Wednesday, January 21, 2004

A virus ate my posts   Yesterday I was contacted by an old friend, from pre-Internet days. Somewhere on the Web he'd stumbled across my name, then my website, and finally this weblog. “I couldn't find any posts from May to December,” he said. “What happened?” “Um, a virus ate them,” I said. “Really?” he said. “Which one? Should I warn my friends? Can I get it just talking to you?” I was joking, and I told him so. The truth is I didn't make any entries during that period. I just had other things on my mind and in my appointment book.   9:49:41 PM    comment [] More Monster   Rosemarie and I have continued to talk about Monster since we saw it last Sunday. The whole movie is strong: script, casting, direction, acting, editing. It has no weaknesses that I can see. But even within that context, Charlize Theron's achievement in showing us Aileen Wuornos is profound. “A portrayal on that level is a spiritual act,” I said. “It has connections with Jesus going among lepers. To undertake so thorough an identification with Wuornos is an act of compassion, in and of itself.” “Yes,” said Rosemarie. “I felt that myself.” “Look at what Brian Cox did in L.I.E.,” I said. “Same sort of thing.” “Well but his character Big John has redeeming features that Wuornos doesn't,” Rosemarie said. “Sure,” I said, “but that's not the point. I'm not comparing the characters but the acting achievement, as spiritual tasks. Like a priest listening to someone in confession.” “But not all acting is like that.” “No, of course not. A movie can be of simply ordinary competence – say Catch Me If You Can from last year – and entertain and be plausible and even based on a true story and all that, without exhibiting the levels of compassion and empathy we're talking about in L.I.E. and Monster.”   10:33:22 AM    comment [] The State of the Union   I want the sonofabitch outtathere. Four years ago I voted for him. I've regretted that more and more with each passing month. He and I are both Christians. He is in fact a born-again Christian; he came to his God in a moment of insight that changed his perspectives on himself and his life forever. Some of his advisors and appointees are similarly born-again. I experienced a similar conversion when I was about fourteen; it subsided within a few weeks, and I had to accept that my God was not going to come to me in a flash of spiritual illumination, but slowly, a day at a time, in fear and trembling. There are considerable numbers of Christians in this country. Most of them are not fit candidates for the presidency. Most of them would not make good presidents. I am one of those. So is G.W. Bush. I want the sonofabitch out. And the whole crew with him.   9:58:11 AM    comment []

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