February 20

Eric, Betty, Sheila, Linda, Florrie and Carol Frank correctly identified:

Moses: The Lord, the Lord Jehovah has given unto you these fifteen...
[drops one of the tablets]
Moses: Oy! Ten! Ten commandments for all to obey!

coming from History of the World Part 1

Two items about last week's write-up on Coal Miner's Daughter:

• Melissa wrote to tell me that Doo died in 1996 so my instructor was in error.

• Yolanda wrote the following: "The Coal Miner's Daughter, was filmed where my mom grew up in Kentucky, also, my grandmother who will be 100 in Sept, was in the movie in her 1 room school room, playing herself a teacher in the beginning of the movie when they have a dance with children etc. "

Try this one::

"They come from the end of the line, most of them. Small towns you've never heard of, Polaski, Tennessee, Brandon, Mississippi, Port Bend, Utah, Wampum, Pennsylvania....They're the unwanted, yet they are fighting for our society, and our freedom. It's weird, isn't it?"

In Theaters:

The Iron Lady - What can I say about Meryl Streep that hasn't been said before. She is America's most acclaimed actress and deserves all the accolades she receives. She does not disappoint in this film about Margaret Thatcher. At times I didn't know if I was watching Streep or Thatcher. Her portrayal is right on. As her husband Dennis Jim Broadbent does a wonderful job as well. I know the critics gave the film lukewarm reviews, but I enjoyed it and learned and relearned quite a bit. The story does jump from past to present which can be disconcerting, but not too hard to follow. Although I haven't seen two of the actresses up for best actress for the Academy Award, I believe Streep deserves it.

On Netflix:

The Company Men - This excellent film speaks to the situation of many today as they find themselves out of a job due to downsizing, thinking they will find one quickly and have to rethink their options. It also portrays companies as selfish, greedy and uncaring, something we have come to expect. The cast is outstanding with Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Cosner and Craig T. Nelson in the leads. It is well done and thought provoking.


On Netflix and Instant Streaming:

Tender Mercies - This was the last film in the series "Not Quite Musicals". It is the 1983 film starring Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Allan Hubbard, Betty Buckley, Wilford Brimley and a very young Ellen Barkin. It was a film that was rejected by a lot of the big studios and went to cable TV very quickly. But a funny thing happened on the way to HBO, Duvall won the Academy Award for best actor and the film was nominated for best screenplay. Needless to say, the studios wanted the rights back to re-release the film, but couldn't. It was a sweet film about an alcoholic washed up country music singer/songwriter who gets his life straightened out by his new wife and family. I wondered by Duvall won the award and when I looked it up, he was the only American running. His competition were all British Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, Albert Finney and Tom Conti. Since it is instant streaming; give the film a try.

Limitless - This sci-fi type movie stars Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro. It tells of a down and out writer and what happens when he gets hooked on a drug that allows him to use all of his brain and not just a small percentage that the rest of the population does. It held my attention, but was a bit confusing especially at the end. Bradley Cooper has the bluest eyes I have even seen! Once again, since you can get it on instant streaming, you might want to give it a try.

Next weekend is the Academy Awards and I don't think I will be posting before they are announced. Although I have not seen all the nominations, here are my picks for best:

Picture - Although The Descendents will win, I would like to see War Horse or Midnight in Paris
Best Actor - George Clooney will will, I prefer Brad Pitt
Best Actress - Meryl Streep, but Viola Davis might get it which I think is just wrong - no one touches Streep!
Best Supporting Actor - Either Christopher Plummer or Max von Sydow because of their age, but the only actor I did see was Jonah Hill and he doesn't deserve it.
Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer - This in my opinion is the richest field. I thought Jessica Chastain was as good as Spencer in The Help and Berenice Bejo in The Artist was delightful.

Tune in Sunday to see if I got any of them right.

Roberta

February 13

Carol Frank and Betty correctly identified
"Mr. Prosecutor, the road to genius is paved with fumble-footing and bumbling. Anyone who falls flat on his face is at least moving in the right direction: forward. And the fellow who makes the most mistakes may be the one to save the neck of the whole world someday." coming from Son of Flubber.

Try this one: (I know many of you will know it.)

Moses: The Lord, the Lord Jehovah has given unto you these fifteen...
[drops one of the tablets]
Moses: Oy! Ten! Ten commandments for all to obey!

In Theaters:

Safe House - When friends wanted to see this movie with us, I was delighted as Sy is a fan of Denzel Washington and the previews really looked promising. This fair movie could have been excellent. It just missed the mark. Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds are on opposite sides of the law and more of a quiet give and take would have taken this film very far. Instead the pace was frenetic, violence was a bit much and the plot unbelievable.

On instant streaming and Netflix:

The Double - This film starring Richare Gere and Topher Grace is intriguing and has a twist ending. It is about searching for a Russian gangster who has seemed to reappear after going undercover since the Cold War. Gere and Grace play agents from the CIA and FBI respectively. Will it win an Oscar? no. Will it keep your interest? perhaps; Do I recommend it? yes (since it doesn't take up one of your mailed films).

Coal Miner's Daughter - This is the third installment of my class "Not Quite Musicals." This is the typical biopic that follows Loretta Lynn's rise from living in the Tennessee hills to the Grand Ole Opry. Sissy Spacek won the Academy Award for best actress. It appears that if you portray a country music star.,you win an Oscar. First Spacek then Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, Spacek sang all the songs and did a fine job with them. In fact, Beverly D'Angelo, who portrays Patsy Cline, does her own singing too. Tommy Lee Jones plays Doo, her husband. It is amazing that Loretta Lynn and Doo are still married as they married when she was only 13. Believe it or not,she was a mother at 14 and a grandmother at 29. The movie didn't break any new ground, but it was pleasant.

Touching, Poignant Book:

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon - It has been a while since a book brought tears to my eyes while I read it and this one did. Without giving too much away, it is how four lives intersect in a very unusual way. It also deals with a number of social issues. The author takes from the headlines as well as her personal experiences to weave a wonderful, heartwarming tale. If you want more information about this novel, go to Amazon for reviews. But do yourself a favor and read this lovely novel.

February 6

Carol Frank, Florrie and Betty correctly identified "Today you are the law. You are the law. Not some book. Not the lawyers. Not a marble statue, or the trappings of the court. See, those are just symbols of our desire to be just. They are, in fact, a prayer. A fervent and a frightened prayer." coming from The Verdict.

Try this one:

"Mr. Prosecutor, the road to genius is paved with fumble-footing and bumbling. Anyone who falls flat on his face is at least moving in the right direction: forward. And the fellow who makes the most mistakes may be the one to save the neck of the whole world someday."

In Theaters:

The Artist - I needed to see this homage to the silent screen era before the Academy Awards came out and to see what all the hubbub was about. I am struggling with if I liked it or not. The acting is superb. Without saying a word the characters convey the emotions and carry the story along with only their movements and facial expressions. For this reason alone, I believe the two main characters, Jean Dugardin and Berenice Bejo, rightly deserve being nominated if not win the Academy Award for acting. The actual story was has been done before - how it was for actors at the beginning of the talkie movie era. See it for yourself and decide.

On Netflix:

Fair Game - This film based on the Valerie Plame story has been sitting in my house for a few weeks and finally we got around to seeing it. I didn't think I would like it, but it was quite compelling. This is a real interesting and unsettling part of our history. Plame status as a covert CIA agent is leaked by administration in retaliation to her husband's op-ed piece accusing the Bush administration of misleading the public to justify invading Iraq. It is uncanny as much Watts looks like Plame and Sean Penn turns in a powerful performance as her husband, Joe Wilson. If you like political movies, put this one on your list.

On Netflix and Instant Viewing:

Billy Elliot - This was the second showing in my class of "Not Quite Musicals." As previously reported, we did see the show of Billy Elliot at the Kennedy Center. An interesting fact is that Billy Elliot started as a screenplay, then a novel and finally a live musical production. It was interesting to see this film after the show. I found it more emotional. The story was better developed than the show. The final 30 seconds are indescribable. It takes your breathe away! The only actor I knew was Julie Walters who played the dance teacher. It was a lovely film and one worth seeing.

Still some good movies out there to catch, so enjoy the movies.

Roberta