The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

This movie is based on a memoir the author wrote about her mother.

A post-WW2 housewife Evelyn (Julianne Moore) enters contest after contest in order to make ends meet for her large family, winning free food, bikes, home appliances. Her husband Kelly (Woody Harrelson), after a deferred singing career, now works at a factory, and resents her ingenuity and good luck because it makes him feel as if he can't provide for the family. He becomes increasingly depressed and is an angry alcoholic, which the older kids can't help but see and fear. Evelyn on the other hand keeps a stiff upper lip and tries to maintain the facade of a happy home, and tries to protect her children as much as she can, but it appears she is on a slow boil.

Past seven days

Some movies over the weekend, but not in the mindframe this week!

The Beaver
Bernie
Election
For Greater Glory
The Inspectors
Island Etude
A Slight Case of Murder

Past seven days

I attended for the first time This American Life Live: Invisible Made Visible, a live performance of a stage show similar to their radio program (I haven't seen their TV show).  The show was quite funny and since this was a visual program instead of just their audio/radio, they incorporated several things to make it visually interesting.  One story highlighted some found photos from an unknown but excellent amateur photographer.  Another incorporated an app designed by musical group OK Go, known for their intricately planned music videos, to go along with a performance of theirs onstage, where viewers could perform along with on their digital devices.  (The ONLY TIME, host Ira Glass stressed, that you were allowed to use your device at the movie theatre. He was NOT KIDDING.)  There were also some dance sequences by the Monica Bill Barnes dance company.
 
You can also watch a short film made by contributor Mike Birbiglia, where he pokes gentle fun at radio interviews with the assistance of Fresh Air's host Terry Gross.

This screening will be rerun at theatres on various dates, and is highly recommended!  If you can't make any of the screenings, a portion of the audio will replay on their radio show the weekend of May 18 (some performances have been recreated for the radio and others are the recordings from the live stage performance).  Also included at the audio link are behind the scenes photos by Adrianne Mathiowetz that accentuates what a great show this was--OK Go playing handbells, David Sedaris in clown makeup, Taylor Dayne singing to one of the performers who is a big fan).

Here is the past seven days list:

Amantes
Going Postal
I Am
Red Hill
The Red Shoes
This American Life Live: Invisible Made Visible

Intolerable Cruelty

Miles (George Clooney), a successful divorce lawyer, meets his match in gold-digger Marilyn (Catherine Zeta-Jones). He wins his latest case against her, despite her having hidden her machinations well.

At her next marriage, she claims it's true love and asks him to draft one of his infamous pre-nuptial agreements, which are renowned for being ironclad, for the benefit of her oil baron fiance. At the wedding, hubby is so in love he tears it up, and Miles is impressed that Marilyn has somehow beaten his unbeatable pre-nup. Divorce, American-style, follows shortly of course.

Now that Marilyn holds the wealth, Miles feels no qualms about falling in love, especially since Marilyn fears dying alone like her friend just did. History repeats itself when he makes a pre-nup for her benefit, they marry, and she tears it up.

Free event: Albert Nobbs

Did you catch Albert Nobbs when it played recently?  If not, the Northbrook Public Library has a screening this weekend.  See Glenn Close play a man in a project she had been trying to realize for quite a few years.

Albert Nobbs

Saturday, May 12, 2012

2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Northbrook Public Library

1201 Cedar Lane, Northbrook, IL