“Ash Is Purest White”– Movie Review

This week at The Film Society of Lincoln Center, I attended a sneak preview of the new Chinese drama directed by Jia Zhangke, “Ash Is Purest White”. 

Synopsis

When a young woman goes to prison in order to protect her boyfriend, can they pick up where they left off upon her release? 

Story

In 2001, Datong, China is undergoing many changes – not only culturally but economically, too.  This caused people to have to find new and creative ways to get by – even if you were a member of the Chinese underworld known as the jianghu.   Bin (Fan Liao) was one such low-level gangster in that organization and Qiao (Tao Zhao) was his devoted girlfriend.  She was madly in love with him – perhaps because she was also madly in love with his bad-boy lifestyle.  They shared many things together – Bin even taught her how to shoot his gun.  A fateful choice.

As a member of a gang, Bin has many enemies.  Rival gangsters are out to get him.  One night, as he and Qiao are driving through town, his car is attacked by men from another gang.  When he gets out to defend himself and fight back, he is initially able to hold his own – but soon, the gang overwhelm him.  Seeing her boyfriend taking a serious beating, Qiao decides to end the fight; she gets out of the car and grabs Bin’s pistol, shooting it threateningly into the sky.  This succeeds in breaking up the fight – however, since there were so many witnesses on this crowded street, she is reported to the police and subsequently arrested. 

After doing five years of hard time in prison, Qiao is finally released.  She immediately sets out to seek Bin, who never visited her or contacted her during the period of her incarceration.  Although he tries to evade her for a long time, Qiao finally tricks Bin into meeting with her; he informs her that while she was imprisoned, he found a new girlfriend – since he’s moved on, he suggests she does likewise.  This knocks Qiao for a loop – she expected Bin to be anxiously waiting for her return.  Years later, when Bin suffers a downturn in his luck, will Qiao be willing to take him back or has she had enough with him?    

Review

Heartbreaking and yet at times quite funny, “Ash Is Purest White” ostensibly sets out as a crime drama, then winds up transmogrifying into a tender romance.  It is simultaneously wondrous and alarming that Jia Zhangke is able to do this, but when a director is at the top of his form, he can turn almost any story into a sort of visual poetry.  Watching Zhao Tao’s character grow and change over a 17 year period is remarkable; her Qiao’s character arc gradually transforms into a heroine for the ages. This movie reminds us of the complexity of human relationships and that love can take many forms, some of which can be quite painful quite painful.

While you might expect a movie that covers a 17 year period in the life of two lovers to be long, at nearly two and a half hours, “Ash Is Purest White” can feel a bit slow at times.  For one thing, it takes nearly an hour for the real story to start because we are given so much background about this couple. Also, it somewhat confuses the viewer by having what might be thought of as a “false ending” – i.e., just when you think you’re about to see the credits roll, the story continues for quite a bit longer.  As much as you may be enjoying the film up to that point, it can nevertheless be a little bit infuriating.

Following the screening, there was an interview with the director Jia Zhangke via an interpreter.  When asked about how he came to have this title for the movie, he said that the original Chinese title was something completely different.  However, when looking to distribute the film overseas – especially in the United States – he knew that title would not work because it was a phrase that would only resonate in the Chinese culture.   As a result, he set off to find something that might be more palatable for an American audience. During the shoot, this title occurred to him because he came to realize that the heat from volcanic ash performs something of a purification process.  Likewise, people in the “heat” (pressure) of society can sometimes tend to disintegrate into ash. The essence of the film is about the pressures of society that came about from the drastic changes in China.

“Birds Of Passage”– Movie Review

This week at The Film Society Of Lincoln Center, I attended an advance screening of the new Colombian drama, “Birds Of Passage” (aka “Pájaros de verano”).

Synopsis

When the drug wars in Colombia heat up in the 1970’s, an entrepreneurial man seeks his fortune in this business – but will his ambition be his undoing?

Story

In the late 1960’s, Raphayet (José Acosta) sees a world around him where easy money can be made by selling marijuana – especially to Americans, who seem to have an extraordinary amount of disposable income.  To this end, he visits an old acquaintance, Aníbal (Juan Bautista Martínez), who is known to grow a huge crop of weed; he offers to help him distribute the product so that they can both earn a substantial living.  They eventually come to a mutually acceptable arrangement; Raphayet agrees to buy from Aníbal a certain amount of the crop regularly, which he will in turn sell for profit. 

Over time, however, Raphayet finds that other people are making his business difficult to run and are going out of their way to create problems for him.  One such person is his old friend Moisés (Jhon Narváez), whom Raphayet hired to assist him in his business.  Unfortunately, it turns out that Moisés is out of control and becomes too much of a risk.  When Aníbal threatens to terminate his business dealings with Raphayet because of Moisés’ behavior, Raphayet is forced to eliminate the problem.  However, since he took his time dealing with the situation, Raphayet has damaged his relationship with Aníbal. 

After renegotiating their business deal in a way that is more favorable to Anibal, he and Raphayet continue their arrangement, although it is considerably more uneasy by this time.  Across the years, Raphayet attains an unimaginable level of success and his family wants for nothing.  But Leonídas (Greider Meza), an in-law who becomes part of his crew, grows into being another headache, just like Moisés was; this time, however, he disrespects Aníbal’s daughter.  By now, Aníbal loses faith in Raphayet’s ability to manage his people.  Can this be repaired or will the two be destined for war?     

Review

If you like the Netflix show “Narcos”, or the movie “Scarface” (the Al Pacino version) or even just the El Chapo trial, then you might enjoy “Birds Of Passage”.  There is plenty of action and violence for those who find that kind of thing entertaining. Having said that, however, it’s a bit slowly paced in parts, especially in the beginning; eventually, it picks up.  While it never gets to a point of being fast-paced, it definitely has more of a feel of forward momentum. Unfortunately, the slow pace early on could cause some folks to bail out of the story and make it hard – if not impossible – to get them back. 

Based on true incidents from the 1960’s to the 1980’s in Colombia, “Birds of Passage” is certainly an ambitious undertaking.  While it is an interesting concept, it’s something of a challenge for the audience to root for any of the major characters since they are all directly or indirectly involved in the illegal activity of drug dealing.  True, in this case it’s only marijuana, but still, it was considered an illegal activity at the time. There are different, nuanced levels of villainy here, so whom you root for (if anyone) may be up for grabs. None of the characters are truly innocent; everyone has dirty hands.

Curiously, this level of complexity makes the story even more interesting.  In this immoral world, morality is relative. What might be considered immoral in decent society may be thought of as acceptable in this framework.  There is also the matter of different tribal customs and what is considered “honorable”. Who is murdered or stolen from may be quite tolerable, depending on whom the victim was or the circumstances in which the deed took place.  If you are unfamiliar with these societies, the concept may be hard to grasp – but on the upside, “Birds Of Paradise” certainly takes the viewer into an entirely unfamiliar world.

“High Flying Bird”–Movie Review

This week, I attended a screening at The Film Society of Lincoln Center of the new Netflix drama, “High Flying Bird”, directed by Steven Soderbergh. 

Synopsis

During an NBA lockout, can the players figure out a way to monetize their athletic ability in order to earn a living?

Story

After nearly six months of an NBA lockout, professional basketball player Erick (Melvin Gregg) is running low on funds; he has wound up being forced to borrow money because he spent everything he had before the lockout.  As if things aren’t bad enough, Erick now finds himself being lectured by his agent Ray (André Holland), who is also in a similar situation due to the lockout.  Upon returning to the office, Ray learns that the previously successful agency he works for has been forced to lay off much of its staff due to the lockout.  Since Ray primarily represents NBA players, he’s out, too.

Despite his situation, his (now former) assistant Sam (Zazie Beetz) not only remains loyal to him, but now also tries to continue to help him dig himself – and his main client – out of the deep hole in which they find themselves.  With no end in sight to the lockout, Erick is growing increasingly impatient and starts taking it out on Ray, who has assured him he could turn things around for them both.  One day at a charity event, Erick is confronted by one of his main rivals on the court; they decide to settle their differences by playing a little game of one-on-one.  A video of their basketball duel is recorded and uploaded to the Internet.  It doesn’t take much time for it to go viral.

Before long, Ray and Erick are being inundated with offers to make a regularly scheduled television show where Erick plays one-on-one with another professional athlete.  Discussions of big money are being tossed around.  But would making such a commitment violate Erick’s contract and render him susceptible to a lawsuit with the NBA?  Since the lockout has been protracted, Ray argues that the league has not upheld its part of the bargain and Erick is free to seek another means of livelihood.  Will Ray and Erick risk their career on this deal or can the NBA end the lockout beforehand?       

Review

The premise for “High Flying Bird” is rather clever; while there may be some comparisons with “Jerry Maguire”, such a comparisons can only be done on the most superficial level – a story about a sports agent.  Where this movie takes a totally different turn is that the agent uses out-of-the-box thinking in combination with modern-day technology in order to solve a crucial problem.  Part of the enjoyment in watching this film comes from watching the agent out-play and out-think everyone else who believes they are considerably smarter than he.   

Unfortunately, the movie in its entirety does not hold together terribly well and comes off as a bit muddled in areas.  This is especially true when certain characters are introduced and the viewer is not quite clear who these people are and what relationship they have to the primary characters.  Instead, the audience is left to figure it all out as the movie unfolds, which risks taking the viewer out of the story temporarily.  Also, by the conclusion of the film, there is little in the way of an emotional impact on the viewer since there wasn’t much of an investment in the characters early on.      

Following the screening, there was an interview with the movie’s screenwriter Tarell Alvin McCraney, as well as two cast members, André Holland and Zazie Beetz.  Holland stated that he kicked off this project by pitching the idea to Soderbergh and it took four years to be realized.  Soderbergh shot the entire movie on an iphone. Beetz said that she found some differences in the way she approached acting before an iphone as opposed to a traditional camera; while her acting is basically the same, she noted that performing in front of an iphone is somewhat less distracting.  She added that shooting in this fashion, they moved more quickly because there was no setup required – natural lighting was utilized, so no lights needed to be positioned. Beetz added that since this shoot didn’t allocate much time for rehearsal, it required all of the actors to be extremely well prepared at the time they were before the camera.

“Men Without Women”– Book Review

Ernest Hemingway is a puzzle that continuously needs to be solved over and over again.  In a sense, reading him can be like reading Shakespeare in the sense that it desperately needs to be annotated in order to understand what’s going on at any given moment in the story.  Whatever he is writing about often needs to be unlocked by how he is writing it – i.e., the narrative descriptions and the comparisons, analogies or euphemisms.  As a writer, Hemingway struck the perfect balance between merely observing life (human nature) and being an active participant in it (war, boxing, bullfighting). 

If you are an admirer of Hemingway, then rest assured that “Men Without Women” touches on all of these topics – human nature, war, boxing and bullfighting.  Originally published in 1927, this is a collection of fourteen of Hemingway’s short stories.  The title, however, might be a bit misleading because some of the stories are actually focused on the complexity of relationships between men and women – which is, arguably, the author’s métier.  Most notably is “Hills Like White Elephants”, which, at its essence, is about abortion. 

This particular short story is what motivated me to read this book because of my personal history with “Hills Like White Elephants”.  My first reading of this story was back in 1977, the Spring Semester of my Freshman year in college.  Given the fact that I was attending a Catholic University at the time, one might imagine how eye-opening it was for me to discover that such a classic short story was about this particular topic; at the tender age of 18, it was quite a bit for this teenager to wrap his head around, particularly in such a religious environment. 

What is a so-called “white elephant”?  One definition is that it is something that is not desired by its owner or a possession maintained at much expense.  It may be suggested that for those who do not seek parenthood that children, in general, are both unwanted and expensive – a difficult thing to refute.  The fact that Hemingway could write about it so artfully without actually mentioning the word abortion was never actually used speaks to the author’s skill and subtlety.  Also, keep in mind that this was written decades before Roe v. Wade, so the procedure could only be done legally in Europe. 

Another reason why this particular story so remarkable is how well Hemingway writes about the complexity of the relationship between men and women.  In “Hills Like White Elephants”, one gets the sense that the woman is going through with this simply to please her man because she doesn’t want to lose him – and yet it seems as though this relationship is nearing its end.  He knows that she truly wanted this baby and is now even trying to convince himself that this procedure was a mutual agreement between them, whereas it was really coming at his insistence.

While there are other good stories in this collection, it’s rather haphazard; there’s filler in between the worthwhile pieces.  What makes it worth the read, however, is not only the better stories but also the historical context; it features Hemingway at his early stages in life, working and practicing in order to become the legend that he was.  To see him make a misstep or two along the way almost humanizes him.  For all his success, there were considerable artistic imperfections.  Not even Babe Ruth hit a homerun every time he came up to bat.       

Men Without Women: Ernest Hemingway: 9780684825861: Books ISBN: 0684825864 ISBN-13: 9780684825861

“Rules For Radicals”– Book Review

During my winter vacation, I read, “Rules For Radicals” by Saul Alinsky. 

Review

Why read this book?  My inspiration was Newt Gingrich.  No, you didn’t misread that.  During the 2012 presidential campaign when Obama was running for re-election, my boy Newty kept bringing up Saul Alinsky; whatever Obama did or said, Gingrich would respond by saying, “That’s straight out of the Saul Alinsky playbook!”.  This begged the not-unreasonable question on my part, “Who Is Saul Alinsky?”.  Quite honestly, I had never heard of him prior to that, so I began to research him and found Alinsky to be a rather interesting character.  As soon as I was able to get my hands on one of his books, I promised myself it would be prioritized on my reading list.

So just exactly who was Saul Alinsky?  Born in Chicago over a century ago, he studied criminology in college.  While working at Joliet State Prison, he learned about life there and later developed the skills necessary to organize various groups of people – whether it was workers for the purpose of unionizing or communities in order to evoke change to improve their living conditions.  His efforts sometimes resulted in his occasional jailing (where he found time to do the majority of his writing).  Alinsky influenced not only Obama but also Hillary Clinton as well.    

The first chapter of the book, titled “The Purpose”, notes that in Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address, the president said something that is often overlooked in his history: 

This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it.  Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it.

In other words, “It’s your country, do with it as you please”.  Some might interpret this as saying that he was calling for a war.  Another – and perhaps more likely – interpretation  was that he was just reminding people that we, its citizens, own this country (and by association, its government) and that the elected politicians are merely its temporary caretakers.  With this as an eye-opener, Alinsky catapults the reader into further, equally revolutionary concepts. 

The experience of reading this book was simultaneously exhilarating, invigorating and inspiring.  Chapter 2, “Of Means And Ends”, begins with the following question:  “Does this particular end justify this particular means?”  When reading it at the time the book was originally published (1971, a year before its author’s death), it might’ve seemed rather innocent; unfortunately, reading it in today’s context, it feels like something that could be used by terrorists as their very own justification.   

Other chapters include “A Word About Words” (in which he foresees Politically Correct terminology), “The Education Of An Organizer” (where he lists the qualities of a good organizer), “Communication” (arguably the funniest chapter), “In The Beginning” (wherein he states that you must start by gaining both credibility and trust), “Tactics” (lays out methods of how to get things done and where he reveals both his secrets and mistakes) and “The Genesis Of A Tactic Proxy” (how shareholders can use their proxy votes against a corporation). 

In the book’s 9th and final chapter, “The Way Ahead”, Alinsky almost seems to predict the coming of Trump by referencing the McCarthyism of the 1950’s in the following passage:

“It’s The Red Menace!”  Now, they are not only the most vociferous in their espousal of law and order but ripe victims for such as demagogic George Wallace, The John Birch Society and The Red Menace perennials. 

(In the above passage, substitute “Socialism” for the term “Red Menace” to put it in today’s context)

Throughout this chapter, the author outlines how to proceed by using the methods delineated previously and warns of the danger of doing nothing.     

 

Book Review: “The Art Of War”

On my winter vacation, I read “The Art Of War” by Sun Tzu, as translated by Lionel Giles.

Summary

In the 5th century B.C., Sun Tzu, a General in the Chinese military, wrote a highly regarded treatise about combat strategy and tactics.  While this has been used by armies around the world, it has also been adopted for use in various business cultures.  In more modern times, the General’s philosophy toward fighting a war has proven to be a useful guidebook for traversing through the often treacherous world of corporate America.  Regardless of whether you’re an enlisted person in the military or an office drone who daily faces cutthroat competition from co-workers, Sun Tzu has composed survival instructions. 

The book consists of a total of 13 chapters as follows:

1.  Laying Plans	2.  Waging War	3.  Attack By Stratagem
4.  Tactical Dispositions	5.  Energy	6.  Weak Points and Strong
7.  Maneuvering	8.  Variation In Tactics	9.  The Army On The March
10.  Terrain	11.  The Nine Situations	12.  The Attack By Fire
13.  The Use Of Spies

Each chapter has sentences and paragraphs numbered for easy reference to the (usually short) pieces of information that the author has offered on a given topic.  While each item may be considered individually, they can also be taken within the context of a given chapter as well. 

Review

Is this book about The Art of War or is it about The Art of Survival?  It could be argued that survival is in fact a war against the forces in life that want to destroy you in one fashion or another – so yes, perhaps the art of survival is, indeed, the art of war.  From a philosophical context, one could make the argument that the art of war is both a war against society and a war against ourselves.  So, in that manner, the art of war is, indeed, the art of survival – however, what one may be trying to survive from may be different depending on what your individual perspective is on almost any given day. 

What exactly is it that motivates someone to read this book?  Perhaps it is literally a militaristic context, but frequently, it is a necessity to keep one’s head above water in the business world.  There is, however, another possibility:  to understand the political climate in which we all find ourselves presently.  To that end, “The Art Of War” may actually provide some insights – although that was probably not the original intent of its author from many centuries ago. 

As far as the book itself it concerned, it would seem that it is directed to the most absolute of purists – that is because this version leaves no indication of its publisher nor of the scholar who provided the translation.  The Spartan quality of the book would certainly explain the fact that it is without either an index, footnotes or annotations of any kind – too bad for the initial reader, but good for the more experienced reader familiar with this work.  This version of the book is not recommended for someone who has never previously read, “The Art Of War”; instead, it is better for someone who has already consumed a translation (with interpretations), but wishes to experience a version without any editorialized comments.  

 

The Art Of War: Sun Tzu, Lionel Giles: 9781545211953: Books ISBN: 1545211957 ISBN-13: 9781545211953

Hedonism II: New Year’s Eve 2018

“The Hajj”

For people of the Muslim religion, there is The Hajj:  a once-a-year pilgrimage to Mecca.  My annual pilgrimage is to a somewhat less holy place:  Hedonism II in Negril, Jamaica for the New Year’s Eve celebration.  Here’s a rundown of my time there.

Day 1:  Travel (12/26/18)

With a government shutdown having occurred just days prior to my trip, I was mildly concerned about how that would impact my travel; it turned out that I was worrying for nothing as it appeared to have no impact – at least not for the time being, anyway.  For the first time ever, I purchased the Arrival service from Club Mobay.  I did not purchase the bundle (arrival & departure) because I book the business class flight on Caribbean Airlines and that is included in the price of purchase.  The reason for purchasing the arrival only service is not to use the lounge but instead to get the fast-track through security.  Since I had a car waiting for me (Mr. Reasonable), I figured I could skip the lounge and go straight to my car so I could get to the resort faster.  The Club Mobay service worked flawlessly and I highly recommend purchasing this for your own trip.

Day 2:  First Full Day (12/27/18)

In the two decades that I’ve been vacationing there at New Year’s, this is the first time I can recall seeing an eggnog dispenser at the main bar; it was there during breakfast, but I don’t know if it remained there throughout the day.  If it was there on my previous trips, then I missed it – but this may have been the first year I recall seeing eggnog being offered at Hedo.  For at least the third year in a row, the ice machine is not working; I’m referring, of course, to the ice machine in the hut by the hot tub.  Are they planning on fixing the machine?  If they are going to replace it, what’s taking so long?   Why is it still there?

Day 3:  Return of the Partiers (12/28/18)

This morning at breakfast, I noticed that the eggnog dispenser was gone, so apparently, the management has officially declared Christmas season over.  The good news, however, is the fact that today is the day that The Fun Bunch arrived – the folks who I remember from previous years that provided a great deal of the positive energy in the past.  There is a noticeable change in the mood around the place; where it seemed to have been relatively sedate, the folks who tend to ratchet it up for New Year’s have finally returned – and not a day too soon!

Day 4:  The Gazebo (12/29/18)

When I woke up, I felt like making some coffee in my room; I was discouraged from doing so by the fact that although the room was supplied with a coffee machine and coffee packages, there was no sweetener nor creamer.  Weather-wise, the morning was sunny followed by a mostly cloudy afternoon.  The cloudy weather was in no way an encumbrance to many of the guests as there were afternoon PDA’s a-plenty.  Going to the piano bar that night, I found it to be mostly pretty boring, but on a good note, Eldon was back behind the bar; he had been noticeably missing the past couple of days (turned out he was on vacation).    Later, I walked to the disco, which was fairly dead; what was not dead was the gazebo immediately outside the disco – three couples were engaged in an orgy and there was quite the crowd gathered around to watch.

Day 5:  The Portuguese Troika (12/30/18)

Last year, I noticed there was a gay couple at the resort; it turned out they were from Portugal.  One of them was considerably older than the other.  This year they returned, and brought a friend, so instead of being a couple, they were a triple.  Their third friend appeared to have had some kind of Kim Kardashian-type work done on him because he seemed to have abnormally large buttocks. The two younger men were at the pool today and caused something of a disruption because they were playing their own music from a small portable speaker; later on, they had their own unique form of play-time that wasn’t quite in synch with what the rest of the couples were up to.

Day 6:  Party Night (12/31/18)

Today, the weather pattern we’ve had for the past couple of days finally broke and our afternoon was mostly sunny.  The evening’s party theme was “Temple Of Pleasure”; the DJ was Hector Romero, who, I’m given to understand, is a popular New York City DJ (I’m from NYC and I’ve never heard of him, but then again, to be perfectly honest, I doubt that I’m in the demographic he’s trying to reach).  Romero played dance music that was similar to what The Portuguese Boys were playing pool-side yesterday; I’m not sure if characterizing it Electronic Dance Music may be 100% accurate, but that’s what I’ve chosen to call its style.  For those of you who’ve never experienced EDM before, I call it “music to have a mental breakdown by”.  Once you hear it, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.  I guess Hedo Management decided to go with this in order to appease the younger crowd, especially since last year’s party was a 1970’s theme (to appeal to us old fogies, I suppose).    

Happy New Year my friends. I had a blast bringing in the new year at Hedonism Resorts Negril, Jamaica. Thanks to Enrico, Cristiana & the entire Hedonism staff for a great time. H

— Hector Romero (@DJHectorRomero) January 1, 2019

Day 7:  The New Year (1/1/19)

Everyone was celebrating last night but I saw no reason to celebrate:  when New Year’s Eve comes, I know I’ve passed the midpoint in my vacation and the end is near.    This morning at breakfast, the resort was apparently catering to The Hangover Crowd:  they set up a separate (and very elaborate) Bloody Mary bar.  People who are on shorter trips are suddenly now preparing to go home.  Late this afternoon on the beach, The Bare Bottom Bunch held their annual champagne party on the beach during sunset – which on this day could not have been more perfect.  On this night at the piano bar, it was Karaoke night; the crowd seemed dead (too much partying from the night before?) and the entire experience was boring.  They held the Glow Party by the main pool; I took a walk over there, only to find that I was being approached by hookers, so I returned to my room (alone). 

Day 8:  The Dead Zone (1/2/19)

Now, I have a problem.  The Fun Bunch has either gone home or is now en route.  I brought a total of three books with me on my vacation and by now, I’ve read them all.  As a result, I have absolutely nothing to do during the day.  The plan?  Start drinking early.  Throughout the day, I grow increasingly anxious to go home, but I know that I’ve still got another full day at the resort.  Tonight is The Repeaters Party; I attend it and find that the resort’s General Manager Kevin Levee is there.  He makes no announcements, nor does he take any questions, so if there are any plans for more modifications or improvements or renovations, he kept them to himself.

Day 9:  Toga & Foam (1/3/19)

Today is my last full day at the resort and the afternoon was mostly cloudy, with occasional breaks of sun.  “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop” is what my nuns in Catholic school used to remind us.  As a Type 2 diabetic, there was a bright spot at dinner during the week:  sugar free desserts.  Usually, they were a mousse of some kind, so this was a welcome alternative to the cheese plate or fruit.  That night, I spent most of it in the piano bar hoping in vain for improvements, but it was just as dull and boring as previous nights; I’m not optimistic about the place regaining its old electricity any time soon.      

Day 10:  Returning Home (1/4/19)

This morning after breakfast, I packed, then checked-out.  My ride to the airport was on time (early, in fact); I got to MBJ at 2:30PM for a 5:45PM flight, which wound up being a half hour late – but made up the time by taking only 3 hours to get to JFK.  Following 15 minutes of taxiing to the gate, it occurred to me that since the government was still closed, I might have a substantial delay getting through security; once again, however, it turned out that there was no need for concern since I got through in about 10 minutes (if not less).  That said, we had a long wait at the baggage carousel before the luggage started dropping; luckily, mine was among the first, so I met my driver after getting my bag and got back to Brooklyn by 11PM.  I booked the VIP Meet & Greet Service from Dial 7; it was expensive but definitely worth it (they were very professional).  Despite the fact that it wasn’t exactly a terrible vacation, I was never so glad to be home. 

“Vice”– Movie Review

This week, I attended an advance screening of writer-director Adam McKay’s “Vice”, a biographical drama about former vice president Dick Cheney, starring Christian Bale and Amy Adams.

Synopsis

When a rudderless young man rises to the level of Vice President of The United States, how will his ambition influence his various life choices?

Story

In the early 1960’s, no one would have had a clue that a young Dick Cheney would ever turn into one of the most powerful (and dangerous) men in America.  Working at various blue collar jobs in Wyoming, he briefly looked like he had a future – but when he flunked out of an Ivy League college, all hope was abandoned.  After work, he spends his nights drinking, gambling, fighting and getting arrested (either for fighting or drunk driving). Eventually, his wife Lynne (Amy Adams) has finally had her fill and reads her husband the riot act:  either straighten up and be responsible or she will leave him.

Through some connections, Dick is able to secure a political internship in Washington, D.C.  He ultimately winds up working for Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell), a conservative Republican who winds up deeply influencing Dick’s way of maneuvering the various pitfalls of The Capital.  Despite various setbacks over the years, Dick is able to climb the ladder and continue to gain better positions with greater responsibility – among them, working in The Nixon, Ford and Bush41 Administrations.  Before long, he runs for Congress in the Republican Party and wins a seat in The House Of Representatives as Wyoming’s only House Member.

While working for Halliburton, an international oil field services corporation, Dick gets an offer that’s difficult to refuse:  George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell), the Republican candidate for President in 2000, offers him the Vice President spot on the ticket.  Although Dick was loyal to W’s father, he takes a dim view of the son. Initially, Dick has little interest in taking a position that has very little power – and besides, why work for an allegedly-reformed party boy like W, who doesn’t exactly have the best of reputations?  But it occurs to Dick that he can easily manipulate W and negotiate his own terms for his unique vision of the office of Veep. When Bush wins in a controversial election, can Dick wrest power from him?

Review

Much has been made of the physical transformation Christian Bale underwent in order to play this role.  It’s true – he really does look like the subject of “Vice”. However, if you’re relying just on the make-up department to do your acting for you, then you’re really not acting much, if at all.  Fortunately, this is not the case with Bale’s Cheney; he really does become the person so much, it’s scary (well, it helps that Cheney is scary to begin with). In early scenes, we see Bale as a younger version of Cheney when he first married Lynne; even then, where Bale is wearing little if any make-up, we see and hear him speaking exactly how the real Cheney would.  It’s an impressive performance.

Bale’s performance is not the lone reason to see “Vice”.  What makes this movie such a compelling watch is the writing and direction by Adam McKay; at various times it is  clever, funny and dark-themed. A particularly humorous moment occurs when McKay attempts to trick viewers into thinking the film has ended prematurely.  Whatever the opposite of a hagiography is, that’s pretty much how you would characterize “Vice”. As much as McKay makes Cheney look like a monster, he also finds a way to humanize him by means of his family.  Cheney comes across as devoted to his wife and daughters, especially Mary, who famously came out as a lesbian.

Another thing to look out for in “Vice” is the performance by cast members other than Bale.  Specifically, there is Sam Rockwell as the ne’er-do-well-turned-POTUS George W. Bush. Rockwell, like Bale, totally transforms – not just visually but also in terms of his voice and speech patterns.  When the two are in a scene together, it’s truly a marvel to watch both of these gifted actors give a clinic on their craft. Amy Adams, who appears in a substantial portion of the film as Cheney’s wife Lynne, does yeoman's work holding her own as someone who can stand up to Cheney and effectively get through to him.

“On The Basis Of Sex”– Movie Review

This week, I attended a New York Times advance screening of the new biographical drama about Ruth Bader Ginsberg, “On The Basis Of Sex”, starring Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer.

Synopsis

When a young lawyer must try a major case, will the visibility cement her career or cause it to be ruined?

Story

In the 1950’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jones) was one of only nine women who managed to earn a spot in Harvard Law School.  Despite facing a considerable amount of chauvinism, she persisted and was able to not only attend her own classes, but also, those of her husband Martin (Hammer) when he fell ill to testicular cancer.  Upon realizing that Martin may at some point relapse, Ruth left Harvard to return to New York City, where she completed her degree at Columbia University.  Despondent over the direction her career took when none of the top law firms hired her, she reluctantly took a teaching position. 

While teaching, Ruth learns that this gives her an advantage:  she can take on any case she desires.  If she had gone to work for a major law firm, they would likely assign her a case – one which she might have considerably less passion.  Soon, she becomes aware of a case of a man denied a tax deduction simply because of his gender.  Since Ruth’s greatest concern was to defend people who have been shown discrimination because of their gender, this was certainly something she felt was her bailiwick.  There was one problem, however:  this case was also focused on tax law.  As a result, she would clearly need her husband Martin, a tax lawyer, to assist her. 

Soon, Ruth gets some support when her case is backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is run by her long-time friend, Mel Wulf (Justin Theroux).  With the help of Mel, Martin and a support system of various mentors and like-minded attorneys, Ruth diligently prepares to argue her case before the 10 Circuit Court, where she must present before three judges.  Still relatively inexperienced, everyone wonders whether or not Ruth will be able to stand up to the pressure of a case which is gaining notoriety around the nation.  Can she show that this man is denied his tax deduction on the basis of sex or will she be laughed out of court?   

Review

Without a doubt, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an icon and a cultural heroine of the modern age – and you don’t necessarily have to be either a woman or a liberal in order to be stunned by the accomplishments in Mrs. Ginsburg’s personal and professional life.  Although “On The Basis Of Sex” has a powerful emotional impact with its ending, it is not able to elevate a film that is done in from the start – largely due to its casting.  How Jones and Hammer could remotely be considered the right actors to portray this legendary couple is enigmatic, to put it mildly.    

The screenplay, which was apparently written by Ginsburg’s nephew, does a decent job of showing how the ambition of this couple impacted their family life – likely something to which few people would have had such an authentic insight.  It falters in the sense of creating a mood that is realistic; all too often in scene after scene, it becomes an eye-rolling exercise in reductionism.  Ultimately, one gets the sense that despite the staggering accomplishments of this woman, we are watching something that is more accurately characterized as a hagiography, not a biography.   

Following the screening, there was an interview with the filmmakers.  Jones said that the key to understanding how RBG became who she is today was by understanding her background – specifically, the decisions she made throughout life and the societal forces which determined how she was raised.  She added that much of the story of this movie is actually that of the family and what they were able to achieve together – especially when it appeared as though the entire world was against them.    Director Mimi Leder said to her, the story is about how change happens – a constant pushing open the doors, but not in an angry way.  For the full interview, please refer to the video clip below. 

“Transit”– Movie Review

This week, I attended the opening night for the retrospective of German filmmaker Christian Petzold at The Film Society of Lincoln Center , screening his latest drama, “Transit”.  

Synopsis

When a man assumes a stranger’s identity to escape the Nazis, he becomes involved with the man’s wife – but will she remain if she learns he’s stolen her husband’s identity?

Story

Georg (Franz Rogowski) is one of the lucky ones.   Despite being a German refugee who fled to France to escape the Nazis, he now finds himself endangered once again.  The Nazis have just reached Paris and begin rounding up people suspected of being Jewish.  Needing money, Georg accepts an offer to deliver some letters to a fellow German named Weidel – a writer also staying in Paris until it’s safe to return home.  But upon arriving at Weidel’s apartment, Georg finds the man has committed suicide.  Curious and seeing a sample of the man’s work, he takes the manuscript and some other papers before leaving. 

Later, Georg goes through the papers and finds they include documents that will allow him to not only leave Paris, but to leave France altogether.  Determined to escape the Nazis, Georg heads to Marseille, where he awaits passage on an ocean liner.  While there, he runs into a woman named Marie (Paula Beer), who is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her husband – who just so happens to be Weidel.  As Georg becomes romantically involved with Marie, he cannot bring himself to tell Marie her husband is dead – or for that matter, that he has assumed the man’s identity.

The Nazis start moving in on Marseille as the date for Georg’s cruise draws near.  Marie is conflicted – as much as she wants to save herself, she can’t leave when there’s a chance that her husband may suddenly show up.  At this point, Georg gets an idea:  he’ll have the consulate update his papers so Marie can join him onboard.  It seems like an excellent plan until Georg suddenly learns a friend of Marie’s is also trying to flee the Nazis but can only manage a dangerous climb across the mountains.  Can Georg arrange for all three of them to board the ship before all of France falls to the Nazis?   

Review

“Transit” the movie is based on “Transit” the 1944 era novel by Anna Seghers – a story very reminiscent of the classic “Casablanca”.  Unless you are familiar with this book, it’s hard to know how close the film is to its source material.  Having said that, “Transit” the movie is rather difficult to watch – although perhaps frustrating would a better word to describe the experience.  Although it’s never explicitly stated one way or the other, the story obviously takes place during the time of the second world war – but you would never know it by the clothes, cars or other things that might be considered a giveaway.   

It doesn’t end there.  Other items that cause “Transit” to suffer are the sudden and unexpected use of a narrator and the time spent with certain ancillary characters.  With respect to the use of the narrator, it’s a rather curious device introduced in an unusual manner; he is unknown to us until much later and while on some level he knows Georg, we discover his familiarity with him is superficial.  Regarding the extraneous characters, it would appear that so much time is spent on them because it was difficult to flesh out the relationship with Marie.  Spending more time with Marie would have given the audience the opportunity to have more of an emotional investment in their romance.   

Following the screening, there was an interview with director Christian Petzold, who said the book on which his movie is based is considered a must-read in Germany, even though it may be less familiar elsewhere.  The novel was recommended to him by a friend who later passed away and caused him to temporarily halt work on his adaptation.  In his interpretation, Petzold was not interested in making a period piece; although the story clearly takes place during World War II, he didn’t want any visual clues (such as the clothing or the cars) to suggest it was in that time.  To Petzold, the title “Transit” has multiple meanings – the transportation out of France as well as the fluidity of time travel.