Three Decent Movies

I  wrote a long blog last Wednesday that somehow got deleted so I will do my best to recreate it.

Running

I did not sleep good last Monday and it impacted my Tuesday run.  I only ran 4 miles instead of my planned 5 miles.  Tuesday night I went to the Maryland game so I did not get home until 11:30.  Since I did not get much sleep for two consecutive days, I ended up sleeping a little later and moving my rowing machine workout until Friday.  On Thursday, I was planning to do a 6 mile run on the treadmill.  I did about 4.5 miles and gave up, starting walking towards the locker room and changed my mind, I went back ran for a minute or two and gave up a second time.  This time I went into the locker room and decided to try once more.  I was able to run an additional mile and half this time.  On Friday, I did my 30 minutes on the rowing machine.

I had a very good running weekend. The weather cooperated and it was comfortable running on both days although it did rain yesterday after I finished.  I did about 8.5 miles on Saturday and 15 miles on Sunday.  Saturday I did the 3 mile loop around the neighborhood and Sunday I ran on the C & O Canal.  My plan to get to 17 miles next Sunday, 19 miles the next week and 21 miles the following week.

The Kite Runner

Over the summer Directv had given me the Showtime channel free for several months.  I had recorded several movies which sat on my tivo for quite some time.  I recently watched two of these movies.  The Kite Runner was a critically acclaimed best selling by Khaled Hosseini that I never read.

The Kite Runner

Amir immigrated to the United States after leaving Afghanistan as a kid.  He is now an adult that is married and about to publish his first novel when he gets a phone call from his father's old best friend from Afghanistan.  This leads Amir to flashback to when he was a kid growing up.  Amir's father was a successful businessman in Afghanistan and his best friend was Hassan, the son of one of his father's servants.  Amir was timid and Hassan would stand up for him leading Amir's father to think that Amir was a coward.  They enjoyed flying kites.

 One day, after winning a kite flying competition, Hassan get beaten up and brutally raped by some older kids after protecting Amir.  This embarrasses both of them and causes the friendship to end.  Amir even lies and says that Hassan stole from his father, which causes Hassan to quit in shame.  Shortly after this, Russia invades Afghanistan which prompts Amir and his father to escape to America.

Shortly after getting married, Amir's father dies of cancer.  Several years after this is when Amir gets the call from his father's friend who requests that Amir meet him in Pakistan.   Amir reluctantly travels to Pakistan where he learns that Hassan and his wife were recently killed by the Taliban and that their son is in an orphanage in Afghanistan.  In addition, he learns that Hassan was actually his father's illegitimate son, meaning that he and Hassan were actually half brothers.

Amir goes to Afghanistan, rescues the boy and takes him back to the United States.  The movie ends with Amir and the boy flying a kite.

I thought that this movie was very well done. I especially thought that the actor who played Amir father did a strong job.  The actor's name is Homayoun Ershadi.  I give The Kite Runner a B+.        

3:10 to Yuma

This movie is based on a book from Elmore Leonard and is a remake from a movie made in 1957.  Elmore Leonard must be really old.  I am not really a big fan of westerns, but heard good things about this film.  The film is about two men who appear to be complete opposites but really are similar.

3:10 to Yuma

Christian Bale plays the good guy, Dan Evan who is a veteran of the Civil War, where is lost a foot and is trying to raise his family and operate a ranch, but is having financial problems.  He has lost the respect of his oldest son because it is not a typical wild west gunslinger type.

Russell Crowe plays the bad guy, Ben Wade who leads a Jesse James type gang that is robbing, killing and  causing all kinds of havoc. 

Wade is captured, but in order to put him to jail they need to get him on the 3:10 train to Yuma, which is a big challenge with Wade's gang looking to free their leader.  Dan Evans offers to help with getting Wade on the train because he needs the money. Evans is one of a team whose job it is to get Wade on the train to jail.

Wade is a quite talkative and is especially interested in Evans.   Evans is fully aware but Wade is trying to catch him off guard. Evans' son runaway from the ranch and joins the team against Evans. As the movie progressives the team shrinks as they are either killed or leave when they decide that the money is not worth the danger of continuing to staying and dealing with Wade and his gang.  This leaves Evans and his son.  Wade tries to bribe Evans to leave, but Evan refuses.  Wade seems to genuinely like and respect Evans.

As Evans is about to escort Wade on to the train, Wade's gang shoots Evans.  Wade responds by shooting everyone in his gang and boarding the train.  He says that he has already escaped from the jail twice before.

I enjoyed the interaction between Wade and Evans.  Both Christian Bale and Russell Crowe were very good in this film.  I give 3:10 to Yuma a B-.

Funny People

Funny People is a movie from Judd Aptow that is different than Knocked Up and 40 Year Virgin because it is not completely a comedy and is much longer.  Based on what I heard the first half was very good but that the movie falls apart in the second half.

Funny People

Adam Sandler plays George Simmons who is a very successful actor / comedian who does not have a family or good friends.  He suddenly learns that he is going to die. 

He befriends Ira played by Seth Rogan who is an aspiring comedian who will do anything to get his big break in show business.  George hires Ira as an assistant / writer and they start to become good friends.

In addition, George reconnects with an old girlfriend, Laura from many years ago that was his one true love but that he blew it with.  Laura is now married with kids.  Eventually George learns he is not dying.  Laura is tempted to end her marriage to get back with George but Ira is critical of how George is messing up their marriage and George and Ira have a big argument.  Eventually, Laura decides to get back with her husband.

Several weeks later George goes to the comedy club and makes up with Ira.

I did not think that there was a major difference between the two halves of this movie.  Both were pretty good, but the movie is not particularly funny and it is definitely a bit too long.  I give Funny People a C+.