  He meets the girl of his dreams and things evolve from there.  It grew on me once Julianne Moore comes into the picture and makes the film a bit more poignant, but you might want to wait until it comes out on an indie channel on TV before putting it on your list.

 

A Nice Way to Spend the Afternoon:

United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra  - Last weekend we were treated to a concert  in the chamber music series.  The program included Mozart's Trio in E-flat, Shostakovich's Quartet No. 12 in D-flat and Copland's Suite from Appalachian Spring.  Our friend's son, Robbie Singer, is a member of the Marine Band and conducted the Copland piece.  Needless to say, that was my favorite with the Mozart piece a close second.  The Shostakovich piece was disconcerting to my ear, but all the musicians were first rate.  If you live in the DC area, this is a great way to spend an afternoon.  The concerts are free and are performed all over town.  For a complete listing, go to their website  www.marineband.marines.mil

At Reston Community Center:

Xanadu - What can I say about this musical based on the film starring Olivia Newton John other than it is very silly!  It is intended to be a spoof, but it was 90 minutes of my life I will never get back.  The performers were energetic and some of them had lovely voices, but I could not get past the piece itself.  Some of the music brought back the 80's especially "Have You Ever Been Mellow," but it was not enough to recommend this production.  At times it was hard to understand the leads as they both put on accents; the girl Australian and the boy surfer dude.  His voice was weak as was the older gentleman.  It is always nice to see theater and I like to support the local arts, but this was can be missed.

Fascinating Read:

The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan - Not the usual book I would pick up, but glad I did.  This book tells the incredible story of the young women of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, who unwittingly played a crucial role in one of the most significant moments in US history.  It is amazing that the people of Oak Ridge Tennessee which was home to 75,000 at its peak were kept in the dark as to what they were doing.  The book gives the reader an insight into the lives of these people, mostly women as they went along their everyday lives.  There were times that I actually gasped out loud at some of the things the scientists did to further the cause. The book was written in an interesting way.  One chapter would focus on the women and their everyday lives and then the font would change and it dealt with the science that was being done.  For an interesting look into this time of discovery, read this one.

DWTS

The new season starts Monday.  I am not familiar with most of the people.  I didn't even watch the Olympic ice dancers who recently competed in the Olympics in Soshi who will be competing and probably have an advantage with their dancing training.  Will I watch it, perhaps.

Roberta