the best parts: Closer

For once, Julia Roberts plays a role that doesn't require her to flash her megalithic teeth too often. I rather liked her playing sexy, hurt, and emotionally confused Anna in the film adaptaion of a terribly frank play by Patrick Marber. The story concerns a quartet of emotionally confused adults messing up a series of very adult relationships with each other. There is no soft edge, no happy ending for these people -- they just go on hurting themselves the way folks do. Mike Nichols hasn't been my favorite director for about 15 years, thanks to tragedies like Wolf, The Birdcage and that lovely Gary Shandling vehicle, What Planet Are You From?. In the case of Closer, however, he proves how brilliant he can be making movies for adults -- the ones who have sex, fall in love, get into relationships and have doubts about themselves in random order. Hollywood doesn't make many films like this anymore, because most of the adults in this category are over 30 -- and what's the use in marketing a movie to people who are so old, right?

the best parts: Excellent casting all around - Roberts, Jude Law, Clive Owen and the stunningly talented Natalie Portman, who would deserve an Oscar for her performance if Cate Blanchett hadn't already won it in my mind; any shot of Jude Law; Natalie Portman as a blonde; Natalie Portman vamping; Natalie Portman as Pink; Natalie Portman with stripper pole; Clive "I'm the next James Bond" Owen's green eyes.

the best parts: The Aviator

Martin Scorecese is overdue to be recognized as the master craftsman of American movies. Several years ago, I would have thought that title belonged to Stephen Speilberg, until he decided to forget how to make a decent picture. Now he just bores me. Scorcese, in contrast, is able to keep me entranced by the story of a millionaire playboy with poor business sense and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive hand washing doesn't sound like it would be that captivating, but Leonardo Di Caprio nails it. He also does a pretty good job as Howard Hughes testifying before the Senate. Otherwise, this movie belongs to Marty and his camera and his depiction of the Golden Ages of Hollywood and the Airline giants. And Cate Blanchett. Loved her, too.

the best parts: Cate as Kate (Oscarworthy); another brilliant score by Howard Shore; Leo playing crazy; Leo washing his hands (again); saturated technicolor cinematography; music cameos - especially the Wainwright family (Rufus, Loudon and Martha); Kate Beckinsdale is still a waste of good costuming

the best parts: Ray

Who is Jamie Foxx and what has he done with Denzel Washington? This man just topped my list of Best Actor nominations for his performance as Ray Charles and, in my humble opinion, is guaranteed the win, barring something magical from Leonardo DiCapprio in The Aviator [editor's note: since posting this entry, it has been determined that Leo poses no legitimate threat]. It was one thing for Foxx to steal the show from Tom Cruise earlier this year in Collateral, because, let's face it, I would praise Babe the Talking Pig next to Cruise, but running away with a beautifully written and powerfully directed biopic like Ray takes some balls. Taylor Hackford, director of such middling fare as An Officer and a Gentleman and The Devil's Advocate, outdid himself with a script and honey colored direction. Foxx took that opportunity to act and sing and be like Ray Charles. He builds an utterly complete characterization -- not an impersonation. He made me forget all about Howard Hughes.

the best parts: This is the second star turn for Jamie Foxx this year; feel those wrists; "Georgia on my Mind"; lots of women, but Regina King stands out as a woman worthy of being Foxx's leading lady.

Welcome... again

For those of you just joining me from my previous location, welcome. As you can tell from the posting below, I've been sniffling and dripping snot all over the keyboards too much to post many movie reviews, but be assured that they will be returning shortly. I've just seen THE AVIATOR, THE HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, ANGELS IN AMERICA (on DVD), CLOSER and RAY. I'm sure you are dying to know what I think... Even if you're not, let me force a couple of predictions on you for Oscar time:

BEST...
Picture: The Aviator
Actor: Jamie Foxx (RAY)
Actress: Kate Winslet (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF A SPOTLESS MIND)
Supporting Actor: Thomas Hayden Church (SIDEWAYS)
Supporting Actres: Either Cate Blanchett (THE AVIATOR) or Natalie Portman (CLOSER)

I'll get back to you on my choice for Best Director. My heart tells me it's Martin Scorcese's year, but my head knows that Hollywood loves Alexander Payne.

My Very Special Christmas

On Alaska Air Flight #7 from Newark Liberty Airport back home to Seattle, I shared my row with a lovely family of five. Mother, father, two girls and a little boy. Daddy and the boy were next to me, and while the elder slept, the younger tossed and turned and hacked and wheezed, occasionally turning to say, "Daddy, I don't feel real good." I had just spent five days with my family in the bitter cold of New York City, happily entertaining my germ-ridden nephew and his newborn sister. I managed to stay healthy and sane. I felt fine and brought back plenty of pictures to prove it (pics posted here). But I would be undone by a six hour trip home in a jet propelled incubator, trapped by the window by not one, but two members of the Brady Bunch... one sister (we'll call her "Jan") swapped places with little Bobby for a while, and she was no picture of health herself. By the time we landed at SeaTac, I felt dirty and scratchy and my throat was dry. I begged my boyfriend to rush us home -- and not to kiss me! -- so I could shower off as much of the Brady Sickness residue as possible.

A week later, I am downing little cups of Robitussin and cursing the Brady's. They ruined and otherwise perfect Christmas in New York. We even had snow! Not exactly on Christmas Day, but closer to a White Christmas as I've had in over two decades. My father taught my nephew how to throw snowballs while my sister-in-law looked on in horror. The entire family bundled up for a trip to the Botanical Gardens to see Thomas the Train (LIVE! for heaven's sake!), reminiscing along the way about years gone by, when Christmas was warmer and our fingers didn't feel like they were going to freeze off. There were fewer presents, mostly because we all came long distances to see each other, but also because we didn't want TSA agents confiscating the knife sets, automatic pistols and bondage gear we would have tried to smuggle through security. Instead, we exchanged scented soaps and picture frames. All things we could add to our homes without adding clutter and remember fondly, "Hm, oh, yeah - Abi gave me these. Sweet."

When it comes down to it, the highlights of the trip were all about chilling out with the family -- not the diseased and dysfunctional Brady's on Flight #7, but my own growing family. I held my neice Annie for the first time. She's only two weeks old, but we got along really well. My two-year-old nephew Cal held my hand while we walked across the street to the Children's Museum, which means he trusted me. At the top of the list was lunch at an honest-to-goodness New York diner. Gut busting deli sandwiches, real kosher pickles and a neurotic mensch of a waiter who went on about his poor cats. For dessert, I ordered a Black and White cookie to go. I shared a piece with Cal, who had never had one before. We both like the chocolate side the best. That was fun.