Radium Girls

And now for a good one….

Movie Review 🎥 🍿: Radium Girls 1.31.2021

Trailer: https://youtu.be/gLWkV7XzlwE

https://www.netflix.com/title/81059876

BACKGROUND: Radium girls were a group of female factory workers who sued their employer in 1917. These workers, at a factory on Orange, New Jersey, had to paint the dials of watches, so that the numbers on them would glow in the dark. The substance used to paint was luminous paint, which contained radium. Radium is radioactive, and causes radiation sickness. The workers used paintbrushes to draw fine lines; the brush would only draw such a line when it was wet, so it had to be licked very often. The women were told the paint was harmless. Over time, they ingested deadly amounts of it. Five workers sued their employer. The case that followed made it clear that people could sue their employer, if they contract occupational diseases.

“Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.” — Thurgood Marshall

I’m a happy camper. Radium Girls was a good couple hours spent. My boxes have been checked: Solid acting, important story, thoughtfully written, aesthetically rendered, and left an impression. There was nothing new under the sun movie making wise; just a solid movie that makes you think.

It’s amazing what people have endured that didn’t make my gen x history book. I am grateful for their Herculean efforts that has improved life for future generations.

This movie transports the viewer into the world of an upper adolescent of the teens and twenties of the 20th century. It was enchanting to hear young people referred to as Bessie, Josephine, and Alice (what are considered old fashioned names in modern times.)

The flapper fashion, the music (shout out to opera being mainstream in the 1920s,) and the greatest generation backdrop is what movie dreams are made of.

The movie is a standard movie fare. It’s a traditionally rendered and an effectively spun tale.

Two non radium tainted armrests up for a solid flick.

#anarmrestrenegade

The Little Things

The Little Things

January 30, 2021

Movie Review 🍿 🎥

Trailer: https://youtu.be/1HZAnkxdYuA

Denzel Washington could appear in an identical remake of 1987 Ishtar and I’d make myself sit through it.

The Little Things isn’t as bad as Ishtar. And expert thespian Denzel acts the crap out of an otherwise confusing and tortoise paced script. 

An Official WTF rating is issued for this movie. A WTF rating means: I had no flipping idea what had happened after the credits rolled. If you can make heads or tails out of the ending, you’ll have me beat. I had to look up spoilers what actually happened in the movie.

Malek is interesting. His interpretation is precarious. I couldn’t tell if he was supposed to be a villain or not. Jared Leto gave an effective however broad stroked, modern day Commedia Dell’Arte performance.

I appreciated the non cell phone 1990s world and use of music.

But, I was supremely bored, ennui abounded, as much as Denzel tried to avoid the iceberg demise of this film.

I wish I had armrests to raise, as the pandemic rails on, but if I did, The Little Things would get no armrests.

#anarmrestrenegade

A TEACHER #182021

A Movie Review by E. Perryman

1.8.2021

“We need, in love, to practice only this: letting each other go. For holding on comes easily; we do not need to learn it.” -Rainer Maria Rilke

The struggle between ‘for’ and ‘against’ is the mind’s worst disease.” -Sent ts’an, c. 700 C. E.

“The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there. -Yasutani Roshi

A Movie Review by E. Perryman

1.8.2021

“We need, in love, to practice only this: letting each other go. For holding on comes easily; we do not need to learn it.” -Rainer Maria Rilke

“The struggle between ‘for’ and ‘against’ is the mind’s worst disease.” -Sent ts’an, c. 700 C. E.

“The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there. -Yasutani Roshi

I can’t recommend the Hulu series “A Teacher” more. It is a smart and nuanced series. The story explores the complexities that contribute to illicit teacher student affairs without condoning the acts. The actors are fearless and committed to often culturally ostracized personas.

The story explores mental health, choices we make to distract ourselves and fill inner emptiness, unexamined harsh judgment to those who err demanded by society, and difficult childhood wounds we nurse as we navigate life experiences. The final conversation between Claire and Eric lays out this charged taboo subject in the most coherent way I’ve seen.

This is no lifetime yarn; it won’t tie everything up in a lovely bow. Life is messy and far less absolute than what is comfortable. This film is raw, real, and not to be missed. This screenplay realistically takes on the inner battlefield of being above ground.

Armrestrating: 2 enthusiastic armrests raised for a story that is willing to show the untidy side of life.