Raise Hell (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Raise Hell (2019): Documentary of Molly Ivins, the journalist who reveled in holding in contempt and ridicule powerful politicians. Lots of clips from interviews and speeches. If you remember her fondly, you'll like this movie. If you're MAGA, you won't. It's that simple. B-

POTD: Bumpy Ride

From 2018 09 20 Monument Valley

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Monument Valley on the Arizona/Utah border. The rock formations are the famous "mittens." But don't overlook the tiny cars threading their way through the valley. The best thing about Monument Valley is the drive. It's bumpy. It's dusty. It's slow. It's hard on cars. But it offers great views. Bumping along, you can even imagine John Wayne in a stagecoach.

Dark (TV 2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Dark (TV 2018): Missing children, dead birds, a cave in the woods, a nuclear power plant, and secrets from 33 years ago, all make this a compelling time travel mystery. Plan to keep detailed notes of the timelines and a list of characters. Or just go along for the wild ride. B+

Hustlers (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Hustlers (2019): Ex-strippers move on to seducing, drugging, then separating men from their money. First half is trashy (you might be tempted to walk), second half is melodrama, the whole barely gets a thumbs-up, I guess because it shows women taking charge of their lives?? C+

Review: Fleishman is in Trouble

Amazon

From Fleishman is in Trouble, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner:

Rachel was gone now, and her goneness was so incongruous to what had been his plan. It wasn’t that he still wanted her—he absolutely did not want her. He absolutely did not wish she were still with him. It was that he had spent so long waiting out the fumes of the marriage and busying himself with the paperwork necessary to extricate himself from it—telling the kids, moving out, telling his colleagues—that he had not considered what life might be like on the other side of it."

A novel that captures the unhappy state of a marriage as believably as the most talented writer can. Not bad for a debut novel.

The Goldfinch (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Goldfinch (2019): Museum explosion. Missing painting. Traumatized boy. A coming of age tale that is worthy of the Pulitzer Prize novel. The famous painting is the hook, which eventually is at the heart of a thriller plot. But mostly this is a character study of young Theo. B+

Compare to my review of the novel by Donna Tartt. Spoiler: I liked the movie, but I liked the novel even more.

POTD: Monument Valley Happy Hour

From 2018 09 20 Monument Valley

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Arizona's Monument Valley. Monument Valley likely conjures up old Westerns like John Ford's "Stagecoach," but modern day tourists can enjoy it at leisure from the deck of a hotel and visitors center that offers as spectacular a view of the Old West as you can find anywhere.