George Clooney

I watched “Up In the Air” on Blu-Ray a couple of nights ago. I strongly recommend it to all of you. I can’t add much to spot-on reviews like this, but I want to echo what several of my good friends have noted: George Clooney is a “movie star” in the truest sense. About half way through the flick, Eileen noted that nowadays there is no one like him and we tried to think who in the past he reminded us of. We both agreed that Cary Grant is a pretty good model: Don't think so? Then you'd better check this out.

Eileen was out of town this weekend at a conference, and I noted that I had recorded “Michael Clayton” on my DVR so that I could have a second viewing. Clooney is fantastic, and the film making, script, and other actors are superb. There is a scene that I had forgotten about that is so strange and compelling I must describe it so that you can watch for it if you decide to watch “Michael Clayton” again, or for the first time. It’s the scene where Michael Clayton is driving his Mercedes through the countryside and he stops, gets out and starts walking up a grassy hill to where three horses are standing. The way it is shot is ethereal and gripping even though it seemingly has nothing to do with the plot. And when Clayton actually gets to the horses and starts to stroke one of them we soon find out that his eerie journey to the horses has everything to do with the plot.

If you are interested in a nice review of the film, check here, although the "C+" grade does not seem to be correct in that the review itself yields an "A-" or at minimum a "B+."

Clooney rules!

ps About 3 weeks ago I was flipping through the channels and came in on the middle of “Oh Brother Where Art Thou.” Even if you don’t like the flick you have to admit that Clooney is a riot.