Music Review: You Are My Sunshine: Elizabeth Mitchell

 This is a lovely set of children's songs.  The title song, "You are my Sunshine" she actually sings twice.  It is lovey.  Other songs that are very impressive include: "Hey Bo Diddley" written by Bo Diddley.  This is a take of "Hush Little Baby" with a vamped up rhythm.  "Skip to my Lou" is nice.  "Car, Car? written by Woody Guthrie is very fun.  I also like "Froggy Went a Courtin.'"  :The Crawdad Song" is also very nice.  

Movie Review: ****^ Picnic (1955)

 This is a very good movie where passion wins out over what would make sense financially.  Madge Owens (Kim Novak) has a boy, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson) who has claimed her as she is the most beautiful girl in town.  However she is not satisfied being a thing instead of a person.  When Hal Carter (William Holden) comes to town things change.  He is a transient and down on his luck, but knows Benson from college and hopes to get a job.  It is also the day of the Labor Day  picnic.  Carter goes to the picnic with Madge's younger sister, Millie (Susan Strasburg).  She is obviously young for him but Madge is with Benson.  Madge's mother (Betty Field) does what she can to keep her daughter with Benson; but before the night is over, Madge leaves with Carter.  A school teacher (Rosalind Russell) rents a room from the mother.  She has a long term boy friend (Arthur O'Connell) who does not commit.  After she has drunk some she makes a pass at Carter who rejects her.  She rips his shirt.  The evening turns out well for her as her boyfriend finally proposes marriage.  Shortly after his shirt is ripped, Carter and Madge take off in Benson's car which Carter had been using all night.  He returns the car in the morning, and the police want to arrest him for stealing the car, he runs and has to leave town, but not before seeing Madge.  He confesses his love, as does she.  He runs and catches the train.  Benson calls to say he forgives Madge; but Madge decides to follow Carter, taking the bus.  

The actors do very well at their rolls.  This is a movie based on a stage play of the same name written by William Inge.  A couple musicals were written based on the same play, but were not successful.

Movie Review: ***^ Leave No Trace

 A father and son choose to live in the forrest (outside of Portland).  The father, Will (Ben Foster) suffers from PTSD.  He sells his medication from the VA to buy supplies.  His daughter, Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) and he live together quite comfortably.  They have their own little home in a tent.  And are able to take care of themselves, until Tom is seen by a logging crew.  Shortly after police and social services intervene.  The government finds them a place to live and work.  However Will has difficulty living with others, so the run.  This time they head to Washington state with higher elevation and colder temperature.  Will takes a fall and breaks his leg, but they are rescued and taken to a commune type place.  They stay until Will heals, but he again gets antsy.  They take off again.  But Tom sticks up for herself, says she likes living where she is and turns back.  However they stay in contact as Tom leaves him supplies regularly.  

This is a good study of personalities and PTSD, of being young and trying to make your way in the world.  This family does not consider themselves homeless, but society does.  

Sandra Bullock Movie Review: ***^ Speed (1994)

 Speed is a wild ride.  It is rated R as it has too mch f'ing.  It does have some memorial characters.  Annie (Sandra Bullock) is a bus passenger, who grabs the wheel when the driver is shot.  Jack Traven (Keanu Reevs) is a bomb specialist with LAPD.  Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) is the bomber.  He ius Ex bomb squad police who retired when fingers blown off; but not happy with his severance.  Harry (Jeff Daniels) is Traven's partner.  He does not survive as a bomb explodes when they go to Payne's home.  Not all of this is realistic; especially driving the bus through town and keeping it above 50 mph.  If it goes below 50 a bomb will explode.  Lots of action and lots of peril.  

Music Review: Roberto Carlos: Grandes Exitos. (Greatest Hits) (2007)

I was not familiar with Roberto Carlos but looking him up in Wikipedia I learned he is the King of Brazilian Music.  Portuguese is his native language but this C.D. is in Spanish.  He is likely the biggest star of all time in Latin America.  None of his songs are familiar to me but I especially like the beat and the sound of "Mi Cacharrito" (Road Hog).  He got a loaner from the car repair shop and talks about how the girls loved his car which he drove around town at 10 miles and hour.  It is a very funny song and he adds sound effects like beep beep.  His C.D. is mostly love songs and this is a nice change.  This song is actually one of his earlier songs.  

Roberto Carlos if known for popularizing pop rock in Brazil.  His influence extends beyond Brazil's borders.  Other songs I liked on the C.D. are "Lady Laura," "El Gato Que Está Triste y Azul". (The Cat that is Sad and Blue), and "Amada Amante" (beloved lover). I enjoyed this set of songs.  

Movie Review: ***Hotel Rwanda (2004)

 This movie is very intense.  I am glad I saw it once, but there is too much killing and cadavers all over the place to watch it more than once.  This is about the genocide of the Tutsi population by the Hutu.  The Hutu controlled the government fighting the rebels.  The rebels succeeded in killing the president which triggered the killing.  Paul Resesabagina (Don Cheadle) manages a hotel where many Tutsi come to avoid the war.  His wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo) takes up supporting the orphans who show up.  The U.N. Colonel Oliver (Nick Nolte) provides all the support he can, and in the end helps them get away to the U.N. reception area.  They keep searching for Sophie's brother and her wife who have gone missing.  They never are able to find them, but they do find their daughters at the reception center.  Joaquin Phoenix plays a t.v. reporter.

Harrison Ford Movie: **** Firewall (2006)

Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford) works in security in a large bank.  He and his family, his wife Beth (Virginia Madsen) and kids, Sarah and Andy (Carly Schroeder and Jimmy Bennett) are held hostage by a group of thieves intent on stealing $10,000 from 10,000 richest customers.  The thieves have studied the family for some time, opening a gambling account in Jack's name and a bill of $85,000.  The thieves are very treacherous.  They are lead by Bill Cox (Paul Bettany).  Jack's coworker, Harry Romano (Robert Forster) introduced Jack and Cox.  His boss is Arlin Fiorester (Alan Arkin). His assistant is Janet Stone (Mary Lynn Rajskub). They control Jack by threatening his family.  They try to get away but fail.  Stanfield is forced to help them get the money, erase tapes and allow cox into sensitive areas.  They also set him up as a jealous husband, making his wife record that he is leaving for Romano.  Cox visits Romano and murders him using Stanfield's gun.  

However Stanfield is able to do a double cross, having taken a picture of the account numbers where the money went.  He recruits Stone to help him.  The family after the operation was being taken to a rural area for their murder.  Stanfield overwhelmed the man sent to kill him and iill hi instead.  He lets Cox know his money is gone and won't come back until he gets his family.  The family is still alive, and the dog with a gps tracking device is with them.  Consequently they are able to track them.  

This movie is very good.  The fighting at the end had me really riled up.  Very exciting.  They bad guys are easily hated.  None of them would help the family as they were all committed.  When asked why you hate us the answer is, we don't, we just don't care about you.