Carl Deuker -- Books, Movies, TV

"To all humankind, Tess was only a passing thought. Even to friends, she was only a frequently passing thought." Angel Clare is a good character. He's "enlightened," in so many ways, but when Tess's confesses her "crime," he reverts to ancestral form . . . Tess's "confession" comes earlier than I expected, right after Angel reveals that he has had a bad moment with a woman. Tess points out the similarity in their transgressions, though his is the only true transgression, expecting forgiveness. She doesn't get it. She returns to her mother . . . realizes she can't stay with her. Thoughts to suicide. Unhappiness that divorce is not possible. Departs. Tragic in that the two, if Angel could just see clearly, would indeed be a great couple, each adding to the other.  Nature as a definite force involved in the tragedy.  It's not neutral--when things go bad, the very skies mock Tess. Tess as unaware of the power of her bea...

Woody Allen film Woody--a failed filmmaker--is breaking up with his wife and trying to take up with Mia Farrow.  His brother-in-law, Alan Alda, is a wildly successful and completely vapid film maker who also has his eye on Mia.  This is the misdemeanor plot. The crime plot involves an opthamologist, wildly successful, who has a fling with a stewardess that develops into a two year affair.  His lover, feeling spurned, threatens to tell his wife.  Our good doctor, with much hand-wringing before and after, arranges to have her murdered. End:  Alan Alda gets Mia and the doctor gets away with murder.  His conscience doesn't bother him as time passes. Strengths--a film about ideas Weaknesses--Would he really kill her? Impossible to imagine he prefers murder to confessing to his wife. Creepiness:  Woody Allen takes his 13 year-old niece to a bunch of films.  She's alarmingly like Mia Farrow in too many ways, from hair style to love of movies. ...

Film of a Joseph Wambaugh based on the murder of a policeman in an onion field outside of L.A.  The true story is notable for two things:  1) The partner of the murdered cop, under threat, gives up his gun.  After this, protocol for cops was changed--cops are not to give up their guns.  2) The appeals dragged on and on. the killers eventually received life imprisonment.  Neither was ever paroled.  Both died in prison in 2012. James Woods was great as the psychotic killer. First half of the movie was terrific; second half was a yawner.  Appeal court hearings that drag on and on are not compelling.

More wonderful descriptions of work, the country, the sky, Tess.  But . . . the coming tragedy is very clearly marked out already, as is the total unfairness of it all. In a way, the "boring" nature of the plot just shows how far we have come as a society. Angel is an "enlightened" man; no "enlightened" man today would behave as he so clearly will.

Tess as poor, ignorant, young, innocent, with a good heart beginning the voyage of life . . . Early dance where a stranger (who will play a large part later on) doesn't dance with her . . . Her father enamored of the possible nobility of the Durbeyfields . . .Tess good to her siblings . . . Tess brings hives to market . . . disaster, her horse dies . . . She goes to the d'Urbervilles for help for her family and is hired to look after fowl.  Alec, young rake, has his eye on her . . . Fair and market day--amazing writing . . . She watches the dance, wanting to go home, but Hardy describes the joy of the beaten-down peasants at this freedom  . . . finally they leave . . . there is an altercation . . . Tess is rescued by Alec . . . Night descriptions are incredible, just as the dance descriptions were. . . Tess is left alone by Alec who has gotten them lost to extend his time with her.  He returns, finds her asleep, and rapes her.  Amazing chapter, blending of innocent j...

One-Four-Five   A divorced doctor, Rick Sims, in misery because of the break-up of his marriage, takes up the guitar again.  He befriends a guitar shop employee and the two of them jam together, and they also share their stories of bad marriage.  We learn, through flashbacks, that Sims had been a pillar of the community.  True, he'd fallen for the mother of a cancer-stricken child, but nothing had come of it.  In fact, the mother had screamed at him at the funeral of her child. Crushed by the rebuff, Sims then has a one-night alcohol-fueled fling with an office employee, Olga. He believes her to be unmarried, but finds out otherwise when a husband shows up and beats him up.  Divorce follows, and misery. Limited visits with his children, money problems, crummy living situation But the guitar seems like a light at the end of the tunnel. He gets better, enjoys the camaraderie. They post a jam session on YouTube and wait. Ending:  "There was a faint c...

Chosen Girl:  Elderly, neglected, lonely woman looking out the window at kids waiting for the bus in the cold.  Little girl from a religious sect that has moved into town is without warm clothes. This makes her think of her own son, now a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, and his upbringing.  Son missed visiting at Christmas, but promised to come in April.  She has decorated the house for Christmas in April, but--selfish prig that he is--he insists it was a vague sort of statement and not a promise at all.  Broken heart. She finds herself at a meeting of the cult/sect and feels, for the first time in a long time, a sense of belonging. Traditional tale, well-written, characters are believable.  Just plain good. Test Taker:  Boy who takes SAT's for others for money.  Alienated, naturally. Sees the underside of the successful of the world.  Parties, discovers he is taking a test for a kid who dissed him.  Flunks it on purpose.  Wha...