"Crazy Heart" DVD

"Crazy Heart" was written by Thomas Cobb and, although I haven't yet read his novel, I'd heard a lot about the movie so I decided to check it out. Jeff Bridges portrays "Bad" Blake, a country music singer who is in his 50's and down on his luck but looking for a way to climb out. He used to write incredible songs and sings all his own original songs in the dives he's now performing at -- mostly one night stands leaving him traveling during the day to get to the next night's gig. He's under pressure from his manager and a younger country music star (who he helped get his start) to write more songs. They tell him that's where the money is -- write songs for the younger star to perform.

There's a problem, though, because Blake spends too much time smoking and drinking booze and it's affecting his work plus he's not able to find inspiration for new songs.

He appears to have spent a lifetime running from relationships - marriages and a son (now in his late 20's) who he hasn't seen since he was 4 years old. Although we get a glimpse of the women who offer themselves to him at every stop, none of them are serious until he meets a young reporter (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) whose uncle asks Blake to allow her to interview him as a favor to the uncle. She's a single mom with a four year old son and Blake is drawn to her and she to him and they attempt to have somewhat of a long-distance relationship. Blake manages to ruin that with his drinking but it's the impetus he needs to ask a friend (Robert Duvall) for help getting sober (something a doctor couldn't get him to do after he is involved in a one car rollover accident. The doctor tells him his drinking and smoking and general lifestyle are leading him to an early death.) Sobriety leads to a new life for Blake with new songs and an upsurge in his career and finances.

Incredible performances by Bridges and Gyllenhaal!

pazt

"The Shadow in the North"

Although Philip Pullman's novels are available in paperback, I haven't read any of them. However, I've watched the two DVD's based on his books starring Billie Piper who is truly believable as Sally Lockhart, a woman living in the 1870's who is independent -- not a common womanly trait in those days. As Sally is trying to help one of her financial clients recover some money she's lost in an investment gone wrong, her friends, Fred and Jim, are investigating an entirely different case in their work as private detectives. As they learn there is a connection between the two investigations, danger arises for them and everyone around them. I'm disappointed that this appears to be the last DVD available based on the Sally Lockhart mysteries -- maybe I'll need to read the books!

pazt

"Fell Purpose"

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' latest Detective Inspector Slider myster does not disappoint. Slider and his team are investigating a young girl's murder on a Bank Holiday Monday so it's no holiday for them. It takes the whole team to try to find out more about this young woman as she seems to have kept her doings private from her strict parents and her school friends. As they investigate and think they have an idea about "who did it," more possible suspects are unearthed requiring additional legwork. In the meantime, Slider and his wife, Joanna, are feeling quite cramped in her pre-marital living space now that they have a toddler son, George, sleeping in their bedroom, too. As Slider is engrossed in solving his case, Joanna is looking for a larger home but everything seems priced out of their reach. In the midst of all this, Slider's father has been trying to reach them -- He just might have the perfect solution to their living arrangements! Another great read by Harrod-Eagles!

pazt

"The Last Detective" Series 3 and 4

Well, this week my spouse and I watched the last two "Dangerous" Davies DVD's and I was so disappointed because I thought this was the end of the series. However, amazon.com is showing a Series 5* so there's hope! In Series 3 and 4 Davies has some relationship changes and many more cases to solve. Some of those cases involve fellow policeman which is where he always seems to get in trouble with his superiors! As you probably have guessed, we have really enjoyed this series so I'm off to find Series 5*.

*11/28/10 - My local library informs me that Series 5 is actually all the previous series in one DVD so I'm sad to report there are no more Dangerous Davies episodes to watch!

pazt

"Ruby In The Smoke"

This DVD adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel by Masterpiece Theatre stars Billie Piper as Sally Lockhart -- a young woman who has recurring nightmares after her father's death. Sally's treatment by the aunt she now lives with is unendurable so she leaves to make her own way in the world. In the meantime she discovers her own life is in danger and, with the help of friends, Sally must discover why as well as learn the mystery of her past. Sally's sleuthing takes her into the seedy world of opium dens. At times this movie is pretty dark but Sally's friends bring lightness and humor to the story. When my spouse and I started watching the movie, it seemed familiar and we realized we'd seen it years ago on our local PBS channel but watched it again since we couldn't remember all the details. I've just requested the next DVD in the Sally Lockhart mysteries from our local library for another date night viewing.

pazt

"Justice - What's The Right Thing To Do?"

Michael J. Sandel is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University where he has taught since 1980. Sandel's "Justice" course is very popular -- so popular in fact that it has had to be moved to a larger venue to accommodate students and guests who want to attend the lectures. Personally, I think this course should be a requirement for students in high school, too, as I believe discussing many of the topics this course covers would prepare our young people for entering the "real world" more than many other required courses.

Topics include affirmative action, same-sex marriage, physician-assisted suicide, abortion, national service, patriotism and dissent, and more. When my book club decided to discuss this book, we were told that we had the option of reading the book, watching the DVD's, and/or going on-line to view it. My spouse and I checked out both the book and the DVD's from the library but I found watching the DVD's the most effective for me although I supplemented that with reading some passages from the book.

Why do I like the DVD's so well? They really show Sandel's teaching style and his total grasp of the philosophies that the class is based on. He's an amazing instructor and he is able to draw his students into classroom debates encouraging them to stand up and share their beliefs on a topic -- and why they believe that way. Other students can then promote their opposing viewpoint. I can certainly see a lot of excellent attorneys in the making watching these classroom debates. I would also hope this class might also graduate some future politicians who have the ability to really think through all sides of an issue. Sandel also does an excellent job of summarizing what has been debated in the classroom and how it relates to the current philosophy being discussed.

Readers of the book are encouraged to go online to discuss and share thoughts with other readers at www.justiceharvard.org. It's one of the most thought provoking books I've read and my book club decided one session was not enough to do it "justice" so we continued the discussion into a second monthly meeting. I cannot think of anyone this book would not be appropriate for except maybe individuals who are not open to exploring options or opposing viewpoints.

pazt

"The News Where You Are"

This novel by Catherine O'Flynn centers on Frank Allcroft, a TV news anchor in the English town where he grew up. The story is about relationships among people of all ages formed in childhood, at work, and through family connections. Catherine O'Flynn's first novel, "What Was Lost," is not one I have read but I plan to as it is highly praised having won the Costa First Novel Award in 2007. It was also short-listed for the Guardian First Book Award and long-listed for the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize. O'Flynn says in the afterward that she wrote about "loss, memory, and the impact of the shifting city" in her first novel and, after finishing "The News Where You Are" she seems to have written about the same themes again.

The losses O'Flynn writes about aren't always those of death but losses of youth and relationships and perceptions. O'Flynn's characters are well developed and real -- in fact so real that some of them seem to have been drawn straight from the lives of some of my family members.

Although this book isn't a mystery per se, it does have a mystery set within it and uncovered by Frank in his effort to not let anyone be forgotten. He has a habit of working with the coroner to try to identify the next of kin in cases where there seems to be little information about a person who has died naturally but doesn't really warrant the police spending a lot of time investigating any family connections. Frank,to his wife's frustration, spends his off work hours on these cases and it appears to be something he can't help doing and can't bring himself to give up. It all leads to a surprising but very satisfying ending.

"The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries" Set One

This 3 disc DVD set from the BBC Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries includes 2 episodes: "Clouds of Witness" and "The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club"
In "Clouds of Witness" Lord Peter's brother has been accused of murder and Lord Peter returns from his trip abroad to help his Scotland Yard detective friend find the actual culprit. There are lots of twists and turns leading up to a surprise conclusion. My spouse and I had fun trying to figure out "whodunit" and we actually did pretty well despite new evidence cropping up that kept leading us down different paths.

I've already reviewed "The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club" when we watched it from a single DVD set. (See October 25, 2010, entry.)

pazt

"The Battle of the Labyrinth"

Oops! I just finished reading Book 4 in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & The Olympians series and, as there were references to people and events from the previous book, I felt like I was missing something -- or my memory's failing me! As it turns out, I forgot to read Book 3 so I'll be backtracking to read that one next to fill in a few blanks before going on to Book 5. Percy Jackson is in trouble from day one in "The Battle of the Labyrinth" (What's new?!) so I finished this 361 page book in a couple of days as I just couldn't put it down. If you prefer not to miss anything, though, I recommend reading them in order:
Book One: "The Lightning Thief"
Book Two: "The Sea of Monsters"
Book Three: "The Titan's Curse"
Book Four: "The Battle of the Labyrinth"

pazt

Blog I Like

http://www.laurasleanbeef.com/blog - Check out this blog for "organic" beef recipes. Yes, I know, how can beef be organic but it's healthy beef!

pazt