Tuesday, March 16, 2004
SPANISH FLY
The new Spanish el primo Jose Zapatero says he is taking his troops out of Iraq because the whole thing is based on lies. Quite a blow to the bushers and a new credence to two of Kerry's assertions: (1) that the administration lies and is crooked and (2) that there are foreign leaders who would like the bushers out of there.
It is amusing to see the counterspin from the Repubs; its not that anyone disagrees with the points actually; it seems to be more that it was bad taste for Kerry to say it out loud. He is not playing the game.
I think that this was Howard Dean's whole argument; that both sides had become frozen into this game of not confronting one other; not telling the truth; engaging in a sort of mutual denial. Don't rock the boat. Let 'em eat cake. Well the cake is gone and the truth seems to be coming out and it will be a very interesting 8-9 months. Thanks Howard. You put the spine back into the Democratic Party and enlivened Lurch. Let's see if they can sustain it.
Today's movie; NYT1000Best: Jody Foster won an Oscar for her performance; a young woman with a past who tries to receive justice after being gang raped. She is not a model citizen. She is on the margins of the system. It makes her goal a lot harder to achieve. Kelly McGillis is the Assistant DA who gets the job done.
I felt teary and very emotional throughout. There is a slow buildup of the events after the rape; we do not witness the rape itself until the full impact is understood. Recalled by a key witness in the courtroom, the pivotal moments unfold on the screen as he describes them. This results in a much more visceral understanding of the picture's message.
As in all good films there are several arcs: the relationship between the two women which transforms into 'near friendship'; the drama of an 'unknown' eyewitness who comes to realize his own truth; the uphill battle to get a case to a jury without plea bargaining the rights of the victim away.
It is very good. I give it a 4 on the Netflix scale.
