Sylvia (Book Reviews)

Published in 1971 

Published in 1963

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath A-
A poetic narrative about a talented young woman slowly slipping into the abyss. Largely based on real people and real events from Plath's life, The Bell Jar still holds up 50 years later.    

Winter Trees - Sylvia Plath B
As leftovers from the Ariel poems, this collection was composed during the last year of Plath's life (with the exception of "Three Women").  Winter Trees struck me as fire and ice wrapped in melancholy.  

*My Gray Morning's Best of 2012*

Best Films

10. Moonrise Kingdom
Cutesy, but completely original

9. The Sessions
Iron lung is no joke...  & Helen Hunt - yowzah!

8. Argo
It's good even though you know how it ends. 

7. Young & Wild
A 2012 Sundance film- the title says it all.

6. Supporting Characters
This one stars my boy, Alex Karpovsky (I once sat next to him at a film screening). 

5. Safety Not Guaranteed
The dark horse film of the 2012. 

4. The Queen of Versailles
I was simultaneously entertained and dumbfounded

3. Your Sister's Sister
 2012 was a great year for Mark Duplass fans. 

2. Liberal Arts
Because I feel younger than I am.  

1. Flight
Denzel... nuff said. 

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Best Albums (w/ my favorite track)

10. Voyageur - Kathleen Edwards
Empty Threat

9.  Most Of My Heroes Still Don't Appear On No Stamp - Public Enemy
 Hoovermusic 

8. How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? - Sinead O'Connor
Reason with Me

7.  Born & Raised - John Mayer
Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967

6. Young & Old - Tennis
Petition

5. Lonerism - Tame Impala
Be Above It

4. Clear Heart Full Eyes - Craig Finn
 Western Pier

3. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City - Kendrick Lamar
Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe  

2. Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
Thinkin About You

1. The Idler Wheel... - Fiona Apple
Anything We Want

Zero Dark Thirty - Movie Review

Zero Dark Thirty (R) 157 minutes C
The Interrogation Locker 

Starring: Chris Pratt, Édgar Ramírez, Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong

Steve Coll wrote an interesting article in the February 7, 2013 issue of the The New York Review of Books.  Essentially, the article quoted several high ranking government officials stating their disdain for the exaggerated and potentially dangerous reenactment of interrogations techniques, counterterrorism and historical facts in the film Zero Dark Thirty.  When I saw the film I didn't know how much was exaggerated for Hollywood purposes.  But, I tend to agree that it doesn't necessarily send out a positive message when its entire premise is based on "this is how it went down." I'll be the first to say that fiction is fiction.  However, after the closing credits rolled I felt like I'd be okay if I never saw another  Kathryn Bigelow film.    

My Gray Morning's Sundance 2013 Wrap-up

Another great year at Sundance!

*Cutie and the Boxer B+

It Felt Like Love A-

*Crash Reel A-

Pit Stop B

*The Way Way Back A  

Escape From Tomorrow D-

Milkshake B

* Most likely to succeed in 2013.

Love, Marriage and Liberal Arts (Book Review)

Published October 2011

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides B+

The Marriage Plot is sort of epic, if not a little pretentious.  It stuck with me for days afterwards.  The characters are authentic and enthralling. It is a thoughtful and highly entertaining read.

Acoustic story time with Dar Williams (Concert Review)

Dar Williams @ L2 Arts & Culture Center - Jan. 8, 2013 B+

Despite a pesky cold and cough, Dar Williams put on a wonderful acoustic set Tuesday night.  The highlights included "You're Aging Well" from 1995's The Honesty Room and the heartbreakingly beautiful "If I Wrote You" from 1997's End of the Summer. 

The Sessions - Movie Review

The Sessions (R) 94 minutes B+
Helen Hunt and Positive Sex 

Starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy, Moon Bloodgood, Annika Marks, Adam Arkin, Rhea Perlman, W. Earl Brown and Robin Weigart

The Sessions is based on the real life story of Mark O'Brien (Hawkes), a San Francisco poet who contracted polio as a young boy and spent the majority of his life in an iron lung.  At 38 years-old O'Brien decided that he wanted to lose his virginity. He employed a sex surrogate, Cheryl Cohen Greene (Hunt), who specialized in helping physically disabled patients rediscover their sexuality.  It was an occupation that may not have been uncommon in Berkeley, California circa 1988.

This film is inspired by the essay, "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate," written by O'Brien and published in 1990.  O'Brien's life was also the subject of an Oscar winning documentary short in 1997 called Breathing Lessons.  The Sessions is inspiring and uplifting without being weepy and cheesy.  It is amazing what the real Mark O'Brien accomplished in his life, feats that many of us (able bodied people) have not.

Recommended.

This is 40 - Movie Review

This is 40 (R) 133 minutes B
40 is the new 30

Starring John Lithgow, Lena Dunham, Chris O'Dowd, Megan Fox, Charlyne Yi, Albert Brooks,  Jason Segel, Melissa McCarthy, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann

This is 40 is a funny, manic and slightly annoying film about turning 40. It's typical Judd Apatow, so if you like his brand of humor drop what you're doing and go see this film NOW.  Oh, and if you are 40, was 40, or about to turn 40, you'll probably get a kick out of this as well.  As for everyone else, unless you like whiny, miserable, beautiful yuppies, you might want to wait for this one to arrive on DVD/home video.
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Bonus DVD/Home Rental Review
Bachelorette (R) 87 Minutes D-
Completely Forgettable

Theatrical release September 2012
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Rebel Wilson, Adam Scott, James Marsden

Riding the coattails of Bridesmaids and The Hangover, this film was utterly stupid and disappointing.  Don't waste your time.     

Flight - Movie Review

Flight (R) 138 minutes  A
A high flying emotional acrobat

Starring Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Nadine Velazquez, Melissa Leo, Tamara Tunie, Brian Geraghty

No one plays cool like Denzel Washington.  Flight might be the biggest thrill ride I've had at the movies all year!  It has everything I love about cinema- grit, emotion, sex, suspense, darkness, and an absorbing character that transcends the big screen.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away), Flight manages to be the perfect "popcorn movie," while demonstrating an everyman type melancholy and fallibility.  Roger Ebert called the film, "nearly flawless."  I call it one of the best films you'll see in 2012.

Highly recommended.

Might as well jump! (Book Review)

Publication: June 2005

Long Way Down - Nick Hornby B+

In A Long Way Down, four strangers- Martin, Maureen, Jess and JJ contemplate suicide. This novel is an entertaining and interesting look at self-loathing and self-destruction. At times, these characters seemed a bit absurd, but ultimately I didn't want to see them go.