Janet's Three Prayers, and one or two other things
03/11/2012
I'm in the middle of trying to write a book review for today's Sunday journal, but wanted to go ahead and mention that Janet Cupo, no doubt the most frequent commenter here from the beginning (and the Janet of the Undead threads), now has a blog and it's off to an excellent start. It's called The Three Prayers, and I will leave it to you to click on the link to learn what the title refers to.
Also, I wanted to mention, for those who recommended it to me, that I watched Get Low last night, and thought it was extremely good. The only very significant thing that seemed wrong about it was the complete absence of God from the funeral, the actual one. A preacher of that time, especially an African-American one, and for that matter most of the present time, would have been talking about Jesus a lot. It hardly needs to be said that Robert Duvall's performance is great, as are those of most of the other actors. I particularly liked the Alabama boy, Lucas Black.
And while I'm at it, here is a gallery of beautiful images of darkness and dawn, courtesy of Hearts of Space.
I noticed that too about Get Low, Mac. The redemptive motif is a sort of non-religious one, or at least only borderline Christian. Still, as you say, a very good movie.
You may remember Lucas Black as the child befriended by Billy Bob Thornton's character in Sling Blade, one of my favorite films of the 90's.
Posted by: Rob G | 03/12/2012 at 07:59 AM
Haven't seen Sling Blade. Somehow I had the vague notion it was a horror movie. I gather not?
Posted by: Mac | 03/12/2012 at 10:01 AM
No, not at all. Set in a small town in Arkansas, it's a drama about a mentally handicapped man who had committed a murder as a teenager, and is released from the mental institution back into society some 20 years later. He finds himself unwittingly involved in an abusive situation again, which is what prompted him to commit the previous crime in the first place.
Thornton's performance is masterful, as is Black's, whom I guess was about 12 at the time. Also, country star Dwight Yoakam has a great supporting turn as Black's mother's abusive boyfriend.
I think it's a very compelling film, and quite moving in parts.
Posted by: Rob G | 03/12/2012 at 01:18 PM
I've like BB Thornton in the few movies I've seen. He's in The Apostle, isn't he, or am I confusing the scene I remember with another movie. I remember reading somewhere that Dwight Yoakam was pretty good at portraying villains.
Posted by: Mac | 03/12/2012 at 02:45 PM
No, you're right. I remember something about B.B.'s appearance in The Apostle being a sort of thank-you to Duvall for the latter's cameo in Sling Blade.
If memory serves Yoakam actually started out as an actor in high school or college, and switched to music later.
Posted by: Rob G | 03/12/2012 at 02:57 PM
Been reading a lot of Southern lit. recently (the Fugitives, O'Connor, Faulkner), and so got in the mood to watch Sling Blade, which I hadn't seen for 7 or 8 years. This is probably the 4th or 5th time I've watched it, and I still find it powerful and moving. Very much worth a look. Rated 'R' for language--there is no sex or nudity, and what little violence there is occurs offscreen.
Posted by: Rob G | 04/21/2012 at 12:10 PM
It's on my list, and I think I'll bump it up. I have Winter's Bone here at the moment, but am not sure when I'll be able to watch it.
There aren't very many movies at all that I'd watch more than twice. Not that many I'd watch more than once.
Posted by: Mac | 04/21/2012 at 01:13 PM
I have a smallish collection of DVD's of favorite movies that I'll rewatch, but they are the exception rather than the rule. I watch very little mainstream Hollywood stuff, so many of the movies I like are the type of film that can stand up to repeat viewings, like books that warrant multiple readings. It has to be something pretty solid for me to want to watch it again.
Posted by: Rob G | 04/22/2012 at 02:02 PM
I have my Bergmans...and Rush Hour 3, which somebody gave me for Christmas a few years ago. I did watch it but the chances of my watching it again are fairly slim.
Posted by: Mac | 04/22/2012 at 08:16 PM
I saw Winter's Bone in the autumn and thought it excellent
Posted by: Grumpy Ex Pat | 04/22/2012 at 08:50 PM
I'm pretty sure the only reason I was aware of it is that y'all mentioned it here.
Posted by: Mac | 04/22/2012 at 09:48 PM
I can't decide if I want to see Winter's Bone or not. I don't know if I'm up to it at the moment.
AMDG
Posted by: Janet | 04/23/2012 at 12:29 PM
You can wait and let me tell you whether you want to see it or not.:-)
Posted by: Mac | 04/23/2012 at 01:40 PM