Month: August 2016

NINE LIVES

Nine Lives Rebecca and Mr Fuzzypants

Rebecca (Malma Weissman) shares her feelings with Mr Fuzzypants (Kevin Spacey)

NINE LIVES

By Marlene Ardoin

Jennifer Garner is luminous in “Nine Lives.” She is so wise and tender. The noble theme is not to become so busy in life that you do not have time to enjoy the beauty in your life. And, that beauty is not another tall building designed by business tycoon, Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey).

Beauty is represented everywhere in this film. Tom’s beautiful wife, Lara (Jennifer Garner), his daugher, Rebecca (Malma Weissman), Rebecca’s birthday cake (spectacular!!) when she turns eleven, and Tom as a cat, himself. He is magnificent in that form.

Tom’s transformation occurs shortly after stopping by Felix Perkin’s (Christopher Walken) pet shop to pick out a cat, Mr Fuzzypants, for his daughter’s birthday. For maybe the first time, he is forced to become a part of his own family.

He also has a wonderful son, David Brand (Robbie Amell) from his first marriage, who is trying his best to make his father proud of him. David goes to heart-wrenching great lengths to do this.

This film has beautiful characters, Jennifer Garner and Christopher Walken as the cat whisperer stand out for me. There is also a lot of go-for-the-crotch slap stick in this, but overall, I came away feeling glad that I saw this film.

8/28/16 # Nine Lives

BAD MOMS

Bad Moms with Mila Kunis

Moms unite, overwhelmed mother of four, Kiki (Kristen Bell), distraught mom Amy (Mila Kunis) and single mom Carla (Kathryn Hahn).

BAD MOMS

By Marlene Ardoin

“Bad Moms” teaches us that it is OK to say “no” to your kids and to other adults. Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis), as a distraught mom, becomes really good at this. It comes down to a choice between maintaining her sanity and or developing fibro myalgia from jangled nerves.

Amy learns about boundaries the hard way. And, she is not the only one who needs to learn it. She meets two other moms at a local bar, single mom Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and overwhelmed mother of four, Kiki (Kristen Bell). They click as friends, who have each other’s back. They rebuild each other’s self-esteem. You do not have to be a mom to identify with these women.

Enter super mom and PTA President, domineering bully Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate), who can afford to have Martha Stewart cater her parties. As the story progresses, we find that this adversary really lives in a paper house.

How do you defeat a bully? You have to defeat them. There is no other way.

OK, so now you are the PTA President, now what? Do you go on giving shitty wine parties? Your kids are fixing their own breakfasts, but who taught them how to make that fancy frittata? Someone needs to fill in the missing pieces. Your kids have not been this way before, and you have. Either you teach them or someone else will. Some parents actually think raising their own kids is something like putting on shitty wine parties. Let’s have a drink in front of the web-cam.

I loved this film, because I think that the scrutiny of moms and teachers, for that matter, has gone too far. They are human beings, not robots. Most newly minted moms are still in the process of growing up themselves. Give them a hand, not worn out hate and judgment.

Amy’s kids are nice. Manners are important. Amy has taught them to be aware of the feelings and needs of others. No life-long narcissists here. Amy’s husband, Mike (David Walton), on the other hand, is her third child. He is caught sexually vaping in front of a web-cam.

This story will ultimately leave you with a final sense of relief, relaxation, and release of guilt, blame and shame. Mila Kunis really has the Ashton Kutcher comedic style down, effortlessly cool, but unassuming. This is a must see back to school from me.

8/11/2016 # Bad Moms

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

Captain Fantastic family

A single father, Ben (Viggo Mortensen), with his six children, is Captain Fantastic.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

By Marlene Ardoin

A single father, Ben (Viggo Mortensen), with his six children, navigates his way around the death of his bipolar wife in the best possible Buddhist way.

We find that he and his wife, a former attorney from a wealthy family, have home-schooled their children in an isolated wilderness. Both parents were very critical of society. The children have been groomed to be athlete fit, healthy, intelligent, analytical, well-read, creative, independent, survivalist, brave and self-sufficient individuals. If the world as we know it fell apart tomorrow, this family would be ready.

It is a clash of two schools of thought on raising the next generation, in which neither school is totally without flaw. We gradually realize that this father has given it his all. But, having to carry on alone, in the midst of his grief, almost unravels him.

The death of his wife forces him to reenter the real world. The close knit family discovers that they are not in any way, shape or form, prepared to live in the real world, as we know it.

As they observe the new found world, they encounter sick people, fat people, and beautiful girls smoking cigarettes, kind people, and people with different beliefs, old people and gullible people. It is sort of like Prince Buddha coming out of the palace walls for the first time in his life. It is a shock.

I would have liked to have the husband’s family and background filled in. He is obviously very intelligent and free-thinking. How did he get that way? Who were his parents? And, how did he meet his wife? And, the ultimate mystery is what caused his wife’s bipolar condition? From my research, I find that it rarely occurs in childhood, but develops in adulthood. Is it caused by brain chemistry or by built up inner emotional turmoil?

His wife’s mother, Abigail (Ann Dowd), is compassionate enough, but her husband, Jack (Frank Langella), seems to blame his son-in-law for everything.

Everyone is in a fragile state due to the circumstances with plenty of blame to go around. But, by being so opinionated, he creates more strife than can be borne by the children’s father, Ben. And, Jack is forcing the children and Ben to make a choice. I think I know what caused his daughter’s manic depression.

The real core of this story is the emotional shift of full-force sympathy for the young father, Ben, as he and his children navigate their grief and bring closure to everything in the Buddhist way. They choose love and truth.

Bipolar disorder slideshow

http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/ss/slideshow-bipolar-disorder-overview

Noam Chomsky

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky

Buddhism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism

Captain Fantastic Circle in the woods

8/2/2016 # Captain Fantastic