Just before the glut of summer moviedom comes a movie for grown-ups. Neither franchise entry nor reboot nor app-turned-feature, Money Monster is an old-fashioned Hollywood thriller starring a pair of vets—Julia Roberts and George Clooney—directed by another, Jodie Foster. Clooney is Lee Gates, a roguish asshole who hosts a gimmicky show called Money Monster, in which he fast talks and […]
George Clooney
Posted inArts + Music
The Ides of March a powerful political thriller
The Ides of March may be a political thriller co-written by, directed by and starring leading man George Clooney, but hot property Ryan Gosling steals the show in an award-worthy performance. He’s Stephen Myers, an idealistic campaign staffer working on the presidential bid for democratic candidate governor Mike Morris (Clooney). As the campaign trail progresses, […]
Posted inArts + Music
The American is subtle but satisfying
One’s enjoyment of The American depends on one’s feelings about George Clooney. Director Anton Corbijn is clearly a fan, having placed almost the entire weight of his movie on the actor’s immaculately dressed shoulders. Clooney plays a professional killer hiding out in small-town Italy following the tragic conclusion of his previous job. He divides his […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Animal & bird life I have seen and/or heard
From the patio in Los Angeles I have heard: 1) gentle owls hoo-hooing every night2) horse (probably from Lea Thompson’s spread)3) various birds including one with a big voice like a pterodactyl4) rooster5) coyotes almost every night—group howls6) dogs responding to the coyotes I have seen: 1) squirrels2) robin3) hummingbird (also heard thrumming of its […]
Posted inArts + Music
Up in the Air worth the trip
For most of us stuffed-in coach flyers, licking pretzel salt off our fingers, air travel is undignified. Not so for Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), who literally makes his home in the air and in airport executive lounges. His detached world is as crisp as the two white t-shirts that he packs in his carry-on luggage. […]