Movies
Recently a new American-style mall has opened in Netanya, in the so-called New Industrial Zone. This Mall has several novel features, including an underground 8-screen movie complex, and about ten restaurants including a sushi bar (now popular in Israel) and a chocolate restaurant (that I haven't visited yet).
Naomi and I went to the movies there and saw "No country for old men." This was an ultra-violent crime movie, with a psychotic killer, taking place in Texas, where violence is a way of life. Although it is clearly a well-directed and quite original plot, for which the Coen Brothers won the Oscars for Best Director(s) and Best Picture, I was very disappointed with the ending (I hope that you haven't seen it!). It built up so that the audience hated the bad guy and hoped that the good guy would survive. But, of course, they switched this around at the end, and had the old marshall (played by Tommy Lee Jones) retiring from the scene just when we needed him. There were some loose ends left untied and I thought that the ending was literally a "cop-out" (think about it). The moral was that crime/murder pays, that you can get away with it if you are ruthless and dedicated enough (where were all the hundreds of cop cars that one sees in most Hollywood crime movies?) I found this a very unsatisfying ending, and I think it represents a trend in American cinema in which ultra-violence is lauded.
We also saw the movie "Michael Clayton," and I must say that I thought that it was a superior movie, far better than "No country for old men," much more thoughtful and coherent, and with a satisfying end. George Clooney (who was nominated for an Oscar but did not win) and Tom Wilkinson gave excellent performances and Tilda Swinton won the Oscar for best supporting actress and was brilliant (as the British like to say).
About British actors, they took three of the four top acting Oscars (the fourth went to a French woman), yes they are the best! I don't know why that is, but I suppose its because they are so desperate, since the salaries are meager. The only way they can make it financially is to win Oscars. I suppose there is also a culture of excellence, based on Shakespeare, methinks. Alas, I have no link to that. Exuent.
Naomi and I went to the movies there and saw "No country for old men." This was an ultra-violent crime movie, with a psychotic killer, taking place in Texas, where violence is a way of life. Although it is clearly a well-directed and quite original plot, for which the Coen Brothers won the Oscars for Best Director(s) and Best Picture, I was very disappointed with the ending (I hope that you haven't seen it!). It built up so that the audience hated the bad guy and hoped that the good guy would survive. But, of course, they switched this around at the end, and had the old marshall (played by Tommy Lee Jones) retiring from the scene just when we needed him. There were some loose ends left untied and I thought that the ending was literally a "cop-out" (think about it). The moral was that crime/murder pays, that you can get away with it if you are ruthless and dedicated enough (where were all the hundreds of cop cars that one sees in most Hollywood crime movies?) I found this a very unsatisfying ending, and I think it represents a trend in American cinema in which ultra-violence is lauded.
We also saw the movie "Michael Clayton," and I must say that I thought that it was a superior movie, far better than "No country for old men," much more thoughtful and coherent, and with a satisfying end. George Clooney (who was nominated for an Oscar but did not win) and Tom Wilkinson gave excellent performances and Tilda Swinton won the Oscar for best supporting actress and was brilliant (as the British like to say).
About British actors, they took three of the four top acting Oscars (the fourth went to a French woman), yes they are the best! I don't know why that is, but I suppose its because they are so desperate, since the salaries are meager. The only way they can make it financially is to win Oscars. I suppose there is also a culture of excellence, based on Shakespeare, methinks. Alas, I have no link to that. Exuent.
posted by Jack Cohen at 2:05 PM
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