Grateful

 I am grateful for Ray

 My Dad - he's currently at a rehab place after having some emergency surgery. OMG. He's making progress - needs his strength back in his legs so he can get back in his home.

 My sister - she turns 50 on Sunday and is our sunshine

David and Cherie are gems. David does SO, SO much for my Dad. 

I am also grateful for my friends and extended family. When I put the world in perspective, I am very fortunate.

so, Happy Thanksgiving to blog world.  I hope this season finds you in good health and hanging with friends and/or family.

Take care everyone

Monday Movie Review Madness

Intense, haunting, and rather chilling – Beautiful Boy is based on a true story from both the father (David Sheff) and the son (Nic Sheff).  It’s a seemingly idyllic home and family outside of San Francisco. Nic (played by the excellent Timothee Chalamet) is eighteen. In flashback scenes we see this sweet boy. Now he’s surly at times, unpredictable, and absolutely breaking his dad’s heart. David (played well by Steve Carell) is concerned and caring and frustrated. He can see that Nic is high. Nic’s killing time and spacing out. This young man, so sensitive and artistic and smart, is hurting himself with drugs.

This story, sadly, is being played out all across America. This is an upper middle class family that looks, on the outside, to be close to perfect. You’ve got the dad and stepmom (Maura Tierney – wonderful) with Nic and two younger siblings who adore their big brother. Again  - flashback scenes show Nic caring about his siblings and stepmom, and dad. It’s all a good support system. And long distance, his mom (Amy Adams) has a role. But drugs – first pot, then so much more, and finally crystal meth and heroin – tear everyone apart.  We see David take Nic to rehab. We hear Nic’s promises – turning over that new leaf, and then relapsing. The drugs are relentless, and Nic keeps seeking them as a solution to some hole, some need he can’t explain.

Beautiful Boy can tear you apart. You really care for and root  for the whole family. I thought this was a really well done movie with great acting. Chalamet plays sensitive and sympathetic so well – he’s tall and skinny and artsy looking with his shock of brown curly locks and big dark expressive eyes. You want to believe him when he’s lying. I feel so sorry for families who can’t save their beautiful boys or girls.

(RIP - Michael - my cousin's boy.   i.e. the movie strikes close to home)

Balenciaga in Black

Haute couture - fashion that is art.  A friend and I enjoyed a new exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth - Balenciaga in Black.   Stunning gowns and dresses, women's suits and coats - all designed by Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972).

Made by hand in his ateliers, his work is all in black. But the luxurious fabrics and materials offered textures and shades of black that are rich in depth, and remarkable for the detail.

This is a stunning assembled collection of work, and the Kimbell is one of the few museums privileged to show it.

Woe is Wednesday

Went to the Fort Worth Zoo a week or so ago.  I snapped this picture of the orangutan - so reflective.
His hand to his forehead...I picture him thinking of all he must do the next week, or pondering some hi-jinks his kids have gotten into, or for today just thinking, "Wednesday is Hump Day"

Hope your week has been decent

Movie Review Madness - Bohemian Rhapsody

The first time I heard the song Killer Queen on the radio, I perked up my ears. This was a new and different sound and the lead singer’s voice soared effortlessly.  1970 – Freddie Mercury (lead singer), Brian May (guitar), Roger Taylor (drums), and John Deacon (bass guitar) formed Queen. The rest is another chapter in rock history. The film Bohemian Rhapsody brings the Queen story to life, and actor Rami Malek embodies the heart and soul of Freddie Mercury. He’s uncanny (and should be up for an Oscar).

I’ve read other reviews that say this film follows the usual rock story – struggling musicians, the big success, the excesses, the inevitable clashes, the egos, and the break-up/ final triumphs. Well, yeah – I’m very fine with that. Mercury was an outsider, in London with immigrant parents. He was always seeking his father’s approval, but knew he was different – meant to be a performer. And when he opened his mouth (his very unusual overbite mouth) – the voice of an angel emerged. Forming Queen – a group of misfits – the band explored and went beyond the norm. Their album, Night at the Opera, was groundbreaking. Bohemian Rhapsody, the song, was six minutes. What radio would play that? What are they singing? Is it gibberish? And operatic?

I enjoyed the film, the music, and Freddie’s story. He found true love early, but then strayed –confused, caught up in excess, but inherently lonely. The band was his family. And he did contract AIDS, was aware that his life was going to be cut short. He rallied the band back together to play Wembley stadium in England for Live Aid. Talk about taking a final curtain call – this was a performance for the ages. We are the Champions, We Will Rock You, Somebody to Love, and on and on.  Bohemian Rhapsody will stir you, make you want to stomp your feet and clap, and frankly sing-a-long like Wayne and Garth in a car.

Book Review - Clock Dance

I love Anne Tyler’s writing and Clock Dance does not disappoint. This is not my favorite of hers – I did like A Spool of Blue Thread more, but even lesser works are better than most. Trust me, Tyler knows how to capture ordinary folks (often “older”)  – their thoughts, their lives, and she gives them dignity and understanding. Often tough to do in this day and age.

Cover blurb:  Willa Drake can count on one hand the defining moments of her life.  1967 – schoolgirl coping with her mother’s disappearance. 1977 – college coed considering a marriage proposal. 1997 – young widow trying to piece her life back together. 2017 – yearning to be a grandmother.   Then one day, Willa receives a startling phone call from a stranger. She flies cross-country to look after a young woman she’s never met, her nine year old daughter, and a dog. This impulsive decision will lead Willa into uncharted territory.

Interesting and quirky, Willa turns out to have some nerve and backbone. She’s willing to say no to her stiff second husband, and continue her journey of self-discovery.  Clock Dance by Anne Tyler is full of surprises. We’re all fighting the battle against Father Time. This book is a lot about how we choose to do it – are we in charge? Or is time itself?

Tick-tock.

Wednesday Contemplation

I borrowed this from Robyn's 10/29/18 post.   Timely words to contemplate