Hello Everybody! Sorry for the delay between columns. The NY Marathon, lots of work to do and a host of other factors have severely limited my movie watching and entertainment writing time in recent weeks. Now that the marathon is over I had an opportunity to kick back, relax, and see Ray on the big screen. This movie has had more hype than most big screen biopics in recent years. Maybe the hype was for the acting…or maybe the hype was due to Ray Charles demise several months before it hit theaters…or maybe the hype was simply a way of forecasting how successful an amazing movie would be. I loved this movie. Ray was full of demons, failures, success, self-doubt, love, lust and life. Jamie Foxx was so convincing with his acting and mannerisms….you actually forgot (for most of the film) that an actor was portraying Ray Charles…..you felt that you were actually watching his life unfold. From early life encounters with Quincy Jones and learning the music business the hard way to later life successes and battling the demons of drugs and women…Ray Charles lived a life unlike any other and achieved more than 99.9 percent of the artists (and people in general) out there. My hat is off to Hackford, Foxx and the entire production of the movie Ray (Jamie Foxx will definitely receive Oscar and Golden Globe nominations and one can only hope that he wins….what a talent!).

Now that I’ve raved about the first movie I have seen in the theater in weeks…I’ll move on to the list:

41. PULP FICTION – This is another one of those movies that I am probably preaching to the choir about. Most people in my generation (and beyond) already recognize this fill as a modern classic. The over-lapping story-lines, the comic/brutal acting of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, a discussion of European fast-food, Bruce Willis in all his acting glory, Harvey Keitel bailing everybody out, Ving Rhames as a big thug, Uma Thurman and the syringe…it has so much that I can’t even discuss it all! Many of my friends and contemporaries consider Reservoir Dogs to by the masterpiece and Pulp Fiction is the follow-up. I think that Pulp Fiction has a more rounded story, more polished acting and more stylized filming. Regardless…both these films deserve to be watched and you can make the decision for yourself.

42. LOST IN TRANSLATION – This movie has just as many detractors as fans. The critics were pretty universal in praising the film and pouring praise onto Coppola, Murray and crew. I have trouble pegging the reaction. Many films that are of an “artsy” persuasion are loved by art film fans and hated by the fans of Bruckheimer and Woo films. This movie was so cut and dry with its fans. Some average Joe’s loved this film and some art film fanatics hated it. I was recently discussing this film and comparing it to Garden State. Both films are terrific in my book. Both films deal with a sense of isolation and a certain disconnect from the world at large. I think that both films also portray this with a sense of humor. The difference is that Translation uses a lot more open space to make YOU feel the same way….while Garden State tells more of a story. The other difference(s) could be in generational response and a sweeter ending (in Garden State). I would prefer to think of each film as being great. Murray plays the fallen classic actor brilliantly. The Santori whiskey commercial is terrific. The language barrier with the locals, the “call girl” and the director of the commercial are priceless. The father-daughter (rather than romantic) relationship that develops between Murray and Scarlet Johansson is touching to watch. The disappointment when Johansson catches Murray with the lounge singer is heart breaking. The sadness that she feels for the absence of her husband (Ribisi) is genuine…and we’re all left wondering……….what did Bill Murray whisper into her ear!!! If you haven’t seen this movie then you need to take some quiet contemplation time and decide for yourself…I think it can be an enlightening viewing experience.

Stay tuned for my column next week…I’ll be bringing you two more movie classic…and perhaps a blurb on The Incredibles (if I make it to the movies next weekend!)…Bye!

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