Category: uncategorized

All Is Lost

~ Mark

All Is Lost. Loved it. Perfect movie for the messy, rainy weather of late. Redford’s sailboat is hit by a freight container… and then he deals with it. Minimal script and music, the focus is on inventiveness, improvising, and the mundane aspects of making do. I appreciate that there weren’t any gimmicks that felt too dumb or contrived, like, I dunno, getting tangled in the ropes or something. It’s also a great example of how much more thrilling it can be to focus on the person facing peril, and how they react, rather than show a huge CGI wave vs. a tiny boat. I love the couple moments where he’s… enjoying himself, somehow? A sunset. A simple dinner. And there’s a beautiful, heartbreaking moment before he sends out a communication where he pauses – not quite ready – and then follows through.

Other good “peril at sea” movies: Captain Phillips and Life of Pi.

Other good survival films: Gravity (+ Aningaaq). The Grey. 127 Hours.

Another good movie focusing on one actor, one vehicle: Locke.

Another good movie with an older actor trying to get out of trouble: Arbitrage.

Veronica Mars

~ Mark

If I were wise enough to know the difference between what I can and can’t change, would I even be who I am?

Veronica Mars. It opens with an explanatory montage narrated by Bell – it’s a nice introduction for newbies and also helps boost the anticipation/nostalgia for veterans. Even with that lead-in, though, I don’t think you could get much out of the movie without watching a good bit of the TV series (which you should absolutely, definitely do as soon as possible).

Lots of inside jokes, references, running gags, cameos, and other bits of fan service. There were a pair of legitimately shocking moments in there, too. The great writing that sustained the show carries over here, and the key relationships – Veronica and her dad; Veronica and Logan – are as sharp as ever. Love the Lou Rawls soundtrack during one of the climactic scenes.

But alas, it’s not the TV show, and two hours simply is not enough for a challenge worthy of Veronica, and there’s not enough time for beloved supporting characters to remind us why we love them so much. Another great movie that revolves around noir-ish high school drama is Brick.

The Best Books I Read, 2014

~ Mark

Best Books of 2014

Well, there’s always 2015. What follows are the best of a pitiful 30 (?!) books I read in 2014, which is nowhere near previous glorious heights. These are in a very particular order – as more discerning readers will see – gently arranged for optimal reading pleasure. Don’t skim or jump around, or you’ll ruin the whole thing. All links are to my own notes on the books, such as they are.

I hope your year is filled with books you enjoy.

Meditations

~ Mark

I re-read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations a couple days ago, a New Year’s tradition. I also spent some more time digging in the appendices in this book, and comparing my notes from 2013. And, as I did last year, I tweeted some quotes and paraphrases that struck me as I read it this time around. A few of those, with book/chapter references:

Expecting nothing, shirking nothing, […] and a heroic truthfulness in all that you say and mean – then you will lead a good life. And nobody is able to stop you. (3.12)

Whenever you want to cheer up, think of the admirable qualities and virtues of your friends. (6.48)

That last one makes me think of Seneca, especially, and some other good stuff filed under my friends tag.

Do not be ashamed of being helped. […] It is human nature to love even those who trip and fall.“ (7.7 and 7.22)

Without frenzy, without apathy, without pretense. (7.69)

Prayer about things you want in the world < Prayer to be free from fear, desire, regret. (9.40)

Kindness is invincible. (11.18.9)

I appreciated his personal journaling this year as much as ever, but also felt like some things were missing – because, selfishly, he’s writing for himself and not for me specifically. But I take some comfort in seeing him grapple with his own shortcomings as I work on my own, and try to live well despite them.

Be sure to check out Austin Kleon’s thoughts from his own re-reading. I’ve got another re-read coming up shortly, just as soon as the postman delivers the Hays translation that Ryan Holiday recommends. Filed under: Stoicism.

Cyberbooks

~ Mark

I read a lot of Ben Bova’s Cyberbooks, but not all of it. There is a certain kind of joy in reading about science fiction that’s no longer fiction. In this case, ebooks and tablets and the future of publishing as seen from 1989. Ultimately it was a bit more light and meandering than I wanted. DNF.

Strange Days

~ Mark

Strange Days. The last movie I watched in 2014. The setting is a dark and messy L.A. where the go-to underground drug is VR “playback” of other people’s recorded first-person thrills. All the stuff with rampant police abuse, violence for entertainment, and mediated experience seemed relevant today. It’s one of those where I love the world they built in the early parts of the movie, but didn’t have much interest in the story they developed from there. Love the closing song. My Kathryn Bigelow rankings:

  1. Zero Dark Thirty
  2. Point Break
  3. The Hurt Locker
  4. Strange Days

She’s really damn good.

The One I Love

~ Mark

The One I Love. Highly recommended, a lot of fun. I wish this one had made a bigger splash. A couple on the rocks goes on a retreat to focus on their relationship. Hijinks ensue. I love movies like this that focus on just a couple cast members, and you get to see their chemistry and talent carry the whole thing. Moss and Duplass are awesome.

Le Week-End

~ Mark

Le Week-End. Fast-forward Linklater’s Before trilogy 40 years into the future, and you’ll get the idea. The silly parts are much sillier, though, and the dark parts even worse. Jeff Goldblum’s character is overwhelming and terrible and so much fun to watch.

Foxcatcher

~ Mark

Foxcatcher. I appreciate the acting, but I couldn’t hang with it. Mark Ruffalo is a genius, though. Matt Zoller Seitz said it well: “If I had to make a list of movies I’m saddest about not having liked, this would rank near the top.”

Stand By Me

~ Mark

Stand By Me. Nothing beats exploring the woods with your friends. Especially when your parents are clueless as to your whereabouts. This one is not as good as I remembered. I couldn’t help but compare it with that other Oregon-based tween adventure from a year earlier, The Goonies, and it comes up short. Maybe it just works better for younger eyes and ears, where the foul language is more scandalous and thrilling, and the loving fisticuffs more relatable. I didn’t realize this is where the production company’s name came from.

Taken 2

~ Mark

Taken 2. I like the flip-flop here, where Neeson has to rely on his daughter for a bit. Love the absurdly nonchalant use of grenades. Neeson is the most nightmarish backseat driver you could ever imagine. Like The Equalizer, he gives the final bad guy a chance to make the right decision, but… people never learn. Not sure what’s up with the images here, like how the colors were pushed and processed into these weird greenish-yellow skin tones. Tick of the Clock is one of the best things to happen to action movies (Cf.). More of the same ain’t bad, but Taken is better.

Dark City

~ Mark

Dark City. Not going to complain about Lizabeth Scott (I only put this one my list because of Pitfall), but there’s not a lot of compelling stuff here. Good job easing into the pivotal scene though. Watch the other completely unrelated 1998 Dark City instead.

Meek’s Cutoff

~ Mark

Meek’s Cutoff. The opening scene has the cast fording a waist-deep river – rushing water taking over the soundtrack – and you sense that’s about as good as it’s gonna get for a while. I love the contrast between the hot bright sunny bleached-out days, and the nights where you can see absolutely nothing but what fire’s light touches. And the square frame makes things feel a bit more fraught somehow. Over and over we see women hanging back while men deliberate their course. (Often with men in long shot, conversations barely audible, while the women get the close-ups and mediums.) And look where it gets them. By the end, it’s time to try something new. Fingers crossed.

Kelly Reichardt’s movies Night Moves and Old Joy are also really good. Wendy & Lucy is still on my list.