United can suck it

We have moved to Germany for a year, leaving on Wednesday, and the trip to Munich was by far the worst travel experience of our lives. United Airlines and TSA can suck it. And by suck it, I mean go fuck themselves, and here is why.

United wouldn’t let me drop bags (despite having checked in online the night before) because Max wasn’t present, and because they closed the counter I started doing this at while I was using the kiosk touch screen machine. He had gone to return the rental car with Noah while I checked in the luggage. It was 6 huge suitcases, on top of my 3 carry-on bags (including Noah’s toys and entertainment for 20 hours of travel, food and bottles, diapers, change of clothes and bedtime stuff).They wanted me to move to a counter quite far away but this was physically impossible with so many bags. A United rep actually suggested I find a porter to bribe and help me with a large cart! “I don’t know why your husband would leave you here like this to check-in on your own?!”

When I finally found someone who understood that what I needed was quite simple, and didn’t require Max in-person, they then worried our bags wouldn’t make it because they’d changed the flight time to 30 minutes earlier without previously notifying us. Bags now have to be checked-in 45 minutes before departure. All of this caused a late start at security, who then insisted on x-ray scanning my carry-on twice because they weren’t sure what the baby wipes were. 10 minutes before our flight departure I watched a TSA rep manhandle baby wipes, board books and diapers, saying “Ma’am please stop looking around. you are supposed to watch what I am doing with your belongings or I could get in a lot of trouble.” Max had gone ahead with Noah to make sure the plane didn’t leave.

I was literally the last people on the plane before they closed the doors. The attendant who scanned my boarding pass yelled, “Hurry, hurry, hurry. We need to get you on asap so we can leave on time. But you’ll have to check that bag under the plane.” (the one with diapers and clothes change and bedtime stuff). Thinking I would get this back 4 hours later in Chicago, I agreed, and grabbed a few for the flight to Chicago. But the ding-dong who had this bag put under the plane checked it all the way to Munich. Noah peed through his clothes on the first flight and we had a barely dressed boy for the first plane ride. Max sat wiping everything with paper towels from the bathroom for 4 hours,m while I had a nervous breakdown. Once at O-Hare and discovering this huge dilemma, we begged customer service to assist in retrieving the bag. They assured us it could be intercepted one hour prior to departure for Munich and that the best they could offer was an opportunity to take some things out of that bag, but it would then have to go back under the plane for security reasons. I asked, “What if I take everything out of that bag and give you an empty one for under the plane?” and the response was, “If that’s what you need to do…” I am so glad Max convinced me not to trust in this, as they never ended up contacting us or bringing the bag up. After scouring most stores at O’Hare for diapers size 5, only to find one place with size 3, I left Max and Noah and all the carry-on stuff to take a cab to the nearest Target, where I bought some clothes and diapers.

The flight to Munich was the last leg of the journey and generally pleasant, minus the fact that Noah only slept for 2 of the 9 hours. When the lights went out and everyone went to sleep, he started squealing and laughing and then screaming and crying. He was a little loopy for about 2 hours before he finally crashed. And then we crashed too.

I have come to conclusion that unless you have boatloads of money, traveling by air is cruel and dehumanizing. In addition to all the nasty physical discomforts, you see people behaving at their worst. Compound that with a child under the age of 8, and it’s enough to make you avoid flying until their 9th birthday.

A terrible loss

My grandmother Pauline died yesterday. And today her body was cremated. The matriarch of my family is gone, and the world feels a little emptier. She was such an incredible grandmother, and incredible woman, and a great role model. She had so much class and very high standards – stubborn beyond stubborn and always a hard worker. She spoiled me rotten my whole life, loved me unconditionally and sided with me blindly at times when no one else did. I am so lucky to have had her in my life through my mid-thirties. She would have been 87 in two months time. My grandfathers both died when I was three and my father’s mother was a cold woman, someone I never knew well. Pauline was all the grandparent I ever had or ever needed. She was a gem, one of a kind and will always hold an incredibly special place in my heart. I am so grateful she had a chance to see me pregnant and then meet Noah last year. He just recently started saying ‘Bobbe’ (pronounced Bo-ba) which is Yiddish for grandmother. This is what I call her, and this is who he would say hello to on the phone. I am glad she was able to hear him say her name – her first great grandchild. It is painful to know I will never speak with her or see again, other than in my dreams, but she taught me so much and I will tell stories of her always, so that she is alive in our hearts. I will miss her warm embrace, her soft hands, her infectious laugh and the way she called me ‘Lollipop’, due to my renditions of Shirley Temple’s ‘Good Ship Lollipop’ as a child. Dearest Bobbe, your Lollipop misses you and sends you kisses, hugs and love forever. Thank you for everything you gave to us – you were one in a zillion.

Photo below was taken in the mid-90’s. I had just bought a medium format camera and wanted to practice using it.

SRC 04/10: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (TGWTDT)

Shaun Gordon
Review: Män som hatar kvinnor (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)
Director: Niels Arden Oplev

More often than not I find that “best sellers” turned into Hollywood tent poles fail dismally because the failure of successfully translating from the page to the screen is inevitable. However in the case of Män som hatar kvinnor (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), the first book in the Millennium Trilogy written by Steig Larsson and adapted for the screen by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg- I believe there was a practical and believable success.

While the story is quite drawn out and introduces an insurmountable number of new characters at each twist and turn, I found the intrigue and sensibility of the story entertaining, although sometimes beyond predictable. The film had a raw grit in its sexuality and brutality that often gets watered down or over-saturated in typical Hollywood adaptations of foreign stories.

Noomi Rapace and Micahel Nyqvist turned in excellent performances within the parameters of the writing, in addition to a plethora of excellent Swedish actors who played their parts well. On the one hand I could say that the story was somewhat trite and formulaic, but in that simplicity there was a realness that lent itself to the believability of the vulnerability and realism of empathizing with the main characters.

My one true criticism of the film is that is was too long, and a little bit to drawn out, there were several scenes which could have more succinctly ended the film with an air of greater suspense, but even that made the story more relatable.

David Fincher has been tapped to direct the American remake of this film, and if he sticks to the true essence of the story mixed with a little “fight club”-esque essence, it could make for a more entertaining and dark ride.

Synopsis: A Swedish journalist with a tarnished reputation and looming prison sentence is hired by a rich industrialist family to solve a murder mystery that has spanned 40 years. In the process of developing the investigation, the main character Micahel Nyqvist (Mikael Blomkvist) becomes involved with a computer hacker Noomi Rapace (Lisbeth Salander) who helps to unravel the mystery. Without divulging more of the story, the plot takes some twists and turns that is predictable, but still seems to keep the story moving at a tolerable and enticing pace.

1 and ¼ thumbs up and 7.5/10 stars.

Lori Gordon
Review: Män som hatar kvinnor (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)
Director: Niels Arden Oplev

I should begin by saying that I have a thing for Scandanavia. I like the art, music, film and design aesthetic that emanates from that part of the world. Sadly, TGWTDT is not one of them. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. As I see it, the redeeming qualities of this particular work is the landscape – the silent partner who trudges the story along and assists in providing the cold and lonesome mood that seems to envelop the characters.

Set in present day, this murder mystery brings two very different (yet compatible) characters together. One is a middle aged man, Mikael Blomkvist (played by Michael Nyqvist), recently featured in the news for his investigative reporting and the corporate beehive he stirs when revealing some illegal deeds of a powerful local business mogul. The other is a young woman who slinks through her life, avoiding eye contact and socialization. Her gothic wardrobe, which includes a spiked dog collar, clearly define he ‘Stay Away’ message. She is a professional hacker, with a grainy past that is revealed through flashbacks. Reminiscent of the main character in La Femme Nikita, Lisbeth Salander (played by Noomi Rapace) or Wasp as she is also known, continues investigating Mikaels’ life after her professional assignment to do so is over. Through her remote spying on his laptop, she reads and then assists his research on the murder he is trying to solve. One appealing aspect of the story is how long it takes before the two characters meet face-to-face, roughly halfway through the film. Wasp has no friends or manners and reveals an astounding level of hidden rage when provoked. Blomkvist is softer around the edges, an easy person to talk to, not afraid to say what he is thinking.

This is the first film I think I’ve ever seen that used technology and media to uncover clues with equipment that seemed appropriate for the times. Normally, the viewer is already laughing at the outdated or false materials and tools, but the input and output here were spot on, and I was intrigued.

The acting is decent, but there were moments when Wasp felt more like a caricature or a persona, rather than a fully developed character. This story is not for those who don’t like violence. A large share of gore, including a grotesque rape scene and other sexual violence provides a story that made me question whether some people are just truly evil. Based on Stieg Larsson’s book Män som hatar kvinnor, this translates to “Men Who Hate Women” and that is putting it mildly. For some reason, the English translation and subsequently the film bear a different title.

The villain in this narrative is only revealed at the very end, and this character’s explanation of why they are the way they are is truly chilling. Having said that, I found the whole story a bit cliché and walked away from the film thinking it didn’t improve my life in any way having witnessed it. If you move past the shock value of all that violence, there isn’t much that stays with you.

Thumbs Down. 6/10 Stars.

SRC 03/10: Shutter Island

Shaun Gordon
Film review: Shutter Island (2008)
Director: Martin Scorsese

Is it possible to be completely satisfied yet indifferent with a film at the same time? The answer from my perspective is yes, and this is my analysis of Scorsese’s Shutter Island. What was probably an intense read (Denis Lehane’s original work Shutter Island) drenched in New England slang, post World War II dogma (i.e. Veterans learning to accept life after the liberation of the death camps in Europe), and an intense exploration into ethos mental health experimentation in the 1950’s, just didn’t translate well into the massive onscreen epic that was promoted as a masterful Leonardo DiCaprio psychological thriller.

The supporting cast acted masterfully (Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson), and the direction (Martin Scorsese) and cinematography (Robert Richardson – Inglorious Bastards, Shine a light, The Good Shepherd, The Aviator, Kill Bill 1 and 2, Casino, The Doors) were executed exquisitely with wide pan shots, and brilliant colors offsetting the dull backdrop- but even these above average aspects of the film didn’t make up for the lack of punch in the story telling.

In my opinion- Jackie Earle Haley (George Noyce) was the stand out performance in the film. Although this character had a short segment in the film, the acting and believability of the character spoke well to the depth of Haley as an actor.

Synopsis: The investigation of the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island, which is shrouded in mystery and silence as to the goings on of the treatments taking place in the mental facility. The two core characters Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo embark on an investigation to uncover the mysteries within the fortress facility off the coast of Massachusetts in the early 1950’s. There is a well played out twist in the film (which I won’t give away), but even with said twist, I felt that the film fell flat towards the end and didn’t deliver the punch usually amassed at the end of a Lehane story (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, A Drink Before The War)

Summation: Shutter Island is worth seeing if for nothing else, to appreciate the color and scope of the production. However, if you’re expecting a Shawshank Redemption-esque movie, you’ll be sorely disappointed. My advice is to go for the ride and appreciate what you can of the film.

Thumbs ambiguous. 6.5/10 stars

Lori Gordon
Film review: Shutter Island (2008)
Director: Martin Scorsese

Vast, sweeping shots of a landscape that immediately feels off kilter introduce you to the story of Shutter Island. Accompanied by this is an eerie, larger-than-life score, creating a feeling of unease that sets in early. Classic Scorsese. I’m five minutes into the film, and I almost feeling like clapping my hands quietly with glee. The narrative is told from U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels’ point of view (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). He has traveled by ferry to the island, to investigate the disappearance of a patient on the island’s mental institution for the criminally insane. Along with his new partner, Chuck Aule (played by Mark Ruffalo), they forge across the island, attempting to find the missing woman – Rachel Solando. They do all of this while battling against an uncooperative staff of policeman, nurses and doctors all of whom report to the creepy and elusive Dr. John Cawley (played by Ben Kingsley).

As the story progresses, it becomes harder to determine whether Daniels is sane and everyone else is crazy, or if the opposite is true. It is a gritty, psychological thriller, that has you guessing until the final lines of the film are spoken. This is a gruesome film, with some vicious retribution scenes set during Nazi Germany. The paranoia that builds for Daniels start to seep into every aspect of the story and you suddenly find yourself reciting Fox Mulder’s old adage, “Trust no one.” Even once the veil is lifted, the puzzle is still confusing to piece together. I enjoy that as a viewer, you are left to decide for yourself what really happened, and what fateful choice DiCaprio’s character has made.

Mental illness is an easy fixture in scary films, but once someone is pegged as crazy, it is harder to believe they are not the more they resist against it in self defense.

Yet another amazing performance by DiCaprio, and stellar scenes with Patricia Clarkson and Jackie Earle Haley. More than that, I will not say, as almost anything else might spoil the story.

Thumbs up. 7/10 Stars

SRC 02/10: Oscar Picks

Shaun’s picks = italics
Lori’s picks = bold
We had to guess with a few, as it’s not possible to have seen everything! Whoever gets the closest picks to the actual winners will have to decide on a prize.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Penelope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
MoNique in “Precious”

Best animated feature film of the year

“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Up”

Achievement in art direction

“Avatar”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Nine”
“Sherlock Holmes”
“The Young Victoria”

Achievement in cinematography

“Avatar”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“The White Ribbon”

Achievement in costume design

“Bright Star”
“Coco before Chanel”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Nine”
“The Young Victoria”

Achievement in directing

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”

Best documentary feature

Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America
Which Way Home

Best documentary short subject

“China’s Unnatural Disaster”
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner”
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”
“Music by Prudence”
“Rabbit à la Berlin”

Achievement in film editing

“Avatar”
“District 9”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”

Best foreign language film of the year

“Ajami”
“El Secreto de Sus Ojos”
“The Milk of S
“The White Ribbon”

Achievement in makeup

“Il Divo”
“Star Trek”
“The Young Victoria”

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

“Avatar”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
“Up”

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36”
“Take It All” from “Nine”
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)”

Best motion picture of the year

“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9”
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”

Best animated short film

“French Roast”
“Granny Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty”
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)”
Logoram (Autour de Minuit)
A Matter of Loaf and Death

Best live action short film

“The Door”
“Instead of Abracadabra”
“Kavi”
“Miracle Fish”
“The New Tenants”

Achievement in sound editing

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek”
“Up”

Achievement in sound mixing

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek”
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

Achievement in visual effects

“Avatar”
“District 9”
“Star Trek”

Adapted screenplay

“District 9”
“An Education”
“In the Loop”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”

Original screenplay

“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“The Messenger”
“A Serious Man”
“Up” ), Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

SRC 02/10: Hurt Locker

By the skin of my teeth, these reviews are making it online for February’s segment. Shaun was on time, but it has been a crazy week in my house, so please forgive the late installation for this month. -Lori

Shaun Gordon
Film review: The Hurt Locker (2008)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow

In preparation for the Oscars in March I decided to view The Hurt Locker, in order to have a broader understanding of what exactly constituted “the buzz” around this film heading into the awards. After viewing the film over two days and giving a lot of thought to the story, acting, and characters- I have to say that I am sorely disappointed as to the mediocrity that is The Hurt Locker.

War movies are a hard genre to master and put a stake in the ground, and I personally didn’t get much from the film. The grit, degradation, and sadness of war were very well portrayed by the cast of the film, but to what end? I didn’t walk away from this experience thinking that I had seen something truly profound.

The acting was superb, but it lacked focus and context. Jeremy Renner turned in a great performance as did Anthony Mackie, but in my opinion the true star of the film was Brian Geraghty- whose portrayal of Spc. Owen Eldridge showed a lot of depth and inspired interest in an otherwise uninteresting story.

Synopsis: The film follows the rotation of a bomb salvage unit in Iraq in 2004. The characters experience the destructive and catastrophic nature of the Iraqi insurgency post Hussein government, and exposes various ventures into life threatening situations which entail bomb diffusion in various settings. The film attempts to tell the story of the mental and physical decay of three specific characters who find themselves in the thick of war, and the ravaged remains of Iraq during the US occupation.

In summation, if you’re looking for a truly thought provoking film, this isn’t it! The acting is admirable, but the story is unfocused and somewhat pointless. The cinematography was well planned but poorly executed. The camera is often shaking and unfocused to give the impression of chaos and confusion, but in my opinion loses focus (pardon the pun) as to hitting the mark and drawing in the audience into the drama of war, and the hopelessness of the characters.

Thumbs down. 5/10 stars

Lori Gordon
Film review: The Hurt Locker (2008)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow

I had to look up what a hurt locker is, because I’d never heard this term before. Urban Dictionary states: a period of immense, inescapable physical or emotional pain; A figurative place where someone is said to be or will be, if they are getting or expect to be getting hurt or beaten.

Opening with the quote, “War is a drug’, I was prepared for something forceful and possibly vicious. Set during the Iraq war in 2004, focusing on a team that was required to disarm IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices), the viewer is offered a fly-on-the-wall perspective of these soldier’s daily activities. The camerawork seems handheld for the most part, and this makes the viewing experience that much more intense. When I finished watching this film, my body actually felt tense and tired. Who else has a job this stressful? The doctors who put the victims of war back together? The relief workers trying to assist displaced citizens? Dismantling IED’s provokes a life-or-death scenario day in and day out. There is nowhere safe, bombs are present under trash and rubble, on the side of the road and sometimes on or in human bodies. How is a life prepared and trained for work like this? What kind of person wants to do this?

There are three main characters, portraying various archetypes of the American Solider during the Iraq war, and maybe the current war as well. Anthony Mackie’s Sgt. JT Sanborn is obedient, by the book, a team player. He has leadership qualities, but the job has worn him down and most of all he just wants to make it out alive and go home. Brian Geraghty’s Spc. Owen Eldridge is the conscience in the film. He is the only one truly questioning what he is doing, why he is there and what it will all mean afterwards. Geraghty has the ability to show emotion and doubt on his face without saying a word. His vulnerability and frustration make him more of a liability to his team, but inadvertently a reminder of how ‘unreal’ their lifestyle is – likely the most dangerous job in the world. At one point he plays a violent videogame once back at the base. It is clear that this is his release. How insane is his life that this brutal game is his respite?

Jeremy Renner is SSG William James. The renegade, the leader, the man moving forward with blinders. War is his drug and he pushes forward, intent on finding and dismantling bomb after bomb, with very little regard for his fellow soldiers. It becomes clear during the film that he does have a softer side, but keeps this very closely guarded. Not necessarily a self reflective man, he doesn’t think about his family, rather suppressing his feelings and making the work his focus. The level of stress and dedicated energy that Renner exudes as James is outstanding. He is muscle, sweat, grit and anger. He pumps his metal music loud, smokes after each mission and enjoys the initiated afterhours punching brawl on the floor while drunk with his colleagues. He is a testosterone bomb. Renner is the real deal, and I hope we will be seeing much more of this actor. The essence of this character is revealed when speaks with his son about how many things in life make a person a happy. He admits that for some men there may end up being only one thing that makes you happy. For James it isn’t clear if that’s the job he does or the outcome of his job – is it about dismantling IED’s or the lives he saves by doing so?

The bomb makers stand on balconies and watch as the soldiers dismantle their work. It is a game of cat and mouse. And I am frustrated by the perpetual tasks that exist between both parties. For all the soldiers that return, who have shot or killed others during war, can you ever come back from that? Can you ever escape that? How do you reconcile these actions? War on film may be gritty and violent, but it is often glorified. Hurt Locker spares us that. Even when they win, they simply walk away and prepare for tomorrow.

Thumbs up. 8.5/10 stars

Noah:1, Mom and Dad:0

So Noah is getting better, and Max and I are now getting sick. Yay.

For weeks we planned to have the babysitter come watch Noah this afternoon so we could have a day to ourselves. It was so crappy to wake up feeling sick, but we went out anyway. It is just too rare that have the opportunity, so we said screw it. We ended up going to see Crazy Heart, and it was so good. A slow, quiet story with tons of heart and heartbreak. The New Mexico landscape is unmistakable and there were so many moments where I couldn’t help but say, “Nice shot,” out loud. If you’re a Jeff Bridges fan, this film will not disappoint. He is charming, vulnerable, disappointing, gross, pitiful and beautiful all at the same time. It’s sort of like a Leaving Las Vegas country-style meets Walk The Line tale. The music is really good, and the supporting cast is just incredible. Maggie Gyllenhaal is enigmatic and breathtaking, showing her unusual talent of seeming strong and soft simultaneously. Bobby Duval has never been bad in anything – period. And the biggest surprise for me was Colin Farrell. I have always found him annoying and one dimensional in the films I’ve seen him in, but this time for me he shone bright. Like a true, gritty, manly music man. The music has stayed with me all day, and this film (unlike sooooo many) does not tank in the last 5 minutes. Bridges’ oscar nom is well deserved.

We also tasted Teacake cupcakes for the first time today, and I was frightened by how good they were. I regret finding out that there is a location near where we live, and hope to find the strength to avoid driving there everyday when I take Noah to Gymboree classes.