Category Archives: movie review

This film follows four severely disadvantaged seventh grade African American boys in Baltimore who were selected to attend an experimental boarding school in Kenya. It is a gripping film. (thanks for the rec. Jesse)

The premise of the school (and the movie, ultimately) was that these boys
needed to be completely removed from their destructive environment in order to grow into healthy successful adults. But that opportunity is possible for very very few and is precarious at best.

Anyone got any bright ideas about how to make urban libraries vital engines in the fight against generational poverty? Hmmm?

This movie wasn’t about libraries but there are branches in the neighborhoods where those boys live. Here is the mission statement of the Baltimore City system, the Enoch Pratt Free Library:

To provide equal access to information and services that support, empower, and enrich all who pursue knowledge, education, cultural enrichment, and lifelong learning.

Support, empower and enrich. Is it possible to change the city and culture from within? We need to start taking our resources seriously and put them to work. Our culture has treated many of our citizens and our institutions as worthless. This must stop.

Go watch it and then we’ll discuss- it’s surprising.

longest winter ever, right?

I had a bizarre reaction, I guess, to the screenwriter’s acceptance speech. I was bored by it. I knew it, blah blah blah why is he wasting our time with his human rights jibber jabber.

The weird part of that is that I actually was one of those gay kids. Not old school, no not the horror of the olden days. I was a kid who didn’t stay closeted because I was such an emotional mess, I couldn’t keep anything hidden. And I was angry and upset about EVERYTHING so that was another thing on my long list of things to feel alienated and miserable about. But it is true that my stepmother didn’t speak to me for five very long years. And that she told me I was a bad influence on my little sisters. So I moved out. And I faced daily ridicule at school. And and and.

I find boredom usually does cover for some pretty heavy emotions.

This is a beautiful movie- Sean Penn’s wrinkled strange face is absolutely riveting. His energy and joy are an inspiration. I hate biopics. But somehow this doesn’t feel like a biopic, even as it gives you a real romance and plenty of melodrama. What it feels like is another reminder that this very moment is all you get and you’d better try and do something good, even if you screw it up.

Enough about me, let’s talk about James Bond. He’s awesome, agreed? Sure, Anthony Lane, I’d also like to watch Daniel Craig have more graphic sex. Duh.  Still a great Bond film.  Jack White wrote the opening song.  Catacombs, blood, tuxedos, punching, naked women, “driving”.

Watched this in the fabulous Cabot Theater. Popcorn, tea, homemade turtle chocolates, sprung seats from before my mother was born, and the man in a tuxedo selling me Junior Mints all create an optimum movie going experience.