This week my mind is on obsessions. Yours and Mine. I am preparing for a class Sunday from Francis Chan's book, "Crazy Love". The chapter is titled, "profile of the obsessed". That is where my thoughts are at the moment. On the way to work today, I stopped at a convenience store and met a lady as she was leaving. She was wearing a red t-shirt with this saying:
I have been looking forward to the sequel of "Wall Street" since it was announced. The critics are divided and they are are saying the craziest statement: "It's not as good as the first!" Except for "Godfather II" tell me a movie that is?" A review in the Tulsa paper gave it 1-1/2 stars! So what to expect?
Well we went to see for ourselves. After my last venture I was glad to not hear the F word every other breath and from a story (the Wall Street meltdown of 08!) that almost seemed appropriate! I liked this film. The Camera work was superb as with all Oliver Stone films and the acting was great as well. The selection of Shea LaBeouf was good because he makes a great "Weasel"
The story is still about GREED and its effects. It does a good job of explaining why we are in our current mess and shows why we had to bail out Wall Street even though we didn't want to.
Gordon Gekko writes a book while in prison and gets out just before the crash happens. During a speech he gives one of the many good quotes, "Someone reminded me that I once said Greed is good. Well now it is apparently legal." Th movie also ties up some loose ends from the first edition and Charlie Sheen's character even makes a cameo.
This is a good moral tale. I give this movie ***stars.
2010 Movie #42.
The other great quote was: "I'll make a deal with you. You quit spreading lies about me and I'll quit telling the truth about you." I could have used that about two months ago!
I went for an afternoon movie today and saw Ben Affleck's "The Town". It is getting good reviews so I gave it a try. The story (as most of Ben's movies) was set in Boston or Charleston to be exact. What was fun about the film is that while in Boston two years ago, we ventured to see "Old Ironside" and the "Bunker Hill Monument" (In Charleston). Most of the scenes were in the neighborhood that we walked.
The movie is well acted with not only Affleck but Jeremy Renner(Hurt Locker) and the guy from Mad Men. The story was compelling but the F word was alternating from Noun, verb, etc., many times in the same sentence. It is so tiresome!
Therefore, I give this movie **stars (*** for intent).
2010 Movie#41
I do not recommend if this is the only movie you will see for a while.
We needed a movie break tonight. So we went to "Easy A" about how the high school rumor mill can run amok. It is the "Scarlet Letter" come to life. the movie stars Emma Stone, Thomas Hayden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson and Amanda Bynes. What happens when a high school straight arrow joking-ly tells a made-up story about a wild weekend to a friend but is overheard by the school gossip? What happens when she finds out that she is being talked about and goes with the flow?
The movie is extremely witty (think "Juno") and well acted.
It has many references and clips of 80's movies. It is a movie with heart in the weirdest ways.
Note to casual movie goers: The movie portrays a student Christian group in a very bad light. You can blame Hollywood OR you can (like me) think of all the many times in your life where "Church going folks get very accomplished at spreading gossip."
It shows what happens to your friends when they choose believe untruths.
I was reminded how recent events in my life are very similar to high school stunts.
I like this movie a lot! If I was still teaching my class at church using movies, this would be used for sure!
