OCTOBER 26, 2011 • INDEPENDENT • Page 7
FILM REVIEW: Margin Call Hooray, Hooray! This is an excellent movie. I’ve been in a slump lately and began wondering if I was ever going to see an outstanding movie this fall. I know that the “sure bets” for an Academy Award nomination tend to hold back until after Thanksgiving but this one might have slipped through. A “margin call” is the extra deposit required by a broker when an investor’s account has fallen below the broker’s formula. However, this movie is about an unnamed Wall Street Investment Bank that smells a lot like Lehman Brothers did in 2008 immediately before the big crash that caused your 401K to be renamed 101K. Those were dark and scary financial times for the United States and the world markets for that matter. Screenwriter and Director J. C. Chandor has knocked a home run ( see World Series) with this spectacularly scripted story about the men (and Demi Moore) that huddled together as the collapse of the home mortgage mar-
ket was about to come crumbling down and take all of Wall Street with it. The film is described as a thriller and a mystery rightfully as Chandor presents a brilliant first act that sets the tone and the tension of the fear, terror, and greed of the players at this fictional Wall Street firm that has had a storied past of prestige and wealth. One of my pet peeves is the sin of gathering a seemingly magnificent cast and then burying them with a horrid script. The resumes of this cast are legendary and each one of them shone brightly precisely
because of the printed words of Chandor the Great. Kevin Spacey got top billing but I’m betting there was great discussions about how to list this cast. Demi Moore and Stanley Tucci were rewarded in opening credits with “And” and “With” to honor their presence because the list of stars was too long and the egos too big. In addition to Spacey, Moore, and Tucci, we were blessed with Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary “Heroes” Quinto, Simon “The Mentalist” Baker, and Assif “The Daily Show” Mandvi. My favorites were Spacey, Irons,
and Quinto. Partially because I’m familiar with their body of work and have great respect for their talent and partially because they were dynamite in “Margin Call.” At one point in the movie, I noted to myself that if Quinto had one more major scene where he dominated as he had earlier, then he would have a shot at a nomination for Best Supporting Actor; that scene never happened. But Quinto was exceptional as the young analyst with the PhD that blew the whistle on the watereddown firm. Spacey is pure artistry and outplayed even the great Jeremy Irons. My crowd at AMC 30 on Dunvale was mesmerized and left the theatre quietly and reverently. Currently, “Margin Call” is in limited release so it will be a while before it makes it to the ‘burbs, but put this trip on your calendar. I was honored to see a historically accurate piece so well done; bravo J.C. Chandor! Rock ‘n Roll. Grade 93. Larry H. sugarlaw@larryharrison.com
FILM REVIEW: Footloose I stayed almost an hour before I walked out; that’s a good effort. Let me start with what I liked about the re-make of the original “Footloose” circa 1984. The theater at AMC The Fountains was air conditioned and seemed to be a clean venue. And then the rest of the story. I did not like: 1. The dancing 2. The music 3. The acting 4. The story 5. The sound 6. Set design 7. The fact that Andie MacDowell is 53 and no longer worthy of being my girlfriend but rather the mom of the bad-girl teenager 8. Everyone in the movie was 8-10 years older than their character, and 9. Director Craig Brewer (“Hustle &Flow” and “Black Snake Moan”) should have known
Injuries From Page 4 plained the seriousness of an injury while it was apparent to me from the facial expressions of the teenage athlete and his or her parents that they did not want to hear the truth. My general impression has been that they just want things to get back to normal, which means getting the child back out on the field.” He further explained that after his explanation of the injury and the recovery plan for the next several weeks, he is frequently asked, “But what about tomorrow night’s game?” The seriousness of injuries in young athletes is easily put into perspective when you consider these questions: Which will they have longer, their trophies or their injuries? How many times do you hear an adult say he or she is having trouble due to an old sports injury? Realistically, almost none of us is destined to be an Olympian, a World Cup player, or a Pro; but all of us are going to need sports in our adult lives for social and recreational purposes, as well as for maintaining general good health. As adults, we are likely to participate in a variety of sports during the year -- from golf to tennis to swimming to softball to soccer to downhill skiing. The key is having a reasonable knowledge about a variety of sports, and folks who grow up already playing a variety of sports are more likely to have a healthy advantage in the long run. Dr. Thomas Parr, an orthopedic surgeon in Sugar Land, can be reached at 281-4917111.
better. Brewer also co-wrote this updated version of the classic “Footloose” and tried to walk that fine line of modernization while capturing the soul of the original. His rejuvenation of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon ‘84 and newcomer Kenny Wormald ‘11) and Ariel Moore (Lori Singer ‘84 and Julianne Hough ‘11) was acceptable and almost hit a chord but the music died a sad tune and I didn’t like these two young performers and their redneck town of Bomont population 19,300. In this version, the town of Bomont lost five of its popular teenagers in a car wreck on the way home from a party where there was much dancing and drinking. The town
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council led by Ariel’s father Reverend Moore (John Lithgow ‘84 and Dennis Quaid ‘11) quickly passed a law that banned dancing by minors at any function not sponsored by the school, church, or government. And no loud music. Ren got a ticket from the local Barney Fife for blaring music while driving his beat-up VW Beetle. The script was trite, silly, and lacked imagination. I wanted Ren to act more like Kevin Bacon with a sprinkle of James Dean (or The Situation), but he was more like a cross between Fonzie and Ricky Nelson. No, wait a minute; I’ve messed that up. This Ren was more like Kevin Dillon from “Entourage.” Shoot, I don’t know what this Ren was. I liked his hair, though. And this Ariel was a
cheap, unappealing harlot who had the morals of a groundhog and the appeal of a streetwalker in cutoffs. Dennis Quaid never found his character as the ultra-conservative preacher and Andie MacDowell might as well not have been in the movie as her part as Quaid’s wife had little more than grunts and lines like “...when did you get home... did you have fun?” Who should see this movie? Maybe frustrated teenager girls that want to run away from home and boys who want to run away with them. Surely, this movie is not as bad as I think it is. But, what if I’m right? Rock ‘n Roll. Grade 69W. Larry H. sugarlaw@larryharrison.com
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Riverstone’s “Heart and Sole” race Fort Bend residents demonstrated both “Heart and Sole” Saturday, Oct. 15, raising $2,000 for the Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels during Riverstone’s annual race. Children and adults followed a certified course through Riverstone during the Heart and Sole 5K Run and Walk and received a longsleeved commemorative Tshirt, a sports backpack and gifts from sponsors, which included Elements Therapeutic Massage Studio, Texas Running Company and My Fit Foods. The event culminated in a fall festival celebration for racers and Riverstone residents. “It was another great event in Riverstone,” said Melanie Rushé, the community’s lifestyle director. “It’s wonderful when we can combine a community event with a good cause, especially one as vital as Meals on Wheels.” Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels provides services to
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Kids also joined the race during Riverstone’s second annual Heart and Sole 5K Run and Walk with parents and family members celebrating their success. The event raised $2,000 for the Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels. more than 1,000 seniors daily, 10 selling communities in the providing services to those age Houston area by housing re60 or older regardless of in- search firm Metrostudy. The firm also lists Rivercome. For more information, visit www.fortbendseniors.org. stone among the top 20 masRiverstone is celebrating 10 ter-planned communities in the years of development this fall nation. For more information, and is ranked among the top visit www.riverstone.com.
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