The movie "Book Club" illustrates the power of books

Movie Title:  
    Book Club

Grade:  B-

Rating: PG-13, 104 minutes

In a Nutshell:  I guess you could say that this movie puts the sex back into the word “sexagenarian", although the majority of the leading ladies are in their 70's and 80's.

Sex is the main focus of this movie which, honestly, disappointed me because this talented cast could have done so much more.  There are so many interesting topics that could have been explored to develop the characters better.

The stellar cast includes four Oscar winners and two nominees: Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, and Richard Dreyfus.    

Designed for an older viewing crowd, the audience I sat with laughed non-stop, while I mostly rolled my eyes.

                                                 

Tips for parents: 

• Some profanity, crude language, and 1 F-bomb.  As Candice Bergan’s character says in the movie, “Must you always be so crass?”  Exactly.
• TONS of wine.  Someone is drinking wine or some other kind of alcohol in almost every single scene.
• Lots of sex out of wedlock and LOTS of talk about sex, often with metaphors. Just so you know, the four women in the BOOK CLUB read all of the books in the Fifty Shades of Grey series, which is what triggers the focus.  Sharon says, "I'm not sure this qualifies as a book."  Exactly.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Reaching millions of people doesn’t come close to reaching just one you love.” – Arthur (Don Johnson)
• “I know I’m getting older, but I’m still learning and one of the things I’ve learned is that I deserve to be happy.” – Diane (Diane Keaton)
•  Friendship
• Self-esteem
• Love and connection
• The power of books!

                                            

Things I liked:

• I thought Candice Bergan’s character was the most enjoyable and realistic.  As a federal judge, I thought it was cute that she named her cat after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.  She's 72 in real life.  By the way, have you heard her famous hit TV show Murphy Brown: Season 1 is coming back to TV?  I used to love that show and am excited to see what they do with its revival.
• The food at the ladies’ Book Club gatherings always looked so good.
• Jane Fonda is 80 and looks amazing.  Have you seen her recent TV show Grace And Frankie Season 1 ?  She's really great in it and looks stunning.
• You should read Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.”  It’s great and referred to in the movie.  What do YOU think it means?
• Keep watching the rolling credits at the end for a few more scenes.
• Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen also played a married couple in the movie The Proposal.  She is only 65, the youngest in the group.  He's 74.
• This was Bill Holderman’s directorial debut.  Hopefully, he’ll bring more older actors and actresses to the Big Screen.  As evidenced by the large audiences I saw for this film on opening day, there is definitely a market there.  Jane Fonda revealed that studio bosses wanted younger stars to play the characters in this movie. Ageism is alive and well in Hollywood.

Things I didn’t like:

• As much as I adore Diane Keaton, and I do, she pretty much plays the same character in all of her movies, including her clothing style with scarves, hats, and pant suits.  She even wore an Annie Hall hat in the pool scene.  It’s like she’s just playing herself in movies.  In fact, her character’s name in this movie is Diane.   Ha ha
• There is such a huge age difference between Ed Begley Jr.'s character and Mircea Monroe's character that it was ridiculous.  I know this is a comedy, but it was just silly.
• This is a true rom-com Chick Flick where all of the men fall all over themselves to please the women (except one). 
• Sometimes it’s annoying when everyone in a movie has unlimited time and money to do whatever they want.
• The second half of the movie really dropped for me. 
• Andy Garcia played Diane Keaton’s nephew in The Godfather, so I thought their ages were unmatched in this film.  In this movie, she says she was born in  1951.  In real life, she was actually born in 1946 and is 72 years old.  Andy Garcia is 62.
• The movie franchise of Fifty Shades of Grey is so pornographic and I’ve never understood how those movies could ever make it to mainstream box offices.  Don Johnson, who is one of the leading men in this movie, is the real-life father of Dakota who stars in those sadistic sex movies.  Gosh, isn’t he proud?
• Blatant brand merchandising always annoys me.  This movie had tons, including Zillow, Bumble, Buca de Beppo, Brooks Brothers, Mercedes, and more.
• Diane Keaton’s character never says “goodbye” when she talks on the telephone.  Do you know people in real life who do that?  So annoying.
• I wanted to see more of Richard Dreyfuss and Wallace Shawn.  They're both so awesome.

Funny lines:

• “The last time she went on a date, she got pregnant.” – Sharon (Candice Bergen)

“I don’t think that’s going to happen this time.” - Vivian (Jane Fonda)
*  "They say that memory is the second thing to go." - Arthur (Don Johnson)
    "What's the first?" - Vivian
    "I don't remember." - Arthur

Interesting lines:

• “Cupid is blind.” – Sharon
• “The choice should be ours.” – Vivian  

                               

                                           @trinaboice

When books and movies intertwine: The Fault in Our Stars movie review

I love movies and I love books.  I especially love it when they intertwine!  Check out my newest movie review which features two teenagers in love with each other and a book:

Movie Title:  The Fault in Our Stars

PG-13, 2 hours 5 minutes

Grade:  A-

In a Nutshell:   I’m going to have to read this book.  The movie is based on the #1 bestselling novel by John Green and only whets your appetite with meaty nuggets of wisdom about life and love.  Get your tissues ready.  The movie starts with Hazel Grace, a teenager who battles every day with lung cancer: “I believe we have a choice in this world about how to tell sad stories.  One the one hand, you can sugar-coat it, the way they do in movies and romance novels for beautiful people to learn beautiful lessons, when nothing’s too messed up that can’t be fixed with an apology or a Peter Gabriel song.  I like that version as much as the next girl does, believe me.  It’s just not the truth.  This is the truth.  Sorry.”

Uplifting theme: 

• They say you can write your own eulogy.  How?  Write what you want to happen in your life and then live it.
• Death is unbearable, but so is living a life without love and less than what you are capable of.
• There is an honesty to the way people with incurable diseases live.  Unlike the rest of us who pretend that we can have as many days and nights as we want, those who stare death in the face every day truly understand the value of time.
• The movie isn’t so much about dying, but living in the face of death and after a loved one dies.

Things I liked:

• As an author myself, I loved the part of the story that features Hazel Grace’s relationship with a writer of a book she is obsessed with.  I love the title of the book “Imperial Affliction” and the fact that the story ends in the middle of a sentence. Hazel says “It’s so truthful.  You just die.  You die in the middle of a sentence.”
• I loved Augustus’ cigarette metaphor: “They don’t kill you unless you light them, and I’ve never lit one.  It’s a metaphor.  See, you put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don’t give it the power to do its killing.  A metaphor.”  Not that I would go so far as to buy cigarettes to put between my lips, but I love the feeling of empowerment and defiance that image evokes.
• I loved seeing the bridges in Amsterdam that Hazel and Gus sailed underneath.  It’s on my Bucket List.
• I thought it was cute that two of the couples in the movie have a word they lovingly repeated to each other like “always” or Hazel and Gus’ “OK.”  One word can say so much.
• I liked Hazel and Gus’ conversation about believing in something after this life.  Gus said he absolutely did…“Otherwise, what’s the point?”
• It’s always great to see Willem Dafoe in anything.
• There is warmth, humor, and honesty in the story-telling.  Cancer weepies can often be too contrived and manipulative, but there is enough snark and wisdom in this film to pull it off.

Things I didn’t like:

• Only in Chick Flicks do teenage boys fall all over themselves to win a girl’s affection.  Guys: take note…it works every time.
• The music tends to cue you on when to cry, but you do it anyway.
• Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but I really hate watching pre-marital sex scenes.  I also hate it when people make fun of well-intentioned Christians, like Hazel and Gus do in their cancer therapy session when their group leader starts singing to give them hope.

Did you know?

• The imaginative playground with the skeleton where Hazel and Gus have a picnic is actually located on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art and is called “Funky Bones.”
• Dozens of web sites have been created by fans who want to continue talking about this book and movie.
• Sheilene Woodley (Hazel Grace) and Ansel Elgort (Augustus) did a fantastic job.  They played brother and sister in Divergent and have great chemistry together.  Sheilene admits they have more of a brother-sister relationship in real life…not romantic.  You can read my movie review about Divergent here.

Interesting lines:

• “That’s the thing about pain: it demands to be felt.”   - Augustus
• “I wouldn’t mind.  It would be my privilege to have my heart broken by you.”  - Augustus
• “I’m a grenade.  One day I’m going to explode and obliterate everything in my wake and I don’t know…It’s just my responsibility to minimize the casualties.”  - Hazel Grace
• “Everything’s coming up Waters.”  - Hazel Grace
• “You two are so adorable.”  - Mom

“We’re just friends.”  - Hazel Grace

 “Well, she is.  I’m not.” – Augustus

• The waiter in the beautiful Amsterdam restaurant asked Hazel Grace and Gus “Do you know what Don Perignon said after he invented champagne?”  “Come quickly!  I’m tasting the stars!”  The waiter then told them“We’ve bottled all the stars for you, my young friends.”
• “I want this Dragon Carrot Risotti to become a person so that I can take it to Vegas and marry it.”  - Gus
• “You’re American.”  - Van Houten’s assistant   

“Incurably so.”  - Author Peter  Van Houten

• “You gave me a forever within a numbered days and, for that, I am eternally grateful.”  - Hazel to Gus
• “If you want the rainbow, you have to deal with the rain.”  - sign that hangs on Gus’ wall at home.
• “Funerals are not for the dead.  They’re for the living.”  - Hazel Grace
• “You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, but you do have a say in who hurts you and I like my choices.”  - Gus
• “I fell in love the way you fall asleep…slowly, then all at once.”  - Hazel
• “Embrace your destiny and leave your mark on the world.”  - Augustus

Funny lines:

• “So yeah, that just happened.  I’ve been trying to tell you… I’m kinda awesome.”  - Augustus
• Hazel, Gus and Isaac egg a house and Hazel says “Guys, I think we should wait until it’s dark.”  Gus reminds her that Isaac is blind and says “It’s all dark to Isaac.” 
• Hazel asks Isaac, who just broke up with his girlfriend, “Do you want to talk about it?”  His honest reply: “No, I just want to cry and play video games.”

Tips for parents:  Pre-marital sex, groping, 1 F-bomb and some other profanity.  The movie creates some good opportunities to talk to your children about:

• Disabilities
• Terminal illness & lung diseases
• Anne Frank
• Amsterdam
• Death
• The Trolley Problem

The Book Thief illustrates courage beyond words

As an author, I simply HAD to see this movie!
Here is my review, as posted on my other blog:  MovieReviewMaven

Movie Title:  The Book Thief

Rating: PG-13, 2 hours 5 minutes

Grade: A-

In a Nutshell:  I had to drive past several theaters near my home to find one that carried this film…truly a hidden gem. The sobering, yet inspiring film is based on the international best-selling novel by Marcus Zusak, The Book Thief , which was on the New York Times bestseller list for 200 weeks.  It introduces a provincial German town and how it experiences the close-up pains of WWII, contrasting life and death, darkness and light, hope and a haunting humanity.  We rarely see WWII movies that illustrate the “other” side of the story: how German families were affected by the Nazis, the Jews who lived beside them in their neighborhoods, and the sacrifices that would be required of them all. 

Liesel is exposed to her first book, ironically “The Gravedigger’s Handbook”, and becomes fascinated with reading and words.  The power of words is illustrated beautifully in so many ways: Nazi propaganda posters on the town’s walls, name-calling by school bullies and Mama, Liesel’s storytelling in the bomb shelter, the eery words narrated by Death, etc.  The film is guided by popularDownton Abbey: The Complete Seasons 1, 2 & 3 (9 Discs) director Brian Percival.

Uplifting theme:  There were actually so many positive messages around every corner that I had a hard time writing them all down in the dark theater.  This movie should have your family discussing many ideas for a long time.  (See list below in the parent section.)

Things I liked: 

I’m an author of 17 books, so you KNOW I liked this movie!  There were so many things I enjoyed, such as the picturesque European streets, the visual contrasts between the stark white snow and the black shoes that crunched on it, the playful use of words and images, and the powerful acting. The lovely Sophie Nelisse (Liesel) was believable and adorable.  Geoffrey Rush (Hans) was a sweet foster papa you wanted to spend more time with, and Nico Liersch (Rudy) was a dear best friend who had the looks that Hitler would kill for…and did.  Roger Allam narrated the film as a character that is unclear until the end.  I loved the anticipation as I waited for his character to be revealed.

The talented Emily Watson (Rosa) played a stern German woman who Liesel describes as being a thunderstorm, but who Death knew had a big heart. I loved the image of her falling asleep with Papa’s accordion.  My German grandmother died when I was just a little girl, so I regret that I never got to know her well.  She seemed to me a typical austere German matriarch, but my father adored her and I knew there was more to her than I understood.  “Mama” in the movie was this kind of multi-layered woman.

Inspiring quotes:

* “A person is only as good as his word.”   - Papa

* “Better that we leave the pain behind, than ever forget the music.”  - Hans

* “I am haunted by humans.”   - Death

* “You’ll meet me soon enough.”  - Death

* “A mother never gives up on her child.” – Elsa

* “Memory is the scribe of the soul.”  (Aristotle) quoted by Max

Things I didn’t like:  The children don’t seem to age during the 5 year period.  I know that’s hard to do in a film, but still…I had my tissues ready and was prepared to cry, but I never did.   Perhaps it was all that German stoicism that prevented me from shedding a tear.

Funny line:

• Liesel asks “What’s an accountant?”  Papa answers “Something we will never need.”
• “He’s the dumbest kid in school, but he shaves.” – Rudy
• “It’s the best thing I ever threw up.”  -
• “Every mother loves her child, even Hitler’s” – Max
• “Words are life.” – Max

Things to look for:

• Wintered old vines growing all over the schoolhouse facade
• Be sure to read the subtitles for song the school children sing
• I’ve always fantasized about having a library like Elsa’s that is so large you need a ladder to reach the books on the top shelves, complete with cozy chairs, Tiffany lamps and a window to look out and see the world in a new way
• Liesel appropriately reads The Invisible Man to Max, the Jewish boy her family hides in their basement
• German Christmas tree with candles on it

Helpful German words to know as you watch the movie or read the book:

auf wiedersehen    -  goodbye

bahnhof                 -  train station

dreckiges               -  dirty 

Frau                       - Miss

Führer                    - leader

gesindel                 - vermin or lowlife

gut                          - good

guten morgen         -  good morning

herr                         - Mr

ja                             -  yes

Juden                      -  Jews

Nein                       -  no

saumensch              -  pig (used as an insult)

und                          -  and

Tips for parents:  While two of the stars are children, it’s not really a film that will hold the attention of young children.  Mature, older children may find it interesting, but the theme is dark and requires some understanding of the dangers of being a Jew in WWII Germany.  There are some scenes with dead bodies, although they are mostly pale, not covered in blood.  There is some violence, bullying, and profanity in German.

The movie presents great topics to discuss with pre-teen children and older ones, such as

• Should censorship of books be allowed or not?
• What do you consider to be “intellectual dirt?”
• If your eyes could speak, what would they say?
• Liesel was a book thief.  How was Hitler one as well?
• Which emotion is the most powerful: love, fear, or hope?
• What did you think when Max painted over the pages of the book Mein Kampf? 
• How did Liesel demonstrate courage beyond words?

I would love to hear what YOU thought about the book or film!

Are You A Grammar Geek Too?

                                        Happy National Punctuation Day!

               
Did you know that September 24th has officially been declared as a celebration of the lowly comma, correctly used quotation marks, and other proper uses of periods, semicolons, and the ever-mysterious ellipsis? Well, now you do, so let the party begin!#$?!

Our words, both spoken and verbal, really affect our brand and how others perceive us.

The ninth annual National Punctuation Day®, the September 24 holiday that reminds America that a semicolon is not a surgical procedure, will celebrate the 2012 presidential election with a literary challenge — vote for your favorite Presidential Punctuation Mark in one, highly punctuated paragraph!

The rules: Write one paragraph with a maximum of three sentences using the following 13 punctuation marks to explain which should be “presidential,” and why: apostrophe, brackets, colon, comma, dash, ellipsis, exclamation point, hyphen, parentheses, period, question mark, quotation mark, and semicolon. You may use a punctuation mark more than once, and there is no word limit. Multiple entries are permitted.

In short, persuade them that your favorite punctuation mark should be the official punctuation mark of the President of the United States.  Contest entries must be received by September 30 to be considered for prizes. The winner(s) will receive a box of punctuation goodies, including a National Punctuation Day® T-shirt. Send entries, including name, address and phone number, to National Punctuation Day® headquarters at Jeff@NationalPunctuationDay.com.

In 2011, 220 entries in their paragraph contest were received from the United States, the Netherlands, Malta, Canada, England, and India.  In 2010, 356 people from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Italy (in Italian!) submitted more than 3,000 entries in our haiku contest, including 73 from a certain New York State employee who shall remain nameless.  

                                 Have a great punctuation day!

Trina
                                             

Seriously

This made me laugh out loud, so I had to share it with you!

PoetryTurned Into a Vegas Show

                                     

“Jabbawockeez is the best show I’ve seen in Vegas by far” was what my 16 year old son posted on his Facebook status last night, after seeing their fun show at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino.  We live in Sin City and my son has seen quite a few shows, so that’s really saying something. 

Even if you don’t have a break-dancing teen in your family, you’re sure to enjoy this world-famous dance crew’s high energy show. (Old folks near the stage will want to wear ear plugs.) Picture comedic mimes doing some of the coolest hip hop dance moves you’ve seen, add some fly costumes designed by Kara Saun, the runner up on Bravo’s “Project Runway” Season 1, and put it all on a hip stage set and you’ve got 90 minutes of good, CLEAN entertainment, perfect for families.

The Jabbawockeez first gained fame in their national television appearance on America's Got Talent in 2006, before winning the MTV hip-hop dance reality series, Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew in March 2008. They’re considered to be the ultimate dance crew these days and have inspired countless kids to get out there and bust a move.  Does anyone say “bust a move” anymore or did I just reveal my age?

While the target audience is most definitely the young club set, we were surrounded by an amused older crowd in the audience as well.  The dancing is accompanied by a spliced mixed tape of sorts that features musical fan favorites and movie audio clips that span several decades, causing the audience to cheer and clap in excited spurts.

The crew’s signature look includes white masks and white gloves, but even without faces, the dancers’ bodies gave effective expression, often communicating with hesitant volunteers from the audience for some delightful comedy sketches.  In fact, the performers don’t take themselves too seriously at all and the show is almost a comedy routine mixed with some impressive flares, locking, popping and dime stopping.

Without a word from the dancers, they were able to weave a faint story throughout the show of how anyone can find their muse (the show’s title “MUS.I.C” is read “Muse I See”.  I’ve seen several Vegas shows start with a janitor sweeping the stage (get in your seat at least fifteen minutes early to enjoy his pre-show antics), but this blue collar Wockee maintains his faceless identity during the whole show and attempts to teach us that anyone can dream big by bringing “the colors of sound” to life.

One of my favorite sections of the show was a ninja showdown that featured some glow-in-the-dark antics that were fun with the lights off and hilarious when the lights came back on to reveal their secret tricks.  The Jabbawockeez know how to poke fun at Vegas too, dressing up as Elvis, Blue Man Group, Carrot Top, and a show girl.

The original crew consists of seven members: Kevin Brewer, Joe Larot, Phil Tayag, Chris Gatdula, Ryan Paguio, Jeff “Phi” Nguyen, and Ben Chung “B-Tek.” Before being accepted as official members of Jabbawockeez, Jeff and Ben Chung had to participate in a dance battle with one of the three founders.  I did a head count during the Vegas show and soon learned that MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” Season 2 winners Super Cr3w perform nightly with Jabbawockeez, adding some extra athleticism and acrobatics to the show.  In fact, at times there is so much going on the stage that it’s hard to know which performer to focus on.

The name Jabbawockeez is derived from Lewis Carroll’s poem Jabberwocky, briefly alluded to in the show when the janitor starts to read the book and then falls into a dream state.  By the way, don’t sit in the first three rows if fog machines bother you. Although the show started off a little slowly, the packed audience was eager to award the crew with a standing ovation at the end.

And now a few bummers…I talked to several adoring audience members who had their wallets out, ready to buy merchandise before and after the show, but were quickly discouraged by the ridiculously steep prices, leaving the dope signature masks and t-shirts in the store.  I was surprised that the dance crew didn’t take their masks off at the end of the performance like they so often do, and a bit disappointed that they didn’t come outside the theater to greet the audience and take photos.  (I had my Flipcam ready to film them becoming best friends with my son.)

The crew’s success in Vegas means that the show has been extended through spring 2012.  Performances are Thursday at 9:30 p.m., Friday at 9:30 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Sunday and Monday at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets start at $52 (plus tax and fees).    For more information, please visit www.jbwkz.com or www.montecarlo.com.