Iraq Contractor in Shooting Case Makes Comeback

Blackwater is back and I'm disgusted (once more) by the Bush administration:

WASHINGTON — Last fall, Blackwater Worldwide was in deep peril. Guards for the security company were involved in a shooting in September that left at least 17 Iraqis dead at a Baghdad intersection. Outrage over the killings prompted the Iraqi government to demand Blackwater’s ouster from the country, and led to a criminal investigation by the F.B.I., a series of internal investigations by the State Department and the Pentagon, and high-profile Congressional hearings.

But after an intense public and private lobbying campaign, Blackwater appears to be back to business as usual.


Thanks to surricatus

We Own the Night & Shall We Dance?

Last night I watched the recent police melodrama about two brothers played by Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix, their father played by Robert Duvall. The setting is NYC in 1988 which is depicted as an illicit drug-soaked wild west that can only be tamed by THE POLICE. Wahlberg is the good son who became a cop and made his deputy police chief dad proud. Phoenix, who didn't follow his brother into the force is managing a night club (that is connected with drugs). I've seen plenty of movies with similar plots--the most recent THE DEPARTED, remake of the Hong Kong movie INFERNAL AFFAIRS and usually enjoyed them. It also reminded me of EASTERN PROMISES, which although it was about human trafficking more than drugs had some very similar plot points (old man seemingly nice paternal guy who is the BIG BAD GUY, violent "enforcers" galore). So why did I loathe this one, even while I was watching it? I like the actors but feel they were given nothing to do. The script sucked. The direction sucked.

I could have watched the re-sent OLDBOY but decided I needed a lighter touch so watched the remake of the lovely Japanese movie SHALL WE DANCE? The remake is just as lovely, with a charming cast: Susan Sarandon, Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez (who is in her best role since OUT OF SIGHT, the Elmore Leonard adaptation in which she co-starred with George Clooney).

Middle class, happily married guy feels some niggling dissatisfaction with his life and feels he's missing ...something. Sees a woman looking out the window of a dance studio during his evening commute home and decides to secretly take dance classes. It's very close in feel to the Japanese version although I'm pretty sure (from what I remember) there are some variations on secondary characters and plot points. Loved it.