Summer Film Series – Vol. 8, No. 1: ROBIN HOOD

May 31, 2010, at Movies 14, McKinney Texas
 

 
In theory, this latest telling of the Robin Hood story is everything I love in film: beloved actors, epic scale, a much-loved tale. There is no reason it should disappoint, and it did not. That’s not to say this is the best Robin Hood movie I’ve ever seen, or that it’s a movie I would watch over and over again. But I did like it very much and felt it was a fresh take on the legend. Rather than rehash the Sherwood Forest angle, this Robin Hood explored the origins of the man who became the myth. And yet, it was not the origin I had always heard. Which begs the question: what’s the source of this new tale? A little research reveals that there is some support to the new film’s conceit, but there are definitely new angles, as well. The story of Robin and Marion, for instance, is completely new. Robin’s name of Loxley is not his true name in this film but rather the name that he assumes from another. And Marion is that other man’s wife. And it is she who hails from Nottingham. Even the timeline for King John and Richard the Lionheart is different from any other retelling I’ve heard. All of which kept me on my toes and made the story come to life in a fresh way, if not sometimes difficult to accept. I wonder if my experience would have been different had I been aware of these changes prior to sitting in the theater?
 
All in all, this Robin Hood was still quite enjoyable. It featured the action I expected, the heart and romance, the touches of humor. The cast was great, although Matthew Macfadyen was seriously wasted in a too-small role as the Sheriff of Nottingham. But Russell Crowe definitely gave my favorite portrayal of Robin, and Cate Blanchett played Marion with the perfect blend of strength and fragility. In fact, I can’t imagine a better Marion than Blanchett’s creation. And despite one cringe-worthy moment at the end, this film had very few flaws for my taste. Which is really all I ever ask for in any film. Although now, I’d really like to see Crowe and Blanchett make many, many more movies together. Please please please.
 

images via Rotten Tomatoes
 

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final(e) thoughts on LOST

Although the week will be filled with continuing debate on the finale of LOST, I would be remiss in not summing up my own thoughts on the series and its final bow. I’ve mentioned my frustration with the series during its beginning years, but I was always just interested enough to continue. And each season seemed to end on a newly exciting note, making me want to see it to the very end. That day finally arrived on Sunday, and I feel satisfied and ready to let it go. The bulk of my questions were answered during this final season, and the overarching mystery of the island was finally revealed. I accept those answers, for the most part, and don’t feel cheated. I feel like most characters were given complete stories, and I am thankful that the big final reveal was left open to some interpretation. It seems fitting that a show built so much on fan speculation should leave some loose threads for fans to unravel on their own. And yet, I feel that the story was wrapped up quite neatly at the same time. Which is what I had hoped for and what gives me the satisfaction to move on to the next TV phenomenon.
 
I’m happy to let LOST live on in infamy, and I will take with me some favorite characters (Charlie, Desmond, Juliet + Sawyer, Richard Alpert, Daniel Faraday, and the dichotomous brothers of the island), as well as favorite episodes (The Constant, Ab Aeterno, Across the Sea, and Through the Looking Glass ). And after pondering the finale for hours after it ended, I am happily resigned to its conclusion and subscribe to its revelation that island occurrences were real but Season 6′s “Sideways” world was nothing more than a supernatural state of being in which the characters awaited their final place of peace. It’s not the way I expected it to end, but I can settle into that final act and accept it as satisfactory. Which is all I really wanted from the series anyway. LOST was compelling and brave in that it never tried to dumb itself down for the viewers, and after a rocky start it truly embraced itself as a science fiction series. And I love the creators for not backing away from that. I hope it has set a precedent for network television in the future, and I hope networks will give other series the chances they need to develop a grand story that is not easily wrapped up in one hour or even one season. We viewers can handle it, and we want it! LOST has proven this to be true, and all of us fans are better for it. We bid farewell to a compelling world, and we hope it has changed the TV landscape for the better.
 

 

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the best advice I ever received

 
The best advice I ever received came from my mother during an especially challenging and personally unsatisfying period in which my boss was the source of all grief:
 

Everything you’re
 
going through
 
is building
 
character
 
in you.
 

It was truly a light bulb moment for an almost-thirty-year-old who had only recently returned to her faith and was striving for excellence and a deeper relationship with Jesus. I think this may have been the exact moment I realized how phenomenal my mother is… and had always been, despite my lack of understanding. It wasn’t until adulthood that this daddy’s girl understood the depth of my mother’s love and sacrifice for her family. For me. We’ve been building an incredible friendship ever since. And I’ve never forgotten her sage words on that day. Whenever I experience something particularly challenging or stressful, and especially when I cannot understand the why of a situation or a person’s behavior, I remember the words of my mother. Every moment is building character in me.
 

Thanks, Mom! You truly are amazing.    ♥    Happy YOU day!