Zippy is sittin’ on the dock of the bay . . . patrolling for Canadian Geese who fly into the pond every spring. And Spring has come early as the first squadron of geese have landed. They go about their business as couples, egging each other on, trying to find the right place in the cattails to settle in and “crap” up the place.
I can’t blame the geese; the pond makes for a private playground. Zippy barks at them constantly and they give it right back in loud honking tirades and swim off, scorn in every stretch of their curved necks, their swift path through the water irritating Zippy all the more. Now, Zippy is teaching Kipling how to race around the pond and not allow the geese to take to land. The messy birds eventually get tired of the game and fly away to roost in many of the other lakes in the area.
Now that the Oscars are over and The Artist has won Best Picture of 2011, I wanted to point out some other great films that you may have overlooked. They are available on DVD or through your rental sites. As the Academy Awards make clear: films that get the title of Classics bestowed on them are a rarity. It’s hard to fill the ten best films of the year nominations, and this year there were only nine competing. I didn’t think The Artist or Hugo deserved the highest honor. No sour grapes though. They both won awards because they were about filmmaking, Old Hollywood, the legends of Hollywood, glamour, glitz, and played to the academy voters. Hugo didn’t have a true beating heart within its spectacle, a beautiful decorated egg that remains hollow, and as slow-moving as a train running out of coal. I loved The Artist, don’t get me wrong; it was inventive and had true joy and sorrow in the tale, but it also stayed detached, and at a distance, and kept me from completely falling for its silent spell. I felt the same disconnect with the voting bloc of the academy as I did back when Brokeback Mountain, an important, naturalistic film about love, loss, secrets, and longing, lost to Crash, a movie that starred almost all the stars of the age, and had a narrative that manipulated the characters into action (a form of glad handing). Can’t change it though and time passes, but what films will you watch again? Certainly not Crash, Hugo or The Artist (well, maybe this last one just to see what all the fuss was about).
I’ve been taken with three older films. All are crime dramas, and each is a foreign film. Most of the films I have loved the past few years have been made outside the USA. The Millennium Trilogy from Sweden did the books justice, and made a star of the actress, Noomi Rapace, who played the original girl with the dragon tattoo brilliantly. Where was her nomination for Best Actress last year? Why wait to nominate Rooney Mara this year and not nominate and equally reward the harrowing portrayal by Rapace? This wondering being only my humble opinion, here are some incredible films to savor:
Animal Kingdom is a stunning crime film from Australia and the oily mother is a true screen villain, played by Jacki Weaver. She did get an Oscar nomination, and was the underdog to win, but that would’ve been really something to see.
The Square is a film noir movie and is also from Australia. I hadn’t heard of it but I’m glad it was recommended to me. It has the requisite dread for the situation the sketchy characters find themselves embroiled in. I was hooked.
And finally, rent it tonight, soon, The Secret in Their Eyes; put it in your queue at Netflix. This film from Argentina won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film and I’d never heard of it before its big win. It was worth the wait, and I’ll watch it again just to watch the intricate narrative unfold again. It centers on a crime, a cold case from the past and how longing for people drives action. It has a deep and romantic, hidden center.
I’m at home right now putting the finishing touches on my first eBook for Amazon: Sandcastle and Other Stories, and also finishing the last long draft of my first psychological novel, Wake Me Up, to catch small edits so that I can submit it later this summer for your reading pleasure. There’s never enough time and Zippy and Kipling want to play fetch after they chase all the geese away.
Best to you and yours always, and happy viewing and reading,
Justin
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I’ll have to check these 3 crime dramas out! I’m surprised the geese don’t “honk” Zippy’s nose! The ones up here go after trucks and even moose!
If they got close, I’m sure Zippy would be in for a surprise. As it is, they just swim away from his fool barking, beaks held high and mighty. You sure grow big geese up in Alaska, Dee LOL
Hey Justin! I’m rather behind on new films, so unqualified to comment on the Oscars, although I did already have Hugo and The Artist on my ‘to watch’ list.
I have, however, seen many of the crime films you recommend. Animal Kingdom was an incredibly powerful film that stayed with me long after I watched it. The Secret In Their Eyes is in my all time top ten – wonderful music to accompany it, we actually bought the Score and listen to it often. I liked the millenium trilogy films, although, strangely, I’m not a great fan of the books. I really wanted to be! However, I know they’ve been a real hit and the character of Lisbeth is fascinating and wonderfully depicted in the films. Must try The Square.
Loved the picture of Zippy on the Dock. Ella squealed at it! You have a wonderful home set in beautiful surroundings.
Best of luck with your short story collection. I’m sure they’ll do well. I’m particularly interested in your psychological novel ~had no idea you were doing this?~ and look forward to reading that when it is ready. You are one busy chappy.
I’ll close now. This must be the longest comment in history, LOL. Thanks for sharing your life with us:)
Thank you, Jane. I hope you enjoy watching all the movies. I agree about the score for The Secret In Their Eyes . . . which helped me follow the journey of the players. Zippy loves geese season and I wish I had a flock of sheep for him to manage.
Hello to Ella 🙂
I’m editing one story a day, ten in all, and there’s not too much left to edit. I finished writing two novels. Sent one out, and spent most of last year waiting for a reply from one publisher, which made me say: why wait? I still haven’t heard from them, and I imagine their office as a hoarder’s place with stacks and stacks of manuscripts and a maze to get to a desk. So, this first psychological family drama is ready to go. It is about the fallout after a violent crime takes place, how the family and the town come to terms. I’m halfway through the edit on a horror story, a chiller of a contagion novel. I started a third suspense story and I love those characters and the situation developing. Yes, I guess I have been busy, but no more or less than anyone out there who loves the writing life.
Best always!
My hero!
Zippy looks like he’s steering a ship. Animal Kingdom looks good, I’ll have to try and check that out.
Thanks, Pete, one critic called Animal Kingdom an Aussie Goodfellas and that is an apt comment . . . the mother is pure genius acting. The Secret In Their Eyes is the most intricate of of the three films, and should be watched by any writer trying to tell a complex plot in a fresh way while introducing characters you actually care about. Enjoy the movies. Zippy is a good boat dog too; he jumps right into the work boat and looks like a statue gazing out from the front.
I have to agree with you – I am increasingly baffled by Academy choices these days. One of these days, when I finally join Netflix (like everyone else), I’ll have to check out some of these movies.
Thanks for stopping by, Brandy (your comment got lost in the switch over from blog names) . . . I hope you get to see The Secret In Their Eyes. It sticks in my head. A complex puzzle box of a movie.