Tag Archive for: Meryl Streep

Up in the Air, It’s Complicated

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In keeping with my New Year’s resolutions in which I vowed to view more movies in the movie theater because that’s what Jim—aka best hubby ever—likes to do, we went to see “Up in the Air” this past Saturday. George Clooney stars, along with Vera Farmiga—who who did admit to having a body double for the nude scene and forever cemented herself as a new favorite actress in my mind—and spunky kind-of newcomer Anna somebody or other, who didn’t look old enough to get into an R-rated movie never mind act in one. I found the entire story line—man travels the country firing people—to be extremely depressing and in the third act, when the man finds redemption or something resembling it, I found myself not rooting for the man but wondering what had happened to all of those loyal, dedicated people that he had fired. People who had lamented that they would need to vacate their homes, use less heating oil, and go on food stamps, all in the name of a company’s “downsizing.” All of this was made more poignant because the people who were fired in the film were real people, not actors. And that made the viewing of this movie all the more depressing and sobering.

And now I am reminded of why I hardly ever go to the movies, and when I do, shy away from the “important” and “star-making” ones like “Up in the Air.” Because they are just too damn depressing.

As we exited the movies, I implored Jim that we see “It’s Complicated” next weekend. Because you know what? It doesn’t sound complicated at all. Middle-aged women has two sexy men vying for her affection. Sounds like it’s right up my alley. Sure, I’ve got the middle-aged deli guy at the local gourmet store who smiles at me when I go in, but two middle-aged deli guys? That’s something a gal can only dream about.

But as I was pondering when we would go see “It’s Complicated,” I came across a small blurb in one of my favorite magazines, which touted the movie as “feminine middle-aged porn.” Really? So this is what an enjoyable movie made for my demographic is described as? “Middle-aged porn”? It’s a popular movie, starring the wonderful, sexy, and gorgeous Meryl Streep and now we’re supposed to feel bad because we buy into the story that two men could be interested in her? Or that she lives in a gorgeous house that is almost a character in the movie, so well-appointed and decorated it is? That was described as “architecture porn.” Seriously, people, enough with the “porn” references. If it isn’t porn, well, it just isn’t porn. Don’t try to be clever.

Anyway, we’ll go to see it and I’ll let you know what I think. There are so few movies made for women like me—basically, women who are not seventeen yet want to be entertained—that I’m looking forward to it. Have movie makers not figured out yet that it is we women, the middle-aged ones, who have the money? Because if they did, we’d be seeing a lot more movies in which women like Meryl Streep, and Helen Mirren, Joan Allen, and Vanessa Redgrave, and a host of other gorgeous women over thirty are given interesting and compelling storylines that may or may not involve pursuit by the opposite sex. Or their own sex. I don’t care which. Just stop showing women being mean to each other, or not supporting each other. We don’t want to see that because although movie makers think that this is what goes on in everyday life, it’s just not the case.

Just look at the Stiletto Gang. One for all and all for one.

Maggie Barbieri

When Bad Movies Happen to Good People

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Meryl Streep is the gold standard. If you describe Pamela Anderson’s performance in Blonde and Blonder, and point out that “she’s no Meryl Streep,” everyone knows exactly what you mean.

And while Pierce Brosnan is no Meryl Streep either, he can certainly hold his head up when walking down Hollywood Boulevard.

So what happened when they both signed on the dotted line for Mamma Mia? Did Meryl decide that with enough emoting, it didn’t matter that she was 20 years too old for the part? Did Pierce resolve that even if he sounded off-key in the shower, when he hit the big screen, suddenly he’d be Pavarotti?

In fact, the elements were all there for a fantastic movie: a stage show that’s been seen by more than 30 million people worldwide, a cast of phenomenal actors, fun music, gorgeous locale …so what went wrong?

Rick McCallum, legendary producer of the Star Wars movies, once said, “the truth is, nobody ever sits down at a table and says ‘hey let’s make a bad movie’. No producer, director, writer says ‘God I’ve got a really great idea for a sh***y film’. It doesn’t work that way. But something in the process, something about the compromises, the timing, the studio, the phenomenal pressure that artists have to go through, causes something to go really wrong.”

That happens with books too. How often have you read a book from a favorite author and the magic is gone, the story is flat, or you don’t recognize the characters you’ve grown to love?

On the other hand… Maybe somebody (or in the case of a movie, several somebodies) just had a bad day. Ty Cobb has the highest lifetime batting average (.366), but that means that he got a hit only three out of every ten times he was at bat. Babe Ruth struck out more than 1300 times in his career.

Are we too demanding? If a good-faith effort is made is that enough? Or for $10.50, plus the cost of buttered popcorn, are we entitled to better? Or was I just too hot and tired to fully appreciate the joy of ABBA music, even if sung off-key?

What do you think?

Evelyn David