Movies – Films

Superb  ****    Very Good   ***     Good **       Mediocre  *      Forget it   –

Why Not?

Blanc comme Neige (vo French)   **1/2  A happy and successful man living in the south of France, with a thriving car dealership and a gorgeous wife, has a crooked partner and two ne’er-do-well brothers on his back. Inevitably, things begin to unravel badly as he gets in deeper with a Nordic mafia that was involved with the partner. Excellent acting by François Cluzet and Olivier Gourmet saves this taut crime story with some holes in its scenario.

Remember Me **  Looks like Robert Pattinson produced this film to further enhance his brooding aura that has teeny boppers crying for more since the Twilight franchise. A sullen young man who resents his tycoon father (Pierce Brosnan) and misses his deceased brother falls in love with a cop’s daughter who also has a dark death in her past. But their happiness is jeopardized by a momentous happening, which actually makes the film. Powerful ending!

Chicas (vo French)   **  The fine playwright (Art, The God of Carnage) Yasmina Reza has written and directed her first film and it’s moving and effective. About a mother and three sisters, it feels autobiographical, with the bitter theater actress probably her own character. Introspective and revealing.

The Bounty Hunter **  Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler have a great time bugging each other while trying to forget they were ever married (but oh, they look so good together). She’s on a police wanted list and he’s the bounty hunter. Good laughs if you’re not expecting much.

Valentine’s Day **  This is a light pastiche of several lives around Valentine’s Day and the hopes and disappointments that all the related hype entails. The fun comes from the multitude of stars in cameo roles, but Demi’s boy, Ashton Kutcher, is the most charming and convincing.

Greenberg **  Ben Stiller’s gone serious. He’s a depressive New Yorker who comes to stay at his brother’s California home and ends up with a younger, similarly lost girl. Curious, meandering, but what’s the point?

La Danse (vo French)  **  This lengthy documentary observes the Paris Opera Ballet, its choreographers, classes and performances. It’s for those who love dance – the daunting and intricate sculpting of the body in movement. But it could have been cut by a quarter and given more character through the dancers rather than repetitive shots of corridors and exterior scenes.

At Your Own Risk

Sherlock Holmes *1/2  Just love Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Snatch), but why has he turned scholarly Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his sidekick Watson (Jude Law) into violent action heroes?! All the explosions and noise wipe out any semblance of a plot.

L’Arnacoeur (vo French)   *1/2  A supposedly seductive conman falls for his victim in Monte Carlo. Vanessa Paradis is adorable, but would you fall for the guy (Romain Duris)?

L’Immortel (vo French)   *1/2  A mafia-type rivalry in Marseilles (based on a true story) is heightened by the always “sympathique” Jean Reno, but the excruciatingly violent scenes are outrageous. A Goodfellows wannabee.

Nenette (vo French)   *1/2  Orangutans are such fun to watch, but more than an hour and a half of old Nenette, mostly immobile, is a bit much. One can watch similar things on the nature channels.

Law-Abiding Citizen *  More blood and gore, in minute detail, in the genre of the Silence of the Lambs or Seven. This may give impressionable adolescents cause to act likewise. Shame on Gerard Butler (he’s everywhere these days), who produced this and plays the devious protagonist.

North (vo Norwegian)  *  Boy, do you know you’re north – icy, slow, pale, frigid emotions.  A chain-smoking, drinking, depressed ski-lift operator goes farther north to connect with a neglected son…..

Couples Retreat – Juvenile, light garbage. Save your money!

Neptune Ingwersen

Movies – Films

Superb  ****    Very Good   ***     Good **       Mediocre  *      Forget it   –

Worth your While

Alice in Wonderland ***  The fantabulous team of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter is back to enchant us once again, after such delights as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd. It’s of course the classic tale of Alice, who is somewhat older this time, with a wonderfully dazed and touching Mad Hatter, as only Johnny Depp could portray.

How to Train your Dragon ***  Dreamworks is inching in on the brilliance of Pixar animation with exuberant tales like this one about a Viking village that is constantly attacked by dragons. But the son of the village chief just doesn’t feel like killing them, to his father’s shame. In fact he ends up befriending one of them …This is an invigorating and humorous tale of understanding those whom we have mistakenly come to fear and hate. Wonderful!

Men Who Stare at Goats (Les chèvres du Pentagone) ***  Don’t take this film seriously and just enjoy a super team of actors including George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor and Kevin Spacey. You’ll laugh yourself silly at the antics of an “anti-war” unit in the U.S. Army. Weird, goofy and a hoot!

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang ***  Set in the English countryside, this is a magical, feel-good film for the whole family, with a disguised Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay) as an amazing nanny who is transformed with each good deed she teaches her young brood. The kids are great, as is the versatile Maggie Gyllenhaal as their mother, along with a woozy Maggie Smith. It’s a moving, funny and adventurous story of a family waiting for Dad to come home from war.

Les Invités de mon Père (vo French)   ***  With a super cast that includes Fabrice Luchini and Karin Viard as his sister, this is a film    about a close-knit family that wonders what’s up with their father when he takes in a dubious mother/daughter duo from an Eastern-bloc country. Anne Le Ny’s refreshing French comedy manages both to amuse and dissect a multitude of family quirks and prejudices.

Shutter Island ***  If this is not an homage to Hitchcock, I don’t know what is. There’s the twisted plot, the heightened colors and fake backdrops (especially at sea), the winding staircase in a lighthouse (Vertigo) and even a cliff-hanging scene (North by North West). Scorsese and DiCaprio give us the shivers until the brilliant ending, better than any of Hitchcock’s. I didn’t want to see the film, as it seemed so creepy, but it was finally well worth the chills.

The Ghostwriter **1/2  Here is Roman Polanski’s take on a Tony Blair-like British leader’s memoirs and intrigues – an interesting, austere political thriller with Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan.

Tetro **1/2  A young sailor from Europe arrives in Argentina to find his long-lost older brother. Francis Ford Coppola has turned to dramatic black & white to tell this tale of a family torn apart by an overbearing, illustrious father with some deep secrets. Intense and esthetically sumptuous, it’s a grand old melodrama set in Buenos Aires.

Precious **1/2  Highly acclaimed and Oscarized, this downer of a film is about a terribly abused black girl who gradually comes out of her shell through a caring teacher. Fine acting all around, especially by the abusive mother, but the whole tragic process leaves you feeling queasy.  Can any of this relentless scrutiny help somehow, somewhere?

Chloe **1/2  There are films that grab you from the outset and don’t let go. This is one of them, though it leaves you with a disturbing sense of guilt for having watched it. This slick psychodrama, about a wife who hires a call girl to get at the truth about her husband, is an intense observation of the twists of life by the renowned Canadian/Armenian director Atom Egoyan (Exotica). Julianne Moore is especially effective in this remake of the original French film, Nathalie, which starred Fanny Ardant and Emmanuelle Béart.

Les Aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec (vo French)  **1/2  Luc Besson (Le Grand Bleu,Subway, Angel) knows how to make films, even if critics regularly drub him – jealousy? This one is pure action/fun entertainment (in the genre of Indiana Jones or Romancing the Stone) based on a well-known comic-book series set in the Paris of the early 1900s. A feisty journalist, Adèle, goes off to Egypt and its pyramids to find a way to cure her comatose sister. It has great characters, exotic locations and cinematography, but it could have been shortened for better effect.

Neptune Ingwersen

Movies – Films

Superb  ****    Very Good   ***     Good **       Mediocre  *      Forget it   –

It’s been almost three months since I’ve written about films! I was away in balmy Florida, but have been keeping up with the movies and have stored them in my head and some in my heart. A few I’ve almost forgotten, they were so inconsequential. Now I’m back, with a backlog of reviews. I know some of the films may be gone and others have not yet arrived, but I hope these inevitably brief reviews will get us up-to-date. And there’s always DVD and Amazon.com.    Neptune Ingwersen

Unmissables

An Education ****  Here’s an intelligent, engrossing and brilliantly acted ensemble piece from England. It’s about a bright young girl who gets waylaid on her mission to attend Oxford, by a seductive older man played by a smooth Peter Sarsgaard. By Danish director Lone Scherfig (Italian for Beginners), it’s set in the early 60s and has it all – a whirlwind romance, misguided parenthood, ambition and folly. Sweet Carey Mulligan was nominated for a best actress Oscar, but lost to Sandra Bullock.

The Last Station ****  This beautifully-acted and atmospheric jewel of a film by Michael Hoffman recounts the turbulent love between Leo Tolstoy and his tempestuous wife, as they spar over his literary legacy to the Russian people, in the last months of his life. Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer are wonderful as the fiery couple (both nominated for Academy Awards), as are their cohorts, James McAvoy and Paul Giamatti. An illuminating work, both emotionally and historically. (I would have given this or An Education the best film Oscar).

Green Zone ***1/2  Matt Damon is getting better with each film and his partnership here with director Paul Greengrass, with whom he’s done the Bourne series, doesn’t hurt. With his clear blue eyes and cute pug nose, Damon is the embodiment of the “good” American in Iraq at the beginning of the invasion, when the troops were frantically searching for WMDs. This smart action yarn tells it how it was – the deliberate deceptions, the Iraqi side (brilliantly done), the different layers of command. Brains and brawn together, what more would you want on a movie night?!

Soul Kitchen (vo German) ***1/2  Fatih Akin, the German/Turkish director of Gegen die Wand and Auf der anderen Seite, is a fan of Jim Jarmusch, and it shows in his eccentric, meaningful films full of color and passion. This one, about the troubles of two close-knit brothers and a funky restaurant in Hamburg (where Akin was born), is joyous, energetic and great fun, showing  marginals in a little-known side of Germany.

Les Chats Persans (No one knows about Persian Cats) (vo Farsi)  ***1/2  This is a surprising, multi-awarded (Cannes, Miami, Sao Paulo) Iranian film about one of the thousands of underground rock bands that exist today in Tehran. Since they can’t perform there as freely as they wish, the lead boy and girl of a band are trying to go to England to give a concert. To help them recruit new band members and get the necessary papers, they turn to a riotous wheeler-dealer (Hamed Behdad)who can charm anyone into anything. By the Kurdish/Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi of A Time for Drunken Horses and Turtles Can Fly, this is a breath of fresh air and a true picture of the suppressed vitality that is Iran today – a must-see for a better understanding of a burgeoning, multifaceted, misunderstood country.

The Hurt Locker (Démineurs) ***1/2  Winning the Oscar for best film and best director, this film by Kathryn Bigelow is a tense study of a bomb squad in Iraq, and one of them in particular (Jeremy Renner, Oscar nominee), who is as fearless and cool under fire as a Steve McQueen character. Filmed in almost documentary style, the story does not delve into the politics or ethics of war, but just observes the raw fear and almost drunken high experienced by those who face instant death at any moment. Powerful – but was it the best of the year? And is it universal enough for the honor?

Crazy Heart ***  Here’s a slow, lazy look at an aging country singer who once was somebody and is now playing in sleazy joints and slowly drinking himself to death. It’s all downhill until he’s interviewed by a lovely young thing and they begin to fall in love. Jeff Bridges mightily deserved his Oscar for this role of a lifetime (one of many for him), which completely carries the film. But Maggie Gyllenhaal isn’t far behind, with her tender portrayal of a lover and a mother. And then there’s Colin Farrell in a surprising cameo role. This is one fine coup for first-time writer/director, Scott Cooper.

Neptune Ingwersen

Going to the movies is a wonderful exercise for our age-esteem.   Why not take a look at our critic’s choices over the next three days and treat yourself to a theater outing or rent one to watch at home?

• Going to the movies is a social event, especially when we watch with friends and discuss the film afterward.
• Films spark our imagination.
• Movies stimulate our thinking; they take us to other parts of the world and into unusual settings.
• Watching foreign films in their original language forces us to concentrate on vocabulary.  If you study a foreign language, this will help connect words and images, phrases and scenarios.
• Many films keep us up to date and help us converse with our grandchildren.
• It’s fun to watch good movies!

Rose Muenker, 61, USA

Age Esteem is loving life and loving who I am.

Rose’s tips:  Just really sense in your own heart what it is that makes you feel good about yourself and good about your life and not be distracted by what the outside world is saying you ought to be thinking, how you should feel, how you should act, how you should think.  Authenticity, honesty.  Just really doing and saying and being what makes you feel comfortable in your own skin.

Rose Muenker is a professional writer and writing coach and workshop leader.

Sunshine Vitamin D

Are you getting enough Vitamin D?  Vitamin D is an essential ingredient for the body, especially in preventing osteoporosis.  One in two women and one in four men (Yes, fellows, this also concerns you!) over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture.

Vitamin D is necessary to build strong bones and to fortify muscles. The good news is that a bit of sun each day directly on the skin can give you what you need.  It is even crucial because any vitamin D that has been consumed through foods cannot be processed without direct sunlight, thus the sunshine vitamin.

Vitamin D can only be found in a few foods such as egg yolk, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines), liver and butter.

We know  that it is dangerous to sit in the sun for long periods of time without using sunscreen, but since sunscreen prevents the sun from penetrating into the body, vitamin D  cannot be processed . For this reason vitamin D deficiency is very prevalent today as people are aware that they should not be overexposed to sun rays. However, just a few minutes of sun per day without suntan lotion will enable the vitamin D in the body to be effective.

So to build strong bones and muscles in order to prevent fallng and broken bones, complement your healthy diet and exercise with a daily dose of sunshine vitamin D.

Grandma Nature

In the middle of all these penguins, there is one who jumps up and sings, “I gotta be me, I just gotta be me”.

It is a humorous image since all penguins seem to look and act alike.  And yet it is also an image that rings a bell in each of us.  We all want to “be me”.  We want to shine in our unique talents and to be recognized for our personal characters.  We want to count for who we are rather than as just another number.  We want to be loved for who we are.

This is true at every age.  It is especially apparent when we are older and feel packaged as part of a group of empty nesters, pre-retirees, retirees, seniors,…  We can easily feel like the penguin who is sick of just being seen as one of  the pack.  We too want to “be me”.

• Take stock of your unique talents, skills and qualities.  What are you good at?
• Define your key values, the values that you live by and are not willing to give up.
• Look at what you love to do, what motivates you.
• Think about the contributions you have made, how you have shared your talents and values.
• Celebrate the person you are!

For the last two years I have dyed Easter eggs with our granddaughter, Jessica.  Jessica is now almost three, so it was especially enjoyable dying eggs together this year.  It was so much fun that when I saw her last week she announced, “I want to color eggs today.”

As I opened my mouth to explain that we only color eggs for Easter, I abruptly closed it.  Why shouldn’t we paint eggs at other times of the year?   It is a good example of how we place limits on ourselves and nip creativity and an open mind.  Here I was about to instill a limit on the same child who I want to become confident, setting her sights high knowing that she can do anything she sets her mind to.

It shook me up.  Am I also influencing her age-esteem?

Our AgeEsteem is greatly influenced by limiting thoughts.  Examples abound with messages bombarding us showing us that youth is associated with opportunities  and age with obstacles.  Youth is freedom, age is a burden.  These limiting concepts are cemented into our minds. –  Even though we know these messages are not true.   Who says we shouldn’t travel alone, drive a race car, climb mountains, start a new business…?

Break down your personal limiting barriers.

• Listen to yourself when you speak out loud and to your thoughts.
• Filter your messages.  Are they limiting what you think can be done?
• Ask yourself why you think this way.  Has someone fed you this message often so you now believe it?
• Make a list of these limiting beliefs.
• Act on them.  Just do what you have previously limited yourself to believe you could or should not do.

My granddaughter and I will color eggs again next week.  Sometimes changing a limiting belief  is as simple as that!

There is a new breed of millionaires – and there will soon be a lot more of these millionaires.  Will you become one of them?

These are not cash-rich people.  They are time rich, those who live a million hours.  This means that they are living 114 or more years.

Today there are about 300,000 people who are validated to be at least 100 years old, and by mid century this number is estimated to grow to about 3.4 million.  There are 75 supercentenarians, meaning that they are 110 years old or more, living in the world today.  Their documents leave no doubt that they are indeed the age they are said to be.

The longest documented life is that of Jeanne Calment of France (1875–1997), who died at age 122 years and 164 days. Kama Chinen, born May 10, 1895 in Okinawa, Japan, is now the oldest living person in the world.

As we continue to live longer it will become even more important to age healthfully with Age Esteem

This year’s World Health Day is focused on making cities healthier.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) states, « There are solutions.  Urban planning can promote healthy behaviours and safety through investment in active transport, designing areas to promote physical activity and passing regulatory controls on tobacco and food safety. Improving urban living conditions in the areas of housing, water and sanitation will go a long way to mitigating health risks.  Building inclusive cities that are accessible and age-friendly will benefit all urban residents.

Such actions do not necessarily require additional funding, but commitment to redirect resources to priority interventions, thereby achieving greater efficiency. »