The bonds of war are tested in ‘The Covenant’

Continued from page 5

But that’s not something that troubles him much.

“Sands move so quickly within the industry that you almost can’t focus on the release strategies and exactly how the movie unfurls to the public, you just got to focus on what your day job is, which is the work,” Ritchie said.

“You’d like it to unfurl as elegantly as possible, but there are some things that are just beyond your control, and the business itself is in a constant state of flux, but it has been since it began.”

In Gyllenhaal’s three decades of moviemaking, he’s learned that great stories will find their way, even if it’s not in the moment, “though that’s what we seem to all be a bit obsessed with.”

“The Covenant,” Gyllenhaal said, has “A real classical sense to it. It’s a simple story, it can last for a long time.”

He even found himself “blubbering” on the first watch, which surprised him as someone who doesn’t often cry at movies and certainly not at ones he’s in, which he usually can barely watch.

“I was so moved by it because I think it moved beyond the expe- rience we had,” Gyllenhaal said. “In the end, it is a story about humanity. It’s a story about the action of good and the action of good not always having to be sentimentalized.”

Ritchie, who had already stayed chatting with his actors well past his press availability “hard out,” went even further and, seemingly, back to those tables on the set in Spain where the movie revealed itself.

“It wishes to express something that’s beyond altruism, it wishes to express something that feels at a profound level connected, and anything that can force that connection that’s beyond the duality of good and bad. It is something that’s more sacred than good or bad,” Ritchie said.

“It is curious because the name covenant seems to, although it’s somewhat biblical in its origin, it to me does capture what the essence of the story is. It’s a covenant that’s beyond good and bad. It’s a covenant that expresses an optimism about the fundamental aspect of the human spirit.”

Gyllenhaal added: “See? Now you’ve had the experience of what it’s like sitting around a table with Mr. Ritchie on a movie.”

Retorts: Let’s be grateful and cut the Mouse a real break

Continued from page 3 Street and point, saying “That’s where Cynthia worked, and that’s where Shannon works. And over there is Frank and there’s where that Other Guy Whose Name I Can Never Remember is.”

Not only that, the Monsanto ride was a really good third date.

D-land financed much of my college expenses and dates, and allowed me to purchase a 1964 Plymouth Valiant, which had only about 150,000 miles on it, but had the benefit of starting up every morning. Mostly.

There was a time when Ana- heim/California and Orlando/ Florida were turning backflips to get a Disneyland or Disneyworld.

Now that the Mouse has brought billions of dollars worth of wealth to those areas, they’re singing a different tune.

In fact, it reminds me of that classic Janet Jackson song from 1986: “What Have You Done For Me Lately?”

Retorts columnist Jim Tortolano began (and ended) his professional cooking experience flipping burgers in Fantasyland Fast Food #2.