Friday, June 26, 2009

Movie Review: Nacho Libre

I was extremely surprised by this movie. I expected something more like Napoleon Dynamite, and I'm glad it was so very different. I usually hate vehicle movies - once you've seen 1 Adam Sandler movie, you've seen them all. Once you've seen 1 Jim Carey comedy you've seen them all. Carey's dramatic stuff is different. So I was very skeptical, but my brother told me a year ago that this was a great one. So I took the plunge.

Premise: the movie's premise is perfect - original, based in reality, and just odd enough to be funny by itself. It's neither ludicrous nor predictable.

Acting: once you accept the premise and throw any ideas about reality away, the acting perfectly fits the stage that is set. Nacho is a friar who secretly wants to be a wrestler. Somewhere along the way, he gets to fulfill his dream. But he is conflicted when his fame and money get in the way of his priestly duties. And the beautiful nun (that has amazing hair and makeup) is tempting, too. He's a conflicted good-hearted soul, as are all the other characters. Jack Black (the only marquee name in the film).

Nobody over-acts, which is easy to do in a straight comedy. There is no hint of Monty Python-style acting here. It's very normal, easy to watch. Natural.

Directing: this film was directed with a light touch - nothing about it is heavy-handed. The director really gets out of the way and lets the movie happen. I'm sure this is difficult to do.

Cast: perfectly cast. Nobody in the cast looks like a movie star except the nun. And that is as it should be.

So I loved this movie. I haven't written much about it. What makes it different? It's a comedy that is not in a race to deliver one-liners at a gallop. This movie makes you laugh, but you have to wait for it. And it's a pleasant wait. It's like a walk through a forest teeming with wildlife - it's a nice place to be, and then from time to time you are surprised by something, and it's wonderful. Also, I love the fact that I can put this movie on for my 3 and 4 year-olds and know that it's entirely safe. No swearing, nothing sexual. Remarkable restraint in a comedy of any ilk.

So it's a gorgeous film, and I hope more are made to the same standards. Time to go watch it with my kids again!

A return to notes: Sanford, Jackson, Fawcett, Politics

I realized as I was looking for my position paper on Global Warming today that I hadn't written a note in a long time. so here are some thoughts to get out of the way before I start posting about Mexico and how awesome it is to be a kidless couple for just a week to recharge.

Sanford: I know what Sanford is going through in many ways. It's obviously a tragic situation and a whole host of poor decisions belong solely to him. I have definitely noticed a different tone with him than I did with Spitzer or Clinton, though. In both cases of Dems, Republicans screamed for their resignations. The same standard does not apply to Sanford for some reason, even though it is clear by now that he used taxpayer funds to partially finance his dalliance. Definite double standard here, frustrating that there are so few self-aware Republicans to cast Sanford's sin in the same light as Clinton's or spitzer's.

Jackson: Jackson had a bunch of hits - the first song I ever remember hearing on a boom box was "Thriller" on the bus in 2nd grade. Those big 4th graders sure listened to weird music. Otherwise, like so many others, I feel for his personal life and respect his ability to take the pop music world by storm.

Fawcett: I'm a little too young to have been very involved with her. I'm very glad she took her battle with cancer public. It seems that she's done it with class, though I haven't read or seen anything she's done.

Obama: overall, he's been working very hard to fulfill his mandate. He campaigned on healthcare reform, energy, environmental stewardship, transparency, and being bold. Nothing is perfect of course, but given this imperfect political world, he's done really well. My biggest disappointment: he has not moved nearly aggressively enough to restore lawful treatment of terror suspects. No more torture is good, closing Gitmo is good. Retaining the "right" to detain people for indefinite periods of time without putting them on trial is very bad. Keeping the pictures secret that the Federal courts has ordered released is also bad. He promised transparency, let's get some.

Life: life is good. Had a fabulous vacation with just Katrina, and the kids had a blast with their grandparents. work continues apace. Way more on the vacation in the next few days as I blog (with pictures!) about it.