My New Job and The Week in Reviews

[I review the new movie "If I Stay," the DVDs "The Company You Keep" and "Love Punch" and a book about the infamous murder of Skylar Neese).

But First

"New job," you ask?  "I thought you were retired." 

Well I am, but I definitely have a new job.  I will get to that later.

Meanwhile, remember that blog post called "Today is the First Day of the Rest of My Life," where I set goals for myself for each month for the next year in order to shake myself out of retirement complacency?  Well, it's the end of month number two, and I am checking in with those of you who care.

As you may remember, I eased into this whole shaking up my life thing slowly.  I didn't want it to shake too much!

For July, I pledged to not order a Skinny Vanilla Latte, my usual caffeine of choice, but instead order anything else.  Check.  I did not order a Skinny Vanilla Latte once in July, though I must admit I am back to doing that again.  But to my credit, I did branch out and try some new flavors.  What's wrong with doing a little experimenting and then deciding you were right all along?

For August, I vowed to moisturize every day. 

I know, I know...like I said, I was easing into this changing my life thing slowly.  My motivation was the fact that I had a facial and thought I ought to keep up the good work, so to speak, not to mention I'm old and the face ain't what it used to be.  But the person giving me my facial was shocked that I rarely moisturized.  I told her that I had read about Katherine Hepburn's facial regimen.  She scrubbed the crap out of her face with a rough cloth and that was it.  I haven't gone that far but in fact, my beauty routine was merely a warm wash cloth on the face.

So did I moisturize in August?  I didn't rise to this challenge, I'm afraid.  I only did it a couple of times.  I guess I have a thing against putting crap on my face (except eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, blush and lipstick.  Does that count?).

Despite my "bad" habits, I don't have many wrinkles. I think good genes have something to do with it.

So I failed that challenge but onwards and upwards. 

For September, I vowed to ride my new bike every day that the sun shines and the way this summer has been going, I will be riding my bike a lot!  I am thinking of my Mom.  Riding her bike and walking were her main forms of exercise and she lived to be 91 so I am in good company.  Those good genes again.

So that little update leads me to this new job I was talking about.

My new job is.....ME!

That is the main thing I have learned about retirement in the last year+ since I have been retired.

When I first retired, I thought I needed to have all of these plans.

I joined a book club, signed up for Zumba, volunteered for regular hours at the senior center where I had been on the Board, signed up for some horse back riding lessons, started to meditate, applied to be on our local Council on Aging and worked on my blogging skills.  I made lists of household projects, daily routine lists, and made sure I went to the gym.

Since then, I realized I didn't want to go to the book club, which was several miles away, nor did I want to read a book dictated by that.  Likewise Zumba was too early in the morning for me and I am a crappy dancer.  Volunteering at the Senior Center required me to sign up for specific hours, and I didn't want to be locked into that kind of routine anymore.  As for the horseback riding, I will probably still do that, but for the horse's sake, I want to lose some weight first. 

I do meditate, which has helped me learn about myself.
  
I am a member of the Council on Aging, where I feel I am making a difference advocating for the rights and services of older people (like me), so that people can "age in place," something my mother was not able to do. 

I am on the Advisory Board of my local library, I blog, I go to the gym, I read, I cook, I go to concerts and the theatre and have accomplished many household tasks such as inventorying all of my cupboards and throwing out food where the sell by date had expired (I don't dare say how old some of that stuff was), have gone through all of my clothes and taken many to a consignment shop (a little extra cash never hurts), washed all of the curtains, and I am all caught up with my ironing.  Hubby is surprised that I actually choose to do household tasks and projects.

And that's the point.  I get to choose.

When I first retired, I thought it was essential that I replace my 40 years as a librarian with other purposeful activities.  I was terrified I would sit in front of the TV all day and not accomplish anything.  And here's the thing.  Sometimes I DO sit in front of the TV, because as you know, I love my television.  But what I learned was that it's OK, because my very existence is all the purpose I need.

Now that's not to say that I don't accomplish things.  I do. 

I am still that person who makes plans and lists.  I am still that responsible person who wants to do a good job.  But I get to choose the jobs I take on. 

And I am involved with some activities that are just as meaningful as the work I did for my community in the public library setting such as training to be a senior peer counselor. 

But my message here is not to freak out when you retire, because you are not working 40 hours per week at something else.  It's OK to just be.

Your new job when you retire is being alone with yourself, finding out who and what you are and acting accordingly.

When people ask for my advice about retirement or ask me what it's like, I tell them it could take a year or two to get used to being alone with yourself and figure it out.  You now have the time to be alone without the distractions of having to get to work on time, following directives from your boss, accomplishing tasks on time, etc.  I am not talking about necessarily being physically alone.  I am talking about having the time to listen to yourself and follow where it leads.

You now have the time to truly live your life.

When I do look back and see everything I am doing and am interested in, I am amazed I was able to do what I did when I was working and gone from the house 9-10 hours per day.  How I raised my children, kept the house clean and watched TV as much as I did, I will never know.  Well, yes I do, I was often bitchy and stressed.

So now my job is ME.  But I have my daily routines, and I even give myself days off.  Not from myself, but from the many activities that already occupy my time.

Hubby thinks that's hilarious since I don't have a regular job anymore, but I am busy so I need some days where I can go where the day takes me.  No gym, no appointments, no obligations.

But I like to think of Friday as "Fabulous Friday," and get out of the gym clothes and dress up - look fabulous! 

Since Hubby still works, Saturday usually includes some activity with Hubby that involves exercise - stair walking, bike riding, exploring - and then drinks and dinner.

So even in retirement, I have my routine because I am that kind of person, and I hate to repeat this cliche...Since I have retired, I'm busier than I ever was (when I first retired, I can't tell you how many times people said that to me and I thought, "Yeah, right...").

The point is this.  Whether it's taking Zumba classes or bicycling across the U.S. or being busier than you ever were or not busy at all, watching "Dating Naked" or "Masterpiece Theatre," retirement is a time to try things without fear of failure or being judged.  And it's a time to learn to be alone with yourself.  No matter what, you will always be you.

So the guilt I felt about retiring and the stress about what my purpose would be when I was not defined by my work have been replaced by a sense of freedom to be my true self knowing that my existence is my own purpose. 

And that's enough.  No matter what.
.

 

Now on to The Week In Reviews

***In Theatres Now***

 

If I Stay

 

 

Young Mia Hall's (Chloe Grace Moretz who starred in the remake of "Carrie") life changes in an instant when she is in a devastating car accident.  In a coma and near death, Mia has an out-of-body experience, and she must decide to stay or go.

Mia's mother and father are ex-punk rockers.  Mia couldn't be more different.  She is a conservative young lady with a passion for the cello.  She meets Adam (Jamie Blackley), a singer in a rock and roll band and they fall in love.  Mia has applied to Juilliard and everything is looking good for her until she is in a car accident with her family and falls into a coma.  She wakes up only to realize that her physical self is near death.  Through a series of flashbacks and lots of her ghostly self running around the hospital, we learn Mia's story.

Many of us wonder what it would be like if we could attend our own funeral.  This film is sort of like that.  As Mia lies in a coma, she gets to watch her family and friends visit her in the hospital.  I couldn't help but think how horrible it would be if we all get that opportunity and no one comes.

Based on the young adult novel of the same name by Gayle Forman published in 2009, this is supposed to be a tearjerker and teen girls will probably find it so.  But adults may be as annoyed with some of this as I was.

First of all, nothing is more obnoxious than precocious, wise-cracking children, unless it is too cool, wise-cracking parents.  Mia's mother played by Mireille Enos is particularly obnoxious.  Another annoyance is this continual use of Vancouver, B.C for other locations. It used to be a stand-in for Seattle, but now we are supposed to think we are in Portland.  If you know anything about Portland, you know it doesn't have a coastline, but the filmmakers didn't seem to think we would notice.  I did and it grated.  And I am not a big fan of movies with massive amounts of narration.  If you have to beat us over the head with the story instead of telling it visually, which is what movies are all about (remember, "A picture is worth a thousand words?"), then you are letting the film down.

But Moretz and Blackley make a handsome, appealing couple (I first noticed Blackley's handsomeness in "Snow White and the Huntsman" ), but all in all, this film doesn't pull the heart-strings it wanted to.  I was left unmoved, though the teen-aged girls in the audience swooned a bit.

There was a sequel to the book so there probably will be a sequel to the film. Since the story has a sequel and the ending of this film is so predictable, I don't think I am spoiling anything if I ask, will it be called "She Stayed?" 

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are not a teen-aged girl, save your money.

***DVDS***

You Might Have Missed

(And Some You Will Be Glad You Did)

 

 

 

The Company You Keep (2012)

 

 

A wanted former Weather Underground radical with a new identity is discovered by a journalist and goes on the run to prove his innocence.

A star-powered cast joins Robert Redford in this exploration of aging radicals and the consequences of choices made in one's youth.

Based on the novel by Neil Gordon which in turn seems to be based on the true-life story of Sara Jane Olson, who like Susan Sarandan's character built a straight life for herself for 23 years while on the run from her role in a bombing by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Redford plays Jim Grant, a widowed lawyer with a young daughter (too young for someone Redford's age, if you ask me), played by Jackie Evancho (who wowed viewers with her operatic voice and who finished second on the 5th season of "America's Got Talent").  Jim has created a new life for himself after a youth enmeshed in the Weather Underground.  He is wanted for his participation with that group in a Michigan bank robbery in 1980.  After the arrest of another figure in that robbery who had also created a new life for herself (Susan Sarandon), an ambitious reporter (Shia LeBeouf) starts looking more closely into the case which leads him to Grant.  Grant heads to Michigan to prove his innocence.

Anna Kendrick, Stanley Tucci, Brit Marling, Julie Christie, Nick Nolte, Terrence Howard, Chris Cooper, Richard Jenkins, and Brendan Gleeson round out the all-star cast and give this film acting gravitas.

No matter what you think of Redford's politics or the vehicles he chooses to direct and star in, you can count on him for serious films with integrity that will make you think.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a smart, engrossing adult story that brings back those revolutionary, idealistic Baby Boomer years.

 

 

 

The Love Punch (2013)

 

 

A divorced couple band together to get back retirement money stolen from their company by an unscrupulous French businessman.

 

Richard (Pierce Brosnan) and Kate (Emma Thompson) are divorced but that doesn't stop Richard from enlisting Kate's help in recovering stolen funds looted from Richard's company by a French businessman (Laurent Lafitte).  Aided by their friends Jerry (Timothy Spall) and Pen (Celia Imrie), faces you will recognize from many a British film, they all travel to Paris to recover the money.

 

There is a jewel heist plot, lots of making fun of the French (which British comedies like to do) and all kinds of tired jokes. It was nice to see Marisa Berensen in a cameo.  She hasn't been seen much.

 

Unlike the serious treatment senior citizens got in Redford's "The Company You Keep (see review above)," there is a certain kind of movie that gets a kick out of itself showing senior citizens having sex, participating in car chases and planning heists.  This is one of those movies. It wants to be a screwball comedy from the early 70's like "A Touch of Class" that starred Glenda Jackson and George Segal (one of my favorite movies of all time) or the Pink Panther films (there is even a reference to those), but instead it's a predictable, tired mess.  Brosnan and Thompson are as charming as ever, but this film lets them down.

 

I never understand films where divorced people team up especially when they got divorced because of cheating.  If my divorce for that very reason is any indication, I am not only unlikely to help my ex, but he is unlikely to ask me to.  But such is the stuff of these middle-aged comedies.

 

Rosy the Reviewer says...love Pierce Brosnan, love Emma Thompson, love British movies, hated this one.

***Book of the Week***

 

 

 

 

Pretty Little Killers: the Truth Behind the Savage Murder of Skylar Neese by Daleen Berry (2014)

 

 

True life account of the murder of a fifteen-year-old girl by her two "best friends."

Skylar Neese and Shelia Eddy had been friends since the second grade.  However, when Shelia befriended new girl Rachel Shoaf, the two became three and the dynamic changed and Shelia and Rachel began plotting Skylar's murder.

When the girls were finally accused and tried, their only explanation for the brutal stabbing of their friend was that they didn't want to be friends with her anymore.

This book attempts to explain what happened.

 

Many people think that reading true crime books is like reading the tabloids or pulp fiction.  But there are some wonderful true crime books out there.

What makes a really good true crime book?  Good writing.  Think Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," a chilling account of the murder of the Clutter Family in Kansas in 1959 or Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven," that weaves the history of Mormonism into an account of a modern day murder or "The Executioner's Song" by Norman Mailer, which tells the tale of Gary Gilmore's execution and for which Mailer won a Pulitzer.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Unfortunately, this book doesn't rank up there with the best.  The writing lets it down. 

If this case interests you, watch the Dateline version (below) and if you like true crime books, check out the ones I mentioned above. 
 

 

 

That's it for this week!

Thanks for reading!

See you Tuesday

for

"Remembering Princess Diana"

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Check your local library for DVDs and books mentioned.

Note:  Next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). 

Here is a quick link to get to all of them.  Choose the film you are interested in and then scroll down the list of reviewers to find "Rosy the Reviewer."
 

Or you can go directly to IMDB.  

Find the page for the movie, click on "Explore More" on the right side panel and then scroll down to "External Reviews."  Look for "Rosy the Reviewer" on the list. Or if you are using a mobile device, look for "Critics Reviews." Click on that and you will find me alphabetically under "Rosy the Reviewer."

 

A Retired Librarian's Perfect Day

As you know from reading my blog, I recently retired from my career as a librarian.  There are many misconceptions about what librarians do, e.g. we don't read on the job and we don't usually shush people.

 

For most of my career, I managed a public library so right there, the stereotype ends, because when you manage anything, whether it's a library or a corporation, your job becomes about managing people, buildings, problem solving and all of those skills that it takes to manage. And that is usually in tandem with daily tasks that need to be done or customer service duties.  A manager can't walk in the door in the morning without being bombarded with the day's issues.  And for library managers it is not different.

 

When I was working, I also wrote a blog and the following is a take on some wishful thinking.

 

A Librarian's Perfect Day

 

6am

I wake up and the sun is streaming into my bedroom.  There is not a cloud in the sky and it is already 75 degrees outside. I weigh myself and I have lost 10 pounds since yesterday.  Excellent!

I get dressed, eat breakfast and skip happily out to my car with my nonfat, sugar free caramel latte (with no whip), excited to head for work.

7am

I arrive at the library early to teach a computer class. The class is full and everyone has just the level of skills needed to get the most out of the class. No one says, "I've never touched a computer before and I have no idea how to even type."  We are teaching a new Computer Basics class that includes how to post resumes to websites, how to send email attachments, cut and paste, etc., all of the skills we get asked about during the course of our work day.   At the end of class, one student says, “I’ve learned more today in 15 minutes than a full-day’s class that I took somewhere else.”  Sweet!

8am

When I am finished with my computer class, everyone scheduled has arrived, ready for work.  No one calls in sick; no one has to leave early.  Everyone is eager and happy to work.  In fact, several staff members take the time to come to my office to tell me how much they appreciate me.

10am

We open the doors and 50 people are waiting to come in, all smiling.  Even the guy who does his back exercises in the restroom is coherent today.

I am at the reference desk when a staff member tells me I am needed in the lobby.  A customer wants to tell me something about the restroom.  That’s OK, because I am even wearing my toilet-plunging shoes today.  But no worries.  The customer wants to tell me how beautiful the library is, how clean the restrooms are and how much she loves the display we have in our lobby display case. 

11am

I look around the library, and I see a mother sitting in our rocking chair with her toddler on her lap.  She is reading “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to her little girl and they both are laughing. 

There are several other small children in the children’s area.  Their parents are all with them and none of the children are crying or running up and down the aisles screaming.

A gentleman approaches and says he has a question he knows I won’t be able to answer, but he thought he would try anyway.  When I pull up the answer in a matter of seconds, he smiles, shakes my hand, and walks away saying, “This library is the best thing since sliced bread. I am going to tell all of my friends.”

12:30pm

After lunch, I go out for a walk through our new Farmer’s Market which is in front of the library every Thursday.  Everyone I encounter knows my name and everyone uses the library and thinks it's great. 

1pm

I return to the reference desk and answer several more questions during the afternoon, amazing all who ask.

4:30pm

As the day draws to a close, I look up from the desk and there is Tom Cruise.  He asks me where the pencil sharpener is.  I show him and he tells me about the movie he wants to make at my library.  He had heard about the library and all of the interesting programs we had, such as our citizenship classes, our Russian and Spanish Family story times, and our Family Night at the Library, and he wants to do a movie about the library as a community gathering place. 

He asks if I would like to go to dinner with him to discuss the possibilities.

I say yes.  He had me at “Where’s the pencil sharpener?”

This would have been a librarian’s perfect day.

 

I never said it ever happened this way.

 

 

So that is what a perfect day in my old life would have been like.

 

Now that I am retired,

here is a retired librarian's perfect day.

 

8am

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

9am

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

10am

I arise (if I feel like it). There is not a cloud in the sky and it is already 75 degrees outside. I weigh myself and I have lost 10 pounds since yesterday.  Excellent!

10:30am
Meditate.  My purpose in life becomes clear.

 

11am
Read the newspaper and some magazines.  I am struck by one particular article that says scientists and dieticians had been wrong all of this time:  wine and chocolate do not have calories and in fact have a palliative effect.  It also went on to say that exercising at the gym did no good so you might as well forget about it.


Noon
I call the gym to cancel my membership.  I take little Tarquin for a walk instead.

 

 

1pm

I collect the mail and there is a letter from Social Security saying they are giving me another $1000 per month just because they heard what a wonderful person I was.


2pm
I get a call from Publisher's Clearinghouse.  I have won the big prize even though I never bought any magazines or sent in the entry form.


3pm
The house cleans itself.



4pm
Guilt free wine and chocolate Happy Hour with Hubby!

 

 

 

5pm

Hubby says, "Let me take you out to dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Seattle - and no expenses spared!"

"What is the occasion?" I ask.

"No special occasion," he replies, "Except that you are wonderful and I am the luckiest man in the world."

 

 

 Canlis

7pm

Both of our adult children call and tell us they miss us so much they plan to fit us into their busy schedules and call us every day to share their lives with us and to ask our advice.  The grandchildren both tell us how much they love us.

 

8pm
Watch a little television with Hubby and he doesn't fall asleep once.

 
9pm

The Lifetime Channel is having a marathon of some of my favorites (see my blog post "Lifetime Movies:  A Baby Boomer's Appreciation for the best of the best and the worst of the worst).

And Tori says she only had a nose job?

 

 

11pm

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  Hi, Tom.

 

When you are retired, it's the little things.

 

 

What would your perfect day be like?

 

 

See you Friday

 

For

 

"Dressing Well on a Fixed Budget"

and

The Week in Reviews

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

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Celebrate What's Fabulous and The Week in Reviews

[I review the new movie "Begin Again" and the DVDs "Getaway," "Under the Skin" and "Nymphomanic Vols. I and II plus the book "Unbreak My Heart" by Toni Braxton and recommend my new favorite restaurant, Brimmer and Heeltap].

But First

 

 It's Fabulous Friday so let's talk about what makes life really fabulous!

What makes life fabulous is not lots of money, though that helps.

It's the little things like walking on the beach at sunset.

Who am I kidding?

It’s more like pink fuzzy slippers, a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s and the latest episode of "Survivor."

Or ....

 

• Wine bottles with twist top caps.  Never again do you need to find yourself alone in a motel room in Podunk, bored to death, with a bottle of wine and no wine bottle opener.

• A small poodle resting sweetly on one’s lap after drinking out of one’s wine glass (he made me give him some!).

• After a long day with no responsibilities and doing nothing, I like to maintain that theme by relaxing on the deck with Hubby for Happy Hour with these views.  Fabulous!

 

 

 

The drinks ain't bad either.

 

• Outdoor concerts at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery. On a beautiful summer night, you can take your hamper of food, purchase wine and settle in to listen to some great music as the sun goes down behind the trees.  However, one must be cautious with the purchase of wine part as it can result in not remembering the second half of the concert. (I’m not talking about myself, of course, but it could happen).

 

Ringo and his All Star Band

Patty Smyth

• Top down on the convertible, the CD player cranked up to 11 with Bob Seger singing "Roll Me Away, Fabulous!  I named my Mustang after Mrs. Peel of "The Avengers."  (No, not the Marvel Comics Avengers, the "better" Avengers.  Hubby bought me a license plate holder that says, "Mrs. Peel, We're Needed!" Check this show out if you aren't familiar with it).  My Mrs. Peel is 11 years old (and that's about 100 in car years), but she is still fabulous!  (As an aside, my first Mustang was named Steed after Mrs. Peel's male counterpart.  Also a play on words because a mustang is a horse.  Get it?  Ok, ok...)

• Exploring Seattle, my town: Long walks around Capitol Hill in the fall at dusk - I love kicking up the damp leaves - or stair walking and ending the evening with a fabulous meal at one of the great restaurants and a night cap at the Fireside Room.

 

• Musicals. I have loved musicals ever since watching Nelson Eddy and Jeannette McDonald movies with my Dad.

Classic.

 

To pass on the tradition, I weaned my daughter on them too.  Though I have seen many of the “new” musicals ...I keep coming back to the classics – "West Side Story" being the best of the best.

 

• Reality TV.  Duh.  I’m sure you have figured that out already.  I Tivo so many programs that when I had engagements two days in a row last week, I had to do a reality TV marathon to get caught up.  My husband has to watch too if he wants to spend any time with me.  The other night while deeply embroiled in the latest episode of "The Bachelorette," Hubby turned to me and asked, “Are you surprised I watch this stuff with you?”  And then he added, "I watch this show but I feel dirty afterward." Sad.

•  Traveling to Europe is fabulous and even more fabulous if I am in business class on the plane.  Ah, pasta in Bologna, lighting a candle in Notre Dame Cathedral and a kiss on the Millenium Bridge in London.  My version of "Eat,Pray, Love."  This, however, is not one of those fabulous things that doesn't cost much.

 

• Oprah - I have extolled her virtues in my post "Why Oprah Still Matters," but it bears repeating how fabulous she is.  Even though I have never forgiven her for inviting her “most loyal fans” to her giveaway shows and didn’t invite me, probably the most loyal of the loyal.  I have been there from the very beginning and invoked her name from everything to disciplining my children to what to eat on my diet. I have followed her from the days when she had programs like “Sixth Graders Gone Wild” to her adoration of Marianne Williamson and Elizabeth Gilbert. She has teamed up with Depak Chopra to offer free meditation challenges so she has gotten me into meditation (a new one starts August 11 - do you want to join me?), and her "Super Soul Sundays" give me my spiritual fix. I have also repeatedly entreated her to devote a show to librarians since she loves teachers so much and loves to read.  But noooooo. I have been there through it all and to add insult to injury, she gave all those wannabes trips to Australia and cars. But she is fabulous.

• And have I told you lately how fabulous libraries are?   When people would learn I was a librarian, they invariably would say, “You must love books!”  Yes, I would reply, I do love books, but I also love helping people.  What many people don't realize is that libraries are in the customer service business as much as they are in the book business.  You have to want to help people to work in a library, because that is the nature of the business - people.  Helping people make sense of their lives.  Bringing people together.  Providing needed information.  From the laid off job hunter to the person seeking citizenship to the little preschooler learning to read, there is something for everyone at the library.  But there is also a friendly face, a helpful hand and a caring atmosphere that could make someone's day and we don’t even realize it.

And that is really fabulous.

Have a FABULOUS FRIDAY!

 

What makes you say FABULOUS!

 

 

 

Now on to

The Week in Reviews

 

  ***DVDS***

You Might Have Missed

(And Some You Should Be Glad You Did)

 

 

Begin Again

 

 

A washed up music producer and a fledgling songwriter meet in NYC.

The movie opens with Gretta (Keira Knightly) being called up on stage to sing a song at an open mic night by her friend, Steve (James Corden).  As she sings, we flash back to Dan (Mark Ruffalo) waking up after what appears to have been a rough night.  Dan has a drinking problem, it seems and when he finally makes it to work he learns he is being asked to leave his own record production company because he has been unable to sign any new talent.  This prompts him to get even more wasted and his last bar stop just happens to be where our Gretta is singing.  He decides that she will be the next big thing.

As for Gretta, another flashback provides what happened to her prior to meeting Dan.  Gretta's boyfriend, Dave (played by singer Adam Levine in his first film role) has hit it as a singer in London and Gretta has accompanied him to the States.  His fame has come with her help since Gretta is also a singer/songwriter.  But Dave has an affair that he wants to see through, so Gretta moves out and into her friend Steve's apartment.  Speaking of Levine, his moustache and beard should have their own Facebook page - each.  And that's not a good thing.

All that precedes Gretta and Dan meeting. 

This is another entry from writer/director John Carney who gave us the charming and poignant "Once."  This isn't another "Once," though there are little bits that are reminiscent of it, such as Gretta's friend Steve is a busker, just as Glenn was in "Once."  Likewise, Gretta's and Dan's meeting provide both of them with the impetus to succeed, much as happened with Glenn and Marketa. (Not to be confused with the Broadway version of the film.  The film is far superior to it).

The music isn't as memorable as the music from "Once," but it's pleasant.

I am not a big Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightly or Catherine Keener fan.  Ruffalo always looks like he needs a bath and his voice is annoying.  With Keira, it's her teeth.  They drive me crazy.  And though I will admit that Catherine is a good actress, perhaps she is too good.  There is something about her that makes me think she is going to burst out crying any minute.  She's a bit too vulnerable.

But Knightly can sing and is believable as Gretta.

Catherine Keener plays Miriam, Dan's wife who had an affair that split them up.  Hailie Steinfeld plays his daughter who isn't taking the split very well and seems to be more mad at her Dad for his behavior than her mother for having the affair.  Steinfeld broke out for her performance in the Coen brothers' version of "True Grit," where she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, but despite roles in "Ender's Game" and "3 Days to Kill (movies I have reviewed)" she hasn't yet realized the success of Shailene Woodley who seems to be the current teen darling.  But she has upcoming roles in five new films including "Pitch Perfect 2," so she could be next.

Rosy the Reviewer says...it's not "Once," but it's a lovely story of hope and redemption that is not cloying or obvious.

 

     

 

 

Getaway (2013)

 

 

Brent Magna (Ethan Hawke), a washed up race car driver, arrives home to find his wife kidnapped and now he must follow the orders of a mysterious voice if he wants her back alive.

When Brent finds his wife kidnapped, he receives a phone call from a mysterious man. Brent is told to steal a specific car, an armored Mustang Cobra rigged with cameras.  Turns out it belongs to a hoodie wearing unnamed girl played by Selena Gomez, who ends up unwillingly joining him on his quest.  The voice gives him various challenges such as driving the car through a park and running things over, all with time limits and the kinds of things the police don't take kindly to.  So there are many, many car chases.  And I mean many.  Turns out it's all an elaborate ruse to enable "The Voice" to rob a bank.

This all takes place in Bulgaria, which is odd, and it's never explained why an American race car driver is living there.

This is about as far as Ethan Hawke can get from the "Before" movies and it's kind of fun to see him in a thriller.  But car chase after car chase, crash after crash gets annoying after awhile not to mention far fetched that the car just keeps going like the Energizer Bunny, never needing gas or breaking down and the cops can't seem to ever stop him.  Gomez is a surprisingly engaging actress, though she isn't given much to do except react to all of those chases and crashes.

The most fun is trying to figure out who the person is behind the mysterious voice.  Turns out it's John Voight with a bad accent.

The film is derivative of other movies that feature car chases and heroes being forced to do stuff  such as "Drive" and "Speed." but it's not as good.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are into car chases, this is for you.  Otherwise, you can skip it.

Under the Skin (2014)

What appears to be an alien woman trolls for men in Glasgow, Scotland and lures them to their death...or something like that.

No one says a word until almost 15 minutes into this abstract film.  And that's probably a good thing because when people do start speaking, they speak with such a strong Glaswegian brogue, they are practically incomprehensible.

Scarlett Johansson plays an unnamed - is she an alien?  We think she is but nothing is ever explained.  She knows how to put on lipstick, drive a van, talk alluringly to men.  Is that what aliens do?

She trolls in her van picking up men and when they go with her, she takes them to her "lair," a dark space where they sink into a tar-like goo.  And they don't even get to have sex with her.

Scarlett has been engaging in fewer mainstream films and more indies like "Her," "Don Jon" and most recently "Chef."  And she played supporting roles in those.  Do we have another actress who feels she needs to prove her acting chops?  Or is she just bored with rom-coms?  But then she is currently filming another "Avengers" movie, so not sure what is going on with her.

I am just in awe of my fellow critics in that so many thought this was deep and symbolic and wonderful.  Sorry.  It's pretentious crap.  At least if the director Jonathan Glazer, whose big claim to fame was "Sexy Beast (2000), had used the plot of the novel from which this film is based, we would have had some understanding of what our alien girl was up to, but we were even denied that.

I liked "Sexy Beast," but here, I think, Mr. Glazer has gone spare, as they say in the UK.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Incomprehensible goo.


 

Nymphomaniac Vol. 1
and
Nymphomaniac Vol. 2 (2013)

 

 

A kindly man finds a girl lying in the street, beaten, and he takes her home where she recounts her life of nymphomania.

Let me just preface this review by saying the word "nymphomaniac" is not a metaphor.  I was drawn to this film in the first place because, hey, the writer and director is Lars Von Trier, he of "Dogville" and "Melancholia."  He's an auteur.  I thought it was going to be arty.

I was wrong.  It wasn't a metaphor.

Yes, it's a bit arty-farty.  The arty part is the two minutes of black screen that starts the film, followed by another interminable amount of time showing dripping water.

The rest is hours of sex, penises and other body parts doing all kinds of things - up close. I haven't seen anything this graphic since "Behind the Green Door" and "The Devil and Miss Jones," and, which I hate to say, had more plot than this thing and I liked better.  And the many views of genitals just seemed to be there for shock value.  C'mon.

But there is actually a metaphor at work here - fly fishing - but don't ask me.  Is it about nymphomaniacs "luring" their prey?  Who knows?  There is also lots of talk about Christianity, Bach, Wagner and the Whore of Babylon.  I get the last one, but not sure about how the others fit in. 

A mainstream movie I can think of that even comes close to this is "Shame," and that was just about one guy's genitals (Michael Fassbender), which I have to say have to be seen to be believed.  But I digress.

I was guessing that this was probably some sort of feminist statement about women taking charge of their sexuality. I kept thinking there was hope.  I kept thinking, please don't let this end the way I think it's going to.  No, no, no.  But, yup, it did.  Moral of the story:  All men are scum.  Very cynical ending.

Stellan Skarsgard plays Seligman who finds Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) lying in the street.

What were Christian Slater, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe and Shia LaBeof doing in this thing?  I think it has to do with a director getting a reputation as being an auteur and then actors want to work with him to prove they are SERIOUS actors.  But I think this is the film that sent Shia 'round the bend.  And Christian, work on that English accent.  (As an aside, one critic thought the erratic English accents were meant as some kind of statement.  Pulease).

Yes, folks there is enough, ahem, action here to warrant two movies - four hours worth - but it's action of a salacious nature.

After I watched Part I, you may wonder why I watched Part II.  I am wondering that same thing myself. 

I am as liberal as they come when it comes to sex and nudity in films, but this one pushes the limits.  I think I must have said "Oh my god" out loud about 100 times.

Some critics lump this in with Von Trier's "Melancholia" and call it his "Depression Trilogy."  That's a good one because after seeing this, I was depressed.  Depressed I had wasted four hours of my life.

This goes in my "Worst Films of 2013" file.

Rosy the Reviewer says...

 

 

***Book of the Week***

 

 

Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir by Toni Braxton (2014)

 

 

 

An inspiring story of a tumultuous life by singer Braxton, whose song "Unbreak My Heart" sold millions and who currently stars in the TV show "Braxton Family Values."

Braxton grew up in an ultra-religious family and was in a singing group with her sisters.  The oldest of the siblings, her mother always told her to look after her sisters and never leave them behind. But when the opportunity arose for her to sign with a record label without her sisters, she had to make a decision and when she decided to pursue a solo career and leave her sisters behind, it haunted her all of her life.

Despite Braxton's singing success, her life has not been an easy one: two bankruptcies, unsuccessful personal relationships, a son with autism and a diagnosis of lupus. 

She currently stars with her sisters in the reality TV show "Braxton Family Values," so she is back with her sisters again.  Her life has come full-circle.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a candid memoir from a singing superstar.

***Restaurant of the Week***

 

 

Brimmer and Heeltap

 

Set in the former space where Le Gourmand and Sambar once served customers, this bistro and bar is light, cheery and welcoming.  On a lovely summer day, the patio would be my choice but get there early if you want to sit out there.  Otherwise, there is seating under the windows that look out on it.

The menu is small and that is just the way I like it.  For one thing, when confronted by a huge menu, I can never decide what to order and invariably order the wrong thing.  When the menu is small, I know that each item will be fresh and well made and it makes ordering so much easier.

There are three or four items under each heading:  Snacks, Vegetable, Seafood, Meat and Desserts. 

We tried the bread and butter listed under Snacks and it was a large hunk of hot buttered bread.  Add to that a dish of Lemongrass Asparagus, the seafood of the day (Skate) and the grass fed local beef to share and you have a lovely tapas meal.  You can order a small or large plate.  We ordered a small plate of each which was plenty of food for the two of us.

We also ordered the Dungeness crab trifle which was amazing.  It has layers of gelée, custard, brioche and ginger beer with plenty of cracked crab with Brussels sprouts leaves on top.  Yum.

The name  refers to a proper pour: When full, it's a “brimmer,” and at the end, only a “heeltap” is left.

 Rosy the Reviewer says...This restaurant is just "brimming" with appeal and darn good food.

 

That's it for this week!

Thanks for reading!

 

See you Tuesday for

"Manners, What Happened?"

 

 

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