Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips starring Tom Hanks tells the true harrowing tale of Capt. Richard Phillips, whose crew and ship, the Maersk Alabama, which was carrying commercial cargo and food aid while traveling around the Horn of Africa in its journey from Oman to Kenya was hijacked and Phillips taken hostage by a rag-tag group of Somali pirates.

At the film’s onset we are introduced to the lead characters in the drama and given a glimpse into their respective lives; back home in Vermont, we see Phillips leaving his family home and driving a minivan while discussing his kids future with his wife, in that brief snapshot we get a sense of his role as family man and the bond and love between he and his wife; cut to Muse, the leader or captain of the Somali pirates, whom by contrast is seen amidst the squalor of a poor fishing village in Somalia. Roused from bed at the arrival of the gang leaders for the Somali warlord to which they all answer to, the men are chastised for their lack of recent deliveries and threatened with dire consequences if a target isn’t acquired soon. Muse’s gaunt face and haunting eyes are a testament to the poverty and desperate circumstances in which he lives. As he makes his way to the shore and the skiffs which help him earn a livelihood, he is surrounded by men and teenage boys, each desperate to prove themselves and provide for their family. Despite the odds against them, as they depart in their battered skiffs and failing motors, their thin faces and wide-open eyes carry a look of life or death determination, as failure is not option.

At sea on the Alabama, Capt. Phillips reads an email with dire warnings of pirate activities and quickly begins security drills to prepare his crew for the eventuality of an attack. No sooner do the men begin preparing the fire hoses used to prevent pirate boarding, when our own hearts skip a beat as we see two ominous blips on the captain’s radar screen indicating their worst fears are about to realized. The tension builds on both sides of the David and Goliath battle as the ship and skiffs try to outrace each other, each pushed to the limits in their bids for escape and attack, respectively. Using his smarts and ingenuity Phillips manages to dissuade one of the skiffs from their mission, but desperation and need are a strong driving force and Muse has gone too far to turn back. Despite Phillips initial success at evading the enemy, a quiet night passes only to bring a new attack from the determined Muse. As the four man skiff finally draws beside the massive cargo ship, you hold your breath with each bump between the two vessels, and your breath (and an expletive) explodes out as that ladder finally hooks onto the railing and the inevitable occurs, the first pirate jumps on. It’s a mad dash for survival at that point as Phillips bravely tries to save his crew and ship; it becomes a battle of wills and intellect as the two captain’s go head-to-head for their men, their livelihood, and their very lives.

While Gravity has been getting all the box office glory lately, don’t let this great film pass you by without going to see it. Despite knowing the event’s outcome, once the action starts the movie keeps a steady rapid-fire pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat. When the story shifts from the cargo ship to a smaller lifeboat, you automatically think the action’s done for, but instead the tension builds as the clock counts down and the pirates realize the futility of their circumstances. Once you’re in the heart of the movie, the rare early glimpse of Muse becomes invaluable to better understanding his motivation. While not excusing his actions, in those few scenes, we are privy to the need and lack of hope that prompts Muse or thousands like him, to do what they do. One item of note which caught my attention was the glaring fact that throughout the movie the pirates are seen constantly chewing something, Khat (it’s referenced in the subtitles), a term which I had never heard before. Since it's never explained in the movie, I googled the term when I got home and learned that Khat is an amphetamine-like stimulant that is said to cause excitement, loss of appetite and euphoria; this knowledge goes a long way towards explaining the Somalis manic wide-eyed expressions and increasingly erratic behavior as they start running out of the stuff.

As for the acting, Hanks yet again offers a tour de force performance, which I have no doubt will garner him, at the bare minimum an Oscar nomination, if not an Oscar outright. Hanks’ counterpart in the movie, Barkhad Abdi who portrays Muse was absolutely phenomenal, especially when you take into account that he had NEVER acted before (so much for acting school). Abdi was born in Somalia but at the age of 14 immigrated to Minneapolis with his family; he learned about the role through a local TV ad announcing auditions.

Captain Phillips is an intense story about real life heroes, which are the best kind. This movie is a trip to the high seas which you won’t soon forget.

12 Years A Slave (Book)

Originally published in 1853, 12 Years a Slave, is the true story of Solomon Northup, a freeman born and living in upstate New York who is tricked by a couple of con artists into traveling to Washington DC to perform with his violin, where he is drugged and sold to a slave trader that transports him to Louisiana where he serves as a slave for 12 years until his bid for freedom sees fruition.

As if the facts of the story weren’t compelling enough, Northup’s eloquence and poignancy in relaying the horrors of his enslavement are heartbreaking and chilling. As a reader you are bombarded with images of the harsh reality lived and the pain and misery endured; from his initial panic and desperation at waking up and finding himself in chains, separated from his wife and children; to his physical suffering as he’s whipped and beaten upon his cries of being a free man; to the emotional toll of the uncertainty of what his new life had in stored for him, as well as the pain of witnessing the torment of the other poor souls living through the same hell with him. The magnitude of the horror endured by so many and the lack of humanity and compassion displayed by others is beyond disconcerting and the mind boggles at the barbarous knowledge that one human could, and more importantly would, inflict so much torment on another human being.

One of Solomon’s initial cell companions while in DC was Eliza, a young slave and her children, Emily and Randall, whom he meets at the Williams Slave Pen before being transported to Louisiana. Solomon states that wearing silk with rings upon her fingers, her good manners and propriety of language showed that Eliza had at some time stood above the common level of a slave. As a reader you are enveloped by Eliza’s despondency at the betrayal which brought her to that God forsaken place, and share in her anguish when she is separated from her beloved children. Eliza’s all-consuming sorrow brought tears to my eyes as she was first separated from Randall, who bravely yet vainly, tries to console his mother; and you feel an almost physical ache for the pain which serves to break her as no whipping ever could, when her beautiful Emmy is torn from her arms. Solomon relates:

“I have seen mothers kissing for the last time the faces of their dead offspring; I have seen them looking down into the grave, as the earth fill with a dull sound upon their coffins, hiding them from their eyes forever; but never have I seen such an exhibition of intense, unmeasured, and unbounded grief, as when Eliza was parted from her child.”

Sold and his name changed to Platt, God initially proved kinder to Solomon than Eliza, for his first master is William Ford, whom Solomon calls a “kind, noble, candid, Christian man.” Despite the hardships already endured, Solomon is a forgiving enough man to not only see the goodness in his new master, but in honest and fair contemplation to excuse his master’s ignorance in embracing slavery as a result of a lifetime of living in an inhumane system. Solomon states:

“The influences and associations that had always surrounded him, blinded him to the inherent wrong at the bottom of the system of slavery. He never doubted the moral right of one man holding another in subjection…Brought up under other circumstances and other influences, his notions would undoubtedly have been different.”

Unfortunately, as with many slaves, Solomon ultimately has more than one owner and fate isn’t as kind with the two masters which followed William Ford – Tibeats (“a small, crabbed, quick-tempered, spiteful man”) and Epps (“a man in whose heart the quality of kindness or of justice is not found”). By comparison, these two men impart unrelenting suffering on his person, and on more than one occasion he has to run from them for fear of losing his life. It is while under Epps tyrannical rule that Solomon meets Patsey, a young slave that could out work any man, harvesting 400 pounds of cotton per day, yet who’s back nonetheless bore the scars of at least 1,000 stripes, not because she was slow, lazy or rebellious but because was the slave of a depraved master and his jealous wife; “The enslaved victim of lust and hate.”

Solomon finally has reason to hope in 1852, when he meets Bass, an abolitionist carpenter and native of Canada whom he trusts enough to confess the truth of his plight and beg for help in informing his family of his location. After the initial suffering incurred at his cries of freedom, he had never again told a soul of his circumstances. In January of 1853, Henry Northup, the son of his father’s former master, answers the call for justice and returns Solomon to the bosom of his family.

In addition to the human tale, Solomon shares countless tidbits of information on the slave experience, from the fact that each slave is examined prior to purchase, with owners checking their teeth as if they were purchasing a horse instead of a human being, and checking their backs for scars for they were considered “evidence of a rebellious or unruly spirit” or the fact that a slave’s name changed with his change of master. Solomon also offers insights into the inner workings of a plantation such as planting and harvesting schedules for cotton, corn and cane fields. In doing so, he highlights the fears and labors faced by a slave each day; a vicious daily cycle of angst, despair and hardship.

This book was an unforgettable read, both educational and compelling. I am inspired by Solomon’s strength of character and unrelenting determination and hope. Solomon’s invaluable tale helps to shine a light on a dark blemish in our American history. A shameful part of our collective story which truly went against everything we today hold to be true and dear, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Fall Movie Preview

Can you say Oscar? It’s that time of year when squirrels gather their nuts for winter and movie studio executives instead put their nuts on the line, hedging their bets on releasing what they think will be this year’s surefire Oscar contenders. I haven’t seen any of these movies, so I can’t yet offer an opinion on their worthiness or not (I'll post movie reviews once I actually see them), but these select few have captured my interest through mere buzz, stellar casts and compelling storylines. So while they might not all share in Oscar glory come March, with names like Redford, Streep and Pitt in the mix, I have no doubt they’ll each at least give the competition a run for its money. In addition to the big names, I threw in one small Indie film (The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete) which, Oscar nomination or not, I’m really looking forward to seeing.

August: Osage County (Limited Release December 25, 2013)
From the official website: “AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY tells the dark, hilarious and deeply touching story of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose lives have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Midwest house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them. Letts’ play made its Broadway debut in December 2007 after premiering at Chicago’s legendary Steppenwolf Theatre earlier that year. It continued with a successful international run.”

12 Years A Slave(Limited Release October 18, 2013)
From the official website: “TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE is based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty (personified by a malevolent slave owner, portrayed by Michael Fassbender), as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Brad Pitt) will forever alter his life.” I'm almost done with the book on which this movie is based, and if the movie is anywhere near as good as the book, then I'm sure it will be a hit.

Her (NY & LA December 18, 2013)
From the official website: “Set in the Los Angeles of the slight future, “Her” follows Theodore Twombly, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha,” a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other.” Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Twombly and Scarlett Johansson as the voice of Samantha.

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete (Limited Release October 11, 2013)
From the official website: "During a sweltering summer in New York City, 13-year-old Mister’s (Brooks) hard-living mother (Hudson) is apprehended by the police, leaving the boy and nine-year-old Pete (Dizon) alone to forage for food while dodging child protective services and the destructive scenarios of the Brooklyn projects. Faced with more than any child can be expected to bear, the resourceful Mister nevertheless feels he is an unstoppable force against seemingly unmovable obstacles. But what really keeps the pair in the survival game is much more Mister’s vulnerability than his larger-than-life attitude.”

All is Lost (NY & LA October 18, 2013; Nationwide October 25, 2013)
From the official website: “Academy Award® winner Robert Redford stars in All Is Lost, an open-water thriller about one man’s battle for survival against the elements after his sailboat is destroyed at sea… Deep into a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, an unnamed man (Redford) wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high seas. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching the breached hull, his mariner’s intuition, and a strength that belies his age, the man barely survives the tempest… with the sun unrelenting, sharks circling and his meager supplies dwindling, the ever-resourceful sailor soon finds himself staring his mortality in the face.”

The Book Thief (Limited Release November 8, 2013)
From the official website: “Based on the beloved bestselling book, THE BOOK THIEF tells the inspirational story of a spirited and courageous young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a new family in World War II Germany.” One interesting note about the young adult novel on which this movie is based is that the story is uniquely narrated by death.

Tune in Thursday, January 16, 2014 when Oscar nominations are announced to see if any of my picks make the list. The 2014 86th Academy Awards (Oscars) are scheduled for Sunday, March 2, 2014.

The Blacklist

I’ve been making a concerted effort to remain unglued from my TV and keep up my summer-built reading momentum. In year’s past, you could’ve easily found me glued to the boob tube for at least 3 hours per day (the entirety of the primetime lineup, 8-11 pm), but I broke the nasty habit over the summer and took great pride in my accomplishment. With the hope of, if not maintaining my two books a week rhythm, at least not dropping it all together, I promised myself to not get lured in (because TV is an evil siren in my house) to every new show in the Fall TV lineup. I had succeeded in narrowing the viewing to strictly The Voice on Monday and Tuesday and X-Factor on Wednesday, but alas, thanks to my younger brother, I’ve fallen off the wagon, maybe not fallen off completely, but it feels like I’m dragging my foot outside the wagon for sure.

During my regular weekend visit to see the knuckleheads, my brother introduced me to NBC’s The Blacklist, and I’m definitely hooked. After watching all four of the episodes which have already aired, I’ll go so far as to say it’s the best show I’ve seen on TV in quite a while; heck, it's probably the best show airing right now.

So, let me tell you a little about the show. From NBC’s The Blacklist website:

"For decades, ex-government agent Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader, "The Office," "Boston Legal") has been one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives. Brokering shadowy deals for criminals across the globe, Red was known by many as "The Concierge of Crime." Now, he's mysteriously surrendered to the FBI with an explosive offer: He will help catch a long-thought-dead terrorist, Ranko Zamani, under the condition that he speaks only to Elizabeth "Liz" Keen (Megan Boone, "Law & Order: Los Angeles"), an FBI profiler fresh out of Quantico. For Liz, it's going to be one hell of a first day on the job.

What follows is a twisting series of events as the race to stop a terrorist begins. What are Red's true intentions? Why has he chosen Liz, a woman with whom he seemingly has no connection? Does Liz have secrets of her own? Zamani is only the first of many on a list that Red has compiled over the years: a "blacklist" of politicians, mobsters, spies and international terrorists. He will help catch them all... with the caveat that Liz continues to work as his partner.”

The pilot definitely sent off a “Silence of the Lambs” kind of vibe, but as I watched the rest of the episodes my feelings definitely changed. First of all, I don’t see Red as this evil or sinister villain ala Lecter. He’s a bit of an enigma; while he might not be Snow White - pure as the driven snow - he's definitely gotten his hands dirty, I get the sense that there’s definitely more to his backstory. In the pilot episode, we learn Red was originally in the Naval Academy and was being groomed to be an Admiral, when he abandoned his wife and daughter and dropped off the face of the earth until he, himself, started leaking information about his exploits. Maybe I watched too many episodes of Alias, but I’m thinking double-agent, maybe working undercover to help his country. It’s kind of a stretch, because he’s definitely abetted criminals and none have gotten caught until now, but there’s something there. I guess it’s a little too soon to figure out the puzzle just yet. At one point in the pilot though, Red says to Liz “I’m a criminal; criminals are notorious liars. Everything about me is a lie, but if anybody can give me a second chance, it’s you.” I think that statement is telling and probably very close to the truth in that everything we have been told to believe about him is a lie. As to the why he chose Liz, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself yet again, but I would bet ANYTHING that she’s his daughter. It was in the simple smile and sort of look of pride on his face when she’s first brought in to meet him; and definitely in his calm fury in the last episode when harm was done to her.

The show is great because while you get a new, standalone story in each episode, as a new member of his blacklist is targeted; there’s also the larger, big picture thread woven into every episode: 1) the conundrum of figuring out Red himself, 2) his relationship to Liz, and 3) the mystery surrounding Liz’s husband (a plotline introduced in the pilot). James Spader is brilliant in the role; he brings the same charm and dry wit to Red which he brought to Alan Shore on Boston Legal. He is in all ways the star of the show.

I wouldn’t be so bold as to believe you’ll watch the show just because I say so, but I’ll take a shot anyway. Watch this show! It is a compelling, gripping, and sometimes a little creepy (in particular, I’m referring to Episode 4, The Stewmaker…wow, they should give that guy an Emmy as Best Guest Actor.) hour of television. If like me, you are arriving late to the party, then visit NBC.com The Blacklist, where you’ll find all four episodes from this first season.

Sisterland

In Curtis Sittenfeld's Sisterland twin sisters Kate and Violet (Vi) have shared a special bond as well as special senses or psychic abilities since their childhood, and though Vi has embraced her gift, Kate has chosen to hide her abilities and abstain from using them.

When a small earthquake rocks their hometown of St. Louis, Vi publicly shares a premonition that a larger more catastrophic quake will occur in the near future. As word spreads and Vi ends up on national television, Kate, a wife and stay at home mother of two, is both horrified at the public spectacle created by her sister and terrified that her prediction will actually come true. As the date of the quake draws near, tensions in the city and between the two sisters rise, and cause Kate to re-evaluate their relationship and her life.

Hmm...what can I say about this book? I'll start with WHAT THE HECK? but first things first.

The novel is narrated by Kate and switches between past and present to share Kate and Vi's childhood, adolescence and young adulthood and to give us, the readers, an insight into the women they've become. Through the childhood flashbacks, we learn that while the girls had an average middle class childhood, suffering no hunger, deprivation or abuse, they were ignored and neglected by a distant and emotionally-absent mother and a weak-willed father which made them rely on one another for the love, support and comfort every child needs. It is these early experiences which clearly helped form the indelible bond which exists between them still. Despite drifting apart through adolescence and the college years, and even through the rocky patches in their adult relationship, they remain each other's ballast in life and still know each other better than any other person.

Each character is well written and even though they are identical twins we get a clear picture of two very different women; one bold and daring, determined to live life on her own terms, the other more secure in playing it safe and leading an inconspicuous life, while always remaining in control; each taking very different paths in life and each facing their own individual struggles. Sittenfeld does a good job with character development, and offers an insightful look at a sibling relationship, doing so with a lot of warmth and humor (there were countless times were I laughed out loud) BUT...

Here comes the WHAT THE HECK part. The book does all of the wonderful things I mention above for more than 300 of the nearly 400 pages, and then in the last 90 plus pages the key plot point which has been driving the narrative goes nowhere, seemingly becoming a moot point, and instead the author takes a complete left turn which not only takes the story in a totally different direction but also causes the main character to act in a way which goes completely against everything we've been lead to believe about who she is. It was like the last 90 pages were written by a different author. As a reader, I felt cheated of a true organic ending, one that was true to both the story and the characters I'd grown to care about.

Yes!!

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced that funny ladies, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, will be hosting the Golden Globe Awards not only in 2014, but also 2015. I wonder who they ticked off? After all, as Poehler deadpanned during this year’s hilarious award show monologue, "We want to assure you that we have no intention of being edgy or offensive tonight, because, as Ricky learned the hard way, when you run afoul of the Hollywood Foreign Press, they make you host this show two more times.”

I’m already looking forward to next year’s Globe ceremony where as Amy eloquently stated “the beautiful people of film rub shoulders with the rat faced people of television.” The Golden Globes air on NBC on Jan. 12, 2014.