Biscayne NP

Biscayne National Park is something like 90% water and there's no actual access to it on land so you have to have a boat, rent one, or sign up for some kind of trip. We took a sailing trip out captained by this really chill and knowledgeable sailor named Byron. Really vast and calm and incredible.

Once we sailed across the bay and got to the keys/mangrove islands we got out for a paddle. Byron took us to a lagoon where there were hundreds of cassiopeia jellyfish, these jellyfish there are buried like upside down in the sea bed, really bizarre and cool.

On the way back Nicole got to sail the ship for a good half of the trip which was a huge thrill.

You Ain't Free

You buy because you're conditioned to buy
You work because it is the only way to buy

You go to Broadway shows or get drunk at the beach

because these are prescribed vacations

that necessitate additional consuming

there's a script you adhere to

when you're a cog, when you're a sheep

boxes to check, marks to hit.

Most people aren't free.

Key Largo

On our way to our second stop Key Largo stopped at Long Key for a hike, the first real one of our trip, felt great. There's not a lot of sweeping scenery because everything is so flat but the lush forest/jungle/wet lands with mangroves everywhere is really powerful and alive. The sea spreading out in every direction, the sound of the water, really peaceful. It's a place where you can really feel the life, the growth.

The place were staying at in Key Largo had some kayaks you could use so we went out for a paddle, Nicole's first, to practice a bit for Biscayne and The Everglades. Really nice to get on the water. Growing up my family canoed a ton and it felt great to get back into the rhyme of it and Nicole took to it like a duck to water.

Like Key West, not a whole lot going on in Key Largo(unless you want to get drunk at the beach or on a boat) although thankfully there was a bit more elbow room. Our place had a great view of the sunset.

Asynchronicity

A constant hum of construction,
lawn work, scooters, bicycle bells,
crowing roosters, groaning drunks,

and squealing children contrasted

with an utter and complete lack of intent 

a pervasive lackadaisical tropical lethargy

a laid back, take it as it comes unflappability

I can see the appeal

like a grown-up theme park

without the price of energy

a more spacious and sedentary cruise

just not for me- blood's too thick, mind's too quick.

Key West

First stop on the honeymoon is Key West. We were trying to hit all three National Parks in Florida but our first, The Dry Tortugas is a no go, didn't buy tickets for the ferry far enough in advance, got up early to try to get on stand by but not early enough. We got up at 5am, the couple the ended up getting the only two available slots got up at 2am, woof. But hiked over to a state park with a beach which was nice.

The park has an old fort on the grounds.

There's a lot of stuff to do in Key West but most of it is inside, the only thing we did was go to the butterfly sanctuary, which was really moving and cool actually.

We walked by the Hemingway house and Truman's "Little White House" and got a lot of great take out but overall Key West just isn't our speed, tons of tourists, and most of the people here just pretend COVID doesn't exist. Not terrible, we had a nice relaxing couple days but without the Dry Tortugas there wasn't much for us to do. Key West is an odd place, part Bourbon Street part Vegas, very crowded and noisy, probably a great fit for some but not a great place for a nature lover who's not a diver.

Powerful Medicine

Call it mojo
Call it juju

Call it medicine

Call it intuition if you must

or magic if you can

whatever you call it

it behooves you to heed

that feeling when it comes

that feeling that says "yes" or "no" or "run"

that feeling when the vibe is right

but more importantly when the vibe is wrong

because despite our modern cacophony

our fashionable skepticism and unbelief 

some old hoodoo remains

passed down from the old ones, the wise ones

gone but not lost.

Happy Holidays

Off to Florida to spend the holiday with Nicole's parents, then dove tailing the trip into our belated honeymoon. Stay safe and celebrate well!

Walgreens Pharmacy

Waiting for my COVID booster
watching the harried pharmacists

and the variety of bumbling customers

picking up their prescriptions

as the minutes tick away

where I should be working

I begin to smolder, to seethe

then suddenly

this cool comfort

drops over me

like a blanket

a profound acceptance

swaddles me

and I realize

I am content to wait here

as long as it takes

and the idea

that this could take some time

that I could be ignored or forgotten

relegated to the back of the line

some complication may arise

gives me no trouble whatsoever

I let go

I am where I am supposed to be

and it will take

as long as it takes

and that is not only OK

it is correct

it is as it should be

and I sit, waiting

liberated from my worry

as holiday stresses

flow around me.

'Being The Ricardos' A Review

 Being The Ricardos is a biopic written and directed by Aaron Sorkin about one fictitious week in the life of Lucille Ball(Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz(Javier Bardem) where Ball's communist ties are called into question, Arnaz's infidelity becomes public, and the two clash with the CBS brass on including Ball's real life pregnancy in her(their) legendary show I Love Lucy. Seems unbelievably fortuitous all these things would converge and resolve at the same time, you bet!

Bottom line Kidman and Bardem are miscast, they are wonderful actors but they are primarily wonderful dramatic actors. And they simply do not have the comedic wattage required to pull of their characters, it doesn't help the overall the tone of the movie is bizarrely dour and melodramatic. There is so much glowering, so many pensive silences, so many arguments, this juxtaposed with what we know of Ball as a person, I Love Lucy in general, and with the look of the production itself(glitzy, smooth, old Hollywood), taken together it simply doesn't work. The support cast fair much better, particularly staff writers played by Alia Shawkat and Jake Lacy who are actually allowed to be funny, but even then there's an over-seriousness about the whole thing that renders it boring. It attempts to make comments about politics, marriage, and feminism and fails across the board while at the same time not doing legendary comedian Lucille Ball much, if any, justice. Sure those are big shoes to fill but no shit. There's so much about the casting and script itself that seem not properly thought out.

It has the same overly slick look of Sorkin's 2020 directorial effort Trial Of The Chicago 7 and has the same issues, it tries to do too much(both in theme and story) and in so doing renders it's characters two dimensional, it slots famous non-US born actors in famous historical/cultural figures of the US and not that there's anything inherently wrong with that(Daniel Kaluuya was excellent as Fred Hampton in Judas And The Black Messiah) however it is certainly more complicated than simply slotting whatever A-list actor you can. This is bolstered up by the wide reported news that both Kidman and Bardem attempted to exit the movie prior to production once they discovered the massive and profound impact both Ball and Arnaz had/have on US culture. Not that they fail completely but their performances are overly studied, impressions, without that hot cord of energy that Ball and Arnaz possessed.

If there's one thing Being The Ricardos does succeed in it is creating a desire to watch I Love Lucy.

Currently in theaters and streaming on Amazon.

Don't See It.

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' A Review

 Spider-Man: No Way Home is a superhero movie, that latest in the MCU saga and the third installment for Tom Holland's Spider-Man. Following the events of Far From Home Peter Parker aka Spider-Man(Holland) grapples with the public backlash of his unmasking. As a result he, his girlfriend MJ(Zendaya) and his friend Ned(Jacob Batalon) are not accepted into MIT. In order to try to make things right Peter enlists Doctor Strange(Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell of forgetfulness on the world, this goes wrong(no surprise there) and causes a collision with the multiverse.

Holland, Zendaya, and Batalon all deploy their charm and chemistry which we've become accustom to, and it's just as fun and engaging as ever but because of the big "reveal" of the movie and all that that entails the focus is much more split than in previous movies. Some of these surprise performance, which it would be a spoiler to reveal, are very good, very fun, and surprisingly resonant. There's one particularly effecting scene, one of the best of the year, where Holland's Spider-Man encourages and is encouraged by two of these mystery guests. It's surprisingly potent.

After the somewhat melancholic drudgery Far From Home this is a return to, perhaps, a more standard Spider-Man flick but certainly a more enjoyable one. It has the standard slickness that one can expect from Marvel, it looks great, it moves relatively quickly, the action sequences are engaging, and there's emotion and humor in equal measure. It is a great movie? No. But it is a classic, highly effective, extremely entertaining superhero blockbuster. Retains some of the magic the MCU seems to have lost since Endgame.

Straight, main-line fun, with the most successful deployment of nostalgia to date.

Currently in theaters coming soon to VOD.

See It.

Tis The Season

The holidays can be an odd time
an inbetween time

both a doing time and a waiting time

a running errands time

and a treading water time

a waiting for the new year time

a hoping for a change time

a happy time and a stressful time

a together time and a lonesome time

a yearning time

a grieving time

and also a joyful celebratory time

tis the season for all this and more time

smiles, but not only smiles, also cries

a happy time but a complicated time

'Procession' A Review

Procession is a documentary that follows six survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy as they collaborate with the director Robert Greene as well as a drama therapist in order to create scenes, which they then produce and film, depicting/influenced by their trauma(ranging from literal to metaphorical) in their on going search for peace.

Through talking head interviews, archival footage, but mostly simple fly-on-the-wall documentation of the filmmaking process the stories, personalities, and truth of the six collaborators is revealed. In Greenes typical style(Actress, Kate Plays Christine) the film is a melding of both a classic documentary approach as well as a highly theatrical/magical realism type of staging that harmonizes beautifully, tragically here and is a perfectly imperfect mechanism for the six men to attempt to process their past.

The production itself is crisp and fluid and much of the nuts-and-bolts of the process are depicted- location scouting, scene construction etc. which the six men actively participate in. The abusers, although named, are not depicted and little to no time is spent on them. And although the six men share parts of their stories the actual particulars of the abuse are not depicted or particularly discussed. What is the overarching focus is compassion, the fellowship and strength these men share as survivors, how they feel, how they struggle to have their stories heard, their attempts to elicit some kind of satisfactory response from the Catholic church hierarchy, how they cope, how they(to greater or lesser degrees) have moved through and beyond.

Its incredibly powerful and the conceit of the documentary fundamentally gives power back to the six survivors. They struggle, they discuss, they disagree, they make mistakes, they triumph, and although it is clear Greene, as an established director, facilitates much of the productions minutia the men themselves are the ones that make the decisions. And this is what separates Procession from a more conventional documentary where someone simply and directly relays an individuals story. It is not an investigation of the facts of abuse, that is taken for granted, what it depicts is the lives of the people that abuse effected and how they are actively working to transcend it. 

Tough but not brutal. Intimate without exploitation. Perhaps sad but the courage, strength, and emotion displayed is ultimately divine.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't Miss It.

Having A Catch

Tossing a novelty Green Bay Packers football
with my dad and 1 1/2 year old nephew

it is not quite Norman Rockwell

in its quintessential Americanness

as we are inside and my nephew 

can't exactly throw or catch per-say

but there is something resonant

in this simple game of catch

three generations playing

in this fundamental way

a connection that deepens 

the moment we all share

and links us back and back and back

I imagine myself as a toddler

playing peek-a-boo or roll-the-ball

with my father and grandpa Irv,

I imagine my dad as a kid

throwing a baseball around with Irv

and great-grandpa Mart

on and on

into the past.

This pattern is not dispiriting but affirming,

connected as we are by blood 

and time.

'The Rescue' A Review

 The Rescue is a documentary about the Thai soccer team trapped in a flooding cave in 2018 and the titular extraction. Archival footage, talking-head interviews, and reenactments make up the bulk of the doc with a few animated maps detailing the space and scale of the cave. The film focuses on the predominately UK based cave diving team which, due to their expertise, executed the bulk of the diving portion of the rescue. The survivors themselves aren't heard from as the rights to their story were sold separately to Netflix.

Edited and scored similar to The Cove the film has the pacing and dynamism of a thriller, with mysteries, close calls, a pumping score. It's an edge-of-your-seat ride even though most will already know the outcome. The subjects- mostly the cave divers but some Thai officials and military- all have a startling clarity and magnetism. The cave divers particularly are these odd, gangly, loners who have this uber-specific somewhat bizarre past time which makes them, in essence, the only ones who can do this particular job. And you get the sense in interviews as they talk a little bit about their interest in cave diving that there is some, if not outright spiritual perhaps cosmic, turning of the wheel happening here that put them in that cave. This is underscored and echoed by some of the spiritual connections the Thai people have to the cave itself and the surrounding mountains as well as a fortuitous visit from a holy man. This is not made particularly overt by the filmmakers but it is certainly there and it is quite powerful. There is a sense as the movie rolls along of Purpose. But that aside the simple mechanics of the endeavor are quite fascinating and just the succinct relaying of that story through people that were there is incredibly impactful.

Absolutely thrilling, unquestionably inspiring, and ultimately the celebration of international community(the Thai government and military ran the rescue operation but had many of their citizens volunteer as well as assistance from multiple countries in various capacities).

Currently streaming on Disney+.

Don't Miss It.

'C'mon C'mon' A Review

C'mon C'mon is a black-and-white drama about radio producer Johnny(Joaquin Phoenix) who agrees to take care of his nephew Jesse(Woody Norman) while his sister Viv(Gaby Hoffmann) attempts to help her estranged husband Paul(Scoot McNairy) who struggles with mental illness.

Phoenix is more relaxed and less mannered than some of his more recent credits, which is refreshing, he's charming and low key and effective, he's got great chemistry with Norman who also gives a believable if somewhat gratingly precocious performance(although that is mainly a result of the script). Hoffmann is in a class unto herself, as she always is, absolutely magnetic and entirely comfortable on screen. McNairy doesn't actually have lines and the character, unfortunately, is utilized mainly as a plot device. But all-in-all the three leads are all quite real and charming if hamstrung by the scripts lack of addressing the privilege afforded by the characters obvious class.

Shot in a lush black-and-white with a melodic fluid score, the production design is beautiful and understated the weaves pitch perfect with the performances. The issue, which may not be an issue for some, is with the script and it's sheen of upper-middle class white obtuseness. The film asks us to be interested in these relatively small problems of these characters that are insulated by their socio-economic position. And that position is never addressed, not that it needs to be necessarily, but the unspoken tone and implication of the film is that these are regular people which they most assuredly are not. That's the disconnect. Whether this is a detriment to viewers or not is the question, for me it most definitely was, but even so there is a certain heart-warming easy twee charm to the film that's undeniable even while the same quality prevents it from reaching any real emotional height.

A breezy relatively benign emotional drama if left uninterrogated.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

'Spencer' A Review

Spencer is a psychological drama about the Christmas weekend Princess Diana decided to leave her her husband and the Royal family. The movie opens on Di(Kristen Stewart) driving by herself in the countryside attempting to locate the estate the family is to celebrate at, which happens to be next to the manor where she grew up. She eventually makes it to the estate where tensions between her and the staff grow as her mental health seemingly deteriorates. 

Stewart makes a valiant effort but the performance is more full of breathy half sentences and facial ticks than real emotion or depth of character. Perhaps a fault of the script Diana is portrayed here as a mentally unhinged, somewhat spoiled, naïve victim without much variation. Regardless if that is the truth or not it doesn't make for a particularly compelling or sympatric lead. The supporting cast are all very assured but aside from half a dozen brief actual scenes(a great one with Diana's children played by Jack Nielen and Freddie Spry, one with Prince Charles played by Jack Farthing) the majority of the movie is taken up with solo scenes with Stewart where she breathes loudly and is fragile, it simply doesn't add up to much.

The cinematography is crisp and there are number of long, sweeping, beautiful tracking shots. The costuming is impeccable, the soundtrack effective in its evocation of claustrophobic dread. There is simply not enough meat on the narrative bone to match the expert production.

Compared to director Pablo Larraín 2016 offering Jackie, which has a similar tone and focus, it fails to grab perhaps because Stewart is unable to bring the electricity that Natalie Portman did or perhaps because the focus of Spencer is far too narrow and the character, as written, is far too weak.

Currently in theaters and available to rent on VOD.

Don't See It.

'Nine Days' A Review

Nine Days is a spiritual drama about Will(Winston Duke) who is an arbiter of perspective souls. When one of his former selectees, who he monitors via multiple television screens, passes away a group of newly formed souls comes to him in order to be evaluated for a chance at life.

Duke gives an incredibly restrained, thrumming performance. Compassionate, repressed, emotional, paternal, maternal, the whole gambit. He slowly, deliberately builds this utterly compelling, totally magnetic character without any flashy acting, just patience and honesty. It's really astounding and culminates in one of the best scenes of the year. The support cast, all with challenging roles as they are in essence pre-gestational beings, are all wonderful with a kind of uniform simplicity and naivete that works but doesn't distract or prevent them from differentiating their various characters. Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgård, Tony Hale, David Rysdahl, and Arianna Ortiz all play the perspective souls and though Beetz and Skarsgård have more of the focus the others contribute equally. Hale brings a necessary and breezy humor, Rysdahl is the over-eager student, and Ortiz the romantic. It all inexorably weaves together into a real surprise that packs a punch.

Visually striking if again, simple. Will's home is in the middle of the desert and that is pretty much where all the action of the film takes place. Even so its very beautiful and very effective. Particularly a number of practical theatrical sequences used to impart an experience to perspective souls, these moments look incredible and are almost magically transportive. The soundtrack is eerie and emotional without being overwrought or indicative. The 90's set dressing make the house pleasingly tactile but also appropriately out of time. For the bigness of the idea its all very remarkably assured.

Inspirational, moving, and emotional with an award worthy performance from Duke. The premise itself may be a barrier of entry for some but it is well worth the commitment.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Don't Miss It.

Josh Pitts

Once in grade school
I missed the bus
so had to walk home

my buddy Josh

always walked home

because he only lived

a couple blocks away

and so we walked together

just him and I

and as we walked

some strong emotion

took control of his face

which was completely

out of character

usually a very funny

happy-go-lucky kid

he was clearly pained

so I asked him

"Is something wrong?"

and he began to weep

uncontrollably

and through his tears and gasps

he simply said

"It's excruciating."

at ten it was not a word

I'd ever heard

not a concept

I recognized

but in the moment

within the context

I understood

"Is something going on?"

I asked

he just kept crying

"I get sad sometimes"

I said

"But it passes. It'll be better tomorrow."

he shook his head

at his house

I walked him to his door

"I can play-uh-hang out if you want."

we were at that age

but he said "No, thanks."

tears still shining in his eyes

and closed his door.

I walked the rest of the way home

thinking about that word

excruciating

and the absolute sincerity

in which he used it.

We never spoke of it

and I never saw that side of him again.