Oscar Post-Mortem

Five days on, and the 2009 Academy Awards extravaganza is quickly--and rather quietly--slipping into history. That's what happens when nobody wears an ostrich outfit on the red carpet and the awards themselves stir little real controversy.

In most cases, the winners were magnanimous and the losers gracious. Whether this reflected their true feelings is another matter altogether. I always smile when a nominee insists that it's enough just to be nominated. Right. And theater concessions are nutritious and bargain-priced!

I usually agree with the Academy about half of the time, and this year's no exception.

You need to understand my take on movies though. I don't regard cinema as an art form. Movies are entertainment. It helps if they're intelligent. And, that's how they should be judged.
So, I agree with the Academy's choice for Best Picture and Best Director: "Slumdog Millionaire" and its director Danny Boyle. "Slumdog" is intelligent and supremely entertaining. (The biggest injustice in the Best Picture category was the omission of "The Dark Knight.")

The Academy generally shunned "The Dark Knight," but at least the late Heath Ledger was awarded a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor statue.

But, that's about it for any common ground I share with Academy voters. Sean Penn ("Milk") was a politically-correct choice for Best Actor, but Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon") was more deserving. I've never understood the fascination with Kate Winslet. Her Best Actress competitior Melissa Leo ("Frozen River") was a decided underdog, but she deserved the statue. I like Penelope Cruz, who won Best Supporting Actress for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," but that was Marisa Tomei's ("The Wrestler") award.

What follows is my own list of the top 10 2008 movies. These are not necessarily the year's "best" movies. These are the movies that I think mattered in one way or another. Any movie, for example, that makes $500 million matters. For everyone but politicians that's a lot of money.

TOP TEN MOVIES THAT MATTER

10. "Mamma Mia"
What it is: The acclaimed Broadway musical featuring the music of 1970's super-group Abba adapted for the big screen.
Why it matters: There's the infectious music, a surprising song-and-dance performance by Oscar-winning dramatic actress Meryl Streep, and an entertaining story. There's also its impressive world-wide box office of $600 million. Anyway, there's too much testosterone in this list.

9."The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
What it is: Director David Fincher's technically brilliant tale of a man (Benjamin Button, played by Brad Pitt) who ages backward.
Why it matters: The concept—suggested by an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story—is intriguing, the special effects are dazzling, and the performances—especially Pitt and Cate Blanchett (as Daisy, a dancer that Benjamin pursues)—are excellent.

8. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
What it is: The fourth—and first in two decades—theatrical release in the Indiana Jones franchise. This time out, our favorite archaeologist battles the Evil Empire (the now-defunct Soviet Union) over a legendary crystal skull.
Why it matters: No, it doesn't measure up to the best of the franchise. But, it's likely the last time we'll see Harrison Ford in the signature role of his illustrious career. If Ford returns as Indy, this reverts automatically to the "Contenders" list.

7. "Australia"
What it is: Aussie director Laz Luhrmann's sprawling epic of life and love in the vast Australian outback just before World War II.
Why it matters: Despite being too long and, yes, sprawling, "Australia" is a dazzling film that captures the beauty and vastness of the outback and also grapples with important issues like the treatment of aboriginal people. It's also enormously entertaining. (But, I'm partial to Australia and the Outback. One of my favorite movies is set there: director Nicolas Roeg's 1971 cult favorite "Walkabout.")

6. "Iron Man"
What it is: Another comic book superhero in a year dominated by superheroes.
Why it matters: Robert Downey, Jr. was an inspired choice to play wealthy industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man. Without him, this slips to contender. With Downey on board, Marvel appears to have another lucrative franchise.

5. "Gran Torino"
What it is: 78-year-old Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this taunt tale of retiree Walt Kowalski, an aging Korean War vet who resents the Oriental refugees who are moving into his Detroit neighborhood. But, Kowalski believes in fair play and justice and gets drawn into their lives as a reluctant protector.
Why it matters: Eastwood mostly directs these days so any film with Eastwood the actor matters. Despite his age, Eastwood can still invoke toughness. When he growls "Get off my lawn" here, he's channeling Dirty Harry. Beyond that, this is a literate and moving film that addresses serious issues.

4. "Man on Wire"
What it is: A breathtaking and endlessly fascinating documentary about Frenchman Philippe Petit's high wire walk between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974.
Why it matters: This is jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, and sensationally-entertaining fare.

3. "The Dark Knight"
What it is: The latest installment in the Batman franchise. This one features a gonzo performance by the late Heath Ledger as arch villain Joker and is dark, dark, dark. But, that didn't keep critics from raving and fans from flocking to the multiplex.
Why it matters: $1,000,000,000! That's one billion dollars. And, that's before DVD sales, Pay-Per-View, et. al. At a time when movie attendance is down and DVD sales are slipping, Hollywood desperately needs franchises like Batman. And, with a literate script, intriguing characters, compelling action, and inspired acting, "The Dark Knight" works to perfection.

2. "Frost/Nixon"
What it is: Director Ron Howard's mesmerizing account of British television personality David Frost's 1977 series of interviews with disgraced former U.S. president Richard Nixon.
Why it matters: Howard brilliantly captures the event in all its angst, intrigue, and drama. Michael Sheen is excellent as Frost, and Frank Langella channels Nixon in an Oscar-worthy performance.

1. "Slumdog Millionaire"
What it is: Life-affirming, hugely entertaining, and unforgettable rags-to-riches saga set in Mumbai.
Why it matters: Best Picture Oscar-winner finally--and firmly--establishes Bollywood on the entertainment map.

Taking Chance

Yesterday in Washington, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced a revision to the Pentagon's long-standing ban on media photographs of the flag-draped coffins of fallen U.S. servicemen. See here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29410258/

In rescinding the controversial ban--critics claimed it was an attempt to hide war casualties from the public--Sec. Gates left the decision of whether to allow photographs up to the families of the deceased.

I never sympathized with the policy's critics--mostly self-interested media. Unfortunately, the modern media seldom exhibit much in the way of self-discipline and coverage can quickly degenerate into a circus. Fallen heroes and their families deserve better.

I was taught that rights carry responsibilities. Media coverage is all too often irresponsible.

A new HBO movie, "Taking Chance," offers some valuable perspective on the issue. The movie first aired on Feb. 21 and will continue to air on HBO over the coming weeks. You can view a trailer plus find a link to future telecasts at: http://www.hbo.com/films/takingchance/

The movie is based on the actual experience of Marine Lt. Col. Michael Stroble (played with near-perfect pitch by Kevin Bacon), who volunteered in 2004 to escort the body of a fallen Marine, Lance Cpl. Chance Phelps, home.

Lt. Col. Stroble was already feeling guilty about his safe Pentagon assignment when he spotted Phelps' name on a list of casualties. Noting that they shared a hometown, he volunteered to accompany the body home. What follows is a breathtaking--and heartbreaking--cross country odyssey from the mortuary at Dover (Del.) Air Force Base to a windswept graveside in Dubois, Wyoming.

What struck me most about writer/director/producer Ross Kratz's eloquent film is the dignity with which the military treats its fallen heroes. From battlefield to aid station to mortuary to burial, Phelps is treated with respect, honor, and even love--by those who knew him and those who didn't.

The reactions of ordinary Americans to Lt. Col. Stroble and to Phelps' flag-draped coffin along the way is also instructive. At every turn, they are respectful. Even reverent. Nobody reaches for a camera to take a picture.

As for perspective on the media's obsession with photographing coffins at Dover, "Taking Chance" quietly suggests that the ban is simply in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion.

I was deeply moved by the film--perhaps because my son has recently returned from his second deployment to Iraq. I'm not sure that I could have watched it if he was still in harm's way.

Not everyone agrees with my assessment though. Josh Tyler on CinemaBlend.com dismisses "Taking Chance" as "cloying and desperate." Furthermore, he warns that unless viewers have "ties to the military or an obsession with the burial practices of the Marine Corps" that they will find the film "tedious." You can read his review here: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Sundance-Review-Taking-Chance-11598.html

On the other hand, Dorothy Rabinowitz, writing in the Wall Street Journal, is effusive in her praise: "flawless," "eloquent," and "exquisitely detailed" are a sample. Read her review here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123509024004628221.html

But, don't take her word for it. Or Tyler's. Or even mine. Watch and decide for yourself. Prepare to be moved.

You might also want to check out Jim Sheeler's Final Salute, a moving account of the experiences of Marine notification officer Major Steve Beck. See my 2008 review here: http://www.military.com/entertainment/books/book-reviews/military-bookshelf-honoring-heroes

Beck is the guy that no parent, spouse, or child of a Marine, soldier, sailor, or airman wants to see at the door. He might have the toughest job in America. Sheeler, a reporter at Denver's Rocky Mountain News, followed Beck for a year on his lonely odyssey. The result is this poignant and powerful chronicle.

So many books . . . So little time

So many books . . . So little time.

It's a common lament among bibliophiles and especially so among book reviewers. Books are always arriving—review copies, gifts, purchases—and they come in faster than I can read. I'm a compulsive sort, so they all get sorted, prioritized, and stacked in neat piles. Lingering. In a kind of book purgatory. Waiting. To be read and shelved. Loaned out. Or, in rare moments of clarity, boxed up and carted off to the library where they hopefully will find a home at the next book sale.

The stacks include: 1) books that must be read and reviewed, 2) classics that I should read—in fact, should have read a long time ago, 3) books by recently discovered writers, 4) books by favorite authors, and 5) books read and recommended by my wife. See, I told you that I'm compulsive.

Since new titles for Stack #1 are always arriving on the doorstep, it's not often that I have the pleasure of mucking around in the bibliographic purgatory of Stacks 2-5.

This past weekend was one of those times, and I chose a novel by a familiar author: John Burdett. (Bangkok Haunts, Vintage, $13.95, 350p) It's the third in Burdett's excellent and intriguing crime series featuring Bangkok (Thailand) cop Sonchai Jitpleecheep. The first two are Bangkok 8 and Bangkok Tattoo. I discovered Burdett quite accidentally—and happily so—a few years ago.

This particular title has done its share of penance. I completely missed the 2007 hardcover, and the paperback that I read has been out for at least six months. It was worth the wait though.

This time out, our intrepid detective, whose parents are a Thai whore and an American GI from the Vietnam-War era, is trying to get to the bottom of the murder—documented in a snuff movie—of a beautiful and tragic prostitute.

Sonchai has a personal interest in the case since he once had a brief affair with the prostitute, and she continues to haunt his dreams.

Sonchai is joined in his pursuit by his transsexual partner Lek and American FBI agent Kimberley Jones, an old friend. Along the way, Burdett introduces the reader to the sobering ubiquity of the international porn industry. There's also sorcery, magic, and plenty of page-turning chills.

In addition, Burdett liberally sprinkles the narrative with one-liners: alternately incisive, irreverent, politically-incorrect, and funny. I'm a sucker for one-liners. Shakespeare, of course, is the master. Among contemporary authors, Nelson DeMille is very good.

Here are some examples:

"Viagra is the lifeblood of the porn industry."

"There's no violence like domestic violence."

"To know how to cheer oneself up is a first step to enlightenment."

"Stupidity can be exaggerated for strategic reasons."

On rural policing: "The best you can hope for is boys and girls who can wear the uniform without getting themselves into too much trouble."

"We are tiny figurines hanging from the charm bracelet of infinity."

"The best way to check if you're in Chinatown is by counting gold shops."

"Farang [foreigners] are like boys—they have no self-control."

"Decent people cannot stand very much reality."

In the beginning . . .

February 25, 2009

In the beginning . . .

You can find some of who I am nearby in my profile. What you learned there got you here. With any luck, what you learn here--additional details about my background, qualifications, and intentions--will convince you to keep coming back.

I'm a Baby Boomer—part of the initial wave—and I grew up in a hardscrabble country town in the Deep South—playing baseball, reading "The Hardy Boys" and Chip Hilton, and dreaming of escape. I attended the University of Alabama: majoring in history and minoring in English. Following graduation and commissioning—I had enrolled in R.O.T.C.—I served a stint in the Army, including a tour in Vietnam.

After military service, I worked in the Southern History Collection at the Birmingham (Ala.) Public Library and attended graduate school at the University of Alabama and the University of Iowa. Sequentially, of course.

Thus schooled, if not educated, I taught history at St. Ambrose University (Davenport, Iowa) and later at Scott Community College (Bettendorf, Iowa) from which I took early retirement in 2001. Along the way I married and had a son. My wife is a dentist and my son is a captain in the Army.

I've been a writer—mostly in my spare time—since I composed my first story at age fourteen. I've published hundreds of reviews and scores of articles over the years. I've also published four novels for juvenile readers and serve on the Board of Directors of the Children's Literature Festival. You can find a profile in "Contemporary Authors."

Books are one of my passions and my specialty. I've been an inveterate reader, librarian, teacher, and professional book reviewer. I still review regularly for "Publishers Weekly," the standard for book reviews, and have served as a judge for the Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Contest. I will blog frequently about the books I'm reading, have read, or should read.

I'm also a movie buff. Growing up, I spent more time between the covers of books than at the local Picture Show, but that's because books were free from the school library and the bookmobile. It cost a quarter to go to the movies, and as my parents often reminded me, quarters didn't grow on trees.

But, I went when I could and developed an interest in cinema that has lasted a lifetime. Until I began writing for Military.com, I was a fan and student of movies, but I had never written about them. I first wrote book reviews for Military.com but my producer soon asked if I'd try movie reviews. I jumped at the chance, and over the years, reviewed hundreds of movies. I expect to cover movies--and the people who make them--here as well.

I was around for the "Golden Age of Television," and like most Boomers, have watched far too much over the years. I'm more discriminating these days in what I watch on the small screen, but I still watch because, at its best, television is creative and compelling. When it is, I'll be watching and blogging.

I grew up with traditional values—personal responsibility, self-discipline, hard work, sacrifice, et. al.—and they continue to inform my judgment and shape my perspective.

If these are things that you're interested in, I hope that you'll join my discussion of them. I will endeavor to be interesting, informative, and fair—even if occasionally provocative. I'll also try to post fresh content no less than three times a week.