Big Screen Blurb: Secretariat

"He just wants to run. Let him run." That's my favorite line from the movie, Secretariat. Here's an addendum for you. "You just want to watch a good movie. Watch Secretariat!" Is it inspirational? Well, I saw this flick at the mall and went for a walk afterwards. Let's just say I left many an 80-year old tail peeling from the glitzy retail corridors of West Town Mall. I even threw in a few glares for good measure on my way past these hapless competitors fifty years my senior--the kind of stare that clearly communicated, "I just watched Secretariat, so don't mess with me!" Okay, maybe the last bit is a tad untrue, but this is one of those movies that highlights competitive desire and forces that titillatingly rare chill to penetrate my stomach and quickly work its way to the hairs on my arms. For me, that is something that only an emotionally charged surge can do when combining pride, caring and a sincere interest in a movie's character.

In this case that character is Red, undoubtedly the best racing horse of his and many other times, if not all time. Red is better known of course, as Secretariat, the last Triple Crown winner (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont races). This isn't a sports flick though. Not really. In the same mold as The Blind Side and Remember the Titans, there is an emotionally driven story that far overshadows the sports-related front. Although, enthusiasts of horse racing will certainly be entertained by the sporting arena cast for the flick. Ultimately, the movie centers around the true tale of Penny Chenery/Tweedy (Diane Lane).

We pick up the story as Penny's mother has just passed away and her ill father is incapable of caring for the family horse farm. After dad dies, her brother (Dylan Baker) wants to sell the horses and land in order to be done with all of it. Penny's husband (Dylan Walsh) sides with bro-in-law, but Penny has different ideas altogether. She's developed a real passion for horses and Red in particular. Selling isn't in the cards, even though it certainly makes more fiscal sense than Penny's plan. Yadayadayada, we watch as Penny basically bets the farm on ole Red.

It's good...4.5 stars in my book and almost certain to garner attention for a Best Picture nomination. The story is about holding onto a deep-seated belief and faith when all odds are stacked against you. It's about making a commitment to that ideal even in the face of squaring off against those you love. It's about toughness and endurance; rallying those supportive few allies and relying on them through numerous challenges while still loving the friendly fire around you. Plus, it's about dealing with the unfriendly fire that life throws at you--many-a-life lessons duly noted.

Secretariat made his famous charge through the Triple Crown in 1973, so I don't exactly have a recollection of the event. Apparently, Penny emerged as a sports celebrity of sorts with trainer Lucius Lauren (John Malkovich) closely connected to the media limelight. Lane was tremendous, as was Malkovich. His Lauren, who was known for some outrageous color ensembles and bouts of screaming french, was a hit. He was the perfect glue guy to tie everything together and help showcase Penny's tough-minded flare.

My only criticism with Secretariat is that it was a little tough to follow in the early stages in terms of the timeline. We got the month and date updates on-screen in the latter portion of the flick (during the races), but it would have been helpful to follow the timeline from the start. At one point, we fast forwarded two years without much of a warning and it took me a sec to adjust. All in all, Secretariat is two hours well spent and a very good movie that I will undoubtedly watch again.

So, I'm done with mowing for the season, but the blog will roll on as I'm sure there are plenty of things to motivate me to procrastinate. Right now, however, I'm hosting a Murder Mystery Party and I've to get ready--I just hope I'm not the murderous culprit!

True...OUT!

Big Screen Blurb: Hereafter



Hereafter. What's next? The subject has always been fascinating to me and is one that impacts all organic life. It's always a topic that offers much abstract conjecture, but little concrete fact. Hereafter is Clint Eastwood's latest directorial flick in which he touches on the afterlife in an ebb and flow of equally ethereal emotion.

The story is told in three vignettes that slowly...well, EVER SO SLOWLY come together. At the story's core is Matt Damon. He plays George, a psychic whose special talent doesn't exactly have him jumping for joy. Actually, it's pretty much ruined his life. His profiteering brother, Billy (Jay Mohr) has had him hit the public circuit with dollar signs in sight. That's not George's style so he decided to back away from the limelight. With that, George has resigned to the docks of San Fran where he's just trying to piece together some semblance of a normal life. Next, is Marie LeLay (Cecile De France), a french broadcaster who has had a brush with the afterlife herself. Marie was caught up in (and under) a tsunami where she briefly left the flesh only to quickly return. This return and her short other worldly experience has prompted a fascination with the hereafter. Finally, there's Marcus (newcomers George and Frankie McClaren). Marcus' interest in the next life is sparked by the recent loss of his twin brother, Jason. From there, the three vignettes eventually merge; albeit at a glacial pace over the course of two plus hours.

It's an interesting concept. It's just not executed in an overly interesting way. It certainly sparks thought. You see, this psychic gift involves George forming a connection with an individual which enables him to hear the deceased. With that ability, George connects with people on their most intimate levels. Therefore, before knowing much more than their name, he's privy to their deepest and sometimes darkest secrets. It's sorta like your blind date, whose known for a great personality BTW, showing up at the restaurant butt naked. You just learn a little too much too soon and everything crumbles from there.

Further, people come to George in search of desperate hope. Unfortunately, being true to this gift/curse, George often delivers pain. People come to him seeking to further connect with a spirit of someone with whom they once held a very special human bond. Trying to connect with a spirit on a human level proves fruitless. Instead, they are forced to come to terms with the loss. Instead of a rekindled connection that brings peace and closure, they too often find the pain of emotional emptiness. The realization then sits in: a human connection is forever gone.

Yes, Hereafter is quite thought-provoking, but ultimately, I've got to give it 2.5 stars--on the negative side of so-so. Yes, I love Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon was his typical stellar self. De France, who is best known for her work in French cinema, and the debut of the brothers McClaren were all solid. However, the story, as fascinating as the subject matter, just laid flat throughout. It's a slow developing plot that, when it finally presents itself, well...it's like opening that long awaited Christmas present and finding socks. Yeah, you'll get some use out of them and they'll warm the cockles of your soles, but you were longing for something that would warm your soul. Bottom line: I was hoping for a little more. No need to see this Big Screen. If the subject matter intrigues you, rent it in March.

Well, I'm off to catch my Yankees in Game Six. Say a prayer for the pinstripers and enjoy your weekend.

True...out!

Big Screen Blurb: Red

Red. Yeah, it's an acronym. Supposedly, it stands for Retired-Extremely-Dangerous. I don't buy it. What RED actually stands for is the Real-Entertaining-Deal. This is a good flick and highly anticipated. I went to a matinee and let's just say CHA-CHING if you own Regal stock; the place was pretty packed. Just look at the cast and you see why.

The troupe is headlined by Bruce Willis and Mary-Louis Parker, but also includes: Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Richard Dreyfuss and Morgan Freeman--legends one and all. Willis plays Frank Moses, a retired CIA man. After a life chock-full of danger and intrigue, who could blame him for getting a little bored with the white-picket life of suburban Cleveland. That boredom and loneliness is partly the reason why he's struck up a friendship with Sara (Parker), an equally bored government employee in Kansas City, who is basically a customer service rep for pensions. The two become friends. Soon thereafter, the Feds make the mistake of trying to take out Frank--not in the same way that the shy and surprisingly date-awkward Frank wants to take out Sara, mind you. The Feds use ammunition and a lot of it, but he escapes.

Frank then seeks to piece together the who's, why's and what's of this assassination plot. With Sara in tow, the pair meet up with Frank's former colleague, Joe (Freeman), which subsequently leads to a visit to Marvin (Malkovich). They both have plenty of spark left, although Joe's spark is left wasting away in a retirement home. Marvin, meanwhile, is just kinda nuts. He's actually hilarious with or without his stuffed pink pig along for the ride. But hey, I can't be critical considering that, until the age of five, I toted around a pink stuffed rabbit affectionately named Bright Pink, but I digress. The final piece to the puzzle that is the "old gang" is Victoria (Mirren). She's a class act killer who could off you in a minute, but I swear your dying breath would be politely thanking her for doing so. At any rate, the gang is all here and they are each marked for death from their previous employer. For what? Therein lies the story. Stealing too many pens? Broke one too many copy machines? Lousy Exit Interview? Perhaps, but the crew quickly begins to piece together the reason for their new found bulls eyes and yadayadayada, you've got an hour an fifty minute long joyride.

It's fun. From start to finish, Red is good and tallies a 4.5 star score. My multiple personality readers will love this flick. It has something for everyone: action/adventure, comedy, solid storyline, even a couple of love stories thrown in for good measure, and don't forget the great performances from a classic cast. Malkovich is hilarious and he's not alone. There's plenty of funny to go around in this one between and amidst the flying ammo.

All in all, it's a story that simply meshes two ideas: "You're never too old to live life to the fullest!" and "You should never retire from doing what you love!" Me? I'll probably be dead long before I think about retirement and then the notion will just seem silly. See Red and see it BIG. 

True...out!

Big Screen Blurb: Salt

It's a Tale of Two Agents. It was the best of spies. It was the worst of spies. It is, none other than Angelina Jolie in Salt. Actually, this one is more like a roller coaster ride than a Dickens classic, ripe with plenty of action and a solidly intriguing storyline.

Jolie plays Evelyn Salt, an employee at an American petrol company, but wait--the whole petrol company is just a front for a operative branch of the CIA. Ya know, kinda like Kentucky Fried Chicken--come on, you really think those eleven secret herbs and spices are going into KFC chicken? At any rate, just as Evelyn is preparing to leave the office after a tiring day of espionage, in wonders a Russian defector spy. He's got some good info for our boys and girls wearing the red, white and blue; most important of which is that Evelyn is none other than a Russian spy herself. Plus, she's plotting an assassination against the vice-president. Insight, indeed. With that, all hell breaks loose and yadayadayada, step into the roller coaster. Just make sure you keep hands and feet inside the ride at all times and don't forget to scream like a little girl.

It's good. My expectations here were moderate to low on this one, but it delivers a 4.0 star score and even closes in on 4.5 stars because I might watch it again when it hits Blu-Ray. As one might expect, there's plenty of action and the acting is fine. Aside from Jolie, the cast includes Liev Schreiber of X-Men: Wolverine and Defiance fame; and Chiwetel Ejiofor, of 2012--whom I truly like, but whose acting, for some reason, always prompts me to want to send him a case of Ex-Lax. It's as if the director is constantly telling him, "Okay...this time, play it more constipated."

Ultimately, the story carries this flick, however. It more than a series of well-thought out explosions. There are plenty of twists and opportunities to begin to question what team for whom Salt is actually playing. Actually, you might find yourself flipping back and forth between Yankee and Russkie to the tune of needing a neck brace before the hundred minutes are up. If espionage and action with a good plot is your schtick...well, then see it BIG.

True...out!

Big Screen Blurb: The Social Network

"You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies." That's the tagline for the movie, The Social Network. Those dozen words pack a powerful descriptive for a flick about Mark Zuckerberg's rise with the social media site, Facebook.

From a standpoint of interpersonal relationship, watching the initiation and rise of Facebook is like watching a train derail. Although, in this case, rather than a destructive derailment of ruin, fire and demolition, Zuckerberg's train derails merely to land in a pond of golden Jello. The Social Network showcases irony at it's best. Here you have Mark Zuckerberg, who is easily the leading candidate for Social Retard of the Millennium. Mark is also enterprising the most successful social media site in Web 2.0 history. How's that for a little incongruity?

Mark (Jesse Eisenberg) is a Harvard student and programming whiz-kid. The movie opens in 2003 with a great scene between Zuckerberg and Emily, his Boston U girlfriend at a local bar. Well, soon to be ex-girlfriend. The dialogue we see is enough to make any relationship-attached female create an ex-girlfriend sized hole in a wall. Mark is crass. He's arrogant. He's the kind of guy who is far more impressed with himself than anyone ever has the right to be. But, that's our Mark. He's not a bad guy; although he certainly tries to be. At any rate, back to the bar...yeah, he get's dumped. Next, Mark promptly writes a few choice comments on his blog about Emily's family...her breasts...initiates a comparison between her and farm animals...you get the picture. Mark doesn't stop there. He quickly targets all women at Harvard, creating a 'facesmash' site where people can choose between two hotties. This gets him in Harvard hot water and simultaneously creates a name for himself on campus, infamous as it may be.

Enter the Winklvoss twins (both played by Armie Hammer, of Gossip Girl and Reaper fame, not the baking soda). They've come up with an idea for a site which enables Harvard students to connect. They ask Mark, with his new-found programmers/hacker's rep, to join the group. Mark, however, takes the idea and runs in his own direction with The Facebook. Yadayadayada the site grows in members and value, while pissing off a host of people in the wake.

It's good...very good, actually. I'll give it 4.5 stars and early consideration for best picture. My initial concern was that it was going to be tough to follow--darting in and out from the various mediation hearings within the multiple lawsuits while the story unfolds. Alas, no problems following along at all--just stick with a plain Mr. Pibb minus any additives and you'll be fine. It's just a shade over two hours, but with a story that excels beyond interesting, time does, indeed fly. After all, we're talking about a story that highlights the height and depth of ROI as it relates to human relationships. Throw in the big business angle and the most popular social media website in the cyber-verse and you've got an intriguing tale. The acting was excellent. I can't say enough about Eisenberg's performance. It was an impeccable casting job and a perfect role for Eisenberg, who is quite accustomed to depicting social aloofness (Adventureland, Zombieland, Solitary Man, need I say more?) There are flashes where you'll move beyond begrudging respect for Zuckerberg's massive intelligence and actually like him a little bit, before you're reeled back into a reality that simply states: Get a grip, pal. This was Jesse's mastery. Eisenberg was not alone. Andrew Garfield and Hammer also shine in this one, with Joseph Mazzello (good to see him on the big screen again, btw) thrown in for good measure.

See it and see it BIG!

No mowing this week...just a lot of watering (aeration and overseeding time, ya know).

True...OUT!

Big Screen Blurb: You Again



I guess everyone has had someone, right? Someone that lingers in the ole emotional memory banks, regardless of how hard you have tried to erase them. That one person who has served as a constant source of pain or embarrassment throughout those dangerously formative years of adolescence. That one person whose head you'd like to shove in a blender. Well, maybe that's little strong, but you get the picture...and you probably wouldn't hesitate to apply Super Glue to their butt crack. But, I digress. You Again brings that frustration full circle.

It's a story about a girl, Marni (Kristen Bell). She was a freaky, little geek in high school and was the brunt of the popular crowd's wrath. The 'populars' were spearheaded by Joanna (Odette Yustman) and they relished every opportunity to showcase the 'cool'-shortcomings of young Marni. But, hey, that's life, right? Marni grows up in all kinds of ways and now, she's a high-powered exec at a big PR firm. The past is the past, right? Wrong. The past is now the present. Joanna has entered the picture yet again and is soon to wed Marni's big brother. Further, the family has fallen in love with the seemingly perfect Joanna, sending Marni into a tizzy of epoch proportions. The flood gates of trauma have officially opened, but wait, there's more. No. No, Ginsu knives are forthcoming, but along comes another dagger of sorts. Enter Aunt Mona, Joanna's aunt and all that remains of her family. Mona (Sigourney Weaver) played a similar thorn-status role with Marni's Mom (Jamie Lee Curtis). Yadayadayada...Marni busies herself trying to ruin the wedding; meanwhile ole Mom deals with Mona as the rest of the family is oblivious to the plight of both.

It's okay; scoring on the sunny side of so-so with a 3.0 Star rating. Sure, it would have been nice to have seen the characters developed with a little more depth. I understand that this was more of a physical comedy than a dramatic comedy, but there was a point to it all and sometimes that point got muddled. I experienced a few moments of befuddlement because of the unclear 'good guy-bad guy' lines that had been drawn. We certainly get that Joanna was a beast in high school and even shows flashes of being that same person as her wedding day nears. It's also clear, however, that she's not that same person. Is she evil or not? We don't really know throughout the bulk of the movie. As such, I didn't know who to root for in the Marni vs. the Bully showdown. Most of that is cleared up by the movie's end, but watching it play out left me, well...jumbled. As for the Mona vs. Mom showdown, it plays out differently, but a little more transparent. All the while, on the up-side, Betty White plays Grandma Bunny, an ultra-veteran, cougar just lurking for her next unsuspecting piece of meat. After all, she's quite hip and is on The Twitter, you know. Of course, Kristin Chenoweth is also good for added comedic relief.

Ultimately, it's about reconciliation. Whether it's a long, lost, foul enemy or a friendly rival who has been a source of anguish, that pain is gone. We can learn from it and grow or continue to allow it to devour us. That's true for both the bullied and the bullies of the universe. Yeah, I liked it. A good cast that gave me a few laughs and it's always great to see Betty! No need to go big on this one though--add it to your queue and and enjoy a cold, rainy day with it.

Yeah--I mowed this weekend and even sealed the deck. I know, I know...I rock. Have a great week!

True...out!