January 27, 2009
New Books – Fiction
Cruel Intent – J.A. Jance
As if remodeling an old mansion near picturesque Sedona, Ariz., isn't stress enough for Ali Reynolds, the plucky former TV newscaster must also deal with cybernetic lonely hearts, frustrated lust and murder in bestseller Jance's uneven fourth Ali Reynolds thriller (after Hand of Evil). – Publishers Weekly
The Private Patient – P.D. James
In James's stellar 14th Adam Dalgliesh mystery (after 2006's The Lighthouse), the charismatic police commander knows the case of Rhoda Gradwyn, a 47-year-old journalist murdered soon after undergoing the removal of an old disfiguring scar at a private plastic surgery clinic in Dorset, may be his last; James's readers will fervently hope it isn't. Dalgliesh probes the convoluted tangle of motives and hidden desires that swirl around the clinic, Cheverell Manor, and its grimly fascinating suspects in the death of Gradwyn, herself a stalker of minds driven by her lifelong passion for rooting out the truth people would prefer left unknown and then selling it for money. – Publishers Weekly
The Girl of His Dreams – Donna Leon
Reading The Girl of His Dreams leaves you no choice but to reconsider what makes a mystery novel so good. Certainly there's no denying the appeal of a hard-boiled crime story, where more often than not a brilliant yet battered P.I. drives you white-knuckled to the edge of your seat, but Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti--at once exactingly inquisitive and disarmingly sensitive--bucks that genre convention entirely. Here, in Leon's seventeenth Brunetti mystery is a man who investigates the tragic drowning of a young Gypsy girl relentlessly, yet--in his thoughtful meanderings through the streets and cafes of Venice--also struggles to understand the human warps and weaknesses that make his beloved city so vulnerable. In the end, it's this pure love and curiosity for life (and, I admit, his lusty appreciation of daily luxuries like prosecco, good coffee, or a burst of sunshine) that make Brunetti such a seductive hero--so much so that you're willing to follow him wherever he goes. --Anne Bartholomew
Arctic Drift – Clive Cussler and Dirk Cassler
In his new novel, however—the twentieth Dirk Pitt adventure— Cussler may have topped even himself. A potential breakthrough discovery to reverse global warming . . . a series of unexplained sudden deaths in British Columbia . . . a rash of international incidents between the United States and one of its closest allies that threatens to erupt into an actual shooting war . . . NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his children, Dirk. Jr. and Summer, have reason to believe there’s a connection here somewhere, but they also know they have very little time to find it before events escalate out of control. Their only real clue might just be a mysterious silvery mineral traced to a long-ago expedition in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. But no one survived from that doomed mission, captain and crew perished to a man—and if Pitt and his colleague Al Giordino aren’t careful, the very same fate may await them.
Eclipse – Richard North Patterson
This stellar legal thriller both informs and entertains… Patterson has exerted all his considerable skill in creating a nightmare atmosphere that will cling to readers long after the last page is turned.—Publishers Weekly
New Books – Non-Fiction
Right is Wrong – Adrianna Huffington
Huffington has demonstrated a gladiatorial appetite for verbal combat. Her assessments of Bill Frist, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, campaign finance, the drug war, the war in Iraq—even at a time when questioning the war against terrorism wasn’t popular—have been unflinching.”
—The New Yorker
The Revolution: A Manifesto – Ron Paul
Congressman, Republican Presidential candidate and author Paul (A Foreign Policy of Freedom) says "Let the revolution begin" with this libertarian plea for a return to "the principles of our Founding Fathers: liberty, self-government, the Constitution, and a noninterventionist foreign policy." Specific examples demonstrate how far U.S. law has strayed from this path, particularly over the past century, as well as Paul's firm grasp of history and dedication to meaningful debate: "it is revolutionary to ask whether we need troops in 130 countries... whether the accumulation of more and more power in Washington has been good for us...to ask fundamental questions about privacy, police-state measures, taxation, social policy." Though he can rant, Paul is informative and impassioned, giving readers of any political bent food for thought.
The Life of the Skies: Birding at the End of Nature – Jonathan Rosen
In this eloquent book, Rosen—a novelist and editorial director of Nextbook, which promotes Jewish culture and literature—meditates on the fact that technology enables us to preserve wildlife and at the same time contributes to its demise. He laments that no sooner had he discovered bird-watching than he realized that nature has become a diminished thing, as Robert Frost put it in his poem The Oven Bird. Everywhere he looks—from a Louisiana swamp to the Israeli desert—he finds a paradox: we are attempting to preserve nature at the same time that we are destroying it. Cars, trains and planes, Rosen writes, have enabled us to find the birds of America for ourselves, even as these inventions have contributed to the fragmentation that endangers them. – Publishers Weekly
Tom Cruise, An Unauthorized Biography – Andrew Morton
“Morton digs deep for the real Tom Cruise.”—Cindy Adams, The New York Post
Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt – H.W. Brands
Brands penetrates the clenched grin of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a masterful biography of one of America's most beloved leaders.
The American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House – Jon Meacham
“What passes for political drama today pales in the reading of Jon Meacham’s vividly-told story of our seventh president. The rip-roaring two-fisted man of the people, duelist, passionate lover, gambler and war hero, was also a prime creator of the presidency as the fulcrum of executive power to defend democracy…Meacham argues that Jackson should be in the pantheon with Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln for this and for his role in preserving the Union and rescuing democracy from elitism. He makes the historian’s case with wit and scholarship but Meacham also has the novelist’s art of enthralling the general reader much as David McCullough did for the lesser figure of John Adams. Reading “American Lion” one is no longer able to look on the gaunt, craggy face on the $20 bill without hearing the tumult of America in the making.” -Tina Brown
January 13, 2009
DVDs Just Added to the Collection
Into The Arms of Strangers - Stories of The Kindertransport - Judi Dench, Alexander Gordon, Lorraine Allard, and Lory Cahn
This Academy Award®-winning documentary (produced with the cooperation of the United States Holocaust Museum) chronicles one of the lesser-known stories of the Holocaust: that of the kindertransport, which saved the lives of 10,000 Jewish children. In the late 1930s, England agreed to accept these children seeking refuge from Nazi oppression. They were placed in foster homes and hostels. Narrated by Dame Judi Dench and directed by Mark Jonathan Harris (who received an Oscar® for his 1997 Holocaust documentary The Long Way Home), this devastating and deeply moving film bears witness to the kindness of these "simply wonderful people" and to the resilience of the kinder, now elderly, who recall in haunting stories the unimaginable grief of being suddenly torn from their parents, the trauma of not knowing whether they would ever see them again, and the difficulties some faced in their new homes. – Donald Lie
Pleasantville - Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen, and Reese Witherspoon
Life imitates art when two modern-day teenagers get sucked into the too-perfect black-and-white world of a 1950s sitcom. Trapped and trying to find a way home the two find themselves bringing color to the lives of Pleasantville’s rigid naive townspeople.
Blame It On Rio - Michael Caine, Michelle Johnson, Demi Moore, and Joseph Bologna
Welcome to the most exciting and sensual city in the world Rio de Janeiro! The "ultimate naughtiness" (Vogue) of Brazil's hottest town is captured in this "wild and wacky, zany screwball romantic comedy" (Los Angeles) with a red-hot cast that includes Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules), Joseph Bologna (Big Daddy), Michelle Johnson (The Glimmer Man) and Demi Moore (Ghost).Upon arriving in exotic Rio, longtime friends Matthew (Caine) and Victor (Bologna) and their teenage daughters (Moore & Johnson) barely unpack before this infamous pleasure spot begins to cast its torrid spell. Matthew quickly succumbs to Cupid's arrow, but when guilt gets the better of this married man, he vows to end the affair and keep it a secret even from Victor. But as his white lies grow, so does his libido and Matthew continues his indiscretions until his wife shows up!
The Great Escape - Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, and Charles Bronson
In 1943, the Germans opened Stalag Luft North, a maximum-security prisoner-of-war camp, designed to hold even the craftiest escape artists. In doing so, however, the Nazis unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history brilliantly portrayed here by Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson and James Coburn who worked on what became the largest prison breakout ever attempted. One of the most ingenious and suspenseful adventure films of all time, The Great Escape is a masterful collaboration between director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven), screenwriters James Clavell (Shogun) and W.R. Burnett (Little Caesar), and composer Elmer Bernstein. Based on a true story, The Great Escape is epic entertainment that "entertains, captivates, thrills and stirs" (Variety)
Bend It Like Beckham - Imran Ali, Ameet Chana, Saraj Chaudhry, and Trey Farley
Sometimes, to follow your dreams you've got to bend the rules! Audiences and critics alike are cheering wildly for this "exhilarating, terrific comedy" (Entertainment Weekly) about a young girl who is torn between adhering to family traditions and attaining super-stardom on the soccer field. Hailed as the year's must-see crowd pleaser, it “makes you feel good and laugh out loud “(Chicago Sun-Times,” Bend It Like Beckham scores! (Time Magazine)
The Commitments - Michael Aherne, Robert Arkins, Angeline Ball, and Gerard Cassoni
An irresistible, comic drama from director Alan Parker (Evita, Mississippi Burning), overflowing and alive with passion, humor, and music, The Commitments showcases some old R&B standards in a new light. A headstrong, fast-talking, ambitious young Dubliner (Robert Arkins) fancies himself a promoter of talent, and sets about assembling and packaging a local Irish R&B band. His group of self-absorbed, backbiting, but stunningly talented individuals begins to succeed beyond his wildest dreams, until petty jealousies and recrimination threaten to scuttle the whole deal. A moody, vivid, and soulful exploration of the Dublin club scene as well as a showcase for some wonderful unknown actors, the film (and its wonderful soundtrack) also features the actual band covering classic soul tunes from the likes of Otis Redding and Sam and Dave. It's that combination of soul and soul music that makes The Commitments a special little film. --Robert Lane
No Way Out - Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young, and Will Patton
This implausible, but effective 1987 film stars Kevin Costner (Bull Durham, Wyatt Earp) as a naval officer and CIA agent who may not be what he seems. This sexy thriller is an espionage mystery and an enigmatic character study of two men trying to be faithful to the loyalties they hold. – Robert Lane
The Bride Wore Black - Jeanne Moreau, Michel Bouquet, Jean-Claude Brialy, and Charles Denner
François Truffaut's 1968 thriller was an attempt to reconcile the exclusive experience of the Hitchcockian hero with the expansiveness of Jean Renoir's view of flawed humanity. Jeanne Moreau stars as a newlywed whose husband is shot dead on the church steps following their wedding. The story then follows her systematic and relentless efforts to track down the men who were involved in the killing, murdering each one with a creative efficiency that Truffaut does not mean for us to take too seriously. The film's real point is the interesting tension between the audience's growing knowledge about and sympathy toward the guilty fellows, who really are rather ordinary people, and the narrative hook concerning the heroine's reinvention into a figure of insulated emotion and revenge. – Tom Keogh
Mississippi Mermaid - Jean-Paul Belmondo, Catherine Deneuve, Nelly Borgeaud, and Martine Ferrièr
This enthralling, erotic tale of a young millionaire and his mysterious bride is "bewitching" (The New York Times), "exciting and beautiful" (Time). Written and directed by legendary cinematic genius François Truffaut (Jules and Jim) and featuring European superstars Catherine Deneuve (Indochine) and Jean-Paul Belmondo (Les Miserables), Mississippi Mermaid is nothing less than "breathtaking" (Newsweek)! Beauty is by no means rare on the lush, tropical Isle de Reunion. Yet when island resident and tobacco tycoon Louis Mahe (Belmondo) first meets Julie Rouselle (Deneuve) his mail-order fiancé(c) he’s completely enraptured by her radiance. But it soon becomes clear that Julie is hiding a dark secret. And when she disappears without a trace, Louis vows to stop at nothing to find her resolution that lures him into a tangled web of relentless obsession, uncontrollable passion, and ultimately cold-blooded murder!
The Passion of Anna - Bibi Andersson, Britta Brunius, Lars-Owe Carlberg, and Malin Ek
'the art of Ingmar Bergman reaches its pinnacle (Life) in this penetrating portrait of four lost souls seeking solace in one another, even as their lives are torn apart by deception, isolation and psychological turmoil. On a windswept, barren island, Andreas (Max von Sydow) lives simply and quietly until he becomes entangled with Anna (Liv Ullmann), a beautiful, mysterious widow, and a neighboring couple (Bibi Andersson, Erland Josephson) harboring their own sorrows and illusions. But soon, secrets from Andreas and Anna's pasts threaten to shatter not only their desperate attempt at love but their tenuous hold on reality as well.
Town Without Pity - Kirk Douglas, Barbara Rütting, Christine Kaufmann, and E.G. Marshall
Three-time Oscar nominee Kirk Douglas is downright brilliant (The New Yorker) in this honest and gripping drama about a sleepy, occupied German town suddenly shocked awake by the brutal actions of four American soldiers. As timely today as it was shocking upon its release, Town Without Pity is an excellent production of the decade's finest jobs of filmmaking (Limelight) and will keep you on the edge of your seat! Attorney Steve Garrett (Douglas) is brought in to defend four enlisted men accused of attacking a 16-year-old girl. But if he's going to prevent their death sentences, he will have to turn the spotlight on the victim, Karin. Already immeasurably traumatized, Karin suddenly finds herself on the witness stand, attempting to justify her actions to Garrett, her stern father and a Town Without Pity.
The Decameron - Vincenzo Amato, Salvatore Bilardo, Mirella Catanesi, and Franco Citti
Legendary Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini delivers nine exuberant tales in this "earthy, genuinely ribald and spicy" (Variety) film. Based on Boccaccio's timeless classic and the first in Pasolini's Trilogy of Life series - The Decameron is an uproariously "irreverent romp" (Variety) that's "positively jubilant in its naughtiness" (Films and Filming)! Lusty nuns who perform sexual "miracles," a cheating wife with a head for business, a dying con artist attempting a heavenly swindle, young lovers caught with their pants down, a servant who loses his head for love and a gullible farmer who tries to turn his wife into a mare. These are just some of the stories Pasolini vividly brings to life!
Pauline at the Beach - Amanda Langlet, Arielle Dombasle, Pascal Greggory, and Féodor Atkine
Come take a leisurely, relaxing trip to the sun-soaked, sandy beaches of Brittany in this bewitchingly funny yet profoundly wise comedy (Vogue) from acclaimed French writer/director Eric Rohmer. Winner (1983) for Best Direction at the Berlin Film Festival, Pauline at the Beach is delightful a film of summer sunlight, bare skin and escalating amorous misunderstandings (Newsweek). Young and beautiful Pauline is spending the end of the summer with her older and sexually alluring cousin Marion on the stunning Atlantic coast of France. And it isn't long before three eligible men attempt to entice them both into romance. But head games, deceit and lies soon interfere with the amorous mood, threatening to spoil this idyllic playground and Pauline's innocent views of love.
Flight of the Innocent - Manuel Colao, Federico Pacifici, Sal Borgese, and Lucio Zagaria
In his acclaimed feature debut, Italian writer/director Carlo Carlei (Fluke) creates a "breathtakingly visual...gutsy, exciting adventure" (Variety) that combines the artistic sensibilities of European films with the explosive power of a fast-paced Hollywood thriller. Flight of the Innocent "grabs you early on and never lets up! Don't miss it" (HBO)! The gentle son of a brutal kidnapper, ten-year-old Vito (Manuel Colao) witnesses the massacre of his family by a rival gang and narrowly escapes into the Italian countryside. Relentlessly pursued by the killers and the police, he begins a terrifying life on the run, determined to outwit his followers, find a new, honorable and caring family for himself and end his family's lineage of crime.
Man of La Mancha - Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren, James Coco, and Harry Andrews
Jailed during the Spanish Inquisition for offending the church, author Miguel de Cervantes (O'toole) is forced to act out one of his manuscripts for the entertainment of fellow inmates. Cervantes delivers a rapturous performance as the legendary Don Quixote, the chivalrous knight whose choice to see life as it should be, not as it is, takes him into battles with an imaginary foe and into romance with the beautiful Dulcinea (Loren).
Osama - Marina Golbahari, Mohamad Nader Khadjeh, and Zubaida Sahar (Arabic with English subtitles)
Inspired by a true story, this Golden Globe(r)-winning* drama is the first film made in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. Hailed by critics as 'stunning (Entertainment Weekly), breathtaking (Slant) and 'emotionally charged (Screen International), Osama is a striking work of cinematic art (L.A. Weekly). After the brutal Taliban regime bans women from working and forbids them to leave their homes without a male escort, a 12-year old girl and her mother find themselves on the brink of starvation. With nowhere left to turn, the mother disguises her daughter as a boy. Now called Osama, the young girl embarks on a terrifying and confusing journey as she tries to keep the Taliban from discovering her true identity. *2003: Foreign Language Film