it surprised me when i saw 2 pre-teens going into the theater since i would think the interested viewers for this movie would be big streep, jones or carell fans or 60 something seniors. In other words i don't think many groups of young guys or the x-generation folks would see this film; and what a pity!
this is a great movie and i hope Tommy Lee Jones gets nominated for an Oscar. He plays Arnold who has been married to Kay (Meryl Streep) for 31 years and their marriage has become very routine and rigid and there is no affection or touching anymore and they haven't had sex in 5 years. Kay wants a change and roams a book store in the relationship section and starts reading a book by a man who runs a week long intensive couple therapy session in Maine. The counselor is expertly acted by Steve Carell who plays his role totally "straight".
So the movie is about the gradual and sudden and fun and very painful changes that occur in their marriage. and there is one very suspenseful scene towards the end of the film in which the future of their togetherness hangs by a bated breath. it is wonderfully paced and there is great humor. and I completely cared for Kay and Arnold. Streep and Jones had excellent chemistry together and them being husband and wife was very believable.
Tommy Lee Jones' acting was superb. Streep was great as always but her role was essentially the same throughout the movie; a wife who wanted something different and exciting and wanted to be wanted. but Arnold had to go through immense emotional changes in the film which he did perfectly.
Bill and i gave this movie a 9.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE
It was a tense movie but replete with lots of humor and sarcastic lines; especially between the various agencies that control aspects of the subway system in New York. Walter Matthau was perfect as the chief negotiator between the city and the hijackers.
Since it was produced in the 70's, it was loaded with racist, sexist and very very politically incorrect dialogue. One of the scenes was at the beginning of the film. Matthau is taking a group of Japanese men on a tour of the control and security departments for the subways and he and his co-workers tell a lot of prejudiced jokes and name calling because they don't think the Japanese understand English. they find out how very wrong they are when they call the group "chinese monkeys".
The ending was perfect and not dragged out which is the bane of a lot of movies in my opinion. Oh, and the mayor was this ineffectual buffoon who just left all decisions to the men under and around him with the final word belonging to his wife played by Doris Roberts. (who of course, goes on to boss her sons in Everybody Loves Raymond)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
THE BOURNE LEGACY
This is the 4th installment in the Bourne movie series and it is great. Bill rated it a 10 and i gave it a 9 only because the chase scene at the very end was shot in a herky-jerky blurry manner - like a disco ball gone mad - and it made me dizzy because i couldn't focus on anything.
I was disappointed when i learned that Matt Damon wouldn't be appearing in this movie but Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross, another super bionic spy, is perfect for the role. I liked him just as much as Damon. and Rachel Weisz as the chief scientist who does the periodic exams of the super spies and is privy to the scientific basis behind the virus and chromosome manipulation that gives these spies their power and high intelligence is also wonderful in her role.
The opening scene in which Aaron has to find his way out of the Alaskan wilderness and accidentally comes upon another spy sent away in exile is absolutely awesome. and then there's another scene where some government spooks come into Weisz's home to question her about what she knows about her job and what ensues is really tense and edge-of-the-seat. At this time the spy program is being shut down and so orders have come out that all the people involved in the project must be "put down".
Great entertaining movie and it ends with the perfect set-up for the next Bourne film.
I was disappointed when i learned that Matt Damon wouldn't be appearing in this movie but Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross, another super bionic spy, is perfect for the role. I liked him just as much as Damon. and Rachel Weisz as the chief scientist who does the periodic exams of the super spies and is privy to the scientific basis behind the virus and chromosome manipulation that gives these spies their power and high intelligence is also wonderful in her role.
The opening scene in which Aaron has to find his way out of the Alaskan wilderness and accidentally comes upon another spy sent away in exile is absolutely awesome. and then there's another scene where some government spooks come into Weisz's home to question her about what she knows about her job and what ensues is really tense and edge-of-the-seat. At this time the spy program is being shut down and so orders have come out that all the people involved in the project must be "put down".
Great entertaining movie and it ends with the perfect set-up for the next Bourne film.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
CHEF ALISAH'S RESTAURANT - TUCSON, AZ
A wonderful European and Bosnian restaurant. We haven't been here in a long time and i had forgotten how good the food is when i order their specialties and forget the chicken dishes which tend to be overcooked.
The color scheme is shades of purple and its very soothing. All tables in the restaurant - no booths - and the Bosnian community of Tucson (didn't even know there was one!) frequent this place a lot. We had a great table in the corner.
Bill and i shared a wonderful cucumber and home-grown tomato salad with goat cheese or farmer's cheese and a little bit of onion. This was all drizzled with a slightly sweet-sour oil and vinegar dressing. Very tasty and I appreciated the tomatoes since they were not the hard red chemical balls sold in the grocery stores; they had real flavor.
We also shared 10 Bosnian sausages (the size of jimmy dean's pork sausages though i think these were beef) which come on fantastic herbed bread and a sour cream dipping sauce and onions. The sausages are great; perfectly spiced and not fatty or greasy tasting. And our other entree was goulash; a huge platter of very tender and fall-apart meat in a spicy tomato based sauce accompanied by 2 mounds of buttery rice.
You also get a basket of their traditional bread which is ok but too dense for me.
Their prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food and the portion size.
The only slight annoyance to the dinner was the bored and oh-so-slow-moving high school aged waiter; i'm sure forced to wait tables when he's not in school. His level of interest or friendliness was below zero.
The color scheme is shades of purple and its very soothing. All tables in the restaurant - no booths - and the Bosnian community of Tucson (didn't even know there was one!) frequent this place a lot. We had a great table in the corner.
Bill and i shared a wonderful cucumber and home-grown tomato salad with goat cheese or farmer's cheese and a little bit of onion. This was all drizzled with a slightly sweet-sour oil and vinegar dressing. Very tasty and I appreciated the tomatoes since they were not the hard red chemical balls sold in the grocery stores; they had real flavor.
We also shared 10 Bosnian sausages (the size of jimmy dean's pork sausages though i think these were beef) which come on fantastic herbed bread and a sour cream dipping sauce and onions. The sausages are great; perfectly spiced and not fatty or greasy tasting. And our other entree was goulash; a huge platter of very tender and fall-apart meat in a spicy tomato based sauce accompanied by 2 mounds of buttery rice.
You also get a basket of their traditional bread which is ok but too dense for me.
Their prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food and the portion size.
The only slight annoyance to the dinner was the bored and oh-so-slow-moving high school aged waiter; i'm sure forced to wait tables when he's not in school. His level of interest or friendliness was below zero.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
THE MIST
A perfect combination of horror (the mist overtakes the town and within it lives the scariest looking creatures with tentacles and webs and pincers), satire (the military is the source of the mist via a screwed up experiment), great acting, wonderful characters, comments on racism and born-again christians and bosses versus employees and commentaries on fear and working together and there was a lot of humor too.
I can't say enough about this film. The music was perfect and the ending was fucking awesome.
Friday, August 10, 2012
CHAR'S THAI - TUCSON, AZ
We haven't eaten here in a long time and I'm glad we came back. The atmosphere is cheery and warm and welcoming. The room is decorated beautifully with pictures and murals and sparkly shrine areas. And the service is good.
Our waitress must have been new to both the States and to waitressing but her personality and helpfulness far outweighed the fact that she cleared all the leftover dregs of noodles and bamboo shoots and rice grains into the curry bowl. Usually that task is done in the kitchen area and i was trying to think how i could phrase that so she would understand what i was talking about.
but then i thought how ridiculous and how pampered american it would sound. what's my problem with seeing what i was just eating scraped into a bowl with what Bill was just eating.!
She cautioned Bill against getting the red curry adjusted to a medium spice level and said she'd tell the cook to do it mild and then she'd bring out sauces and powders to add if he wanted it hotter. Well, he didn't! and in fact, it was a tad too hot for me so i basically left that dish to Bill and i concentrated on the delicious silver bean thread noodle with vegetable dish.
Our waitress must have been new to both the States and to waitressing but her personality and helpfulness far outweighed the fact that she cleared all the leftover dregs of noodles and bamboo shoots and rice grains into the curry bowl. Usually that task is done in the kitchen area and i was trying to think how i could phrase that so she would understand what i was talking about.
but then i thought how ridiculous and how pampered american it would sound. what's my problem with seeing what i was just eating scraped into a bowl with what Bill was just eating.!
She cautioned Bill against getting the red curry adjusted to a medium spice level and said she'd tell the cook to do it mild and then she'd bring out sauces and powders to add if he wanted it hotter. Well, he didn't! and in fact, it was a tad too hot for me so i basically left that dish to Bill and i concentrated on the delicious silver bean thread noodle with vegetable dish.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
R & R RESTAURANT - TUCSON, AZ
This restaurant used to be in the strip mall on Speedway and Wilmot but has recently moved (due to lease problems) to 22nd and Kolb. Also their name used to be R & R barbeque but the owner, Robert, has expanded his menu to lots of other dishes so he wanted to eliminate the word barbeque to also expand his customer base.
The menu (except for the senior and early bird deals) is high on the wall behind the cashier. I find it very disconcerting to pick what i want with my head tilted up and the order-taker waiting at attention. I feel immense pressure especially if the menu is large which it is.
R & R now offers a lot of different sized meals; so there are just the sandwiches and then the sandwiches with sides and platters and family meals and junior sizes. Plus the board also listed fish tacos and lots of salads.
Even though i wanted to try something different, i went back to my usual - the beef brisket sandwich. This has been the only place where i have eaten and absolutely savored with gusto beef brisket. It is very very tender and flavorful and is piled high on a hoagie roll; an immense portion of meat.
Bill ordered the same thing and his side was coleslaw which was just ok. I ordered steak fries which also were just ok. they had a faint odor of being fried in oil that fried other things but that went away after i doused them with ketchup. Next time i'll at least try a new side. You only get a small side container of his bbq sauce which is enough if used sparingly and i, of course, do not use ANYTHING sparingly. When Robert was at the former location, he had a big sign on the wall saying that extra sauce would be $2.50!!! this helped me along quite a bit in restraining my sauce-iness.
The building is really plain; no decorations inside either. About 10 tables covered with red and white checked oilcloth. but i don't eat here for the ambience; just for the beef brisket.
The menu (except for the senior and early bird deals) is high on the wall behind the cashier. I find it very disconcerting to pick what i want with my head tilted up and the order-taker waiting at attention. I feel immense pressure especially if the menu is large which it is.
R & R now offers a lot of different sized meals; so there are just the sandwiches and then the sandwiches with sides and platters and family meals and junior sizes. Plus the board also listed fish tacos and lots of salads.
Even though i wanted to try something different, i went back to my usual - the beef brisket sandwich. This has been the only place where i have eaten and absolutely savored with gusto beef brisket. It is very very tender and flavorful and is piled high on a hoagie roll; an immense portion of meat.
Bill ordered the same thing and his side was coleslaw which was just ok. I ordered steak fries which also were just ok. they had a faint odor of being fried in oil that fried other things but that went away after i doused them with ketchup. Next time i'll at least try a new side. You only get a small side container of his bbq sauce which is enough if used sparingly and i, of course, do not use ANYTHING sparingly. When Robert was at the former location, he had a big sign on the wall saying that extra sauce would be $2.50!!! this helped me along quite a bit in restraining my sauce-iness.
The building is really plain; no decorations inside either. About 10 tables covered with red and white checked oilcloth. but i don't eat here for the ambience; just for the beef brisket.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
CONTAGION
this movie was way better than we were expecting. and, in fact, the only reason i checked it out from netflix is that nothing else was available. So it was a really pleasant surprise to be highly entertained throughout the entire movie. Bill gave it an 8 and i rated it a 7.5.
The story was about an out of control virus that resulted in millions of deaths throughout the world. The movie focused on the reactions and actions of all the people who would, in fact, be heavily involved if an epidemic of this proportion occurred. So there was the CDC and the WHO and the government who didn't want to panic the populace and the private sector versus the public sector as to who was going to get the money to develop the vaccine and the velvet rope crowd who determined who WAS going to get the vaccine and the infected people who rioted against being deprived of help and the investigative journalists who reported online about what the government was hiding and my personal favorite reaction was from the Homeland Security Boys and the CIA who took actions believing the virus was a terrorist attack.
All of it was believable and none of the characters were over-drawn or exaggerated. The ending was really the beginning of the movie; it showed exactly how the virus was brought into the u.s. by a traveler to Hong Kong. Great actors in this movie too- Kate Winslett, Paltrow, Jude Law, Lawrence Fishburne, Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon.
The story was about an out of control virus that resulted in millions of deaths throughout the world. The movie focused on the reactions and actions of all the people who would, in fact, be heavily involved if an epidemic of this proportion occurred. So there was the CDC and the WHO and the government who didn't want to panic the populace and the private sector versus the public sector as to who was going to get the money to develop the vaccine and the velvet rope crowd who determined who WAS going to get the vaccine and the infected people who rioted against being deprived of help and the investigative journalists who reported online about what the government was hiding and my personal favorite reaction was from the Homeland Security Boys and the CIA who took actions believing the virus was a terrorist attack.
All of it was believable and none of the characters were over-drawn or exaggerated. The ending was really the beginning of the movie; it showed exactly how the virus was brought into the u.s. by a traveler to Hong Kong. Great actors in this movie too- Kate Winslett, Paltrow, Jude Law, Lawrence Fishburne, Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
TONY'S ITALIAN DELI - TUCSON, AZ
This used to be the very best Italian restaurant that i've ever eaten at; used to be is the operative phrase. I'm not sure what happened but they have slipped in the quality of their food though not the prices which remain incredibly low or the portions which have stayed substantial.
I love the atmosphere of this diner. Its a little old hole-in-the-wall building which would be more at home in New York or Chicago. Its small with about 10 oilcloth covered tables with the requisite chianti bottles and grapes decoration. Frank Sinatra is always singing and the walls are filled with italian stuff. Very homey and the service is great and everyone is always friendly. It really does give one the feeling of eating in a friend's kitchen.
I ordered the cheese ravioli dinner ($7.00) which comes with a salad and garlic bread. The ravioli did not have the ricotta flavor or the light puffiness from prior visits; the marinara sauce wasn't this thick rich multi-spiced sauce; it was too tomatoey and salty. and the bread! they must be using different bakeries because the slices are too thick and therefore it overwhelms the garlic butter taste which was almost unnoticeable. but what WAS very prominent was the cheese they are now sprinkling on the bread. BOO.
the salad was just as good and filled with lots of ingredients and very fresh but even the italian dressing seemed flat. bill had a spaghetti dinner with 2 italian mild sausages. He agreed with me about the sauce and the sausages were very very hot. I don't know if the waitress made a mistake or what but the heat resulted in some middle of the night GI distress.
we're going to have to let this diner go on sabbatical for awhile and maybe it'll recover to its former excellence.
I love the atmosphere of this diner. Its a little old hole-in-the-wall building which would be more at home in New York or Chicago. Its small with about 10 oilcloth covered tables with the requisite chianti bottles and grapes decoration. Frank Sinatra is always singing and the walls are filled with italian stuff. Very homey and the service is great and everyone is always friendly. It really does give one the feeling of eating in a friend's kitchen.
I ordered the cheese ravioli dinner ($7.00) which comes with a salad and garlic bread. The ravioli did not have the ricotta flavor or the light puffiness from prior visits; the marinara sauce wasn't this thick rich multi-spiced sauce; it was too tomatoey and salty. and the bread! they must be using different bakeries because the slices are too thick and therefore it overwhelms the garlic butter taste which was almost unnoticeable. but what WAS very prominent was the cheese they are now sprinkling on the bread. BOO.
the salad was just as good and filled with lots of ingredients and very fresh but even the italian dressing seemed flat. bill had a spaghetti dinner with 2 italian mild sausages. He agreed with me about the sauce and the sausages were very very hot. I don't know if the waitress made a mistake or what but the heat resulted in some middle of the night GI distress.
we're going to have to let this diner go on sabbatical for awhile and maybe it'll recover to its former excellence.
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