And here it is: the season 2 finale. My victory lap, as it were, takes place aboard the Holland America Line’s MS Eurodam, and at its twelve days of destinations. I will (eventually) post one last, entry with links to ALL of my photo albums from the last nine months, this cruise included.
But, for now, I figure I’ll do this day-by-day, ‘(199) Days of Europe’-style.
(1) is Saturday, 2 June 2012.
We boarded the ship in Amsterdam. My folks were kind enough to get me my own stateroom, which had everything I could need (no window, but under the circumstances, I’m not picky)… nice little bachelor pad. Plus destinations in the U.K. and Norwegian fjords… this is lookin’ good!
Ah, but just one detail - about 98.4% of the people on this boat are in their 60s or older.
Oh.
(2) is Sunday, 3 June 2012.
We were at sea today en route to Newcastle. It’s a nice ship. Really good food included in the price (and some premium restaurants for an additional reservation fee), fun trivia and karaoke events, good bands performing nightly in the various bars, and gloriously awful mainstage acts every night.
Well, at this rate, we should be getting through the entry fairly quickly.
(3) is Monday, 4 June 2012.
Our first port of call was Newcastle, England, and my mom had made plans for us to take the train to nearby Durham. It’s a lovely little university town also based around a gorgeous cathedral. We sightsaw, we had lunch in a pub (my heart beats – and will one day stop – for fish n’ chips), and we even took a little spin around Newcastle itself before getting back on the boat.
Stopping in the U.K. was also fun because that weekend (extended to four days) was Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, a U.K.-wide celebration of her 60 years on the throne. There were flags everywhere, special displays in the shops, performers and people in the squares, and a good deal of confusion on our part as to why a “Diamond Jubilee” didn’t mean 75 years.
Oh, forget it. She’s the Queen of England. If she says diamond is 60, then diamond’s 60.
(4) is Tuesday, 5 June 2012.
Edinburgh (best pronounced “ED-in-BRUH,” the experts tell me) is one of my favorite cities. In the world. I was there two years prior (to the day, almost) and I had since regretted not spending more time there.
Here’s my shortlist for seeing the town (notice how not-short it is). Start at the top of the Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s historic main street, where you can either see the castle or skip it (it’s cool, but pricey), then walk down the hill and catch the churches and old parliament and judicial buildings. Stop in at The World’s End pub for a great meal (anything you order will be good) accompanied by an Irn Bru (Scotland’s much-loved, not saccharine take on orange soda) and perhaps a local whisky (rotated monthly). If you like fudge, stop in at either The Fudge House or The Fudge Kitchen for a snack, and continue down the hill. Look around for hidden gardens or cool staircases (called “closes”), and finally you’ll arrive at Scotland’s current Parliament building and Holyrood Palace (the Queen’s residence in Scotland). Take tours if you fancy. You'll also be at the foot of Arthur’s Seat, a mountainous burst of land that came about from prehistoric volcanic activity. If the weather’s good and you’re game for a few hours’ (sometimes challenging) walk, climb to the top for some stunning landscapes and impressive panoramas.
I should also note, though, that Calton Hill also offers a fine view of the city and Arthur’s Seat and is a much more reasonable walk. It’s also at the end of Prince’s Street, Edinburgh’s other big avenue, and your best bet for shopping. It’s on Prince’s Street that you’ll find Edinburgh’s main train station and lovely gardens that offer some terrific views up at the castle and other buildings on the outside of the Royal Mile.
(5) is Wednesday, 6 June 2012.
Invergordon, Scotland isn't a thrill, although it was fun to tour Cawdor Castle, which has ties to Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. Lovely castle, and one of the few I’ve ever toured that actually inspired some desire to actually live there (it's fully furnished, still home to nobility). But I didn’t come to see just another pretty castle; I came to see Macbeth's castle. Oh, well. The Scottish highlands in that area are still pretty, but if you want the best of the highlands (and you do), I recommend the Isle of Skye.
(6) is Thursday, 7 June 2012.
At sea again. I can't tell you how great it is, by the way, to see real bacon again. For a country renowned for food, you'd think France could get that right.
(7) is Friday, 8 June 2012.
Ålesund, Norway (pronounced a lot like “Allison”? Maybe? As best I could tell?) is small but beautiful. I kid you not when I say it looks like Hawaii, but with bigger mountains. Norway is, statistically, the most expensive country in the world. But who cares. It’s fjord country. And all the destinations are gonna’ be (up in) here until we land in Copenhagen.
(8) is Saturday, 9 June 2012.
Geirenger lends itself best to the (eventual) pictures, 'cause it's gorgeous. If you’re in Norway (just, y’know, passin’ through, as one does) then I highly recommend it. I would even go so far as to say that it’s a place you can’t AF-FJORD to miss!
Somebody take this laptop away from me. Please.
(9) is Saturday, 10 June 2012.
Flåm may have had the best fjord views yet. I swear – I felt like I was in a ‘Star Wars’ movie. Any second, I expected a ship (I know a few of their actual names, but I don’t feel like inserting a copyright symbol afterward) to come screaming past, with enemy fighters hot on its tail blasting lasers all the way through these epic ravines.
Well. It’s a good thing that didn’t happen, because this place was breathtaking. The water was so still and clear it looked digitally animated when the ship sent slow ripples through it.
The area around Flåm is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including its renowned local train ride (about 45 minutes one way). It’s scenic, but I'd sooner suggest the beautiful two-hour boat ride over to Gudvangen and 15-minute bus ride back to Flåm, packaged together by tour companies Sognefjorden and/or Fjord1.
Heh, heh...! Remember the part when I said we'd get through this quickly? Yeah, that was funny...!
(10) is Sunday, 11 June 2012.
Now, the problem with doing the fjords before the end is that they make an impossible act to follow. That’s an added problem that unexciting, touristy Bergen really doesn’t need.
(11) is Monday, 12 June 2012.
Kristiansand is a little better than Bergen: it's a beach/getaway place that owns its touristy-ness better. It's very walkable little town (the map is literally a rectangular grid) with a charming fish market near the port. The only head-scratcher is that there isn't much beach. Oh, Norway.
(12) is Wednesday, 13 June 2012.
You’d think Oslo, capital of the fine nation of Norway, would be a big stop on our cruise. We only got half a day here, which is a shame, since this up-and-coming town is bursting with cool new architecture (like its crazy-angled, opera house with a roof-accessible from the street). There are also a lot of neat design shops – you know, the ones full of cleverly crafted silverware, kitchen and office supplies (maybe a combination of the two???), and neat museums. We paid a visit to their national gallery, which has a handsome collection of all the European crowd, and some of the most famous works by Norwegian great Edvard Munch.
I think it would have been better if the cruise had taken us to Oslo and Kristiansand first, Bergen not at all, and then the fjords as a finale. On the other hand, we had grey weather toward the end, so that may be a toss-up. Also, did I mention that we had sunsets consistently around 11:45 PM? And they were gorgeous?
. . .
…And I know this isn’t technically part of the cruise, but…
(13) is Thursday, 14 June 2012.
Welcome to Copenhagen, Denmark! After getting off the boat and dropping our bags at our hotel, we had one day to explore the city and its environs. My parents had stopped in here before Berlin, so we got to skip normal stuff and get on a train to Hamlet’s castle.
Yes. Jealousy is the right response. The nerdy response, but the right response.
Kronborg Castle is just stunning, and the cloudy weather actually set the tone perfectly. The castle goes by “Elsinore” in the play, but the real one is located in Helsingør (“Ohhhhhhhhh!” the readers rejoice). This is another (deserving) UNESCO site, and I want to give them big props for their very innovative, creative visual aides and displays that really enhance the experience without being annoying or dense. This castle also just feels right -- 'Hamlet' makes sense here (that is, as much as 'Hamlet' ever makes sense... says the actor kid...). One cool thing, though, is that every summer, they mount a full-scale production of a Shakespearean tragedy (usually Hamlet, but it does vary) in the castle's giant, stately courtyard.
Helsingør itself is also very charming. We stopped in at a lunch place that turned out to be tasty, and pastries and tea at Moller’s Conditori turned out to be delicious.
We wandered back to the train, hit Copenhagen, and walked around for a while. It’s a neat city… wish I had more time to explore. It’s like Budapest, in that there’s a lot of neat detail work in the building facades. And as gorgeous as the city is, that is nothing compared to the people (especially women, to be biased) walking around it. We had dinner at Sticks and Sushi, a local chain that serves an excellent meal.
Friday, 15 June 2012
Copenhagen to Reykjavik. Reykjavik to Washington. The end.
. . .
Thanks for reading this year, folks. I hope you enjoyed. And if I go back next year, stay tuned for the third blog (****, will I really have started three blogs?)
Yes, I will. I’m not keeping adorable little French kids’ English mistakes to myself.
-Andy
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The End of 'House, MD'
This has nothing to do with anything else in this blog, but ‘House, MD’ ended last month, and since it’s long been my favorite show, I feel something needs to be said about it. Or a few “somethings,” and not all by me; I’d love to chat with y’all if you have an opinion. And, as you might guess, I’m sounding a spoiler alert… stop reading now if you’re behind on the show.
. . .
Are the rookies gone? Cool.
I feel I can’t properly discuss the series finale without taking a broader look first (so bear with me). Despite my ardent fanhood, the show’s declining quality in recent years has not been lost on me. I blame this almost entirely on the House/Cuddy romance, which I feel was handled poorly from the beginning. It also (somehow) turned the once sharp, formidable character of Lisa Cuddy into a two-dimensional love interest (despite Lisa Edelstein’s strong efforts). I just feel that the relationship never made sense, that we never got a clear backstory on House and Cuddy, and that the episodes about the romance just dragged.
So I was optimistic about the final season. Losing Cuddy was a shame, but without the House/Cuddy relationship, the beginning of Season 8 felt more like the show I first took an interest in: zippy dialogue, more compelling patient stories, and even some episode plotlines that were more than just people screwing with each other.
But in the end, I was still disappointed. Two words: “missed opportunities.” To wit:
1.) Adams and Park
I feel like the writers gave up on these two halfway through the season (about when they voiced little more than perfunctory position points). Park’s family dynamics were sort of interesting, but never built to anything meaningful. (I also had a hard time really caring about the sexual harassment suit of an innocent character we’ve known for all of 85 minutes.) And what about Adams and her rich (white) liberal guilt? Where was the episode when she forces the team to take on a second case out of pity for the patient and compromises the care of both patients for lack of sufficient resources? And how about that (unfulfilled) romance with Chase, where the apathetic rich boy and the bleeding-heart rich girl treat a few poor patients and struggle with what their social status really means?
2.) Foreman as Dean of Medicine
Foreman was a lame choice for House’s new boss – the ‘Foreman in Charge’ dynamic has been done to death. It isn’t even realistic. I think the hospital would have much more likely chosen a department head, old friend of Lisa Cuddy’s, and longtime member of its board: Dr. James Wilson. It makes more sense, and it would have added yet another facet to the all-important House/Wilson relationship. At that point, Wilson has been House’s Jiminy Cricket for seven years – always advising, analyzing, and scolding, but ultimately powerless to stop House from making mistakes. But what happens now that Wilson is the big boss and actually has the authority (and administrative duty) to stop, punish, and/or reform House’s radical behavior?
3.) Foreman as Dean of Medicine
And even with Foreman as the new boss, they missed a great chance for an epic story arc befitting the show’s final season. There’s a brief scene one episode where Foreman’s trying to sweet-talk donors, just like Cuddy used to, and one of them mentions reluctance about giving money now that the hospital’s reputation isn’t as solid… and he implies that it’s because of Foreman. This is the one good plot reason to make Foreman Dean of Medicine: he’s not that good at it!
This season, we should have seen a desperate Foreman, one plunged into the deep end of administration, office politics, and risky business decisions: something with which our dear neurologist has no experience (also, do I hear “criminal record”?). Pulling House out of jail, which read as sheer convenience for the writers, could have been totally organic as Foreman’s desperate bid to salt the mine and save a hospital he has failed to manage properly. I would have loved to watch the characters (especially House and Chase) scramble as the hospital starts to go under. And who makes the big, risky play that saves the day for House? House. For once. Will his risky, legally shady gambit (blackmail, I’d bet) to save the hospital fortunes succeed? Or it will it go south, send him back to prison forever, and turn Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital into an HMO clinic?
4.) Wilson’s Cancer
I actually thought they handled this well enough, except they needed to set it up more carefully. I liked that we got blindsided along with House, but we should have had a sense in the weeks preceding that something was just a little off with everybody’s favorite oncologist. A few ambiguously poignant moments between Wilson and his terminal patients. More of Wilson being short with House with no explanation. Even (yet another) episode of House and Wilson playing mind games over Wilson keeping his whereabouts a secret, ‘cause when Wilson would finally give House a satisfying answer, WE would see something that indicates Wilson was still holding out on him. We wouldn't know why or what, even as House and Wilson keep acting like nothing’s wrong. My only other critique is that I think they made Wilson’s cancer too much of House’s problem, but then, the show is called ‘House, MD’.
5.) The Finale
Ah, yes. ‘Everybody Dies’. House faking his death is ridiculous and crazy, but then, so is the character, and it’s a touching gesture for Wilson. Plus, as final images go, their ride off into the distance is fitting enough. I do sort of wonder what shenanigans they’re up to right this minute, and I wonder what House will do with himself after Wilson dies. I think that speaks to very well-developed characters and a closing that respects them.
But as for the final episode itself, take a look back at the show’s greatest segments (which almost all involve a mix of nonlinear storytelling and going inside House’s head). It’s pretty clear that, in terms of execution, ‘Everybody Dies’ is just a faint shadow of what this show could once do. The writing was clunky and forced (except for that one great line about 'Dead Poets' Society'...!). And where’s the conclusion of House’s – and, vicariously, our own – relentless pursuit of absolute truth and meaning? That question needed an answer, or a final acknowledgement that there isn’t one.
And as it stood, this episode’s “to be or not to be” situation wasn’t believable. Unlike every other year, House seemed more or less at peace with himself for the bulk of the season. Even if missing Wilson’s final months has House in a dark place, I don’t buy that he’s debating suicide. (Plus, if he planned to fake his death from the outset, it’s not even a real debate, and then you’re lying to the audience, which is even worse.) The glut of guest stars didn’t much help either (although I was glad to see Sela Ward again as Stacy).
But suppose you’re going to stick with House facing the ghosts of seasons past. Even then, there is one face we absoultely should have seen, but didn't. And it's not Lisa Edelstein as Cuddy.
It's Elias Koteas as Moriarty.
In ‘No Reason’, the Season 2 finale, House is shot and confined to an ICU room, which he shares with his attacker, Moriarty (named in the credits only). Morarity uncannily picks at House’s worst faults and fears, and since all of their interactions are an episode-long hallucination, the Moriarty House argues with is a part of his own mind. It’s a beautiful illustration of a great concept: House is his own biggest antagonist: a Sherlock Holmes who is his own Moriarty.
For fans of Sherlock Holmes (or even just the BBC's modernized ‘Sherlock’), I shouldn’t have to point out that ‘Everbody Dies’ is House’s own Final Problem, his Reichenbach Fall. It’s all there: one-on-one with Moriarty (himself), life-or-death, and faking death. But where was Moriarty? To show House (almost literally) overcoming that internal Moriarty in the burning building would have been a beautiful moment, and a fitting conclusion to his series-long struggle to change.
. . .
This is kind of the end of an era for me. I've been watching since 2005, often in the MPR of Vassar's Raymond House. Season finales always came around the same time as equally emotional ends of school years. Yes, I wanted parts of 'House' and its finale to be a bit better. But the show’s (largely excellent) soundtrack has said it often and aptly: "You can’t always get what you want." But new episodes were always something good to look forward to. I often had the pleasure of watching and discussing them with family or good friends. And in terms of either (mostly good) writing or life philosophy, ‘House, MD’ always gave me something to think about.
I'd say I got what I needed.
. . .
Are the rookies gone? Cool.
I feel I can’t properly discuss the series finale without taking a broader look first (so bear with me). Despite my ardent fanhood, the show’s declining quality in recent years has not been lost on me. I blame this almost entirely on the House/Cuddy romance, which I feel was handled poorly from the beginning. It also (somehow) turned the once sharp, formidable character of Lisa Cuddy into a two-dimensional love interest (despite Lisa Edelstein’s strong efforts). I just feel that the relationship never made sense, that we never got a clear backstory on House and Cuddy, and that the episodes about the romance just dragged.
So I was optimistic about the final season. Losing Cuddy was a shame, but without the House/Cuddy relationship, the beginning of Season 8 felt more like the show I first took an interest in: zippy dialogue, more compelling patient stories, and even some episode plotlines that were more than just people screwing with each other.
But in the end, I was still disappointed. Two words: “missed opportunities.” To wit:
1.) Adams and Park
I feel like the writers gave up on these two halfway through the season (about when they voiced little more than perfunctory position points). Park’s family dynamics were sort of interesting, but never built to anything meaningful. (I also had a hard time really caring about the sexual harassment suit of an innocent character we’ve known for all of 85 minutes.) And what about Adams and her rich (white) liberal guilt? Where was the episode when she forces the team to take on a second case out of pity for the patient and compromises the care of both patients for lack of sufficient resources? And how about that (unfulfilled) romance with Chase, where the apathetic rich boy and the bleeding-heart rich girl treat a few poor patients and struggle with what their social status really means?
2.) Foreman as Dean of Medicine
Foreman was a lame choice for House’s new boss – the ‘Foreman in Charge’ dynamic has been done to death. It isn’t even realistic. I think the hospital would have much more likely chosen a department head, old friend of Lisa Cuddy’s, and longtime member of its board: Dr. James Wilson. It makes more sense, and it would have added yet another facet to the all-important House/Wilson relationship. At that point, Wilson has been House’s Jiminy Cricket for seven years – always advising, analyzing, and scolding, but ultimately powerless to stop House from making mistakes. But what happens now that Wilson is the big boss and actually has the authority (and administrative duty) to stop, punish, and/or reform House’s radical behavior?
3.) Foreman as Dean of Medicine
And even with Foreman as the new boss, they missed a great chance for an epic story arc befitting the show’s final season. There’s a brief scene one episode where Foreman’s trying to sweet-talk donors, just like Cuddy used to, and one of them mentions reluctance about giving money now that the hospital’s reputation isn’t as solid… and he implies that it’s because of Foreman. This is the one good plot reason to make Foreman Dean of Medicine: he’s not that good at it!
This season, we should have seen a desperate Foreman, one plunged into the deep end of administration, office politics, and risky business decisions: something with which our dear neurologist has no experience (also, do I hear “criminal record”?). Pulling House out of jail, which read as sheer convenience for the writers, could have been totally organic as Foreman’s desperate bid to salt the mine and save a hospital he has failed to manage properly. I would have loved to watch the characters (especially House and Chase) scramble as the hospital starts to go under. And who makes the big, risky play that saves the day for House? House. For once. Will his risky, legally shady gambit (blackmail, I’d bet) to save the hospital fortunes succeed? Or it will it go south, send him back to prison forever, and turn Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital into an HMO clinic?
4.) Wilson’s Cancer
I actually thought they handled this well enough, except they needed to set it up more carefully. I liked that we got blindsided along with House, but we should have had a sense in the weeks preceding that something was just a little off with everybody’s favorite oncologist. A few ambiguously poignant moments between Wilson and his terminal patients. More of Wilson being short with House with no explanation. Even (yet another) episode of House and Wilson playing mind games over Wilson keeping his whereabouts a secret, ‘cause when Wilson would finally give House a satisfying answer, WE would see something that indicates Wilson was still holding out on him. We wouldn't know why or what, even as House and Wilson keep acting like nothing’s wrong. My only other critique is that I think they made Wilson’s cancer too much of House’s problem, but then, the show is called ‘House, MD’.
5.) The Finale
Ah, yes. ‘Everybody Dies’. House faking his death is ridiculous and crazy, but then, so is the character, and it’s a touching gesture for Wilson. Plus, as final images go, their ride off into the distance is fitting enough. I do sort of wonder what shenanigans they’re up to right this minute, and I wonder what House will do with himself after Wilson dies. I think that speaks to very well-developed characters and a closing that respects them.
But as for the final episode itself, take a look back at the show’s greatest segments (which almost all involve a mix of nonlinear storytelling and going inside House’s head). It’s pretty clear that, in terms of execution, ‘Everybody Dies’ is just a faint shadow of what this show could once do. The writing was clunky and forced (except for that one great line about 'Dead Poets' Society'...!). And where’s the conclusion of House’s – and, vicariously, our own – relentless pursuit of absolute truth and meaning? That question needed an answer, or a final acknowledgement that there isn’t one.
And as it stood, this episode’s “to be or not to be” situation wasn’t believable. Unlike every other year, House seemed more or less at peace with himself for the bulk of the season. Even if missing Wilson’s final months has House in a dark place, I don’t buy that he’s debating suicide. (Plus, if he planned to fake his death from the outset, it’s not even a real debate, and then you’re lying to the audience, which is even worse.) The glut of guest stars didn’t much help either (although I was glad to see Sela Ward again as Stacy).
But suppose you’re going to stick with House facing the ghosts of seasons past. Even then, there is one face we absoultely should have seen, but didn't. And it's not Lisa Edelstein as Cuddy.
It's Elias Koteas as Moriarty.
In ‘No Reason’, the Season 2 finale, House is shot and confined to an ICU room, which he shares with his attacker, Moriarty (named in the credits only). Morarity uncannily picks at House’s worst faults and fears, and since all of their interactions are an episode-long hallucination, the Moriarty House argues with is a part of his own mind. It’s a beautiful illustration of a great concept: House is his own biggest antagonist: a Sherlock Holmes who is his own Moriarty.
For fans of Sherlock Holmes (or even just the BBC's modernized ‘Sherlock’), I shouldn’t have to point out that ‘Everbody Dies’ is House’s own Final Problem, his Reichenbach Fall. It’s all there: one-on-one with Moriarty (himself), life-or-death, and faking death. But where was Moriarty? To show House (almost literally) overcoming that internal Moriarty in the burning building would have been a beautiful moment, and a fitting conclusion to his series-long struggle to change.
. . .
This is kind of the end of an era for me. I've been watching since 2005, often in the MPR of Vassar's Raymond House. Season finales always came around the same time as equally emotional ends of school years. Yes, I wanted parts of 'House' and its finale to be a bit better. But the show’s (largely excellent) soundtrack has said it often and aptly: "You can’t always get what you want." But new episodes were always something good to look forward to. I often had the pleasure of watching and discussing them with family or good friends. And in terms of either (mostly good) writing or life philosophy, ‘House, MD’ always gave me something to think about.
I'd say I got what I needed.
Andy, Renee, Roger, Berlin, Bremen, Bremerhaven
The film festival is over. Now for the fun part.
On May 29, I jumped on a plane to Berlin to meet my parents for a few days’ travel. We didn’t do too much in Berlin that I hadn’t already done (which is why you’ll find those photos mixed in with the ones from Bremen and Bremerhaven). Bremen is another big German city (famous for teddy bears, of all things). Bremerhaven was the big emigration port out of Germany in the 1800s and early 1900s, and it’s where my ancestors on my mom’s side traveled from to reach the United States, so there was some sentimental value here. And wiener schnitzel value. Can’t undersell that one.
There will eventually be photos, but I've been working my camera very, very hard recently. It's going to take a while to sort through it all.
So, on June 2, we caught a (rather frantic) train (that smelled like a Vassar TH party) to Amsterdam so we could get on a cruise.
Prepare for the final entry. Right after the next, almost totally unrelated one.
-Andy
On May 29, I jumped on a plane to Berlin to meet my parents for a few days’ travel. We didn’t do too much in Berlin that I hadn’t already done (which is why you’ll find those photos mixed in with the ones from Bremen and Bremerhaven). Bremen is another big German city (famous for teddy bears, of all things). Bremerhaven was the big emigration port out of Germany in the 1800s and early 1900s, and it’s where my ancestors on my mom’s side traveled from to reach the United States, so there was some sentimental value here. And wiener schnitzel value. Can’t undersell that one.
There will eventually be photos, but I've been working my camera very, very hard recently. It's going to take a while to sort through it all.
So, on June 2, we caught a (rather frantic) train (that smelled like a Vassar TH party) to Amsterdam so we could get on a cruise.
Prepare for the final entry. Right after the next, almost totally unrelated one.
-Andy
All Hectic Things Cannes (and Do) Come to an End
I've got one last movie (p)review for you...
'Mud' (Jeff Nichols, 2012)
Two intrepid middle schoolers become go-betweens for Mud, an intriguing runaway, and his girlfriend, Juniper… who has come to the boys’ Alabama town at the same time as state troopers and bounty hunters seeking Mud.
Finally, something uplifting! 'Mud' is a focused, heartfelt, fairy-tale-ish story told in a refreshingly down-to-earth way. Matthew McConaughey, while not spellbinding, does a fine job as Mud... it's the boys who act their little hearts out: both are endearing and together make a fun, truthful duo. But the real hero here is the script. It’s well-plotted, full of likeable (yet still believable) characters, and it explores love with intelligence, sensitivity, and a childlike curiosity... and most importantly of all (to me), it's an original screenplay. So, no, 'Mud' doesn’t have the prestige picture qualities of 'Amour' [Love] (which won the Palme d’Or), or create a world as strikingly poetic as that of 'Beasts of the Southern Wild', but I think it just might be my favorite movie I’ve seen at Cannes. I highly recommend it.
. . .
I'm not quite sure what else I can say about the festival... Annie and I decided to end on a (rare) positive note, rather than going to see Mads Mikkelsen (the villain in 'Casino Royale') in 'The Hunt', which seemed very sobering (though he won the festival's best actor award for his part in it). I saw an even 20 movies in 11 days: all well-made, all for no admission price, most of them depressing, and all but one of them worth watching (that being 'Beyond the Hills', which OF COURSE won best actress awards and best screenplay... really made my blood boil).
A few words need perhaps be said of the awards... no big surprises, except that 'Holy Motors' and all of the American entries got snubbed. Here's the list:
BEST SCREENPLAY: Cristian Mungiu, 'Beyond the Hills' (grrr... 'Mud' totally deserved it more)
BEST ACTOR: Mads Mikkelsen, for his role in 'The Hunt'
BEST ACTRESS: Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur, for their roles in 'Beyond the Hills'
BEST DIRECTOR: Carlos Reygadas, for his direction of 'Post Tenebras Lux' (a Mexican film I didn't see)
CAMERA D'OR (Best Film by a New Director): 'Beasts of the Southern Wild', directed by Benh Zeitlin
JURY PRIZE (3rd place): 'The Angels' Share', directed by Ken Loach (a Scottish comedy about petty criminals trying to go straight by going into the whiskey business... got great reviews)
GRAND PRIX (2nd place... oh, France...): 'Reality', directed by Matteo Garrone
PALME D'OR (Best Picture): 'Amour', directed by Michael Haneke
. . .
So, that's the festival. And that's France. Next stop: Germany.
'Mud' (Jeff Nichols, 2012)
Two intrepid middle schoolers become go-betweens for Mud, an intriguing runaway, and his girlfriend, Juniper… who has come to the boys’ Alabama town at the same time as state troopers and bounty hunters seeking Mud.
Finally, something uplifting! 'Mud' is a focused, heartfelt, fairy-tale-ish story told in a refreshingly down-to-earth way. Matthew McConaughey, while not spellbinding, does a fine job as Mud... it's the boys who act their little hearts out: both are endearing and together make a fun, truthful duo. But the real hero here is the script. It’s well-plotted, full of likeable (yet still believable) characters, and it explores love with intelligence, sensitivity, and a childlike curiosity... and most importantly of all (to me), it's an original screenplay. So, no, 'Mud' doesn’t have the prestige picture qualities of 'Amour' [Love] (which won the Palme d’Or), or create a world as strikingly poetic as that of 'Beasts of the Southern Wild', but I think it just might be my favorite movie I’ve seen at Cannes. I highly recommend it.
. . .
I'm not quite sure what else I can say about the festival... Annie and I decided to end on a (rare) positive note, rather than going to see Mads Mikkelsen (the villain in 'Casino Royale') in 'The Hunt', which seemed very sobering (though he won the festival's best actor award for his part in it). I saw an even 20 movies in 11 days: all well-made, all for no admission price, most of them depressing, and all but one of them worth watching (that being 'Beyond the Hills', which OF COURSE won best actress awards and best screenplay... really made my blood boil).
A few words need perhaps be said of the awards... no big surprises, except that 'Holy Motors' and all of the American entries got snubbed. Here's the list:
BEST SCREENPLAY: Cristian Mungiu, 'Beyond the Hills' (grrr... 'Mud' totally deserved it more)
BEST ACTOR: Mads Mikkelsen, for his role in 'The Hunt'
BEST ACTRESS: Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur, for their roles in 'Beyond the Hills'
BEST DIRECTOR: Carlos Reygadas, for his direction of 'Post Tenebras Lux' (a Mexican film I didn't see)
CAMERA D'OR (Best Film by a New Director): 'Beasts of the Southern Wild', directed by Benh Zeitlin
JURY PRIZE (3rd place): 'The Angels' Share', directed by Ken Loach (a Scottish comedy about petty criminals trying to go straight by going into the whiskey business... got great reviews)
GRAND PRIX (2nd place... oh, France...): 'Reality', directed by Matteo Garrone
PALME D'OR (Best Picture): 'Amour', directed by Michael Haneke
. . .
So, that's the festival. And that's France. Next stop: Germany.
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