The Reel Corner

BLUE VALENTINE
Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling
Directed by Derek Ciafrance
Rated R
Blue Valentine, appropriately named, is the dark story of romance. Never exposed to good examples of marriage and in the midst of ending a relationship with an aggressive jock, Cindy (Michelle Williams) meets Dean (Ryan Gosling), a nice guy, though lacking in ambition. He's sweet, thoughtful and gentle.
If it weren't for the incredible performances of Ryan Gosling and Michele Williams I'd call this film just another Sundance film about dysfunctional relationships. But their combined work on this film showed unusual depth and power - it's worth the ticket. A contemporary tale of a marriage on the rocks, the film style charts the marriage and how it evolves over a span of years, cross-cutting between time periods. This technique is a unique way to visually compare how happy the couple seemed at first, and what their marriage evolved into. (Rated R for explicit sex scenes) (2 stars)

MADE IN DAGENHAM
Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson, Bob Hoskins
Directed by Nigel Cole
Rated R
Strong women need support of their men. I'm not talking about female corporate executives, but the nurses, mill and factory workers. You never know when a woman may be responsible for changing history.
When I was working my first job back in the 1970s, I wore a button that read 59 cents. At that time in the US, women were making 59 cents to every dollar a man was making, doing the same job. Pay equality was unheard of in the 1960s. Made in Dagenham, based on a true story, took place in the 1960s in England at a FORD car company factory, where upholstered seats for automobiles were made. The factory hired women for this department. They sat in crowded workrooms, sewing without patterns, making these seat covers from odd piece goods of fabric. The working conditions were tough. One of the workers, Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins), a timid wife and mother, worked there to assist her husband's income. One day, she was coerced to attend her first union meeting, and there, she found her own voice. She took a stand for what was right, and in doing so found her inner strength. Against all odds, she and the other factory seamstresses stayed true to their commitments, and eventually were responsible for changing a system of pay inequality in England that no one knew was broken.
It became the standard employment salary policy that is used as a model today.  If you wait until the credits, you'll see a clip of the real Mrs. O'Grady and some of her friends. (3 stars)

NORMA RAE (1979)
Sally Field, Beau Bridges
Directed by Martin Ritt
Rated PG
After I saw Made in Dagenham, I went back and viewed Norma Rae on Netflix. Unforgettable, Norma Rae (Sally Field), a southern millworker, with the assistance of a New York union organizer, developed the courage and determination to organize fellow factory workers to fight for better conditions and wages. It's a recommended re-view, as this film will make you proud that, from the courage of a few women, we stand as equal partners to our men colleagues today. (4 stars)

Don't forget to catch
Coligny Theater's Movie Speak
this month, Sunday, March 13th @ 1 p.m. with Bonnie Strongin. Film: Shawshank Redemption


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Margie's Music Mix

March Mix 2011 

A Celebration: Grammy Winners & Nominees

1. Forget You - Cee Lo Green
2. Tightrope - Janelle Monae (feat. Big Boi)
3. Howlin' for You - Black Keys
4. I Put a Spell on You - Jeff Beck (feat. Joss Stone)
5. You Are Not Alone - Mavis Staples
6. Beg Steal Or Borrow - Ray LaMontaigne and the Pariah Dogs
7. Half of My Heart - John Mayer (with Taylor Swift)
8. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
9. The Only Exception - Paramore
10. Love the Way You Lie - Eminem  (feat. Rihanna)
11. Nothin' on You - B. o. B. (feat. Bruno Mars)
12. OMG - Usher (feat. will. i. am)
13. California Gurls - Katy Perry (feat. Snoop Dogg)
14. Telephone - Lady Gaga
15. Hey Soul Sister (live) - Train
16. Misery - Maroon 5
17. Ready to Start - Arcade Fire
18. New Fang - Them Crooked Vultures
19. Babyfather - Sade
20. Don't Stop Believin' (regionals version) - Glee Cast

Hi music lovers!  This month, I decided to celebrate this past year's Grammy winners and nominees. I've included some of my favorites - Mavis Staples, Jeff Beck, Janelle Monae, Black Keys, Ray Montaigne, John Mayer and Arcade Fire - maybe a few that you aren't so familiar with, but that I highly recommend. In addition, I included some of the talented megastars, that I'm sure you know and love, to round out this month's "Margie's Music Mix".  Hope you enjoy