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| inlareviewer |
 Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:56 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 1949
Location: Lawrence, KS
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chillywilly wrote: In the oddness that was the GG this year, yet not being 100% intimate with all of the details of demands the striking writers are asking for, I do have to say that I wish whoever is not giving in to their needs and demands, they really need to find a resolve... and soon. While the awards shows have gotten bloated and somewhat boring at times, I think they generate a level of excitement that really wasn't felt for the GG. If Oscar gets downgraded to a press event, I think the top execs and studio decision makers will start feeling the hurt, like the hundreds and thousands that are feeling it now (and have been for the last few months).
What's this about is that the producer's alliance wants to end the hyphenate show runners and the film versions of same they often, in fact, generally, become: the actor-writer-producer, director-writer-producer, ad hoc, ad infinitum. Hence, they figure, move to young and inexperienced/desperate would-be scribes (of which there is never remotely a shortage in Tinseltown), and eventually phase out the contractual overlap, and, in fact, the runners entirely. The writer's guild, having been burned contractually out of DVD percentages after the compromise-fact in their last agreement, and being all too aware of their primary, or let me say, fundamental essentiality, have seized on the barely-explored profit-potential of Web/Pod/Digital as their holding-out point in this one. Of course, the roots of dispute go back almost to Zukor and Griffith -- producers and screenwriters have been at loggerheads one way or another as long as there have been motion pictures, those exceptions over the centuries just that, exceptions. It crystallized with Welles and Sturges, went into overdrive with the end of the studio system, and then TV became more entrenched, and then cable trumped that, and, well, here we are. The directors have already figured the crux of this out, their guild having stayed off the radar since back in June when everyone knew neither side in this bust-up was budging, and the DGA reps quietly engaged interstitial legal negotiators. And the actors, lord love 'em, know that the WGA is a benchmark for the upcoming SAG contract talks, and also from whence their bread-and-butter is baked. While Everybody Else Who Works In Moving Pictures Or Television Or Entertainment Journalism Is Feeling The Pinch. And the whole Awards Season House of Cards has begun toppling long before this, and while there will most certainly be an AMPAS ceremony, it's already late in the game, even if the strike ended tomorrow (and that ain't happening -- this is As Real As It Ever Gets In Dreamland). Moreover, the picket-mentality has moved on to solidarity with unions like IATSE. And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown, um, Chilly Willy (insert thumb-in-mouth-blanket-over-shoulder emoticon here). |
Last edited by inlareviewer on Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:40 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
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Nancy wrote: Although he didn't win, i was glad to see John C. Reilly get a GG mnomination for his outstanding performance in Walk Hard. He was Dewey Cox. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:19 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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Ghulam wrote: mo_flixx wrote: Ghulam wrote: I liked A Mighty Heart a tad more than Gromit did, but I found Angelina's feigned accent distracting and annoying.
It was extremely bad. I think that's why they threw in line about her mother being Cuban, because the accent wasn't really French.
I was puzzled that no one in Pakistan seemed to know that Pearl is a Jewish name...and chalked it up to their speaking Urdu.
They would know only the most common Jewish names. Among Jews in my city, the most common names are David and Benjamin. The best known Indian Jew in the United States is Sofaer, who was I think an Assistant Secretary of State.
I meant LAST names.
In the U.S. any man could be named David or Benjamin. I remember a joke on "All in the Family" when Archie Bunker thought Abraham Lincoln was Jewish.
Today it's trendy to have an Old Testament name. I can think of a lot of examples: Jacob, Joshua, etc. |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:22 am |
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inlareviewer wrote: And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown, um, Chilly Willy (insert thumb-in-mouth-blanket-over-shoulder emoticon here).
Thanks, inla.
Excellent summary and details of what's going on with the WGA strike and what the future of SAG nego's will be like if this thing drags on. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:40 am |
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| I may be wrong, but I don't think Minnie Pearl was Jewish. On the other hand, that wasn't her real name. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:49 am |
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[quote="marantzo"]
Quote: First of all, if someone's last name is Pearl you can bet that they are Jewish.
Maybe obvious to you, but not a common enough surname that many would draw a connection.
Quote: Secondly, when did it ever matter to Jew haters if the Jew was observant or not?
You miss the point. If he practiced his religion it would have been an outward sign which could be observed by someone, including household servants.
Quote: Thirdly, there is no doubt that the Al Qaida linked terrorists knew he was Jewish right from the start regardless if Pakistanis generally didn't.
Wrong -- according to the film based on Mariane Pearl's writing.
And btw, she wasn't some little housewife but was also a practicing journalist.
In the film, she gives a photo of her husband to the head of CID (the Pakistani military police in charge). Roughly 2 days later when she trusts the officer-in-charge more she tells him privately that Daniel was Jewish. Then 2 days after that, an article appears in some extremist newspaper using that same photo and denouncing Pearl as a Jew and a spy.
It's mentioned that the Pakistani agency must have leaked the photo and info. So there's no question that the kidnappers/killers knew Pearl was Jewish prior to killing him. And they videotape him stating his religion. My question is did they know he was Jewish and target him for that reason. The film doesn't provide an answer. Not saying that that is the most important question, just one I was left with.
A number of theories for the kidnapping are mentioned: CIA spy, attempt to embarrass Musharraf for aiding the US war on the Taliban, attempt to extort money, revenge on the US, etc.
Quote:
Fourthly, I never read the book, but I know the case. The canard that they killed him because of some espionage connection is a feeble excuse by the terrorists to make their kiilling of an American Jew was something other than what it was, hatred for Americans and Jews.
Again, you keep conflating the kidnapping and the killing. Yes, they killed him because he was an American Jew. But it isn't clear at all from the film why they targeted and kidnapped him. It is entirely possible that he was kidnapped to be killed ... but it was mentioned in the film that another half-dozen or so (I forget the number) Westerners were kidnapped in the past few months and all were released.
Lastly, I don't understand why you think militant anti-Jews would try to hide the fact that they killed someone because he was Jewish.
Quote: It's so touching that you are touched equally by the deaths of all humanity. Aren't you special.
No, but Pearl took deliberate risks. Most American journalists had left. And indeed Pearl was getting ready to leave.
Does that make him brave, foolish, careless, unlucky, etc?
It does make it possible that he was targeted not for his religion or connection to the WSJ (or CIA), but just because he was one of the few "soft target" Americans left to kidnap.
I do feel sorry for Pearl or American soldiers killed in action, but actually I feel worse for innocent and ordinary people who get caught up in wars and hatred and have no resources with which to defend themselves. Such as Iraqis today being killed for their religious affiliation.
Watched a good documentary called My Country, My Country which followed an Iraqi doctor and local political leader for 8 months leading up to the Iraqi elections. I'd recommend it over A Mighty Heart, though they are very different in scope and intent. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:54 am |
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Syd wrote: I may be wrong, but I don't think Minnie Pearl was Jewish. On the other hand, that wasn't her real name.
That was the only person named Pearl I could think of and a quick google search turned up that her grandfather was Jewish.
I thought A Mighty Heart was okay, but it was a smaller, more personal treatment of the incident than I was expecting. It also focused more on the survivors and the investigation (and cellphone calls) than on the victim and perpetrators. I would have preferred a more political approach.
I'm also not a big fan of lots of handheld and shaky cam work and lots of close-ups.. I did appreciate the glimpses into SE Asian street life, even if I thought the handheld cam and rapid editing emphasized its alien nature.
As far as the accent, Mariane Pearl was half-French/half-Cuban, and if the family co-operated to such an extent, I would assume that is a reasonable approximation of Mariane Pearl's accent, though I haven't heard her voice. Jolie's accent did seem a little distracting and uneven at times, but didn't especially bother me.
Edit: I did spend time contemplating the strange shaping of Jolie's face and head.
And on a few occasions I thought the male WSJ reporter who arrives after the kidnapping was Daniel Pearl in a flashback. This was mostly due to the glasses and the tight close-ups used. This confused me three times I think, and could have been intentional (reminding us that he could/should still be there as a journalist, husband, father-to-be).
Lastly, the dialogue wasn't that great and a few lesser scenes ended awkwardly.
Edited so that inla has some competition for Best 3rd Eye Editing. |
Last edited by gromit on Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:13 am; edited 1 time in total
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:05 am |
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Mo,
Iwas talking of last names when I mentioned David and Benjamin. Two other Jewish names I encountered in India were Jacob and Best. Both of them were my professors. |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:30 am |
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chillywilly wrote: inlareviewer wrote: And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown, um, Chilly Willy (insert thumb-in-mouth-blanket-over-shoulder emoticon here).
Thanks, inla.
Excellent summary and details of what's going on with the WGA strike and what the future of SAG nego's will be like if this thing drags on. |
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| lady wakasa |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:46 am |
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| marantz - it does sound like gromit's discussing the movie's presentation / treatment of the case, not the case itself. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:06 am |
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lady wakasa wrote: marantz - it does sound like gromit's discussing the movie's presentation / treatment of the case, not the case itself.
I guess so. The movie's story line seems off to me, but I never had any desire to see it anyway so it's not a concern of mine. |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:09 am |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
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Relayed Deaction Dept.:
Bravo, Rod, faboo review. Thanks for linking it, Marilyn.
Amended because it hit me that if people haven't read the novel or seen the film, the notice does contain spoilers. |
Last edited by inlareviewer on Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:06 pm; edited 3 times in total
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"And take extra care with strangers/Even flowers have their dangers/And though scary is exciting/Nice is different than good." --Stephen Sondheim |
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| Marilyn |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:38 am |
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Location: Skokie (not a bad movie, btw)
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| ehle64 |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:43 am |
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| I'd rather spend a night in jail then have to sit through all 2 hours of Atonement again. Definitely 2007's most pretentious, over-praised film. |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:51 pm |
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ehle64 wrote: I'd rather spend a night in jail then have to sit through all 2 hours of Atonement again. Definitely 2007's most pretentious, over-praised film. |
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