Films of 2009

It is difficult for me to judge the films from 2009. The only films I’ve seen are those that have crossed the ocean to Istanbul—usually blockbusters like Avatar—or those I’ve managed to find online. Thus, I’m unable to provide explanation for what I felt were the best movies, performances, musical scores, etc. of 2009. I’ll take an intellectually lazy route by presenting this list of bullet-style reflections on last year’s films.

Avatar may have permanently ushered in 3-D. I didn’t view it in that format, so maybe that allowed me to see through the recycled plot, cliché characters, and childish, overt politics. The Golden Globes awarded this film best picture, which should either delegitimize the Golden Globes or delegitimize the American audience for not thinking that’s ridiculous.

The best scene of any film this year was the montage of the marriage between Carl and Ellie at the beginning of Up. The rest of the film is good without being special. Up does not fit into the elite tier of computer animated films with Finding Nemo and Toy Story.

The other possibility for the best scene from last year would probably be the opener of Inglorious Basterds. While the rest of the movie is exceedingly cool, Inglorious Basterds is too long and unfocused. More to the point, I’m ethically opposed to Tarantino’s depiction of torturing Nazi soldiers as entertainment. He’s neither making an argument for or against torture. The ethics are irrelevant in the scenes—he sees it simply as violence, which, for Tarantino, is naturally enjoyable. Not for me.

Star Trek and Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen each suffered from too much comical farce. Action films should include humor—it makes the characters likeable, provides reprieve from the tension, and people are paying for an all around good time. But these movies felt like they were written by sitcom writers.

500 Days of Summer was too hipster to be taken seriously.

Up in the Air seamlessly blends the buddy road-trip movie, romantic comedy, and the character study. It also skillfully walks the line between cinema happiness and the real-world apprehension of 2009. But I thought the movie suffered an identity crisis in the third act. It builds to a cliché romantic ending, which the director intelligently thwarts. Then the director shows real people describing what it’s like to lose their jobs, but the young girl gets a good job. The audience is in limbo between happy ending and a sad one, waiting for director Jason Reitman’s clarification, but the closing narration doesn’t help. It’s ambiguous and—in my opinion—meaningless.

The Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man was probably my favorite film of 2009, and maybe my favorite American film since the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men. It disguises itself as self-indulgent fluff from the visionary filmmakers, but in the third act the film transforms into a minor masterpiece. The best jokes in the movie aren’t between the characters, but between the directors and the audience—especially the ending.

The Hurt Locker was last year’s most solid film—it had the fewest flaws. It’s also the most tense viewing experience I’ve had in a very long time. The film delivers a minor message about the psychology of its main character with underplayed effectiveness. It lacks a larger ideology so I don’t give it the same credit as films like A Serious Man, but this movie is a powerhouse thriller.

The trailer for Where the Wild Things Are is one of the best I’ve ever seen. The movie was just good.

Like Up in the Air, the British film, An Education, leaves a well-navigated path of quality in its concluding scenes. The film depicts a high school girl swept off her feet by a mysterious and charming thirty-something. The girl rightly rejects the uptight institutions around her that say she’s making a mistake. When a skeptical audience is finally almost convinced that the heroin might not be throwing her life away, the film provides the ending social conservatives can swallow. Frankly, I would have been more impressed by a film depicting a successful romance between a school girl and an older man—making a school girl look naïve is much easier.

The best performance of the year belongs to Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man. The theatre actor uses great physicality, vocal inflections, and facial expressions to capture a man whose life is falling apart at the mercy of his ruthless screenwriters. Playing a weak character who’s trying to be strong requires nuance, and Stuhlbarg provides it.

My favorite female performance of 2009 was Carrey Mulligan’s precocious schoolgirl in An Education. I was shocked to find out that she is twenty-four years old; she’s very convincing as a high school student outsmarting all the grown-ups around her. The character is like Ellen Page’s Juno, but with more depth and fewer lines of contrived dialogue to rely on.

Exchange Friendships

A month ago, two of my best friends left my life—possibly forever. The same thing will happen again on Wednesday. Such is life while studying abroad. I will stay at Boğaziçi University for the Spring Semester, while most of my good friends in Turkey will return to the United States.

For me these friendships have been unique because they were formed by necessity as much as any genuine attraction of two minds. My first weeks in Istanbul were lonely and boring. After enough wandering the city, meeting other American exchange students at our university orientation was like finding a lifeboat. There was literally a world of foreigners in our same situation to choose from, but we deliberately cast a small net. Within days we had formed a tribe of Americans. Into our tribe we allowed two Irishmen because, well, they fit in better with us than anyone else.

These friendships were necessary on an instinctual level, but that doesn't mean they were superficial. Each of us had left the people who counsel us in serious, intimate matters. By late September, I had surveyed the still unfamiliar faces thinking: Who can I talk to? Who can I trust? Ultimately, you choose someone or live solitarily. We each went through this process, much quicker than we would have at home. Within days—sometimes hours—of meeting new people, I shared details of my life that I’ve kept from many of my best friends in Tempe. I simultaneously had the freedom to divulge information with minimal blowback while suffering withdrawal for the friendships I had finessed for years back home.

In some cases, we made miscalculations. People passed on too much, or reacted differently than one hoped. No one’s totally sure of the rules; you find out what they are when you break them. It’s like international relations with secrets substituted for surface-to-air missiles, except everyone lives.

I think of Istanbul and I feel at home now, largely because of my friends here. I’m sad that they’re leaving of course, but I think it's kind of like owning a dog—I always knew one day I'd say goodbye.

We live in a fast, mobile world so maybe brief friendships are the norm and this is nothing special. But I believe these friendships require a different category. They were necessary, powerful, and rewarding in spite of their brevity—or more likely because of it.

NFL Divisional Round Predictions

Last week I predicted three of the four games correctly, which means I'm one pick better than random chance. The only game I got wrong was choosing against Kurt Warner’s playoff experience and the Arizona Cardinals. The four games last week proved two patterns of the playoffs. Each of the victorious teams was at least +2 in turnovers, and all of the winners successfully attacked the opposing quarterback.

This week is much more difficult to call because of the level of the competition; the four wild-card teams have momentum, and the four teams that received a first-round bye are weeks removed from any dominant play.

Saturday’s first game features my beloved New Orleans Saints hosting the Arizona Cardinals. If the Saints lose this weekend, I might have to start betting on the Cubs as a more promising investment. The Saints have lost their last three games, including to the bottom-feeding Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wherein Cadillac Williams down-right emasculated the Saints defense with nine straight runs to win in overtime. The Saints haven’t looked like a team worthy of the top seed in the NFC since a November 30 victory over the New England Patriots. By kickoff on Saturday that game will be 48 days old. That’s right, the Saints have been wandering in the desert longer than Jesus did. It doesn’t help that they’re staring at two offensive assassins with playoff credentials in Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner.

Even so, I am picking the New Orleans Saints to win this game. This may be blind loyalty, but I’ll try to back it up. In the regular season, the Saints had the second-best turnover ratio in the NFL, a stronger rushing game than the Cardinals, and a better percentage on third-down conversions. The Cardinals have the advantage in every defensive category, but they also played six games in the NFC West. I pick the Saints because of the bye-week. The extra week has helped defensive backs Jabari Greer and Darren Sharper get healthy, and it’s given Sean Payton more preparation time, which almost always benefits the defense—see every Super Bowl in history. This looks to be a high-scoring game, and I think the Saints can come out on top.

The following game has the Baltimore Ravens facing MVP Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Like the Saints, the Colts starters haven’t played a full game of good football in a month, thanks to Coach Caldwell's controversial choice not to chase the perfect season. The Ravens are old school--better at creating turnovers and running the football. Plus they lead the Colts in every defensive category except pressuring the quarterback.

That said, I’m picking the Colts for two reasons. First, no one has beaten Peyton Manning this season, a statement made possible by seven fourth-quarter comebacks this year. Second, I don’t believe the Ravens can stop the Colts from grabbing a lead, and if that happens, the Ravens’ Joe Flacco will have to make important plays. With Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis on his tails, I think he doesn’t make enough of them, and the Colts go to compete for the AFC Championship.

The away team that most people are predicting to win this weekend is the red-hot Dallas Cowboys, who play Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. Both of these teams are led by talented quarterbacks who are capable of greatness, but occasionally deliver duds. Both have young receiving corps, but the Cowboys’ receivers have a little more experience and an added weapon with Jason Witten. The Vikings have all-star power at running back with Adrian Peterson, but the Cowboys produce more yardage with more efficiency by splitting carries between Marion Barber and Felix Jones. Both defenses are led by an intimidating pass rush, although the Cowboys have more weapons and schemes—the Vikings just unleash Jared Allen. With the two teams so close, it makes sense that most people are choosing the Cowboys’ superior personnel and momentum, but I’m picking the Vikings. I believe Brett Favre is good for at least one great playoff performance this season, and I simply don’t trust Romo in the playoffs.

Finally, The Jets travel to meet the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have won eleven straight with Philip River’s deep ball, and they have the advantage in almost every offensive category, except for rushing the ball, in which the Jets double their output. The Jets have the NFL’s No. 1 defense, with which they should be able to stop LaDainian Tomlinson, a shadow of his former self. However, the Jets have to cross the country to play in San Diego. Also, Mark Sanchez will probably have to play a larger role than he did last week, when Carson Palmer missed receivers all over the field. I don’t think the rookie quarterback can pull it off, so I pick the Chargers to win.

These four games almost all pit talented football teams against teams built for postseason success. The Vikings, Chargers, Colts, and Saints have all reached lofty status with exceptional quarterback play and sufficient—but not exceptional—defenses. By contrast, the Jets and Ravens are built to build a lead with turnovers and field position, and run out the clock with a committee of running backs. I know I’m playing a dangerous game, I’ll go with the talent and the power of home-field advantage. So be it.

Thoughts for the Hometown Newspaper

This week I was contacted by my hometown newspaper, the Green Valley News and Sun. They wanted to write an article about the scholarship I won, and since I'm from the area they asked me for a few paragraphs about my experiences and ideas I think are worth sharing. It's a difficult task. How does one write about their travels and ideas without being pretentious, naive, or just boring? In the midst of final exams here at Boğaziçi University, I wrote this down:

I always wanted to travel, but I could never afford it. In high school I worked hard so that I could get a scholarship for college, and when I accomplished that it opened a lot of doors for international experiences that I’ve tried to take advantage of.

When I left Rio Rico High School for Arizona State University, I certainly didn’t imagine I’d be teaching in China or doing research in Turkey. But traveling has been an extremely important part of my education, an element of my personal development that I think everyone—Americans in particular—should integrate.

I think it’s a legitimate criticism that many Americans do not seek a genuine understanding of the rest of the world. As such I feel a particular responsibility to represent my country positively, which can be challenging. When American society or politics comes up in conversation with foreigners, I try to explain what I can and defend what I feel I should. Nevertheless, one can learn many truths about their home by looking at it from the outside, and it’s a view I recommend.

One such eye-opening experience was attending my Turkish class last summer alongside an Iraqi refugee. He lost much of his family in the Iraq War. He had been a doctoral student learning chemistry in Baghdad, but now he was running a failing photography business in Istanbul—he hoped improving his Turkish could turn things around. There was no animosity between us, which is a testament to my classmate’s character, but the disparity in our paths to the same place was enormously humbling for me.

My travel in East Asia was also highly rewarding. China and Singapore are countries that have achieved great success with political systems and cultural temperaments very different from ours. I think these differences produce a knee-jerk uneasiness for many people, but I believe someone who spends some time there will be impressed. My students and my friends were intelligent, hard-working, and caring individuals. Almost everyone had real optimism about their future, as they probably should. Plus as a tourism destination, I don’t think China can be beaten.

Regardless of where one goes, I think traveling gives perspective. You leave your home, and it’s completely the same as before you left. You arrive in a new country that takes no notice of your existence. That combination makes you independent and free, but also lonely and vulnerable. For me nothing captures how small the world has become like crossing the globe in a day. And nothing has made me appreciate history as much as staying at a hostel on a thousand year old road in Suzhou, China, or sitting on the steps of the “New Mosque” in Istanbul, Turkey, which is a century older than my country.

For high school students in Santa Cruz County, I would only emphasize that many opportunities are available to them, and that coming from a small town or a rural area is not a limitation. If anything in the smaller pond it’s much easier to be the big fish. Also, just by virtue of living in the United States, a student has access to so many scholarships, loans, and grants that can make their lives more adventurous. If you have passion and a plan, the opportunities come to you.

Predictions for the NFL Wild-Card Round

This week the NFL playoffs begin, and for the first time since self-awareness, I won’t be watching them live in the United States. If I’m lucky I’ll be able to web stream them in Istanbul in the very early hours of the morning. Otherwise—as is my routine—I will watch the little graphic football plod its way down the field of NFL.com’s game-tracking device.

It’s particularly difficult for me to guess how each team will perform in the playoffs—including my beloved and recently woeful New Orleans Saints—because I haven’t seen most of the teams perform this year. Over the last four months, I’ve made direct contact with a live broadcast as few as six times. As such, I am analyzing the playoffs with an extremely heavy reliance on statistics and intuition. Nevertheless, I will venture my rationale and cautious predictions heretofore.

This weekend is the wildcard round of the playoffs, which—thanks to the competitiveness of the NFL—is extremely significant. Four of the last eight teams to play in a Super Bowl played in the Wildcard round. Often teams leave this stage with strong momentum and effectively surprise the first and second seed teams that sometimes haven’t played a meaningful game in weeks.

This particular week is also interesting because three of the four games are repeats of matches played only a week ago, all of which produced lopsided victories.

Saturday afternoon the New York Jets will travel to Cincinnati for a rematch against the Bengals. Last week the Jets tarnished the Bengals 37-0. Looking at the statistics, the Jets boast a superior turnover ratio, a slightly more prolific offense—including the NFL’s leading rushing attack, and the most restrictive defense in the league. The Bengals have important star-power in former pro-bowlers Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco, while the Jets will try to win a playoff game led by rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. While I have doubts about a rookie in the playoffs, I think the young gun will be enough for a repeat of their victory over the Bengals.

Saturday evening features another rematch, this one between the division rival Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Last week in Dallas the Cowboys won a shut-out 24-0. Commentators remarked that McNabb and Co. looked out of sync and tired. McNabb has been criticized for not giving it his all many times in his career (see Super Bowl XXXIX). But he often responds to criticism with strong performances. The Eagles and Cowboys are well-matched statistically. The Cowboys have a stronger offense in every category, but the Eagles defense is better at limiting opposing quarterbacks either by sacking them in the backfield or forcing them to throw toward Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown. I’ll take the Cowboys, primarily because they seem to have the momentum, but I’m skeptical of Tony Romo in the playoffs, and I worry about discounting a Donovan McNabb playing with a chip on his shoulder.

The next day begins with last year’s NFC champions, the Arizona Cardinals, playing at home against the Green Bay Packers, who defeated them on Sunday 33-7. In that game Cardinals’ quarterback Kurt Warner saw limited action, but even so the Packers displayed why some are picking them to reach the Super Bowl. Over the regular season the Packers had the best turnover ratio in the NFL, averaging 1.5 turnovers per game more than their opponents. They also have the best third-down offense and the strongest defense in the NFC. The Cardinals surprised everyone last year, and it’s impossible to ignore the talent of Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin—the latter player is not 100% healthy. But I don’t think the Cardinals make the same improbable run again. I give the Packers this game, maybe en route to a Super Bowl run.

The weekend ends with the New England Patriots hosting the Baltimore Ravens. Surprisingly, the Ravens may be the most balanced team in the AFC. In the areas that many believe decide championships, the Ravens are tops. They have the best turnover ratio in the AFC, as well as the most efficient running game. Their defense gives up an AFC-best 3.4 yards per carry to opposing rushers, and only the New York Jets have a better percentage at stopping opponents on third down. The Patriots interestingly fail to lead their conference in any significant statistical category. However, in comparison to the Ravens they have a higher-scoring offense, a predictably stronger passing game and a better third down conversion percentage. Perhaps most importantly, the Patriots will be without Pro-Bowl wide receiver and first down machine Wes Welker. If anyone excels at sending substitutes for injured players it’s Patriots coach Bill Belichick, but there’s no replacement for Welker in what quarterback Tom Brady calls a “Wes Welker-oriented offense.” As such I’ll pick the Baltimore Ravens.

According to these predictions, the four teams moving on will be the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Baltimore Ravens. Of course, that’s assuming my predictions are correct, and I’m basically flying blind.