p e n g u i n d e v i l

I’ve got such a big backlog of crap I barely recall from the last few months. I’ll just jot down some vague memories.

We watched Serpico. I feel somewhat surprised that I had never gotten around to seeing it as it is quite considered the classic. And I would have to say that it is pretty darn good. Brought to us by Sidney Lumet who, again with Al Pacino, would bless us with the great Day Day Afternoon two years later! Serpico is a straight-ahead 1970’s police movie… Stress, tension, yelling all that good stuff. But then again, I am partial to a good 1970’s crime films. Also, this is, of course, based on a true story. Al Pacino does a stellar job (though some of his fashions.. I don’t know) as Frank Serpico. The policeman who put it all on the line to expose corruption in the NYPD. Okay, I’ll give it away… He Gets Shot! But then, that’s the first scene anyway.

After that we go back to his days as a young policeman who idealistically joins the force (does anyone do that anymore?). He feels that he can improve things as he believes that using psychology and communication is the way to deal with criminals rather than force. Somewhat unusual for the NYPD and the rest of the men have a hard time getting accustomed to him. He also notices that all of the other officers are on the take. The movie becomes an uncomfortable pile of tension as he somewhat goes along with the other officers, while refusing his share of the take… Which makes them mad to no end. While this is going on he is trying to make detective and as he tries to complain to the higher ups about the corruption he ends up making more and more enemies on the force. And, as one might imagine, putting himself and those around him in a good deal of danger.

And Feast of love. This one was actually fairly entertaining, though certainly a chick flick. The story of two friends (Morgan Freeman and Greg Kinnear) their personal issues and those people around them. Freeman is, of course, the elder who is wise and strong in his ways, while Greg is an oblivious yet well-meaning fellow of the “why can’t we all just get along” persuasion who owns loses his way in life when his wife leaves him. As he sets out to find new love, up comes a second (and more action-filled, in more ways than one) line of the movie which is the love story of two of Kinnear’s young employees and their troubles. Of course, the movie includes drama, drugs, death, heart-break and lots of nakedness but, more than anything else… It was filmed in Portland! And not just filmed in Portland like most of the movies there, but there is Portland all over it. Kinnear’s coffee shop is the Fresh Pot on Mississippi, there is lots of shooting at Reed… It was fun to watch it now from far away. My first Portland movie I’ve seen away from Portland. But it was also a perfectly fine movie. Much better than most of the “adult romance” crap that comes out of Hollywood movie.

Oh, and we watched Juno. Which was a charming little movie. I’m not sure why it got such crazy buzz, but it was just dandy. The story of a high school girl who unintendedly gets pregnant. Juno decides to go through with the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption so off she goes to find the right people to give to. Ellen Page is charming and fun as Juno, a girl who has some quirks that are a little too quirky and is yet very sure of herself (in a way) as she seems have little trouble coming to terms with her situation. Though there are some good relationships in the film with her boy/friend, her father and her step-mother, the meat of the movie seems to be her developing friendship with the future adoptive father, who is much older then she but they bond on his continued youthful interests in music and horror movies and such grand things.

Now that Elinor is approaching 2 years old and it is much too cold to spend time outside, she is discovering kid’s movies. I have generally not payed much attention to them, but I did end up sitting through Ratatouille. The story of a rat who loves to cook and gets his chance when he teams up with the garbage boy at a famous restaurant in Paris. Of course, many shenanigans occur as they become famous all while the kid is actually cooking under the instruction of a rat under his hat. Like seemingly all Pixar movies, it looked great and had a fun and unexpectedly rich storyline.