Another Good Week for Entertainment

As the weather has gotten colder, I have taken to burying myself under a blanket and enjoying a good show, a good movie, and a good book. (Although not all at once.)

Film: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
It's been a week since I've seen this film and I'm still trying to decide where my sympathies should lie. There aren't many redeeming characters here, except maybe the mom. Although the majority of characters are all shady at best, the actors portraying them are wonderful. Brothers Hank (Ethan Hawke) and Andy (Philip Seymore Hoffman) are both in financial trouble, so they stage a robbert of their parents' jewelry store. As you can imagine, the robbery goes wrong. There is just one desperate act here after another. What I liked about this film - other than the acting - is the narrative flow. If you're easily confused by a film like Pulp Fiction, you'll be doubly confused by this one. The movie goes back and forth in time between the lives of both Hank and Andy. Events overlap and are told from different points of view. The editing here is fantastic. Sidney Lumet did a brilliant job directing the film. Also, the ever-brilliant Albert Finney (the boys' father) delivers a powerful performance at the end of the film that will leave you shocked (but in a good way, I think). If you are in the mood for a strong drama, go out and add this one to your Netflix list.

Television: Fringe
I mentioned this show back in September as a new "must watch" series. Sometimes my interest in a television show peters out (read: My Own Worst Enemy). Not so with Fringe. If you haven't tuned in yet, do so immediately. People will make comparisons to The X-Files and while there is an element of "X-Files-ness" here, Fringe is its own show. Each week is a self-contained event of supernatural or crazy death/destruction. It is then Agent Olivia Dunham's job to work with scientist Walter Bishop and his son, Peter, to discover a cure/reason. That's the basic premise. What I really like about this show, and what keeps me coming back every week, is Walter Bishop (John Noble). No one argues that this man is crazy and J. J. Abrams plays that up in very minor ways. For example, in last week's episode Peter realizes that his father used to experiment on him. When Peter confronts Walter, Walter simply goes back to work and changes the subject. Also, Walter has a problem remembering names. For awhile he couldn't remember his FBI assistant, Astrid, at all. Now he calls her everything from "astro" to "astroid." It is moments like these that make this show work. You'll be a bit grossed out, you'll be fascinated, and you'll even laugh a bit.

Book: The Terror
I bought Dan Simmons's book because Stephen King loved it and said it creeped him out. While it didn't really creep me out, it was definitely a page-turner. The book follows the doomed crew of Sir John Franklin's actual, historical 1845 voyage to find the North-West Passage. This book is historical fiction and presents alternate stories of the crew members. As if being stuck in the ice for three years wasn't enough, a supernatural beastie starts stalking and killing members of the expedition. I am a big fan of historical fiction when it is done well and this one is done well. Simmons nicely details the daily experiences of men frozen in the ice in an age where canned food was often poisoned and wool was the best protection from the elements. I will say that you will be thankful that we live in an era of synthetic fiber and warm boots. You will honestly feel sorry for the men on board both the HMS Terror and the HMS Erebus as they optimistically hope for rescue. But the man to keep an eye on is Captain of the HMS Terror, Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier. Don't be turned off by King's praise of this book. You won't have to read it with the lights on. Enjoy this novel as a piece of historical fiction with a supernatural twist. It's a long one - about 800 pages - but well worth the ride. The ending with throw you for a loop.