Liam Neeson vs. George Clooney

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Source: http://www.reelz.com

I usually do not pay much attention to the Academy Awards as I have always considered it an ego-driven over-the-top fete that has nothing to do with my universe. However, give the recent releases of some very good film I am beginning to consider watching the show later this month. I saw "The Descendants" last week and this past Friday I saw "The Grey" and I realized that there was something wrong: why isn't Liam Neeson being considered for 'Best Actor'?

Both George Clooney ("The Descendants") and Neeson are excellent actors and Clooney is up for 'Best Actor.' Apparently "The Grey" was not released on time to be considered for this year's Oscars, but it will be re-released in October so that it will be considered for the 2013 ceremony.  In the meantime I would like to compare "The Descendants" and "The Grey." If Liam Neeson were included in this year's category for 'Best Actor' my choice would be to pick him over George Clooney. I thought that in "The Descendants" Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller (they actresses who played Clooney's daughters) stole the show. In fact, they almost relegated Clooney to the background of the movie; it is not until the end where we see him display his acting talent. Hollywood tends to have soft place in its hear for these type of performances.

I hope that this doesn't prevent it from realizing how great a performance Neeson gives in "The Grey." His character is a solitary, rugged, hard-edged soul who has to lead his team through hell to stay alive following a plane crash in the remote wilderness of Alaska. His facial expressions alone show his acting demeanor and embodies what playing a role is all about. And the ending.....wow! For me it epitomizes the human spirit when it faces its darkest moment and I can honestly say I cannot think of any other actor who can do it better than Liam Neeson. For me Neeson's character displayed all the attributes that I aspire to: leadership, self-assuredness, no tolerance for bullshit and understanding of and empathy of opponents/antagonists. It seems that Hollywood does not take actors  who star in survival movies seriously. That is a mistake. A true sign of a great actor is the ability, through a portrayal to touch on our humanity, to connect with us. During the film, I found myself rooting for Liam Neeson. I think certain qualities that he represented and endured resonated with me: the loneliness, solitude, dealing with adversity, support of colleagues, searching for meaning and worth in life....all valuable lessons.

Both Clooney and Neeson give excellent performances, but for me, Liam Neeson's stands out as being much more powerful.

Wake up, Hollywood.

Related articles

• Liam Neeson Talks "Fighting Wolves" in 'The Grey' (inquisitr.com)
• Don't became Muslim, Liam Neeson! (dariasockey.blogspot.com)

Marilyn and Ulysses

Yesterday I went to see "My Week with Marilyn" a movie based on a book written by Colin Clark, a documentary filmmaker who was on the set of "The Prince and the Showgirl"(1957). Lawrence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe starred in the film and Clark, then working as a gofer, claimed to have had a one week affair with the 'blond bombshell.' There are some people who dispute that this event ever happened (seeThe Huffington Post). Since Clark died in 2002, we will never be able to really confirm this.

That being said, the movie is very good and Michelle Williams is excellent as Marilyn Monroe. In fact, there is talk that she will be nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of the star. The music is extraordinary (no surprise there since Lang Lang is playing the piano) and I found the cast (Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh) to be very good as well.

One little item I noticed and I am glad they slipped it in the film, albeit for only a second, is a shot of the James Joyce classic "Ulysses." It is located on her night table. Many people don't realize that Marilyn Monroe read the book (see the Eve Arnold shot of her reading the book in her spare time). Marilyn admitted that she had difficulty reading the book, which puts her in the same group as the rest of us. I read it in 2008 and I can tell you is extremely dense and complex. Not many people will 'get it.' But it is interesting to see an unknown side of Marilyn Monroe.  Even if you are not a fan of the sex goddess, check out the movie to see the incredible performance done by Michelle Williams. It is nice to know that in this age of "Jersey Shore" and Justin Bieber, that there is still bona fide talent out there. Marilyn herself put it best when she said "A career is born in public, talent in privacy." I would say she was very prescient.

6 Minutes

In this day and age of Twitter, Facebook, instant text messaging and downsized attention spans 6 minutes may seem like an eternity. But in Manchester, England something special happened. It was only a blip that most likely went unnoticed by many Americans, but one that was celebrated and savored by fans of the Blackpool Seasiders, fighting valiantly against the multi-million dollar champion Manchester United to remain in the Premiership.

At stake for Blackpool was permanence in the Premier League. A loss would condemn them to relegation in the second division Championship. Manchester United struck first taking a 1-0 lead on a fortuitous strike by Park-Ji Sung. Blackpool did not give up and kept pressing forward in attack, which led to a free-kick. The inspirational captain Charlie Adam scored a magnificent goal to tie the game at 1-1.

In the 57th, the extraordinary happened. Gary Taylor-Fletcher, following brilliant dribbling by David Vaughn, back-flicked the ball into the goal, completely befuddling Edwin Van der Saar, the Manchester goal keeper. It seemed surreal. I yelled in joy and disbelief. David had slain the might Goliath. This was no millionaire who scored past a world-renowned keeper. The goal was scored by a former waiter and barber who had to work hard to get where he is. He is no product of the manicured soccer academies that so many of these wealthy teams have. For 6 minutes the throng at Old Trafford was stunned into silence as their world was rocked to its very core. "How can this be?" "Our side was supposed to win without breaking a sweat," were some thoughts that went through their mind. For 6 minutes The Blackpool dream lived on.

But alas, the moment was not too last as Manchester United came back to tie the game and then win it 4-2. Reality, unfortunately, does not allow for the Davids to defeat the Goliaths, it seems.

Nevertheless, I am proud of Blackpool. I came to love them for their attacking spirit and pride in what and who they represented. The EPL will not be the same without them and I hope that they make a return to the EPL very soon.                                     

Charlie Adam: the Anti-Lebron James

This past year has witnessed a remarkable run by Blackpool, a team from the central western coast of England playing in the Premiership for the first time in 40 years. While all the players reflect the pride of the team no one exemplifies the spirit of the team, the city and its fans than the Scotsman Charlie Adam. The captain of the team has come to symbolize Blackpool and embodies (at least in spirit) the aspirations of the fans. They have no chance of winning the Premiership, which as claimed by Manchester United earlier today, but they are fighting a more important battle: remaining in the Premiership and staving off relegation to the Championship League. Adam and his cohorts know how important remaining in the Premiership is to the Blackpool fans and over the last few weeks have fought hard to win this significant victory. It is a victory the likes of Manchester United will never know. Not all victories are represented by trophies. In the case of Blackpool, simply staying in the Premiership is a significant victory. Across the pond, as they say, the likes of LeBron James, still rankle many people. The people of Cleveland are still smarting from the lack of loyalty show by LeBron to the community and its fans when he jettisoned to the Miami Heat.

It is good know that some athletes out there still feel immense pride in representing communities. Take a look at Charlie Adam's celebration when he scored a goal. He knew where the Blackpool fans were and went over to them to express his pride in the club and its fans. God bless, Charlie Adam!

szólj hozzá: T1-1B

David Magradze

Just for the heck of it, one day I googled "Georgian Poets" and I came a across a list of names. I decided to randomly select one-David (Dato) Magradze and I read one his translated  poems. I enjoyed it. Magradze was born in 1962 and while he had a brief spell in politics, he has been most involved in the arts. Check out a portion of his poem "The Poet's Morning."

  IV

The tragedy of my crippled friend 

Was plain 

This world made him unhappy by its shortness 

He tried to stand it for a time 

And then he-the miserable being  

Threw himself in the current (pool) of philosophy

He used the strict cynicism as a shield 

Against the love,

But would not elude.

 The mirror of this world 

And then he cried bitterly...

One dark night he seized a glittering sword

And fiercely struck it 

In the ribs of his tragedy 

And (he) made his soul 

Walk on the stilts

The Anti-LeBron Spirit

This summer I focused most of my attention on the World Cup that took place in South Africa, but everyy once in a while I would be bothered by the constant and insipid media attention to LeBron James and his low-class abandonment and rejection of the city of Cleveland for the beaches and glamor of Miami. His self-centered and ill-conceived treatment of the city that gave him the chance to become a star was shameful and it seemed to me that all big stars in every sport ore self-serving mercenaries, whose only interest lies in reaping the most lucrative offers imaginable. As many of us struggle through the recession, it is hard to sympathize with LeBron, but there are stories that can help restore our wonder at the power of sport and community. Two of my favorite stories from the past year come from the English Premier League.

Chris Eagles is a winger for the recently relegated Burnley side that had a remarkable run two years ago that led them to promotion to the Premiership. Despite a strong start Burnley was relegated to the second division--the Championship. This past summer, Eagles was offered the opportunity to play for Scottish powerhouse Glasgow Rangers. The money was there and the possible prestige...but Eagles said 'no.' He decided to stay with Burnley and help the team fight its way back to the Premiership. During the press conference, Eagles spoke of 'fighting alongside his teammates,' --the exact opposite of what LeBron said during his televised spectacle last summer. Kudos to Chris Eagles. Players like him make it easy to root for Burnley.

The other wonderful story developing in the Premier League involves Blackpool, FC. This team was promoted to the Premier League for the first time in nearly 40 years and what a run they have been on! They have defeated traditional powers such as Liverpool, FC and have made a proud showing for their fans in Blackpool, a seaside town located in northern England on the coast of the Irish Sea. The 'Seasiders' were not supposed to be playing so well; they did not follow the script. They have played hard and played for their community and have come up with some impressive results. Follow Blackpool by visiting the website of the The Gazette.

Burnley and Blackpool might never win the championship, but they personify the characteristics and represent the hopes and aspirations of their respective communities in a way that LeBron James never will. And for that reason alone I am a fan of these two wonderful teams. I hope that Cleveland can take heart in the fact that there are players out there who take much more inspiration from the uniform they wear than from the paychecks or prestige tossed out be the sporting elite.

Revolutionize Yourself

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'Change Yourself, Change the World' is the motto so vociferously announced to the world by Spanish anarchists in the early 20th century and especially during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

So resonant is the message that many companies and organizations have adopted the saying as their mantra, in some cases completely unaware of its origins.

We are now approaching that time of the year where we all promise to make changes to our lives--the dreaded "New Year's Resolutions." Throughout the year we often need to be reminded that we need to appreciate ourselves more often. In this day and age of immediacy, distancing social relationships through technology and crumbling social etiquette, I would like to feature two sayings that are worth keeping in mind.

The first comes from a book written by Louis Auchincloss in 1974 titled 'A Writer's Capital.' In it he writes, "a man can spend his whole existence never learning the simple lesson that he has only one life and that if he fails to do what he wants with it, nobody else really cares." The message: your life should be important to you...who cares what others think! We need to be reminded of this at times.

The other comes from the "Weddings/Celebrations" section of the December 26th New York Times. A couple--Mina Guiahi and Jesse Levinson married in mid-December, but what struck me was a Farsi quote--"ghilli vili." It means, roughly translated "to create a revolution in someone."  To create a wonderful change and sensation in someone. I can't think of a more noble goal, except perhaps, for creating a revolution in ourselves.

Happy New Year, everyone!