CHRISTMAS PAST

Hope all the Christmas/ Chanukah Holiday cheer is still floating around you all.
The New year is approaching and I hope your 2010 will be JOY-FUELED.
We shared our X-Mas eve with a small group of NY bound pals and ate too much, laughed too much and drank just enough.
As I love to cook we had a Turkey Roast, Ham and my special stuffing that I like to have sit for a day or so to meld flavors. YUMMM!
The comedy happens in the small tight space kitchen. No counter space..not areas to prepare anything easily. SO My sleeves catch on things and my elbows knock things over. I always have a large supply of paper towels for spills.
Anyway --I was thrilled with the thought that we might have a White Christmas.
The snowfall on the 19th was as far as I am concerned. a tease.
We had gone to see a movie at about 7 PM and it was flurrying. By the end of the movies at 9:15 it started to look like it was gonna be a terrific amount of the fluff.
By 10:30PM it was a good amount and it was pretty and magical. So I went outside I took photos.
By the next day it had all turned to slushy corner pools and muddy mounds. =0-(
But I had retained some of the beauty digitally.
I had taken long walks through NYC and gotten some Christmasy shots that were good representations of the festive decor festooning the busy streets.
As we walked about after the Christmas day it is sort of sad to see the beautiful Trees tossed away so immediately after the initial day.
But in a world of instant gratification I thought we had instant disregard as well.
Our family always left the tree and decorations up until Jan 6th which is the Epiphany. So I somehow feel it is disrespectful to toss things aside so quickly after such intense preparation.
As a January baby (JAN 9th-) I see the whole holiday season from Thanksgiving until Jan 9th. Which to me is the start of MY New Year.
I always semi-suffered as a youngster with a feeling of Birthday neglect; meaning that my birthday was a let down to the grander Holiday that preceded it. But I have learned to live with that! =0-)
I will hit a milestone this Jan 9th and am very pleased to still be vital enough to enjoy even the anticipation. Let's just say that Medicare is taking precedence over mediocrity: meaning a new CD, DVD or sweater which would have made my day now takes a back seat to this government program. Thank God!
Anyway. The highlights of this Holiday for us, besides the fun of being with friends and sharing food drink and laughs, was the wonderful movies we indulged ourselves with.
There are so many wonderful films to see.
Here is a list of what I saw:
NINE : Although Daniel Day-Lewis wasn't as Latin as I would have preferred in the part I thought his Cosmo-Euro centricity was appealing and appropriate. However his faulty accent on occasion was disruptive.
What bothered me most was the ANGST-ridden almost suicidally conflicted and confused take on Guido's character.I missed some of the intrinsic fun of his own confusion that was inherent in what I remember of Raul Julia's performance in the original stage show..
That said I LOVED the film. And was rather shocked at the Vitriolic Venom directed at the Director. Rob Marshall is a visionary and has been at the vanguard of lifting the Movie Musical up into a higher place in the public's conscious enjoyment level.. CHICAGO gave us a terrific display of how engrossingly entertaining a musical can be using the Cinematic medium.
Anyway..although a lot of the same techniques were in NINE they enhanced for sure.
Rob and John DeLuca made those women look and sound spectacular. It should raise the feminine appreciation to a grand level for all who see it. Hard to single out any one performance ..Marion Cotillard stands out, but Kate Hudson was to me a profound breakthrough of blasting us with TALENT on all levels. It didn't hurt that at times she even looked like her Mom Goldie Hahn.
I felt the attack on this film by the crtitics was ove the top and I recommend it no matter.
IT'S COMPLICATED: See it !! Just for thje wonderful coupling of Streep and Baldwin. I think A new comedy duo was cemented. They were a PERFECT match in wit and delivery and physical humor as well. The entire film was nonstop and peppered with many enjoyable and unique moments.
Steve Martin and the Supporting cast were also a great balance of powers.So much fun.
YOUNG VICTORIA: Wow what a terrific film. Emily Blunt sheds her Prada Posture and dons Queenly attire and attitude in a grand and enthralling character study. A Ten on the scale for sure.
SHERLOCK HOLMES: A really interesting and non stop reworking of the legend of Holmes and Watson. All the ripples about the GAY relationship in the film is minimal at best. It is a true Buddy film. There is however many eyebrow raising implications with a deep nod to how much Holmes "loves" watson or as the fiancee says to Holmes .."Cares about him as much as I do" or something like that.. BUt the film is more like Butch Cassidy & Sundance.
One can read into that what one wants.
I am an avid fan of Basil Rathbone as SHERLOCK HOLMES and all those 1940's movies. I was in fear that this new version might obliterate the intellect and cunning of the character.It didn't just made it rougher. Which in this version was appropriate.
So I recommend it as well.
A SINGLE MAN: A super intelligent film on all levels and TOm Ford get's an "A" in my book. Stylish and stunning in vision and performance. SEE IT!
PRECIOUS: This is a stunning portrait of human struggle. An OSCAR nom at least for Monique. SEE IT!
AVATAR: This is till fresh in mind as we saw it last evening.. This was a rather revolutionary or should I say visionary film. James Cameron has created a totally believable world with substance and structure that is totally palpable. Besides being a visual feast it has a great moral center. And although it deals with Aliens touches the humanity in all.
Putting it in 3-D and giving it a terrific conflict and stunning visual effects enhance this already amazing film.
SEE IT!!
A few of these films I was lucky enough to see in Screening and the professional audiences were vocal and appreciative. Others I saw in general release and was pleased to see similar reactions.
Movies are truly magical when that happens.
We saw some plays which I mentioned in previous blog-spoutings.
Our biggest disappointment was that SO HELP ME GOD the Mint Theatre's offering at the Lortel has closed. That was a very special piece and should have had more mileage.

So as the discarded Firs and Frasers dot the soggy sidewalks of NY and the Holiday wreaths droop and dry I look forward to the New Year with high spirit of Hope and all the good stuff we can carry into it.
Wishing you all Good Health, Prosperity, Joy and an abundance of MOVIES and PLAYS and as much music as you can stuff into your iPodded brains.

ONWARD to 2010

XXX

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