Tramadol Online SuperStore

“Crazy Heart” Movie Review

"Crazy Heart"
My 0-10 rating: 7
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Director: Scott Cooper
Screenwriter: Scott Cooper, based on the Thomas Cobb novel
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell
Time: 1 hr., 52 min.
Rating: R (vulgarity, brief sexuality)

A modestly moving spin-off on the classic 1983 "Tender Mercies," "Crazy Heart" is a strongly performed story of redemption of a debilitated alcoholic.

This reflexively lauded critics' favorite is actually more a salute to one of America's longest high-standing stars, Jeff Bridges, than a commanding entry into the film scene. Hollywood politics may even move it into Oscar nomination. And it's an inspirational opening for credibly pretty Maggie Gyllenhaal as she does compellingly sensuous scenes requiring carefully rendered sexuality.

Largely without suspense, the film's only wonderment is whether its sloshed key character is going to survive these trials upon his physical and emotional existence. The urgencies of resolution of his professional country singer career and his precarious romance carry the treatment well although one may feel a lack of a a clear story thread anywhere. And no mistake about it, the songs are great.

I felt the invigorating energy swirling between the two leads in powder keg situations. I frankly did not feel overwhelmed by the overall movie itself. Sympathy for the little tragedies is red-blooded but sporadic.

He was once a country singer legend, one of the best of the west was this 57-year-old Bad Blake. But now, as he wheels around the Southwest in his Chevy Suburban, he exists boozy and beaten and, in his own song words, "I used to be somebody, but now I'm somebody else."

We get the drift: he carries a liter bottle of urine along with him which he dumps now and then at the next stop on his shoestring budgeted tour. And a wasted somebody else he is, perfectly capable of cutting out in the middle of a gig to go and vomit in the trash can outside, then return to finish his number. In humiliation he plays at bowling alley bars. His audience wants new material but he's not capable of that.

In the way of Merle Haggard, he had various wives, four in fact. Also in his life was a son not seen again after age 4.

As he's now interviewed by compassionate Sante Fe feature writer and single mom Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), he astutely avoids mention of the involvement he'd had with Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), a promising talent in whom Blake had seen enormous promise and who now is famous.

Blake likes this reporter, 30 or so years younger than he, so much that he invites her to another interview, one which he intends to have far more substance. And then comes yet a third meeting, this one a late-nighter in which both are consumed. He is indeed infatuated with her, being taken also by her 4-year-old son. But these encounters, along with more, convince him that he'd best play his best hand or else fold it up for life. This will call up issues of his finances, physical health beset by debilitating disorders besides his alcoholism, not to say the major item: his creativity.

A reminder of this is the fact that the next morning will bring his hot-tempered manager (James Keane) who's booked him for performing the opening at an arena concert for Tommy Sweet.

There's also the matter of his son, so long gone. All of this will bring imperatives upon him if he's further to attract Jean. Blake is more than aware, at every level of his consciousness, of how rotted his being has become. But he also knows his own pride. Yet he knows that he can accomplish. Anything. Even a romance with Jean. But each is very wary of just what kind of commitment is in order here, especially Jean who's choices of men have been catastrophically bad. And the current choice looks very tenuous, in particular when she and her son sojourn to Houston to see Blake's ratty bungalow. A further near-tragedy will force her to realize the worst.

Bridges acts from the soul in the catchy tunes written especially for the movie by the late guitar player/songwriter Stephen Bruton and music producer T Bone Burnett. Others include Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You" and Waylon Jennings' "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way." They'll keep you wide awake.

Marty Meltz, http://www.martymoviereviews.com, was the 30-year films critic for the New England award-winning Maine Sunday Telegram until his column was budget-cut on Dec. 31, 2007.

No Comments »

My Look at the Criticisms of Avatar

I know this appears to be a fluff piece; however there are many political and religious criticisms about the movie, justly or unjustly by a variety of authors, known and unknown.

I thought it prudent to examine some of the more common ones.

Avatar is anti-war

I personally don't care for James Cameron's politics and don't really care what his motivations were for this movie. The movie itself is anti-war, but my question is what's wrong with that? Is it unpatriotic to make a movie questioning war? Why do many particularly on right believe it's patriotic to be constantly beating the drums of war? War is an incredibly serious issue that should be considered responsibly and reasonably, without political, economic or knee-jerk reaction.

Just look at the piece by neocon Daniel Pipes (seen on "Top of the Pile" today). This maniac is suggesting to a relatively desperate President Obama that if wants to boost his ratings he should bomb Iran! He correctly says that Americans will "rally around the flag".

Avatar is not anti-war because war is bad per se; war for defending yourself is a necessity, however in Avatar it instead demonstrates preemptive war and the theft of the land and goods of a free people. There is nothing good about this type of war.

Avatar is anti-American

This is one of the most common criticisms of the movie. I can see how people may look at it like that because it sort of reflects our current foreign policy. However, America didn't cross my mind in particular, but the many kingdoms and empires throughout world history that have forced their will on another country.

For those that believe it is a blatant attack on America, which I don't, you must be acknowledging that what happened in the movie is representative of our foreign policy. What, feeling guilty?

Avatar is anti-Christianity>

I personally didn't get this argument at all. Many, maybe the majority of civilizations throughout history were pantheistic, and many still occur today. I thought the inhabitants of Pandora were just being represented in a realistic manner, like that of numerous civilizations. Not every person is Christian, as a Christian I am well aware of this, but no where did this movie imply that Christianity is bad. If I am wrong, please point out the specifics of your argument.

Avatar is anti-capitalism

This is by far the most ludicrous dig at the movie. There is nothing in Avatar that remotely resembles capitalism. There is no voluntary cooperation and there is no contract or "meeting of the minds". If the movie was real and factual and if it was a capitalistic society, what happened in the movie would never happen. It would be a mute point.

People may point at the fact that it was a greedy corporation that hired the Marines to take over Pandora. That means nothing. Many corporations here and abroad are not capitalistic is the purest form and many are in bed with the government for special favors.

If anything, it most resembled the many totalitarian and imperialistic countries and empires of our past.

Maybe Cameron wanted to take a dig at the wars or America, but I think there is more to it when you read in between the lines.

I have over 20 years experience in clinical and public health microbiology and infectious diseases. I want to enlighten and inform about infectious diseases that could affect you, rare and common, and what you can do to protect you and your family from these dreaded afflictions. See more of my work at http://www.examiner.com/x-7707-Infectious-Disease-Examiner

No Comments »

“Crazy Heart” Movie Review

"Crazy Heart"
My 0-10 rating: 7
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Director: Scott Cooper
Screenwriter: Scott Cooper, based on the Thomas Cobb novel
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell
Time: 1 hr., 52 min.
Rating: R (vulgarity, brief sexuality)

A modestly moving spin-off on the classic 1983 "Tender Mercies," "Crazy Heart" is a strongly performed story of redemption of a debilitated alcoholic.

This reflexively lauded critics' favorite is actually more a salute to one of America's longest high-standing stars, Jeff Bridges, than a commanding entry into the film scene. Hollywood politics may even move it into Oscar nomination. And it's an inspirational opening for credibly pretty Maggie Gyllenhaal as she does compellingly sensuous scenes requiring carefully rendered sexuality.

Largely without suspense, the film's only wonderment is whether its sloshed key character is going to survive these trials upon his physical and emotional existence. The urgencies of resolution of his professional country singer career and his precarious romance carry the treatment well although one may feel a lack of a a clear story thread anywhere. And no mistake about it, the songs are great.

I felt the invigorating energy swirling between the two leads in powder keg situations. I frankly did not feel overwhelmed by the overall movie itself. Sympathy for the little tragedies is red-blooded but sporadic.

He was once a country singer legend, one of the best of the west was this 57-year-old Bad Blake. But now, as he wheels around the Southwest in his Chevy Suburban, he exists boozy and beaten and, in his own song words, "I used to be somebody, but now I'm somebody else."

We get the drift: he carries a liter bottle of urine along with him which he dumps now and then at the next stop on his shoestring budgeted tour. And a wasted somebody else he is, perfectly capable of cutting out in the middle of a gig to go and vomit in the trash can outside, then return to finish his number. In humiliation he plays at bowling alley bars. His audience wants new material but he's not capable of that.

In the way of Merle Haggard, he had various wives, four in fact. Also in his life was a son not seen again after age 4.

As he's now interviewed by compassionate Sante Fe feature writer and single mom Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), he astutely avoids mention of the involvement he'd had with Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), a promising talent in whom Blake had seen enormous promise and who now is famous.

Blake likes this reporter, 30 or so years younger than he, so much that he invites her to another interview, one which he intends to have far more substance. And then comes yet a third meeting, this one a late-nighter in which both are consumed. He is indeed infatuated with her, being taken also by her 4-year-old son. But these encounters, along with more, convince him that he'd best play his best hand or else fold it up for life. This will call up issues of his finances, physical health beset by debilitating disorders besides his alcoholism, not to say the major item: his creativity.

A reminder of this is the fact that the next morning will bring his hot-tempered manager (James Keane) who's booked him for performing the opening at an arena concert for Tommy Sweet.

There's also the matter of his son, so long gone. All of this will bring imperatives upon him if he's further to attract Jean. Blake is more than aware, at every level of his consciousness, of how rotted his being has become. But he also knows his own pride. Yet he knows that he can accomplish. Anything. Even a romance with Jean. But each is very wary of just what kind of commitment is in order here, especially Jean who's choices of men have been catastrophically bad. And the current choice looks very tenuous, in particular when she and her son sojourn to Houston to see Blake's ratty bungalow. A further near-tragedy will force her to realize the worst.

Bridges acts from the soul in the catchy tunes written especially for the movie by the late guitar player/songwriter Stephen Bruton and music producer T Bone Burnett. Others include Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You" and Waylon Jennings' "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way." They'll keep you wide awake.

Marty Meltz, http://www.martymoviereviews.com, was the 30-year films critic for the New England award-winning Maine Sunday Telegram until his column was budget-cut on Dec. 31, 2007.

No Comments »