The Wife, a most unconventional tale

 The Wife was one of the most surprising movies I have ever seen. Glenn Close was giving us everything and nothing with her eyes, revealing but not revealing her inner feelings, taking us on a little roller coaster ride of suspense just by grabbing our attention with her eyes and her face. Not something you see every day. I don't have a label called #NotSomethingYouSeeEveryDay but maybe I should - it doesn't sound strong enough to describe the revelation of this film.

It's not so much that it's a movie for feminists, although in a way yes it is obviously so. That's not the true power of the movie as much as the deep intimacy between the viewer and characters. Both of the two main characters are complicated --their marriage itself is what we as viewers learn about and internalize and care about and have mixed feelings about. It's not just a psychological movie, however. There are actual acts taken and choices made. The choices are unconventional and maybe even unwise, but nevertheless we as viewers are compelled to empathize.

I think that viewers/readers/watchers/listeners (the audience) being compelled to empathize with characters is an important thing for art, Capital A Art, to do - perhaps that sounds too lofty. It's important however for us never to lose sight of the difference between art and entertainment.

This film moved me, and I am continuing to think about it and will think about it endlessly.

So Leo Can Fail, After All! (not really)

I'm just kidding. Leo didn't fail. But after thinking for many years "anything with this actor's gonna be good..." Well, I finally saw the first Leonardo DiCaprio film that I didn't like. Shutter Island, what a let-down. Actually, Leo did the best he could. The problems with the film had nothing to do with him, really. His acting was its usual clever/didn't-see-this-coming mixed with suave. The film however! Yikes! First of all, haven't we seen this one before? A movie about a mental institution with a "missing" patient? Unless this is your Very First Movie, (and how old would you have to be? 5? in which case it would probably scare you), you know how this is going to end.

But I was willing to accept that, as a matter of fact, and go with the flow. I had already heard that the movie was dull and predictable and squishy. I was ready to know the ending from the beginning. I figured there would still be drama to enjoy along the way. There wasn't! An hour into it, I'm sitting there wondering, So when are we going to get to the point? It was the equivalent of a chase scene where the main character is not chasing anyone. You will never know how painful it was for me to watch Leo running around, acting it up, making squinty eyes and hot demands from everyone around him, essentially purposeless. I mean by that: What drove this character? If the story were to be believed, he was a U.S. Marshal trying to solve a missing persons case. Yet he knew from the very start that this person was not really missing. So then, his puzzle to solve became.....? His interest in the place was.....? Right. You kinda had to know the ending, in order to understand what was going on.

Essentially, the reason this film was so terrible was: knowing the ending became a requirement for following the basic plot, and yet, the ending was supposed to be a surprise twist. Hmmmmmmm.....

Tell No One - Best Movie I've Seen In A While - an Escape/Adventure/Surprise, and a Love Story!

"Tell No One" is one of the best movies I've seen in a while. It's pretty rare that you get to watch a murder mystery story that is not predictable, for one thing. The feeling of really wanting to know What happened? Who did it? reminds me of when I was a kid and enjoyed Agatha Christie books. I don't know the last time I got that feeling from a movie! Plus, this was an adventure story, where you're following the hero as he gets himself into one suspenseful situation after another. What will happen with the secret meeting in the park? Can he escape capture? Yet, it's not cliche-driven like so many typical suspense films. There are characters you just have to love and you don't see it coming. For example, the hero, Alex, is a pediatrician. And when he gets in trouble he has to recruit some muscle to come save him. The muscle he recruits is a guy who looks like a tough guy and who has connections to the street, but who is really a sensitive father who once took his son to the pediatrician's office. Yup! That conversation about "I owe this guy a favor"? -- So not typical for it to be followed by "He helped me out when I took my kid to the doctor."

And, of course, what else would I want but a good love story? Also included, free of charge. Just a bonus.

Eyes of Laura Mars

What a hoot! Watch this and tell me how long it takes *you* to recognize Tommy Lee Jones. Seriously. This is a classic 1970s thriller which puts all the fun back into thrillers - for those of us who have grown weary of seeing Jodie Foster or anyone else trapped on an airplane.

Faye Dunaway, once again. I'm becoming a fan of hers. In this movie she's so convincing as a photographer whose vision is interrupted constantly - even when she's behind the camera! - by the vision of murder, seen through the eyes of the murderer! Hold on models, stop posing! Stop the shoot! It's also great when Laura's fumbling around in her apartment, trying to feel her way to the telephone, as if blind! Meanwhile, with her eyes open, she's actually watching her friends be killed - one by one, and she can do nothing about it!

Mostly, this was just pure fun to watch. Fun to play "who's that actor" with some recognizable but much-younger faces. (It's like a reverse version of "where are they now?") Fun to get swept away by the pounding, overly melodramatic music score. Fun to watch Tommy Lee Jones running down the street in a typical 1970s chase scene. Really fun to laugh your head off at the close-up shots of Faye Dunaway's eyes. Yep. Get this one from Netflix. It's a joy.