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Movie review: Living

Ikiru

In the movie Living, the audience is introduced to a young man named Wakeling (Alex Sharp) on the train on his way to a new job as a paper-pusher for the department of public works in 1950s London. He learns he should not make small talk with his colleagues on the transit.

But he turns out not to be the focus of the story. Instead, it is Williams (Bill Nighy), the department head. Williams is a stiff, stoic bureaucrat; his offices and others like his have mastered the art of being very busy while accomplishing next to nothing. Then he receives a formidable diagnosis but finds it difficult to share the news with his son and daughter-in-law.

At this point, the always-present and never-tardy man decides to try to experience life. But he doesn’t know how. Williams goes out of town and engages a stranger, a playwright named Sutherland (Tom Burke). But Sutherland’s suggestions aren’t what he needs.

Maybe Williams’ former underling, Miss Harris (Aimee Lou Wood), who he meets serendipitously, might help.

The movie is a remake of the 1952 Akira Kurosawa film Ikiru, which I was not familiar with. Indeed, Ikuri shows up in the opening credits; for a time, I thought I had gone to the wrong theater.

Bill Nighy does buttoned-up very well, and Williams’ incremental breaks from his staid existence – he changes from his traditional bowler hat! – is believable.

Award-worthy

The movie is slow, which is not meant at all as a criticism. It’s not an action flick. But it is moving. And it’s economical; at 102 minutes, it’s 40 minutes shorter than Ikiru.

Bill Nighy is rightly nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor. Kazuo Ishiguro is up for the Adapted Screenplay. The movie would be a more worthy nominee for Best Picture than a third of the films that got the nod.

I viewed Living at the Spectrum Theatre in Albany in early February.

March rambling: 2008 again?

amateur sleuths

Is it 2008 again, or not? (bank failures)

US Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) makes his DC entrance

New Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) Signs Law Gutting Child Labor Protections for Minors Under 16 Years Old

Defiant Woman at the Center of New York’s First Abortion Battle – in the 1840s

How to Make the Hybrid Model Work for Women

The HistoryMakers: Documenting Black history through first-person accounts | 60 Minutes

My City by James Weldon Johnson

The Destruction of Negro Communities and the Birth of the African American

Mapped: Which Countries Get the Most Paid Vacation Days?

Indonesia unveils the construction site of a new capital city, Nusantara. Jakarta is experiencing overpopulation, infrastructure problems, and chronic flooding. The current capital is quickly sinking into the Java Sea, and parts of the city could be entirely submerged by 2050. But the new “project may lead to substantial rainforest deforestation, threaten endangered species’ habitats, put Indigenous peoples’ homes at risk, and more.”

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The Colon Club calls attention to the disease.

Why are nurses quitting? Ask the nurse no hospital will hire.

Idaho Murders: As a Small Town Grapples With Sinister Rumors, Media’s True-Crime Obsession Grows and The Case the Internet got wrong: A new investigation sheds light on Lindsay Buziak’s unsolved murder, revealing a vast web of misinformation. These are as much about the rush to judgment by amateur sleuths as the crimes themselves.

Worst Civil Engineering Failure in US History – March 12, 1928: St. Francis Dam Disaster

And more

John Cleese was confronted with three men who kinda looked and/or kinda sounded like his character, Basil Fawlty. He had to guess which one did the impersonation professionally.

Chaim Topol, Tevye the Milkman in ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ Dies at 87

Robert Blake, the Combustible Star of ‘In Cold Blood’ and ‘Baretta,’ Dies at 89

‘M*A*S*H’ Stars Hold Table Read for New Scene Written By AI

Marvel Working to Find ‘Quantumania’ Leaker. It’ll probably be more successful than SCOTUS was.

My friend Fred Hembeck asks Mark Evanier about Tiny Tim

Is the Beyond Burger Healthy?

Hey, Stewart’s, $5 / 2 = what??

Now I Know: The Dark History of Groomsmen and Baseball’s Strangest Trade and When Space and Physics Don’t Mix and Why Beer Comes in Brown (or Green) Bottles

I’m happy about the results of the Academy Awards, although I did not watch the program. It’s been my experience that people who saw EEAAO in the cinema, as I did, enjoyed it FAR more than those who watched it at home.

The Big Lie, redux

To me, it’s all one big, continual story. The Big Lie about the 2020 election, including the allegations about rigged voting machines.The January 6, 2021 insurrection. Dominion voting machine’s defamation case against Fox News and the information that came out during the trial’s discovery phase.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy gave Fox News exclusive access to raw footage of Jan 6. Tucker Carlson, one of the verified liars in the Dominion discovery, had footage of Jan 6 edited to suggest that the insurrection was just a sightseeing event, a claim so absurd that the White House and Senate Republicans from Mitch McConnell to Thom Tillis rebuked Carlson.

Check out pieces by Jake Tapper, Bill Maher, Seth Meyers, Drezner’s World, and possibly most comprehensively, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Music

In honor of ME: Adagio and Allegro for Piano and Horn by Robert Schumann, Opus 70!

And this: Sir Roger Norrington Eroica/Happy Birthday surprise from the SWR Symphonieorchester

Afro-American Symphony by William Grant Still

Casablanca suite by Max Steiner

Coverville 1433: The Rihanna Cover Story and 1434: Cover Stories for Nik Kershaw and Nina Simone, and 1435: Album Cover: Dark Side of the Moon’s 50th Anniversary

Wayne Shorter, 1923-2023

Guitarist David Lindley: 1944—2023

K-Chuck Radio: The joy and sadness of Yvonne Barrett

Classical Composer Reaction – Analysis of This is America (Childish Gambino) | The Daily Doug Ep. 542. (Doug Helvering)

Make Way For Tomorrow dance number- Gene Kelly, Rita Hayworth, and Phil Silvers (!)

Carpenters with Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Julien Neel

It’s not Lou Reed … and it’s not Jefferson Airplane, either.

Mr. Ma answers all the cello questions you never knew you had!

Burt Bacharach’s Clever Key Changes – David Bennett Piano

Ten classical music songs you know, but you may not know their names

“We’re willing to sacrifice our egos for the good of the band” – interview with Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran.

Please keep voting for the niece Rebecca Jade for the San Diego Music Awards daily in categories 20, 21, 25, 26, and 27. Also, vote for Peter Sprague in category 4, which RJ sang on.

2023 Oscar-nominated shorts

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake

On two days in mid-February, my wife and I saw some of the 2023 Oscar-nominated shorts at the Spectrum Theatre in Albany, NY. I found some of the films online, which I have linked to.

Live action

Ivalu – DENMARK/16 MINS/2022

Director: Anders Walter, Pipaluk K. Jørgensen

“Ivalu is gone. Her little sister,” Pipaluk, “is desperate to find her. Her father does not care. The vast Greenlandic nature holds secrets. Where is Ivalu?”

While it was a touching bit when Pipaluk would retrace the locales they used to hang out, it was an unsatisfactory conclusion.

Night Ride (Nattrikken) – NORWAY/15 MINS/2020

Director: Eirik Tveiten

“It is a cold night in December. As Ebba waits for the tram, an unexpected turn of events transforms the ride home into something she was not expecting.”

I liked this piece a lot, possibly my favorite in the category. It was pretty funny, held a degree of danger, and showed real humanity.

More Live Action

Le Pupille ITALY, USA/37 MINS/2022

Director: Alice Rohrwacher

“From… Academy Award® winning producer, Alfonso Cuarón is a tale of innocence, greed, and fantasy. [It] is about desires, pure and selfish, about freedom and devotion, and about the anarchy that is capable of flowering in the minds of girls within the confines of a strict religious boarding school at Christmas.”

As the longest of the pieces, the story is the most complex, taking place in World War II Italy. It is or was on Disney+. I enjoyed it.

The Red Suitcase -LUXEMBOURG/18 MINS/2022

Director: Cyrus Neshvad

“A young Iranian woman at a Luxembourg airport is in a life-changing situation.”

While totally believable, it was most frustrating because we wanted to know what happened next.

An Irish Goodbye – IRELAND/23 MINS/2022

Director: Tom Berkeley, Ross White

“On a farm in rural Northern Ireland, estranged brothers Turlough and Lorcan are forced to reunite following the untimely death of their mother.”

My wife’s favorite, and for a good reason, even though we couldn’t suss out bits of the dialogue. The family tension rang true. It won the BAFTA in this category.

Animated

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It -AUSTRALIA/11 MINS/2022

Director: Lachlan Pendragon

“When a young telemarketer is confronted by a mysterious talking ostrich, he learns that the universe is stop-motion animation. He must put aside his dwindling toaster sales and focus on convincing his colleagues of his terrifying discovery.”

This had a Truman Show/end of a Lego Movie vibe. BTW, the ostrich may be correct. I liked it a lot.

The Flying Sailor – CANADA/7 MINS/2022

Director: Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby

“In 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax Harbour, causing the largest accidental explosion in history. Among the tragic stories of the disaster is the remarkable account of a sailor who, blown skyward from the docks, flew a distance of two kilometres before landing uphill, naked and unharmed. The Flying Sailor is a contemplation of his journey.”

I wish I had known the above before I watched it for the first time. NOW it makes more sense.

More animation

Ice Merchants – PORTUGAL, UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE/14 MINS/2022

Director: João Gonzalez

“Every day, a father and his son jump with a parachute from their vertiginous cold house, attached to a cliff, to go to the village on the ground, far away where they sell the ice they produce daily.”

The comments helped me understand this better than I did on first watching.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse -UK/34 MINS/2022

Director: Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy

It “is a story of kindness, courage, and hope in traditional hand-drawn animation, following the unlikely friendship of the title characters as they journey in search of the boy’s home. Based on the book of the same name.”

I liked the traditional artwork. It’s strange, though; I can believe the talking animals, yet we both had trouble figuring out where the boy came from. How did he not freeze to death? I think this is streaming on Apple+.

Animation with a warning

My Year of Dicks -USA/25 MINS/2022

Director: Sara Gunnarsdóttir // Writer: Pamela Ribon

“An imaginative fifteen-year-old is stubbornly determined to lose her virginity despite the pathetic pickings in the outskirts of Houston in the early 90s. Created by Pamela Ribon from her critically-acclaimed memoir.”

Before it aired in the theater, there was a warning that the content may not be suitable for some. The last time I saw that message, it was some grossly bloody and inartful six minutes.

This was fun in five chapters, the first of which is here. My favorite part, though, was Chapter 5, when the protagonist asks her mom a personal question, and the mom makes the dad explain sex to the daughter. I found it extremely funny.

Documentaries

I didn’t see the docs in the theater, but I did view two on YouTube.

THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS – Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga

HAULOUT– Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev

Ninety thousand walruses outside your door is a sure sign that the planet’s ecosystem is out of whack.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR? –Jay Rosenblatt

THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT – Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison

STRANGER AT THE GATE – Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones

I saw a brief piece about a “Veteran’s Return from the Brink of Terrorism” on CBS Sunday Morning. I found this to be a powerful telling of how hate can be turned around. A review of all of the short documentaries states this film “reads a little too optimistic for the current moment.” I have no idea what that means.

Penpals: Sunday Stealing

Mike Post

The Sunday Stealing prompt this week is Penpals, Part 1, which, for some reason, reminded me of Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 by Ian Dury and The Blockheads.

1. What are your plans for March?

My birthday is this week, and my wife is taking me out to dinner. We’re meeting with our financial advisor. I’m seeing my cardiologist. We’re picking up our daughter from college and returning her a week later. I’m getting my teeth cleaned. We’re going to see a play. Plus the usual – choir rehearsal, church, ZOOM with my sisters, book reviews, and blogging.

2. Did you ever have or go to sleepovers as a kid?

Not that I can specifically recall. It’s possible.

3. Which books would you pick for a book binge?

Any number of the ones I’ve purchased but have not read. We Who Believe in Freedom- Alice Green. Caste – Isabel Wilkerson. The Mask Is Off – Dr. Mildred Smoth-Chang. I’ve got tons of them.

4. What features do you love most about your home?

The built-in bookcases in the room I am presently sitting in.

5. Favorite songs from tv, movies, and video games

I like story songs for TV themes, from The Beverly Hillbillies to Cheers. Mike Post created a lot of instrumental themes for shows I watched, such as The Rockford Files, Hill Street Blues, and Law and Order. I also liked the Earle Hagen themes such as The Dick Van Dyke Show and the Andy Griffith Show.

I have over 100 soundtracks, some from movies I’ve never seen. Often a song’s power comes from where it happens in the film; the first that came to mind was the title song from the movie Philadelphia by Neil Young, which plays near the end.

I have no idea about video game songs.

Games People Play

6. What group games do you like to play with others

Cards: pinochle, hearts, spades. Scrabble, Monopoly, Uno, Boggle, and probably others.

7. How often do you try something new?

Every day is something new.

8. What type of sushi is your favorite?

California rolls, I guess.

9. Do you prefer to relax or go on adventures during vacation?

I like to sightsee.

10. How do you prevent burnout?

Turn off my phone.

11. Which colors look best on you?

I look marvelous in everything, dahlink. Actually, I have no idea, but my wife often says, “That shirt looks nice on you,” and it can be a variety of shades.

12. Do you like brunch?

What’s not to like?

13. Trends you showed up late for

Just about everything. I am a late adapter to virtually every technological innovation. My first iPhone I got in 2020 or 2021. I seldom watch streaming services. My landline still exists.

14. What’s your favorite drink order?

My first drink was a Tom Collins. In general, I drink white wine if I’m consuming alcohol.

15. Which clothes or accessories make you feel most confident?

A hat keeps me warm in the winter and protects me from sunstroke the rest of the year.

Movie review: Women Talking

Writer/director Sarah Polley

The movie Women Talking should get a truth-in-advertising seal. It really is about women talking. It’s what they are talking about that’s noteworthy.

The narrative is based on Miriam Toews’s 2018 novel of the same name. In turn, it was “based on a true story of vicious serial rapes in an insular, ultraconservative Mennonite community in Bolivia.” The geography in the movie is not stated, but there is a specific reference to the 2010 Census, which suggests rural locale in the United States, though the speech pattern suggests Canada, where it was filmed.

In the real-life Bolivian community, “from 2005 to 2009, nine men in the Manitoba Colony, using livestock tranquilizers, drugged female victims ranging in age from three to sixty and violently raped them at night. When the girls and women awoke bruised and covered in blood, the men of the colony dismissed their reports as ‘wild female imagination’–even when they became pregnant from the assaults–or punishments from God or by demons for their supposed sins.”

Some of this narrative is incorporated in the movie, briefly shown in flashback. The men in the community are in town, but they are returning in 48 hours. What should the women do? They vote to choose among three options: stay and do nothing, stay and fight, or leave the colony. And since none of them can read or write,the tally sheet required pictures to insure that the women knew their choices.

The latter two options tied for the lead, so three families of women are appointed to meet in a barn and decide for the collective. And in doing so, figure out, e.g., what “stay and fight” would mean.

More than rhetoric

I know Women Talking could be perceived as another #MeToo movie, and I have seen reviews that suggest just that, which I think is a bit surfacy. Here’s a piece of one review: “WOMEN TALKING is a movie for people who think ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is too subtle an allegory about women being suppressed by the patriarchy.” No; just no.

What intrigued me was how the conversation was framed by their faith in God. Should the men be forgiven? What kind of God is there that would have the women do so? Another review summary I hated: “For all talk of a new order, Women Talking is eager to reassure us of its lack of interest in really rocking the boat, even outright including the phrase ‘not all men.'” These women are are doing a Brand New Thing, and they’re figuring it out, not coming out the gate with the proper framework.

The cast is stellar. It includes Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand, Judith Ivey, and Ben Whishaw. Sarah Polley, the director and writer of the screenplay, made a deliberate choice of the not-quite-black-and-white motif, perhaps to echo the ambivalence of their choices and the consequences of same.

Incidentally, I really liked Polley’s 2013 documentary Stories We Tell.

My wife and I saw Women Talking at a Saturday matinee in mid-February. There were about a dozen and half people in the theater; there was at least one other male in the audience.