Off to the movies

Taken last Thursday on Cougar Divide

I woke this morning to the sound of rain drumming on the roof, lots and lots of it, with a forecast of 70% chance of precipitation at the Drop Zone. It sure didn't look to be promising much of a chance to make a jump or two, so instead I'm going to the movies with my friend Judy. And of course just as soon as I made that decision, the weather changed: it's bright sunshine and clearing up quickly. A link to the web cam at Skydive Snohomish also confirmed that today will be jumpable. That is, if you don't mind the fact that it's only 40 degrees F on the ground! At altitude that will be VERY cold. I guess I can be okay doing other activities, although I am really not ready to say farewell to skydiving for the year just yet. We're going to see Looper today, a sci-fi thriller. Last weekend we went to see Argo, Ben Affleck's new movie.

It was a very good movie, and we both enjoyed it immensely. Since it was loosely based on real events, set during the Iranian hostage crisis in the 1970s, it is my habit to get on line and read how closely (or not so closely) the movie followed reality. In this case, it was not very much. I figured, since there were cliffhangers around every corner, it could not have actually been this way. I was right; he took quite a bit of artistic license in telling this story, but it was still very well done. I loved the period setting and had forgotten how much our world has changed in thirty years or so. Aviation glasses and wide ties abound.

I think the movie would have been better if Affleck had not starred in it himself, although he was pretty cool looking with a long mop and plenty of facial hair. I've not been much of a fan of his lately, but this movie made me rethink his talent. He is a good director and a pretty good actor, too, given a decent script. If you see it, let me know what you think of it.

From Roy Leonard

The week before, we went to see The Master, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adams. Boy, talk about talent! Phoenix, as you may remember, played Johnny Cash in Walk the Line and was so good as Cash that I almost forgot it wasn't actually him. In this movie, he plays a completely believable loser just back from World War II who falls in with "The Commander," played incredibly well by Hoffman, a guy who has formed a movement he calls "The Cause." I found some reviews on line that tell the tale of what this movie is about far better than I could. Here's a quote from Roy Leonard:

I sat through all 137 minutes of Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie a few days ago and despite the brilliant photography and Oscar caliber acting, I have no idea what it was about and I certainly wouldn’t sit through it again, as many have done, trying to make sense of the story.

Yes, that's right: we sat through it and watched some amazing acting, but once we walked out and looked at each other, neither of us could say what it was about, or whether we liked it or not. Amy Adams plays against type as well. I never would have thought she could come across as cruel and calculating, but she does. I can't say whether I really would recommend this movie, but I am glad I saw it.

Today's fare should be much more straightforward, a good sci-fi thriller with good reviews. Here's hoping we will enjoy it as much as we did Argo.
:-)