absence unfathomable becomes something I can carry

'Dead Reckoning' 

 

to estimate one’s position 

without instruments 

or celestial observations 

 

calculating direction and distance 

traveled from the last known fix 

while accounting for tides, currents, grief 

 

drift     numbness 

sudden storms of pain 

unexpected joy 

 

to reckon is to believe 

something true 

to reckon with the dead 

 

is to believe I can know them 

an airy thinness 

gleaming 

 

despite 

the distance 

traveled 

 

I’d like to know how far 

I’ve gone 

how much farther there is 

 

to go         how absence 

unfathomable 

becomes 

 

something I can carry 

 

[Hyejung Kook, 'Dead Reckoning']

your lucky ring stinks

Average rating: 5, though more fairly it would be an average of 8 + two ignorable crappy craps

Lust for Gold (1949) - "During the 1870s, the ruthless Jacob Walz (Glenn Ford) becomes very wealthy after locating a legendary Arizona gold mine and securing sole ownership by murdering his partner. Walz then travels to Phoenix, where he catches the attention of a beautiful and crafty woman named Julia Thomas (Ida Lupino), who has learned of his exploits. Eventually, Walz falls in love with Julia, unaware that she's already married to Pete (Gig Young), who is eyeing his fortune."
length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

source: I bought the DVD
I watched it because: I like Glenn Ford and am trying to his more highly-rated films
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 67%
my IMDB: 1/10 🦃

MPAA rating: Approved

directed by: S. Sylvan Simon

my notes: yuck! The characters are flat, and none of them is likable or compelling. Ford's Walz is handsome and rugged and abhorrent. Ida Lupino was not a good actress, and Julia was not a good role.     3 thumbs down.

overall: not  recommended

 

The Expendables (2010) - "Mercenary leader Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his loyal men take on what they think is a routine assignment: a covert operation to invade the South American country of Vilena and overthrow its dictator. But, when they learn that the job will be a suicide mission, they must choose redemption or the destruction of their brotherhood."
length: 1 hour, 43 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD (set) through the public library
I watched it because: I haven't seen the 4th film in the series and wanted to watch them all, close together, beforehand

    previously reviewed here (I've seen it at least four times)
IMDB: 6.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 42% Audience: 64%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "'Come on. Why don't you man up? Jesus! She wasn't your type.'

    'Why don't you keep saying "She wasn't my type?", so I could put a bullet in your bleak brain! Look who I'm taking to: Dracula's life coach. No wonder you're alone.'" 

directed by: Sylvester Stallone

my notes: this viewing spurred a rare increase in rating for me. This film is fun, fast, fresh, and just complicated enough to be interesting but not so complicated that one loses the thread. I especially like Jason Statham's Lee Christmas character, and the fact that he was caught on film actually laughing, twice! (He's more of a smirker.) Jet Li is amazing (as the unfortunately named Yin Yang), realistically conveying plucky + kick ass + intimidated when faced with death. 

    (My only quibble is that the one-DVD set doesn't have closed captioning. Annoying.) 

overall:  recommended

GoldenEye (1995) - "When a powerful satellite system falls into the hands of Alec Trevelyan, AKA Agent 006 (Sean Bean), a former ally-turned-enemy, only James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) can save the world from an awesome space weapon that—in one short pulse—could destroy the earth! As Bond squares off against his former compatriot, he also battles Trevelyan's stunning ally, Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), an assassin who uses pleasure as her ultimate weapon."
length: 2 hours, 10 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library
I watched it because: one of my faves is in it
IMDB: 7.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 80% Audience: 83%
my IMDB: 3/10

MPAA rating: PG-13

notable quote: "Oh, grow up, 007."

directed by: Martin Campbell

my notes: good GOD, are these movies dumb or what?! I liked two things about it: Tchécky Karyo as Defense Minister Mishkin (one of the few gray-area roles in this film) and Famke Janssen as the completely deranged Xenia Onatopp. It's fun to watch that lunatic, though even that gets old after a while. This movie is also way too freakin' long. 

    Roger Ebert's review is here, which I think is too kind.

overall: not  recommended

The Palm Beach Story (1942) - "Married New Yorkers Tom and Geraldine Jeffers love each other, but money, or lack thereof, is causing problems in their marriage. Tom, an ideas man, needs $99,000 to finance his latest project—the working model of a suspended airport—money which no one is willing to provide. Gerry is feeling like a burden around her husband's neck as she, self-professed, has no marketable economic skills beyond her feminine wiles. So Gerry decides unilaterally to run off to Palm Beach, Florida and give Tom a divorce. Without money, she uses those feminine wiles to finesse her way to Palm Beach via train and yacht. One of those that assists her on her journey is extremely wealthy, single and straight-laced John D. Hackensacker III. Gerry thinks that John may be the answer to Tom's financial backing worries. So when Tom follows Gerry down to Palm Beach, she introduces him to John not as her soon to be ex-husband but rather her single brother, Captain McGlew, who John renames Mac. But with Mac being single and handsome, John's flamboyant and man-hungry sister Maude, also known as the Princess Centimillia, thinks she's found her next husband, just as John thinks he's found his future wife."

length: 1 hour, 28 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I hadn't seen it in a while, and it was the perfect fit for a day of mind-numbing work

    previously reviewed here
IMDB: 7.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 97% Audience: 81%
my IMDB: 9/10

AFI: 100 Years…100 Laughs (2000) #77

MPAA rating: Approved

notable quote: "Right now I don't like you, although I may get over it later."

directed by: Preston Sturges

my notes: this is such a charming film! Joel McCrea is realistically lovelorn, and just a big handsome lug of a man. Claudette Colbert has an unusual look for a lead, but she does it well. Mary Astor is such a sophisticated lady, so this performance as the brassy Centimillia is particularly funny. And Rudy Vallee... what a cutie, and what a voice! 

overall: highly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from The Expendables]

see what you can recall from our brief years

When my keen fury fades 

and time has blurred these eyes, 

after your grief subsides 

and tactile memory goes, 

can you recapture me? 

Each year in a private hour 

visit the rock-edged sea 

where winds across the shore 

blow as they used to blow 

and in the rhythmic swell 

you hear old poems. Now 

see what you can recall 

from our brief years that still 

beat like a wave-struck bell. 

 

[Jan Schreiber {1941- } 'What's Left', from Peccadilloes]

if you tremble with indignation at every injustice then you are a comrade of mine

1 How particular are you about the maintenance of your car? 

    I vehemently loathe everything about car maintenance. For a while, when I was newly single, took some pride in taking care of it all on my own and on time if not early. I would spend Saturday mornings getting an oil change, taking it to the car wash, and even vacuuming the interior. Now I can barely be bothered to pay attention when it squawks for new oil or to chisel the bugs off the windshield.  

 

2 What's your strongest sense? 

        indignation 

 

3 How many different conversations can you adequately carry on at the same time? 

    that depends on your definition of "adequately." Most workdays I'm actively involved in at least three different Teams chats, one of which is almost entirely personal. I have text threads going with several family and friends, including the work person referenced above. I communicate by FB Messenger with two friends almost daily and a handful of others quite regularly. 

    And only once, that I can remember, have I sent a message to the wrong recipient. I guess that means I can handle it fine.

 

4 Do you ever double- or triple-check things? 

     sure, in lots of situations—that I've set my alarm, before going to sleep; that there's no traffic coming before moving out of an obscured spot when walking or driving; that an eBay package is properly addressed; and that it's the correct day to take my migraine shot

5 Do you read or study best in silence or in a place with background noise? 

    oh, blessed silence! How I love thee.

    Despite some evidence to the contrary (see, e.g., my answer to #3, above), my brain works best when allowed to focus.

 

6 What's one thing you would rather pay someone to do than do yourself? 

    heck yeah. Painting walls; anything relating to plumbing or electricity; auto maintenance; grocery shopping and delivery; or washing and detailing cars. I'd love to add cooking, cleaning (especially windows and floors ... and bathrooms), laundry, and general errands, but one needs must be realistic. 

 

7 What one word sums up your high school experience? 

    fun.  

    I'm not saying "those were the best years of my life," just that I liked more than I disliked about school, the people I was with, and the way it all turned out. 

 

[from The Complete Book of Questions : 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion; the title quotation is from Ernesto 'Che' Guevara]

I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself

1 Do you believe love takes work? 

    of course, it does. 

    I love a friend, who lives in another time zone, works an Important Job, and has an especially complicated life that does not allow frequent interactions. That means making extra allowances for the differences and being extra grateful for the times together. 

    I love my family, which requires me to be available at different times of day than I might prefer, and to be ready to resolve almost innumerable tech issues, or to compare notes and debate plans.

    I love my job, even though it makes me get up early and prioritize it and sometimes work longer hours (even weekends). 

    Love—of people, things, ideas, whatever—isn't easy, but it's always worth it. 

 

2 Share a favorite memory of your current/most recent partner.

    when we were past the first-blush phase and our interactions had grown in real affection but maybe dimmed in excitement, he ramped it back up by striding up to my big wall of windows (at work, the financial place), and then continuing on his way. It wasn't dramatic or noticeable for anyone else, and most people would probably think nothing of it. However, to me it was as momentous as if he'd held up a big sign, sharing the feelings in his heart. 

   

3 What quality of your most recent partner are/were you most attracted to? 

    curiosity, about countless topics and things and scenarios. He was creative and interested and willing to ask questions. 

 

4 Would you rather stay in or go out for a date? 

    I love to stay in, and choose it ahead of almost anything else. However, dates require some extra effort. If a couple can stay in and enjoy something more than the average day, then it's a date. If they do the same ol' stuff as ever, though, then it's not a date. Does this answer the question?  

 

5 Are there any habits you have that are negative for a romantic relationship? 

     I do. 

 

6 Do you feel able to respect a partner's opinion when it's different from yours? 

    that depends whether they are wrong or not. 

    To answer seriously: I can usually respect the partner, if not the opinion. This requires that the expression of the opinion be respectful, too—when it is discourse and not a tennis match using a flaming ball. 

7 Were you nervous during your most recent "first kiss"? 

     very nervous, though I need not have been concerned

 

[taken from here and adapted; the title quotation is by Charlotte Brontë, from Jane Eyre]

I broke my life, to seek relief From the flawed light of love and grief

I burned my life, that I might find 

A passion wholly of the mind, 

Thought divorced from eye and bone, 

Ecstasy come to breath alone. 

I broke my life, to seek relief 

From the flawed light of love and grief. 

 

With mounting beat the utter fire 

Charred existence and desire. 

It died low, ceased its sudden thresh. 

I found unmysterious flesh— 

Not the mind’s avid substance—still 

Passionate beyond the will. 

 

 [Louise Bogan {1897-1970} 'The Alchemist'. This poem is in the public domain.]

you just sit and stay inside yourself. You wait for me to talk. I like that.

Average rating: 7.0

The Beekeeper (2024) - "A retired clandestine operative seeks revenge after his kind-hearten landlady is driven to suicide by a devastating phishing scam that steals millions from her charity. His quest for justice escalates, revealing a web of corruption and deceit as he uncovers the true extent of the scam's impact. The operative, known for his unique skills and unwavering resolve, employs his expertise to dismantle the criminal network and bring those responsible to justice, while also confronting the personal toll of his actions."
length: 1 hour, 45 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library
I watched it because: Jason Statham is one of my favorites
IMDB: 6.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 71% Audience: 92%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "'You're a good looking kid. You really are. You know that?'

    'What does that mean?'

    'It means that God doesn't give with both hands.'"

directed by: David Ayer

my notes: I like this. Overall, it's a beautiful film to watch, with great lighting and unique camera work. Statham is getting better as he's aging, settling into a higher level of 'strong, silent and lethal' rather than just the 'violent, obnoxious, and more violent' of his youth. The supporting players—particularly Jemma Redgrave (President Danforth) and Bobby Naderi (Agent Wiley)—raise it to a different sort of dramatic level. The script isn't Oscar-worthy but neither is it the worst I've ever seen. The film is entertaining and engaging.  (If you can't deal with heavy metaphor, though, you might want to skip it.) 

overall:  recommended

 

Out of the Past (1947) - "The quiet life of small-town gas station owner Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) is interrupted when a figure from his shady past, small-time crook Joe Stephanos (Paul Valentine), recognizes him. Stephanos' boss, gambler Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas), had hired Jeff to track down Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), a girlfriend who shot Whit and made off with $40,000 of his. Jeff and Kathie fell in love, but she left him to go back to Sterling—who now wants Jeff to settle a few old scores."
length: 1 hour, 37 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library
I watched it because: it was recommended as a terrific noir film
IMDB: 8.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 93% Audience: 92%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: Approved

notable quote: "'Cigarette?'

    'Smoking.'"

directed by: Jacques Tourneur

my notes: I'm surprised by how much I liked this. Mitchum can be a hard sell for me, but this is a nice showpiece for his unique talents and charms. This script is a great match for Mitchum's skill with clever dialog and quiet power. He's a great foil for the ladies in the cast, and also for Kirk Douglas (mustachio-twirling notwithstanding). 

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I agree.  

The movie’s final scene, between the hometown girl Ann and Jimmy, Jeff’s hired kid at the gas station, reflects the moral murkiness of the film with its quiet ambiguity. I won’t reveal the details, but as Jimmy answers Ann’s question, is he telling her what he believes, what he thinks she wants to believe, or what he thinks it will be best for her to believe?

overall: strongly recommended

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) - "South African smugglers find themselves being hounded and harassed by Riggs and Murtaugh, two mismatched Los Angeles police officers. However, the South Africans are protected by diplomatic immunity, and so the two are assigned to witness-protection duty in an attempt by their captain to keep his job. It is only when this witness reveals to them that he has already dealt with the smugglers that the trouble really starts."
length: 1 hour, 54 minutes

source: I own the DVD (series)
I watched it because: I was working on a terribly dull project that only required half my brain, and I needed to keep the other half awake
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 82% Audience: 78%
my IMDB: 6/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "'What are you doing?'

    'I was just checking to see if I was standing on plastic.'"

directed by: Richard Donner

my notes: the action is top-notch, but there's bad law at the heart of it so I can't accept it unconditionally.

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I disagree in the general premise.

Academy Award nominee: Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing—Robert G. Henderson, Alan Robert Murray
overall: marginally recommended

Kiss of the Dragon (2001) - "Jet Li plays Liu Jian, China's top government agent, who arrives in Paris from Shanghai to carry out a sensitive, top-secret mission. Liu is in Paris to assist Richard (Tcheky Karyo), an unorthodox police official with a small army to back him up. The mission goes horribly wrong, as the man Liu had come to help betrays him."
length: 1 hour, 38 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library
I watched it because: I'd seen it only once before, and had not reviewed it
IMDB: 6.6/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 53% Audience: 68%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "'No, no, no, no needles.'

    'No needles? No.' [picks the lock on her handcuffs]

    'Ow! How did you do that?' 

    'Chinese magic."

directed by: Chris Nahon

my notes: the film was produced and co-written by Luc Besson, writer and director of some of my favorite films (most notably The Professional, 1994). Jet Li also has writing credit, which I don't recall seeing on his films before. That's pretty cool.

    Li is as awesome as always, quirky and slightly awkward as the brilliant law enforcement agent. He shines in the fight scenes, which are obviously well planned and carefully executed but have the effect of complete mayhem. My new favorite is below.

    The rest of the cast is marvelous. I haven't seen Bridget Fonda (Jessica) since the personally-difficult Singles (1992). She's a great listener, even in an action film—and gorgeous besides. And my new favorite, Tchéky Karyo, makes an outstanding, oily bad guy.  

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I mostly agree.

overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Out of the Past]

the night is a gracious cloak To hide my soul’s defeat

The night was made for rest and sleep, 

For winds that softly sigh; 

It was not made for grief and tears; 

So then why do I cry? 

 

The wind that blows through leafy trees 

Is soft and warm and sweet; 

For me the night is a gracious cloak 

To hide my soul’s defeat. 

 

Just one dark hour of shaken depths, 

Of bitter black despair— 

Another day will find me brave, 

And not afraid to dare. 

 

[Clarissa Scott Delany {1901-1927} 'Interim', from Caroling Dusk]

the true dwelling of the holy

I've been thinking about the way, when you walk 

down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs 

to let you by. Or how strangers still say "bless you" 

when someone sneezes, a leftover 

from the Bubonic plague. "Don't die," we are saying. 

And sometimes, when you spill lemons 

from your grocery bag, someone else will help you 

pick them up. Mostly, we don't want to harm each other. 

We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot, 

and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile 

at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress 

to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder, 

and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass. 

We have so little of each other, now. So far 

from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange. 

What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these 

fleeting temples we make together when we say, "Here, 

have my seat," "Go ahead—you first," "I like your hat." 

 

 [Danusha Laméris {1971- } 'Small Kindnesses']

is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments?

1 If you had to name the most beautiful bed you have ever occupied, what would it be? 

   the California king in my suite at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, during the adventure described here. I've added a couple of pictures (on this post) of what I'm pretty sure is the exact suite I had. 

 

2 If you could prevent someone you know from overusing one word or phrase, who would it be, and what word would it be?   

    funny, someone who lies more than they ought (and not nearly as believably as they think) often starts difficult or bold or contentious statements with "quite honestly...". It tends to make whatever they say next sound even more abrasive or painful.

 

3 If you could give an Academy Award to the most underappreciated actor in the history of Hollywood, who would you award it to? 

    there are lots of underappreciated folks in film. I think the greater problem is that the breadth or parameters of some categories automatically undercuts certain genres, and the power of the big movie-houses still crushes out the little guy. Martial arts movies don't typically get the nod (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000, being a notable exception). Comedies are often bypassed (Gene Wilder never won an Oscar?!). An outstanding performer whose work has gone un-awarded in the past is sometimes given a lifetime achievement award, but their individual film contributions were still missed (Charles Chaplin, for example). 

    Rather than giving one "hidden gem" award, maybe I would just revamp the process: pitting drama against drama, comedy against comedy, etc., and adding more genres besides; changing the "supporting" criteria to a strict percentage of screen time or even screen-time-ratio-to-leads rather than whatever the heck it is now; and, finally, adding a "in retrospect" award for films, those behind the camera, and actors - which are only coming to be appreciated after the fact. 

4 If you had to name the one thing you did as a child to most torment your sibling(s), what was it that you did? 

    my siblings were born 18 months apart, so they were already functioning as a unit by the time I showed up 4 years later. From what I can piece together from photos, they thought I was an interesting but essentially useless specimen. Other than the natural disruption of sharing a room with my sister for my first 13 or so years, I mostly kept to myself and stayed out of their way. 

    The one exception to that rule was practicing my clarinet. My brother recently mentioned ruefully that I was "always honking that thing," which still makes me laugh and blush. I guess I'm glad I was oblivious to how annoying it was, or I'd have given it up long before I did, and missed out on some great memories.

 

5 If you had to name the subject you took in school that turned out to be least useful or worthwhile, what would it be? 

    some of my English classes were useless. I must've gotten into the "normal kid" track rather than the "reads every waking minute" track, because my recollections of lit classes are of reading [whichever] entire book the day we got the assignment, only to realize the next day that we were discussing paragraphs one and two of the first chapter. Whaaaaaa--??? Who reads that slowly for crissakes? My frustration and obnoxiousness was probably unbearable.

    Those experiences didn't eliminate my love for reading, but they did make me avoid lit courses in college. 

 

6 If you could own one article of clothing from any TV show ever made, what would you take?  

    Watson's asymmetrical long black coat, from Elementary (2012-19). I actually tried to find one for myself, and despite the danged hefty cost I was sorely tempted--until I realized that the sleeves are just slightly puffed (shown well in the left picture, below), which would make me look even more outrageously shoulder-y. Sigh.

7 If you had to choose, from among your current friends, one person to be your partner in a new business venture, who would you choose? 

    ironically, the person with whom I most often actively argue, and with whom I disagree about certain fundamental economic issues, would be my very best business partner. They have a knack for it already, and we have some complementary skills and interests that would serve the business well. We've even talked about that idea, albeit in a "on an alternate planet where it would be possible" way.  

 

[from If2: 500 New Questions for the game of life; the title quotation is by Chuck Palahniuk, from Fight Club]

some doors remain closed not because they are locked, but because we are too afraid to turn the handle

1 Would you like the government to install extensive car and road sensors and automatically ticket anyone speeding, rolling through stop signs, or parking illegally? 

    how about instead of that technology, we focus efforts on creating safer roads, safer cars, better road lighting, more comprehensive driver instruction training requirements, and so forth?

 

2 If you could take a one-month trip anywhere in the world and money were not a consideration, where would you go and what would you do? 

    I'd go look for a house in Canada 

 

3 Do you think people in previous centuries were more adventurous than we are or simply more used to risk? 

    no more or less, just different. I mean, they presumably had different priorities—food, water, shelter—than modern people. Modern folks' need or desire for risk and adventure cannot be focused on those basic necessities, because the payoff is way too easy. We have to make it more complicated, with jealousies and drama and immature greed. 

 

4 Which would you prefer: a wild, turbulent life filled with joy, sorrow, passion, adventure, intoxicating successes, and stunning setbacks; or a happy, secure, predictable life surrounded by friends and family, without wide swings of fortune and mood? 

    I might prefer the former, but more easily live with the latter.

 

5 Have you ever made a big sacrifice for someone and kept it to yourself? 

    yes 

 

6 How much does fame impress you?

     very little. I've always preferred to run beneath the radar, and am suspicious of those who behave differently.

 

7 You're with friends at an icy mountain lake on a warm sunny day. If you knew it'd be a harsh, bracing shock to jump in, but that later you'd be refreshed and glad you'd done it, would you take the leap? 

    God, never. I hate being cold, and shockingly cold is horrendous.  

 

[from The Book of Questions; the title quotation is by Shivanshu K. Srivastava]

people are always giving me guns

Average rating: 7.5

Snatch (2000) - "Illegal boxing promoter Turkish (Jason Statham) convinces gangster Brick Top (Alan Ford) to offer bets on bare-knuckle boxer Mickey (Brad Pitt) at his bookie business. When Mickey does not throw his first fight as agreed, an infuriated Brick Top demands another match. Meanwhile, gangster Frankie Four Fingers (Benicio del Toro) comes to place a bet for a friend with Brick Top's bookies, as multiple criminals converge on a stolen diamond that Frankie has come to London to sell."
length: 1 hour, 42 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library
I watched it because: I'd seen it before (2016) but never reviewed it, I love Jason Statham, and the late Dennis Farina was always so good!
IMDB: 8.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 74% Audience: 93%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "Look in the dog."

directed by: Guy Ritchie

my notes: it would help to be very drunk while watching this film, because it's possible to spend so much energy trying to figure it out that you can miss the point. In fact, now that I think about it, there is a strong resemblance to Pulp Fiction (1994; reviewed here). 

    My favorites: Statham as the deadpan and woebegone Turkish, Farina as nutty Cousin Avi, Vinnie Jones as surprisingly funny and uplifting Bullet-Tooth Tony, and Rade Serbedzija as the indomitable Boris the Blade.   

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I somewhat agree. "Snatch is fun to watch, even if no reasonable person could hope to understand the plot in one viewing."

overall:  recommended

 

The Big Sleep (1946) - "Private investigator Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) is hired by General Sternwood to help resolve the gambling debts of his wild young daughter, Carmen (Martha Vickers). Sternwood's older daughter, Vivian (Lauren Bacall), provides assistance when she implies that the situation is more complex, and also involves casino owner (John Ridgely) and a recently disappeared family friend. As people linked to the Sternwoods start being murdered, Marlowe finds himself getting ever deeper into the case."
length: 1 hour, 54 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library
I watched it because: having seen To Have and Have Not, the pairing of Bogart and Bacall is enthralling
IMDB: 7.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 96% Audience: 91%
my IMDB: 8/10

AFI: 100 Years … 100 Heroes and Villains (2003) Hero #34

MPAA rating: Approved

notable quote: "'You like to play games, don't you?'

    [meaningful pause] 'Mmm hmmmm" 

directed by: Howard Hawks

my notes: there's no doubting the chemistry between these two, sheesh. Some of the looks that pass between them are so intimate, it's almost painful to watch. It's also a wackadoodle story that careens about for a couple of hours with no clear purpose, but is watchable nonetheless. High marks for the palpable, intense heat, as well as the excellent costuming.

    Roger Ebert's review is here, by which I am amused and charmed. "The Big Sleep is a lust story with a plot about a lot of other things."

overall:  enthusiastically recommended

La Femme Nikita (1990) - "Convicted felon Nikita (Anne Parillaud), instead of going to jail, is given a new identity and trained to be a secret police assassin controlled by the government. Her lonely life is warmed when she falls in love with a man who knows nothing of her mysterious life."
length: 1 hour, 57 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library    
I watched it because: I knew I'd seen it before (2006!) but had not reviewed it. Plus, Jean Reno

    previously mentioned here
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 84%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "'I'm scared.'

    'The worst's over.'"

directed by: Luc Besson (also wrote and co-produced)

my notes: when I saw this the first time, it really screwed with my head. I think that was more about who I was dating at the time—Nick brought this to me—than the movie itself. I had tagged it "do not see". However, time heals all wounds and some preferences (or fears), so I tried it again. 

    And I loved it.

    It's an uncomfortable film, with some scenes that are offensive, or scary, or intense and chaotic. There are also some unexpected, touching moments (Jeanne Moreau as Amande, teaching Nikita about grace) and also some real joy. I love, love, love Tchécky Karyo as Bob. It's such a tough role and he's superb. The expression at the end of the clip below ... brilliant. Naturally, Jean Reno (Victor the Cleaner) is terrific. 

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I strongly agree.

overall: highly recommended

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) - "In 1970s England the head of MI6, Control (John Hurt), dispatches an agent (Mark Strong) to meet with a Hungarian general who knows the identity of a Soviet spy in the organization's ranks. However, the mission goes wrong, and the general dies before he can reveal the information. Undersecretary Oliver Lacon (Simon McBurney) calls veteran agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) back from forced retirement to ferret out the mole and stop the flow of vital British secrets to the Russians."
length: 2 hours, 7 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library
I watched it because: Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Stephen Graham... all favorites
IMDB: 7.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 84% Audience: 65%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: R (probably for the owl scene, which is unforgettable)

notable quote: "After today, Peter, you have to assume they're watching you. If there's anything you need tidied up, now's the time."

directed by: Tomas Alfredson

my notes: I thought that Tchécky Karyo in La Femme Nikita brilliantly conveyed a character of supreme, stoic quiet—and then I saw Gary Oldman in this film, imbuing Smiley with a similar mien, and realize that I'm drawn to such characters. It's an extremely twisty film and I'm sure I didn't catch all the layers. 

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I agree, most of all that "the screenplay ... is not a model of clarity. I confess I was confused some of the time and lost at other times; the viewer needs to hold in mind a large number of characters, a larger number of events and an infinite number of possibilities."

Academy Award nominee:
• Best Actor—Oldman

• Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay—Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

• Best Music, Original Score—Alberto Iglesias
overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from The Big Sleep]

I advance for as long as forever is

Twenty-four years remind the tears of my eyes. 

(Bury the dead for fear that they walk to the grave in labour.) 

In the groin of the natural doorway I crouched like a tailor 

Sewing a shroud for a journey 

By the light of the meat-eating sun. 

Dressed to die, the sensual strut begun, 

With my red veins full of money, 

In the final direction of the elementary town 

I advance for as long as forever is. 

 

[Dylan Thomas {1914-1953}, 'Twenty-Four Years' from Collected Poems]