I lost it at the movies

Brief checkin.

As ever, I watched the Oscars Sunday night, just to keep in touch. And I had a mound of dry beans that needed shelling, so while Charlie slept, I shelled beans (some of which were turned into magnificent chili) and checked out what I'd missed in the last year. Of course I always know from the newspapers and New Yorker what the movies are, but who can go to them any more (though I miss the magic of the Altos theater). I had to stay up for the whole thing to see if Scorcese won, and I need to see the necrology and weep. I like Ellen DeG a lot, thought she looked exceedingly cute (reminds me of Marty McCurdy), but as usual the whole host-joke business was pretty lame. Why try to make it funny? Just get on with it. Love Jack N's diabolical presence. The film olios were stunning, especially the composite of foreign films (what was the first one you ever saw? for me -- The Ladykillers, recommended by John Hinkson -- when H. Meritt and I went, he was there again, unbeknownst to us, but we could hear him cackling a few rows in front of us) and the one about how Hollywood has shown writers in movies.

So, inspired by this movie madness, yesterday I went to the movie machine at the gas station. I really wanted to rent "The Devil Wears Prada," inspired not only by how great Meryl Streep (whom, strangely, I have come to like a lot, after having hated her for years -- her commentary on the DVD of "Out of Africa" won me over) looked at the Oscars, but also by a review of The Devil that just turned up in a New Yorker in the upstairs bathroom. But anyway, what I ended up getting was "The Demented" oh gee, I mean "The Departed," about which I was curious, not believing that it could actually be the best picture of the year, from what I'd heard of it. Unfortunately, I'd not really paid enough attention. Gosh, what a mind-blowing (as in guns to the head and blood on the wall behind) movie. I love Jack, and we are fans of Matt Damon (our personal cult film is "The Bourne Identity"), and Leo DeCaprio is growing up nicely, but, really, guys, it was too much for me. I've finished all the Jane Austen mysteries and was heavy into Ian Rankin, but this morning put the Rankin down and picked up a fat (alas very small print) complete works of Jane herself, and I plan to have several weeks free of all murder, thank you very much.

The other movie I rented yesterday was "Babel," and I put in a certain amount of effort today trying to find out if it was something that would be as painful for me to watch (Charlie is sturdier than I am in this respect) as "The Departed." I never got any answers (though I appreciate your efforts, Julia), so we put the disc in and went for it. Well, we loved it. Highly recommended. The music knocked us out, particularly toward the end (and that's the Oscar it got), but all of it was wonderful. Fascinating international stuff. One thing that attracted me to it was what the director said during the cut presented at the Oscars: "I'd meant when I made this movie to show how different we all were, and while making it discovered how much we're all alike."

Anyway, just a little Movietone news, rare from this sector, where the printed word normally rules.