Two movies

As I sat down to write this review of the film, “Mr. Turner,” which we saw last week, I took a look at Rotten Tomatoes to see the ratings. I was a bit taken aback by the rather large difference between the critics’ ratings (97% approval) and the audience’s ratings (60%). I scanned through quite a few films and did not see any with a gap this wide between the two opinions.

To some extent, I can see why. The film is a bit difficult to follow and understand as it portrays an eccentric British painter, J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Like many such films, it switches back and forth between incidents at varying times of Mr. Turner’s life. We learn that he was deeply affected by the death of his father and loved by a housekeeper, even though he ignores her except for grunting orders and occasionally forcing himself on her. He is devoted to his art and a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, even going so far as to have himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can better see a snowstorm he will eventually paint. But for the most part, is life appears to consist of travelling and spending time with wealthy acquaintances in the country. His one close relationship after the death of his father seems to be with his landlady, with whom he moves incognito to Chelsea, where he eventually dies.

Mike Leigh directed the film, but the cast of this film are not familiar names. We are familiar with some of Mr. Leigh’s work, including “Vera Drake” (2004), “Happy-Go-Lucky” (2008), and “Another Year,” all very good films. We were reminded of “Happy-Go Lucky” during the previews before the screening of “Mr. Turner,” because the lead actress in that film is currently in the new, film, “Paddington,” which we hope to see with the children.

While I cannot say I loved “Mr. Turner,” what was quite interesting was the attention to the details of life in the late 18^th/early 19^th centuries. For all our complaints about modern life, I would not care to return to that “simpler” time. And do not even think about being ill!

We had been hoping to go into the City today, but it is raining very heavily with the temperature hovering just around the freezing point. So we watched something Barry had taped that was broadcast on CNN recently “Life Itself,” a documentary on the career and life of Roger Ebert. He was quite famous as a movie critic, pairing with Gene Siskel on the show “Siskel and Ebert at the Movies” (and various other names) from 1986 until Siskel’s death in 1991.

This documentary is not for the fainthearted. It really is a bit hard to watch at first, so disfiguring were the surgeries that Mr. Ebert was forced to undergo. He is unable to fully close his mouth and looks like he has a permanent awkward smile on his face. That takes some getting used to, but once you get past it, he really was a pretty amazing fellow who managed to continue to be extremely productive and witty through what seems to be unbearable suffering. It really is quite inspiring.

Hopefully by tomorrow this weather will pass. At least it was rain rather than snow!

Love,

Rebecca