The Cue Card

Mountain Book & Film Festival

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Susan

I’m in Banff this weekend taking in the world-renown mountain book and film festival here, which always has an amazing array of adventure, exploration and nature footage. This year is no exception as I’ve seen an awe-inspiring slide-video presentation by Austrian mountain climber Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner about her 2011 trek up the north side of K2, the last peak in her quest to climb the world’s 14 highest peaks of more than 8,000 meters.

Prior to this film festival, I didn’t really know much about Gerlinde, but her climbing feats are nothing short of heroic. As if scaling Everest and the other highest mountains weren’t enough, she does it without using any supplementary oxygen or high-altitude porters. She goes with her own team but is totally reliant on her own energy to get her to the top of each mountain. It’s mind-boggling! Just think: no oxygen, or porters! She’s truly in elite company to be able to do this. Surely after climbing the 14 highest peaks over 14 years, she deserves to be National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year for 2012.

I’ve also seen a neat film here called “Crossing the Ice” about two Australians (Cas and Jonesy) who trek unsupported from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, pulling all their own food and gear on skis, and living to tell their tale with great determination, humor and humility despite the harshest of conditions. The plot thickens as a Norwegian is attempting the same record-breaking feat at the same time, initiating an informal race that echoes the 1912 race to the South Pole between Britain’s Robert Scott and Norway’s Roald Amundsen. But this time the ending is quite different. The film is an uplifting and touching experience of comradeship over struggles that are hard to even fathom.

Another cool event I’ve seen here, has been a slide presentation by anthropologist and ethnobotanistWade Davis who recently completed his book of 12 years in the making called “Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest,” which seems quite fascinating. It’s an in-depth look at the men who mounted the first expeditions on Everest in the 1920s and their backgrounds, which were all affected by the toll of WWI. Taking risks and facing death were something most of these men had already long experienced.

And then there’s “Bear 71,” a 20-minute web documentary about a grizzly bear who was collared at age three in Banff National Park and followed during her life via cameras throughout the park until she was tragically killed by a train. This illuminating webdoc raises various questions and issues and is worth watching here.

Today I’m going to see another round of films on this last day of the festival. For those interested in really cool adventure and nature films, you might be able to catch the best from the Banff Mountain Film Festival as it travels around to places in North America. If you do, I’m sure you will be glad you did.

Posted in Books, Movies | 12 Comments

November Preview

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Susan

November offers a plethra of strong new releases. From the list at the left, three notable books are coming to the silver screen, which I eagerly await.

There’s no missing Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead role in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” taken in part from Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 2005 book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.”

Not to be outdone is Leo Tolstoy’s timeless classic “Anna Karenina,” which comes to theaters for the fifth time in its history, this time starring Keira Knightley in the lead role.

And then there’s Ang Lee’s intriguing take (judging from the previews) on “Life of Pi,” from Yann Martel’s 2002 Booker Prize winning novel. I won’t miss it. But if that along with the new film on “Hitchcock” is too much art fare for you, you can always check out the latest James Bond action flick “Skyfall” with the scrumptious Daniel Craig.

Meanwhile in November book releases, from the list at the right, I’ve already spotlighted in a previous post Ian McEwan’s spy novel “Sweet Tooth,” which came out in Canada in August, so I won’t re-visit that again here, other than to say that my husband stole it from me, read it and gives it 6 or 7 stars out of 10, if that helps anyone.

So instead my two book picks this month are Barbara Kingsolver’s latest “Flight Behavior,” set in rural Appalachia, and the new collection from master short story writer Alice Munro called “Dear Life.” I will definitely add both of these to my growing TBR pile.

But if it’s new tunes you’re looking for in November, R&B popsters Rihanna and Alicia Keys have major releases due out (check the list at the bottom left). Rihanna gets all “Unapologetic” on her seventh studio album, and will be promoting it with her “Diamonds World Tour” to begin in March 2013.

While Alicia Keys will put out her fifth studio album with “Girl on Fire” with tour dates likely to follow. You might also enjoy Adele’s new single “Skyfall,” which seems perfect for the new upcoming Bond movie.

So if you can’t tell by now, November is definitely chock-full of new movies, books and music, gaining steam for the not so distant holiday season. Which new releases are you most looking forward to this month?

Posted in Top Picks | 6 Comments

Argo

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Susan

The Iranian hostage crisis in 1979 is something I remember as a young teenager. Newscasts would begin or end with how many days the U.S. diplomats had been held hostage. They were seized on Nov. 4, 1979, after the American Embassy in Tehran was overtaken by Islamic students and militants in support of the Iranian Revolution. I remember the counting of days and the intense religious, revolutionary fervor in Iran under leader Khomeini on TV. I recall the mounting frustration to ultimately get 52 Americans out of there. Ribbons honoring the hostages were placed everywhere and yet negotiations failed and the painful hostage crisis continued for 444 days.

I remember all that but what I don’t really recall is the six U.S. diplomats who evaded capture and were hidden by a Canadian immigration official and the Canadian ambassador. Why I don’t remember that part and how they got out of Iran and back home – I don’t know, the rescue itself was a covert operation — but it was a phenomenal feat.

Decades-old declassified CIA materials have enabled this part of the story to come to the silver screen in the film “Argo.” Director and actor Ben Affleck does a great job in re-creating the whole atmosphere of the crisis, from the utter fear and chaos to the complete danger that the U.S. and Canadian personnel were in. Given that the 6 diplomats in Tehran were being hidden by foreign diplomats, it is likely that they would have been tried and executed as spies.

“Argo” is suspenseful and chilling despite knowing the historical outcome of what actually happened. I couldn’t help but think of the U.S. diplomats who were recently killed at the embassy in Libya. The parallels so close together were eerie and disturbing.

With that in mind, it’s utterly amazing how the U.S. and Canada pulled off a far-fetched plan that faked a movie production in Iran to get the hidden U.S. diplomats out of the country. In the movie, Alan Arkin and John Goodman play funny Hollywood filmmakers who help CIA agent Tony Mendez, played by Affleck, put the plan in motion. Affleck plays Mendez as a cool and calm cucumber (he drinks quite a lot but doesn’t seem to sweat). He always gets his people out he tells the diplomats – if they just do as he says. But hell it’s tooth and nail if the plan will go their way.

“Argo’s” fake movie within the movie makes for a suspenseful and entertaining ride. And it’s nearly impossible not to feel patriotic and good about the ending.

Unfortunately all the details in “Argo” aren’t totally ship-shape. Its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival drew ire because apparently Canada didn’t receive its correct due in the film. “Argo” shows the CIA making the rescue plan and getting them out but not the work the Canadians did, beyond harboring them at the risk of their own lives. The Canadian Ambassador at the time Ken Taylor calls the movie “entertaining,” but says the roles the CIA and the Canadians played aren’t accurately proportioned in it. Affleck actually changed the film’s postscript because of Taylor’s views to reflect that it was a collaboration between the CIA and the Canadian Embassy that freed the six hostages in Tehran. But as for the rest of the film, it was already done and left as it was.

Despite this, the collaboration does come through, and we can thank heavens that Canada is such a close ally, whose officials risked their lives for the U.S., and that the plan worked. The film is definitely a thrilling must-see for this fall movie season.

For further reading on the six hostages, go to Robert Wright’s 2010 book “Our Man in Tehran: The Truth Behind the Secret Mission to Save Six Americans During the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Ambassador Who Worked With the CIA to Bring Them Home.”

Posted in Movies | 6 Comments

The Book Thief

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Susan

“I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” — Liesel Meminger

Most will recognize that line and character from Markus Zusak’s 2006 mega-selling, young adult novel “The Book Thief,” which appears to be one of the all-time favorites among book buyers and bloggers. I received it as a gift in 2006 but then it sat collecting dust on a shelf and wound up in storage when I moved. So I’m perhaps one of the last bloggers to read the book, which I picked for my book club to discuss next week.

I’m sure you’re familiar with what it’s about: it describes a young, at first, illiterate girl in Nazi Germany who comes to live with foster parents in a working-class neighborhood outside of Munich and takes to stealing books during the escalation of WWII. She befriends Rudy, a boy who dreams of being the runner Jesse Owens, and Max, a Jewish fist fighter, who her parents take in and let live in their basement, hidden away from the Nazis.

I had heard so much praise about “The Book Thief” but didn’t know what it all entailed until I read it. What surprised me and I felt was unique about this particular WWII story is that:

a) It’s narrated by Death, which could have come across quite morbid, yet Death here is sympathetic to humans and feels bad about taking souls away during such awful wartime

b) It’s about a non-Jewish German family inside the country who isn’t exactly in favor of the Nazis (rarely do you get this perspective)

c) It’s about language and the power of words; how Hitler destroyed people with his words and yet how the girl Liesel tries to steal them back, treasuring the books she takes and her reading of them

d) And lastly, it’s a considerably dark and sad story, as many WWII tales are, but this one surely doesn’t sugarcoat the ending. Only a few characters survive, which is quite bleak, especially perhaps for a novel that’s labeled “young adult.” Maybe young adult books are often killer-bleak yet lighten toward the end, but this one definitely snuffs some lights out just when you’re hoping they’ll make it out okay.

With so many themes and nuances, “The Book Thief” will definitely make for an interesting discussion on book club night. I am glad I finally read it. Liesel Meminger and her family are memorable characters, and the book is visual, unique and at many times powerful. I’m sure it will stay with me for quite a while. The only thing I wasn’t sure of is the book’s narration by Death which at times I grew weary of. I just wanted to cut his part and get on with the story. But including it does offer an eerie, overarching perspective on war. In places, Death’s narration serves up an awful foreshadowing that you wish wouldn’t come true.

Posted in Books | 19 Comments

A Day of Thanks

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Susan

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Yes, today is the day. It’s a bit strange for me, too. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving before Halloween? It doesn’t seem totally natural, but this way I get two Thanksgivings, one now and one at the end of November. So it’s pumpkin pie with double the trouble. To celebrate it, we are going to the mountains and should have a scenic day and a turkey-day feast with friends.

The update on Stella the puppy is: she is growing by the minute and she’s up to all sorts of mischief, including chewing on whatever she can get a hold of. She’s also getting many good walks and enjoys playing, power-napping and meal time. She’s quite a joy and is learning the rules of the house. Speaking of which, apparently, the dog-whisperer Cesar Millan is coming to our town next month for a seminar on dog training (unfortunately no canines are allowed at this), but if it’s anything like his book “How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond” I’m sure it’ll be a helpful resource.

As for other reading, I’m slowly making my way through Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief” and should be done soon. No excuses for my tardiness, other than just life. I’m hoping the best for Liesel Meminger and will see what happens to her at the end of the terrible war.

Meanwhile, we’re flying through Season 2 of “Downton Abbey” on DVD. We’re pretty hooked on the show and are sorry that Season 3 won’t begin till Jan. 6, 2013; is this some kind of crime or what? Instead we’ll have to switch over to Season 3 of “The Walking Dead” to get our zombie fix starting on Oct. 14. Wow won’t miss it!

Until then, enjoy your Sunday activities, football and the MLB playoffs on this lovely day of Thanksgiving, on which I’m grateful for so much.

Posted in Daily Cue | 9 Comments

October Preview

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Susan

Fall is definitely upon us now and October is looking like a great month for new releases. Just check out the books on the right and you’ll see quite a mix of talented authors.

Undoubtedly though Justin Cronin’s “The Twelve” has got to be the most hotly anticipated novel of the month. His Book Two of “The Passage” trilogy is sure to sell like hot cakes after all the acclaim and fanbase that the first book received. So don’t miss it.

Beyond that, good buzz is coming from the likes of James Meek’s new novel “The Heart Broke In,” Jami Attenberg’s “The Middlesteins,” and one I’m quite interested in, Joan Wickersham’s short story collection “The News From Spain.” Not to mention the buzz from Tom Wolfe’s return with his first novel in eight years.

As for October movies, two notable ones are likely to rule from the list at the left. First is Ben Affleck’s “Argo,” which looks to be a gripping thriller about the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. The second “Cloud Atlas” carries some weighty themes where everything is seemingly connected across time and place.

With a budget of $100 million, “Cloud Atlas” is apparently the most expensive independent film ever made. So it will be interesting to see how much it takes in at the box office on opening weekend.

As for October albums, two standouts have caught my eye from the list at the bottom left.

Notably Tift Merritt’s new one “Traveling Alone” is a must-get as well as Beth Orton’s “Sugaring Season,” which is the English singer’s first album in six years.

Moreover, I’m curious to hear Martha Wainwright’s “Come Home to Mama” as well as Iris Dement’s “Sing the Delta,” which is her first album in eight years.

All in all, October is a strong month for artistic releases. These are some of my picks. Which ones are you looking forward to this month?

Posted in Top Picks | 11 Comments

Fall days

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Susan

Happy fall colors! The photo above was taken yesterday while I was out biking. It was a beautiful day as has been most of September.

We’ve had a good week here (my bday week), mainly working on incorporating our new puppy’s schedule with ours. She’s learning quickly, especially on such important things as: potty training 101, how to sleep through the night, and how to be a good doggy in her car crate.

I did finish a book this week for book club (called “Snow Job” by William Deverell) but since it was popular-fiction-fare that I didn’t pick, I didn’t feel the urge to review it. Needless to say, it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.

Instead I’m moving on to reading three on my list: “The Book Thief” by Australian author Markus Zusak (I know I’m the very last blogger to read this!), “The Passage” by Justin Cronin (I’m excited he’s releasing the second in the trilogy soon), and “Sweet Tooth” by Ian McEwan, whose novels I usually really like. So I need to rev up my reading over the next few weeks.

In movie news, I saw the Norwegian thriller “Headhunters” adapted from the book by Jo Nesbo. It’s in Norwegian with English subtitles but is easy to follow, and has a wild chase and twists. It’s about a job headhunter who steals paintings on the side in order to shower his wife with a lavish lifestyle. But when he tries to steal a valuable painting from a former mercenary all hell breaks loose. I’m sure he wishes he never got involved in that heist. I’ve never read Jo Nesbo’s books but obviously they must be fast-moving page-turners. This film captured my attention all right but turns pretty violent and contains a scene with an outhouse that you won’t soon forget. If you like thrillers, you might like it.

How was your week? And have you read the books mentioned above?

Posted in Books, Movies | 9 Comments

Puppy Love

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Susan

We received a new addition to the family this week! She’s a 10-week-old yellow Lab, tentatively named Stella. She’s already a great joy to the household, so now we are just working on potty training 101 and getting her to sleep through the night. She is a quick learner so things are looking promising. Here she is below catching some zzzz’s.

In book news, I’m just reading a crime/thriller fiction novel called “Snow Job” by William Deverell for my book club on Tuesday. It’s a bit of a spoof on Canadian politics, involving an incident in Central Asia that leads the country to the brink. With colorful characters, it’s sort of just fun. More on it later. But so far, there’s nothing too deep book-wise this week as we have our hands full here at the moment.

What does your reading week look like?

Posted in Daily Cue | 12 Comments

The Wettest County in the World

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Susan

I’ve been up to my ears in moonshine so to speak. I just finished Matt Bondurant’s 2008 historical novel “The Wettest County in the World” about the bootlegging that went on in Franklin County Virginia during Prohibition and then I saw the new movie adapted from it called “Lawless.”

Although the movie is decent, the book, as usual, is far superior. It’s a story about three brothers (actually the author’s own grandfather and great-uncles) who illegally ran moonshine stills and distributed “white lightning” under the cover of their filling station. It was apart of the ’20s and early ’30s when moonshine activity exploded in the poor Virginia county amid the Blue Ridge foothills. “The Bondurant Boys,” as they were known, were like many of the residents there involved in the illegal liquor trade. The Bondurants came up against law officers who covertly demanded their cut of the bootlegging profits. What happened in real life was a bloody showdown.

“Wettest County” is a novel based on that true story, which the author pieced together from news articles and filled in the gaps with his imagination. His grandfather never talked about his moonshine involvement other than to confirm he had once been shot. The rest the author dug up and turned into a vivid and resonant account.

The descriptions and atmosphere are right out of Prohibition- and Depression-era times. It’s direct and often violent, comparable to some of Cormac McCarthy’s writings but perhaps with more hope and less darkness. The brothers overcome various harsh realities, including the early loss of their mother and two sisters in the flu epidemic, and the night the head brother, Forrest, is left for dead with his throat cut open by two rival goons.

The story is exceptional and well written, but the novel isn’t totally easy. Most of it’s from Jack, the youngest brother’s point of view, but one thread conjures Sherwood Anderson, the author, who covered the resulting bootlegging trial. It jumps in time back and forth from 1935 to earlier. It gets a bit confusing or distracting a few times and I lost some steam in my reading about half way through, wishing parts might be a bit shorter. But still I took away from it an interesting dose of moonshine history and a story forever etched in my memory. I’d be interested to check out Matt Bondurant’s latest novel “The Night Swimmer” as he seems quite a writer to watch.

As for the movie “Lawless,” prepare yourself for some uncomfortable violence. For me, the screenplay was missing some of the essence of the novel. It’s too bad because the cast is quite good, albeit the foothill dialect meandered a bit. It’s still pretty decent and might not be too far off from other such attempts at novels like “All the Pretty Horses” or “Cold Mountain” that were moved to the silver screen. Lyrical books are just hard to match in movieland.

Posted in Books | 4 Comments

September Preview

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Susan

September brings many veteran, big-name authors back to the forefront with new material. Check out the list on the right. It’s loaded!

Of course, as much as anyone I’m curious to see if J.K. Rowling’s first novel away from the Harry Potter series will be good. “The Casual Vacancy” at the end of the month is more than just a little hotly anticipated. I’m also looking forward to Salman Rushdie’s memoir “Joseph Anton” a bit, which should be interesting. He’s always got plenty to say, just look at his tweets. Moreover, this month sees the release of a few debut novels that are drawing high praise.

I’ve got my eye on Kevin Powers’s Iraq war novel “The Yellow Birds,” which I’ve read such good things about.

In other book news, it’s a good thing I’m now in Canada because Ian McEwan’s new novel “Sweet Tooth” is available in this country now but won’t come out in the U.S. until Nov. 13. So I definitely feel lucky to snap up an “early” copy by the master British storyteller.

For new albums in September, the list, below at bottom left, is also very strong. I think it’s got a musician on it for almost everyone. I’m curious about Cat Power’s new one as well as the new albums by Dave Matthews, Band of Horses and Mumford & Sons.

I’m also zeroed in on the singer-songwriter kind of stuff, and the new ones by Aimee Mann and Ryan Bingham should be great. Particularly I can’t wait for Mann’s new album “Charmer” to be released.

As for movies in September (see list at top left), I was a bit surprised that it seemed rather light or weak, not typical of fall movie viewing. You can see Clint Eastwood’s baseball movie “Trouble With the Curve” if you want, or perhaps his “empty chair” act at the GOP convention was enough for you. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis star in a school-reform drama at the end of the month that might be kind of good. But not too much else caught my fancy. Maybe the French WWII film, “War of the Buttons” might be the ticket, or else Richard Gere’s thriller “Arbitrage.”

These are some of my picks; what new releases are you looking forward to?

Posted in Top Picks | 15 Comments