Friday Thoughts

1. In light of John McCain's constant complaining for the past 2 weeks, Mrs. Bartender wisely commented, "well, we are a nation of whiners."

2. Saw The Dark Knight last week. Perhaps the biggest complaint I have is that either I'm going deaf or there is something kooky with the acoustics at the Uptown Theatre. Both Mrs. Bartender and I had trouble hearing a good chunk of dialogue because of the music in the film. The same thing happened with Iron-Man. My parents, who also saw the movie last week (at a different theater) had no such problem. I am thinking of popping in to watch a few minutes of The Dark Knight when we next hit the movies at a different cinema to confirm that the problem is with the Uptown. Or else I better get a hearing aid.

As you probably know, the movie is very good and Heath Ledger is amazing. But don't miss the underrated Aaron Eckhardt--he is terrific although I wish much of what happened to his character was saved for Batman III. (Am I right that the Michael Keaton/Val Kilmer/George Clooney Batmans never happened when we count what number film we are up to in the Christian Bale Batman's? Actually, the Clooney Batman never happened. Period. I think Clooney had all copies destroyed.)

3. We also went to see the Eagles on Saturday night--a very good concert. The band--all now around 60--still sound great. They interestingly wore black suits and ties (it ain't the 70s any more) and played a little too much new stuff. However, there was about 3 hours of music (not counting a 15 minute intermission), so you got your money's worth.

Glen Frey is the emcee while Don Henley sticks more to the music (and Joe Walsh is the jester). I have a connection with Glen and have met him and had heard for years that he referred to his first wife as "Plaintiff." Nonetheless, I didn't realize that he always dedicated Lyin' Eyes to her. That get a particularly loud chuckle from me. (He dedicated Take It to the Limit to his current wife and her credit cards.) I was also surprised by the amount of solo material Don and Joe performed (including some James Gang stuff from Joe). They wrote a lot of really good music, and Joe Walsh is one hell of a guitar player.

4. Had dinner at Proof before the show, which was excellent. The servers were fantastic and very friendly, the food (we stuck to the charcuterie, cheeses, and small plates) was very, very good, and when the bottle of Pinot Noir we ordered was unavailable and I asked for "something similar," not only did we get a great bottle of Pinot, it was actually a few dollars cheaper.

5. Mrs. Bartender and I finally started to watch Heroes. We've seen the first 15 episodes and definitely enjoy it. It's certainly not Lost, but it is quite obvious why Hiro and Claire are the break out characters (along with Claire's "dad"). Looking forward to the climax of season 1, and while we realize that season 2 is not going to be close to as good, luckily it's short!

Have a great weekend. Mrs. Bartender and I are dining with Red Fraggle and Gobo tomorrow night, so perhaps will have some new stuff for next week.

Excitement in Shreve-wood

As I may have mentioned at some point, Mrs. Bartender comes from Shreveport, Louisiana. When I tell people this, I am frequently asked either (a) so you must get to New Orleans a lot or (b) was her family affected by Katrina. This is based upon the mistaken impression that everything in Louisiana is fairly close to the Big Easy. In fact, Shreveport is in the NW Corner of the state, about a five hour drive from New Orleans. (It is closer to Dallas.) Thus, in my annual trips to Shreveport over the past decade, I have been to New Orleans exactly once. And when Katrina devastated NO, it didn't even get cloudy up in Shreveport.

Katrina did, however, have one major effect on Shreveport--the relocation of the movie industry. A number of years ago, Louisiana enacted an number of financial incentives to get Hollywood to the Pelican State. Originally, movies came to NO, but after Katrina, a new location was needed. Hello, Shreveport. While I have yet to see any of the stars when I'm down there, I do hear stories from all the locals about Kevin Costner or Oliver Stone or some other major figure who is in town and where they ate or what they did.

This weekend, we had our first public "incident." No, nothing as good as a drunken Lohan or Britney, but not bad either. Oliver Stone is filming W, his Bush biopic, in Shreveport, and Josh Brolin (Bush) and Jeffrey Wright (Powell) managed to get arrested following a bar fight. This was, my in-laws reported, huge, huge news down in Shreveport including a banner headline in the Shreveport Times. Just makes me even more excited for my next visit.

Indy and Al

Two movie reviews--Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Recount. No surprise: the HBO movie was the superior one.

The latest installment of Indy certainly has some fun moments albeit many are simply invoking nostalgia for the earlier pictures. On the plus side, Harrison Ford is thankfully not too old for the role as it is now written and there are some over the top action scenes that fit in with the over the top nature of the series. For example--SPOILERS--there is a scene that is completely unrealistic involving a refrigerator but that works within the framework of these films. It is absurd but funny and logical within the universe of Indy. In fact, the first third of the movie, in the desert and then at Yale (although it is not called Yale) is somewhat coherent and a pretty good time. I also enjoyed the tribute to the late Denholm Elliott, who played Marcus Brody in the earlier pictures, and the retired but still living Sean Connery.

With the appearance of Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), however, things get way too crazy, and the remainder of the plot makes absolutely no sense. I have no problem suspending disbelief in a movie such as Raiders, but I want the film to at least be logical. Raiders did just that: The Nazis want the Ark, they think it will make them invincible, and when they get it, they do an initial opening of it so they won't have to do it in front of Hitler. Bad idea. Here, nothing makes sense. Why, for example, did one of the 13 alien skeletons lose its head when they merged once the head was replaced? Wouldn't they have merged before the skull was stolen? How are the monkeys able to differentiate between good and bad guys. (I mean monkeys are smart, but come on.) Am I glad I saw it? Sure. But is it a great or even a good movie? Nope.

Recount, however, is both excellent and depressing. Starting with the first rate cast--and it is great to finally see Kevin Spacey in a terrific role and to compare John Hurt in his role in Indy to his role here as Warren Christopher shows his amazing range--and continuing with a fantastic ability to distill the events of 7 1/2 years ago--in which we all know the ending--, the movie still is fascinating. Yes, the movie abridges certain events and omits others, but, in general, it recounts (har har) pretty good history. Of course, it brought back the anger and disgust of what occurred in 2000 depressing me to no end of (1) the inability of Florida (and probably many other states) to have some system in place to address a virtual electoral tie, (2) the incompetence and blatant conflict of interest that is Katherine Harris, and (3) the desire of so many to do whatever it took to ensure that their candidate won regardless of who got more votes. The Gore team certainly took a knife to a gun fight.

Of course, did Gore win by losing and Bush lose by winning? Gore is clearly the leading statesman in the Democratic party today. The two former Democratic Presidents carry a lot of baggage--Carter and his failed presidency and his controversial forays into Middle East policy (although he has his humanitarian work as well) and Clinton is now a partisan for his wife. And as for Bush, well, we all know what happened. Of course, the US is, I would argue, much worse off.

So if you have HBO and have the stomach to relive these events, watch this movie.

80th Annual Academy Awards: A Running Diary

I'm not sure how this is going to work, but I figured it was worth a try.

Jon Stewart. The people at Stuff White People Like claim that all white women think Jon Stewart is the perfect man, and...yeah. And his asteroid hitting NY joke was pretty funny.

Jennifer Garner is so cute. Recently, my friend Carol Seaver told me that she saw an Oprah interview with Jennifer Garner and now she kind of can't stand Garner. I should probably watch the clip.

Clooney brought his girlfriend. Don't often see that.

We just watched Ratatouie today and really enjoyed it. (No, I don't have kids. Just two adults watching.) So it was nice to see it win something.

Katherine Heigl. She irritates me to no end. I think that the thing I dislike most that she has done was when she said she would "throw down for that kid," about her friend T.R. Knight. Who says stuff like that? And then her engagement/wedding/post-wedding coverage was so overdone (thanks Us). Last week in People there were shots of her moving into her new home, but they were all clearly posed. Yech.

The Rock is really not funny. How did he get a presenting job at the Oscars?

Cate Blanchett really carries her pregnancy well.

Jennifer Hudson looks good. And looks like she thinks she looks good. But enough with the cat's eye makeup she constantly sports. It makes her look harsh and scary.

Keri Russell is super cute too.

Tilda Swinton joins Jennifer Hudson, Angelina Jolie and Tatum O'Neill in the long line of poorly-dressed Best Supporting Actress winners.

Seeing Kristen Chenowyth makes me happy in no small part because I am reminded that Pushing Daisies is actually coming back for another season. Yay!

Does Renee Zellweger ever wear dresses that aren't strapless?

The pregnant Nicole Kidman is introduced and all I can wonder is whether this is supposed to be Kidman without Botox? Because it looks to me like her face as basically as frozen as always. Maybe it takes a few months to wear off? I would think Botox is not safe for pregnancy, right?

Hiilary Swank is sporting some Brandon Teena-looking hair. She is presenting the dead people montage, and I think it is safe to bet that Heath Ledger will get the big applause.... And I was right, although Ingmar Bergman was a close contender for the win.

I just Googled Diablo Cody to determine that her given first name is not, in fact, Diablo. Good news.

No Country for Old Men was the big winner, with awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, and I have to admit that I just don't get it. I know both Isaac and Bailey have blogged about how they enjoyed the movie, but I really didn't think it was all that Oscar-worthy. I must be missing something, but I just don't see it. (I do see why Javier Bardem won the Supporting Actor award for his work in the film.)

And now the awards are over, having gone about 20 minutes too long. My final assessment is that it was fine, if a bit dull.

Not About the Capital of Alaska

Mrs. Bartender and I saw Juno last night, and I hate to use the word delightful, but it works here. It is an excellent film without any pretensions that is extremely funny and still touching. If I am making it sound like a chick flick, it's not. The cast is outstanding--Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman (yes, both Michael Bluth and George-Michael are in the film but not in any scenes together), Jennifer Garner, J.K. Simmons, and Alison Janney all deserve a lot of praise. I have seen the film compared to Knocked Up, but that is not fair. Although both are about single women who get pregnant after a single sexual encounter, this is the much more mature film (even if the pregnant female in it is 16). Its humor is in a much different vein than the Apatow flick, and it is much more real. I highly recommend it.

I also note that a number of interesting films have come out of late. (No surprise as it is the holiday season.) I hope to see at lesat two in the next week, but we will see. I assure you that Walk Hard will be one of them, but I also want to see some of the (somewhat) more serious fare, e.g., Charlie Wilson's War, Sweeney Todd, The Savages, and American Gangster. (Already saw the outstanding No Country for Old Men.)

And happy holidays to all. See you in 2008 although I may make a cameo over the next 10 days.

More Random Musings

The question was raised if we were observing the writers' strike. While that would be a good excuse for the paucity of posts, sadly it is just a combination of work and laziness of late. (My brother, should I call him Ishmael?, is, however on strike and none too happy about it.) So, once again, here are some random thoughts from your bartender.

1. Saw the excellent No Country for Old Men. So much has been written about it that I don't have a lot to add. Quite simply, the Coen brothers' cinematography was stunning, the acting impeccable, the film was literary in its ambitions (no shock), and it succeeded. We can discuss the last 20 or so minutes, but that we won't resolve anything is actually a plus.

2. Last week's 30 Rock was comic gold. The episode the week before was slightly off, but the number of lines that absolutely killed this week could not be counted. I'm telling you for the 10th time, if you're not watching 30 Rock and The Office, something is seriously wrong with you. (Of course, with the The Office on hiatus pending the end of the strike and 30 Rock about to be . . . .)

3. Speaking of unwatched comedy genius, more positive rumblings are out there about an Arrested Development movie (once the damned strike is over). Mitchell Hurwitz (the creator) and Jason Bateman released a joint statement last week saying as much. Please pray to the Bluths that this be so.

4. Send your thoughts to Alex Trebek who suffered a mild heart attack. As a former Jeopardy! contestant, I have to send my best to the host (even if he was a big weeny during the post-show conversation immortalized during the end credits).

5. As the political season is upon us with actual voting in a few weeks, some thoughts.

The GOP is a complete mess. I have said for months that McCain remains viable (and probably the only sane candidate on the Republican side), and I stick to that. If Huckabee wins Iowa (which is likely), McCain has a shot at beating a wounded Romney in NH. If he does, he will be the nominee; if he doesn't, he is toast.

Huckabee is Bush 2.0. He is a more affable version of our president (as, I believe, Andrew Sullivan said, proof that all far right conservatives are not a-holes), and his vision of compassionate conservatism--really conservative social policies with massive government spending--is what Bush has done for almost 7 years (plus a war!), but Huckabee is just more upfront about it.

Thompson never really got started and is toast; Guiliani was always too liberal to be nominated, and his national poll numbers are finally crashing; Romney is hated by his competitors although he remains the most likely to be the nominee. The question is could Huckabee be a la Carter in '76. The scenario in which this could happen is if he wins Iowa (likely, as I said) and McCain decides he can't win and just wants to crush Romney, whom he hates. If that happens, Huckabee can win in the south, and he certainly appeals to the GOP primary electorate (if not to the GOP elites). And he would get crushed in November.

The Democratic side is also getting interesting. The latest poll has, surprisingly, Edwards doing best against the leading GOP contenders, which I explain is simply due to people seeing less of him of late than Hillary or Obama. Perhaps it is something I just don't like about Edwards, but I don't see him the nominee, and in fact, unless things rapidly change, and he wins Iowa (where he has essentially lived since '04), he is done. As for Hillary, she has lost some of her discipline of late (ever since the Philly debate). I thought her answer on drivers licenses for illegals, the question that began her slippage, was quite weak, but if you watched most of that debate, she was by far the best performer (as she has been in virtually every debate). I don't get why she has started to make some unforced error. (That her husband has as well is not as shocking as he has always had the problem of talking too much.)

There is a part of me that really likes Obama, but he is surprisingly dull in debates, and I am not convinced he is ready to go toe-to-toe in November or whether he yet has the experience--this is not paid for by the Clinton campaign--to be president.

As for what will happen, if Hillary wins Iowa (unlikely, and it was always somewhat unlikely), there will be absolutely no suspense. If she loses in Iowa, but wins NH, she will likewise cruise to the nomination. Should Obama (or somehow Edwards) win both, they will be almost impossible to beat. So lots of fun is ahead.

6. The best line I heard about Sunday's Pats/Jets game is that they have installed an NBA scoreboard in Foxboro. I don't think this will be pretty although I doubt any of the Jets will be making guarantees of victory.

7. I just finished Neal Gabler's excellent biography of Walt Disney. It is amazing, when one actually thinks about it, of how much of our culture is due to Disney that we take for granted. When I was little, my grandmother took me to Radio City to see Snow White and Pinnochio, the first two Disney features, and the Disney version of these stories have become so ingrained in our conscience that they have superseded any other version of them. Realizing that Disney pioneered the talking cartoon (Steamboat Willie), the color cartoon, and the feature length cartoon (Snow White), it is no wonder that the studio thrived (although not until Disneyland opened in 1955 did it really thrive and went through numerous lean years in the 1930s (pre-Snow White and 1940s). He also revolutionized the theme park.

Not surprisingly, he was a strange and flawed man, and while some of what he has done to our culture has rightly been criticized, he was a revolutionary, and the book presents a balanced account of the man and what he wrought. In the end the book is pretty favorable to Walt, and I was surprised to learn that his daughter was furious about it (although I think much of the Disney Corporation liked it).

Sorry for the ADD nature of today's post, but it's better than nothing (I hope).

Well, That Sucked or Possibly the Most Obvious Movie Review Ever

Yesterday I really wanted to see a movie. Like, willing-to-drive-200-miles-roundtrip-to-get-to-a-theater-whose-sole-offering-wasn't-a-daily-showing-of-The Kingdom-wanted to see a movie. But I wasn't in the mood for anything heavy, serious, or violent. I didn't want to watch Cate Blanchette in huge dresses making googly eyes at Clive Owen, or Viggo Mortensen with his goodies dangling beating people up, or Brad Pitt staring pensively at the screen with Casey Affleck actually acting in the background. In other words, I was desperate for a good, old-fashioned, rom-com. But are there any to be found out there? HELL NO. The marquees read, to my eyes, like a recipe for depression. Even what should be good old action flicks (like, for example, something starring Jennifer Garner and Jamie Foxx for god's sake!) are set in the Middle Eeast and seem to have depressing real-world ties. What the hell is up with this? The studio execs who plan release dates should really get together and have a nice collective viewing of that classic Sullivan's Travels.

Anyway, that long preliminary rant is just to explain why I saw The Game Plan yesterday. For those of you who haven't seen the trailer or read a review (I'm assuming none of you have actually seen the movie) the poster pretty much gives you the story. The Rock is a big old selfish football player who finds out he has an adorable ballet-loving moppet of a daughter who throws his life into chaos until he and all his teammates/friends (SPOILER ALERT) learn to adore her on their way to winning the football championship. I actually, in spite of wanting a romantic-comedy, not daddy-daughter comedy, kind of wanted to see this. I did, after all, see The Pacifier (with Vin Diesel playing a Navy SEAL/nanny and 4 or 5 adorable moppetts) in the theater, and kind of enjoyed it. But The Game Plan makes The Pacifier look like Oscar bait. It was that bad. The Rock is no Vin Diesel. And the annoying love intererest in The Game Plan (played by that Spanish woman from Without a Trace) is DEFINITELY no Lauren Graham (who played the same role in The Pacifier). But . . . I sat through the whole damn thing. And it really really sucked. So even if you're desperate, don't do it. Just . . . pop in a DVD of While You Were Sleeping, or About a Boy, like I should have done yesterday, and will do today.

Quite a Double Feature

Last night, Mrs. Bartender and I decided at the last minute to see David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises. Needless to say, scoring tickets was not a problem as there were only 5 of us in the theater. Regardless of crowd size, the movie was excellent: Extremely well acted, extremely violent, and extremely clever. Viggo Mortensen is fantastic as a Russian mob cleaner with his physical transformation from other roles being uncanny. While there are a few scenes that will make the squeamish turn away, I highly recommend this film and thought it even better than A History of Violence.

(SPOILERS) The story involves Anna (Naomi Watts), a midwife, who delivers the baby of a dying girl who, as her diary reveals, has been brought from the former Soviet Union as a sex slave. Anna, who is half Russian, is drawn into a world that fascinates her but of which she understands little. Semyon (played by the excellent Armin Mueller-Stahl) is the head of the mob family, but his biological son, Kirill, is, for various reasons, ill fitted to the mob life. Ultimately, it is his son's "perversions" that prove fatal to Semyon for a variety of reasons. Not only does Kirill respond to gossip about his sexuality to kill a mob captain igniting a bit of a mob war, but his inability to rape the sex slave leaves this job to his father. The resulting pregnancy ultimately proves his undoing. There is even more cleverness that I will not bother to touch. (SPOILERS END)

After returning home from this excellent movie, I planted myself in front of the TV (thankfully, TBS HD miraculously appeared yesterday) to watch the Padres/Rockies epic. When I tuned in it was 6-5 Rockies, but the Padres quickly tied it up on a misplay by Matt Holliday. Ultimately, as any baseball fan knows, the game stayed tied until the 13th, when the awful Jorge Julio unsurprisingly gave up a two run homer, seeming to put the Padres in the playoffs. In comes Trevor Hoffman (no Hells Bells in Coors Field) to wrap up the game, but before you could blink, the Rockies had hit two doubles and a triple (Holliday, redeeming himself and perhaps winning the MVP), and had tied the game. One pitch later, Jamey Carrol hit a sacrifice fly, and the Rockies had won (although Holliday probably never touched home plate but was ruled safe). (Now is not the time for the instant replay debate, but (1) other than HR calls, I think it is a very bad idea and (2) it would not have made a difference here because the replay is not conclusive that he did not touch the plate; he most likely didn't, but he might have.)

That game was baseball at its finest. It was the first walk off win in a single game tiebreaker, a claim that is somewhat misleading because the NL used to play a 3 game tiebreaker, and Bobby Thomson's HR was certainly a walk off.

With the Rockies making the playoffs, only the Yankees were in the postseason in 2006 and 2007; for a sport that is often attacked for lack of competitive balance, half of the teams have made the postseason in just the past 2 seasons. What happens from here is anyone's guess (I still can't fathom how a mediocre Cardinals team won last year), but the next 4 weeks will be a lot of fun. Just for the heck of it, I will pick the Cubs and Rockies in the NL and the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL. And as a Yankees fan, I dread another Yankees/Red Sox battle; I can't handle all the stress.

Random Thoughts

1. Okay, one final thought on the final Sopranos episode. I rewatched the episode, and it was really chock full of great moments--Paulie unzipping his pants after Bobby's funeral; Carmela's comment to AJ that if children had been playing in the leaves, he would have killed them; Agent Harris in all of his glory, but two things stand out. One--the sit down b/w Tony and NY at the junk yard. Again, the show hearkens back to the Godfather and the meeting Don Corleone organized among the five families to end the mob war. But that meeting was at a fancy restaurant; now, they meet in a dump. Tony and company did have bottled water, however! Again, the lost glory of the past rears its head.

And, of course, the last scene. The tension that Chase was able to put into that simple scene was amazing. When you watch it a second time, it is the ordinariness that is so striking. And yet Chase was able to have the viewers experience the stress that Tony continuously has lived with and will live with in those moments. We feared what was entering through that door, and could not sit still. (I still don't buy the Tony died theory although it is an interesting one; and if you saw the comment about Phil Leotardo's nephew being the guy in the Members Only jacket, it's a lie.)

2. Mrs. Bartender and I saw Waitress last week. The movie is very cute albeit fairly light. Not a must see, but an enjoyable two hours. And it certainly makes you want to have a really good piece of pie.

3. Some fascinating (and atrocious) golf over the past 4 days at Oakmont. The amazing thing about Tiger is how badly he seemed to play on Sunday at both the Masters and now the Open, and in both tournaments, he ended up in second place. (Of course, he played nowhere close to as badly as Aaron Baddeley did yesterday.) Yesterday, he just could not make a birdie (with one exception) although he kept saving pars left and right. Cabrera played a fantastic round although he came quite close to choking it away on 16 and 17. Espn.com is asking whether Cabrera won it or Tiger lost it. Puh-lease. Tiger shot a respectable 72 and Cabrera a terrific 69. More importantly, Tiger just couldn't make a birdie at then end to force a playoff. It was not like some other golfer putting his head up his butt on the last hole and making double when a par would win and a bogey would force a playoff. (Yes, Phil, I'm talking about you.)

4. Good to see that Entourage is back. The hiatus was rough.

5. I watched the pilot episode of John from Cincinnati and was intrigued enough to stick with it. I've liked Bruce Greenwood for a long time (going back to St. Elsewhere), and the cast is very good including Al Bundy and Dylan McKay. The supernatural and surfing is a strange premise, but I have faith in David Milch (Deadwood and NYPD Blue).

6. Finally, I'm halfway through Walter Isaacson's Einstein biography (fittingly titled Einstein). I highly recommend it. As much as is possible, he makes the physics understandable. I can, somewhat, handle special relativity; general relativity is much more mind boggling. Even more importantly, Isaacson is an excellent writer (although he has a tendency to reiterate repeatedly a central theme of his books). Even without understanding the physics, there is a fascinating story of the life Einstein led, becoming a mega-celebrity from around 1920 until his death in 1955, a celebrity that obviously still lasts. Perhaps if he were alive today, he could be on a reality show. He would certainly have lent his voice to The Simpsons.

Not All That It's Knocked Up To Be

On Friday night, Mrs. Bartender and I went to see Knocked Up. I needed a happy movie to take my mind off of certain things, and in that the movie succeeded. However, the raves it has gotten from certain reviewers--A.O Scott in the Times and Entertainment Weekly--were just over the top. The movie was entertaining, had a number of good laughs, but it is not a great film. Both of us enjoyed The 40-Year Old Virgin more, and a good amount of this film was predictable. Don't get me wrong, there are some very funny moments, and with Isaac, Jr., having been born just over a year ago, there were a number of scenes we could really relate to. However, my advice is that this is not a must see movie even if you won't regret going to see it.

The Late and Not To Be Lamented German Democratic Republic

Last Friday, Mrs. Bartender and I saw The Lives of Others. I cannot stress enough what an excellent film this is. The acting is superb across the board, the story is very tight, and just when you worry at the end that the movie is about to try to do too much, it ends perfectly. That the movie was directed by a 33 year old who was only 16 when the Wall fell is both extremely impressive and yet understandable. As he, for the most part, did not live with a divided Germany, he was able to give a fresh and appropriate look to the horror that was East Germany. Instead of trying to write too much about this film, I will make two suggestions: (1) see it if you haven't and (2) read Anthony Lane's spot on review in the New Yorker.

Movies

I've seen so many good movies recently.

On Wednesday, I saw Indigenes, a French movie that was inexplicably given the English title "Days of Glory." The movie is about a group Muslims from France's North African colonies who fight for France in World War II. It was really good. Sort of a traditional war movie recast as a story about France's poor treatment of its colonies, and -- mostly implicitly -- about its failure to keep its promises to those men and their countries after the war. Which is why the English name makes no sense. The acting was excellent. Unfortunately, I think it's now gone from theaters.

On Thursday, I saw The Lives of Others, which is set in East Germany during the 1980s. It won the Oscar for best foreign language movie. The basic premise is that a member of the Stasi is tasked to investigate a famous playwright who is suspected of being disloyal. And the story is of both men -- who are initially loyal -- becoming gradually disillusioned with the regime. It's heartbreaking. I highly recommend this movie.

On Friday, I saw Breach, which is about the Robert Hanssen case. It's odd that this is the movie that was made about that case. It's not really about Hanssen -- what he did, or why, or who he was (which, to remind you, was pretty fracking strange). Nor was it really about how the FBI caught him. When the movie starts, he's already been found out, and they're just trying to get enough evidence to convict him. And the first scene in the movie is John Ashcroft's press conference announcing that he's been arrested, so the audience knows exactly how it's going to end. What it is about is Ryan Phillippe's character, who is assigned to be Hanssen's aide and get close to him, and about his conflicting loyalties, and how the deceit inherent in his job affect his relationship with his wife. Which was a pretty interesting movie, but not the taut spy thriller I was expecting.

On Saturday, I saw Notes on a Scandal. Once again, the acting was excellent; I can see why Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench were nominated for Oscars. It's pretty amazing when a movie can make you sympathetic to a teacher who has sex with her 15 year old student. But I think the movie took the easy way out by making Dench's character so unambiguously evil. It would have been a much more interesting movie if her character had been more sympathetic.

On Sunday, I saw Pan's Labyrinth. Again, the English translation of the title makes no sense -- there's no Pan in the movie -- the Spanish title is the more apt "The Labyrinth of the Faun." But minor quibbles aside, this was another really good movie. It's the story of girl whose father died in the Spanish Civil War. At the beginning of the movie she and her pregnant mother go to live with her new stepfather in the countryside. He is a Captain in the Army under Franco, and he is tasked with wiping out the remnants of the resistance; he is also a sadist. There, she encounters a Faun who tells her that she is the long lost princess of the underworld, and if she completes three tasks she can go back and live with her family. I really can't talk about the most important part without spoiling it for you, so I will just say that you should really see this movie, even if it is a bit heavy handed at times.

Yesterday, I saw Music and Lyrics. Yay, a romantic comedy! No one dies or commits any major crimes! Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore! It's possible that my standards were lowered by having just seen so many dark movies, but I really enjoyed it.

Just one note about the AMC Georgetown, is it me or is the service there often insanely bad? Yesterday, I was the second person in line behind a woman trying to get 2 drinks, popcorn, and candy. I gave up after 5 minutes, when they still weren't done with her. It was mystifying. And of course, there were two other employees just standing behind the counter doing nothing the whole time. I only mention this because it's at least the third time I've had similar problems there. What is the deal?

A Week in the Warmth

As Red Fraggle pointed out, I was on vacation last week, avoiding some of the very low temperatures of the northeast while in the sun of the Dominican Republic. A few things to point out:

1. I will not burden you with details of my stay at the resort. While I'm sure you want to hear about Isaac, Jr.'s first swimming adventure (he loved it) or my three rounds of golf, I won't burden you with the details. I will point out that Chelsea Clinton and George H.W. Bush were both staying at the resort we were at although, you will be shocked to learn, they were not there together. (Alas, I saw neither although Bush was spotted playing a lot of golf.)

2. Mrs. Barteneder and I decided to spend our final two days on the island in the city of Santo Domingo. While most tourists who come to the D.R. stay at their resort, I am quite glad that we added some culture to our trip. Santo Domingo is the oldest European settled city in the Western Hemisphere which meant that we saw a lot of firsts--the oldest university, the oldest street, the oldest cathedral, etc. Our hotel--a Sofitel--was fantastic. It was in a restored 16th century building but our room was uber-modern and it was extremely reasonably priced. We had a guide show us around the city, and I had arranged for a tour of the Presidential Palace. It is amusing to be in the Cabinet Room with just Mrs. Bartender and a tour guide even if it is the Dominican Cabinet Room. Santo Domingo is not Havana (even though it often plays Havana in the movies including in the greatest film of them all, Godfather II), and two days is enough to see the city (and it could be done in 1 day). We were glad to have done it.

3. Finally, we had access to American television while in the D.R., and all I can say is that the spectacles that are (were) Anna Nicole and Britney are truly pathetic. As for the former, she seems to have gotten her final wish--to truly be the center of a media storm. The "hearing" last week was a farce and made numerous absurd court hearings that I have been involved with look like justice at the highest of levels. And to listen to the bloviators (yes, Nancy Grace, I mean you) opine on this stupidity makes one wish they (either the viewer or the bloviators, you pick) were on meth.

As for Britney, not much can be said other than who ever thought that KFed would appear to the stable one? As Bill Simmons stated, she has entered the Tyson zone, where you could hear anything about her ("Britney was arrested for murder," "Britney had a sex change," "Britney is pregnant with Mike Tyson's or OJ Simpson's baby"), and you would believe it. Sad but predictable.

Oscar fashions

Okay, here is my eagerly-awaited Oscar fashion post. Lots of photos, but how else are Bailey and Holt going to see what everyone wore while they travel?

My worst:

I think I'll just reiterate what I wrote in my last post. The dress itself makes her look very, very thin (and gives the illusion of breasts that I don't remember). But the bow is really too Charlize Theron from the 2006 Oscars. More disturbingly, why does she continue to use Botox? Her face is frozen and she has become a joke. So why not let up and show some wrinkles?

Yes, she has a very nice body. But so do a lot of actresses. The color is horrid, and what's worse, she matched her lipstick to it. The neckline doesn't do her any favors, either--it makes her look like her chest is three feet long.

This was another poor color choice, and I didn't like the shape of the dress on her. The criss-cross bodice looked like it had too much fabric, and the distinct cut-off at the waist doesn't work. I disliked her hair most, though--it just hung there and she seemed to make a real point of swinging it in front of her shoulder. It looked dumb.

Yet another poor color choice. I find it interesting that both Beyonce and Kate Winslet (below) wore the same color with very different skin tones, but neither could pull it off. The seashell-like diagonal strap was strange, and the high slit looks a little cheap.

Not only does this color totally wash Kate out, but the cut of the dress doesn't work for her either. All of the fabric in the bodice makes her look heavier on top, and the fabric seems to outline every stomach and hip bulge. This was particularly disappointing, because I usually really love the way she dresses.



How many bad color choices could there be in one night? A lot. Yellow is not Naomi Watts' color, and the arm band things are ridiculous. And yes, I know she is pregnant, but that's no excuse. Especially when she still has a flatter belly than 98 percent of the population.


The good, with some reservations:

I know that this is on almost everyone's worst-dressed list, but I really liked it. I didn't like the collar and netted top. I hated them, actually. But if those were gone, this would have been a great dress for Kirsten Dunst. The color looked good on her, it created some curves, and the embellishments were interesting but not tacky. I even liked the feathers!

This photo makes J.Lo. look about 30 pounds heavier, and I didn't think it looked this bad on the telecast. I liked the top of the dress, complete with the built-in jewelry. I didn't like how high the empire waist was on J.Lo.--it made her look a bit pregnant (unless she is, in which case, good dress choice). And I didn't really love her hair either (I'm never a big fan when she does short curls). But her face just looked so pretty and the color worked well with her skin. So she snuck onto my okay list.

She is obviously a very attractive woman, and she dresses really well. I definitely liked this outfit. My only problem was the embroidery on the skirt of the dress. It seemed a bit much. But other than that, she looked great.

Sure, the dress is showing some wrinkling, and I'm never a fan of the asymmetric neckline. But I think this is the most put-together Maggie Gyllenhaal has ever looked, so she makes it on the list.

This was going to go on my best dressed list, but didn't quite make it for two reasons: her hair is a little too severe, and I don't love all of the ruching on the bodice of the dress. Regardless, it is a beautiful piece of clothing, and she looked beautiful in it.

My best dressed:

I thought Rachel Wisz looked absolutely gorgeous. Her hair and makeup were great, and I loved the neckline of this dress.

I love the color of Isla Fisher's dress, and I thought the shape was really nice as well. I don't like that she is wearing what appears to be black nail polish, but other than that, the outfit is great.

I like how simple this was, and how great it looked on Jodie Foster. The color seemed to match her eyes and the cut was so light and flowy.

Reese Witherspoon is probably almost everyone's best dressed of the night, and with good reason. The dress fit her really well, the ombre at the bottom was nice, and she looked beautiful. This has actually been a much more successful awards season, fashion-wise, than last year's, when she was winning everything in sight. Unfortunately, her chin is becoming really prominent, probably because she is losing too much weight. Hopefully she'll allowe herself to put on a few pounds.

I know I am in the minority here, but I really liked Cameron Diaz's dress. Would normal people wear it? No. But normal people aren't former models and don't go to the Oscars. It was different and I thought it totally worked on her. I also love that she has not gone back to blonde--the darker hair is so much more flattering. Two things to note: She should try not to stand pigeon-toed on the red carpet. Also, as much as I think white looks great on her with her new hair color, she also wore white at the Golden Globes. It almost seems a little wedding dress, so soon after the breakup with Justin, which is a little creepy, but other than that, I loved it.

Unfortunately, I can't find a photo of the woman I thought was the absolute best dressed of the night: Diane Keaton. Really unfortunate that there is nothing out there showing how amazing she looked. And how tiny her waist was. Oh well, just trust me.

More Oscar Thoughts

Yes, Red Fraggle already provided much more detail than I ever could, but I had to add my two cents:

1. How could no one make the Jack Nicholson/Britney Spears joke? It wrote itself, and yet no one made it. And no Anna Nicole jokes . . . come on! (At least put her in the dead montage--she was in Naked Gun 33 1/3.)

2. Red Fraggle already mentioned how the Spielberg/Coppola/Lucas triumvirate were intentionally selected to honor Scorsese. I agree, but does Lucas really belong with the other three (including Scorsese). Don't get me wrong, Star Wars is a great movie, but he is not in the same league as the other three. Heck, Marty is almost certainly the best of the lot (although no two films will surpass the first two Godfathers in my book).

3. I've said it before and I heard it again this morning, but releasing Norbit before the Oscars may have cost Eddie Murphy an Oscar. No tears are shed, but if this loss convinces him to take more good rules (and less fat suits), then there is justice in this world.

4. As several I watched with commented, Jerry Seinfeld clearly is lining up to host next year's Oscars. Ellen was fine, but she really left no impression. (I'm definitely in the Billy Crystal camp as the best Oscar host.)

5. Can ABC please get rid of, at a minimum, that first 30 minutes of fluff. If you want the red carpet, watch E! or the plastic surgery that claims to be Joan and Melissa Rivers, but please end this show before midnight on the East Coast. This should not be so difficult.

All in all, a fairly boring telecast, and yet I watch and will continue to do so. The big winners: The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine, and Al Gore. Not a great night for Babel (which I still haven't seen) or Dreamgirls (with Jennifer Hudson's expected win and one other minor award).

Oscar ramblings

I'll just include some general thoughts on the Oscars. My hope is to include a fashion post at some point today, although with Blogger rarely letting me post photos anymore, who knows.

My top two moments of the night:

1.) The Scorsesce win. Of course. I thought this was a generally kind of boring Oscars, but that was a great moment. Although, it really seemed that the Speilberg/Lucas/Coppolla trifecta was presenting specifically so they could give the award to Marty. But what if he hadn't won?

2.) After Melissa Ethridge sang, the camera panned to Queen Latifa, then Jessica Beil, then Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, all of whom have been rumored to be gay. Coincidence?

My other thoughts, in chronological order.

Penelope Cruz often complains when people say she is from Mexico rather than Spain, and Ellen did it. When the camera panned to her, she really didn't look too happy. Of course, Ellen did correct herself later in the broadcast, but I thought the whole thing was funny.

The color mint doesn't work on very many people at all. Kate Winslet looked washed out, and Beyonce, who obviously has much darker skin, couldn't pull it off either (the dresses were also similar in style, with the one shouldered thing going on). I thought Beyonce looked a lot better in the maroon dress she wore for her Dreamgirls performance.

Speaking of clothing, Nicole Kidman looks incredibly tall and thin in her dress, but the shoulder flower is so Charlize Theron 2006 and she really needs to stop with the Botox. So much has been written about this, and yet she continues to do it. Why?

When the interpretive dancers became the Oscar someone's knee was sticking out, leaving a spot of light to filter through (someone to the left) which really kind of ruined the effect.

The Ferrell, Black and Rielly song ("Helen Mirren will be Coming Home with Me") was legitimately funny, and probably one of my favorite moments of the night. And they are right, Helen Mirren really is hot. It's amazing.

Don't they have everyone practice their presenting lines? Poor little Jaden Pinkett Smith messed up more than once. Obviously, he's also a little kid. Abigan Breslin helped out nicely, though. And I thought it was funny when Jaden walked out on stage, way ahead of Abigail, and it looked like Will Smith yelling at him to slow down.

The guy who won the short award for "West Bank Story" is really good looking.

The Sound effects choir was really cool.

Did my TV go out when Kinnear was talking or did he get bleeped by the ten second delay?

Is it me, or is Jessica Beil being shoved down our throats lately? I haven't seen The Illusionist, but isn't it the only legitimate film she has eer been in? Other than that she has what, that movie with Freddie Prinze, Jr.? I don't get it.

Rachel Weisz (presenting Best Supporting Actor to Alan Arkin) is really beautiful. Sometimes you don't notice it, but other times it's right in your face.

Cameron Diaz looks really good. The dark hair really works with her. She also doesn't seem as wasted as she usually does at awards shows.

Why is Tom Hanks still sporting the Da Vinci Code hair?

I didn't think the Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt bit was funny, but for Streep.

Gwenyth Paltrow's dress is ugly and her hair, slung over one shoulder, is a bit ridiculous. Did she and Kidman go to the same stylist?

Naomi Watts doesn't look all that good in yellow.

A montage of foreign film award winners makes me realize I have not seen many foreign films.

Jennifer Hudson wins for Best Supporting Actress (despite the fact that her role was obviously a lead--it surprises me I haven't seen more complaints about this), gets up and hugs Beyonece. Interestingly, I didn't see Eddie Murphy, who had been sitting in one of the seats between the two. Did he leave after he lost? Unfortunately, Jennifer had to invoke God. Yes, because God hates Abigail Breslin, Rinko Kukuchi and Adrianna Barrasso. He might not hate Cate Blanchett, since she already has an Oscar. It is nice to see someone so very excited, though. (Although I don't think she will have acting success long-term--I think this was a role that fit her well, and I don't expect we'll see much more of her in film.) She was so excited that when Clooney gave her the envelope, she didn't even seem impressed that it was Clooney.

Gael Garcia Bernal's "long or short, it's what you do with it that counts" joke went over like a lead balloon. He's cuter without glasses.

The Botox in Jerry Seinfeld's forehead is just creepy. It's strange when part of a comedian's face doesn' move that much. At least his forehead moved minutely, which is better than last time I saw him on "Oprah."

Al Gore wins an Oscar. It never ceases to amaze me how pudgy he has become. I guess if the election had been stolen from me I would have gorged on food as well.

Celine Dion! Let's hope for some cheese. Unfortunately...none. Boo.

The guy sitting behind Nicholson does not think Ellen is funny. He keeps rolling his eyes at her jokes, which we see often since there is apparently some sort of rule that the camera must pan to Jack every five minutes.

I like the way they presented the nominees for the screenplay awards, with the direction read by the presenters.

The women from Dreamgirls are performing. Jennifer Hudson looks really good in that red dress. Although I think I caught a glimpse of her bra. Actually, more than a glimpse. It's now part of the outfit. Couldn't someone have aped her in? The third song they sing, "Patience," is really pretty bad. I can't imagine it will win.

Per usual, Queen Latifah looks great. Whoever does her clothes (I know Bradley Bayou did a slate blue-grey dress she wore a few years ago) does a great job. I'm sure much credit should go to her stylist as well.

Oh my god--Jodie Foster at the Oscars. I feel like I haven't seen her in forever. She is really pretty, and her dress is beautiful. Jodie is still the wearer of my favorite Oscar dress, a long-sleeved, hand-beaded, form fitting Armani from 10-15 years ago.

Jodie is presenting the list of the dead. James Dohan, Peter Boyle were in a dead heat for loudest applause, until Robert Altman's photo came up. He beat them in a landslide. Be adequite.

Philip Seymour Hoffman presenting Best Actress--I guess he took a page from the Peter Jackson style book and decided not to brush his hair for the Oscars. I'm a little baffled by Helen Mirren's "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the queen!" at the end of her speech. Huh?

Reese Witherspoon, presenting Best Actor, looks cute, although her chin is even more prominent than usual. Peter O'Toole looked a little disappointed that he didn't win. Whittaker really seems overwhelmed, and his wife looks so emotional for him. It's sweet.

Nicholson and Diane Keaton presenting Best Picture. This might be the best Keaton has looked since The Godfather. The dress is amazing on her, and it's nice tht she's not wearing any gloves.

And Best Picture goes to The Departed. Which I really need to watch.

That's it. Fashion post (hopefully) to follow.

Don't forget! The event of the year!

That's right, the Oscars are this Sunday. As always, I'm super-excited, and I have high hopes for Ellen Degeneres as the host. So set your DVRs!

I may as well stay home from work on Monday. We all know I'm going to end up spending hours on an Oscar fashions post. Fun!

Not Such Dreamy Girls

Last Friday, Mrs. Bartender and I went to see Dreamgirls. While entertaining at times, it is just not a great movie and certainly not close to as goo as the 4 Best Picture nominees we have seen. (If you haven't been keeping score, we have yet to see Babel.) To start with, Jennifer Hudson has been rightly praised for her outstanding performance as Effie. She is the star of the movie, and by far, the most interesting character. The irony, of course, is that just as she is shoved aside for the more beautiful but less talented Deena (Beyonce), her performance is only nominated for Best Supporting Actress and not Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she most certainly is playing. Of course, if she had received the latter nomination, she would not be taking home Oscar, which is what she is going to get to do.

On a side note, is it me or do we now get every year numerous articles complaining about how repetitive acceptance speeches are at the awards shows as the same actors win Gold Globes, SAG Awards, the Cinema Society of Toledo's Golden Calf, etc. before making the same speech Oscar night. I think that just as the actors give the same speech at ceremony after ceremony, the writers just keep re-running these articles year after year. Thus, I expect to hear Jennifer Hudson once again thank American Idol and pay homage to Florence Ballard (the Supreme that Effie is based upon) in Hollywood on February 25.

Eddie Murphy is also quite good and his role truly is supporting. It is a role that I am certainly not surprised Eddie can play, and I wish he would continue to try to expand his range. Does he really need to do Beverly Hills Cop 4? Norbit? I guess he needs to eat.

As for Beyonce, her character is virtually a cipher, used by Berry . . . I mean Curtis Taylor to make the group stars and then for him to get whatever he wants. She is fine in the role, but she lacks the magnetism of Effie. Perhaps that is part of the point (and yes she looks a lot like Diana Ross at times), but she is just not that interesting, nor is the third original dream, Lorrell. There is just not enough time to develop most of the characters in the movie (with the exception of Effie and to a lesser extent Curtis).

Most problematically, the music just isn't great. With a couple of exceptions (Effie's big number--And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going--and perhaps One Night Only), the songs are just not memorable and to the extent they seek to advance the plot, they do so quite weakly. For a musical, this is a fatal flaw.

Finally, one quibble: During one of the numerous montages, it appears that the Dreams are on the Great Wall of China in the mid-1960s. Assuming I am correct, I have news for the makers of this film--no Americans were in China during this period. None. Nada. I don't ask for much, but a little historical accuracy would be nice.

Friday Musings

1. We are two days from Super Bowl XLI, and I have to say that I am strangely unexcited about the game. First, I am just not optimistic that we will have a compelling football game (something quite common in this ultimate game although less so in recent years). Having watched the two two teams play over the past several weeks, I just can't see the Bears winning. Part of me says a good defense always wins (see Tampa in 2002), but I am just so unimpressed with the Bears. Even though they crushed the Saints in the Championship game, I just thought that for a team with such a big lead, they did not look very good. The Saints played an awful, sloppy game, but I saw nothing so impressive about the Bears. And, Rex Grossman is the obvious x factor. Sure Manning could choke, the Colts defense could be exploited, or Devon Hester could run wild, but I don't see it happening.

2. If, however, I am wrong (shock of shocks), the monkey remains firmly on Peyton Manning's back. Sure, he played a great game against his old nemesis, the Pats, but the stigma is for not winning the Super Bowl, not in not making it. Heck, Dan Marino is now often seen as slightly surpassed by Elway because Marino never won one (after losing in his second season) while Elway final did, winning the last two years of his storied career. Manning will always remain in Brady's shadow (and the other all time greats') unless he can win at least one.

3. Just to get you excited for upcoming movie reviews, Mrs. Bartender and I are going to see Dreamgirls tonight and, babysitter permitting, Babel tomorrow.

4. Just to beat on a familiar drum, The Office continues to amuse me to no end. Last night's episode, which involved Jim, in lieu of hiring a male stripper for a bachelorette party hiring a Benjamin Franklin historical reenactor, had several laugh out loud moments. The supporting cast--Kevin, Angela, Phyllis, and Stanley are always great (where was Oscar?). And Meredith had a line last night that had Mrs. Bartender falling out of her seat.

5. I've also been watching Rome and Extras on HBO. The former is a typical excellent HBO drama (although there is not a ton of suspense regarding who will die and which side will prevail). Exceedingly well acted and very entertaining. Sorry to see it go after this season, but I can see why it is so pricey. (I don't know what I'm going to do with The Sopranos, Rome, and Deadwood all finished by this summer.)

Extras is even funnier than last season, but there are some (many) cringe worth moments. I guess the biggest criticism of Ricky Gervais is that his characters lack a certain realism, e.g., David Brent could never have lasted as an office manager for as long as he did and why does Andy keep his awful agent around (as well as Maggie who causes nothing but problems). One of the things I love about the American Office (here I go again) is that Michael Scott is (at times) competent and a very good salesman (as is Dwight), but Gervais' characters lack that reality. Nonetheless, I laugh.

A Great Movie

On Saturday night, Mrs. Bartender and I went to see our fourth of the Best Picture nominees, Letters from Iwo Jima. (Babel is on tap for next weekend.) Despite the fact that throughout the film, Mrs. Bartender kept saying to me, "Why do you take me to war movies? You know I hate war movies?," after the fact, she commented on how great a film it was and how much she enjoyed it. Crazy, sure, but it also captures the power of this film.

Simply put, the concept of this movie is astounding. How often does a movie get made about the enemy that not merely humanizes them but makes them the heroes of the film? (Do we think that 60 years after the Iraq war ends (whenever that will be), someone will make a film making the members of the Sunni militia the heroes?) On top of that, this film was made by Clint Eastwood--if someone had asked 15 or 20 years ago, if Dirty Harry would make such a movie, there would only have been laughter. But he has done so and done it in a way that praises (many of) the Japanese soldiers who fought and died on Iwo Jima, it raises their commonality to the Americans they were fighting on numerous levels. One sees the diversity among the Japanese forces from baron to simple baker, their fears and desires for home, and, among the officers, a friendship with Americans, whether from serving in the United States in the 1930s or as a gold medalist in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

One particularly powerful moment is when the wife of an American officer asks the man who will ultimately command the Japanese forces defending Iwo Jima what he would do if the US and Japan ever went to war. After commenting that such a war would be a major mistake, then-Col. Kuribayashi comments that he would fight for Japan; while his wife is taken aback at this response, the US officer comments, that this is the attitude of all good military men. And so it is, and so we end up on Iwo Jima.

The cast is superb. Led by the justly praised Ken Watanabe as the commanding general in what is, as he quickly realizes, a suicide mission to defend this island, the cast also includes numerous other Japanese actors who are unknown in the US. Kazunari Ninomiya as Saigo, the baker conscripted into a mission of which he wants no part, is particularly outstanding. (I subsequently learned he is a Japanese pop star.) That the movie is in Japanese is something that is of no matter to one's enjoyment of it. The acting brings the characters thoroughly to life, and one is so engrossed in the movie, the subtitles merely add to a realism that would be lost were the cast speaking in English (either with hideous Japanese accents or, as is the case too often in films, with British accents).

One small quibble (and it is quite small), the movie does not let you know how many soldiers were on Iwo Jima trying to prevent the US occupation. The answer, as I subsequently learned, was slightly more that 20,000 of which 95% were killed. The massive American forces numbered about 4 times that amount and about 7,000 Americans were killed. To put that in perspective, that is more than twice what was killed on 9/11 or, to date, in Iraq. All in securing an island of 8 square miles.

My final question is I wonder how this movie has been received in Japan. I know it has been released there, and one would think it would be popular, but who knows. Update: Here is an article from the Christian Science Monitor on its Japanese reaction.

So I strongly recommend this film. If you don't like war movie (or even if you do), be prepared for some pretty violent scenes. War is not pretty and Eastwood does not pretend that it is. There is nothing glorious in this film, but there is something noble in many (but certainly not all) of the soldiers simply trying to survive.