A True Leader

            

            “Anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you,” are lyrics to a popular song portraying the essence of American competitiveness.  Americans are constantly striving to be better than each other; students trying to get the highest grade on an exam, interns fighting for a coveted job offer, or athletes trying to beat their opponents.  These are just a few examples of how our competitive culture pits us against each other.  Getting the coveted job position or winning the game not always decides who is better; not too long ago if a person was white they were considered better than a black person, some of this still lingers in society today.  The color of a persons skin is no measure of their worth.  The notion of equality has taken many different roads to get to this point we are currently at.   One very outspoken individual such as Martin Luther King Jr., did wonders for the movement.  Today, however, the game has changed to a more subtle approach: leading by example has a larger effect and a man who is doing this today is Tiger Woods. 

            When Martin Luther King Jr. gave his 1963 I Have a Dream speech he was raising awareness for civil rights.  The time for raising awareness has passed, people already know that there is a problem; it is now time to lead by example.  Very few people are leading by example, they are still trying to raise awareness.  One good example of this is Kanye West.  During a press conference to raise awareness for hurricane Katrina victims West said on national television, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”  This comment brought the issue of racism to light, but did little to further the cause; it could even support some negative stereotypes.  West is a celebrity and used his status to get his feelings across which in reality did little for civil rights.

            Oprah Winfrey has been a very influential figure in the past fifteen years, and will be for at least another fifteen. She has taken many approaches to civil rights and received countless awards for what she has done; one of which is the Freedom Award in 2005 from the National Civil Rights Museum.  Winfrey has done a lot of humanitarian work helping less fortunate children in third world countries. Winfrey brings light to the issue of civil rights by honoring past activists such as, Rosa Parks.   This strategy is similar to West’s in that she is trying to raise awareness for something that people are already aware of. 

            One person who will never receive any award or credit for what he has done for civil rights is Tiger Woods.  This could be because Woods is not an activist and does not openly support the movement.  He leads by example, he proves to those pathetic individuals who feel blacks are inferior, that they are not and that the color of a persons skin has nothing to do with their abilities.  Golf since its conception has been a sport for the rich and famous.  Country clubs due to location and price were limited to white membership, a black persons role at a country club for many years was limited to a caddie or shoe shiner.  Some of this can still be seen today.  Of the seven country clubs I have been to six of them have had a black man in the bathroom and his job was to shine shoes.  Up until the past two decades black individuals had not played on certain courses; many of these courses were the most prestigious and on the PGA Tour.  In 1996 when Tiger Woods dominated the PGA Tour during his rookie season this all changed.

            Woods showed country club owners and everyone that golf was not a rich white mans sport.  The issue of racism in golf, as in everyday society is still an issue.  Charles Barkley, former NBA basketball All-star,  accused Augusta National Golf Course, the home of the master, of racism.  He said that the managers extension of the course is to make it difficult for Woods to win the masters because they do not want a black man to win it.  This seems like a stretch but could be true.  Woods is not worried about this, he just goes out and wins tournaments, he is fourth on the all time list for PGA Tour wins, second to Jack Nicklaus of most majors won, and has been number one on the money list ten of the last thirteen years.  Barkley like Winfrey and West is trying to raise awareness of racism where Woods is just leading by example, doing more for the cause than the others. 

            Doing more is done by leading, Woods is doing this by, leading in the right way.  His medium for fame and leading has been and is sports others is music.  Many black rappers lead through music in the wrong way.  Rappers such as 50 cent and his G-unit crew are giving the wrong message.  They are giving off the image of thug life and being hood rich.  50 cent’s claim to fame is that he has been shot a seven times.  These rappers give off stereotypes of violence and degradation, they are not only making new but solidifying old stereotypes, hurting the civil rights movement.

            Civil Rights over the years has changed and adapted, the time for awareness has passed, individuals must now lead by example, in the right way.  West’s comments did little to help black rights.  Winfrey’s honoring of past activists is important but does little to advance black rights.  50 cent and rappers alike are leading by example but are giving the wrong image.  Woods has done so much for the movement by leading by example properly, showing people that past misconceptions are false and need to be abolished.  Woods is the perfect leader to take the civil rights movement into the next phase. 

Typical Crime Show

Critical Defense for class

            Crime 360  a crime show trying to pull a 360 on other crime scene shows, that has failed miserably.  Each week it follows a new actual crime investigation, seeing all the pieces of evidence not matter how bloody; then focuses on the technology used in the crime scene today. 

            “This should all ought to be compellingly gritty, but watching Crime 360 feels almost like going to a trade show, the grit eclipsed by geekieness and gloss,”  this is how Gina Bellafante describes her feelings about the show in her review, Cops Seeking a Clue, Digital Effects Aside. 

            Bellafante wrote, “Crime 360 is subliminal conformation of a growing societal fear that our reliance on technology is making us dumber.”  She also makes clear that the detectives of this show are not helping societies cause, “The officers in the premiere don’t seem like the kind who would get too much case-cracking done if forced to rely solely on their own intellectual facilities.”

            Despite the twist shows twist in focusing on the technology behind crime scenes Crime 360 is like any other crime show.  When writing about the pilot episode Bellafante wrote, “the younger detective is nervous; the older is unfazed.”

            Crime 360 does not pull a 360 on the competition it pulls a 180 in the wrong direction and probably wont be on the air for long.   

Holocaust Comic

The holocaust is and always has been a very difficult subject and even more so a difficult subject to teach.  Michael Kimmelman’s piece, No Laughs, No Thrills, And Villians All Too Real, discusses a new comic, text book being used in German high schools.  Kimmelman uses the book to discuss how difficult it has been for children and how times have changed.

            A subject such as the holocaust ignites many emotions for a lot of people.  He mention a recollection of a woman’s class in the 1970s.  She said, “students had to fight to talk freely about the war.” 

            Kimmelman started his piece with the comments of some children discussing the holocaust in the present.  The issue is a child getting a chance to leave or go to the concentration camp with their parents.  One child said, “her parents would have wanted her to hide;” another said, “it’s a question of whether you want to die alone.”

            The issue is still as real and emotional but children are able to discuss it more freely and get feelings across.  The comic book is a great way to do this and is really helping.  This open discussion of such a travesty Kimmelman feels is a step in the right direction and implementing the book is a good strategy. 

A True Leader

            “Anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you.”  Lyrics to a popular song that portrays the essence of much of American culture.  Americans are constantly striving to be better than each other; students trying to get the highest grade on an exam, interns fighting for a coveted job offer, or athletes trying to beat their opponents.  These are just a few examples of how our competitive culture pits us against each other.  Getting the coveted job position or winning the game not always decides who is better; not to long ago if a person was white they were considered better than a black person, some of this still lingers in society today.  The color of a persons skin is no measure of their worth and society is beginning to realize this.  The journey of civil rights to get to the point we are currently at has taken many different roads.   One very outspoken individual such as Martin Luther King Jr., did wonders for the movement.  Today however the game has changed, a more subtle approach, one of leading by example has a larger effect; a man who is doing this today is Tiger Woods. 

            In 1963 when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his, I Have a Dream, speech he was raising awareness for civil rights.  The time for raising awareness has past, people already know that there is a problem; it is now time to lead by example.  Very few people are leading by example, they are still trying to raise awareness.  One good example of this is Kanye West.  During a press conference to raise awareness for hurricane Katrina victims West said on national television, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”  This comment brought the issue of racism to light, but did nothing to further the cause; it could even support some negative stereotypes.  West is a celebrity and used his status to get his feelings across which in reality did little for civil rights.

            Oprah Winfrey has been a very influential figure in the past fifteen years, and will be for at least another fifteen. She has taken many approaches to civil rights and received countless awards for what she has done; one of which is the Freedom Award in 2005 from the National Civil Rights Museum.  Oprah has done a lot of humanitarian work helping less fortunate children in third world countries.  On the civil rights issue of black rights Winfrey brings light to the issue by honoring past activists such as, Rosa Parks.   This strategy is similar to Wests’s in that she is trying to raise awareness for something that people are already aware of. 

            One person who will never receive any award or credit for what he has done for civil rights is Tiger Woods.  This could be because Woods is not an activist and does not openly support the movement.  He leads by example, he proves to those who feel that blacks are inferior, they are not and that the color of a persons skin has nothing to do with their abilities.  Golf since its conception has been a sport for the rich and famous.  Country clubs were limited to white membership, a black persons role at a country club was a caddie or shinning shoes.  This can still be seen today, of the 7 country clubs I have been in 6 of them have had a black man in the bathroom and his job was to shine shoes.  Up until the past two decades black individuals were not able to play on certain courses; many of these courses were the most prestigious and on the PGA Tour.  In 1996 when Tiger Woods dominated the PGA Tour during his rookie season this all changed.

            Woods showed country club owners and everyone that golf was not a rich white mans sport and that age old restrictions on race should be removed.  In many instances country clubs had to do this because they could not deny the best player in the PGA from playing on their course because he was black.  In this respect Woods lead by example.  The issue of racism in golf is still an issue according to some.  Charles Barkley accused Augusta National Golf Course the home of the master of racism.  He sys that the managers extension of the course is to make it difficult for Woods to win the masters because they do not want a black man to win it.  This seems like a stretch but could be true.  Woods is not worried about this, he just goes out and wins tournaments, he is fourth on the all time list for PGA Tour wins, second to Jack Nicklaus of most majors won, and has been number one on the money list ten of the last thirteen years.  Barkley like Winfrey and West is trying to raise awareness of racism where Woods is just leading by example, doing more for the cause than the others. 

            Civil Rights over the years has changed and adapted, the time for awareness has past, individuals must now lead by example.  West’s comments did little to help black rights.  Winfrey’s honoring of past activists is important but does little to advance black rights.  One could argue that Oprah is also leading by example and this is true; her success as a black woman has proved a lot to many people.  Her leading by example does far more for black rights than her honoring of past activists.  This is why Woods has done so much for the movement, showing people that past misconceptions are false and need to be abolished. The civil rights movement has taken many paths, could this be the final phase of its journey? 

Crouching Tiger

            Racism is and has been a large issue in American Society since it has been founded.  Over the past few decades racism has come in and out of the spotlight.  One occasion was following the Katrina hurricane.  During a TV cast to try and raise support for hurrican victims Kanye West said, “George Bush hates black people.”   Another big star in the media today campaigning for African American rights is Oprah Whinfrey.  The approach taken by both of these celebrities is to raise support by rallying people for the cause and telling them about the problem.

            Another more subtle approach is that being taken by Tiger Woods.  Woods has done more in the past 12 years for African American rights than West or Whinfrey.  One could even say that Woods is not even trying to affect African American rights, he is just doing what he loves, playing golf.  Through his play he has proved that golf is not a rich white mans sport and that black athletes can be more than just football or basketball players.

            I propose that through a profile of Tiger Woods I will discuss his unique approach to racism and the way it exists today. 

Stewart's Oscars

            The red carpet is a chance for Hollywood’s finest to tell the public what kind of dress they cannot afford.  Who was the conductor to this parade, Regis Philban, who has not aged in 20 yrs and looks as though he lives in a tanning bed. In hearing Regis Philban was hosting the red carpet one probably though, “Oh great another boring Oscars!”  However, if one was able to make it through the red carpet they were pleasantly surprised.

            John Stewart should have not only hosted the Oscars but delivered every award, and booted Philban from the red carpet.  Stewart made the Oscars fun this year with constant remarks on how long and drab it normally is. 

            He also made light on the writers strike, which gave a much needed closure.  Prior to Stewarts comments the strike seemed like a touchy subject, but with comments like, "I'm happy to say the fight is over - so tonight, welcome to the make-up sex;"  it is now just history.  He then did a clip on, the Oscars if the writers would have still been on strike, it involved a salute to binoculars and bad dreams, both were hilarious.

            Aside from Stewart’s humor the Oscars showed viewers that actors are real people.  Viewers saw George Clooney and Hilary Swank stumble on their introductions as if they had just joined the business.  On the other hand they saw Jonna Hill and Seth Rogan put on a flawless performance as if they were seasoned veterans.

            Marion Cotillard’s acceptance was as moving an experience as one can see on T.V.  She was shaking uncontrollably and choking on tears during her whole speech.  Her acceptance really captured what the Oscars still mean to many actors. 

            The best Oscar given was the honorary Oscar given to Robert Doyle.  Doyle is 98yrs. old, and has been in the movie industry for countless decades.  In a touching speech Doyle talked about the Arts in this century and that movies are the bright spot.  He said, “I have had a great fortune of being a part of films, moving pictures.”  Doyle’s speech captured the magic of the Oscars, a deep passion for movies and movie making.  Doyle is just one man who has dedicated his life to movies and made them better for all of us. 

            As usual awards went to the expected recipients with the same movies coming up in every category.  Best Picture went to, No Country for Old Men and best actor went to Daniel Day Lewis for, There Will be Blood, as expected. 

            This years Oscars was not one to miss, the four hour event seemed only to last two hours, where years passed it seemed to last two days.  John Stewart as a host was, spot on, especially with his remarks on the writers strike.  The Oscars shows that movies are an art form, and viewers only see the final product; before that final product many individuals put their countless days and weeks into making movies.  The Oscars is their night to be recognized.   

Seinfield's Mistake

The initial trailers for bee movie had Jerry Seinfield in a giant bee costume, hanging from a wire, swinging into a giant flower.  It made one wonder what in the world Seinfield was doing with his new movie career.

            Michael Hastings review of Bee Movie praises Seinfield’s achievements with TV and stand up comedy; however he questions his decision to write and act in Bee Movie.  When describing cartoon caricatures, which Seinfield is in the movie, he says, “the post-millennial refuge of the damned.”

            Hastings describes the plot of the movie as being, “so thudding and uncertain, that at any given moment it seems Bee Movie might be something else entirely.”  He is correct, when watching the movie one constatnly feels there may be a hidden plot that one cannot really understand. 

            During the movie it is very difficult to follow the constant scene changes.  Hastings mentions this when he says, “the action flashes from one location to the other.”

            Bee Movie was not a very good movie and it is very unclear what Seinfield was thinking when he decided to make this movie.  Hastings sums up the movie perfectly when he says, “he can hide behind a bee suit for only so long.” 

Perfect Portrayal of a Terrible Marriage

“I’ve gotta find a way to really get at you, you’re a monster,”  George says to his wife Martha in the second act. Edward Albee’s portrayal of married life in, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf,” has no love or compassion.  One sees constant bickering and calling of names, George summed it perfectly by saying it is, “Total war.” 

            The play takes place over a long night of drinking.  Martha played by, Martie Philpot, is the daughter of the local university president and her husband, George, played by, Richard Philpot, is a history teacher at the university. 

            On this particular evening after a get together at her fathers house Martha invites over a new teacher and his wife, at two in the morning.  George is not happy but obeys Martha, which becomes a common theme in the play. 

            The couple arrives to George and Martha screaming at each other, Nick, played by, Trevor Maher is the new biology teacher and Carol Zombro plays his wife, Honey.  Through the rest of the play, we see how dysfunctional George and Martha’s marriage is and that Nick and Honey’s is not perfect either.

               “Who’s afraid of Virginia Wolf,” gives a portrayal of the most pathetic husband figure.  His wife is constantly telling George what to do, and he does it.  Martha sums it perfectly when she says; “I wear the pants in this relationship.”  From a males perspective it is not entertaining to watch, George being criticized and humiliated by his wife.

            Martha is a character that has many problems in all aspects of her life.  During the third act she said, “George, who makes me happy, but I don’t want to be happy.”  This is clear during the play and it is annoying. 

            George does as Martha pleases early in the movie; such as, get the door when she tells him, or make her a drink.  As the play progresses he listens to her less and less, until he finally tells her to go and cheat on him with Nick in the kitchen. 

            While Nick was in the kitchen with Martha, his wife, Honey, was in the bathroom throwing up.  Honey then comes out and we learn that she destroyed the baby that was inside her.  Earlier we had learned that Nick had married Honey because she was pregnant and that there was little emotional attachment.

            Nick and Honey initially looked like a good married couple, compared to George and Martha, but as the play goes on we see that this is far from the truth. 

            There is no part in the play that sheds a good light on marriage, it is very depressing.  The only solace one can find in the play is that these are not normal people; George killed both of his parents, on accident.  Martha is obsessed with her father who as George said, “Doesn’t care if she lives or dies.”

             “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf,” makes one not want to get married.  On the other hand if in a relationship it can make a couple feel good because no marriage could be worse than Martha and Georges. 

Think of Me

In Alvin Klein’s, Another Chance for a Different ‘Phantom,’ he argues that Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit’s, “Phantom,” has been unfairly shadowed by Andre Lloyd Weber’s “Phantom of the Opera.”

            Klein praised the acting in Kopit’s production. He complimented the performances of the actors who play, Christine and Carlotta.  He also raved about Kopit’s phantom, Eric, played by Bradley Dean; he said his performance, “is no less bravura than Lord Lloyd Webber's, but he is far more affecting.”  The acting is not only superb but leaves a lasting impression.  Klein was very complimentary not only of the acting but the singing, especially Eric’s; he wrote, “He makes human, non-repetitious, utterly gorgeous sounds.”

            The actors were not the only great part about “Phantom,” Klein makes note on numerous occasions of Kopit’s wonderful work.  When speaking of Kopit’s music he said it, “charms and effervesces, valuing melodiousness and variety more than the extended leitmotif and endless bloated reprises.”

            Kopit’s version does not have as much, “stuff on stage,” as Klein put it; however, he wrote that, “the thrill of such a spectacle wears thin.”  Phantom is more than just a pretty set, the music is spectacular and the acting is superb.  Klein finished by saying, “When history tells the tale, the ''other 'Phantom''' may well be the winner.” 

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E7D8113AF932A1575AC0A9659C8B63

In Need of Treatment

“It’s been on and off, blah, blah, blah,” said Laura describing her relationship to her therapist in the new HBO series, In Treatment.  This comment does a very good job of describing the show, aside from a few quirky comments the show is very blah.

            The show is based on the therapy sessions of a troubled therapist, Paul Weston, played by, Gabriel Byrne.  Throughout the week in each episode he sees a client and then at the end of the week he goes to an old friend and they go through an awkward non-formal therapy session. 

            In the first episode Paul deals with a patient named Laura.  The entire episode is her crying out her problems to him.  This is not fun to watch, someone crying and babbling about how their life sucks. 

            The only plus side to the show is that HBO is not confined to the normal restraints of network television.  Laura discusses how she feels, it is a right of passage for any young girl to, “get fucked,” in the bathroom.  She also says things like, “Your sitting there like a fucken Buddha.”

            That is all Paul does Monday through Friday sit there and listen to his patients sob stories.  This is how psychotherapy works and its not fun to watch.  HBO has a number of great shows this one does not fit in that category, it seems as though they are reaching for something.

            That reach is evident in the way the first episode ends.  Half-way through the episode we find that Laura is in love with Paul and that she was imagining him taking her into the bathroom and making her a woman.  As this unfolds Paul sits there as if nothing is happening as this poor girl is confessing her undying love for him.  He just says, “how long have you felt this way?”  Then Laura says, “what am I gonna do now?”  Paul responds with, “we’ll talk about it next week.”  Yes the session time was over but a real therapist would not end a session like that in that way, it’s a little ridiculous.

            Even more ridiculous is Fridays episode where Paul goes to his old supervisor Gina to, “talk.”  Paul and Gina proceed to catch up as they have not seen each other in a while, then Paul discusses his problems.  In doing so he sounds just like his patients, in many instances even more troubled.  He talks about his troubles with his wife, he feels she is having an affair, which is very similar to Laura’s problem.  He also gets very defensive when Gina cannot remember Laura’s name.  The Friday episode is better than the rest of the week but is still bland.

            Bland does not normally describe HBO, with great shows such as Entourage and Deadwood.  All other shows on HBO are like honey-nut cheerios and In Treatment is like plain cheerios, bland, with a lot to be desired.  

Criticism: The Record of the Soul

The common conception of art today consists of, paintings, poems or novels.  When one imagines these things words like original, beautiful and masterpiece come to mind.  Contrary to this belief none of these forms of art are in fact original or new, according to Oscar Wilde.  The truest art form is criticism.            

            In Wilde’s piece, From the Critic as Artist, he counters the common view of the arts.  Wilde describes art other than criticism as having confinements, he says, “the painter must be pictorial always.”  When describing an sculptor he says, “the sculptor gladly surrenders the imitative color.”  Wilde then says, “It is through its very incompleteness that Art becomes complete in beauty.”  This beauty he feels is not seen by the trained critic because it is not original, all art is an imitation of works before, except criticism.  He then says, “the critic reproduces the work that he criticizes in a mode that is never imitative.”

            From the Critic as Artist, is an engaging piece, it offers a different view of art.  His notion that criticism is the only non imitative form of art is thought provoking.  He feels that, “the highest criticism really is, the record of one’s own soul.”  

Passion: the Achilles Heal

            Dopey, dumb, grungy, horny, and stinky just a few of the words that Pauline Kael used in her reviews that made her unique.  Pauline was a special movie critic; she wrote for the middle class viewer, unlike most publications in the New York Times that wrote for the upper class.  Kael’s approach to movie criticism pioneered criticism as it is known today.  The way she was able to have such a large impact on movie criticism was in her love for movies.  She had a deep passion and that is what made her special.  This love sometimes lead to a sense of, “I am better than you,” and a deeper knowledge of movies than the average movie viewer has.

            Pauline’s use of descriptive language such as trashy, stinky or soft made her reviews special.  This style was different from many movie critics and all of the publications in the New York times.  This is why Pauline was so criticized for her work, it was not the normal style for the New York times; but this is what made Pauline special and different as a movie critic.  One of the people who disliked Kael’s style was Renata Adler.  In her essay Canaries in the Mineshaft she mocks Kael’s writing style.  She feels that Kael’s writing is a threat to prose, she wrote, “What is really at stake is not movies at all, but prose and the relation between writers and readers, and of course art.”  It is true that Kael’s writing may not follow all of the guidelines but, it is fun to read, that could be why many readers have said they enjoy her reviews better than the movies. 

            Pauline Kael’s passion for movies allowed her to become one of the greatest critics of all time.  This passion, however, leads to a sense of superiority and assumptions that are inaccurate.  Renata Adler made mention of her feeling of superiority by saying, “seemed more hectoringly to claim, she certainly does know about movies.”  This is true however she has earned the right to feel this way because she has seen so many movies.  Where it hurts Pauline is where she makes references to movies assuming everyone has seen all the movies she has.  Interestingly Adler makes fun of Kael for this even though she used hectoringly.  Adler said, “Ms. Kael wants us to know, for instance, that she knows that Renais is related to Malraux, and that Malraux is dead.”  Most people will have no idea what is going on here.  Pauline has such a passion for movies and loves writing reviews she just forgets that everyone doesn’t share that same desire.

            Pauline Kael made great advancements in movie criticism.  Her use of common language widened the audience of New York Times readers and allowed for a new form of movie reviewing.  She wrote for the middle class reader.  Kael’s only downfall was her dire passion for movies that lead to a sense of superiority and unreasonable expectations on the part of the viewer.  Kael is a perfect example of how passion can lead to greatness but also be ones downfall. 

Pauline Kael: A Delicious Character

Involuntary shaking, difficulty moving and short term memory loss all characteristics of Parkinson’s disease.  Pauline Kael was feeling all of these side effects during her interview and many of them in her last few years of work.  Yet we see a wonderfully optimistic woman in the interview.  This shows how truly special Pauline was.  The book Afterglow does a great job telling the story of her amazing life.

            Francis Davis does a great job of catching her great love of movies.  He talks about her passion since she was a young child, not understanding why her siblings did not see them as more than entertainment. Francis also does a great job catching her unique descriptiveness.  When describing Franklin Pangborn she said, “What a delicious character.”  He also touched on her want to write more provocative reviews by discussing a movie called, Deep Throat. 

            In many instances Pauline was ahead of her time, that is why she pioneered movie reviewing as it is known today, Francis made this clear.  After reading Afterglow one misses Pauline, even if they had never heard of her or read any of her reviews.  It is safe to say after reading Afterglow reading some of her old reviews will be on the to-do-list.   

Emotion: Nothing Worth Running From

Director John Carney wrote the movie Once for all of us who have had a bad day.  In the movie one can feel the power of music as therapy.  The lead role is played by Glen Hansard a member of the Irish rock group, The Frames.  It is the story of his life as a vacuum repairer who lives with his father.  He has gone through a difficult break up; in the movie he expresses himself through his music.  During the movie meets up with a single mother played by Marketa Irglova, a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, the two come together because of their love for music.

            John Carney’s use of actual musicians instead of actors made the movie spectacular.  Once is a break from the normal movie, the passion in the movie is real.  One can not only see but feel this passion by Glen when he sings.  The songs used for the movie really express this passion.  It is clear these songs were written by a man who has a broken heart.  The pain and emotion Glen conveys in the movie is worthy of an A-list actor.  The rest of his performance is average, however, this gives the movie a very casual feel that works well for the film.  It is a good portrayal of a poor man that transforms into someone completely different when he signs. 

             Marketa did a good job as a musician acting in a film.  Her signing was  good, but it did not have the passion that Glen brought to the movie.  Her lyrics were her best contribution to the movie.  She seemed awkward on the screen, fortunately this worked for her character.  She brought music talent and passable acting ability but no lasting impression to the movie.

            The storyline of the movie is very moving.  When watching the movie it felt like the two main characters were living their lives, writing the songs as life happened to them. Both characters lead difficult lives in the moive.  Marketa is a single mother living with her mother in an apartment complex with one T.V.   Glen still lives with his father above his father’s vacuum repair shop and has recently been cheated on by a women.  Both find comfort and release in music.  The pain and hurt Glen has from leaving his woman can be felt especially in the songs, Leave and Say it to Me Now.  Marketa’s song If You Want Me, is moving, the way she sings one knows she has been hurt.

            Once is a movie that leaves an impression.  The emotion that Glen has when he sings is very powerful and is the most memorable part of the movie.  Marketa’s lyrics were very good but were shadowed by Glen’s performance.  The story is very easy to relate to, this makes the emotional impact that much stronger.  Once is a great movie to put in when having a bad day, it warms the heart and the soul. 

Gloria Steinem Article

Women are not taken as seriously in society as they deserve.  Gloria Steinem brings up a valid argument in Women are Never Front-Runners.  Her stance on racism is not correct, it is still an issue. 

            Gloria seems to complain that black men should not have had the vote before white women.  This is making an argument for her stance, however, it seems racist.  The article’s argument is that racism is less of an issue than women’s rights.  This proves that racism is just as much of an issue as women’s rights today.

            The article brings a good argument that women’s rights are behind in American society; women are just as intelligent as men and can help society.  Gloria wrote, “this country can no longer afford to choose our leaders from a talent pool limited by sex, race, money, powerful fathers and paper degrees.”  This is truly what our country needs but, Gloria needs to listen to herself.  In the final sentence she says, “I’m supporting her because she’ll be a great president and because she’s a women.”  Gloria has been discussing how we need to break gender barriers, this last comment makes one feel that maybe the barriers shouldn’t be broken but changed, to support women. 

Response Writer's Strike

Television has taken over the lives of countless Americans, many follow the lives of Grey of Jack Bauer closer than a friend.  With the invention of TiVo it has become even easier to stay a part of T.V. characters lives.  Now with the looming writers strike this, alternate life, could be over.

            David Bauer’s article, Despite writers’ strike, shows must go on, discusses how network TV is going to play out in the near future.  He says that almost all primetime shows such as, Grey’s or Hero’s have no more episodes written.  The programs that will be shown are less popular programs like, New Adventures of Old Christine.  People in turn will need to fall in love with reality T.V. and sports broad casts.

            What David is saying is proving everyone’s worst fears.  Without a resolution to the strike in sight TV as we know it is about to change.  One has to believe a resolution will be reached, the question is will it be in time.  By the time a resolution has been reached any people may have found better uses of their time.  This strike is the worst thing that could have happened to network television and they will be seeing the repercussions of being cheap for decades. 

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-ettell5546317jan21,0,6928532.story

Critical Response to Cloverfield Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum’s negative review did not focus on the worst parts of the movie Cloverfield.  Instead, she focused on the inexperienced crew that, “did not have anything interesting to say.”  She felt that the use of terms such as, “dude,” (which she considered negative) gave the movie a young, casual feel; this worked well for the movie.  In the last section she briefly mentions the camera work as being, “a big picture disaster.”  More focus needed to be put into this because the camera work makes one want to run to the nearest bathroom and vomit of motion sickness.  This was the greatest downfall of the movie aside for the lack of story development and closure.  Cloverfield had to be the easiest story to write because the story consisted of a monster coming from an unknown location which then began to terrorize the city. There was only slight mention as to it being a sea creature by one the main characters that is portrayed as being less than intelligent.  Also the ending is as open to interpretation as the appearance of the monster.  Lisa was right in bashing the movie. However, she did not focus on the proper aspects that made the viewer leave the theater wondering why they had not stayed home to watch reruns of Judge Judy.  

Atonement the Danger of Jealousy

 

            Atonement directed by Joe Wright, a director best know for Pride and Prejudice, tells a story of jealousy that is over shadowed by a compelling love story; it takes place mainly in London before during and after World War II.  Main character Cecilia played by Keira Knightly, better know as the love interest of William Turner in Disney’s, Pirates of the Caribbean, plays an upper class girl who finds herself madley in love with a servant with whom she has grown up with.  The love interest Robbie Turner is played by James McAvoy.  McAvoy most recently played a starring role in the acclaimed Last King of Scotland.  Briony, the sister of Cecilia, played by Saoirse Ronan, wrongfully accuses McAvoy’s character of rape because of jealousy in turn he has to go to war.  Cecilia and Robbie long to be together but tragically both die before they can reunite.  Briony becomes an author and tells the story as she is dying.

            Atonement on the surface is a love story, however the plot is driven by jealousy.  The director does a very good job of hinting at the feeling.  Briony is a rich girl who is shown as very intelligent who has a great passion for writing.  Robbie works at her home the two have a friendly relationship.  At one point we find that he has read all of her plays.  The first sign of jealousy is in a scene where Cecilia, Briony’s sister, takes off her dress and jumps into a fountain.  Briony doesn’t see everything and assumes more than was there.  Soon after this Robbie writes a letter to apologize for dropping the vase in the fountain, the real reason Cecilia took her dress off.  Robbie gives the wrong letter to Briony to give to Cecilia, the letter is very vulgar.  She reads it, at this point one can see Briony has feelings for Robbie.  Cecilia gets the letter and realizes that she has feelings for Robbie and the two proceed to make love in a library.  Briony walks in on the two.  It is clear the hurt in her face in seeing the two in the library.

            After this the viewer sees a very tense dinner in which everyone has to leave to find two young boys who had run away.  During the search Briony sees a friend, whom she had previously told about Robbie’s letter, she was being raped.  Briony says that she saw Robbie doing it, she and the girl both know this is false.  Briony tells the police Robbie did it.  In a great scene showing the true character of Robbie, he returns much later than anyone else with one boy on his shoulder and the other holding his hand.  Robbie is then taken away by the police.  As he is being driven away there is a very emotional scene with is mother trying to stop the police.

            In a flash back later in the movie Briony jumps into the water, to see if Robbie will save her, this is the proof that Briony has deep feelings for Robbie.  One also sees a discussion in which Briony says she has never been in love but had a crush on Robbie, this is done in such a way that one knows it was more than a crush.  Briony’s jealousy lead her to do terrible things, because she could not have Robbie than her sister couldn’t either.  This movie is a great example of how powerful jealousy can be and is conveyed exceptionally.