Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES II, III & IV • December 9, 2009
‘The Road’
(continued from Entertainment page) retain his sanity and continue to protect his child. Since there is little hope in terms of rescue or relief from the ongoing fear of starvation, protecting The Boy has become The Man’s sole driving force. Mortensen has the tough task of carrying the weight of this heavy movie and stirring up viewer empathy. He communicates despair and utter sadness mostly through facial expressions. He hides these looks from his son so The Boy can retain whatever hope he has that things will get better if they keep moving. Smit-McPhee is a sweet-looking kid and one definitely feels for him as he is forced to face dark realities that no child should have to endure. He displays a maturity and understanding that are distilled into his question, “Are we the good guys?” When his father reassures him that, indeed, they are the good guys, he seems content and forges onward like a good soldier. Smit-McPhee’s perfor-
mance is extremely natural and convincing. The screenplay by Joe Penhall has its gripping moments, but they are too few and far between. Like the road of the title, the movie meanders to an anticlimactic ending. The most successful aspect of “The Road” is its look. Director Hillcoat and director of photography Javier Aguirresarobe have created a grim, dull palette of dark hues without a trace of bright color except in the flashbacks. Some individual shots look like paintings, with rusted car wrecks piled at the entrance of a long-abandoned traffic tunnel, the remnants of happier times strewn about beside the road, or a Norman Rockwell-type farmhouse hiding vile horrors beneath its floorboards. Atmosphere is vital to “The Road,” and the care the filmmakers have taken to create and sustain it contribute immeasurably to the somber, gloomy feeling the movie evokes. Rated R for violence and disturbing images, “The Road,” at close to two hours, is far too long and eventually runs out of steam, leaving the viewer wondering when the film and the journey of The Man and The Boy will end. The payoff does not justify the trip. Bonus features include inside stories about the show from cast and crew; a featurette on how the producers, writers, and cast sorted out the survivors’ leaps through time; and “Mysteries of the Dharma Initiative,” the recently unearthed exposé questioning the truth of the Dharma Initiative. “Johnny Mercer: The Dream’s on Me” (Warner Home Video) is a two-disc DVD celebrating the 100th anniversary of the songwriter’s birth. Mercer worked with 170 collaborators, including Richard Whiting (“Hooray for Hollywood”), Harry Warren (“Jeepers Creepers”), Hoagy Carmichael (“Skylark”), Jerome Kern (“I’m Old Fashioned”), Harold Arlen (“Blues in the Night”), and Henry Mancini (“Moon River”). In addition to writing memorable lyrics, Mercer co-founded Capitol Records in 1942, attracting such prestigious artists as Jo Stafford, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Stan Kenton, and Paul Whiteman. There are archival movie and television clips of Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, Fred Astaire, Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Tony Bennett, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, and Frank Sinatra performing Mercer’s tunes, and new performances by Audra McDonald, Michael Feinstein, and Jamie Cullum. This DVD is a superb portrait of one of the primary authors of the American Popular Songbook, filled with the songs that assured him a thriving career well into the era of rock and roll.
(continued from Restaurant page) It’s a gamble to make a film’s central characters bad guys, but this film deals with degrees of evil. Viewers know the scheme is vicious and foolhardy considering the potential consequences, but director Moreno sustains suspense in this sharp-edged thriller. The Widescreen film is in Spanish with English subtitles. There are no extras. “Lost: The Complete Fifth Season” (Walt Disney Home Entertainment), available in Blu-ray and DVD, is a five-disc set of the season that finally addressed some long-unanswered questions. Viewers got more of a sense of what is going on with the island, its inhabitants, and its visitors. Season Five begins as the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 are splitting into two groups. The Oceanic Six have returned to the real world, but Jack and Ben are determined to lead them back to the island. The rest -- back on the island -- have become unstuck in time. They move back and forth through time: a day, a week, a century. When the Oceanic Six return, they find themselves stranded in a different time. The show’s trademark twists and surprises pop up along the way. The pace is crisp and avoids the dragging quality of Season Three.
DVDs
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 This week you’ll likely lose yourself in your work, Aries. It is a peak time for ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 presentations or discussions. The work This week you’ll likely lose yourself in will be interesting and will put you in a your work, Aries. It is a peak time for positive light for supervisors. presentations or discussions. The work will be interesting and will put you in a TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 positive light for supervisors. You’ll fail to take the advice of a close associate whose word you TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 trust. It’ll put rift between this person a close You’llafail to take the advice of and yourself, Taurus. It could be trust. It’ll associate whose word you the end of a friendship. put a rift between this person and yourself, Taurus. It could be the end of a GEMINI friendship. - May 22/Jun 21 Keep an eye on your finances this week, - May Now’s not GEMINIGemini.22/Jun 21 the time to make eye on your finances this Keep anfrivolous expenditures. Doublecheck your money not the time to week, Gemini. Now’ssituation each time you take out expenditures. make frivolous your wallet. Doublecheck your money situation each time CANCER - Jun 22/Jul you take out your wallet. 22 This will be a thought-provoking week CANCER -Cancer. You’ll finally make for you, Jun 22/Jul 22 This will be a thought-provoking weekfor decisions you’ve been putting off forsome time now. Spend much time you, Cancer. You’ll finally make decisions you’ve been putting off for alone for reflection. some time now. Spend much time alone for reflection. 23 LEO - Jul 23/Aug A high-level executive has formed a LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23of you, Leo. This favorable opinion A will work executive advantage come high-level to your has formed a favorable opinion of you, Leo. and the year-end performance reviews This will work to for a salary increase. opportunity your advantage come year-end performance reviews and the opportunity-for a salary increase. VIRGO Aug 24/Sept 22 Think about your financial future, VirVIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 go. Stop spending at every whim and Think about your financial future, Virsock away some savings for a rainy go. Stop spending at every whim and day. Make a firm budget plan for next sock away some savings for a rainy year. day. Make a firm budget plan for next year. LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Everyone around you LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 seems off-center, Libra, but you a rock of stabilEveryone aroundyou’reseems off-cenity. Expect you’re a lean on you ter, Libra, but others to rock of stabil-for support others to to come. You’ll ity. Expectin the days lean on you for be charming and magnetic. support in the days to come. You’ll be charming and magnetic. SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 You will Oct 24/Nov 22 SCORPIO - be calm and focused this week, be calm put these traits You will Scorpio, soand focused this to good use by completing a work project week, Scorpio, so put these traits to or use by out an associate with a trougood helpingcompleting a work project or bling situation.associate with a trouhelping out an bling situation. SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 this You’re confident and articulate You’re confident and articulate this week, Sagittarius. This is especially week, Sagittarius. This isbe the center advantageous if you’ll especially advantageous during a birthday center of attention if you’ll be the celebraof tion. attention during a birthday celebration. CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 CAPRICORNwill be22/Jan 20 by time This week - Dec marked This week will be marked by time spent with friends and family, Capspent with friends and family, Capricorn. Put other social engagements ricorn. Put other social engagements aside, and spend precious moments aside, and ones you love. with the spend precious moments with the ones you love.
Answer to Last Week’s Puzzle Answer to Last Week’s Puzzle
AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Try to wrap up important work early Try to wrap up important work early in the week, because a situation will in the week, because a situation will make you utterly ineffective at getting make you utterly ineffective at getting things done afterward. Mercury retthings done afterward. Mercury in in retrograde plays a role. rograde plays a role. PISCES - Feb 19/Mar20 PISCES - Feb 19/Mar20 This will a a creative week you This will be be creative week forfor you and a chance let your artisitic side and a chance to to let your artisitic side shine, Pisces. Enjoy the respite from shine, Pisces. Enjoy the respite from more uniform work. more uniform work.