Up in the Air

I realized a few days ago that I had not seen any of the Oscar nominated movies. I probably won't see most of them, but there were a few on the list that sounded like movies I would enjoy. Yesterday was a snow day for me, a first since high school. There are in fact a few upsides to being a teacher. I decided to take advantage of my unexpected freedom and went to the movie theater. We decided to see Up in the Air and Sherlock Holmes. I know Sherlock is not on the Oscar list, but it still sounded pretty interesting.

Up in the Air is a story about a lot of things, but I think what it boils down to is a look at the life of the modern businessman. Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizer, his company comes in and conducts the exit interviews for companies who have to downsize. Essentially he fires people for a living. In order to do this he travels 270+ days out of the year. Through this lifestyle he has developed a philosophy that he lectures about, essentially teaching people to free themselves of all attachments.

There are two ladies that I would refer to as leading ladies in this film. They have both been nominated for the Supporting Actress category. Vera Farminga plays Alex, a fellow world traveler. She bonds with Ryan at a hotel bar while they compare company loyalty cards. Anna Kendrick plays Natalie a fellow downsizer who is trying to pitch the idea of firing people via video conference.

The film takes a quick but poignant look at life for the average person in the rough economy over the past couple of years. They had real people speaking after they have just been fired. From someone who has made the call to let people go in the past, it was definitely a difficult part of the film to watch. They try to make it light hearted by throwing in a few funny moments of the people being fired, but you never feel quite right laughing at people at their weakest.

The movie never really came to an end for me, I guess thats why its on Oscar movie. Maybe I am just not deep enough to get what the point of the movie was. What I took from it was that it is OK to form attachments with people, and its ok to just live a life free of commitments and attachments. Also I learned that a swivel suitcase is the only luggage to invest in, and it takes 35 minutes per flight to check bags and pick them back up.

I am glad I went to see this movie, I enjoyed it. There were some truly lovely moments, and to me a few great scenes can make a movie. Clooney can truly wear a pair of pants, even though he is way to old for me, it is still a pleasure to watch him on screen. Maybe you are deeper than me and will be able to appreciate the movie for its more artistic statements and the truth about life that it speaks to. I just enjoyed an interesting story about three people who live in a world that is relatively unknown to me.

Christmas Movies

The holiday season has come and gone. In the days since Thanksgiving I have spent nearly every waking moment trying to get my students to pass my class. This has not left a lot of time for movie going or for blogging, I dont think I have seen a new movie in quite some time. Do not fear young reader, I got movie theater gift cards for Christmas and they will not go to waste.

I did want to tell you a little about my favorite Christmas movies, the ones that are traditions in my family and the ones that I have come to love on my own. My list of top 10 Christmas movies is as follows: The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Holiday, Love Actually, Elf, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street (1990s Version), It's a Wonderful Life, Eloise at Christmastime, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Santa Clause

I dont think I could rank these in any kind of order, it would be like apples and oranges, I like them for different reasons, no two movies are quiet the same. I will tell you why I love them though, well at least the ones that may seem a little odd.

The Muppet Christmas Carol: Marley was dead to begin with. So begins Charles Dickens' beloved tale of a bitter miser who takes a harsh look at his life with the assistance of a few ghosts and discovers the tru meaning of Christmas. There are countless adaptations of this story, I would say every other year someone tries to put there own spin on this classic tale. These adaptations are as varied as the world is wide from the recent Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (dont waste your time by the way) which follows a young lethario who realises the true love of his life with the help of three girlfriend ghosts, to Scrooged which is a modern take on the classic version of the story, everyone tries to improve upon Dickens' original work. This story is a classic for a reason, it is not begging to be manipulated into something new, it simply asks to be told and be told well. The Muppets may seem an odd choice to bring this to fruition, but that is was they accomplish in there version of A Christmas Carol. The movie is narrated by Charles Dickens, played humbly by Gonzo. Sure they add a few songs, Bob Cratchitt is actually a frog, and they did turn the singular Marley into the Marley Brothers so they could be played by the crotchity old muppets who always heckle Fozzi. The Muppets bring a bit of light heartedness to a story that can be very dark, they stayed true to the book and incorporate several direct lines from the story itself. It would not be Christmas without a visit from the ghosts and muppets.

The Holiday - Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black. An all star cast, I have always loved Jack Black, and I will faithfully watch him in any movie not involving large monkeys. This movie is really two love stories in one. Truthfully I could take or leave the story set in England. I tolerate it because the little girls are so darn cute, and I love to hear there little accents. The American story is what makes this a true winner. It explores love on a few different levels. To me love is what Christmas is all about. Love for your family, love for your friends, and most importantly the love of God towards humanity. Kate Winslet's Iris finds herself again through the love of a neighbor and a friend. She learns to value herself while getting to know an elderly gentlemen who was a screen play writer. She learns to believe that she deserves to be loved through meeting a score writer who falls for her. I love men who play music and who write music. There is this beautiful scene where he is playing her a song he wrote for a mutual friend and then he plays a song he wrote for her. "Iris, if you were a melody... I used only the good notes." I melt every single time.

Love Actually - So this one again touches on the theme that Christmas is about love. It goes as far as to change the lyrics to the song "Love is All Around" to say "Christmas is All Around." Again this movie is really a collection of stories, there are some I don't care for and others I really enjoy. I think my favorite story line involves a writer and a housekeeper, they don't speak the same language but they love each other nonetheless. There is another story which on the surface seems to be about a young boy in love with a girl at his school, but really it is about the bond of a father and a child right after the death of the woman they both loved. So many different types of relationships but it all comes down to the same key point. Cherish the ones you love, and chase after the things you want. I love it.

Eloise at Christmastime - I have always wanted to be like Eloise, to be rich and live in the Plaza in the heart of New York. This is the story of a little girl, whose mother travels all the time and so she is cared for by her nanny (played by the incomparable Julie Andrews). She lives in the Plaza hotel, and essentially she has her run of the place. Christmas in New York is always a magical time to me, and Eloise has the same beliefs. In the midst of her adventures she saves a young woman from attaching herself to a low life, and simultaneously reconnects her to her childhood sweetheart. My favorite part though is when Eloise goes shopping. She is so excited to buy presents for all of the people in her life. I love the representation of a child who loves the giving of Christmas as much as the getting.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - While yes every Harry Potter movie goes through Christmas, I don't usually think of them as Christmas movies. The first one though, always seems like Christmas to me. Harry is a young boy of 11 who has never known love in his life. He has been living with his Aunt and Uncle who despised his parents before they died and then resented Harry for not having anyone else to care for him. They made him live in a closet and neglected him for 11 years. Upon his 11th birthday he learns that he is special and that there is a whole world of people who revere him. He leaves his Uncle's home to go live at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is suddenly wealthy and popular, he could walk around that school like he owned it, bullying the weak and teasing the poor. He chooses a different path though and befriends a poor red headed student named Ron and a Muggle born teacher's pet named Hermione. Through these friendships he learns the important thing in life. There is a scene at Christmas when Ron excitedly wakes Harry up for Christmas. Harry springs out of bed just thrilled to be with his best friend, excited because Ron is excited. Then Ron informs Harry that he has presents. His face lights up like... well i guess the best phrase here is that his face lights up like Christmas morning. You just want to pick him up and swing him around and say yes Harry you do deserve all of this, and now you can have it.

So if your list of Christmas must sees lacks any of these above, I suggest giving them a try. And if you think wow I already watch so many movies at Christmastime, maybe you could skip one or two airings of that dreadful Christmas Story and replace it with one of these.