The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street is two hours and 59 minutes of 1980s sex, drugs, foul language, greed, blind ambition, loose morals, blurred lines, corruption and just plain bad behavior—all this without the usual Martin Scorsese mobsters, murder, guns, blood and violence. Instead, we get a taste of the full-on unscrupulous life of a Wall Street stockbroker, supposedly based on the life of a real person, Jordan Belfort, but surely exaggerated and glorified. The movie depicts a different kind of "white collar mobster" with classic New York accents and single-minded drive to be the King Pin of the financial world.
It's a rollicking story and a fun movie for adults, but only if you're willing to suspend your own morals for a while and just enjoy the ride. It is an engaging story, yet, three hours of debauchery did get a bit tiresome—after the main characters' third near-fatal overdose on Quaaludes and cocaine, I began to think enough already. There could've been a little bit of film dedicated to the actual details of how the stockbrokers really worked, how they made the millions, how they duped their customers, and how the government and most of Wall Street looked the other way. Scorsese did throw in some tidbits here and there, but mostly this was a story about the wild and crazy, up and down life of Belfort.
Leonardo DiCaprio played the main character, and Jonah Hill played his partner. They both did a great job. They both deserved their Academy Award nominations. Some of the dialogue was superbly written and executed. DiCaprio as the ultimate salesman was riveting—some of the speeches and monologues that he delivered were fantastic. I was completely sold on his character and believed that he could sell anything to anyone. Matthew McConaughey gives a short cameo at the beginning, which is pure genius. Jonah Hill had some of the funniest lines and scenes. The supporting cast was believable and the direction/editing pure Scorsese. The movie was able to shock me and make me laugh at the same time. I recommend it.

Gravity

Gravity grabbed me from the very beginning and held tight until the very end. I'm actually glad that I didn't see this film at the theater in IMAX or 3-D. I'm sure I would have been overwhelmed sitting there in my wheelchair, trying to breathe with my portable ventilator. Even in the comfort of my bed, on the small screen TV, the movie was still captivating and there were a few times when I had to hold my breath. However, perhaps because the special effects were not so "in my face" I paid more attention to the story. Don't get me wrong, if you have the opportunity to see this movie on the big screen, I recommend it, if not, however, it is still worth a rental.

The numerous Academy awards that the film won for, directing, special effects, editing, and other technical aspects were very much deserved. I want to mention two special effects (attention to detail) that I especially appreciated—first was the complete silence of space—this was used very effectively. Second, was the weightlessness of space—a tear floating off the cheek of Sandra Bullock into space was riveting. Another thing that I really liked about this movie was that there were no flash-forwards or flashbacks. The movie started in Earth orbit and stayed there. The writer, director, did not spend a lot of unnecessary time trying to develop characters or give background information. The story moved along at a quick, intelligent pace. It was a little less than 90 min. long, which is quite a rarity these days with movies. It was refreshing that a good story could be told under two hours. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney did a great job, though, Mr. Clooney could have been played by anyone, and his dialogue and robot-like "bravado" was cliché, old-hat, and tiresome. I was glad Sandra Bullock had most of the screen time.
A great movie!

RUSH

RUSH is a 2013 film directed and produced by Ron Howard. I've always respected the work of Ron Howard (Splash, Cocoon, A Beautiful Mind, Backdraft, Apollo 13, the da Vinci Code movies, etc.). Even though he doesn't routinely create huge blockbusters or multi-Academy award winning films – he has the gift of telling a great story. This movie did not disappoint me. The story was well-rounded, nicely paced and engaging. The acting was good, and the photography was excellent. Many folks may shy away from this movie because it centers around the world of Formula One racing in the 1970s – but, even if you're not a fan of racing, the movie still has a lot to offer. It is at its core a story about the rivalry between two driven characters – not racing. The similarities and contrasts between the two men, the serious Austrian misfit and the British playboy, make the story interesting. The relationship that they build, and the ultimate respect that they pay to each other, give the story meaning. The fact that it's a real story, makes the movie even more enjoyable. If you like racing, you will definitely find this film to your satisfaction. If you're just interested in watching a good story unfold, this is also a good choice for a rental. I recommend it.

House of Cards, Season Two

I just finished binge watching House of Cards, Season Two. Thirteen episodes in five nights! It was worth every minute. It's great to be able to watch an entire season in a short period of time, especially a series that is as well made and entertaining as this. Everything about it is superb. The plot is complex, but not confusing – though there are more twists and turns in Season Two, than the first season. The characters are believable, intelligent, ambitious, realistically flawed and conflicted. The dialogue is exceptional, fast-paced and at times almost beautiful in the language that is used. There were a couple of times when I wanted to rewind and listen to the dialogue again, not out of confusion, but because it was so deep and revealing. The acting is fabulous. Kevin Spacey, as Francis Underwood, the main character, is just amazing. I love how he speaks directly to the camera, bringing the audience in closer. The rest of the actors are also excellent and very well cast. Netflix deserves a huge "Bravo!" for this production.

The story moved seamlessly from season one to Season Two. Everything seemed to be going along as expected – good political drama – when suddenly, "Wham" at the end of the first episode, Francis does something totally unexpected and completely dark and evil. OMG! was my honest reaction. I rarely have this strong of a reaction to any television show or movie. I'm not going to give it away, you got to watch it to believe it. From the very first episode, I was hooked.

The next twelve episodes were not as shocking, but they were just as intense. In fact, if I have any criticism at all, it's that this second season seems to have almost too much going on. There is political intrigue, corruption, scandal, bribery, adultery, blind ambition, manipulation and backstabbing, as well as numerous subplots pulled from current headlines – China trade, money laundering, political action committees, lobbyists run amok, terrorism, sexual assault in the military, abortion and the driving need for our politicians to be re-elected above everything else.

It's all great stuff! Don't blink or you'll miss something. Definitely rent it, or join Netflix – at eight dollars a month it's one of the best deals around.

Lee Daniels' The Butler

I finally got around to watching Lee Daniels' The Butler. I wanted to see it before the Oscars, even though it wasn't nominated – there are so many good movies made these days, sometimes the ones that are not nominated for Oscars get lost in the shuffle. I was glad I took the time to watch this one. I really enjoyed it, but also, because of its depth and breadth, I felt that there were times that it was disjointed—montage-like. The central story, the Butler working in the White House, played by Forest Whitaker was dramatic, tragic, meaningful and emotionally moving. It's amazing that this is really a true story, based on a real person's life. It's difficult to imagine the conflict he must've felt during his lifetime. The contrast between this man's life and the world of the White House is portrayed expertly. There are several scenes where the director/writer flashes between the Butler doing his job in the cloistered atmosphere of the White House, and real events happening in the outside world. The scenes are riveting and revealing – they must've been very difficult to write and create. Mr. Whitaker definitely deserved a Best Actor nod.

The sub story of the civil rights movement and the progression of black people through America's turbulent and sad history, is less dramatic but still informative and educational. This is where I believe the director, writers and producers were too ambitious. They tried to put too many incidents, events and issues into the film. It must've been very difficult to decide what to include and what to leave out. The film is epic in scope, covering the Butler's life from the early 1940s to the present day. At times, I felt as if the filmmakers were trying to educate me, rather than really tell the story of the Butler and his family. That's okay, I was a willing audience, especially knowing that this was based on a true story.

The dialogue was excellent and engaging. The acting was superb. Watching Oprah Winfrey smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol to excess, dance and party, was worth the price of the rental by itself. Don't let this fine film get lost in the very crowded shelf of options – it's well worth watching.

After Earth

After Earth, Will Smith and son's 2013 summer sci-fi flick is a miss on most accounts. However, for me it served its purpose. I needed a break from the Olympics and the movie was available "Free" on Starz Network. If I had to pay for a rental, I probably would have chosen something else, but I am a solid science fiction fan and usually enjoy this genre. I have to admit even though there were many flaws to this movie, the time passed pleasantly enough. The flaws were very obvious – Will Smith does not do a very good job of acting. He seemed to be more concerned about his son's debut on the screen, letting the boy try and carry the scenes and much of the story. This is a mistake, the boy is cute and does a decent job, but Will Smith is capable of much more. The story is predictable and somewhat corny in places. The camera angles were strange at times – I found myself thinking how are we suddenly being transported to this point of view. I think it was the unsteady hand of the director, M. Night Shyamalan. I blame some of the stupid dialogue on him as well, he wrote the screenplay. Other than that, there were some redeeming points to the movie. The overall pace and rendering of the story was pleasant and engaging. The computer generated special effects work was nicely done. The sci-fi aspects were cool. I especially liked the idea that the boy was wearing a camouflage/chameleon-like suit that was "smart" and was able to change with the environment/situation. I do applaud Will Smith for looking more closely at the relationship between father and son – a relationship that is often overlooked in today's movies. I don't recommend this as a rental, unless you are a tremendous Will Smith fan, or like me you're looking for something light and sci-fi like to pass the time.

Comments setting changed – now open to everyone!

It has come to my attention that some of my readers have commented on some of my movie reviews and wondered about the status of their comments. The comment feature had been turned-off.

Sorry about that, my mistake... I have now changed the setting so that now anyone can comment on a post, whether you are a subscriber or guest visitor.

As the title suggests, the main purpose of this blog is to give my friends, family, supporters and acquaintances across the Internet an opportunity to read my opinion about DVDs that I watch, and perhaps steer someone away from a bad movie, or towards a good one. I'm not a professional movie critic. I do these reviews just for fun. I try to make my reviews direct and to the point, short, and sweet or sour – depending on the movie.

Thus, this blog is really meant to be a place for sharing opinions, comments or discussion about the movies that are reviewed. I encourage all of you to post your opinion about the movie, whether you agree or disagree with me.

The more opinions the better!

I hope this clarifies how the comments are handled on this blog. If you would like to give me feedback, suggestions or comments directly, please contact me at – rraker@hawaii.rr.com.

Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips, 2013 movie starring Tom Hanks is a wonderfully intense –worth watching. I was totally engaged from the very beginning and all the way through until the climactic end. There was not a moment that I was not riveted to the screen. The story, based on true events, was told expertly but rather blandly, without special effects, superhero fanfare, political preaching, heavy-handed patriotism or moral lessons. How refreshing! It was a straightforward story, told a straightforward way, there was more than enough content and drama to make a fantastic movie. I'm sure there was pressure to make it a "blockbuster" – Die Hard, Zero Dark thirty, type of film, but the director, writer, producers and actors resisted this temptation. Instead, making an almost documentary type of film that is low-key and yet horrifying in its portrayal of real events. I believe that the producers tried to present "Just the facts, please." but, there is some controversy about this – nevertheless, the film is realistic and believable.

Tom Hanks did a superb job as the captain. He seemed to be just an ordinary man, going about his business/his work, but I empathized with him immediately. I was able to feel what he felt—the terror, the fear, the uncertainty. I have to admit that during the last couple of minutes of the movie, I had to ask someone to wipe the tears from my eyes. The Somali actors were also superb. This is not a movie for young children, too intense, but adults who like good acting and nonstop suspense/action will enjoy it. I believe this is not a movie with a hidden agenda, but I'm sure some people will try to find one – you know, violent poverty-stricken Somalis versus rich American vessels filled with capital goods for the world. Please don't bother looking for the message, there isn't one. It's just an expertly made real life story. Worth a rental. Bravo!

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a documentary film about the most famous and most skilled sushi master in Japan, is very much worth watching whether you love sushi or not. You can view this documentary on PBS.org/Independent lens, as well as Netflix. Jiro is in his late 80s and nowhere near contemplating retirement. He runs a small sushi shop in Ginza, Tokyo with his first son and several apprentices. The restaurant has no menu – you eat whatever the master chef serves you. There are no appetizers or other dishes, only sushi. You get one delicious piece at a time. There's no background music, no noise or loud chatter. You must make reservations at least one month in advance. Prices begin at $300 per person, and ultimately depend on the price of the fresh fish/seafood purchased for that day. There are usually no more than 10 customers in the restaurant at any one time.

The film tells the story of Jiro – How he grew up, how he worked hard every day of his life to become the most skilled sushi master in Japan. There's very little narration, it's mostly the words of Jiro, his sons and the apprentices that do the talking. The dialogue – English subtitles – is excellent and very engaging. The photography is wonderful. Jiro's philosophy of life and work probably seem quite severe and harsh to today's younger generation, but actually his outlook on life/work make him a contented and happy man. He believes that to master a skill, such as making the perfect sushi, is worth his life's ambition and commitment. To achieve this is true happiness, money doesn't matter. I doubt seriously whether many young people today would feel that work, any kind of work, is worthy of this type of complete commitment or could bring true happiness... There really is quite a lot to be learned about Japan, Japanese culture, life and work from this film. It is much more than just sushi.

'2' guns

'2' guns, starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg was on my list of movies to watch on a Friday night when I was looking for a couple of hours of guns, explosions, bad guys and mindless action. This movie had all of that, and the real drawl was the "cool factor" of Washington and Wahlberg together. It was no Training Day, but it was good fun. The plot was unrealistic and stupid – everyone was corrupt, the DEA, the CIA and the NCIS. Since when does the Navy investigate drug trafficking? Washington and Wahlberg were actually the good guys, double-crossed by their bosses for millions of dollars that they stole from a bank as part of a undercover operation. The money was supposedly some kind of CIA slush fund gotten through deals with the drug cartels – sheesh! A weird and convoluted plot, but that didn't matter. All we needed was some really bad guys for Washington and Wahlberg to go against – it could've been anybody. Some of the dialogue was funny. Denzel Washington of course is the better actor, and still for my money, one of the coolest dudes around. Wahlberg, I usually don't like very much, but he did a decent job in this film. So, if you're in mood for a rental with lots of action, and a couple of cool dudes – check it out. If you don't expect too much realism, this movie should entertain you.

Jack the Giant Slayer

Jack the Giant Slayer, one of the many action movies that came out during the summer of 2013, was actually better than I expected. I usually shun remakes, especially the so-called reimagining of the classic fairy tales. Most have been dismal failures, and in general, I'm afraid that there's an entire generation that has missed out on the original magic of the stories as they were meant to be told. The Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hanzel and Gretel – are just a few that have wandered through the movie theaters in the last couple of years, and now we have Jack and the Bean Stock. I am not sure what possessed me to watch this movie, other than the fact that it was free and I was in the mood for some lighthearted entertainment. It turned out to be worth the money and the time to watch. The script tried to remain faithful to the original, I like the fact that it began with a mother and father reading the story of Jack and the Bean Stock to their children. The little boy and little girl become the main characters of the adventure. The movie is not ashamed to be "fairytale like" – it doesn't try to be anything more than good fun and adventure. The acting is passable and no big name actors or actresses to embarrass themselves. The computer-generated giants are scary enough for the children, and do some gross and silly things for the camera. All in all, pretty good PG family fun. With some reservation, I recommend this if you got nothing else to watch with your kids.

Elysium

Elysium, science fiction flick starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster was on my list to watch during the holidays – I'll say right off that I was disappointed. I like science fiction movies and this was the second big budget film done by South African-born short film director Neill Blomkamp – he did District 9 a few years ago, so I had high expectations for this movie. The premise of the film was solid enough – Earth in the year 2159 is devastated by disease, poverty, etc. The Wealthy and powerful have moved to an orbiting city called Elysium. Matt Damon is exposed to lethal dose of radiation while at work, so he wants to go to the city to be healed by some high-tech atomizer that can regenerate the human body's many diseases and faults. Jodie Foster, the chief security officer of the space city is there to stop him. Of course, on the way Matt manages to save a young girl with leukemia, whose mother just happens to be his childhood girlfriend. In the end, our hero gives his life to save the girl and the entire human race... Sorry no Spoiler Alert, actually there's none needed because the execution of the story is so predictable and poorly conceived that we know from the beginning what's going to happen at the end. So what's not to like? The special effects were decent, but leftovers from District 9. There was nothing new. The props, the robots, and some of the city footage came directly from District 9. Even the space station looked like a cardboard set from a 1980's Star Trek episode. The camera work Neill Blomkamp is famous for seemed to be absent – at least I was not impressed at all with the visual aspects of the film. The bad guys were stupid... And also Jodie Foster's considerable acting skill was not visible. Then there was Matt Damon – he played the same character he always does...boring... So, my advice is, don't bother renting this film, instead rent District 9 – a much better choice.

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger, the summer blockbuster is now available On Demand and on DVD. I'll say right away that it is worth a rental and that I enjoyed most of it, but it is also a perfect example of why I dislike remakes. The writers, producers, and director became lost during the two-hour plus movie and could not decide if they want to follow the essence of the old story and characters, or create something entirely new. The audience was left with a mixed bag of Western comedy, drama, and riotous action. Older audiences, like myself, who have fond memories of the Lone Ranger, will laugh and smile at some of the "campy" language and over-the-top acting. I enjoyed learning some of the back story of the Lone Ranger and Tonto. I thought the premise that a museum Tonto was telling the story to a little boy dressed as the Lone Ranger was clever – I had the exact same costume, complete with cap-fired six guns. When the familiar music started to play at just the right climatic scenes, I felt myself galloping along with the masked avenger. It brought back wonderful memories of cowboy and Indian fights in the backyard... Saturday matinees, black and white reruns.

However, towards the middle of the movie, things began to drag and to feel overly dramatic – even heavy handed regarding the plight of Native Americans. The creators of the movie needed to remember that the original Lone Ranger short films were usually never more than thirty minutes long and that we never needed to know every little bad thing about the bad guys – they were bad guys, that was enough for us and the Lone Ranger. For a younger audience, Not indoctrinated to the ways of Kemosabe, Tonto, and Silver the movie must have been confusing at times. My son thought it was all rather stupid – just like Pirates of the Caribbean, but set as a Western. He was right – the bad guys were the exact same actors and even wore the same costumes as the Pirates sailing through the Caribbean. Johnny Depp played the same character – Tonto was Jack Sparrow without the swash-buckling sword fighting. The bad guys in both movies were just as horrible and nasty, motivated by greed and whatever... The good guys tromped through both movies just as clueless without real substance or character development. The acting was shallow. The plot seemed overly familiar. My only hope is that they don't start a Lone Ranger franchise and make a dozen sequels – that would certainly kill the spirit of the original.

The Master

The Master, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams is a long, over two hours and 20 minutes, complex drama. This is not a happy movie, nor a story that will leave you thinking – there's no blockbuster action or comedic relief. However, this is an engaging character study with superb acting. Phoenix plays a troubled, alcoholic World War II veteran that is lost and seeking his way through life. He stumbles upon Hoffman, the charismatic leader of a postwar New Age religion – based loosely on Scientology, and the life of Ron Hubbard. His wife is played by Amy Adams. The story centers around the relationship between these two very different men. Hoffman wants to save Phoenix, probably for his own selfish reasons, but also Phoenix desperately needs the love and affection, the stability that Hoffman can give. Some of the New Age religion stuff is a little weird and overly dramatic, but in general the acting is excellent, and the story is easy to follow. I was completely engaged and followed the progression of their relationship eagerly. The ending left a little bit to be desired, but this was not your traditional storybook type of movie – no ending would have been perfect. If you like excellent acting, complex relational drama, superb dialogue, and very well done cinematography – then I recommend this as a rental. If you're looking for pure entertainment, fun or action, then you probably should look somewhere else.

The Words

The Words, starring Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Irons and Dennis Quaid, is a movie about a struggling writer who makes a very bad decision. I was looking forward to watching this movie, hoping that it may give some insight to an author's struggle to write and the publishing world – sadly, it didn't. The story was some bit of confusion for me – a story, within a story, within a story. All three of the main characters, writers, or want-to-be writers... left me wanting more information, more emotion, more plot and character development. I'm sure if this story were actually a book, it would be worth reading – as a movie, it was barely watchable. I'm sorry, ladies, but I really dislike Bradley Cooper, though I did like him in The Silver Linings Playbook. He just seems to walk through the film without effort, without commitment or conviction. Jeremy Irons was decent. Zoe was okay, at least nice to look at. Mister Quaid could have easily been anyone else, and probably should have been... And I'm not even sure what character Olivia Wilde was supposed to play. The acting was weird for all of them, but they have to be forgiven for the script was probably a disaster. So, if you're looking for a movie to rent, skip this one. However, if the book comes out, it may be worth reading...

Babe – a classic!

Babe, is a 1995 family friendly movie about a little piglet and his remarkable life on a farm in New South Wales, Australia. After watching the CNN documentary about nuclear power and the Wolverine's newest venture, I was happy to find this movie on the Starz channel. The movie had me smiling the entire time. The animals are charming and unique characters. The dialogue is believable. The farmer and his wife are priceless. The story is well-written and superbly acted – I believe the late Jim Henson was in charge of much of the puppetry. There certainly is a moral to the story, but it doesn't smash you over the head – it creeps up on you slowly and subtly. If you have not watched this movie, and you have small children in your life, please take the time to rent it and watch it together... All I can say is, "that 'll do pig, that 'll do."

Pandora's Promise – time to take a second look at nuclear power

Pandora's Promise, a CNN documentary about the perils and promise of nuclear energy is very much worth the time to watch. The documentary takes a unique perspective – four different lifelong environmentalists who were once anti-nuclear energy tell their stories and explain their journey from being against nuclear power, to becoming pro-nuclear.

The documentary is unashamedly biased from the beginning, but it does make an attempt to show both sides of the argument. The tipping point for these environmentalists is of course, global climate change, undeniably caused by the pollution created by human activity. If you still Doubt that climate change is happening, just turn on the news and take a look at the horrific video from Beijing and Shanghai, China – as well as the extreme storms, hurricanes, drought and monsoons occurring throughout the world.

Like the environmentalists in the documentary, I am against deriving energy from the burning of fossil fuels – oil, coal and natural gas. However, I differed with their stance against nuclear power in the 70s, 80s and 90s. For me, the nuclear energy question was always a confusing one. For several years, when I lived in Gaffney, South Carolina, I worked just a few miles from the Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant. I had friends who worked at the plant. I drove by it frequently. I swam in the Broad River, where it was located. I took students on tours of the facility. It seemed like a viable, clean alternative – well, almost clean, except for the nuclear waste that lasts for tens of thousands of years.

Then there was Three-mile Island, Chernobyl, and more recently Fukushima. Radioactive clouds, radioactive contaminated water dumped into the ocean and rivers, whole areas of land becoming uninhabitable – the images are terrifying. I think average citizens had every right to be scared to death of this radioactive technology. I believe that, as the documentary points out, large oil and gas conglomerates did everything they could to feed that fear. I had, still have, my doubts...

But, things have changed. If the world population continues to grow, develop, and utilize fossil fuels at the current pace – our planet will be in dire-straits within the next couple of generations. Kyoto protocols and United Nations Climate Summits will never solve the climate change problem... Solar, wind and hydroelectric power cannot produce enough electricity for the demand. And, for humans to change their insatiable desire for the necessities and luxuries that electric power brings, well, this is truly out of the question.

It's now the 21st century, technology has advanced considerably. Our understanding of Nuclear energy has grown exponentially. Many believe it can be deployed correctly and safely. Nuclear power is not the best solution, but at the moment it seems to be our only choice.

The Wolverine Unleashed

The Wolverine – unleashed, the summer action-pic by Marvel Comics is now available on DVD. This was one sequel that I was looking forward too. It was entertaining, but also somewhat flat and disappointing. For Marvel Comics fans it's worth a rental – for those of you looking for a good action film, perhaps you should look elsewhere... Hugh Jackman, as the Wolverine, is always entertaining, unfortunately, it seemed to me like he was still channeling his role from Les Miserables. His acting may have been better if he was singing! He started out as the usual grumpy, grouchy, "I have nothing to live for", super-mutant hermit – the same character we have seen previously. There was even the requisite fight at the bar at the beginning. To the credit of the writers, we did learn some new things about the Wolverine, his past, and he did develop as a character through the movie. However, the conflict and emotions were very predictable. Most of the movie was set in Japan. This, for me, was interesting, but also irritating. Interesting, because I love Japan, I lived there and I have a Japanese wife. So, seeing the Japanese scenery and some of the Japanese actors was fun. The irritating part was the complete stereotypical way that the people and traditions were portrayed. There were the ninjas, yakuza, Tokyo city lights, temples, tatami mat houses, beautiful kimono clad women, the girlish redheaded Japanese punk karate expert, etc., etc. etc. For Me it all got rather tiresome. Nevertheless, the two-hour movie went by quickly and I did enjoy it. Don't expect a blockbuster or something memorable, but it is probably worth a rental.

The Heat

The Heat, is a rather enjoyable and unique buddy cop movie that came out earlier this year starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. I usually avoid this type of cop comedy because there have been some very bad ones over the last decade. This movie is unique, however, because the cops are two women. This made the movie refreshing and different, as well is something my wife and I could enjoy together. Melissa McCarthy made the movie hilarious! She really is a comedic genius. The character she portrayed, the tough foul mouth city cop, she embraced wholeheartedly. It took a few minutes to get used to the language and her character, but after that, I totally rooted for her and actually laughed at most of her antics. McCarthy's timing is impeccable. Sandra Bullock played the straight FBI agent. She is a wonderful actress and held her own, even with McCarthy's over-the-top scene stealing. The contrast between the two and their back-stories made the movie interesting and gave the plot some meaningful moments. The action was mostly silly, but satisfied me. A movie worth renting.

Sumo!

Sumo hiatus – Many of you know that I worked in Japan for three years before I married and moved here to Honolulu. That was 28 years ago! I had a wonderful time there and immersed myself in the culture, history and language – my wife (girlfriend at the time) helped a lot – but I also studied Japanese archery and became fascinated with sumo wrestling on my own. Just this year we started to subscribe to NGN, Japanese TV, and so now, every two months I am lucky that I can watch the Grand Sumo Tournament.

The tournaments are held six times a year, for 15 days. During this time, I watch every night from 9 PM to 11 PM – thus, my hiatus from this blog. No time to watch movies!

This is exciting stuff for me, but borders on ridiculous boredom for my 23-year-old son. That's okay, I love the ritual and the history of the sumo, so indulge me while I jot down some of my impressions. If you watch sumo, indulge me further for any inaccuracies:

The feeling this ancient sport conveys is, to me anyway, complex and deep. The sumo wrestlers train in stables (clubs) and have very specific rank. They are professionals – they earn salaries. The Higher ranked wrestlers are treated like royalty. Even the referees, judges, the hair groomers, and the men who sweep the ring, have ranks and belong to different clubs or stables. Sumo is a sport of hierarchy. Sumo is a sport of tradition.

The matches between the 300 to 400 pound gladiators take place on an elevated platform made of hard packed earth. When it is their turn to fight, the wrestlers come out from the locker rooms and sit patiently, on their own private pillow below the ring, waiting for their name to be called. The caller, usually a tiny little Japanese man, is dressed in a plain workingman's kimono, but when he comes to the center of the ring, everyone goes quiet. The audience listens to his powerful voice as he sings the wrestlers' names.

The wrestlers step onto the platform, into the circular ring, wearing their traditional sumo belt – this covers about as much as a Brazilian thong, but it is thick and strong around the belly. Facing each other, they bow, stomp their feet, and show their outstretched naked muscular arms – a signal that they are unarmed, but ready to fight. Make no mistake about it, these are big, strong, muscular men. The wrestlers strut slowly to their designated corners – the East and the West. They are given purified water to drink from a fellow wrestler, and from an attendant, a cloth to wipe their sweat.

After a few moments of contemplation, they grab a handful of salt from an overflowing basket, face the center of the ring and toss it high into the air – purifying the ring. Moving to the center, they face off just a few feet from each other, squat and stare into each other's eyes – sizing up the competition. Usually the higher ranking of the two will break the stare, stand up and turn away, like a bull who knows he is superior in every way. This facing off ritual repeats itself four more times, until finally they come to the center ready to do battle. The suspense builds. Some audience members yell words of encouragement to their favorite.

The referee, dwarfed by the tremendous bodies of the warriors, stands between them dressed formally in a colorful kimono – one that rivals the most beautiful garments worn by Japanese women. He holds a lacquer fan at just the right angle, signaling the wrestlers that he is ready to judge their bout. There's no starting bell ring, gunshot or whistle – the wrestlers know instinctively when to begin. Suddenly, the wrestlers slam together, like huge buffalo during the rut.

"Wham!" They slap, push, grab and pull with all of their considerable weight and might, trying to throw each other on to the ground or out of the ring. Most matches last only a few seconds. They sacrifice their entire bodies for the win, often flying off the earth platform into the audience at the same time. The man who touches the ground first, loses. The crowd cheers loudly if it has been a good fight. Sometimes when the highest-ranking wrestlers lose to a lower ranking wrestler, the crowd will jeer and throw their pillows into the air – either showing their dismay at the loss or their joy at the upset.

When the match is over, the wrestlers return to their respective side of the ring. The loser bows and leaves the arena. The referee announces the winner with a resounding flourish, and often gives him several envelopes – cash reward for a job well done. The commentators chatter incessantly, analyzing every detail of the match. There are hundreds of ways to describe the winning technique. They speculate on injuries and the next day's matchup.

The sweepers ready the ring. The caller announces the next match. The sumo continues...