Judy's Turn

What is Really Real?

We just finished a really nice vacation in London and Paris. We went to some museums, tried to find local hangouts and ate good food. I was excited to take our youngest daughter with us, since she had never traveled out of the country. I was really looking forward to her reactions when she saw the magnificent old cathedrals and buildings. My first trip to Europe was in the 1980s and the first morning in Paris is a memory that stays with me still. Back then there was no Eurostar. From London, I took a mixture of bus, train and ferry to get to Paris. It was very early in the morning as I walked towards the old Opera House. I had never seen anything more beautiful.

My daughter did love Paris, but commented as we stood in the bright sunlight under the Eiffel Tower that she felt like she had been there before. It was familiar to her because she'd seen it in movies or videos so many times. I understood her thoughts. While researching this trip, I had watched countless YouTube travel videos highlighting neighborhoods and special places in Paris. When I saw them in real life, a bit of the wonder was diminished. I tried to have her imagine what it must have been like many years ago for visitors who had never seen any videos or images until they arrived. I could see her eyes begin to glaze as she anticipated a lecture on "the way things were in my day." For her, the 1980s are in the same league as the 1880s - really, really, long ago.

On our last evening, we said good-bye to our friends who live in Paris. We were sort of tired and sad and ready to go home. We decided to just ask our hotel for a recommendation for a restaurant and to take a long walk to it. As we rounded a corner onto a side street that was very pretty, a man was running towards us with a stick or cane, being followed by two other guys. There was a lot of screaming between them as they chased and ran. Things calmed down for a while and then the man with the stick decided to turn around and go after the other two guys. People on the street were starting to get worried that they might be struck or pushed by the three men as they ran arguing through the street. We kept walking and I said I felt that I was in the middle of a movie. Possibly The French Connection. But I didn't even mention to my daughter how this moment would be changed if I'd never seen a movie before. She'd never understand if I told her that the guy carrying the stick is now looking a lot like a young Gene Hackman in my memory.

I'm Bummed With the Academy

At this time every year, like many other people, I try to watch the major films that are showing potential for Academy Award nominations. Then, after the nominations are made public, I usually make sure that I've seen all the movies that are up for best picture. What's up with this year? How did the Academy miss nominating Clint for best actor in "Gran Torino"? He carried the movie and for sure he was the reason that the mostly inexperienced Hmong actors were believable. How often does an actor have to do that these days? Plus. he directed and sang the final song himself. What's up with that song not being nominated? How much fun would it have been to see and hear Clint growl through those lyrics on stage February 22?

Clint is an awesome actor and film maker. After "Million Dollar Baby" ended, I turned to my husband and said "that's the best movie that I'll never see again." It was just too much for me. On the other hand, I've watched "Unforgiven" several times just to see that scene where the young outlaw, the Schofield Kid, realizes he can't kill another man.

I've been a fan of Clint's since we used to watch reruns of his Spaghetti Westerns at college in the 1970s. He is so cool. Just like Walt Kowalski in "Gran Torino."

Movies for Your Consideration

Quick movie recommendations :

Good

Milk
Gran Torino
Frost vs. Nixon
(I know there are lots of others, but they don't get to the burbs too fast, and when they do, they don't stay long enough)

Not So Good

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(Too long - the length becomes the thing that you remember)

Thinking I'll Like This One the Best

Revolutionary Road
(Love the previews)

The Eve of Christmas

Watch Alastair Sim in "Scrooge" and remember that once Christmas was just really a day that was celebrated starting on it's eve. I get in the spirit every year that I watch it and wish I didn't have to start the season in September.......

I Need a Nap

I like reviews and will scan several before I go to a movie. I get all kinds of input and then I'm usually clear whether it's going to be a movie that I want to see. This week I decided not to look at reviews and went to see The Women based on the good cast. I wish I'd read the reviews. I think these from Rotten Tomatoes match my reaction pretty well. It was a blatant rip off of Sex and The City without the great writing and directing. And without any background to make you believe that these four diverse women could truly be friends. I didn't like it at all.

But, because I'm not used to writing horrible movie reviews, I will share one scene with you that I thought was pretty truthful. Meg Ryan's character was going through a divorce and in the course of six months completely reinvented herself and started a clothing design company and orchestrated a terribly successful fashion show highlighting all of her tremendous designs. That's not the part that was truthful - that's the part that is Hollywood's reality.

Here's the part that I liked. At the end of the fashion show, the buyer from Saks Fifth Avenue comes up to Meg Ryans's character and tells her that she'd like to sell her line in the New York store first, but if it was successful, Saks would then sell the line throughout all the stores in the country. She would have to work really hard to meet almost impossible deadlines, but the rewards would be incredible. Meg's character said that she'd think about it. Later, she was asked by a friend why she didn't jump immediately at the opportunity. She said that she had to think about it because it's really hard doing everything and sometimes you've got to admit that. Sometimes you're just tired.  I hear ya Meg.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

This blogging thing reminds me of a scene in Vicky Cristina Barcelona where Scarlett Johansson's character tries to be creative among two immensely talented, passionate, Latin characters played by Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. Lots of bloggers these days with talent and passion. Now they just need to move to Barcelona and have Woody Allen make a movie about them.