Quick

Not much time to type tonight.  I had to, however, detail the double feature I took in yesterday.  Finally saw "127 Hours" and "Blue Valentine."  Each of them contained much-hyped scenes that I found weren't that sensational.  Yes, there was a lot of blood in the amputation scene of 'Hours' and yes, the apparent NC-17 scene in 'Valentine' was steamy...  but neither of them (the scenes) left me awestruck.  The films were two of the best I've seen so far.

"127 Hours" was the first movie at which I've gotten emotional.  I'll admit I choked up a little at the end.  "Blue Valentine" offered the first soundtrack that I have wanted to purchase in a long time.  I'm stumped at how Michelle Williams managed to get an Oscar nom when it seems that, as my friend Seán pointed out, it was Gosling who made the biggest transformation for the film and within the film.

What struck me most about "Valentine" however was how differently it was viewed by three different people.  One of us said "It was her fault."  One said "No, it was his."  And the third said "Neither is to blame, it's just how it unfolded."  This is the beauty of film, friends.

You'll see from my list below that I'm making fairly good progress, and I've researched where to find most of the remaining pieces.  The biggest challenges will be "The Tempest," "The Illusionist," the foreign films and the short docs.  I think I've got much of the rest covered (to some extent).

Ouch

That's all I can think to title this one after watching "Salt" with Angelina Jolie and "Dogtooth" the foreign film from Greece.

"Salt" was a fine movie, but I haven't ever really liked Angelina Jolie in anything since "Girl, Interrupted."  It's not her fault, I don't think, I'm just not a fan of the work she is apparently drawn to.

"Dogtooth" reminds me of why the category can be called "foreign" and demonstrate several meanings of the word.  It was such an unusual and uncomfortable film for my tastes...  but the poignancy of Christina finding escape through movies was not lost on me.

I am hoping to catch at least two more movies in the next several days.  I've also been advised the Oscar Shorts are on their way, so I am SUPER grateful for that.  My score sits at 20 out of 56 with just 25 or so days to go.  I have not knocked out any one whole category, but the key films that would help me with that are "127 Hours," "The King's Speech," and "True Grit."

War and the Golden Globes

Viewing "The Tillman Story" and "Restrepo" in the same week may have been overdoing it.  Both documentaries were heartbreaking and illuminated the utter chaos and confusion that seems to define the situation as it was there.  Many young men being sent in to fight these battles that they don't understand trying to help people who don't understand and inadvertently making a mess out of a mess that was already there to begin with.

To add to my confusion as I try to make sense of the senselessness, the Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning, and "Burlesque" was among the nominees.  Somebody help me...  when was this tracking?  The only other shock was a pleasant one:  "Alice in Wonderland" was nominated for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.

"Black Swan" is arriving in my area on December 17th.  Still no word on "127 Hours" and "The King's Speech."  I still have so many films to see.  It's getting serious now.

So Much Time on My Hands

Remember when Sandra Bullock smelled gas on Keanu Reeves after he came up from under the bus? Upon hearing his explanation, she chastises him by saying, "You felt you needed another challenge?"

I think she'd be saying something similar to me these days as I continually stretch the reaches of The Challenge.

I have turned my attention to the category of Adapted Screenplay, a bit by accident. Even with all the hype surrounding "The Social Network" I didn't realize it was based on the novel Accidental Billionaires until I spied the book on my boss' desk. I borrowed it and set about reading it before the October 1st wide-release of the film.

Following that exercise, I thought why not do it with all tracking contenders? So I have borrowed the following from the library: Never Let Me Go, Winter's Bone, Flipped, and Between a Rock and a Hard Place (which has been adapted into Danny Boyle's film- "127 Hours.")

Yes, I must have tons of time on my hands. Either that, or I am teaching myself yet again about the type of commitment (and obsession) it takes reach a goal and to do something that makes your heart soar.


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