On the celluloid screen...

So, after the marathon, J and I watched a lot of movies. He was exhausted, and I was sunburned, and it was Memorial Day weekend. What better way to remember our dear beloved departed than by sitting on the couch, drinking cold beers and letting the tv rot our brains? In fact, our brains were so rotted by the end of the mini film fest that I decided to move furniature, re-organize the house and swamp out the storage space. Hahahahaha, what was I thinking? Stupid tv, tricking me in to doing actual housework! Bah!

Anyway, here is a rundown of what we saw:

Angels and Demons:
We always see a particularly stupid movie right after the race. This fit the bill. I think the popcorn and the diet pepsi were more memorable than the movie. Blah blah blah, conspiracy theory mystery, blah blah blah, I guessed the villian half way through the movie, blah blah, beautiful renaissance artwork, lame riddles, ewan macgregor, blah blah.

Season One of Showtime's The Tudors:
I love fancy costumes and period pieces; I dislike gratuitous sex scenes, flat characters, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers cast in a completely unsympathetic role. This is bad TV, yet it is strangely intriguing at the same time. It paints Catherine of Aragon in a very positive light, and it goes on beyond the 'Anne Years' to tell the stories of the other 4 wives, which is interesting and kind of unusual (in the US, we love to love QE 1, thus we love to love Anne Boylen). However, my mind rebells at the portrayal of Henry VIII as vain, insane and completely played by his courtiers. The historical Henry VIII couldn't possibly have been that stupid!

Marley and Me:
The puppy is naughty and cute; the people love him; the end is sad. You're supposed to cry a little, and I did. The main character is a non-alpha-personality, who doesn't go out on a limb, sort of envies the success of his friends, and surprises himself by finding happiness and success in a different way than he had once dreamed of. This movie was sweet, charming, and probably only rates a B-, but it was very, very thought-provoking in tandem with The Wrestler. If watched in tandem with The Wrestler, it probably gets an A-.

The Wrestler:
a man must choose between practing his art and dying (in glory) or abandoning his art and existing as an outsider in a world that does not value him. It just so happens that his art is professional wrestling. This film is unique, well-executed and has an honest vibe. The wrestling scenes are a little... um... grotesque (think staple guns), and if you are not really into huge displays of violence (like me), you may not find this film visually appealing, but you will fall in love with Randy 'The Ram', and your heart will break (in a very cool, sophisticated and ironic way) as he and his love interest Cassidy fail to navigate the frail division between reality and spectacular realm of fantasy.