Everybody's Got A Price For the Million Dollar Baby

Finally saw Million Dollar Baby today. I thought that the acting was phenomenal all around. Clint Eastwood, Hillary Swank, and Morgan Freeman were all superb in their roles. I can definitely see Freeman winning an Oscar for his role in the movie, and maybe the other two principles as well. All three were great. I have to say though that this is one of the most unrelentingly depressing movies I've seen. I expected that there'd be some kind of positive, some glimmer of hope for the three main character by the film's end. But while I left the theater wowed at the acting, I was just emotionally drained from the movie's second half. Now I don't mind dark movies, in fact I often prefer them over cliched fairy tale endings and the like. But this didn't start out a particularly dark movie. It seemed to be a Rocky-like tale of inspiration and hope and overcoming odds, and even redemption. Then there was ... nothing. Nothing but heart-wrenching scenes, one after the other. And I was left wondering what the point was. What I took away from this movie was just a feeling of tragedy. Overall I do highly recommend the film and would definitely rank it is a great movie for it's powerful performances and skilled direction by Eastwood, but it's probably not something I'd want to watch again for a long while. It was just too draining and depressing throughout its second half. Still, check it out and see what the fuss is about, but be prepared for a film that initially appears to be a new take on the classic underdog boxing movie, but ends as a an extremely not-so-feel-good movie. My grade: B+

GRAMMY THOUGHTS:

- Watching the Grammy awards tonight and once again bemoaning the state of pop music ... but seriously, kudos to Green Day for having the guts to come out and kick ass with a rendition of american Idiot that is a punk-rock slap in the face to all the Southern-lovin' that is goin' on tonight, between the Lynard Skynard tribute (sure I love their songs, but if it ever did come down to a real debate between them and Neil Young, I think I'd take Young's side ...), and all the other conservative-leanin' music that is permeating this awards show. Sure, it's a radio-friendly pop song, but I love the lyrics of American Idiot -- very politically relevant yet still perfectly punk rock.

Political Aside: the song really does kind of point out how the same old crap is continually repackaged and changed into political dogma. When Billy Joe sings "Well maybe I'm the faggot America," it just makes me think of every other racial or ethnic slur that has ever been used in our supposedly unprejudiced nation. Think of every name that Jews, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and numerous other minorities have been called to marginalize and dehumanize them. How long ago was it that MLK Jr. called for us to judge people solely on the content of their character? So yes, it is just a pop song, but sometimes even seemingly trivial things can make you think (hey I am a film/TV major afterall!).

Anyways, back to the Grammys - a few pretty sweet performances though overall a lot of the same old fluff they always have. I did enjoy the Janis Joplin tribute with a noticably bald Mellisa Etheridge doing a great job channeling the spirit of Joplin. Good luck to her with her cancer recovery. I did enjoy the country-rock all star performance with Lynard Skynard and company as well. Sweet Home Alabama just never gets old. It was also kind of cool to see wo many stars doing that Tsunami relief song ... kind of surreal to see such people as Steven Tyler and Scott Waylan on the same stage with country and pop stars of very diverse backgrounds.

How many times are they gonna go back to the ol' U2 well? Yes, they are a great band, but do they really need to win a Grammy every year?

Maroon 5 is really the best new artist of the year? According to a ton of teenage girls, and Grammy, yes they are.

Well, music is just so subjective as I've said. I mean where's the love for THE DARKNESS, clearly the breakout new band of this past year!

TOMORROW:

I'm Tonight Show CB, meaning I escort the guests, including comedy legend DANA CARVEY into the studio. Sweeet. Oh, but it sucks ... Wed. I am working Ellen, not the Tonight Show, and of course my all-time favorite basketball player SIR CHARLES BARKLEY is going to be on the show. Dammit.

YESTERDAY:

I got some tools at Target and made a valiant effort to revive my broken PS2 by myself instead of waiting to hear from UPS. Well, that didn't work and I may have caused irreperable damage. I'm never going to beat Metal Gear Solid 3 at this rate.

ALSO: Looked at some apts. over the last few days. We'll see how those pan out.

SUNDAY NIGHT THOUGHTS:

Sorry, I taped all the FOX shows and didn't watch 'em yet, except Arrested Development, which was very funny and the best ep. in a while, thanks to Buster and Tobias. Didn't I say it's always funnier when they are featured? Can't wait for the return of Julia Louis Dreyfuss' hilarious character next week. Reviews of other shows to come soon.

And I got nothing else. I'll end with a quote from Dana Carvey in his iconic role as Garth Algar in Wayne's World.

Garth Algar: OK... First I'll access the secret military spy satelite that is in geosynchronous orbit over the midwest. Then I'll ID the limo by the vanity plate "MR. BIGGG" and get his approximate position. Then I'll reposition the transmission dish on the remote truck to 17.32 degrees east, hit WESTAR 4 over the Atlantic, bounce the signal back into the aerosphere up to COMSAT 6, beam it back to SATCOM 2 transmitter number 137 and down on the dish on the back of Mr. Big's limo... It's almost too easy.


Hmm ... exactly what I was thinking.