2007-12-23

Our Sabbath was simply delightful! We slept late and arose to do puzzles and read the paper in a very leisurely way before Mick cleaned house and I came upstairs to write my journals, which I did not do earlier this morning as I overslept after experiencing a very active early night with IC symptoms.

We had lunch as we began our first film of three for the day, called “Once”. Glen Hansard of The Frames and Marketa Irglova starred in this quite charming musical. It all takes place in a week, where the two musicians create music together for an audition CD. I loved the performances, the music and the talents of both stars.

We started our second film right away, eager to enjoy the antics of Jackie Chan in
"Rush Hour 3”, and Chris Tucker's as well. We were not at all disappointed. They did homage to several old films, including a new take on Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s On First” routine, making us laugh and wax nostalgic. The action was very good, the stunts were typically improbable and the bad guys were foiled in good style.

After a break, we watched our third film as the evening came on. This was the pick of the day from a critic’s perspective. It was an extremely good movie by any standards, telling a story very well, with superb action direction, the kind where even when a lot happens you know what is occurring. That is a real accomplishment, and one which action directors often muff. You know people got clobbered, but the details are hazy in the rush of short clips and loud special effects.

The acting, both from the stars – Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jennifer Garner – and from the ensemble players was Oscar-quality and I would not be surprised to see both leading and supporting players garner (pun intended) nominations. Especially, exquisitely excellent was the work done by Ashraf Barhoum, who played a Saudi Colonel responsible for the security of the investigating team played by the stars plus Jason Bateman and Kyle Chandler, both of whom were also excellent.

And from a topical point of view, the film had a clean accuracy concerning very distressing events and issues. The events of the film were fictional, but inspired by the bombings of American personnel at Riyadh and Khobar. The attitudes of both sides were not at all sensationalized, but offered clearly and with compassion. And the deep issue of motivation and its place in ethical considerations was beautifully addressed at the end of the film, when two whispered messages are revealed. Both sides, looking at the same situation from opposite points of view, express the desire for revenge on those who have murdered their loved ones, for “killing them all”. How human is that emotion, and how very deadly to the cause of peace. I cannot say enough good about this film!

I offered the closing prayer at the Gaia Meditation tonight.