RBG's last night at the Supreme Court

RBG at the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

RBG at the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

 

RBG at the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

 

Across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020. It was always the same at the opera, whether it was the Kennedy Center or Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University: Just before show time, Justice Ginsburg would enter the hall through a side entrance (at the Kennedy Center) surrounded by three bodyguards, one, always a woman, dressed in characteristic suits of dull monotones. They did not sit with her. I believe she sat alone.  

Her silhouette was unmistakable and audience members stood, cheered, and applauded her presence every time. At both places she always had the same seat:  orchestra level, on the left in the first section towards the rear, one row from the aisleway at the Kennedy Center, and at Lisner, a few rows from the stage, center left. Her presence lent a happy tone to the production, whether it was a sad show or not.  Now, it's a sad show./Patricia Leslie

   

Across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

Across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

Across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court Sept. 24, 2020 was this letter which reads (the portion not covered by rocks): "Justice Ginsberg! - You will be sorely missed... The sisters ... (rocks) have loved your work for all ...You made an IMMENSE difference in this world for us, our daughters, and our granddaughters. Thank you for being NOTORIOUS! Catie(?), Nomi, Toni, Cricket, Erin, Lizzie & the rest of us sisters"/Patricia Leslie

Across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

Across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

Across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

RBG at the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

RBG at the U.S. Supreme Court, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie

 

A few steps from the U.S. Supreme Court is the U.S. Capitol, Sept. 24, 2020/Patricia Leslie  

 

Patricialesli@gmail.com

Movie winners, losers, and Oscar predictions

Tomasz Kot in Cold War. He won't win an Oscar (especially since he's not nominated), but he wins my heart.  Please read below.

 In alphabetical order: 

 At Eternity's Gate about Vincent van Gogh is a movie only for the hardcore.  It has too many scenes of the painter reaching for the sky, for wheat stalks, and thrusting his hands and arms to catch raindrops.  Too much rain and too much filler. Yawn.

Yes, Willem Dafoe's performance definitely warrants his nomination for Best Actor, and he may win. The visuals and scenics could win for Best Cinematography (not nominated). I read that the award for Best Makeup was being discontinued or relegated to commercial breaks, but the makeup department (22 artists) and their outstanding work fashioning the cast into keen likenesses of the people Van Gogh painted, especially at Arles like Madame Ginoux and Joseph Roulin, must be applauded. I would hire them in a New York minute for my next film.

The film is almost a documentary.  

Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant/IMDB

Melissa McCarthy's Can You Ever Forgive Me? is almost as boring as the title with the best part, the performance by Richard E. Grant who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. I hope he wins.  There is no chance she'll win Best Actress.


Cold War...uh, uh, uh, uh. I ain't never experienced love like this!  Wowee. This is passionate stuff, but a critics' fancy, which, understandably, lasted about two days in D.C. theatres, totally unappealing to Clint Eastwood, Tom Wilson types, but a chick flick for arty-farties.  I dig Tomasz Kot. He's the man.

The Favourite, oh please.  The "Most Boring" is the title I put on it.  Go here for a most unfavourable review. (British only spelling, please.)

It was easy to predict that Green Book would receive 2019 Oscar nominations for Best Actor (Viggo Mortensen), Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali), Best Original Screenplay (Brian Hayes Currie,

Peter Farrelly, and Nick Vallelonga), and Best Picture, and I thought it would earn one for Best Director (Peter Farrelly), too.
I don't know if it will win Best Picture. I don't think it is a "Best Picture."  I haven't seen all the nominees, but this does not quite match par.

It was a Christmas "feel-good" movie of which we could always use more, especially given the national climate since Santa came to town. Without the bad words, Green Book would be good family fare.

It's an excellent story, crafted from a real one starring a black classical pianist who is on a Southern tour in the early 1960s, chauffeured by a white boxer. The old signs, cars, motels, apparel are fun to see.

Too much time (and repetition) is spent on aerials of the car driven on two-lane country roads.

Both subjects, the gentlemen in the movie, died in 2013.


Oh, dear, If Beale Street Could Talk was another big bore.  Loaded with too many pregnant pauses and needing a chopping block to cut about half of it.  Obligatory breasts, included, natch. 

The only good part was the families' fight scene which occurs early on, and it's downhill from there.  Try seeing this and reading American Prison by Shane Bauer at the same time to send you in a downward spiral.

Maria by Callas is a must for opera fans but even for this newbie faux fan, the first half includes too much music.  Huh?  It's about the diva Maria Callas, right?  I went hoping to learn more about her life.  

It does cause one to question anew: Why did Jacqueline Kennedy marry Aristotle Onassis? At the time, "everyone" said it was money. He didn't have the courtesy to give Maria the news, that he was marrying Jackie. Ms. Callas had to find out the worst way, via public notification. Onassis did return to her while he was married to Jackie, according to reports.

Maria Callas died at age 53, a victim of a heart attack. 

RBG is, without question, a slam dunk to win Best Documentary given its quality, the political climate and the absolute detest Hollywood feels for the occupant of the White House.  Highly recommended.

Shoplifters, oh, what a bore. What a merry-go-round of the same constant scenes.  Please! For earlier review, go here.

Stan and Ollie is a pleasant time, another good one for nursing homes. Without checking, I would wager that most of it is based on fact. A "sweet" film.

Tea With Dames is excellent documentary fare, again for the diehard film fan whose stars are the  quartet of bevies, the crème de la crème of actors: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkin, and Joan Plowright.

No script was necessary as they are of the age when they speak their minds.  What do they have to hide?

Widows, yes!  I loved it. For an earlier review, go here.

Mr. Rogers' movie, Won't You Be My Neighbor?  was nice and sweet like he was. It's not a surprise it was not nominated for Best Whatever given it is a bit of a bore, but I know most liked it and it hung around a while, a great sign for revenue. Zzzzzzzzz.  Good for nursing homes, if occupants can stay awake. It lacked much about his younger life.
patricialesli@gmail.com

A Starry Night with Herman Wouk at the Library of Congress

By the Queen of Free

If the public had known the presenters at the Herman Wouk award ceremony at the Library of Congress this week would include Martha Raddatz, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ,William Safire, and Jimmy Buffet performing, it is likely a mob scene would have ensued.

Wisely, the Library of Congress press office kept the names of the celebrities (is that a dirty word now?) off the press release, and so the Coolidge Auditorium was almost SRO anyway.

Mr. Wouk received the first award bestowed by the LOC for "lifetime achievement in the writing of fiction." And he received another honor, too: Henceforth the award will be called the Herman Wouk Award. He has written 12 acclaimed novels, plays, and nonfiction, many of which were displayed in a lighted glass case in the foyer of the auditorium.

Herman Wouk is a delightfully charming 93-year-old who looks, speaks, walks, dresses, and acts like someone in his mid-70s, seriously.

When he made his entrance onto the stage the audience stood and clapped for several moments. Mr. Wouk wore a sharp suit and red tie, and sat and listened for two hours to the presenters who read at length from his novels, sang, and gave him special gifts including a framed letter from Senator Dianne Feinstein (D- CA) commemorating Mr. Wouk's achievements, and a framed facsimile of four leaves from a Hebrew illuminated manuscript.

The ceremony began with a taped segment from the television show, "What's My Line," broadcast in the 1950s and 1960s, featuring Mr. Wouk who tried to "stump the panel." It was a show filled with laughter and reminiscences of times and people past. And the Coolidge audience loved it. (Are there re-runs anywhere?)

Except for reading some of Mr. Wouk's War and Remembrance, Martha Raddatz of ABC News seemed a reluctant participant for she barely said any words other than those in the book. William Safire made the crowd laugh with his remarks and his reading from Inside Outside. Justice Ginsburg, as fragile as a porcelain doll and weighing about as much, made you proud of Bill Clinton who nominated her to the U.S. Supreme Court. She read excerpts from The Caine Mutiny.

And Jimmy Buffet! Whew! He bounded on stage, removed his jacket and gave the history of his and Mr. Wouk's collaboration on Don't Stop the Carnival before he took off his shoes and played the guitar and sang several numbers from the play in bare feet. Maybe that's another first for the stage of the Coolidge.

The event ended with Mr. Wouk reading in an affirming, strong voice excerpts from his personal journals which he has donated to LOC along with several manuscripts.