Take a look at this trailer – it’s for the new film by Oliver Stone about the life of our President.  As far as I am aware no theatrical mockery of a President’s life has ever been released while that man was in office.  to be honest I would doubt that any film past or present will poke fun at the leader of our nation like this one will.  So watch the trailer, then read an article I found that I think offers a unique perspective on our president that perhaps is a little more accurate.

What Bush and Batman Have in Common

A cry for help goes out from a city beleaguered by violence and fear: A beam of light flashed into the night sky, the dark symbol of a bat projected onto the surface of the racing clouds . . .

Oh, wait a minute. That’s not a bat, actually. In fact, when you trace the outline with your finger, it looks kind of like . . . a “W.”

Warner Bros. Pictures

There seems to me no question that the Batman film “The Dark Knight,” currently breaking every box office record in history, is at some level a paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of terror and war. Like W, Batman is vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand. Like W, Batman sometimes has to push the boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency, certain that he will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past.

And like W, Batman understands that there is no moral equivalence between a free society — in which people sometimes make the wrong choices — and a criminal sect bent on destruction. The former must be cherished even in its moments of folly; the latter must be hounded to the gates of Hell.

“The Dark Knight,” then, is a conservative movie about the war on terror. And like another such film, last year’s “300,” “The Dark Knight” is making a fortune depicting the values and necessities that the Bush administration cannot seem to articulate for beans.

Conversely, time after time, left-wing films about the war on terror — films like “In The Valley of Elah,” “Rendition” and “Redacted” — which preach moral equivalence and advocate surrender, that disrespect the military and their mission, that seem unable to distinguish the difference between America and Islamo-fascism, have bombed more spectacularly than Operation Shock and Awe.

Why is it then that left-wingers feel free to make their films direct and realistic, whereas Hollywood conservatives have to put on a mask in order to speak what they know to be the truth? Why is it, indeed, that the conservative values that power our defense — values like morality, faith, self-sacrifice and the nobility of fighting for the right — only appear in fantasy or comic-inspired films like “300,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Narnia,” “Spiderman 3″ and now “The Dark Knight”?

The moment filmmakers take on the problem of Islamic terrorism in realistic films, suddenly those values vanish. The good guys become indistinguishable from the bad guys, and we end up denigrating the very heroes who defend us. Why should this be?

The answers to these questions seem to me to be embedded in the story of “The Dark Knight” itself: Doing what’s right is hard, and speaking the truth is dangerous. Many have been abhorred for it, some killed, one crucified.

Leftists frequently complain that right-wing morality is simplistic. Morality is relative, they say; nuanced, complex. They’re wrong, of course, even on their own terms.

Left and right, all Americans know that freedom is better than slavery, that love is better than hate, kindness better than cruelty, tolerance better than bigotry. We don’t always know how we know these things, and yet mysteriously we know them nonetheless.

The true complexity arises when we must defend these values in a world that does not universally embrace them — when we reach the place where we must be intolerant in order to defend tolerance, or unkind in order to defend kindness, or hateful in order to defend what we love.

When heroes arise who take those difficult duties on themselves, it is tempting for the rest of us to turn our backs on them, to vilify them in order to protect our own appearance of righteousness. We prosecute and execrate the violent soldier or the cruel interrogator in order to parade ourselves as paragons of the peaceful values they preserve. As Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon says of the hated and hunted Batman, “He has to run away — because we have to chase him.”

That’s real moral complexity. And when our artistic community is ready to show that sometimes men must kill in order to preserve life; that sometimes they must violate their values in order to maintain those values; and that while movie stars may strut in the bright light of our adulation for pretending to be heroes, true heroes often must slink in the shadows, slump-shouldered and despised — then and only then will we be able to pay President Bush his due and make good and true films about the war on terror.

Perhaps that’s when Hollywood conservatives will be able to take off their masks and speak plainly in the light of day.

Well we got back not long ago from watching “Wanted” the new Angelina Jolie film.

I say “Angelina Film” because really she’s the star, the reason people go see the movie, she’s the point.  It rises and falls based on her performance.  And to be honest, I enjoyed it.  Aside from the part where I really REALLY had to pee about half way through it (totally my fault) I was whisked away on a merry adventure full of sadness, death, and blood (hardly sounds merry when you put it that way).  But really, if you’re in the mood for a mindless action film that allows you for a moment to think that you too could just wake up one morning with super-human abilities then this is the movie for you.  Its absurd throughout every frame, but it’s consistency and dedication to the impossible makes it work somehow.  Its a given that the language would be foul, the plot thin at best, and the dialog somewhat juvenile.  But really… I dunno I just liked it.  On the drive home with Scott I felt like we’d been somewhere as different people for a couple hours, and we were going home to normalcy not because we were forced to, but because it was so appealing.

Just finished watching this movie and well it was ok….

I guess these days it doesnt matter if a movie is historically found to be woefully inaccurate as long as it’s entertaining. And I think the other Boelyn girl is very entertaining. The costumes are beautiful and the actors play their parts well. I guess I just wish cinematically we would drive to be better somehow at the way we present history. Sigh – I guess I’ll just have to teach Connor about history the old fashioned way – by reading books and not watching “The other Boelyn girl” – granted reading books to learn about history is harder but at least he’ll have the story right. Which wont matter if no one else reads the correct info. Sigh.

Ahh Star Wars

The hubby and I are chillin together sitting around eatin strawberries watching the greatest movie of all time.  (well maybe not the greatest, but in the top 10 for sure).  Its just one of those nostalgic movies that takes me back to every Thanksgiving of my childhood.  I can still remember laying on the floor of my grandma’s house (on her green carpet) watching all 3 of these movies back to back to back.  By the 2nd one we were eating ice cream and by the 3rd I could barely keep my eyes open, but that didnt stop us.

So if you havent seen them go rent them…. now….

And while I”m on the subject watch the Family Guy’s Blue Harvest Star Wars movie.  Its hilarious.

Joann – “Why is Congress sayin one thing and doin nothin?”

Charlie – “Tradition mostly.”

That was the line that made Charlie Wilson’s war a must own for me. Its a hilarious and interesting look at how politics and war are really operated in Washington.

Tom Hanks does an impressive job at playing Charlie Wilson. Its interesting to watch him come face to face with the reality of Afghani refugees and evolve from being a spectator to being a advocate in the fight against the injustices taking place in the world around him.

Its so true of us that we have to come face to face with something horrifying before we do anything about it. Hearing about it or seeing pictures of it are nothing until you are face to face with someone who has suffered through it. And sometimes that’s not even enough – you have to see the suffering… like Charlie did before we do something.

Strange thing is I always remember the saying that Ronald Regan ended the Cold War without firing a shot. But according to Charlie Wilson’s War that’s not entirely true…. maybe I need to re read history a bit. Because I highly doubt Hollywood got it right. But Tom Hanks is still cooler than cool. It was an amazing movie and it really promted a good look at how we are handling the war in Iraq and asks maybe we should learn from our past experiences and not get out until the job is done.

This morning I watched Juno.

Wow, what an amazing movie. I’m not going to tell you anything about it except that its about a preggo and her journey. And that it made me laugh, and cry, and it resonated with me on a very personal level. It also told me so much about the kind of parent I want to be. When I grow up I want to be J.K. Simmons. It also made me want to give a huge hug to every preggo teen who gave her baby to someone. You preggo teen are the bravest most beautiful thing in the world. And I love you. And I dont judge you. But see now I’ve told you something about the movie! Aargh I’m always doin that! (You know goin back on my word and such)

But Juno has some amazing lines. I have them listed here in order of appearance

Upon seeing much preggo Juno “wow, that shirt is working really hard”

Juno – “I’m like loosing faith in humanity.” Dad – “could you narrow that down a bit?”

And my personal favorite…. Juno has just discovered she is going into labor and has communicated this alarming fact to her father. Juno – “Thundercats goooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” (next time I’m preggo if I am lucky enough to actually go into labor and not be induced I am using this line at least 50 times)

And the most poignant Juno just gave birth and Dad is sitting at her bedside stroking her hair. Dad – “Someday you’ll be back here honey, on your terms.”

So Juno – rent it. Or buy it – you wont be disappointed.

Ok… I just finished the movie Intolerable Cruelty.

Its a pathetic (but humorous) story about divorce. George Clooney is a divorce attorney and Catherine Zeta-Jones is a woman out to divorce a rich husband (but she has to marry one first). I think these talented actors decided to do this film because they were bored. When you watch them on screen you get the distinct impression they are doing this because they had nothing else to do at the time. But at the same time their take on it is so casual you cant help but enjoy the film for what it’s worth (which isn’t much). The Coen brothers directed and it feels very much like their other films… somewhat made up as they went along. But if you’re interested in something that requires no thought and evokes no emotion, but occasionally gives a good laugh then this is an ok movie for you