It's Movie Watching Weather!

If you -- like me -- try to see all the nominated films for best picture, it will be harder this year. I think there will be 10 movies instead of 5, so an early start is imperative. I've seen some, and here are some quick comments on them.

Avatar: You owe it to yourself to see this on the big screen, in 3D. I am not a science fiction fan and long movies usually bore me, but this is so exceptionally beautiful I didn't notice. You will have to pay $9 for a matinee in Nevada County because of the cost of the glasses, but hey, that's half of the "big city" price! Go. See. It.

Up in the Air: Some are saying this is the movie of the year. I wouldn't go that far, but I loved it anyway! George Clooney is perfect as the black-hearted "fire for hire" corporate jerk. Lots of messages here. And, it's not a downer.

Invictus: This understated film starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman is like being on the sidelines of history, seeing Mandela's life-affirming decisions as he leads his country. I felt this could be the movie of the year but don't think the academy will agree.

Inglorius Basterds: You can rent this one now. For someone who doesn't like war movies this held my interest and the acting is amazing.

Precious: I'm waiting for this one, and have a bet with a couple friends that it will finally come here, to the regular theaters. Some of my friends say it is "too black" for Nevada County and that, if anything, it will be at Magic or Nevada Theatre. If so, I'll bite the bullet and drive to see it, because I think it is an important film and will probably play a major part in the Academy Awards. It may not be pretty to look at, but as a society we need to look. We can't heal any wounds unless we know how and why they were inflicted.

That's it for movies...I'm reading "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" and loving it. Thanks, Stacy Hart, for passing it on.

I'm taking Monday off, so check back Tuesday afternoon. Bill Holman will have to read something else tomorrow morning while he's sipping his tea.

Comments

[watch new movies]

I saw "Avatar" and "3 Idiots" movie this weekend. It was superb. Both movies has made my weekend fantastic. I highly recommend you both movies. :-)

[Don Pelton]

We saw "Up in the Air" recently and enjoyed it, although -- while I agree it wasn't a downwer, and it had some laughs -- it wasn't quite the upper we expected either.

I found myself grinding my teeth a lot during this film, a sure sign that I'm identifying with a character in uncomfortable situations (as I did with "Toad" in American Graffiti!).

I liked the respectful, lingering attention given to the "victims" (the laid-off, fired, newly desperate unemployed) in this story, whose lives were so much more grounded than the corporate-killer (Clooney) who lived his life literally and -- as is so often the case with those who refuse to grow up -- metaphorically "up in the air."

An odd story, in which the protagonist is the least sympathetic character!

And we end up recognizing ourselves more among the great mass of anonymous unemployed.

Which makes it, I suppose, a real story for our times.