Earlier this week I talked about the Willing Suspension of Disbelief, in my review of the Fox series ‘Fringe‘. The unfulfilled English teacher in me insists that we explore the literary term Suspension of Disbelief in a more complicated forum.

With almost 60% of the market share, 24 does not need my review to boost viewership. Besides which, the lifeblood of this column is to bring you a different perspective on stuff you might not otherwise enjoy. But I do watch 24 – I have since the first season – and I’m a fan.

In the opening episode of this season (aired January 11, 2009 on Fox) Jack is brought to trial. He is asked (By Red Foreman from That 70’s Show – I kept expecting to hear ‘Dumbass!’) if he engaged in the use of torture, to which he replies ‘…yes’. If I closed my eyes while I listened to his justification, it was like listening to Sean Hannity. Here’s a taste: ‘the people that I deal with, they don’t care about your rules. They care about a result. My job is to prevent them from accomplishing their objectives… at any cost’. This show certainly found the perfect home on the Fox network. Jack dodges judgment for torture as he is summoned to a ‘Washington Field Office’ (unnamed Agency) for assistance in stopping another terrorist attack. The clear message here is that torture is a necessary evil and that the world will always need men like Jack Bauer.

Now, all is not uber-conservative in the land of 24. This was the first major network series to feature a black President, and the Commander in Chief for this season bears a striking resemblance to Hillary Clinton. Even so, it’s safe to say that my political slant is a bit to the left of the folks over at Fox.

I’m a woman, a Canadian, a Global Citizen, a sister, a daughter, and an animal lover. It gladdens my heart to think that I will birth children into a world that has always known a Black President. I like to think that Rush Limbaugh is a creepy alien creature with whom I have nothing in common. I have love for Moderate Conservatives, but most of the talking heads on Fox News scare me silly. I Do Not Believe that we can afford to sacrifice our ideals for a feeling of safety. But for one hour, each and every week, for 24 weeks, I Suspend that Disbelief to the point that I agree that the Patriot Act is a great idea. As long as Jack Bauer is in charge. The man’s moral compass never wavers. He is always willing to sacrifice for love of his Nation. He gives me the quivers (you know he gives you the quivers too. Admit it).

Liquefied Brains. Seriously.

And honestly, the notion that a man like Jack Bauer actually exists requires more of a suspension of disbelief than the redneck-turned-computer-genius who created a computer virus that liquefied his enemies brains last week on Fringe.

24, Season 7 (Current Season):

24, Redemption

© Copyright 2009

All Rights Reserved. All Wrongs Avenged.

Growing ride outside the door of the Cabina at Casa Pura Vida

An incredibly refreshing beverage, Costa Rica style. Yes, it really is just this simple. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Pineapples are in season right now – choose one that is predominantly yellow and that has a sweet fragrance. This is a great way to get a very full serving of fruit. A good sized pineapple will make drinks (or cocktails) for four.

1/2  Pineapple, peeled and cored and cut into chunks

1/2 cup of water (or more… just enough to get the blender going)

1/2 tray of ice cubes

Quality rum, to taste (optional)

Throw everything in the blender together. It might take a second for things to start moving… be patient. Blend until there is a little froth at the top of the liquid. Save the second half of the pineapple for later in the evening – you’re going to want a second batch. Speaking of later in the evening, if you add a jigger of good rum, you’ve made yourself a beautiful, fresh daquiri. A little splash of sunshine is just what we need in the dark of winter.

Created by: J. J. Abrams

These days, I’m all for trying out any show that isn’t about the law or medicine. I caught a few episodes of Fringe in the Fall season, but I wasn’t terribly impressed. It is different and visually interesting though… and they sucked me in on the first episode of January, so I’m back for the time being.

Fringe airs on Fox Tuesdays at 9:00 PM. If you still desperately miss the X-Files – I was a huge junkie – this helps fill the void. The show tells the stories of a small sub-department of the FBI that investigates Supernatural or ‘Fringe’ Phenomena (sound familiar?). FBI Agent Olivia Dunham leads a wacky team consisting of mad-scientist Dr. Walter Bishop, fresh out of the loony bin; his son Peter Bishop, played by Joshua Jackson (who has grown up nicely since Dawson’s Creek); and Astrid, her omnipresent and rather nebulously employed assistant.

The show is significantly different than the X-files, in both structure and quality. The most significant diversion surrounds the team’s makeup and mission. In addition to investigating all kinds of interesting phenomena, the team is often called upon to try out one or another of Dr. Bishops’ experiments, many of which defy the laws of both nature and morality. For example, if you’re dead (but not too dead), Dr. Bishop can revive your body enough to get your last memory and sensory experiences out of your corpse.

I haven’t mentioned yet, though I clearly should, that to watch Fringe (like many things on the Fox network) requires a complete suspension of your disbelief. You thought J. J. Abrams went off the deep end with ‘Lost’? These are the ideas that were too crazy for abc.

The ‘bad guys’ are the folks over at Massive Dynamic, the company mysteriously tied to a variety of strange phenomena, happening worldwide. These events are similar only in that they are strange and inexplicable, and we are told there is a ‘Pattern’. In another unfavorable comparison, there is no ‘Scully’ in Fringe. No character offers us the skeptical point-of-view, so the writers clearly expect us to be all-in. In good conscience, I cannot recommend Fringe, although it is a great guilty pleasure to watch with the lights off. Oh, and don’t try to eat while watching this. Waaaaay worse than CSI.

Fringe will return in 60 seconds

One of the show’s unique features is the advertising. Fox is experimenting with a longer-drama format, so there are fewer commercial breaks, and none are longer than 90 seconds. Barely enough time to pee, in other words. At the top of each commercial break, there is a title screen, and a creepy voice tells you that ‘Fringe will return in’ say, 60 seconds.* I kind of like it, even though I usually fast forward through commercials. Maybe it’s the title screens. They all have really cool images. What can I say – I like pretty things.

The stand out quality of Fringe is certainly the portrayal of Special Agent Olivia Dunham by Australian actress Anna Torv. She is quite simply one of the most striking looking women I have ever seen, and effective the first episode of January, (Bound – watch episode here), she is my new hero. We have known since the pilot that Olivia had great moral fortitude and strength of character. In that episode, Olivia almost dies a couple of different times, and in very ugly ways, to save the life of her partner and lover. Turns out he was working for the bad guys, and he dies at the end of the episode, in her arms, after a high speed chase. I know single life is tough on the professional girl, but even I haven’t had a date like that.

In the first 20 minutes of ‘Bound’, she is abducted twice. In the first abduction, she convinced her captor to give her a  sip of water, and he stupidly let her sit up and placed the glass in her hand. She took out several large men with brutal efficiency, shockingly fast. Rather than pausing a moment for a mini-meltdown, she immediately shifts gears to find the person responsible for her kidnapping. When asked by her boss ‘are you OK?’ she replies ‘not yet’. Tough chick! Sadly, she is almost immediately drugged, restrained and abducted – this time, by a group of company agents. OK, hang on for this twisted tale: It seems that Olivia was once a prosecutor. She convicted a man, named Mr. Harris, for sexual assault. The conviction was overturned, and somehow Mr Harris ends up working for the Department of Homeland Security (huh?). He has been ordered to review the Fringe Science Division, which has brought him back to Olivia’s orbit. He decides to abduct and interrogate her as a part of his investigation (seriously, huh?). Don’t forget I warned you that this show requires a complete and willing suspension of disbelief.

Even still, after watching Olivia last week, I’m going to have to tune in, at least on occasion. I’ve discovered the joy of physical fitness in the last year or so and when I train at the gym, I fantasize about being a total kick-butt Superhero Girl. Hey, an active imagination informs this column. Surely you aren’t surprised. Agent Dunham may just be my new motivational force.

© Copyright 2009

All Rights Reserved. All Wrongs Avenged.

Fringe on iTunes:

*The network will also be utilizing this format with the Premiere of Joss Whedon’s ‘Dollhouse’, in February. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Joss Whedon coming back to television!

Written and Directed by Joel Hopkins

A friend of mine has been waiting three weeks to see this movie with me, and last night was our first opportunity. My first inkling of trouble was that we were the youngest women in the theater (I must register my surprise that there were about 20 other people in the theater on a Monday night. If they hadn’t been spread all over the auditorium, I would have imagined it to be a movie outing for the local Senior Center). This was only of passing interest, until half way through the second preview when we all realized that there were significant sound troubles. It occurred to me that as the most sprightly of the audience members, it would only be polite if I went to inform management. Sadly, the poor audio persisted throughout the film, making the dialogue a bit hard to hear. Even more sadly, I’m not sure hearing it at the appropriate volume would have helped.

The title character of the film, played by Dustin Hoffman (regular readers will know that I chronically confuse him with Richard Dreyfuss)  is an aging jingle writer. He is becoming obsolete at his job, he has few personal relationships and he’s probably an alcoholic. Harvey has come to London to see his estranged daughter get married. His is a classically sad tale. He’s simply not good enough. He knows he’s not good enough, but he doesn’t do anything to make himself better. I know people like that. Heck, there have been times in my life that I’ve been tempted to be that person. It’s possible Harvey just needs a good anti-depressant….

Arriving in London, we see that Harvey’s ex-wife and her new family (including his daughter, the bride-to-be) have quite happily moved on to life without him. Although they are relatively gracious and kind to Harvey, it is quite obvious that they are making just exactly as much effort towards him as they feel he warrants. They give off an air of self-congratulation… as if to say ‘aren’t we civil? Even Harvey is welcome here’. Harvey picks up on the vibe, bails on the reception, and heads back to New York.

He misses his flight (this poor guy can’t do anything right), and ends up stuck at the airport, where he meets Kate (the always delightful Emma Thompson). Kate works at the airport, and Harvey was actually fairly rude to her earlier in the day. Recognizing her, Harvey convinces her to have a meal with him, and the ‘romantic’ comedy ensues. Now usually at this point in a romantic comedy review, my quotations would be around the word ‘comedy’… because that’s usually where formulaic movies fall short. Between Kate’s overbearing mother (who is terrified of her Polish neighbor, who she fears is a serial killer), and the kid’s table at the wedding reception, there are a couple of actual LOL moments. I never imagined a movie could get the romance part of the formula wrong.

I’ve got to tell ya, I’m not a fan of Harvey (or this movie). It’s a real shame, because I happen to be the kind of critic who believes that Hollywood should diversify and start making movies that aren’t just directed toward the spending habits of teenage boys. I was excited to see a romantic comedy for a woman in her fifties… which is the new 30, haven’t you heard? Clearly the studio did not get the Cougar memo.

So we’ve got a man who is a bit of a personal failure. Harvey gives the clear impression that although he might be having a stretch of bad luck, he’s no stranger to hard times. He has lost his job, screwed up with his family, and missed his flight. And his very first reaction is to have a half dozen shots of whiskey and fancy-talk a pretty younger woman who he was rude to earlier in the day. Seems like Harvey’s one talent might be chasing skirt. He is just charming enough to crack open Kate’s defenses, and he seems to know all the right things to say, for a man who is all alone in life. His most charming feature is that he takes a vivid interest in Kate’s musings and the meanderings of her imagination. I must admit, this is also my personal relationship heroin, so I can see how Kate found him appealing.

He effectively stalks her for an entire day, then convinces her to come to his daughter’s wedding reception. Yep, he gate crashes his daughter’s reception with a complete stranger. Then he interrupts her step-father and insists on making the ‘father’s’ toast to the bride. Turns out everything is about Harvey… and so much for the wishes of the Bride. During his toast he repeatedly references the trials of divorce, which I know is just what every young married couple yearns to hear. Then he ignores Kate at the reception, to the point that she tries to leave. Seriously, this guy is a huge cad… and I’m pretty sure I was the only person in the theater who saw it.

My friend (who is admittedly in her 50s, and tears up at every movie with a happy ending) was sniffling in the seat beside me. And I certainly didn’t hear anyone else muttering ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ under their breath.

Here’s the trouble: Harvey had all the right words. But I’ve gotta tell ya girls. I’ve been dating for a minute now, and Harvey’s a player. It took me a minute to realize why I left the theater feeling vaguely angry. I looked over to my friend, who is much like Kate. She is an attractive, smart, funny, professional woman. She took good care of her mother, until her passing. My friend is single only because she refuses to date. I promise you, dear reader, that if she was as willing to engage a man as Kate was in this movie, she wouldn’t be single – and neither would Kate. The message of this movie is that a woman in her 50’s can’t find a decent man, so must settle for being treaeted badly by a much older man? Kate gets the predictably happy ending, but I have a feeling that ‘ever after’ is a bit much to ask with a guy like Last Chance Harvey. If you’re looking for a swoopy, crazy romantic comedy between two complete strangers, you’d do a lot better with Harold & Maude or Garden State.

Original Motion Picture Score:

Fandango

© Copyright 2009

All Rights Reserved. All Wrongs Avenged.

A Beautiful Costa Rica Beach

…there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

~President Barack Obama