I have to wonder what Beowulf scholars would make of screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary revisionist take on the famous Old English epic poem. “Hold me in your memory not as a king or hero, but as a flawed, fallible man,” Beowulf (voiced by Ray Winstone) says at one point. It’s as good a statement as any as to Gaiman and Avary’s agenda to ostensibly add dramatic depth to the tale. From Beowulf’s introduction as a vain braggart to his self-inflicted Faustian tragedy, with one arguable exception there’s not much shine left to his heroism by the film’s end, if there’s any at all to begin with.
Post-Veterans Day Musings
There’s nothing quite like Veterans Day to bring out the politics in everyone. I suppose it’s inevitable given how war and politics are firmly tied to each other. But it is no less distasteful to some extent. Because even as a pacifist I would not question the noble intentions of the men and women in uniform, people who put themselves at risk for the protection of others. The pacifist and the soldier may advocate and employ different means, but the goal is the same.
Health Insurance as a Sign of Community
“…I believe in private medicine, not the federal government running the health care system,” President Bush was quoted (http://www.mercurynews.com) —
as saying in regards to shooting down the SCHIP extension bill.
And there, in a nutshell, is the fundamental ideological and philosophical foundation of the debate on SCHIP and other healthcare issues. But amidst the posturing that sees Bush and his Republican supporters painted as heartless and cruel, which they are, and Democrats as pushing “socialized” medicine, there are a number of assumptions being made that remain unexcavated by media with the attention span of a bumper sticker.
‘Dan in Real Life’ —More or Less Real; Gently Sweet
Its premise fits in squarely with any number of family reunion movies – the ghastly, inferior “The Family Stone” comes immediately to mind – yet “Dan in Real Life” invites a stretchy and surprising comparison to “The Weather Man,” directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Nicholas Cage. Though tonally and stylistically very different, both films feature sad sack protagonists who, for differing reasons, can’t seem to pull their lives together. In the case of Cage’s character, David Spritz, the damage is largely self-inflicted through an inability to change what can be changed and, crucially, accept what cannot be changed. For Steve Carell’s Dan Burns, a successful advice columnist on the verge of syndication, the trouble stems from persistent grief over the death of his wife. Both men live in situations that hinder more than help, although Dan arguably has a supportive family to ease his burden. Both must learn how to move forward. These are kindred stories, in a way, although where “The Weather Man” employs fatalism that leads to cautiously hopefully stoicism, “Dan in Real Life” opts for the full-bore optimism of a romantic comedy. Unfortunately, “Dan in Real Life” doesn’t come to its conclusion with the same relentless honesty possessed by “The Weather Man.”
Where Has Privacy Gone?
It was only a few months ago when Alec Baldwin’s tirade against his daughter was released to the media. Without repeating the admittedly mean things he said, the greater question was: What business was it of ours? We didn’t know the full context of the conversation. We weren’t (and still aren’t) involved or affected by the situation. So what business was it of the media to make the tape public? Obviously, that’s a rhetorical question.
‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’ — Entertaining, Then Richly Visual
Comic Book History
The cartoon history of the Elizabethan age continues in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” the follow-up to 1998’s well-reviewed “Elizabeth.” It’s 1585, 27 years after the events in the first film, and Queen Elizabeth (Blanchett) has more troubles to contend with. The least of these is her persistent unmarried state – she’s not called the Virgin Queen for nothing – while the biggest threat to her reign is Catholic King Philip of Spain and his desire to rid England of her Protestant inclinations, a plot that involves the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots (Morton), and a Jesuit secret agent (Ifans).
En Un Sol Amarillo (Memorias de un Temblor)
The Shattering Force of Memories
Four actors from the Bolivian Teatro de Los Andes group embody composite characters based on real people. The stage is black. Hanging from ropes set to pulleys: table, chair, picture frame, window shutter. At times, the props are used with such force that, were it not for the actors’ precise choreography, one might worry about their getting beaned. But with nary a mishap, the set design’s clever minimalism yields powerfully dramatic moments. A memorable example among many memorable moments: The agonizing slice of time when a stick figure girl drawn in sand is slowly tipped off a table while a father recounts the loss of his daughter.
The Religious Right’s Trojan Horse
When it comes to the intersection of religion and public education, I’ve been fascinated by Finding Common Ground, written by Charles C. Haynes and Oliver Thomas, and endorsed by groups ranging from the Christian Coalition of America to Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. From what I’ve read so far (it’s a long document), it represents a reasonable compromise between freedom of speech, including religious speech, and the necessity to avoid government-imposed religion in schools.
‘The Darjeeling Limited’ — All Aboard for a Delightful Ride
The Darjeeling Limited” doesn’t quite have the same rolling-on-the-floor hilarity as writer/director Wes Anderson’s previous film, “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.” But the dry, quirky charm that sets Anderson apart is still there – and, for bonus points, Bill Murray gets an amusing cameo. Better yet, there’s also a dramatic undercurrent flowing gently beneath the humourous surface, quiet but unmistakably poignant. With a certain metaphorical quality to the film – for example, a train stands in for a car, which itself represents the journey, in what is essentially a road movie – “The Darjeeling Limited” is all about reconciliation.
Things You're Not Supposed to Say — Part 2
[Editor’s Note: See Part 1, Oct. 15.]
The U.S. is Not a Democracy
It’s an exaggeration, of course, to say that the United States is NOT a democracy. Unfortunately, it’s also an exaggeration to say that it is. Maybe we could call it democratish.