Deborah Lawrenson's "The Lantern" and Other Reviews

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For the past month, I've been promising to review Deborah Lawrenson's The Lantern. Before you read my review though, you should be made aware of the existence of a casual online friendship between Deborah Lawrenson and myself. We'll never share feelings over cups of coffee at two in the morning, or anything like that. However, I read her blog, she reads mine, and we've given each other words of encouragement from time to time. With that in mind, this is what I thought of her book. Following, my review of The Lantern, you'll find some of my other opinions on recent movies and TV.
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The Lantern, is a book which tells two stories at the same time. In what most readers will consider to be the main story, we see Eve, as an adult, fall in love with an older man named Dom. It's not until they buy home together in the south of France, that Eve begins to realize how extremely secretive Dom is about his past, most notably regarding his former, not necessarily ex, wife. Her curiosity prompts Eve to investigate Dom's past while trying not to ignite his volatile temper. The second story shows us Eve's childhood and the lengths she'd go to to placate her sadistic brother.

As much as I love & admire Deborah, I have to say, the Godfather Part II style back and forth between the two stories makes each story a bit hard to get into. Once the reader DOES get into the narrative though, the purpose for the alternating chapters becomes clear. Like James Fenimore Cooper's The Leatherstocking Tales, The Lantern is as much about sensory descriptions of the setting as it is about the plot or characters. Deborah Lawrenson does a brilliant job of describing the floral hills, ripening fruits, and cloud dotted skies of the French countryside as they are perceived by all five human senses. As each story unfolds, Eve is repeatedly exposed to the same mysterious scent, which ties the stories together in an interesting way.

This wasn't a casual afternoon read for me,The Lantern requires some work to get through. Yet, Henry David Thoreau once said, "Books must be read as deliberately and reservedly as they were written." Thus, if a reader puts in the time & effort, they'll find themselves amply rewarded by the beauty of The Lantern. 4 out of 5 stars

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Recent Movies:
If To Live & Die In LA met one of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns at a bar, and they hit it off, the product of their union would be Drive. Even though it's set in modern times, a horde of "me" oriented characters, the gritty downtown style of story telling, hip but dark background music, and neon style lettering in the credits, work together to produce the feel of an 80s crime drama, reminding movie goers of when Agent Richard Chance avenged the death of his partner and Crockett and Tubbs fought to stem the flow of drugs in Miami. Yet, almost channeling Clint Eastwood, Ryan Gosling plays The Driver as a quiet man with no name who's guided by a quasi-moral code. He's willing to drive getaway for a heist, but he'll risk his life to right a wrong and protect those he perceives to be innocent. 4.5 out of 5 stars
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What happens when a lie becomes not only a matter of record, but a piece of history? How far would you go to protect that lie and perpetuate widely accepted illusions? These are the questions Director John Madden asks in this gritty gripping espionage thriller, The Debt.

Like The Lantern, crucial parts of this story are revealed as a series of flashbacks, first showing us the accepted myth, then the truth behind the reported events. As we witness both versions, as well as the aftermath of the lie, we begin to sympathize with the liers, played by Helen Mirren, Rome's Ciarán Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson. With knowledge of the harm the truth could do, if made public, audience members find themselves routing for the continuation of the cover up. 5 out of 5 stars.
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After a 27 year absence from the big screen, Robert E. Howard's mythic hero has found his way back into theaters. This version of Conan the Barbarian had way more action and colorful villains than Arnie's version. While the fight scenes were amazing, including a swash buckling sword fight aboard a pirate ship, the Conan character had been substantially altered. This version was never raised as a slave, nor did he worship the warrior God, Crom, stating several times that he worshiped no God. If Arnie's version was based on Robert E. Howard's novels, this movie felt more like an adaptation of one of the comic book versions. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

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The New Fall TV Season:
Initially, I was excited about this year's new TV line-up. I, of course, haven't seen every offering this year, nor do I intend to make the effort. However, I've seen enough to be really disappointed.
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In the original British version of Prime Suspect Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Jane Tennison, played by Helen Mirren, lead a major case unit of the Metropolitan Police. The show was centered around the character trying to solve murders while confronting DS Bill Otley (Tom Bell) and other sexist officers on her squad who attempted to have her replaced as team leader. In NBC's version of the series, Maria Bello plays Detective Jane Timoney, a younger, more action oriented sleuth with a mentoring ex-cop for a father.

While Bello's character still faces a staggeringly blatant brand of sexism from her co-workers, especially Detective Reg Duffy played by Brían F. O'Byrne, that's where the similarities end. Timoney is more masculine, and in some ways less seasoned, than her English counterpart, Tennison. While her increased willingness to draw her gun, or participate in a fist fight, makes for a more visually exciting program, it takes Prime Suspect from the realm of thought provoking mysteries such as Perry Mason and Inspector Morse, and plops it into a category along side Charlies Angels and Hunter.
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"Up All Night" and "Whitney" whetted our appetites all summer with outrageously funny clips about raising babies and dating. Unfortunately, Up All Night proved to revolve around the quest to be 30-something and cool, rather than a comedy about embarking upon the adventure of parenting. Likewise, Whitney has proved to be just another "boy likes girl" sitcom with mediocre jokes, maybe one big laugh per show, and tender Cunningham-esc moments to end each episode.
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The one new show I think has potential is, oddly enough Pan-Am. In order to enjoy the show, viewers need to suspend disbelief, more than usual, and accept the ideas that in 1963 stewardesses were actually CIA agents and commercial airliners were sent on missions to rescue Cuban refugees. If you can put reality to one side though, the unique formula makes a wide variety of stories possible. If ABC utilizes what they have, audiences may be treated to love stories, inflight murder mysteries, spy thrillers, and other tales of intrigue, danger, and romance.
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As a final note, I must confess to being majorly disappointed by the return of a show I loved last year. In January of 2011, viewers were introduced to Harriot Korn, played by Kathy Bates. She was a recently fired lawyer who did things her way. Harry's Law was a fun show about Harriot's shoe store front law office. Featuring a different quirky case each week, we were treated to her display of off the cuff antics as she dealt with her colorful staff, gang members, and downtown neighbors.

This year however, her practice is part of a larger contemporary law office, and she's been involved in a single ongoing murder trial. OK, I get that NBC may have been contractually obligated to give Alfred Molina a certain number of episodes to round out his Law & Order. L.A. contract, but the case they have him involved with is just plain boring. It's gone from being a uniquely fun show, to being a hum-drum clone of Ally McBeal or Boston Legal. If not for the overly Machiavellian prosecutor, played by Jean Smart, and the occasional screwball remark from Tommy "Big Boy" Jefferson, played by Christopher McDonald, Harry's Law wouldn't have ANY energy at all this year.

To paraphrase the wives of Dogpatch, "Put it back, the way it wuz. Oh, put it back the way it wuz. It was smart, it was funny, she helped with clients with no money. So whatever else you does, put it back the way it wuz! Put it back [put em back] the way it wuz [the way it wuz] oh, put it back the way it wuz!"
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What's The Point?

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Debbie shuffled from one envelope to the next, making mental notes as she made her way back to her house from the mailbox. "Water bill, Visa, Danbury Mint catalog," she mumbled. Suddenly her brow furrowed when a familiar, yet unfamiliar, red envelope caught her attention. "Honey," she said, making her way into the kitchen, "Did you sign us up for a new DVD service?"

"Huh?" David grunted from behind his newspaper.

"A new DVD service," she repeated, and held out the envelope. "It looks like a Netflix envelope, but it says Qwickster."

David folded his paper and said, "Oh, that," while giving a pleasant chuckle. "Netflix is Qwickster now."

"They changed their name? Why?"

"Because they raised their prices," he said.

"I don't follow," Debbie said. "What does one have to do with the other?"

David released a long sigh and motioned for Debbie to seat herself on the breakfast stool next to his. "As you know, people have been able to rent disks AND watch videos online from Netflix under a single price package."

"Right," Debbie said with an attentive nod.

"Well, at the end of August, Netflix announced they were going to sell the services separately. Each service would cost less than what people were currently paying, but ordering the two services together would cost more. People were outraged; blogs flamed the plan, Twitter was all atweet with disgruntled customers. It was a PR nightmare."

"Where does Qwickster fit in?" Debbie asked with a cocked head.

"I'm getting to that," David reassured her. "On September 19th, around 2am, CEO Reed Hastings sent what initially looked like an apology email all the customers of Netflix. Once, customers read the message though, they discovered a plan to split Netflix into two companies. Netflix would stream video online, and Qwickster would mail the DVDs."

"Wait," Debbie said. "Didn't Netflix start as a DVD mailing service and add the streaming video later?"

"Yup," David said.

"So, the new company will provide the original service, and the original company will provide the additional streaming service?"

"Yup," David said.

"And, the prices will go back down to their original levels?"

"Nope," David said. "The newly announced prices still stand, only now they'll appear as two line items on people's bank statements instead of a single total."

"Billing people twice won't increase overhead and their costs?"

"Probably will," David said.

"Will people's queues still be tied together?"

"Don't know," David said.

"What makes the separation of companies worth the higher prices and increased book keeping?"

"Qwickster will rent video games as well as movies."

"They couldn't have offered games as an additional paid service under Netflix, and kept the rest of the prices the same?"

"Probably could've," David said.

"Why are they increasing prices, bureaucracy, and over head simply to add a new service to their product line."

"Don't know," David said.

"Then, what made CEO Reed Hastings think the announcement of the split would put people's minds at ease over the price bump?"

"Don't know," David said.
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Epilogue:

On October 10th, 2011 the following letter was sent to all Netflix users.

Dear David,

It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

This means no change: one website, one account, one password…in other words, no Qwikster.

While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes.

We're constantly improving our streaming selection. We've recently added hundreds of movies from Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM and Miramax. Plus, in the last couple of weeks alone, we've added over 3,500 TV episodes from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, USA, E!, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Discovery Channel, TLC, SyFy, A&E, History, and PBS.

We value you as a member, and we are committed to making Netflix the best place to get your movies & TV shows.

Respectfully,

The Netflix Team
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Summer's End

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Last year I posted a poem about the coming of autumn. Today I'm posting a poem of mine about the end of summer.

Summer's End

A fluffy white blanket covers the familiar blue,
Of hot lazy days spent trading comic books and sliding into home plate.
Sporadic spits of rain slowly erase streets of chalk,
Which once carried busy bicycles racing to and from make believe shops.

Naked sticks of brittle wood are all that remain of,
Fruity frozen confections of sticky juice which decorated small lips.
School books replace tales of heroic adventures in heavy
Nap sacks of students trying to find their way from home room their next class.

Sweaters hand on bodies once adorned in light tank tops,
As boots incase previously sandaled feet sprinkled in cool beach sand.
Thoughts of clear nights spent star gazing as bug zappers snap,
Morph into aspirations of full meals and rich holiday suppers.

Colored leaves smother previously soft green grass blades,
As we prepare for the cold short days and long nights which lie just ahead.

Lest We Forget

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I love ordering pizza to be delivered. One evening, I ordered an anchovy & onion pizza with extra cheese. Unfortunately, I didn't open the box until the delivery guy left, and I found a pepperoni & jalapeno pizza. Foolishly, I tried to eat the thing, but I realized it was to spicy to choke down, without having my nose run and my eyes water. Thus, I called the restaurant to inform them of their error, but they wouldn't exchange it because I'd eaten a few bites. I fumed all night. I was going to write to corporate headquarters, that manager was NEVER going to work in this town again; I was going to make sure of it. The next morning, my brother rushed into my room and switched my TV on, just in time for me to see the second tower collapse.

Suddenly, the pizza seemed absurdly trivial.

2,977 innocent people, and 19 hijackers, died as America watched. Among the 2,977 victims were the 246 passengers and crew of the four planes, from which there were no survivors, the 2,606 people who'd been going about their business in the towers and on the ground below, and the 125 people who were killed at the Pentagon.

Approximately 200 people fell or jumped to their deaths from the burning towers, landing on the streets, and rooftops of adjacent buildings, hundreds of feet below. Some victims, desperate to live, tried to make their way upward toward the roof in the hope of a helicopter rescue, but the roof's access doors were locked. 411 emergency workers; 341 firefighters, 37 Port Authority officers, 23 police officers, 8 privately paid EMTs, and 2 paramedics; died as they tried to rescue people and fight the fires.

Everything else became secondary in importance, as Americans reeled in horror at the events of that day. A nation, which hadn't suffered a foreign attack upon its shores, was suddenly vulnerable. We were vulnerable.

We were vulnerable, we were scared, and WE WERE ANGRY! In a way I've never seen before or since, that vulnerability, fear, and anger morphed into a sense of hyper-patriotism. For six months we wore images of flags and eagles with pride. We weren't Democrats and Republicans divided by party lines, WE WERE AMERICANS. As Americans, we roared with a collective rage; we were going to get "them."

This Sunday is the 10th anniversary of that fatefully tragic day. Many TV & Cable networks are planning special programming to mark the occasion and cartoonists are planning September 11th anniversary tributes in Sunday's funnies, as rumors of a "credible but unconfirmed" terrorist threat to New York and Washington, D.C. dominate the media. Nobody knows quite what to expect on Sunday. We wait with baited breath to see if it will be a day of reverent remembrance honoring those who were lost, a day of speeches and political posturing, or a bloody catalyst to another period of hysteria and increased violence.

Many Americans plan to use Sunday as an opportunity to reflect upon the tragedy and the resulting decade of war. Personally, I plan to watch my copy of "A Tribute To Heroes," the televised all-star concert which raised money for victims' families, and do some reflecting of my own. In fact, I can't help but reflect as I write this, and a question occurs to me. On 9/12, if we'd known our collective rage would lead to ten years of war, and arguably the passage of the constitutionally devastating Patriot Act, would we have reigned in our anger during the 6 months which followed?

What do you think?

9/11 MEMORIAL VIDEO