Two movies and a book

Notes on a lazy Saturday afternoon:

Saw two war movies this week, both excellent:
-The Crossing - Jeff Daniels plays George Washington in this depiction of the critical battle of Trenton during the early part of the Revolutionary War - Christmas night, 1776. Historical and very entertaining.
-Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War - A Korean movie about a couple of brothers during the early part of the Korean War. Violent, brutal, bloody, devastating; and riveting and excellent.

Just thought of a third movie worth mentioning - saw it exactly one week ago today: Hannibal Rising. That would be Hannibal Lecter and if you're a fan of that series of gory, cannibalastic suspense thrillers, you'll like this one as well. Both Diane and I enjoyed it.

And the finished book: Cormac McCarthy's The Orchard Keeper. His first book and one that is full of Cormac's descriptive passages - it's obvious that he loves words. But the book is short on story line and tension/suspense. From a reviewer, Robert Mathes, at amazon.com:

It is a story about the land and people that personify independance. It is about an age of rural Southern life that no longer exists. It is not supposed to tie it's points up in ribbons and to keep you passionately turning pages unless your there for the art of it (of which there is a considerable amount).

I agree - good depiction of life in the hills of Tennesee back in the '30's. But not much of a story.