Bottom line, one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. I honestly didn't think I would be as impressed or as captivated by this film. Yes, it's Spielberg, but he often seems long-winded to me. This movie is nothing but dialogue (an opening scene of hand-to-hand combat is, mercifully, short) but that dialogue is so intelligent and engaging that you don't want to miss a word. We know the outcome but there is still a sense of suspense: will President Lincoln get the votes he needs in the House of Representatives to get the 13th Amendment passed? Will he be able to do this before the war ends, before the South surrenders?
The cast of characters is huge, and they are almost all men. Lincoln's wife is the only substantial female role and as important as she is, even Mary Todd could have been left out. This is all about Lincoln's struggle to "do the right thing" by outlawing slavery via a constitutional amendment. He knows he doesn't have enough votes and he is almost willing to use slightly underhanded means to get the additional votes from his political adversaries.
Daniel Day-Lewis must have gone to bed one night as himself and woke the next morning as Lincoln. That's how perfect he is in this role: he simply is Lincoln. The reedy voice, the scraggly hair and beard, his obvious lack of formal education heard in his grammatical errors, his stoop, his sad eyes. He is Lincoln.
The details alone make it worth seeing "Lincoln." The haze of smoke from many cigar-smoking legislators, the low light from candles, the scraggly beard of Lincoln, the clothes, the furnishings, there is no detail missed. My only negative, and it's one that I often have with Spielberg movies, is that the music is sometimes too obvious, too emotive. It is a small quibble and 95% of the viewers won't be bothered by it. (Movie music is often like a small rock in my shoe, and I readily admit it is a personal pet peeve.) And I had a small issue with Hal Holbrook's hair. Too much of something isn't necessarily a good thing. But it's a minor quibble.
Go see this movie. The marvelous acting, the set details, the incredible script, everything is excellent. But there is also a relevance today in what those statesmen were discussing almost 150 years ago. It was put most succinctly by Diane, a good friend: "I will buy this movie to show to our grandkids when they are older." It's that kind of movie, one for posterity.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Laurie Colwin
Because of this rainy weather, the most sensible thing to do today is to stay indoors and cook and read and laze about. I, personally, have done too much of that lately, being out of work and all. But I was talking to a friend about this and she mentioned making some lamb soup from a Laurie Colwin recipe and it made me want to pick up my Laurie Colwin books and either start reading or start cooking or both.
Laurie Colwin was a fiction writer and also wrote a column for Gourmet Magazine in the late 1980's and early 90's. I was a huge fan of both her stories and her food essays. She died, sadly, at the age of 48 of a heart attack, suddenly and much too young. But she left behind a great stack of books, so her legacy continues.
You can still buy her books, and you can often find them used, but it is worth searching out her two volumes of food essays, "Home Cooking" and "More Home Cooking." There are recipes but you really read them for the prose, for the witty asides about food and people and for the community of those of us who love both pursuits, reading and cooking. Just now I just sat on my bed and read an essay I had never read before, about picking raspberries. It's lovely. In an essay about roasting chickens, she discussed free-range chickens and their deliciousness and their free-range eggs, years before the whole free-range movement was even heard of. Laurie Colwin believed that what you ate should be good, no matter what it was. Beets, shortbread, soup, picnics, finicky children, she tackled all subjects and gives them all credence. Her cooking isn't fussy and doesn't involve a lot of ingredients.
Her Cornbread and Prosciutto Stuffing is a family tradition in our house. I have made her Nantucket Cranberry Pie dozens of times, there is never a scrap left (and yet I still have to explain that it is a cake, not a pie.) She makes an excellent argument against picnics and an excellent argument for making your own bread. Laurie Colwin's "recipes" are often just general notes: put the lamb shank in the pot with an onion and some garlic cloves, cover with water and let it set for hours on the lowest possible burner. That's it. But it works.
Find one of her books, whether it's from the library or a book store. Make a cup of tea (or pour a glass of wine) and curl up and read. You will be happy.
Laurie Colwin was a fiction writer and also wrote a column for Gourmet Magazine in the late 1980's and early 90's. I was a huge fan of both her stories and her food essays. She died, sadly, at the age of 48 of a heart attack, suddenly and much too young. But she left behind a great stack of books, so her legacy continues.
You can still buy her books, and you can often find them used, but it is worth searching out her two volumes of food essays, "Home Cooking" and "More Home Cooking." There are recipes but you really read them for the prose, for the witty asides about food and people and for the community of those of us who love both pursuits, reading and cooking. Just now I just sat on my bed and read an essay I had never read before, about picking raspberries. It's lovely. In an essay about roasting chickens, she discussed free-range chickens and their deliciousness and their free-range eggs, years before the whole free-range movement was even heard of. Laurie Colwin believed that what you ate should be good, no matter what it was. Beets, shortbread, soup, picnics, finicky children, she tackled all subjects and gives them all credence. Her cooking isn't fussy and doesn't involve a lot of ingredients.
Her Cornbread and Prosciutto Stuffing is a family tradition in our house. I have made her Nantucket Cranberry Pie dozens of times, there is never a scrap left (and yet I still have to explain that it is a cake, not a pie.) She makes an excellent argument against picnics and an excellent argument for making your own bread. Laurie Colwin's "recipes" are often just general notes: put the lamb shank in the pot with an onion and some garlic cloves, cover with water and let it set for hours on the lowest possible burner. That's it. But it works.
Find one of her books, whether it's from the library or a book store. Make a cup of tea (or pour a glass of wine) and curl up and read. You will be happy.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Make this!
Of the three or four people who read this on a semi-regular basis, I know most of you are good cooks. You probably have made this many times in the past. I haven't, not until this evening. I've thought about it many times but simply didn't do it until now. You can buy this in a jar but it costs about two bucks to make a batch and it goes a long way.
Caramelized Balsamic Onions
Cut two onions in half and slice thin. (Red or white or yellow onions, they are all fine, use whatever you have.) Saute in a large frying pan in a couple of tablespoons of butter (or oil) with some salt and pepper for about ten minutes, medium heat, til juicy and soft. Mix in three or four tablespoons of sugar, white or brown, turn the heat down a bit to medium low and let cook for another 5 - 8 minutes or until the onions are less juicy and look sort of dry. (It could take more than 8 minutes,) Once they are dryish, add about a half cup balsamic vinegar. Don't use the really good stuff, the Trader Joe's balsamic is fine. Stir it up and drop the heat down to really low and cook for a while, stirring about every ten minutes. This will take close to an hour. When done, you will have a tangled mess of really dark, dense, delicious onions.
You can use them in many ways. Put them on a sandwich. Eat them with a fork. Mix some of them with sour cream and a little more salt and pepper for a delicious caramelized onion dip. Thin them out a bit with some chicken broth and toss with hot pasta. Serve them along side a steak or a roast chicken or put them inside a grilled cheese sandwich. Put them on a baked potato. These are so yummy.
Caramelized Balsamic Onions
Cut two onions in half and slice thin. (Red or white or yellow onions, they are all fine, use whatever you have.) Saute in a large frying pan in a couple of tablespoons of butter (or oil) with some salt and pepper for about ten minutes, medium heat, til juicy and soft. Mix in three or four tablespoons of sugar, white or brown, turn the heat down a bit to medium low and let cook for another 5 - 8 minutes or until the onions are less juicy and look sort of dry. (It could take more than 8 minutes,) Once they are dryish, add about a half cup balsamic vinegar. Don't use the really good stuff, the Trader Joe's balsamic is fine. Stir it up and drop the heat down to really low and cook for a while, stirring about every ten minutes. This will take close to an hour. When done, you will have a tangled mess of really dark, dense, delicious onions.
You can use them in many ways. Put them on a sandwich. Eat them with a fork. Mix some of them with sour cream and a little more salt and pepper for a delicious caramelized onion dip. Thin them out a bit with some chicken broth and toss with hot pasta. Serve them along side a steak or a roast chicken or put them inside a grilled cheese sandwich. Put them on a baked potato. These are so yummy.
Movie " The Sessions"
We have all read about this movie and we all know what it's about. Therefore, this is a quick review.
It's good, although I wanted it to be better. While it is obviously about sex, it is just as much about the connections we need and try to make, about who we touch and who touches us and why that is important. Everyone in the movie is good, and there are not many players. It is charming, often funny, poignant and moving.
I think my main complaint is that they went for the emotional Hollywood ending. (No spoilers here.) There was a perfect place to end it about five minutes before they did, when all the pieces had come together, when all the characters were well on their way to being complete and whole. But I suppose that wasn't enough for the director, so it took another turn. Not a bad turn, just one that I personally felt wasn't needed.
It was nice to see Helen Hunt in a role appropriate for a 50 year old woman. Her face is angular, not always very pretty, but her body is very nice indeed. John Hawkes is really good and William H. Macy has a great role as the listener. It is certainly good enough to warrant the $7 ticket price. See it, let me know what you think.
It's good, although I wanted it to be better. While it is obviously about sex, it is just as much about the connections we need and try to make, about who we touch and who touches us and why that is important. Everyone in the movie is good, and there are not many players. It is charming, often funny, poignant and moving.
I think my main complaint is that they went for the emotional Hollywood ending. (No spoilers here.) There was a perfect place to end it about five minutes before they did, when all the pieces had come together, when all the characters were well on their way to being complete and whole. But I suppose that wasn't enough for the director, so it took another turn. Not a bad turn, just one that I personally felt wasn't needed.
It was nice to see Helen Hunt in a role appropriate for a 50 year old woman. Her face is angular, not always very pretty, but her body is very nice indeed. John Hawkes is really good and William H. Macy has a great role as the listener. It is certainly good enough to warrant the $7 ticket price. See it, let me know what you think.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Baking. NOT!!!! But thanks.
OK, I love baking. I love making cookies, pies, bread. I often give them away but the process is wonderful.
Today, with this awesomely beautiful rainy weather, I thought I would do some baking in my teeny kitchen. To refresh your memories, I have, literally, 18 inches of counter space. (I know people think I am making that up but it is true.) In those 18 inches, that's where it all has to happen. First I made a pan of cornbread because I need that for my upcoming cornbread and chorizo dressing for Thanksgiving. I make a rough cornbread, so the fact that it came out dense is fine.
Second, I wanted savory shortbread. If you know me, you know I make good shortbread. My shortbread is quite decent. However, maybe it was the fact that I tried a new recipe, maybe it was because my kitchen was warm, but honestly I think it was the teeny oven: failure!
They just didn't cook. Recipe said 45 minutes. They were in there for an hour and 15. I have an oven thermometer, so I know the temp was OK. I took them out and yelled at them.
But then, after I yelled and walked the dog in the rain (which is another story) I started thinking about those ruined shortbread with rosemary and thyme. I took all of them, as crumbly as they were, and smushed them all together, forced them against their will into a small (6 inches) springform pan and put them back in the oven. I figured there was enough butter there, they should come together and somehow cook. They are still in the oven, baking. Perhaps something good will come out of that flour and butter mixture. We'll see. Not holding out great hopes, but it could happen. A Thanksgiving miracle!
So, if you are reading this, (and why do I even say that, of course you are) have a great Thanksgiving holiday. As Jon Carroll said a couple of years ago, it is about gratitude. http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/A-song-of-thanks-3280426.php
No matter what, we all can give thanks. More to follow.
xoxo to you all
,
Today, with this awesomely beautiful rainy weather, I thought I would do some baking in my teeny kitchen. To refresh your memories, I have, literally, 18 inches of counter space. (I know people think I am making that up but it is true.) In those 18 inches, that's where it all has to happen. First I made a pan of cornbread because I need that for my upcoming cornbread and chorizo dressing for Thanksgiving. I make a rough cornbread, so the fact that it came out dense is fine.
Second, I wanted savory shortbread. If you know me, you know I make good shortbread. My shortbread is quite decent. However, maybe it was the fact that I tried a new recipe, maybe it was because my kitchen was warm, but honestly I think it was the teeny oven: failure!
They just didn't cook. Recipe said 45 minutes. They were in there for an hour and 15. I have an oven thermometer, so I know the temp was OK. I took them out and yelled at them.
But then, after I yelled and walked the dog in the rain (which is another story) I started thinking about those ruined shortbread with rosemary and thyme. I took all of them, as crumbly as they were, and smushed them all together, forced them against their will into a small (6 inches) springform pan and put them back in the oven. I figured there was enough butter there, they should come together and somehow cook. They are still in the oven, baking. Perhaps something good will come out of that flour and butter mixture. We'll see. Not holding out great hopes, but it could happen. A Thanksgiving miracle!
So, if you are reading this, (and why do I even say that, of course you are) have a great Thanksgiving holiday. As Jon Carroll said a couple of years ago, it is about gratitude. http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/A-song-of-thanks-3280426.php
No matter what, we all can give thanks. More to follow.
xoxo to you all
,
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Wine and rye
In Santa Rosa there is a great warehouse of wine, Bottle Barn. Voted top wine shop in SR by the local paper. I first had the Columbia Crest second label, Two Vines, from them. Nice Cabernet. But Safeway is currently having a sale on wines and you can get this nice Cabernet for less than $6.00 a bottle if you buy six or more. Honestly, this is a wine you can hide in your wine closet and when you have peeps over, and they have already plowed through your $30 - $50 bottles of wine, you can pull this out and not be embarrassed. It is better than average. For the price, it is very nice. I have had a couple of bottles of this and still like it a lot. The one I have now is 2009 but I kinda think they are all good. Check it out.
If you are a whiskey drinker, and like rye, I had a taste of this at Gabe's this past week and it is a winner. It tastes like autumn. It tastes warm and inviting, almost like it has some spice in it (but it doesn't, of course) and on a rainy day it makes you want to sip it and stare out the window at the rain. It's called High West Whiskey, Double Rye. If you like that sort of thing, you will like this sort of rye.
cheers.
.
If you are a whiskey drinker, and like rye, I had a taste of this at Gabe's this past week and it is a winner. It tastes like autumn. It tastes warm and inviting, almost like it has some spice in it (but it doesn't, of course) and on a rainy day it makes you want to sip it and stare out the window at the rain. It's called High West Whiskey, Double Rye. If you like that sort of thing, you will like this sort of rye.
cheers.
.
A movie and a job. Yes, A JOB!!!!!!
I could do the movie review first, order of importance and all that, but I will do the right thing and revel in the fact that I actually got hired today! I have a job! One that I got all by myself! No friends, no family, no broken bones, no connections. Yes, it is low paying but it's a job.
It is an innkeeper position in Glen Ellen, about a thirty minute drive from where I live. Front desk, standard stuff, making reservations, checking guests in and out, nothing new. The owners bought the inn last year and spent months renovating it and it is quite lovely. They have a chef person who does breakfast but they asked if I liked to cook. Duh. Yes, of course, I would love to make breakfast. It doesn't pay much but it is a foot in the door. More when I know more.
Movie: See the new James Bond movie, "Skyfall" if you haven't already. It hearkens back to the spirit of the original Bond films, but so much more visual. There are some stunning scenes, mind-blowing colors, incredibly gorgeous sets, almost Dali-esque scenes. Fast, tricky, sarcastic. Daniel Craig is good, of course, but pretty much over-played by Javier Bardem, who rocks as a villain. Albert Finney has a small part as well, and it was nice to see him back on screen. Judi Densch, always good, Ralph Fiennes, also. Check it out, it is great entertainment.
I've got turkey legs simmering in my Le Crueset pot, making some stock for Thanksgiving. My tiny home smells like the holidays. Sipping on a Manhattan. It is raining quite nicely, which makes me most content. Watching an episode of "The Guardian" via my smart Roku muffin. All is right with the world right now.
.
.
It is an innkeeper position in Glen Ellen, about a thirty minute drive from where I live. Front desk, standard stuff, making reservations, checking guests in and out, nothing new. The owners bought the inn last year and spent months renovating it and it is quite lovely. They have a chef person who does breakfast but they asked if I liked to cook. Duh. Yes, of course, I would love to make breakfast. It doesn't pay much but it is a foot in the door. More when I know more.
Movie: See the new James Bond movie, "Skyfall" if you haven't already. It hearkens back to the spirit of the original Bond films, but so much more visual. There are some stunning scenes, mind-blowing colors, incredibly gorgeous sets, almost Dali-esque scenes. Fast, tricky, sarcastic. Daniel Craig is good, of course, but pretty much over-played by Javier Bardem, who rocks as a villain. Albert Finney has a small part as well, and it was nice to see him back on screen. Judi Densch, always good, Ralph Fiennes, also. Check it out, it is great entertainment.
I've got turkey legs simmering in my Le Crueset pot, making some stock for Thanksgiving. My tiny home smells like the holidays. Sipping on a Manhattan. It is raining quite nicely, which makes me most content. Watching an episode of "The Guardian" via my smart Roku muffin. All is right with the world right now.
.
.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Random bits
It's true, I haven't posted anything in ten days. I don't know why, things have been cruising along, just didn't get motivated enough to write about stuff. Here are a few points I could have elaborated on:
1. The election. There is nothing to say about Obama's win that hasn't already been said, especially by Rachel Maddow. Four years ago we were elated that Obama was elected; this time it was more a great sense of relief. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#49736294.
2. Movies: I saw "Argo" and you should, too. It's fun, fast, suspenseful, based on a real story and there is a great scene when Ben Affleck takes his shirt off. Yumm.
3. Books: Read "The 500" by Matthew Quirk. It is, as they say, a real page-turner. It could have been culled from today's headlines but that would mean that power is definitely corrupting. Taut, fast-paced, intriguing. Check it out if you have the chance. (Your local library is still a good source for books, and FREE!)
And again, if you haven't read anything by James Lee Burke, you are missing a great writer. Not only are his characters extremely well-drawn and his plots nailed down as tight as storm windows, he gives philosophy lessons as well: Once in a while, even the slowest of us has an epiphany, a brief glimpse through the shroud when we see the verities reduced to a simple equation. For someone whose profession requires him to place himself inside the mind of aberrant people, the challenge is often daunting. Then, as if you're tripping on a rock in the middle of a foot-worn, clay-smooth path, you suddenly become aware that the complexity you wish to unravel exists to a greater degree in your own mind than in the problem itself. From Burke's "The Glass Rainbow."
4. Dinner: Ate on Saturday night at Central Market in Petaluma with two of my brothers. Excellent meal, great service, delicious wine. Highly recommended.
5. Jobs: I drove to Paso Robles on Monday for a job interview, an innkeeper position. Stayed overnight at the inn, was offered the job, drove home. After mulling it over (and over and over) in the small web of my mind, I have decided not to take the job. Yes, it is a job. But there are at least a half dozen negative aspects to the situation and when added all together, those six things outweigh the goodness of being employed. Oh well. I guess I just need to trust that something else, something better, will present itself to me sometime soon.
There are other things that occupied the last ten days as well: Henry and Sam. My mother's health. Friends.
I will try to write more often, not for you out there, but for myself. However, if you do read this, thanks.
.
1. The election. There is nothing to say about Obama's win that hasn't already been said, especially by Rachel Maddow. Four years ago we were elated that Obama was elected; this time it was more a great sense of relief. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#49736294.
2. Movies: I saw "Argo" and you should, too. It's fun, fast, suspenseful, based on a real story and there is a great scene when Ben Affleck takes his shirt off. Yumm.
3. Books: Read "The 500" by Matthew Quirk. It is, as they say, a real page-turner. It could have been culled from today's headlines but that would mean that power is definitely corrupting. Taut, fast-paced, intriguing. Check it out if you have the chance. (Your local library is still a good source for books, and FREE!)
And again, if you haven't read anything by James Lee Burke, you are missing a great writer. Not only are his characters extremely well-drawn and his plots nailed down as tight as storm windows, he gives philosophy lessons as well: Once in a while, even the slowest of us has an epiphany, a brief glimpse through the shroud when we see the verities reduced to a simple equation. For someone whose profession requires him to place himself inside the mind of aberrant people, the challenge is often daunting. Then, as if you're tripping on a rock in the middle of a foot-worn, clay-smooth path, you suddenly become aware that the complexity you wish to unravel exists to a greater degree in your own mind than in the problem itself. From Burke's "The Glass Rainbow."
4. Dinner: Ate on Saturday night at Central Market in Petaluma with two of my brothers. Excellent meal, great service, delicious wine. Highly recommended.
5. Jobs: I drove to Paso Robles on Monday for a job interview, an innkeeper position. Stayed overnight at the inn, was offered the job, drove home. After mulling it over (and over and over) in the small web of my mind, I have decided not to take the job. Yes, it is a job. But there are at least a half dozen negative aspects to the situation and when added all together, those six things outweigh the goodness of being employed. Oh well. I guess I just need to trust that something else, something better, will present itself to me sometime soon.
There are other things that occupied the last ten days as well: Henry and Sam. My mother's health. Friends.
I will try to write more often, not for you out there, but for myself. However, if you do read this, thanks.
.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
So many movies, so many movie reviews
Another lovely side effect of being out of work is that I can go to the movies during the day. Reading book after book gets a little tiresome, even if the book is great, and really, how many times can walk the dog? The sad side effect is that going to the movies takes money. $7.00 a shot with my senior discount, sometimes a little less. (Hint to children: for xmas, movie passes if I am still on the dole.) Oh well. I eat a lot of free zucchini from the garden (although they are waning now) so what I spend on a movie I make up for by eating cheap.
There are no spoilers here, trust me. It's not about the plot, it's about the rest of the experience. And if you think I am spoiling, please tell me.
"The Master" Stellar performances all around. However they made this movie, which had to be on film, not digital, it is really beautifully photographed. There are scenes that show the actors faces in the perfect light which renders them true to their characters: not always nice, not always pretty but always gut-true. You could write a thesis about this movie and its themes, all about men coming home from WW2 and finding they can't fit in, about religious zealots who promise so much but deliver disappointment, about the power some have over others, about addictions, failure and lethargy. Hmm, with a list like that it's no wonder I didn't like the film. I really appreciated the talent, the amazing technique, the intensity of the story. But when the movie was over, I thought, as I did when leaving "There Will Be Blood" by the same director (Paul Thomas Anderson) "why did I watch that?" It wasn't enjoyable and left me unsettled. I must admit that it stays with you for a few days, rolling around in your mind like lost dice. I would give it a B+ for acting, technique, writing, all the concrete things about a movie but a low C for likeable-ness. Approach with caution. I know a lot of critics really liked it, so don't be afraid. Let me know what you think.
"Perks of Being a Wallflower" A much more indie movie, and I would classify it as a good date movie. High school angst, much of it deserved, much of it typical, a few twists thrown in. A bit cliched, a bit tear-jerking at parts, but OK. Good soundtrack. Worth seeing, especially at home with a bucket of good popcorn, some alcohol and a mate. I give it a C+, and if you factor in some of the songs, a B-.
"Flight" It is unlike me to see a movie in the first week it's been released. I don't like the crowds. But Steve and I went because, for me, the Denzel factor. What can I, or any woman with blood in her veins, say about Denzel? Hot? Smoking hot? Words fail. As you all undoubtedly know the arc of the story, I won't go into detail. Let's just say that as tough as this movie is, as unpleasant as it is to watch at times, I liked it. A lot. The cast is great although it is Denzel's game. Good music as well. And (no spoiler here, don't worry) John Goodman simply makes you smile. A really solid B+ and I might move it to an A- in the next couple of days. Again, no spoiler (so don't worry Gabe,) but the moral dilemmas presented many times over are great food for discussion. Would love to chat about this movie with smart movie-goers out there.
"Breakfast on Pluto" Made in 2005, directed by Neil Jordan, a very sweet, funny, serious film set in Ireland and England. Basically an abandoned baby gets raised by a regular family (in the 70's) but the kid turns out to be a transvestite, more or less. (More.) Handles the brunt of a lot of nastiness but no matter what, this character rises about it all in a nice, almost angelic manner. Grows up, tries to find his Mom, and in the meantime makes friends, enemies and tells a story. Based on a real guy's stories about his life. Maybe it was my mood at the time but I liked it a lot. And all that 70's music is spot-on. It's on DVD, perhaps on Netflix but definitely through the library.
OK, gosh, that's my movie stuff for this night. But I have more to tell you about the Smothers Brothers last season on TV from 1968-1969 which I am currently watching (thanks to the library) and will report on tomorrow. Stay tuned!
.
There are no spoilers here, trust me. It's not about the plot, it's about the rest of the experience. And if you think I am spoiling, please tell me.
"The Master" Stellar performances all around. However they made this movie, which had to be on film, not digital, it is really beautifully photographed. There are scenes that show the actors faces in the perfect light which renders them true to their characters: not always nice, not always pretty but always gut-true. You could write a thesis about this movie and its themes, all about men coming home from WW2 and finding they can't fit in, about religious zealots who promise so much but deliver disappointment, about the power some have over others, about addictions, failure and lethargy. Hmm, with a list like that it's no wonder I didn't like the film. I really appreciated the talent, the amazing technique, the intensity of the story. But when the movie was over, I thought, as I did when leaving "There Will Be Blood" by the same director (Paul Thomas Anderson) "why did I watch that?" It wasn't enjoyable and left me unsettled. I must admit that it stays with you for a few days, rolling around in your mind like lost dice. I would give it a B+ for acting, technique, writing, all the concrete things about a movie but a low C for likeable-ness. Approach with caution. I know a lot of critics really liked it, so don't be afraid. Let me know what you think.
"Perks of Being a Wallflower" A much more indie movie, and I would classify it as a good date movie. High school angst, much of it deserved, much of it typical, a few twists thrown in. A bit cliched, a bit tear-jerking at parts, but OK. Good soundtrack. Worth seeing, especially at home with a bucket of good popcorn, some alcohol and a mate. I give it a C+, and if you factor in some of the songs, a B-.
"Flight" It is unlike me to see a movie in the first week it's been released. I don't like the crowds. But Steve and I went because, for me, the Denzel factor. What can I, or any woman with blood in her veins, say about Denzel? Hot? Smoking hot? Words fail. As you all undoubtedly know the arc of the story, I won't go into detail. Let's just say that as tough as this movie is, as unpleasant as it is to watch at times, I liked it. A lot. The cast is great although it is Denzel's game. Good music as well. And (no spoiler here, don't worry) John Goodman simply makes you smile. A really solid B+ and I might move it to an A- in the next couple of days. Again, no spoiler (so don't worry Gabe,) but the moral dilemmas presented many times over are great food for discussion. Would love to chat about this movie with smart movie-goers out there.
"Breakfast on Pluto" Made in 2005, directed by Neil Jordan, a very sweet, funny, serious film set in Ireland and England. Basically an abandoned baby gets raised by a regular family (in the 70's) but the kid turns out to be a transvestite, more or less. (More.) Handles the brunt of a lot of nastiness but no matter what, this character rises about it all in a nice, almost angelic manner. Grows up, tries to find his Mom, and in the meantime makes friends, enemies and tells a story. Based on a real guy's stories about his life. Maybe it was my mood at the time but I liked it a lot. And all that 70's music is spot-on. It's on DVD, perhaps on Netflix but definitely through the library.
OK, gosh, that's my movie stuff for this night. But I have more to tell you about the Smothers Brothers last season on TV from 1968-1969 which I am currently watching (thanks to the library) and will report on tomorrow. Stay tuned!
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Thursday, November 1, 2012
Unemployment insurance woes
The most frustrating day: when I was last receiving unemployment benefits in the summer of 2011, EDD switched from issuing checks to issuing Bank of America debit cards. I received such a card for my last unemployment check, used it and threw it away. BAD IDEA! It turns out that you are supposed to keep those cards for three years, a fact I never knew until today.
It seems that the card I tossed out is now the card I need to actually get any unemployment from the government. I found all this out by listening to a taped message about the debit cards, which is astounding to me that you have to go through about ten steps to even get to that message.
Of course, the only address Bank of America has on file for me for that card is the address I was using last year, the address of my son in Daly City. B of A won't allow me to get the card because of that address. Never mind that EDD has my current Santa Rosa address, B of A doesn't care about that. I have to call EDD and explain this to them and have them contact B of A to change the address. In the meantime, I get no benefits.
I called EDD at least a dozen times today and every time, after going through the phone tree over and over, I got to the message "Due to the high call volume, we cannot assist you at this time. Please call back. Good-by." It takes more than four minutes to get to this message and you can't bypass any of the steps or the system hangs up on you. So I spent at least an hour just making the same call over and over. I also spent 30 minutes on the phone with B of A, trying to get my money. They will, of course, wire it to me via Western Union for a $25 fee, but come on, that's my friggin money, why do I need to pay to get it? So I will begin calling again tomorrow at 8:00, when EDD starts answering the phone again.
Bottom line is this: I was let go by the owners of the inn almost six weeks ago. I have had no income in that time and the small amount of unemployment insurance I will supposedly be getting isn't even enough to pay the rent, but I can't even get my hands on that. Am I pissed off? You betcha. Am I pissed off at more than just EDD? Yes. Frustrated? Oh, most certainly.
That's all.
It seems that the card I tossed out is now the card I need to actually get any unemployment from the government. I found all this out by listening to a taped message about the debit cards, which is astounding to me that you have to go through about ten steps to even get to that message.
Of course, the only address Bank of America has on file for me for that card is the address I was using last year, the address of my son in Daly City. B of A won't allow me to get the card because of that address. Never mind that EDD has my current Santa Rosa address, B of A doesn't care about that. I have to call EDD and explain this to them and have them contact B of A to change the address. In the meantime, I get no benefits.
I called EDD at least a dozen times today and every time, after going through the phone tree over and over, I got to the message "Due to the high call volume, we cannot assist you at this time. Please call back. Good-by." It takes more than four minutes to get to this message and you can't bypass any of the steps or the system hangs up on you. So I spent at least an hour just making the same call over and over. I also spent 30 minutes on the phone with B of A, trying to get my money. They will, of course, wire it to me via Western Union for a $25 fee, but come on, that's my friggin money, why do I need to pay to get it? So I will begin calling again tomorrow at 8:00, when EDD starts answering the phone again.
Bottom line is this: I was let go by the owners of the inn almost six weeks ago. I have had no income in that time and the small amount of unemployment insurance I will supposedly be getting isn't even enough to pay the rent, but I can't even get my hands on that. Am I pissed off? You betcha. Am I pissed off at more than just EDD? Yes. Frustrated? Oh, most certainly.
That's all.
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