Summer Movies

It is that time of year again when I feel compelled to cancel my cable TV subscription. Finding the occasional program that is worth seeing again is becoming more difficult each year as the mindless drivel they feed us between September and April deteriorates into Oprah-like talk shows, game shows and ‘reality’ TV. If you are not glued to your TV on a daily basis, the series type shows are too difficult to follow. I tried watching 24 one year but endeavouring to piece together what happened between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. when you missed 2 a.m. and knew you would miss 7 am. to 8 am., is just not worth the effort. I tried Lost but was as lost after the first ten minutes as the characters seemed to be.

Why is that curmudgeonly doctor using a cane on House? What is the average number of times per show that David Caruso removes his sunglasses on CSI Miami? Is Sex and the City based on a true story? Where is Red Green when you need him? Thankfully, they are still laughs on Corner Gas.

Other than watching a few BBC dramas, the fallback position is to rent some movies. If I thought TV was barely worth my time, the latest crop of movies that we did not catch on the big screen leaves only about three rainy evenings worth of viewing. I was almost tempted to watch the Democrats in the US for comic relief as they battered themselves right out of the White House. However, we did find a few movies that were worth watching for more than their popcorn value. (The One Who Must be Obeyed allows me popcorn during movies but not during the playoffs after I threw a handful of popcorn at the referee for not calling a penalty when a couple of Wings dragged Crosby to the ice.

Charlie Wilson’s War was a typical American propaganda film but it did have a line at the end of the movie which summed up the America (and our) involvement in Afghanistan as nothing more than geopolitics. However, I suspect that most viewers may have dozed off as Streep and Forest Gump ran out of energy half way through the film.

The Valley of Elah was somewhat better. It is an anti –war protest flick but Tommy Lee gives a fair performance. Underlying the war story is the drug story. Tommy’s comment that America is losing both the War on Terror and the War on Drugs rang true. The imagery of the American flag flying in distress mode was a call for help, a plea for someone to come to their aid. While the army and police respectively wage their Wars, people are falling through the ever-widening cracks in American society. Even Tommy Lee seemed at a loss on how to fix the problems.

Gone Baby Gone received some critical acclaim but I was sceptical of all the promotional hype that accompanied its release. I like Morgan Freeman, so we picked the DVD up at the local rental outlet that now has more video games than movies. While the film treats us to a good look at life in a drug and alcohol fuelled world, the story is about choices and values. Without giving anything away, no one in the movie makes the right choices, albeit they all think they are doing the right thing – according to their own ideals. Once again, the movie shows the futility of the War on Drugs. When will we ever listen to the advice of the Le Dain Commission?

For alternative viewing, I picked up a movie that won an award at Cannes a few years ago. Knowing it was a Swedish film with subtitles did not deter me since I needed some relief after watching Detroit go 2 games up. While we laughed at the black humour, the absurdity and total irrational behaviour of a group of Swedes, if anyone can tell me what the heck Songs from the Second Floor was about, please send a postcard!

There Will be Blood is worth the price of rental but I wondered if the audience really gets the message that this is a protest against the oil companies and their ruthless techniques all in the name of gouging us at the pumps or bribing us with promises of a better life. The setting was in the early days of oil but little has changed except the scope and location. There was blood.

Each time I walk past the shelf of DVDs for Lars and the Real Girl, I smile and say we have to see that one again. If you have not seen it, are tired of violence, mayhem and four-letter words, and you need a little reassurance that there are some wonderful people in this world, rent Lars.In the meantime, I will continue to check the TV guide. They may be showing the African Queen again. No, Marcie, it is not picture about a Rapper who comes out of the closet . . .