The Founder

The idea was to make a lot of money.

A lot of money.

He'd been at it for decades and had secured a modest living but still sought that vast immaculate neverending revenue stream, a potentially permanent enriching strike to help him bask in abundance and stretch-out bemused, selling milkshake machines meanwhile as he drifted thoughtfully from state to state, never ceasing even in decade number 6, nimble and agile, eyes open wide.

Catatonics.

Suddenly it was right there in front of him, the idea, the market, a tantalizing prospect replete with multidimensional opportunities for everyone involved, but his shortsighted eventual partners lacked his commercially expansionist vision, clutching their original take too tightly with static dismissive unshakeable vanilla.

Dubious discrediting. 

If Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) was about to go national and create wealth for sundry individuals seeking greener pastures it made sense that he couldn't be shackled by ideas which crushed his bottom line.

Turmoil.

John Lee Hancock's The Founder asks whether or not he was a warm generous individual intent on seeing others prosper or a cold calculating self-obsessed insatiable prick.

I would argue that he tried to work within the codes established by partners Dick (Nick Offerman) and Mac MacDonald (John Carroll Lynch) but as his impact on the business gradually transformed it from burger joint into national sensation, he slowly gained more clout, which enabled him to wisely challenge the principles of his hastily signed contract.

Dick and Mac did nothing to expand the business and consistently blocked reasonable attempts to increase revenues not just for themselves, but for the hundreds of people who worked for Kroc's franchises.

According to the film, Kroc was finding jobs for earnest people looking for a break and as McDonald's expanded from one location to dozens nationwide new ideas were bound to challenge the design of the original concept.

But Dick and Mac didn't support Kroc, at all, they couldn't grasp this aspect of the business, and he in fact chose the good of the many as opposed to the few, and therefore wasn't being monstrous when he hostilely took over.

Still, always take the 1%.

His analysis of the name McDonald's within the film adds a cerebral characteristic to a chain whose intellectual merits are not often highly regarded.

Ensuring that the animals who are eventually sold at McDonald's restaurants live comfortable lives beforehand and that hard-working employees are capable of earning enough income to support themselves does make a big difference to me as an occasional client, however, even if it means less profits.

McDonald's has taken steps to clean-up its supply chain in recent years, a potential reality which is quite impressive.

During a crazy 60 hour work week two years ago, I even stopped in for lunch and spent 20 dollars. 

That's a lot of McDonald's.

It may have been awesome.

Apart from all this, the film's good too, an accessible thought-provoking examination of a phenomenon I loved in my youth, which held my attention the whole way through thanks to its strong argumentative character driven paralysis. 

McSolid.

Driven, direct, frank, and bold, it never rests on its laurels, cleverly introduces new characters, and breaks things down with energetic distinction.

Make those burgers more healthy.

And it's crazy win win. 

Goldilocks

Spruced-up surly razz commissioned
unannounced gin jab a' dishin'
stout undoubted frazzled dazzle
indolent exotic saddled

up in sessions arbitrary
parched expressions cold contrary
rudiments reputed tussles
permanent disputed shushles

riddle-me ajar confections
sweetly swinging swooned inflections
I'll be jagged bold and bitchin'
if you'll play at exposition

insolence.

2016 Mix

Spent some time in 2016 looking for music that is awesome.

And I found it.

Ni oui ni non, Zaz
Frevo Mulher, Pato Fu
Ixtepec, Café Tacvba
Raindrops Plucking the Last Leaves from a Tree, Lullatone
Polvorado, Nacho Vegas
Giant Heart, theAngelcy
Nur ein Wort, Wir sind Helden
Baron, Galaxie
Adolfo Suicide, Nacho Vegas
Port Coton, Zaz
El Aparato, Café Tacvba
Mambo reazionario, Brunori Sas
A Head full of dreams, Coldplay
Sonífera Ilha, Pato Fu
Better than Mine, Allah-Las
Endlich ein Grund zur Panik, Wir sind Helden
Ex's & Oh's, Elle King
Mariquita, Caifanes

Hidden Figures

On occasion, if you're asked to work longer hours for the same amount of money, the company you're working for is trying to ensure their profits increase every month/quarter/etc. and targeting your unpaid overproduction as a source of intangible revenue.

Red flag.

Make sure you're trying to find a new job if stuck in such a situation.

However, if you happen to be working for NASA (or have a stable professional position) and you're immersed in a reasonably wild competition with the Soviet Union to do all kinds of crazy space stuff, suppose that competition would be with China these days, and the Soviets are winning, as they are in Hidden Figures, I suppose spending some extra unpaid time at work wouldn't be that bad, if there are no available public funds to pay for the overtime, and you are capable of taking part in something vital.

In space.

Not necessarily in space, but Hidden Figures uses ye olde space race to cleverly promote congenial race relations as a matter of national integrity.

It's too bad a member from a minority group has to be Einstein-smart to break down racial barriers.

You would think common democratic decency would have done that centuries ago.

The film's solid, a feel good family friendly examination of three highly intelligent African American women that's neither too sentimental, nor too fluffy.

I love Octavia Spencer (Dorothy Vaughan).

The women boldly yet humbly challenge institutional bigotry through hard work and determination as opposed to violence to make changes in their stilted dismissive working environment.

Some cool features.

Rage and passive resistance are matrimonially engendered as Mary (Janelle Monáe) and Levi Jackson (Aldis Hodge) discuss inflammatory political subjects.

She loves expressing herself yet also loves Levi so she intelligently lets him know when her boiling point has been reached before passionately pontificating with resolute clarification.

He works with his hands but is impressed with her desire to become an engineer and buys her some new pencils out of respect for her mind and the difficulties associated with her approaching studies (she becomes the first African American woman to study at a white school in Virginia).

Dorothy creatively borrows a book from the white section of her local library which she uses to remain employed as computers show up on the scene.

She learns so much that she's able to save 30 odd jobs after teaching the people working for her how to adapt, thereby making their contributions operationally essential.

She doesn't just take the money and run.

She gives back to her community.

Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), whose mathematical gifts intergalactically defy limitations, demonstrates why it's so important to never dismiss pieces of information that seem out of date (thereby promoting technical libraries), by using ancient knowledge to solve a contemporary puzzle, proving that sometimes inventing the new means discovering something that was contemplated thousands of years ago.

And Kevin Costner (Al Harrison) kicks ass throughout.

What a great role to play.

I'm going to watch Waterworld again.

I tried that with Alexander last winter (although I had never seen it before).

Double whoops!

I bet Waterworld's better.

Hidden Figures is a wonderful film.

Silence

There's a classic scene in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly that still stands out for me, the one where the bandit Tuco speaks with his brother Pablo the priest and they discuss the different lives they lead after having not seen one another for 9 years.

It doesn't end well.

But during their dialogue, Tuco states that there were only two choices for them when they were young and impoverished, to become a bandit or a priest, and that becoming a bandit was more challenging, harder, fraught with more pain and suffering.

Martin Scorsese's Silence offers Tuco a lengthier response than Pablo's, demonstrating the herculean composure required to work as a missionary under harsh conditions in a hostile land.

Set in the 17th century, fathers Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Garupe (Adam Driver) travel to Japan to do what they believe is necessary to actively spread the word, while also searching for a famous fellow priest (Liam Neeson as Father Ferreira) who has supposedly lost his way.

They don't speak Japanese and are guided by a shifty alcoholic fisherperson (Yôsuke Kubozuka as Kichijiro) who leads them to a small coastal village where they begin their work.

Not easy by any means, their path, their calling, and since Japanese authorities are persecuting Christians, especially priests, old school style, because they're worried about the ways in which in a foreign religion is conflicting with their own buddhist traditions, Rodrigues and Garupe employ the utmost stealth to avoid detection.

But they're eventually found in different spots and Rodrigues must then run the gauntlet to prove his faith, to demonstrate his courage.

Intellectually, physically and spiritually.

Scorsese struggles a bit in territory he hasn't explored in a while (time for another viewing of The Last Temptation of Christ methinks), the excruciating isolation and gruesome personal struggle involved demanding a more contemplative ascetic humbling approach than that found in some of his recent films, this aesthetic captured at points but Silence isn't Tarkovsky, and the contrast introduced when the violence begins doesn't captivatingly diverge in a stunning juxtaposition.

He did prove he's quite sensitive with Hugo, but the first half of Silence would have benefitted from a less traditional approach, from longer more destitute not necessarily plot-related scenes skilfully blending hope and sorrow, scenes which would have become more emotionally pronounced as Rodrigues's life descended into chaos.

Into more familiar territory.

Still a thoughtful investigation of faith and the trials that await the spiritually bold.

Anime

Oblivious and unaware
the steady booted neon glare
crosshairs unspotted til fatigue
alerted me to its conceit

could it indeed reflect a portal?
Timeless divined temp'rate chortles?
Blinkers blinking blink blink blink
recalcitrant yet so distinct

that resonance unclipped unfounded
decades past sunstripped rewounded
sturgeon license pitter-patter
visceral insolvent chatter

blather I woke up and looked
throughout our steed's mechanic nooks
unshook a beady-eyed sensation
known to shawl as fascination

cadence.

NFL Playoffs, Conference Championships Picks

Green Bay Packers/Atlanta Falcons: both these teams excel offensively and neither has an outstanding defence. Aaron Rodgers looks unstoppable. The Giants and the Cowboys both had strong defences and Green Bay still scored a combined 72, 72, points, against them. Saw a Packers tuque on the bus yesterday. You see them around from time to time but not often in Montréal. I picked Green Bay to beat Seattle a couple of years ago based on the spotting of Packers gear and Green Bay blew it near the end of the fourth quarter, just as they almost did last weekend versus Dallas. That was last weekend though. I saw the tuque this week. I also heard the word 'falcon' mentioned in Patriots Day after the divisional round and when I clicked on _______ upon returning to my apartment a post had been made by a friend which mentioned the city of Atlanta. It would make sense that I would spot Packers gear years ago and make a false pick (that strategy often works for me [knock on wood]) only to spot it this year and make another false pick by not picking the Packers in a salute to cosmic punishment. I saw lots of Broncos gear around town this season but whenever I did that Sunday's outcome was dire indeed. The Pack. Always take the Pack. Unless. Unless they're playing a team that's never won the Super Bowl before. A team with its best shot at Super Bowl victory ever who has only won 8 times in the playoffs since 1966. 50 divided by 8. Man. So it comes down to this. The Packers defeated the Giants and the Cowboys in the wild card and divisional rounds respectively. That division, the NFC East, has won the Super Bowl 12 times. It makes universal sense that the Packers would prevail therefore. But, against a team from the NFC South, a division which has only won two Super Bowls ever, it also makes sense that the Pack would lose. Bearing in mind the vague metaphysical pluralities of justice. Therefore, I feel that I must pick Atlanta, cheer the Falcons on in their moment of triumph. Either way, if you like offence, this game should be exceptionally outstanding. And amazing. Taking Atlanta by 10. Caw caw caw. *If I had more leisure time, I could think more rationally about sports. But honestly. What fun would that be?

Pittsburgh Steelers/New England Patriots: Pittsburgh's 3 and 7 versus New England over the course of the last 12 years, losing 4 of their last 5, this doesn't look good. Oddly, Roethlisberger has never played Brady in the playoffs, meaning this Sunday's game is somewhat of a Clash of the Titans. It's looking like New England will win once more, but I think there is a way to beat them, or at least keep it close. There's the Ravens factor. The Ravens have beaten the Patriots in the playoffs twice in recent memory and this indisputable fact must be bothering the contemplative Steelers. And then there's Mr. Roethlisberger's legacy. When sitting back to think about great NFL quarterbacks who still happen to be playing, in the post-Manning era, I usually stop after considering Brees, Rodgers, and Brady. Then I think Matt Ryan played well this year, Trevor Siemian had a solid first season, and Wilson and Flacco are clutch in the playoffs. And then I remember two time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger and think, why didn't I think of him earlier, he's an outstanding quarterback? Wherein lies the pressure. The pressure to once again move up in the ranks of the North American NFL (and possibly CFL) loving consciousness that always thinks Brees, Rodgers, Brady, and forgets to include Roethlisberger. If Big Ben wins on Sunday he's back in. I'm confident he can do it. Still picking New England.

*It could be a Steelers/Packers rematch. That would be incredible.

La La Land

Heartbeats in harmonized constructs and contrasts, patience, impertinence, concessions, gall, twirling unfurling enduring expressionless fancies and flights intertwined with supine toyed devotion, blinding cataracts effervescent turbulence trusted and truly exonerating impressions jocose and dear starstruck fearless appearances awe inspired odysseys, caféd candlelit assuréd indiscretions, caught up in each others arms, candied (torn) in La La Land.

The stubborn and the starboard expressly romanticizing multigeneric medleys, relational urgencies bejewel tranced sashays.

That's me being romantic.

A life, of solitude.

Fluttering jittery animated embraces, what seems eternally inclined must professionally brace itself for itinerant scheduling, Mia (Emma Stone [outstanding]) and Sebastian's (Ryan Gosling) relationship fond of its festive familiarity yet troubled by tangents, sand duned by success.

But there's a classic Hollywood ending that anyone who's ever loved and lost may find sorrowfully endearing, the music and the magic and the mirth meteorically meshing with cosmic interplay.

An excellent beginning too, either I've lived long enough to start liking musicals or Damien Chazelle's La La Land is a notable exception, the film thoughtfully mixing different catchy styles to metaphorically synergize loveable forays, ones which last for a while anyways, the mundane micromovements, passionate parlays, intimate insights, and unique syntheses generated through sustained commitment viscerally subsumed.

The film's full of troubles and tearjerks and hugs, celebrating resiliency as it's dismally challenged, the authority a couple creates enigmatically as their own.

For themselves.

Pour La Strada.

Incrementally partitioned with existentially aligned spice, it swirls as it seasons, dips as it sways.

*Couples can be existential.

Yes they can.

Collateral Beauty

I suspect there's a prominent subculture that likes Hallmark cards and regularly exchanges them in order to express feelings of enduring love.

Subculture may be the wrong word to be using here.

No no no, they don't take the time to meticulously itemize the sundry ways in which a partner has disappointed them over the course of the last month, year, weekend, Festivus whispering, having realized that many people don't appreciate the comedic value of such clarifications and would rather simply be applauded.

Persona non grata.

Yet it seems that if everyone were to systematically express their mutual contempt ritualistically, disorganization may in fact destabilize the smooth innocuous flow of cultural codes, cultural goods, meaning that perhaps vitriolic proclamations of amour should be sequestered for the intemperate few, as they begrudgingly accept that they do indeed have feelings.

Reprieved.

They likely didn't think highly of Collateral Beauty either, even if it was overflowing with abundant goodwill and wholesome adorable tearjerks.

It does use swearing quite effectively if that counts for anything, situating the profane word within an exasperated exclamation with perfect sober timing, such a stark contrast from the preceding cuddles, repressed helplessness shockingly manifested.

Ah, so, if you're wondering why you don't like Collateral Beauty and its exceptional cast, you can at least think, there's some great swearing.

The ending's quite touching too.

Like cotton candy.

Hallmark cotton candy.

Top 10 Films of 2016

The following is a list of the top 10 films I viewed in theatres in 2016.

Plus Jackie, which I saw last week.

With an additional list of notable favourites.

Moonlight
American Honey
Jackie
El hombre de las mil caras (Smoke and Mirrors) 
Captain America: Civil War
Captain Fantastic
Anthropoid
Hell or High Water
Maggie's Plan
Sleeping Giant

Notable Favourites

Arrival
Demolition
Swiss Army Man
The Lobster
Criminal
The Dark Horse
The Man Who Knew Infinity
Two Lovers and a Bear
Allied
The Jungle Book
The Accountant
Loving
Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Willow

5 à 7 express renditions
oldies cleft in meshed suspicions
surgically ensconced attuned
aspecting shamanistic groomed

saloons sherpas eclectic quadrants
multidisciplined inaugrants
bzz unbrandished dialogue
prevaricates hair on the dog

mischievous hides excised torrential
tournaments fly incidental
idioms confide in green
awash kerfuffled sights unseen.

Jackie

Historically aware conscientious crucible within which responsibilities interdisciplinarily decode.

Crushing enervating profound despondency augustly conciliated with urbane stately poise.

Jackie Kennedy (Natalie Portman) seeks to comfort a nation grieving the loss of her husband while consoling their two young children and arranging funerary dispositions.

Details of which are verbally transmitted to a trusted reporter ensconced in the mournful countryside.

Utterly alone.

Concealment.

Deluge.

Pablo Larraín's Jackie endears to relate a lachrymose tale as a matter of dire consequence, benevolence still abounding within formal restraints as a portrait emerges with metadignified calm.

To be immersed under such scrutiny during such tumultuous transitions, a thunderous inducement having suddenly arrested, while still remaining conscious of steadfast bristling influence, is to augment an orbit's c/rippling individuality, resplendent in its tender, lustrous, febrile, mint.

The film sophisticatedly staggers memories and missives to elegantly charter stilted suffering in swoon, a stunning versatile interred x-ray, quintessentially courting philosophical entailments.

Lost in anodyne ethereal cruise, extraordinarily tight renditions, realistic reveries, antique extant gravity.

So many films keep going and going long after they should have ended, but Jackie packs several startling finales into its cordate nerve, curtained accented asseverations, lives, frolics, longing.

Phenomenal.

NFL Playoffs, Divisional Round Picks

Seattle Seahawks/Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta impressed this season, Matt Ryan commanding the league's best offence throughout, orchestrating big plays when his team required them, consistently finding creative ways to flourish. The NFC South wasn't that strong but neither was the West, and you could argue that the Falcons had a tougher time than Seattle picking up divisional wins. Easily. Even if New Orleans finishes 7 and 9, it still isn't easy to beat them, you have to keep scoring and scoring and scoring or Drew Brees will discipline and punish. But the Seahawks won when they played in week 6, 26-24, this may be an excellent game. Seattle's defence was strong again this year and I seem to remember a team with a high-powered offence running into them in the playoffs in recent years, a team that had trouble scoring against them. Tragedy. Adjustments were made. But that was a different year with a different defence and the Falcons are rested and have something to prove. Ryan could succeed where Stafford struggled. This is too close to call. Falcons by 13.

Houston Texans/New England Patriots: well Houston did come up with the win last weekend, scoring a solid 27 while preventing the Raiders from threatening potently. They have a solid defence and it could just be that Osweiler's one of those quarterbacks who doesn't shine during the regular season, but shows up if his team makes the playoffs. He'll have to show up big time at Gillette Stadium this Saturday if the Texans hope to keep it close. New England only allowed 250 points to be scored against them this year and proceeded to dominate once again with what has to be unprecedented prowess. An unprecedented streak. Of excellence. They haven't lost in the divisional round since 2010 and didn't give up a point versus the Texans when they played them in Week 3. Winning 27-0. Osweiler could magically show up like he did in Denver a couple of times last year and keep this game close with the help of his defence, and the Ottawa Redblacks did beat a far more accomplished Calgary Stampeders team to win Canada's Grey Cup this year, but I'm still thinking New England wins, possibly by at least 14. You never really know what's going to happen however. But the Patriots are pretty freakin' good, again, this year. Picking New England. Hoping I'm way off.

Green Bay Packers/Dallas Cowboys: another breakthrough year for the Cowboys, and this time they look unstoppable. With an exceptional offence and an incredible defence, they should be ready to contend this coming Sunday. They defeated Green Bay 30 to 16 in week 6, but apart from two losses to the Giants, their schedule wasn't that tough, Pittsburgh being the only team they played that boldly stands out, a team the Cowboys defeated 35 to 30. Green Bay beat the Giants last weekend and scored 38 points against their lauded defence. They only lost to Atlanta by a point and owned the Seahawks 38 to 10. None of this matters, but the fact that a game changing bad call went Green Bay's way when they beat Dallas two years ago in the divisional round does give the Cowboys an advantage, even if it's best not to think about it. But could the Packers use this flaw to their advantage, scoring at will as a disavowed consequence, on the way to orchestrating another NFC East collapse? They're on the road this week. Picking the Cowboys. Wait! I haven't picked a road team yet. Switching my pick to Green Bay. Hoping it ends like 38-35.

Pittsburgh Steelers/Kansas City Chiefs: it looks like the Chiefs and Steelers have only ever met in the playoffs once, a game which Kansas City won in overtime 27 to 24 over twenty years ago. It wouldn't be surprising if this Sunday's confrontation sees a similar outcome seeing how the points for and against for both teams are practically identical, even if Pittsburgh throttled the Chiefs 43 to 14 in week 4. An edge. Who has an edge? It's notoriously difficult to win in Kansas City but it's also rare that the Chiefs win in the playoffs. The Steelers often make the playoffs but haven't made it past the divisional round in years. Andy Reid won many a divisional round game in Philadelphia but Mike Tomlin has won two Super Bowls in Pittsburgh. The Chiefs kept finding ways to win all season including an incomparable miracle, I mean miracle, win over the Broncos in week 12, but can the offence still produce late in the fourth if Roethlisberger keeps on pounding? Poise. It may come down to which team is more poised in this one, poised enough to make incredible game changing plays. Without turning the ball over. But it's really too close, home field versus playoff experience I suppose, both teams are good, both teams should be ready. Picking Kansas City. Even if Pittsburgh has nothing to lose.

Elle

It doesn't get much darker than Elle.

A great companion piece for The Lobster if you're craving an evening of total anarchy.

This January.

In the film, a highly functioning potentially psychotic successful businessperson conducts her affairs with extreme emotional detachment, unless her ex-husband's involved, she's trying to help her emotionally abused son (a bad relationship with another potential psycho), or hoping her mother won't marry a coddling gigolo.

Even as she's raped at home and then thoroughly humiliated at work, at her own company, which produces sexually explicit video games, she still generally proceeds as if nothing's wrong and manages to accomplish an extraordinarily diverse number of tasks, pure robotic efficiency, as if she's been there and done that for every possible scenario, stoic impeccability existentially exonerated.

Unfortunately, in her youth, she accompanied her father as he proceeded to murder most of their neighbours, the story becoming a nationwide sensation, her life quite strange at all times forever after.

That's not all, it's even more dysfunctional, the eclectic cast of diverse oddballs even congregated for Christmas dinner, a scene that could have transported Elle into unapproachable contemptuous infinities, had it been even more sinister, had it sought after true infamy.

Therein lies a play for someone else to write.

Adam Reed? Mitchell Hurwitz?

Sadomasochistically submerged in ineffable grotesque hypotheticals, Elle's bourgeois community still must interrelate, it can't help it if that was how it was written.

Like pure misogyny masquerading as a caring caricature of feminine strength, Elle is as undefinable as it is cold and direct, its unmuzzled licentious agency, its pristine putrefaction, calculated to deafeningly depreciate, in gross inherent disillusion.

Not to say that it isn't well done.

It's quite well done in fact.

A sensation.

Pathologically speaking.

Moonlight won at the Golden Globes?

That's freakin' amazing!

Wow.

*I'm assuming La La Land's good too. 

Seeing it this week.

Marmaflay

Prefect Perceval implicit
parched partitioned shades specific
sundown shivers nighttime nectas
phosphorescent shifts Contessa's

escapades.

Christine

Pressurized self-motivation, dedicated drive, ambient adrenaline, Queen of the hive, a game changing carnal recalibration generating sensational scoops frustrates ethically inclined televisual journalist Christine Chubbuck (Rebecca Hall) as she eagerly seeks a new position in Baltimore, but Sarasota, Florida, lacks the raucous remonstrances more rigidly regaled in urban playgrounds, so she must exotically elucidate paltry empirical sums.

Without losing her soul.

But even when attempting to asininely unravel, she still showcases alternative angles, which intelligently promote distinguished depth, yet can't spin and stoke the sought after sleaze.

Interrogatively.

Tragic.

Forlorn and suppressing.

In any decade.

A principled well-rounded bipolar session, Antonio Campos's Christine juxtaposes the innocent with the expedient to maximize discontent.

Patiently waiting for years for the chance to broadcast intellectually, a perfect candidate for 60 Minutes or W5, perhaps, The Nature of Things, Christine can't slow down and has trouble playing ball if she's not constantly making game winning plays while also refereeing stark nubile antics.

More of an author than a reporter, she can't dish out the basest instincts, play on the team, and wants the chance to nationally unwind, but can't sludge her way through the grotesque steamy privilege.

Give a little, get a little, but even when she gives it's not what they've got, not what they want, sincere stupidity, she cannot fake it.

The film's full of strong characters who are each given plenty of screentime to express their opposing viewpoints.

It's not as focused on Christine as the title suggests, her manager Michael (Tracy Letts) clearly sharing his contradictory ideas, occasionally using locker room terms that specialists may find offensive.

You get used to it.

I even listen when people say, "that's sick," these days.

Christine obviously can't work within small boxes and would have excelled if she'd established herself in broadly disseminated artistic journals or art house films.

At the same time, she had an audience, an adoring audience, which unfortunately wasn't enough.

The film's set in the '70s, production design by Scott Kuzio, long before YouTube and the net, and even if the ending should be taken out of context, according to thoughts I've heard shared by prominent journalists recently, it's still a shame she couldn't handle losing, couldn't double down and diversify.

Bluntly speaking.

It drags a bit.

NFL Playoffs, Wild Card Picks

Oakland Raiders/Houston Texans: Sad when it goes down like this. Oakland looked like a Super Bowl contender and Derek Carr finally had the breakout season for which Raiders fans had been maniacally hungering. Brock Osweiler, on the other hand, direly struggled after signing a four-year 72 million dollar deal with Houston, and is only playing this Saturday because former backup Tom Savage is injured. Connor Cook could show up and play better than he did last weekend in the second half versus Denver, but the Texans also have a mighty defence and could defiantly prevent him from establishing a stable rhythm. He really has nothing to lose and everything to gain while Osweiler is playing for his career, against a Raiders team that he failed to defeat last year as a Bronco (I was kind of happy the Broncos didn't give him 14 million [more cash for the defence and offensive line!]). Oakland's pass rush is feared and Osweiler's weaknesses well-known. But he did defeat Tom Brady and the Patriots last season and was capable of quick lightning strikes. The Raiders should be resting, waiting to play next weekend, and Houston's lucky they made the playoffs. I'm no Raiders fan, but I don't want to see them lose like this (obviously I want to see them play Kansas City if that's possible). Picking Oakland. Remembering Frank Reich.

Detroit Lions/Seattle Seahawks: I hope I get to see some of this one. Detroit's mad fourth quarter antics this season were most impressive and I've heard quarterback Matt Stafford reached 30,000 yards in record time. How he could set such a record while never having won a playoff game is baffling and late in the year when facing Dallas then Green Bay the Lions did come up short. Oh man. Detroit hasn't won a playoff game since 1991 and is on the road facing a Seahawks team that knows how to win in the postseason. Recently anyways. They still are the Seattle Seahawks and this Saturday they'll prove if they've overcome decades of torment or fallen like St. Louis/Los Angeles and New Orleans. How could the Saints not supply Drew Brees with a defence for so many years? He should have been to the Super Bowl three times by now. Can Stafford deliver an heroic playoff performance of epic proportions to justify his 30,000 yard record in herculean fashion inspiring legends thereby, or will Seattle's poise prevent him from achieving another 2016/17 comeback win? For some reason I'm thinking it's Seattle that trails late and launches the comeback however. Hoping the Lions pick up the win. Picking Russell Wilson and the Seahawks.

Miami Dolphins/Pittsburgh Steelers: Big Ben Roethlisberger must be methodically craving a deep playoff run. After achieving Olympian heights early in his career, he's continued to compete regularly in the playoffs but hasn't made third round for 6 years. He's good enough to warrant such statements! Mind-bogglingly, from the other side of the spectrum, the Miami Dolphins, a predictable postseason presence in my youth, haven't won a playoff game since 2000, and have only played in January twice since then. Has it really been that long since Miami was good? Did New England just dauntingly crush the wherewithal of the entire post-Marino Miami Dolphins era? It's nice to see them back in, even if frustratingly close Broncos losses to Tennessee and Kansas City were the cause, but I'm thinking they still need to get better to actually win a tough playoff road game against a team coached by the likes of Mike Tomlin. They did keep winning all season long and finished 10 and 6 after starting 1 and 4, their second victory achieved against Pittsburgh, Big Ben playing with a hurt knee. Could things finally be turning around for the Dolphins or is this year just a fluke where everything fell into place? Suppose this Sunday will provide direct undeniable preliminary evidence. Hoping the game's close. Picking the Steelers.

New York Giants/Green Bay Packers: Must be kind of spooky playing Eli Manning's New York Giants in the playoffs. The Pack knows what awaits should they take them too lightly, having suffered a humbling defeat against them in 2011, at home, after having finished their post-Super-Bowl-victory-season 15 and 1. They lost that game 37-20 and I remember watching it and it wasn't pretty. If you were cheering for Green Bay. If Eli can pick up some more big playoff wins he may retire as one of the greatest postseason quarterbacks ever, already having defied astronomical odds in his 2 exceptional Super Bowl runs. New York had a great defence this year but still lost to the Pack in week 5, 23-16. Green Bay finished the season with 6 wins, a solid turnaround after an inexplicable midseason 4 game slide. Will Eli's legend be too much for Green Bay to overcome or too overwhelming for him to live up to? Statements like this probably don't matter seeing how professional athletes make their own legends each and every game. Still picking Green Bay. Go Packers Go.

Allied

Fully cloaked undercover, watching every movement, scrutinizing each step, re/actions precisely measured to maximize discretion, on the road scripted codes liaised lessons, eager learner, coy discerner, modicums, romance, drills, an extroverted beauty chively strung singing along in chorus, friends in high places, versatile integration, his partner, his assigned wife, don't let emotions cloud judgments till it's time to gasp, to fire, to strike.

To love.

Precious freedoms, mission prerogatives.

Canadian Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) breaks with tradition and falls for Marianne Beauséjour (Marion Cotillard) in the field.

Less amorously aware than his new partner, the two make a marigold match.

Wed after accomplishing their objectives in Casablanca, they return to London to settle during World War II (Max is an intelligence officer who still actively strategizes while Marianne raises their daughter at home).

But there's a catch.

According to V-section, Marianne is a German spy, a potentiality Max can't face, having fully devoted himself to enabling their prosperity.

Bliss in crisis, Robert Zemeckis's Allied briskly examines conjugal fidelity, the rival in question a bellicose nation intent on grieving, the rewards of domestic security too high to blindly tow the line.

Torn between resistance and reconnaissance, upside down and inside out, the film passionately obscures Max's trusts, while keeping things strictly on the level.

Mythic misfortune presented in gallant 20th century plight, shorn trajectories and burnt down bulwarks critically commandeering catastrophe, appointments are met and duties kept in check, all the while clad in confidence, for remaining unsuspicious, for never having had a jealous mind.

Internal gridiron grind.

International intrigue, clutched all-weather.

Outstanding.

Somewhat, teary-eyed, was I.

Fare thee well, Gary Kubiak, 2nd greatest coach ever, of the Denver Broncos.