It seems odd that the poster of Midnight in Paris, a seemingly postmodernist film which glorifies cubist and surrealist art movements, features a photograph of Owen Wilson walking along the Seine River which dissolves into an impressionist painting. Perhaps it is meant as a nod towards the inner conflict experienced by protagonist Gil Pender, a victim of a contradiction in that he is engaged to a woman that he increasingly cannot tolerate. Initially Pender alleviates his anxiety by falling in love with the City of Lights and allowing his mind to escape to a time period which suits him better …
Mystic River
Mystic River is a study in contrasts: the divergence of adulthood from childhood, the distrust between society’s instruments and its constituents, the clash between those who are law abiding and those willing to take it into their own hands. Over the course of two hours, director Clint Eastwood delicately establishes parallels between conflicting groups and how they conspire to cheat people of a positive outcome, or even a fair one. Fate is cruel and does not explain its reasoning but everyone must abide by its consequnces. Jimmy, Sean and Dave are best friends until one day when they are eleven-years …
Bob Hurley
There are three high school coaches in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: Morgan Wootten of DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Maryland), Bertha Teague of Byng High School (Ada, Oklahoma), and Bobby Hurley of St. Anthony’s High School (Jersey City, New Jersey). Hurley was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. In all, there are eighty-two coaches in the Hall (in addition to Pete Newell, Clair Bee, and Teague who are listed as contributors for unknown reasons). Hurley – who has been the subject of a book in 2008 (The Miracle of St. Anthony by Adrian Wojnarowski) and a 2010 …
Super 8
J.J. Abrams (the writer) – like Gene Roddenberry and Stanley Kubrick – uses the science fiction genre as a medium to showcase how humans can better understand each other and their emotions. The trailer for Super 8 features a spectacular train wreck and although that scene is the most violent of the entire film, it is more harmless and generic than it is spectacular. The extra-terrestrial on the loose in the small Ohio town is a textbook example of a MacGuffin and although its true nature is slowly revealed throughout the film, it still receives far too much camera time. Like …
Hooray for Dallas (and Basketball in General)!
Any basketball coach would appreciate the recent victory by the Dallas Mavericks in the Association Finals — unless they were a member of the Miami Heat coaching staff. A coach would not mind if the Super-Friends trio of Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade won a title after overcoming some adversity that required them to improve themselves but nobody wants to see three players claim a crown without earning it, due to self-entitlement that has developed over years of acting like a person of significance without actually achieving any significant deeds. So it was a pleasant sight to watch …
The Tree of Life
Existentialism on film is a risky proposition: while the theme can be incorporated throughout different types of scenes, it is challenging to construct a conclusion that does not ring hollow. Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life debates the meaning of life well, combining a unique method of storytelling with stunning visuals, but wanders slightly into the realm of cliché as it reaches its climax. Juxtaposing concrete scenes of life with abstract visions of creation, real-life moments and natural metaphors, Malick captures the attention of the audience without overwhelming them. On one hand, life is precious and fleeting but on the …
Capote
Capote chronicles the life of author Truman Capote as he chronicles the murders in Holcomb, Kansas which would become the basis for his book In Cold Blood. The quadruple-homicide may have permanently damaged the innocence of the country as the task of researching and writing the book harmed the conscience of the author. The Kansas scenery comes to life, albeit in the drab colours of winter. Instead of a stark conflict between good and bad, black and white, there are many varied interests at play. The contrast between the values of the upstanding citizens of Holcomb and those of Perry …
In Cold Blood
Unlike the film Gangs of New York, which adapted a spell-binding text and rendered it into conventional Hollywood tripe, In Cold Blood enhances the true crime novel by Truman Capote and brings it to life on the silver screen. The events which permanently altered life in tiny Holcomb, Kansas – and perhaps throughout all small towns in the United States – have been the subject of a true crime novel by Truman Capote, a documentary, television movie and the first widely-distributed American film to use profanity. Capote devoted six years to the project, compiling records and minutiae in order to …
Shaq: The Big Retrospective
Sport fans and the public at large will remember Shaquille O’Neal because of how he combined athleticism, skill, and charisma on and off the court. From his first season in 1992 until his seventeenth in 2009, the Big Cactus remained an impact player in the Association. Sustaining his place atop the pyramid of post players required the Big Aristotle to develop his game constantly, growing from a powerful force inside to a well-rounded basketball player. Shaq-Fu may have been initially known for breaking backboards (compelling the Association to reinforce the basket supports) as a rookie and losing a memorable battle …
Trends in Post Play
As the sport of basketball advances, the post position has become more athletic, more skilled, and more sophisticated at an amazing rate. Coaches must identify gaps between where players currently stand and where they should be to compete at the elite level. Physical Performance Factors Balance International post players assume a balanced position so they can attack the basket quickly (Repeša, 2009). The lower body is an important force in the battle for position; players post up on the balls of their feet, bend their knees, and keep their core and pillar centered. Since the posts are ready to explode …
Tryouts
Tryouts often seem more stressful than they need to be. Working hard and pushing one’s self is a key criteria for success, as is arriving on time (look the gym up on a map ahead of time), working hard and staying hydrated (bring a water bottle). Although a drill may have a particular focus, such as ballhandling or shooting, there are numerous other elements involved in the performance of those skills. Perhaps the drill starts or stops with a well-placed pass or requires a player to visually scan the court as they move. Athletes who take care to execute all …
Hot Docs ’11
Attendance at any film festival needs to be supported by a philosophy of zero expectations. The tenets of such a philosophy are a hope for the best possible outcome (a memorable screening of a film that would have otherwise been missed) tempered by little emotional involvement ahead of time and no entitlement to anything beyond ninety minutes of entertainment. Grinders seems to be inspired by Sportnet’s incessant coverage of poker events. The tales of anonymous Toronto poker players are balanced with an interview with superstar Daniel Negreanu about the life he lives in Las Vegas. Negreanu has long since outgrown …
Parallels
Rick Carlisle, who preceded Phil Jackson at the post game press conference Sunday, was drafted by Red Auerbach and contributed to one of the two Association dynasties of the 1980s. Jackson was drafted by Red Holzman and served as a bench player for one of two dynasties of the 1970s. Neither possessed exceptional skill although they were able to fill a role and enhance team chemistry for the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks respectively. Both espouse a similar coaching style: fluid motion offence and tough man-to-man defence, as adept at cajoling superstars as building teams. Both coaches have adapted …
Why Are You Here?
Players frequently try out for teams, working as hard as they can to make a school team or a regional select squad. What is the point of this exercise? Certainly, youth are enabled to meet their fitness, belonging, and esteem needs. Some might even achieve their self-actualization goals. To satisfy all of these requirements, athletes must possess a deeper motivation. Everyone must ask themselves: what do I want for myself today, this week, and this month? What do I want for myself in the long-term? Once that vision is established, one should ask themselves how they will get there. What …
Mindset
As they pass through adolescence, most players develop physical performance factors and improve their sport-specific skills. Far few elect to enhance their mental abilities, placing a ceiling on their performance — at school and on the basketball court. Arriving at a practice, training session, or class with the appropriate mindset removes this cap. Players must want to come to the gym. Forcing anyone to do something will not achieve the desired results. An athlete who doesn’t want to train is like a student who is constantly late, they are not motivated to improve. Throughout the year, it is not incumbent …
Scorsese Retrospective
I decided to catch up with some films by Martin Scorsese that I had not recently viewed in their entirety. Casino: Very similar in structure to GoodFellas, Casino remains an excellent work. The similarities are evident: Robert DeNiro playing a leading role supported by Joe Pesci, a true organized crime story written by Nicholas Pileggi, and a detailed soundtrack which brings the film to life. Brutal violence illustrates how seriously casino boss Sam “Ace” Rothstein and his backers from the Chicago Outfit take the business of running the Tangiers Hotel and Casino in the 1970s. Although Rothstein seemed to have …