This is where my West Wing obssession began, all with this movie. It is written by Aaron Sorkin, which makes it awesome. It is directed by Rob Reiner, making it a great romance. It has Michael Douglas, Annette Benning and Michael Fox, making it a great cast. This is one of those movies that I watch and always, always, always feel better after I've watched it. If you are looking for a good v-day movie (since it costs WAY too much to go out right now), this is it. If you have never seen this movie before and want to get all the jokes, you have to see it twice. Also, it helps (according to some g-friends) not to drink wine while trying to watch Aaron Sorkin's work. He has a tendency to go quickly and you need all your brains in order to participate.

This movie was much more viewer friendly after my last flick. It is a great romantic comedy. I highly recommend it. I think right now it is in the $13 bin at the Wally World. Totally worth the while. Watch it, love it.

I'm sure you can tell by the poster, this movie is not a family friendly piece. I can't remember how I found out about this film. I remember it being in a conversation with a friend, after it was out of theaters. I can't imagine seeing this film on the big screen. I am not sure it was something that even played in many theaters in the city because of its graphic nature and rigorous, brutal truths. The visuals in this film are beautifully disturbing. The plot line of the film is a rehabilitated skin head, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) trying to save his brother (Edward Furlong) from the crooked path of the hate and violence within the culture of the white power movement. There are two scenes in this movie that are poignant and artfully done, but unfortunately severe. One is of the racial murder Derek Vinyard (Norton) commits and the other of him being raped in prison.

Edward Norton should have won an Oscar for the performance. Norton projected enough anger that the audience could feel his seething hatred through the screen, his path to redemption is equally stirring, hopeful and real. The movie is shot in black in white to represent the past aligning Derek's character with old beliefs, motives, understandings and anger. The other half of the film is in color masterfully allowing the desperate nature of Derek to change flourish. While black and white film has it's limits, it is a perfect contrast for the white on everyone racial violence that occurs as result of Derek's brainwashed, deluded, powerful thinking. The color filming allows the audience some peace, and break the tension created with the association of the black and white anger and violence.

This movie is amazing. I would let every senior in America watch it and let it provoke exactly what it is meant to provoke: discussions on racial violence in cultures, in education, in criminal activism, government programs; discussions on hate and fear and the radical power it has over our daily lives; discussions about what true brotherhood is about, peer pressure, thinking for one's self, the consciousness instilled in us by our parents, the very being and nature with which we project ourselves to others. Unfortunately, it is graphic and excessively disturbing. I love this movie. I watch it every once in a while to remind me of who I am and who I can be in a blink of an instant if I let my anger get the better of me.

I recommend anyone see it, but know, you will be disturbed.

I have the day off today, so I thought I'd blog a bit. I have watched two more movies. One of which is new as in just bought as in now I am up to 155 movies. But let's stay in order shall we? I actually didn't watch Almost Famous, not because of any other reason than I think I have worn out my dvd! Almost Famous has a delightful story about a boy who wants to be a "rock journalist" and gets a gig to do just that. His perception of "the show" is eye opening, to say the least, in what it was like to be on a rock tour in the seventies. While the band is fiction the story is autobiographical in many ways of the director, Cameron Crowe's life. He at one point was a teenage, youthful man writing for Rolling Stone covering bands such as the Allman Brothers Band and the like. Creating a surreal environment of rock haunted by the "real world" laced with emotions of love, life and laughter, this film gives insight to the seventies, the life of rock n' roll and one's self journey and discovery. Kate Hudson wins my heart every time with her Golden Globe winning scene of Penny Lane (Kate's character) discovers the man she loves has traded her for $50 and a case of beer. When this clash of sincerity of purpose and stark realism occurs, Kate takes us through every emotion one girl can have and comes out on the other side with wit, casual laughter and charm. I watch this movie not just for the amazing acting and directing, but also for the music. I am a huge fan of seventies music (except Floyd--sorry John) and this movie is lined with it. It is one of the few movies that while could have been made into a music video as many movies have been, was appropriately moved forward through the plot by the music. Instead of John Williams, we have Lynard Skynard, Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, the Who and many others. This movie is one that everyone should have seen in the theater, bought at the high dollar price of $21.99, rented until they just sold it to you, watch all the time. Thus the reason I couldn't go through with it again, as I have worn it out. I love this movie and don't even have to watch it to know it.

Now, as for American Beauty. This movie won 5 Academy Awards and I still don't get it. It is well filmed, well acted, haunting music. It has unbelievable imagery in it and stunning woven plot lines. All in all, it is a great movie. It is classified as a dark comedy, but I classify it as weird. There is nothing comedic about it and it has the strangest ending. I watch it because of a love for Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning and the actors loaded into the cast. I am always amazed at how odd of a movie it is. I don't watch it often and have never been tempted to buy it, but Walmart put out a $4 bin. So now they tempt me with not $5 bins, but $4 bins and what is a girl like me to do when a great movie is in a bin that is less than she would normally pay? I don't particularly like the movie, but if you can help me on what is it I am missing, I would appreciate it. This movie gets a great listing but only if you can get it for four bucks, because it is hard to understand.

Sometimes my head just starts blogging on days like today. I have been crazy like so crazy, and have been afraid to even blog about movies that my crazy would shine through and all of the sudden some random employer of my future would find me unfit for my job ten years down the road thusly leading me to becoming less than and unwanted. Ewwwwwe......is a really nasty fear. But then there are days like today when the crazy sets its self aside and I go back to being the person I love to be, me.

I woke this morning to cold and uncovered feet in need of the warm fuzzy socks buried somewhere in the depths of my soft cotton sheets layered with quilt and down comforter. It is hard to pray with cold feet. To my surprise, I found my socks and headed where everyone goes first thing, the bathroom. I was only partially awake but realized that I just couldn't stand to look at the grossness of the floor of the bathroom any more. For no apparent reason, I cleaned my bathroom. One of the substances I used on the toilet is called Lime Away. By this time my socks were off as I had at one point to climb into the shower to clean it and they were laying by the side. Once I was satisfied with my work, I moved onto the mudroom, then the kitchen, then the VACCUUM! Would it never end? My husband got to a stopping point with his homework and suggested we go to Sweetwater where the coffee is good and the people appealing, and I said sure, but I needed to take a shower first. As I finished scrubbing my head and started in on my feet, I noticed that my left foot was red and burning. Something like a rash had taken hold. After the shower I had John take a better look to see if he knew what had overtaken my foot and he suggested aloe. What a smart man. It made it better. For three seconds, only to find that now I could not put a sock on it as it burned even more and worse than before the aloe. I began to look a little more closely at the rash to notice that it looked a lot like my fuzzy sock exept burned onto the top of my foot. Acid burn. Thank goodness I retained something from school. Kidding, I remembered from Fight Club, acid burn=baking soda. Instant gratification like I have never experienced. So now, I don't know if I should wash the Lime Away infested sock or throw it out and by another pair? But enough about feet, I needed good coffee and appealing people. It was time for Sweetwater.

The reason I like Sweetwater so much is that it is truely an oasis for my heart. When I am a little bit crazy, a little bit lacking, a little bit joyful, a little bit in need of something, I go to Sweetwater. I have spent months on the porch of that place smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee trying to find out who I am only to discover that I don't know. Now a days, I just go for coffee and let others smoke for me, but I like to sit and talk or not talk, just drink and let me rest. Today was especially unusual as before I headed out the door, I did an exercise in letting go. I gave God my fears through writing it down on paper and throwing it away. Initially there was one or two folks at the coffee shop. But out of nowhere a man with a funny looking case came in and another woman with a guitar and a third with a banjo and fiddle. They played for hours. I sat and drank coffee and listened for hours. I got to know these kind very professional, musicians. They made me want to play my violin, sing and stomp my feet. Instead, I just tapped my foot and listened. They played celtic, irish, blugrass, old american folk songs. They sang solos, harmony, duets and sometimes just played along, and along, and along. They joked in between, got up for more coffee, laughed at nothings which of course led back into a random chorus of something. It was just wonderful.

After a while my long time friend walked in who lives in Atlanta but for no apparent reason came to the coffee shop. We hugged and talked and loved each other the way we do. He and John spent time sharing some experience, strength and hope. We also met his sister who was dating our favorite waiter. There is something healing in seeing old friends and catching up. Something that makes the crazy seem less important and the love more important. All the while the music played and the coffee flowed.

I have been a little bit of crazy for a while. My heart has been burned like my foot was earlier today. This mystical group of wandering musicians were the base for my acid burned heart. God did take away my hurt and sorrow as soon as I gave it to Him. Just like that. There is nothing better than good coffee, good music and good friends to sooth the burn.

Okay, so I haven't posted in a while because it took me so long to be willing to watch these movies. But I am going to review both of them with a housecleaning type entry because I don't really care for either of them despite being a huge Jody Foster fan and knowing she won the oscar (Of course).

About a Boy is a lovable story about losers. It is a comedy with elements of tragedy of the human condition, luckily no one dies though. Mostly this is Hugh Grant exploring his ability to do something different in acting. He pulled it off, mostly because I think he may have been playing himself. The boy is a strong charater and has the great unfortune of wearing some of the worst clothing ever made. It is a feel good. It is not worth seeing in the theatres and while I own it, I bought it in the bin at Walmart because I thought maybe it might be worth my time. I do not watch it often, because it is so normal, but it is uplifting in some odd way. Two stars as they say?

The Accused was probably sensational as a movie in the seventies. For those faint of heart it does have a fully filmed gang rape scene in it and do not suggest this movie for just anyone. Jodie Foster is AMAZING. Why this is unusual? It's not. Kelly McGillis on the other hand, is not so amazing. Working next to Jodie has got to be hard. Kelly was out acted through out the whole movie, not that she is much of an actress any way. The constant actor versus non actor comparison makes the movie hard to watch outside of the content and almost makes it a bad movie. It is a so-so movie. I bought this one too in the Walmart bin. I don't watch it much because of the content of the plot being about rape and the graphic nature of the film, but it is a grade A film with not so great acting. Beware. Again, two stars? Maybe three...I would have seen it in the theatres in the seventies had I not been 2. I would own it too, but am glad I didn't pay too much for it.