The Aftermath . . .

Good Post Christmas Morning,

I was not going to do another blog for a while but my sister Marlene wanted a film review of the two that I have seen since my last entry. So, here goes, unlike the two previous films I reviewed the two that were viewed on Christmas Eve and Xmas Day were good ones. In fact, one of them was excellent and will make my top ten for the year. That was George Clooney's new film, Up In the Air. I had been a bit skeptical when I read the good reviews beforehand, but after viewing it I was very much impressed. It is the study of a man who spends about 350 days a year flying to fire people from their jobs. It is a great character study of a solitary man who loves that lifestyle. His life and attitude changes somewhat when . . . Oh sorry, go see the movie to find out what happens to him. I strongly recommend this one, especially if you like acting and character development without all the special effects.

My Christmas morning film (for which I got the ticket a day ahead anticipating crowds) was Sherlock Holmes, featuring Robert Downey Jr as the intrepid detective and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. This was another highly advertised holiday film. I found it it a very entertaining version of the Holmes saga. Much of his original character resides in Downey's performance with a more energetic upgrade for modern audiences. For example, whereas the original Sherlock was a consummate boxer among his many talents, this version is a martial arts expert. Other allowances for attention deficit modern audiences is a lot of action sequences with a bit of down play of the more deductive detective work which is the hallmark of the original. Although, at the end he ties together all the pieces in typical Victorian detective fashion. Jude Law's portrayal of Dr. Watson is a much more action oriented one as well. I think many modern audiences unfamiliar with Holmes lore from the books will miss the many references thrown in to the mix. One example was the inclusion of the character Irene Adler (played by Rachel McAdams). Her character is only mentioned in a passing fashion in Conan Doyle's writings about Holmes, but in this film she spices things up as a "love interest."

I found the film a bit too long at 130 minutes. With some more selective editing it could have been a much more effective presentation. But still, I enjoyed it and found it entertaining. Especially I enjoyed the villain and his dark presence in the film with a shading in the background of the infamous Professor Moriarty, Holmes' nemesis throughout the original writings. In addition, I liked that the director, Guy Ritchie, kept the backdrop Victorian London, which lent itself to great cinematography.

Christmas day went off OK. With the film in the morning and a couple of hours spent with my youngest offspring in the late afternoon it was a nice day. In addition I was able to squeeze in several phone calls to my daughter, other relatives in California, and friends. Of course, underlying much of the day, was the chronic heartache of missing my mother. I do not know if I will ever get over that.

Have a great New Year and a safe celebration of same.