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Sunday, January 4, 2015

'Unbroken', Oscars,Golf, Egos, Presidents and Things


What a competitive world. Shows like Keeping Up With The Joneses – uh, that Kardashian 'show', if you can call it that; Idols, X Factor, America’s Got Talent, outpicturing of Simon Cowell’s massive ego. Shows that have drawn furious criticism from greats like Elton John who said Cowell has destroyed the integrity of the music industry and who refused to be a judge on Idols because he wouldn’t descend to slagging performers. Shows that have convinced musicians the world over that if you don't win, your life and your [potential] performing career are over. Elton John said of Cowell’s empire that it’s “become boring, a***- paralysingly brain crippling.”

Politicians slaughtering each other in broad daylight at election time for, in too many cases, the coveted positions of not representing those they’re supposed to represent. The altered universe of brain washing aka advertising, making it impossible to go anywhere without some message, if not a gazillion of them, coming at you saying we're better, we're the best.

People will go to extreme lengths to compete. Like Angelina Jolie noticeably abandoning sexy outfits and power dressing [down] conservatively as she campaigns for the Oscars for her movie Unbroken and does her best to try and convince Hollywood and the Queen of England world that she’s not a drama queen but a serious filmmaker as in writer, director and producer and that Unbroken is a work of genius that didn’t deserve to be passed over for Golden Globe and Screen Actors’ Guild awards. Well, it did get a SAG nomination for its stunt ensemble and it opened on Christmas Day and grossed $15.6 million, which is the 3rd highest Christmas Day opening figure - if you don’t adjust for inflation, which no doubt Unbroken’s producer would rather we didn’t.
 
But that’s just good marketing and the big name Angeline Jolie (who, ironically, has always seduced the world with her sensuality) and a fantastic trailer. It was brilliantly executed; I watched it over and over and each time I got goose bumps and my heart felt fit to explode.

I wondered, though, whether they hadn’t just extracted the only worthy scenes in the whole film and strung them together cleverly. It seems my suspicions might have been founded. Rotten Tomatoes already gives the film a measly 51% rating and the general consensus among those who are unhappy with the film is that it crawls and somehow never quite comes to life. The famous and mightily well paid Cohen brothers adapted the script from the [alleged] 300 page monstrosity that was written from the book by William Nicholson and Richard LaGravenese. It just goes to show something or other. My green-eyed monster jealousy more than anything else, probably.

I’m straying from my point. Your own bitchiness will do that to you. My point is that it’s hard to get away from competitiveness at all levels of life. I mean look at me, wanting to compete with Angelina Jolie and the Cohen brothers. I’d love to have got my hands on that script.

Actually, the other side of my coin is that I think the spirit of it is great, I like it; I love the rough and tumble of engaging in life, aiming for the stars and doing everything you can to get as far as you can. Good for Jolie for being smart enough to know what an effect her fashion statement makes on the world and for holding her head up high despite the awards snubs and going for gold.

Still, that rough and tumble tends to make the world one of chaos and din so it’s beautiful when somebody who has every reason to have an inflated ego just doesn’t. Have one, I mean. But does have a great sense of humor.

American Presidents love to play golf. If they’re any good at it, they let everybody know their scores. If they’re not so good, like Clinton, they claim Presidential Pardons for mulligans and gimmes, all in good fun of course. But Barack Obama sticks to the rules. He’s a pretty lousy golfer, which he readily and laughingly admits. Retired basketball great Michael Jordan, who’s crazy about golf, quipped that he wouldn’t choose Obama for his ideal foursome because “he’s a hack, man. It’d be all day playing with him.”

Obama was quick to quip back. He’ll do it with a straight face so you can’t tell if he’s joking or not. Until he breaks out into that million dollar smile. He isn’t a good golfer; he’s got lousy posture, for one, but he loves the game, so he plays. With a sense of humor about himself. IMO there’s a whole lot of dignity in that and I’m sure it makes him fun to be around. And he is getting better, so that’s something. Another golfer said of him that the way he plays gives the measure of him as a President. He’s honest, he keeps his cool through rank adversity, he smiles and he doesn’t give up. I raise my glass to that.

And to Angelina Jolie, good luck with the Oscars. She has spirit in spades, that’s for sure, for which she deserves the highest accolades.