by Christina Waters | Dec 29, 2012 | Home |
Despite all of his politically-correct instincts—the ones that usually sabotage his work—Steven Spielberg’s skill carries the day here. Lincoln is the masterpiece of his mid-career, and the triumph of filmmaking genius over bleeding heart didacticism.
As usual the maestro has trouble starting a film—in this case a woefully improbable duo of young black recruits meets up with the president in the aftermath of battle and proceed to badger him about civil rights. And as usual, Spielberg provides the multiple endings of a perennially insecure beau, afraid we won’t like the first ending, or the second, so he tacks on yet another. These are only irritations, however, and not fatal enough flaws to ruin Lincoln‘s quickly established momentum. Once established, that momentum proves to be bracing, tender, explosive, humorous, and emotionally devastating.
Through Lincoln we are unequivocally plunged into the living tissue of the mid-19th century—here the credit must be shared by Spielberg’s longtime visual collaborators, cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and production designer Rick Carter. The muddy streets of the nation’s capital, the dark, heavy-curtained interiors of Victorian America illuminated by oil lamp and candlelight, the incredibly diverse and outlandish hair, beard, and mustache fashions of the day—all easily insert us into the world experienced by the weary leader of a weary nation that had already lost 600,000 lives in bloody combat.
Casting is key, as is Tony Kushner’s smart and dextrous script (sure to be one of many Oscars for the film). Lincoln is powered by outstanding performances (more…)
by Christina Waters | Dec 28, 2012 | Home |
Vanity Fair meets Readers Digest in this opulent bit of conceptual eye candy for those who can manage to overlook, or temporarily abandon Leo Tolstoy’s towering novel.
And for those who didn’t get enough of Keira Knightley’s collarbones in either Atonement or A Dangerous Method, you’re in for a treat. Not only does the gaunt, gorgeous British “actress” bare bones a plenty, but she also gives us an in-depth view of every one of her vertebrae, a view worthy of any medical school anatomy seminar. And God can she wear hats!
Am I being too harsh? At this point I must provide complete disclosure: I am actually reading the eponymous novel by the aforementioned 19th century author. (Yes, I am one of those who, in high school, opted for four readings of Madame Bovary in lieu of (more…)
by Christina Waters | Dec 27, 2012 | Home |
Finally! I caught up with some of the major films this season, and I did it in a back-to-back viewing marathon (okay, mini-marathon) in the days before Christmas.
Here’s my quick take on Argo, the Ben Affleck-directed political caper. A total movie movie, it’s worth your time, money, and a bag of popcorn.
With the cheerfully ascerbic Alan Arkin, looking every inch his entire 200 years, and the cheerfully cynical John Goodman chewing up the edges of this true-life tale, Argo offers us a finely-calibrated, edge-of-your-seat political thriller, loaded with tightly calibrated acting finesse and split-second timing. As a director, Affleck is truly surprising. The film thrashes deftly through the events of a few weeks during the Iran hostage situation of 1980.
As an “actor” Affleck is nothing to write home about, in fact he’s practically absent while he’s present on-screen. But he manages to nail down the steady central core of CIA operative Tony Mendez, whose assignment is to get six American diplomatic workers (more…)
by Christina Waters | Dec 26, 2012 | Home |
I plan to hang out frequently at The Abbey Coffee house on Highland Street this new year. I am obviously the last to know about this place, tucked inside a church complex just off Mission Street. Warm, inviting, loaded with designer pastries and spot on espresso drinks, it is also a wifi oasis filled with couches, armchairs and plenty of tables for meetings. Thanks to Tom Brezsny for turning me on to The Abbey.
by Christina Waters | Dec 17, 2012 | Home |
As of December 31st, Le Cigare Volant restaurant will close.
I spent some time today sitting with winemaker/restaurateur Randall Grahm deconstructing the situation. And essentially, it’s no big mystery. “To do a proper restaurant,” Grahm told me, “you have to know what you’re doing. You have to have the wit to locate your restaurant in the right place, to know your clientele, to be on the premisses 200% of the time—to be a real restaurateur.”
In other words, he continued with a wry smile, “you have to know what you’re doing.”
Grahm, who admits that restaurant managing is not his first language—”nor my second or third”—says that running two huge businesses (more…)
