The Prisoner's Dilemma

You have to love Human Nature. Tonight we went to Wegman's to pick up a few things and to drop off three Redbox DVDs. We get to the store and there's actually a *line* at the Redbox. There's a man and his son, renting and then three women behind them waiting to rent. Then there's me. I've got three New Releases and I'm waiting to return them. Meanwhile, the people ahead of me are endlessly scrolling through all of the movies the box doesn't have. Finally, I say to the woman ahead of me that I am returning three movies and if she let's me put them in the box, then she can rent them. I then have to pitch to her the movies I'm returning. Because, you know, she might not want any of them... and god forbid, I might attempt to rent something *ahead* of her, right after I finish returning my videos. I sell her on "W.", but meanwhile we're still waiting for one of the women. Her husband comes over. Now I can tell, just by looking at these people that if her husband knew that I was holding "Body of Lies" with Russell Crowe, the man would have wanted to rent it... but no, instead he and the wife are oblivious. I then say that I'm going to leave and return the movies after we're done shopping because this whole process is taking too long and now the woman ahead of me, who wants to rent "W." pleads with me to stay.

As for the movies? "W", was, as the Dad had fortold: entertaining (though I did doze during part of it, but that was more because I was tired...) I was really surprised with Josh Brolin. Normally I'm not a big fan of his, but I thought he did a good job.

Then there was "Frozen River". Okay, I can see why Melissa Leo got an Oscar nomination. She was the female equivalent this year of Richard Jenkins. I guess if wearing absolutely no make-up is seen as good acting than she certainly deserves to win. In all honestly, the movie was good, but not in an uplifting or entertaining way. It was a well told story in an "Independent Film Channel" sort of way. I read up on the movie on the net and the writer/director said that she was trying to show how a mother's love for her children is something that transcends cultural boundaries. I will say that was accomplished, and if you ever wonder what life is like in Upstate New York, this movie certainly can give you a taste of it.