‘The Fog of War’ is intense; ‘Calendar Girls’ is fun

JOHN DEPKO

‘Fog’ a riveting documentary

In “The Fog of War,” Errol Morris has created a documentary that

is as riveting and compelling as Hollywood’s finest dramatic

productions. He presents a sweeping overview of 60 tumultuous years

of American history as seen through the eyes of one of its principal

players.

Robert S. McNamara is well known as the chief architect of the

national nightmare that was the Vietnam War, but his reach and impact

on world history extends far beyond the failed policies of that one

terrible conflict. He takes us through the decades from the roaring

‘20s and the Great Depression to World War II, Korea, the Cold War,

the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam and the still-lingering aftermath

of all these colossal events.

McNamara was an officer in the Army Air Corps under Gen. Curtis

LeMay in World War II. In that capacity, he helped formulate the

policy of bombing entire enemy cities into oblivion. The

fire-bombings of Dresden and Tokyo killed more than 150,000 civilians

in single-night raids before the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and

Nagasaki. McNamara became the chief executive of Ford Motor Co. after

the war. He was secretary of defense under Kennedy and Johnson and

later chief of the World Bank.

Somehow, McNamara was persuaded to sit down and talk candidly

about every twist and turn of his military and political career. As

he talks, the director intersperses spectacular multimedia scenes

depicting whatever period McNamara is discussing. There’s TV and

movie footage, newsreel highlights, U.S. Army film clips and enemy

propaganda that give life to the monumental historic events on the

screen.

The haunting instrumental score by Phillip Glass gives a gripping

soundtrack to the unfolding history. Morris has distilled all this

down to a crisp 95 minutes of fascinating and surreal film full of

moral ambiguity that’s sure to be an Oscar nominee for best

documentary. A must see for every member of the generations that came

of age during these chaotic world events.

* JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator

for the Orange County public defender’s office.

‘Calendar Girls’ is a funny little movie

“Calendar Girls” is based on the true story of a group of

middle-aged English women who created a calendar to raise money for a

good cause.

Annie (Julie Walters) and Chris (Helen Mirren) are lifelong

friends, who live in a small town in Yorkshire. When Annie’s husband

John is diagnosed with leukemia, Chris is there to help her best

friend through this difficult time.

When John dies from the disease, Chris suggests raising money to

buy a comfortable sofa for the waiting area of the hospital cancer

ward in John’s memory. Chris’ idea about how to raise the money is a

bit unorthodox. She suggests selling a calendar featuring Annie,

Chris and several of their friends discreetly posing nude.

Their friends are shocked by the idea at first, but eventually

agree to disrobe for such a good cause. After numerous obstacles and

setbacks, their calendar succeeds beyond their wildest dreams.

Mirren and Walters do their usual splendid acting jobs and fill

the screen with humor and emotion. There is a line in the film about

Yorkshire women growing more glorious with age, and Mirren and

Walters certainly make the case for the beauty of older women.

The direction (by Nigel Cole) and writing (by Tim Firth and

Juliette Towhidi) are a little uneven. The first half of the movie is

funny and joyful, even while dealing with a serious issue like

cancer. There are several wonderfully humorous scenes, especially

during the photo shoot for the calendar pictures.

The second half of the movie, which covers the crises that comes

with their fame and success, somehow loses the pace and cohesiveness.

This isn’t a fatal flaw, though. The good definitely outweighs the

bad. Go see “Calendar Girls,” laugh a lot, and leave feeling happy

about what some adventurous women in England were able to achieve for

charity.

* TRICIA BEHLE, 31, lives in Newport Beach and works as a software

validator.