Day: January 9, 2004

No happy ending. That’s my lingering thought about Cold Mountain, which we saw eight days ago. I write that happily. I thought the movie was solid, and worth seeing in theaters, even if I hadn’t had free babysitting! I just didn’t want a sad tale to be misconstrued. This story, when read, leaves the reader both eager to turn the pages and dreading the moment when things finally, inevitably, go wrong. The director teases with the film… you almost think he ‘sold out’ for a happy ending. But the tale rings true to its tragic roots.

I read the Charles Frazier novel several years ago, so as I watched the movie, I had a basic sense of the plot and a strong sense of the mood. The details were hazy in my mind, so I don’t have a strong sense of the movie’s fidelity to Frazier’s tale — but I’m not sure it matters since the feeling was spot on.

In retrospect, this movie followed The English Patient in its ability to conjure a mood, and carry it through consistently. I didn’t enjoy Cold Mountain (the movie) as much I as enjoyed The English Patient (the movie); the latter is one of my favorites, and we own the DVD. But both movies did a terrific job of evoking the mood of the books. Note: for reading, I preferred Cold Mountain.

I just checked the website, and realized that the same man, Anthony Minghella, directed both movies. I didn’t know that when I wrote the above paragraph. So I feel redeemed and foolish at the same time.

Two contrary points. I’ve rarely seen a movie so graphic/realistic in its presentation of blood, mud, wounds, and the like. Even the quick ‘brothel’ sex scene is almost animal-like, more carnal and impersonal than anything I’ve seen on screen — although given the context (wartime carpe diem, where the sex is but a lure, it seemed appropriate. Yet, at the same time as the film assaults you with this viscousness, Nicole Kidman’s hands and face are rarely dirty. She endures predictable rigors moving from society daughter to (effectively) a farm hand. But the realism of the movie’s opening Civil War battle scene doesn’t extend to the ravages of wartime life on a beautiful young woman. Oh well.

One more thing: rumor from a friend who was involved with the making of the movie, in Romania (the closest to the Civil War south to be found, apparently), is that Jude Law, our male hero, isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, despite being a “pretty thing.” Can’t win them all! 😉

I’m not switching from NetNewsWire, but always curious to see what others are coming up with. Here’s one I came across via Macintouch: NewsFan. This program appears to be developed in Japan, per the address at the bottom of the home page, and there are just enough oddities in the English language descriptions to underline that a non-native English speaker wrote the words.

FUN – EASE – SPEED – USEFUL
Now the browser feature integrated!

Of course, I know nothing of Japanese, so I’m not throwing stones here, just noting that making yourself understood in another language and being idiomatically fluent are not one and the same. I have real experience, because I speak, read, and (terribly) write broken French… more broken with every year that passes! I hope my children are, at a minimum, bi-lingual — but that will be somewhat challenging since we haven’t provided any support in that area, to date.

In any event, I’ll be interested to see how Brent Simmons maintains his leadership position in the MacOS X newsreader space, and whether features or usability will be the determining factor in 2004. Beyond 2004, I expect RSS/feed integration to be so widespread that it will be only be info-junkies (like me) that still use a separate newsreader. Most folks, I expect, will find basic integration of a few sources more than enough. Time will tell.