MOVIE WEEKEND: MANK

Nomadland = beautiful

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom = lush

The United States vs. Billie Holiday = dull

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 = exciting

Hillbilly Elegy = sad

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

My word for Mank is trying (2020; Rated R; I watched it on Netflix).

I eagerly anticipated the arrival of this movie. I expected it would be great. Then I found watching it was a trying experience. 

Mank has 10 Academy Award nominations (obviously some people liked it a whole lot more than I did): Best Picture; Best Actor (Gary Oldman); Best Director (David Fincher); Best Supporting Actress (Amanda Seyfried); and you can see the rest on IMDB or just Google it.

 Herman J. Mankiewicz (Oldman), a real person who was a successful screenwriter, has to finish a script for a little movie you might recall: Citizen Kane. His alcoholism tends to get in the way of his work. He also likes to apply his acerbic commentary to the folks in Hollywood. Oh, and he pals around some with Marion Davies (Seyfried, who's quite good). 

This movie doesn't work for me. If you watched it and loved it, then I'm happy for you. Please explain to me why I should watch it again and realize it's magnificent.

I suspect some bits of business (a liquor bottle falls from Mankiewicz's hand instead of a snow globe); the cinematography; the movie being in black-and-white; and of course, the make-up, hair styles, and costumes,  are meant to reflect Citizen Kane. But trying to be artsy doesn't make a movie a work of art. 

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug 

THE DOG WHISPERER WHO MAKES GREAT JEWELRY

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

I've mentioned Franklin and Penelope's beloved Auntie Maureen who lives across the street (I giver her all the credit for Penelope's increasing confidence), but I haven't told you that she makes absolutely fabulous jewelry! 

Check out these starfish:

Maureen's prices are reasonable, especially considering the excellent quality of her work.  Earrings are $8 per pair, $15 for two pairs, $20 for three. You can see what she has available at Made with love earrings and more - Home | Facebook

When the holidays roll around, I wear nothing but Christmas earrings. I love to mix them up and wear four different earrings:

These necklaces are fun:

When I wear any of these earrings, I get so many compliments on them:

Go ahead, kids. Treat yourselves, or get a gift for a friend. Here's the link again:

Made with love earrings and more - Home | Facebook

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

MOVIE WEEKEND: THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7

 Nomadland = beautiful

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom = lush

The United States vs. Billie Holiday = dull

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

My word for The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is exciting (2020; Rated R; I watched it on Netflix).

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 has six Academy Award nominations: Best Movie; Best Supporting Actor (Sacha Baron Cohen); Best Original Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin); Best Editing (Alan Baumgarten); Best Cinematography (Phedon Papamichael); Best Song (Celeste, Daniel Pemberton). 

Of the nominated movies I've watched so far, this one is the most conventional, in that it clearly manipulates one's emotions with an exciting trial, its interesting cast of characters, and an even more exciting conclusion that has the observers in the courtroom cheering. Aaron Sorkin, who also directs, is good at taking events with a factual basis and fictionalizing them so they're exhilarating.

In 1968, protests at the Democratic Convention in Chicago were led by Students For A Democratic Society's Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and the Yippies' Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong). Their activism led to charges against them and then an unfair trial presided over by the evil Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella). Nixon was out to get them, but they had great pro bono representation and an assist from Ramsey Clark (Michael Keaton). 

I remember hearing about the Chicago 7, and then the trial, on the news every night, but I was too young to understand what it really meant. I learned more about it when I was older, and feel I appreciate it more fully because of this movie in spite of the fiction. Because the movie is good, I read about the facts of the case.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

MOVIE WEEKEND: THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

My word for Nomadland is beautiful; for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, lush; and my word for The United States vs. Billie Holiday is dull (2021; Rated R; I watched it on Hulu). 

The United States vs. Billie Holiday has one Academy Award nomination: Best Actress (Andra Day).

I wanted to like this movie. Andra Day's portrayal of Billie Holiday is good (she does her own singing), but it can't make the movie interesting.

The federal government wants Billie Holiday to stop singing Strange Fruit because it will make African Americans want their civil rights. They go after Holiday for narcotics use, and she has a rollicking affair with an agent. 

It's a true story, but the movie isn't focused.

I don't feel I wasted my time by watching The United States vs. Billie Holiday. I want to see as many nominated movies as I can, and this is one of them.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

MOVIE WEEKEND: MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

In case you didn't see my update on Nomadland, it won British Academy Film Awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress.

My word for Nomadland is beautiful, and my word for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is lush (2020; Rated R; it had a limited release in theaters and is now available only on Netflix, where I watched it).

This movie is completely different from Nomadland, and I love both movies. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is nominated for five Academy Awards: Best Actor (Chadwick Boseman); Best Actress (Viola Davis); Best Production Design (Mark Ricker, Karen O'Hara, Diana Stoughton); Best Make-up and Hair Styling (Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson); Best Costume Design (Ann Roth). 

It's 1927. Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) is late. She's supposed to be at the recording studio, but she arrives when she wants to arrive. No matter that the white executives want to control her. They can't do it. 

But the situation there is tense. Ma is not happy, and she becomes even more unhappy because of the behavior of her young horn player, Levee Green (Chadwick Boseman). Tension builds and builds and builds until it breaks.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is based on the play of the same name by August Wilson. It is so well written. I have yet to see Viola Davis give a performance that isn't astounding, and her portrayal of Ma Rainey is no exception. I confess I wondered if Chadwick Boseman was nominated at least in part because he passed away from colon cancer after completing this movie, but I certainly don't think that now. He more than holds his own against a number of veteran actors and is outstanding. 

Netflix also has a 31-minute documentary called Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: A Legacy Brought To The Screen. I recommend it. It helped me understand the costume and make-up choices.

I hope you have the opportunity to watch this movie and appreciate it as much as I did.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

MY GUESTS SOMETIMES DIE

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

When I moved to Florida I was surprised by all the lizards running around outside. 

Then I was really surprised when the lizards sometimes came in the house.

So I made a deal with them. If they didn't come inside, then I wouldn't kill them.

They didn't keep their end of the deal. So I sucked them up with the vacuum cleaner (not a good idea because they stink stank stunk), or I stabbed them with a fork.

Eventually I gave up and learned to appreciate the sight of a lizard sunning himself on a window sill or darting around the living room.

About a month ago, this guy turned up:

I took the living room curtains down to wash them, and there he was on the back of a curtain. I shook him off because I didn't want him fooling around in the washing machine.

He ran off to live in a closet in the foyer, but came out occasionally to torture Franklin and Penelope, who longed to remove his little lizard head.

Today, though, I found his corpse. Lizards usually like to die under the piano, but my lizard friend was right in the middle of the living room. We had become such close friends. He was a quiet companion. I tossed him out the front door.

Farewell, dear friend.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

A RAINY, CHILLY SUNDAY

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

After a run of pleasant, warm weather, it rained and the weather changed. It's chilly and rainy. After Franklin and Penelope went out this morning, Penelope went back to bed.

I was afraid she was cold, so I put a sweater on her and covered her with her green blankie. To my surprise, she allowed me to photograph her. She's camera shy, as am I.

She looked so small and sweet. I made sure she had a toy in case she needed a little chew.

Franklin is larger, of course, but he's quite slender under all that fur. Here are old photos of  hair that accumulated during a brushing:

And here's a beautiful smile:

We hope you have a great week. Our sun should be back soon.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug