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Slevin |
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Every year a movie sneaks into theaters with very little buzz despite a strong cast. The critics usually ignore or dismiss it as smug, self-conscious or convoluted. But in time, these films build a cult following and begin a second life. Last year, that film was my favorite: Don Roos’ “Happy Endings.” This year, “Lucky Number Slevin” is already tiptoeing into the multiplexes, and will probably die a quick death. |
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Kinky Boots |
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A sweet, but unremarkable romp about conquering homophobia and taking paths less traveled, “Kinky Boots” has a universal storyline and stellar performances, particularly from Chiwetel Ejiofor as a drag queen with a flair for shoe design.
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Mission Impossible 3 |
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When “Felicity” debuted on WB in 1998, JJ Abrams created such a vivid portrait of a burgeoning woman (with more than a little help from the actress inhabiting her, Keri Russell) that a haircut causes major viewer and press controversy. Three seasons later, he converted a peppy actress best known for “Dude, Where’s My Car?” into a super spy in “Alias.” Then last season, he shoved all us couch potatoes to the edge of our seat with the perplexing, mesmerizing “Lost.” So when Abrams announced he would be helming “Mission Impossible 3,” there was elation that the uninspired series would get a lift. Unfortunately, all that hype goes nowhere, because even Abrams could not leap where Brian DePalma and John Woo had already stumbled.
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Give ‘Da Vinci’ A Chance |
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Give ‘Da Vinci’ A Chance
I am not a historian, nor am I a theologian. I have not even read the original novel, so for better or worse, I can only judge “The Da Vinci Code” on its merits as a film, with no baggage or limitations. Purely as a Hitchcockian thriller, the fast paced, twisty Ron Howard flick will delight anyone unfamiliar with Dan Brown’s original flowery-prose novel. |
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V For Vendetta |
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“V For Vendetta”, based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore (“From Hell”) and David Lloyd, has been refashioned by the Warshowski Brothers (“The Matrix”) as a cold Stalinist world of corrupt politicos, henchmen as cops and a singular dictator (John Hurt) who protects himself by ordering the murder of anyone who betrays or questions him. Into this cruel society has emerged a superhero, one with Machiavellian methods that are at times as brutal as his arch-enemies.
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“’Prairie’ is At Home On the Big Screen” |
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“’Prairie’ is At Home On the Big Screen”
Common folks discuss trivial matters that are of the utmost importance to them; The past collides with the present; Angels converse with the living; Welcome to “A Prairie Home Companion” or as I call it Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” the “HEE Haw” edition.
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Thank You For Smoking |
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I certainly hope that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has the memory of an elephant, for in these early months of 2006, Oscar-caliber work has already hit the multiplexes. The intricate satire “Thank You For Smoking” offers an Oscar-worthy performance from Aaron Eckhart (“Erin Brockovich”) and a witty script, while “V for Vendetta” creates a brave new fascist world with colors reminiscent of the Bolshevik period, and with production designs, editing and cinematography that deserve the gold.
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A Tour of Baltimore |
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Baltimore |
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Do you realize how many fantastic attractions there are in our fine city? Well,we took a tour this past weekend to discover and rediscover a few of Baltimore's finest family attractions.
The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Center and The Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts put together a schedule of events that began with fun at ESPN Zone. The kids had a ball playing the hundreds of games and the new virtual reality two seater ride was a sure hit! Players choose a scene they want to travel through, such as a roller coaster, and the ride make you feel as if you are actually on the coaster! It shakes you, it moves back and forth , it's cool! On to the basketball court and a one on one session or to hockey with one child being the goalie while the other attempts to make the goals. I enjoyed the mountain biking game where I really had a workout! ESPN Zone features lunch and dinner daily and a terrific sports viewing experience on any one the many televisions throughout this entertainment arena. Call 410- 685-ESPN for more info. |
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Blind Wine |
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American Visionary Art Museum |
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American Visionary Art Museum on Thanks to our premiere sponsor, Sams Club and the generous assistance of Mays Chapel Wine Shop, movers and shakers from in and around Baltimore will converge on the museum to taste an array of fine wines from vineyards big and small. Guests will also have an opportunity to sample the recently imported Rockhopper beer and bid on fabulous auction items including celebrity signed memorabilia, private winery tours and an in-home catered dinner for eight.
Appetizers will be provided by
Red Fish, Lindwoods Restaurant, Gourmet Again, Country Club of Maryland and other area restaurants. Entertainment will include a chef demonstration by Baltimore International College and live music from Patrick Alban and Noche Latina, presented by Starleigh Entertainment.
The cost is $75.00 per ticket. Net proceeds will benefit The Foundation Fighting Blindness to help fund research to find cures for
degenerative eye diseases |
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THE LEGACY CHASE |
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Hunt Valley |
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Nineteen area residents, designated "Sponsors," supplied a total of $2.5 million to purchase the property. Most of this amount has been donated; arrangements have or will be made to repay the balance.
In addition, over 100 people, designated "Life Founding Members," have donated $10,000 or more each for costs related to steeplechase-course infrastructure.
Donations are tax deductible and can be made payable to The Land Preservation Trust, a 501(c)(3) organization. We invite interested persons to support Shawan Downs by becoming a Life Founding Member. Anyone with questions or pledges may call Pedie Killebrew at 410-771-0522 or contact us at info@shawandowns.org. |
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An Appleton Rum Holiday Celebration... |
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Club One |
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Club One hosted a VIP Appleton Rum party Friday night. All featured drinks highlighted Appleton Rum..I loved the Exotic Bird Martini..all of them! (hiccup)
The event brought out some of Baltimore's finest for a fun evening to celebrate Appleton Rum and the performance of Jazz Musician, Jimmy Sommers. in town for an "Evening With Jimmy Sommers"... with the sounds of his sexy saxophone at Red Maple the next night. If you haven't listened to the coool Jazz sounds of Sommers, do yourself a favor and listen to his latest CD, Jimmy Sommers Lovelife.
Kudos to Appleton Rum and its importer, Brown- Forman, for a classy event that will long be remembered. For further info visit |
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The Macaroni Grille |
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The Macaroni Grille combines sophistication and comfort with candlelit atmosphere, make your own pasta dishes, and best of all -- crayons on the table for miscellaneous doodling which is actually ALLOWED on the white tablecloths. Located on Padonia Road, about a mile from York Road, the Macaroni Grille is a fairly upscale Italian restaurant and bar which makes The Olive Garden look like Chucky Cheese. The menu offers an array of entrees, pasta dishes, chicken and fish options, and desserts. An extensive wine list and complimentary bread with olive oil is offered to make the experience classier. (Plus, any place that offers you “fresh parmesan cheese,â€쳌 and crunches it with a napkin, is guaranteed to be tons of fun.) |
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Baltimore Raven's Opener Photos |
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PSI net Stadium |
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Click the link to view some awesome photo's of the Baltimore Raven's in action |
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The Chronicles of Narnia |
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Like many other of the great Disney movies, the brilliance of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe lies in a deep moral, vivid inspiration -- and a villain that scared the popcorn out of every child in the theater, and most of the adults.
When I rediscover my favorite Disney classics as an adult, I am stunned that I was able to watch these films as a child without seriously wetting my huggies. I willingly admit that I now quiver uncontrollably at the witch in Sleeping Beauty, the evil stepmother in Cinderella, and basically everything that happens in Alice and Wonderland from start to finish. |
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Brokeback Mountain |
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BrokebackMountain has been both shocking, and pleasing critics since its release, and with good reason. This cinematographic expression of frustrated, repressed love is so much more than a “gay cowboy movie”.
In fact, the movie’s exploration of homosexuality is a less influential issue than the love story. Although it would have caused less of a stir if it were the love story of a man and a woman – the huge, aching heart in the center of the film would be beating just as strong.
This movie follows the lives of two rural workers – a ranch hand, Ennis Del Mar, played by Heath Ledger and a rodeo cowboy, Jack Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhal. The two spend a summer together and fall in love, while herding sheep on a mountain in Wyoming.
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Memoirs of a Geisha |
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The film version of Aurthur Golden’s masterpiece novel Memoirs of a Geisha reflects the characteristics of geisha themselves: aesthetically and visually stunning, without any emotional intensity.
In structure, the film follows the general plotline of the novel moderately well, with the exception of its overall demonstrative depth. Apart from the cinematography, many internal aspects of the film – including character development, and general conflict, were severely minimized in the big screen version.
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The Book of Daniel |
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For the love of Six Feet Under -- enough already, with the dead and immortals wandering around giving advice to the few characters that can see them -- the idea is only “off-beat” and “breakthrough” one time, and that coffin went down under when HBO planted it.
The recently released and criticized television drama The Book of Daniel reminds me of a strawberry daiquiri: All the things in it that are considered negative or poisonous are fundamentally unnecessary to the item’s general worth – so why the heck are they in there?
Not a classic anecdote, I’ll admit, but it’s surprisingly true. Daniel is being put through a horrific series of beat downs from religious relics and conservatives, calling it “blasphemous” and a “sacrilege” – in response to its use of a Jesus character, and multiple homosexual instances within the church. While these issues certainly stir a buzz, they are of no real benefit to the development or depth of the show. Much like how I put myself through a calorie fest, sugar headache, and a hangover from a strawberry daiquiri, when all I really want is that tasty strawberry goodness.
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The Producers |
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The few opening scenes of The Producers were so painfully over the top, and borderline scary, that it had me a little embarrassed that I drug all my friends to see the movie, boasting that it was a famously loved Broadway production.
The film opened with Nathan Lane knocking the boots with some old ladies for money, and some seriously creepy acting on the part of the usually adorable Matthew Broderick, that made me wonder if Mr. Ferris Beuller shouldn’t have taken so many days off.
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Maryland Regional Aviation Conference |
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Maryland Web Designers speaks at Maryland Regional Aviation Conference on Web Design.
Michael Berkman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Maryland Web Designers, Inc. was a presenting speaker on "Web Design Basics & Internet Marketing" at the Maryland Regional Aviation Conference at The Tidewater Inn, in Easton, Maryland on June 20-22, 2006. |
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Screen Actors Guild Awards |
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I am always somewhat leery about the veracity of the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards, considering it’s a bunch of millionaires, sitting around congratulating each other on being MASTERS of the universe.
However, the moment that the 12 th annual award show honored the performance of the grape guy in that fantastically stupid Fruit of the Loom commercial, I knew that this year would be more than a tired game of vanity and self-promotion. |
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Kali’s Mezze restaurant |
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If you are a veggie skeptic, painstakingly avoiding those leafy greens at all costs, be prepared to experience a major change of heart.
The biggest mistake one can possibly make at a restaurant like Mezze, is letting your eye lock onto the succulent seafood, meat or dessert portion of the menu and subconsciously drift away from the veggies. Turn back. When you dig your teeth into their mouthwatering spinach fritters, you’ll be oh so glad you did. |
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Pirates Of The Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest |
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The second film in a saga is like the movies’ equivalent of a middle child. It has to take the series in a new direction, must build on the characters introduced earlier and requires keeping the audiences salivating for number three. Many part-twos fail by appearing like filler until the next one hits the theaters. “Pirates Of The Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest” does not have those problems. Neither a redux of the first film, nor a place holder for the final film, “Pirates” is an exhilarating, hilarious swashbuckler with smart performances, eye-popping photography and award-worthy make-up and special effects. |
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Ladew Gardens |
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Ladew Gardens |
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Spent Sunday evening in the center of the beautiful gardens of Ladew, listening to the island sounds of the Trinidad and Tobago Baltimore Steel Orchestra. What a fun time! Families and friends are gathered with their picnics and blankets and are free to meander around the flower and topiary gardens. I discovered Adam and Eve (see picture) in my wandering. Chef's Expressions at Ladew Cafe sells delicious crab cakes, burgers, barbecue and more. Beverages are also available.
Concert admission is only $10 for Adults, $9 for Seniors and Students, $6 for Members and $3 for Children. The next concert, featuring the the Satyr Hill Band, will take place, July 27..check out Ladewgardens.com for a complete concert schedule. It is a beautiful way to spend an evening and only 20 minutes north of I-695.
Call for more info 410-557-9466. |
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The Oscars Should Have Conversations With Other Women |
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If Fabrication Films, the production company behind “Conversations With Other Women”, plays its cards right and joins forces with Fox Searchlight, the two studios could see some critic awards come December. For the one-two punch of Fabrication’s “Conversations With Other Women” and Fox Searchlights’ |
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Superman Returns |
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Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, “Superman Returns” is just super…superfluous. Though not a shot by shot remake like the needless “The Omen” or “Psycho”, it follows much of the original 1978 movie with none of the magic. |
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Devil Wears Prada |
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It is hilarious when the film industry creates a film such as “The Devil Wears Prada”, a comical nightmare about an assistant suffering at the hands of her monstrous superstar editor. In an industry that prides itself on crushing its underlings, does it not notice the mirror it stares into during dailies? In spite or probably because of this, creative executives know first hand the tragic hazing process a young innocent goes through to survive in the cruel city. |
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Maryland Nightlife, Inc. |
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Maryland Web Designers is a web design studio, specializing in web site design, corporate and small business web site design and development, web site hosting, web site marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) & database development.
We can bring you results. We design creative, original, clear, and easy to navigate websites that will enable your corporate or small business web site to stand out over your competition. We offer a wide range of professional web design and search engine marketing services that together can meet all of your web presence needs.
Website design is crucial from the architecture through the actual website design process, implementation and search engine marketing. Our Maryland website design team will take focus on the big picture, staying within your budget, while producing a first class product. We understand web site design from the inside out. We create sites with presence to push the limits of what you have come to expect from the internet.
Please give Maryland Web Designers a call at: 410-239-2817 or 1-866-483-5433
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Aurora Borealis - Review |
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In less able hands, such grave subjects as Alzheimer’s disease and Euthanasia could be the cornerstones of a maudlin, preachy film, however in the new film, “Aurora Borealis,” director James C.E. Burke takes on Brent Boyd’s script with sensitive, intelligent and funny results.
In the fashion of Lasse Hallstrom’s thoughtful “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” “Aurora Borealis” focuses on a young man whose familial responsibilities both overwhelm him and forces him to mature quickly. Duncan Shorter (Joshua Jackson) commemorates the 10-year anniversary of his father’s death by feeling sorry for himself. |
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Legacy Chase |
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Shawan Downs' signature event, the Legacy Chase, features multiple steeplechase races, that award close to $100,000 in purse money. This event benefits GBMC Healthcare with the proceeds of the 2005 race helping GBMC's nursing department. Over 12,000 people attended the Fifth Running of the Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs on Saturday, September 24th. |
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Great Wolf Lodge |
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Poconos |
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Great Wolf Lodge is a first-class, full-service, year-round family destination resort designed to capture the atmosphere and adventure of the northwoods. Serving as Pennsylvania's Year-Round Family Resort™, Great Wolf Lodge provides a comprehensive package of destination lodging amenities, including 401 family-sized suites; a 91,000 square-foot indoor entertainment area, featuring a grand scale waterpark; arcade with ticket redemption; children's craft and activity room; Aveda® Concept Spa; fitness room; two northwoods-themed restaurants; confectionery café; state-of-the-art meeting space; spacious outdoor pool; gift emporium and a performing Great Clock Tower.
Great Wolf Lodge is located just off the Scotrun exit of Pennsylvania Interstate 80, Route 611 North, at 1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun, PA 18355, and is less than a two-hour drive from New York and Philadelphia. For more information or to make a reservation, click here or call 1.800.768.WOLF (9653) Click the link below for photos |
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The Oktoberfest held at Timonium Fairgrounds |
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Timonium Fairgrounds |
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MNL MEMBER Website Link |
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The Oktoberfest held at Timonium Fairgrounds was a blast! There was the best in Maryland MicroBrews and participating Restaurants offered delicious food and drink. Over 50 Brews were offered! There was the Beer Belly Contest, The Miss Oktoberfest Contest, Traditional Music and Dancing and loads of fun for all in attendance. Everyone atending received a collectible Beer Stein and six sampling tickets. The crowds were large and beer was cold, what a terrific way to spend an afternoon. Great job by Moorea Marketing and all the sponsors and participating restaurants! |
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Little Children |
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“Who’s Watching The Children?”
“Little Children,” the new film by “In the Bedroom” director, Todd Field, deals with compulsion in Middle America. While one person, a pedophile, can not contain his compulsion and is trapped by his own impulses, there are no excuses for the others who live by instinct only, even though they know better and should have control over their choices. A harrowing film, bolstered by Award-worthy performances by Kate Winslet and 70’s child star Jackie Earl Haley, “Little Children” will have people talking for days.
A frustrated housewife (Winslet) begins an affair with a henpecked house-husband (Patrick Wilson, “Angels In America”) as their little kids nap in the house below. The illicit lovers keep their “friendship” in plain sight, playing with their children at local settings like the park and the community pool. But they’re not the only ones hanging around with ulterior motives. A released convict (Haley) who indecently exposed himself to children has all the parents up in arms.
Winslet simmers with sexuality as Diane Lane did in her infidelity film “Unfaithful.” The script compares her character to Emma Bovary, and Winslet brings such tension as a woman demanding more adventure in her life.
With a skeletal face, frightened eyes and fingernails bitten to the cuticles, Haley is startling but pathetic as a man trapped by his deviance.
Director Fields seems more assured with this film than “In The Bedroom.” The sardonic narration mocks the characters’ decisions. Utilizing the sound of countless ticking clocks, he seems to be keying in on the instable mind of a deviant, a bomb about to detonate.
At a scene at the pool, Fields pays homage to “Jaws.” As a snorkeling monster staring at little girls above at girls splashing above, Haley’s Ronald James McGorvey destroys the tranquility of suburban life (which wasn’t so calm to begin with). When he is recognized hanging in the pool, pandemonium breaks out as the parents pull their children from the clutches. Fields is not invoking the memory of Spielberg for kitsch affect, but to equate the molester to a beast, following pure instinct, with no sense for right and wrong. Fields never forgives McGorvey for his deviant cravings; he even shows a scene of pure cruelty on McGorvey’s part towards a fragile date (played perfectly by Jane Adams), however he presents McGorvey as a lost boy, someone’s boy, who should be locked away, not allowed to roam amongst children.
A vivid tale of desire and consequences, “Little Children” showcases talent from cast and director.
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Book Bash |
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Hunt Valley |
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A local book store was the place to party, meet 50+ authors, sample cuisine from 25+ restaurants and caterers, hear celebrity readings, witness cooking demonstrations and bid in a silent auction during the 12th annual Book Bash® fundraiser for Literacy Works, Inc.
Appearing at the event will be authors from various genres including art, cooking, current events, fiction, memoir, mystery, sociology, sports, local interest and children's. Those already scheduled to attend include Juliana Baggott, Connie Briscoe, Madison Smartt Bell, Devra Davis, Tom Horton, Jill Jonnes, Laura Lippman, Sujata Massey, Elizabeth Spires and Doug Wead. |
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COLUMBUS DAY PARADE |
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Baltimore |
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The parade began at 1:00 p.m. in the immediate area of the Washington Monument and will lasted about two hours. It stepped off from West Mt. Vernon Place and Charles Street; proceed South on Charles Street to East on Pratt Street, to South onto President Street, than East onto Fleet Street. It disbanded at Fleet Street and Central Avenue. |
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Maryland St. Patricks Day |
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“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rain fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand” -
Traditional Irish Blessing
Leprechauns, clovers, kissing the Blarney Stone, green Guinness, and corn beef and cabbage — it’s that time of year again — helloooooo St. Patrick’s Day. Not many of us know what St. Patrick’s Day is really about….besides drinking green beer all night long in college, I never stopped between rounds to ask anyone why St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated. After all, I wasn’t Irish…far from it, yet there I was downing my fourth pint sing my love to my native (ok, fine, adoptive) Ireland, with the rest of the bar. Oh, how I love my Emerald Isle. Don’t judge me; you know you did the same thing in college. |
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Cashback |
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“Picture Perfect”
Famed photographer Sean Ellis expands his Oscar-nominated short “Cashback” into a delightfully quirky full length feature. Cult members of the American comedy “Office Space” will appreciate this British attack on workplace boredom and insomnia.
Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff, “Harry Potter series”) loses his girlfriend Michelle Ryan (the new “Bionic Woman”) and suffers from sleep deprivation due to a broken heart. He watches and watches the clock in his college dorm till it becomes evident sleep will never return. Since he spends the night hours wide awake anyway, he decides he might as well get paid, so he joins an all-night supermarket.
The fellow employees all have methods to survive the hours that drag by. Pretty checker Sharon (Emilia Fox, “The Pianist”) avoids the clock. Boisterous Barry (Michael Dixon, UK’s “Coronation Street”) performs death-defying stunts. Ben blends in with the crowd, and finds his own magical way to pass the time. He freezes it.
Ben’s ability to stop time can be read as a metaphor, an imagined skill, or audiences can suspend disbelief and accept that the world stands still at his urging. What makes Ellis’ film so crafty is how it takes fantasy elements for granted. It’s unquestioned how Ben paralyses the entire universe on whims, nor are the ramifications to the rest of the world important. This is Ben’s world and the story only cares about him.
Even more fascinating is how Ellis takes Ben’s hobby (he strips beautiful women at the market and with his artistic dexterity, sketches them in his book) and strips away any the actions’ perversity. Ben’s should appear as a sleazy adolescent, but there’s an innocence in his behavior. He doesn’t lasciviously leer at his subjects but draws them as the specimens of beauty they truly are. This film in lesser hands would titillate like “Porkys” or the telekinesis teen sex comedy “Zapped,” instead it’s an earnest romance.
Ellis requires a pure, respectful youth to make this delicate situation work. Who better than a member of Harry Potter’s club? Biggerstaff is the perfect man-child for the job. While his friend Sean (Sean Evans, “Being Julia”) accosts every girl in town, almost always ending with a smack or a drink in his face, Ben has a boy-next-door quality. Quiet, charming and with a clear eye for beauty, he wins the audience’s hearts.
As the spell-breaker of Ben’s doldrums, Fox is truly a female creature of beauty. Recognizing in Ben affection and artistry, she clings to the magic he dispels in his drawings.
A talented photographer, Ellis frames his tale with gorgeous but simple women, settings that evoke enchantment (like the frozen snow storm that ends the film), and reminds us that camaraderie can enliven even those most depressing work environments.
The British comedy Cashback” welcomes Sean Ellis to the feature-length romantic-comedy genre with open arms. A contemporary of Mike Newell (“Four Weddings And A Funeral”) and Roger Michell (“Notting Hill”), he brightens up a rather dour period in film history. Grade: A-
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Bourne Ultimatum |
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“Bourne Wobbles But He Don't Fall Down”
Michael Myers, the shadowy super villain who stalks babysitters in the Halloween movies can be shot, burned, stabbed with sewing sheers and blown up to bits, yet he never dies. Since in nature, every ying needs a yang, Michael Myer’s doppelganger is Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), the shadowy ex-CIA spook whose bosses would like silenced permanently, but who survives beatings, shootings, and anything else thrown his way. While Myers kills on impulse, driven by blind fury, Bourne kills on instinct, programmed by those meant to protect America. In “Bourne Ultimatum,” Jason Bourne still wants to know his past and he’s livid at those who turned him into killing machine.
Six months have passed since Jason Bourne warned CIA Director Pamela Landy (the elegant Joan Allen) to leave him alone. But since Jason is a dirty little secret for the CIA, her bosses will stop at nothing to eliminate this stain on their record. They send assets (a euphemism for CIA assassins) to kill him, and cloak their actions under the guise of protecting America from terrorism (how many times has a certain government hidden their own foibles and corruption by blanketing it with the Patriotism Act?). But Jason Bourne will not go quietly into the night. He turns the tables on his assassins and eventually on those responsible for his damaged psyche.
When “Bourne Supremacy” came out in 2004, I complained that director Paul Greengrass, cinematographer Oliver Wood and editor Christopher Rouse, in the name of action-suspense, conspired to give viewers a massive headache with wobbly, unfocused photography. Despite Greengrass’ recent Oscar nod for “United 93,” he and his crew continue to frustrate those without Advil by essentially showing off. In several action scenes, it’s impossible to see what’s happening. In an opening sequence, the camera focuses on a person, zooms in quick then goes out of focus. I assume this means to represent the fuzzy morality in the room, but the script clarifies that fine.
Though the camerawork is a large issue, so many other elements in “Bourne Ultimatum” are supreme. Screenwriters Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns and George Nolfi have taken a complicated, sprawling story and filled it with tense confrontations, tragic moments, and slick dialogue. Like the second film, there are several great moments when Bourne reveals he’s scored a point over his opponent, moments that for the defeated feels like being a victim of “Candid Camera.”
Damon has really grown into the role of Bourne. Now more resolved to his past, empathetic but ready to put his deeds to rest once he ties up loose ends, there’s a maturity to Bourne that shines through in Damon’s portrayal. Steely confident in a battle, but never smug, Bourne outsmarts his enemies by getting into their heads. You can see Damon always thinking, always strategizing.
Allen, who could have been slumming in this role, lends a majestic integrity as the one CIA agent not drooling for Bourne’s blood. It’s easy to see why her superiors feel threatened by this woman.
As the crafty CIA directors, Scott Glenn and David Strathairn demonstrate wolves in sheep’s clothing, psychopaths desperate to cover their tracks with governmental titles to hide behind.
A dynamic thriller with a tight story and smart acting, “Bourne Ultimatum” is undone by its shoddy camerawork and editing, including many scenes which appear to have been shot while sitting on a hoppity-hop. The craftsmen are not incompetent; they just misguidedly believe that for an action film to work, you have to punish an audience’s corneas. Grade: B+
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Havana Club |
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Baltimore |
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MNL MEMBER Website Link |
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Havana Club, the hot club above Ruth's Chris Restaurant downtown, held their quarterly members party this week. The club features the latest cigar and drink selections and some of people in Baltimore! Check it out for a fun place to mingle, you can even play a friendly game of pool while you're there. Enjoy a martini, sit back and relax in one of their many comfortable chairs or sofas or kick -up your heels on the dance floor..whatever you do, you are bound to enjoy the Havana Club experience. |
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There Will Be Blood |
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MNL MEMBER Website Link |
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“’There Will Be Blood?’ Ya Ain’t Kiddin’”
“There Will Be Blood,” the new, nearly three-hour epic by Paul Thomas Anderson begins with no dialogue, fifteen minutes of no dialogue. This is a clever metaphor since one character loses his sense of hearing halfway through the film, causing a major rift in the central relationship. The film, an indictment on false prophets and greedy prospectors, pits one against the other in a battle to the death, and you can be sure that…there WILL be blood.
Texan oil prospector Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis) brings his son to a small community in central California to swindle the simple folks out of their land. The townspeople follow the teachings of a teenage prophet, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano, “Little Miss Sunshine”), a baby faced, but evangelical leader who casts out the devil from the ill and humiliates the proud. Daniel finds himself quickly going head-to-head with the pious but devious boy, in a one-upmanship that could be seen as a melding of George Steven’s classic “Giant” with the religious shocker from Stephen King, “Children of the Corn.”
Thomas Anderson, famous for his unyieldingly long tales of the porn industry (“Boogie Nights”) and redemption (“Magnolia”) has dug in the dirt literally, with this detailed look into the machinations of an oil baron from his early days to the years where money has turned him into a wrathful monster.
Based on a 1927 novel “Oil” by Pulitzer Prize winner Upton Sinclair, Thomas Anderson’s script is built on the very contradictory character of Plainview (an ironic name since it’s impossible to get a plain view of the man). It’s difficult to grasp our protagonist. Does he worship his son, or use him as a kewpie doll to assuage customers to sell? Is he a fair salesman, or a carpetbagger? He’s a precise man, yet he acts rashly, lashing out with extreme violence. I also never thought I’d say this about a 2 hour and 45 minute film, but there’s a missing reel. There’s such rage between the father and son in the final sequence, but it’s based on information we never saw. We can draw conclusions based on Plainview’s severe view on family values but it shouldn’t be the audience’s job to make assumptions. Another issue with the script is that Eli is only painted as a foil for Plainview. We never see any other sides to the character or get a chance to see him interact much with other characters. As played by Dano, Eli is a fascinating character and worth the investment.
Day Lewis has fun with this complex character. It’s an operatic performance that is already winning awards (he has won the New York Film Critics Award). Since Eli is not really the antagonist, it’s evident that Plainview is his OWN antagonist. His Achilles heel, his anger and greed, brings about his loneliness and makes him a tragic hero.
Dano brings humor and irony to the role as the youthful preacher. Vengeful when crossed, but always cracking his voice to remind audiences of his adolescence, Dano is memorable as Plainview’s opposition.
10-year-old Dillon Freasier brings an unpretentious innocence to his role as the boy Plainview adores. No matter what horrible venom Plainview may spew in the final reel, we know it’s a lie because we’ve already witnessed that the child is Plainview’s anchor, his humanity. Freasier brings the focus on himself without actually drawing attention or grandstanding. His presence alone is arresting. It’s even more remarkable because he has no dialogue through half the film, not to mention, he shares the frame with Day Lewis.
The score by Jonny Greenwood from the band Radiohead is intriguing. His cacophonous instruments plague the soundtrack with noise you’d here in a horror film, specifically a ghost story like “The Shining” or a string heavy score by Bernard Herrmann. Even during peaceful shots of the California landscape, the soundtrack is putting the audience in a very prickly mood. At the end, when something very ugly has occurred, the music is a grand waltz, ironically mocking the proceedings.
A gruelingly violent and long film, “There Will Be Blood” does have many rewards. It has stellar acting and some interesting directorial choices. However, audience members must have strong stomachs and big bladders. Grade: B
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Heartfest A HUGE Success |
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Baltimore |
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MNL MEMBER Website Link |
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Approximately 1,200 guests gathered at Martin’s West to participate in ©Heartfest 2007© an evening of heart-healthy gourmet dining, dancing and consumer education to benefit the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Preventive Cardiology Center. More than $150,000 was raised at the event that took place on Saturday, January 27, 2007. The Center, established in memory of the legendary Johns Hopkins lacrosse coach Henry A. Ciccarone, is a leader in patient care, education and research regarding the prevention and treatment of heart disease. |
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