Hurray, hurray, it's Academy Awards Day....2023

 And the Oscar goes to:  

Yes, I wait all year for this one day because, hey, I'm single, without family (immediate or ones that really give a rip--screenplay in the works) or a partner, and the only time I get to indulge my love of film instead of Anniversaries, Mother's Day, Grandparent's Day, etc. is today.  So, I've covered the all of the Best Picture Nominations for the this year, printed ballots, and Oscar Bingo Cards, set the recorder for 5 p.m. on ABC, made snacks, packed my cocktails to go, a great pair of comfy pajamas (think bunnies or sock monkeys) and I'm off like a prom dress to spending the evening with my pals. Cheers to the winners, the nominees, and those who scored a seat at the show.  Hopefully, it won't be a bumpy ride like last time, mud won't be flung tonight.  

Women Talking

Knowing very little about the way of life in a Mennonite colony, I was a bit surprised at how suppressed women are kept in order to follow their faith.  The whole community is balancing on a sword of Damocles.   Not every man is a monster, but no one can blame these women for taking the action they need to in order to keep safe, sane, and actually live without fear.  Based on a horrific incident that occurred in a colony in Bolivia, the girls, some as young as 5, and women as old as 65, have been attacked, raped, impregnated, beaten, mutilated and traumatized.  One of the men has been identified and taken to the local jail where he starts naming names of the others, the men; in order to free him, leave the colony to bail him out.  The women are given 24 hours to make a decision regarding what they want to do before they return to the colony and life starts up again.  Since they are unable to read, the only man with any say is August, who has an embattled history with the colony, returning after attending university in the “real” world to teach the boys, as they are the only ones allowed to be schooled.  It’s similar to life in Afghanistan or Iran or anywhere that the Taliban or ISIS is in control, but remember that this happens here, and it’s done in the name of the Lord, fun, huh.  August takes the minutes of their discussion and is trusted to document their dilemma.  The women have three choices, stay as if nothing occurred, stay and fight, or leave the colony and, per their faith, be denied entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.  There are so many strong performances here; it’s difficult, at best, to single anyone out.  Through flashbacks we get to know these women and hope that they will be free at last, free at last, great God all mighty, free at last.  Kudos to the director, Sarah Polley, she gets an A+ for her work.  Rating:  Horror, Heartbreak, and Hope.    

All Quiet On The Western Front

This is the third remake of this “anti-war” epic which takes place during WWI and follows Paul and his friends from university to the Western Front with absolutely no clue when it comes to understanding what they’re actually signing up for.  It’s frighteningly accurate in showing the atrocities of seemingly endless fighting and the irony of thinking you’re safe, when, in reality, you’re only seconds away from the possibility of being blown to smithereens.   There are two stories going on simultaneously, one of the soldier who just wants to go home and the signing of the Armistice agreement.  The commonality is that in both cases, everything is fraught with peril.  It’s edge of your seat entertainment of the worst horror genre, reality.  This could have been set in any war and the outcome will always be the same, trauma, despair, PTSD, extreme violence, and the survival instinct pumped up to the nth degree.  Cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, the film is dubbed in English, it’s a long film and if you have an aversion to violence, I recommend you watch something like Puss In Boots:  The Last Wish.  At least there’s hope for Puss, not so much for Paul’s posse.  If you wish to compare this version to the two previous versions, I recommend you watch the shot by shot film at the following link:  https://www.imdb.com/video/vi3997942297/?ref_=vp_rv_ap_0    My rating is a howitzer, a luger, and a Goose, which translates to 2 stars.

Triangle of Sadness

If you know me, then you know I’m a picky eater.  I’ve had a few semi-exotic dishes over the years, but I’m safely in the category of “normal” for a Czech Scandinavian with very definite conservative tastes in food (no lutefisk, are you out of your mind?).  I’d make a lousy gourmet.  Keeping that in mind, never, never, never eat raw shellfish that you’re not sure of and especially not on a 250 million dollar luxury yacht in the middle of a tropical storm. 

The results of the level of absurdity seems over the top, however, I did have a bit of déjà vu from former experiences working for the non-monetarily challenged.  Each has their own interpretation of what makes them happy, what’s appropriate, and what they expect to receive in service.  The cast of characters are all abstracts of society/social network celebrity darlings, a nuevo riche technogeek (emphasis on geek), oligarchs, their wives and mistresses, and the “staff” (those who wait on the privileged) in a caste system that rivals most corporations from purser to housekeeping.  Guess who doesn’t get respect or well compensated.  At sea, the Captain is the boss and the crew is the only way you’re going to get back to the shore in one piece to continue living La Vida Loca.  Money can’t buy you happiness, safety, common sense, or survival skills…all of which are lacking here in abundance by the wealthy. 

I honestly only knew one of the actors, Woody Harrelson, in this three part story of a cruise gone awry.  It didn’t give me a desire to take a trip on a ship, a float on a boat, or even a dinghy in a blue lagoon.  You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, and you may want to avert your attention during certain spontaneous scenes…it’s not a three hour tour on the Minnow with Gilligan and the Skipper, the Movie Star, the Millionaire and his wife, the Professor and Marianne.  It was sad to learn that the star, Charlbi Dean, passed away in August of last year before she could see her work and it may be that a sequel might be in the works.  In any case, Rating:  three jars of Nutella, a bottle of Pepto Bismal, all this and a bag of chips.