racingmeridian.com

I took refuge from the heat yesterday by attending the Bloor Cinema for a late afternoon screening of Federico Fellini’s 8 ½. A movie carefully contemplative of the human struggle to balance the pressures of past, present, and fantastical desire, the film simply doesn’t age. The work is largely autobiographical and, ironically, resembles a “film about nothing”, kind of a Seinfeld for the early sixties.

The plot revolves around Guido Anselmi, a famous director with a bit of a problem. Though cast, production and infrastructure have all converged, he does not actually have a finished script, or workable idea, for a movie. The resulting pressures and demands force Anselmi to the brink of mental collapse. The experience is punctuated by beautiful flashbacks to his childhood, exhausting sessions with his writer and producer, and recurring difficulties with the many women in his life (including a wife and mistress).

The ultimate challenge is to live a life where one can tell the truth and “no one gets hurt”.

Fellini used film to ponder the demands of life, to confer mysticism on its ambiguity and to, ultimately, accept the confusing obligations and desires, even if life may be nothing more than a circus and a party. The director is plagued by the belief he is a phony and a charlatan, that his existence is nothing more than an assemblage of lies.

The movie is fantastic.

Studio directors of the period were dazzled and envious of the free reign Fellini (and Truffaut, Hitchcock etc) had to explore subtexts like the power of the church, the role of the paranormal and the role of youthful exploration in the creation of the adult.

The “auteur” period in American film lead to masterworks by Hopper, Scorsese, Coppola, Altman, Peckinpah, Bogdanovich and Kubrick. The idea of a director pondering and tackling the most crucial and important questions engendered by existence was punctured and then destroyed by the moronic rise of Spielberg and Lucas, with the resulting infantilization of modern American film the saddest and most soul destroying result of their hideous yet lucrative films…

GRID IRON…why would the Buffalo Bills be entertaining thoughts of acquiring Matt Leinart from the Arizona Cardinals? They have three useless pivots in camp, why obtain a fourth…the asking price for Leinart is rumoured to be a sixth round pick. Oakland and the New York Giants have interest in his services as a back-up but the Mighty Matt is holding his breath until someone offers him a starter’s job…

…former Giant receiver and Superbowl hero Plaxico Burress was refused an early work release by the Department of Correctional Services. His next application cannot be made until June of 2011 when, in theory, he should be released and would be available to attend a training camp. Will there be interest? Burress will be 34 and a graduate of two years in the Big House at that point…still not clear why the receiver deserved such a harsh sanction. At the end of the day he hurt no one but himself. The sentence, though, effectively ended his career…

…Derrick Ward has been released by Tampa Bay. A standout with the Giants, the running back brought a big time attitude to the lowly Bucs and has been kicked to the curb after only one season. He stood to make over 4 million this year and the Glazer regime blanched at paying that to a performer reluctant to perform. The electric, when healthy, Cadillac Williams will be the lead back for the Pirates…

ICE…the CBC is reporting that Montreal Canadien goalie Carey Price will refuse to report to camp unless he’s given a deal in the 3 million dollar per annum range. The Habs have made their bed, getting all cuddly with the mercurial mess, and it could well be a decision they regret. Price over Halak? Wrong decision then, looking worse now…

…New York Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist showed maturity while accepting Martin Biron as his new back-up. Lundqvist played 73 regular season games last season and is open to a reduced schedule this year. Iron horses like Martin Brodeur and Miikka Kiprusoff have become noticeable for late season swoons and the Blueshirts are being quite cagey by reducing the load on their starter…

 PUG LIFE…Manny Pacquiao stated yesterday that he believes Nov 13^th opponent Antonio Margarito “knew” his glove were loaded. Stunned observers asked why, then, the Pac Man was giving the Mexican a fat payday and a chance at fistic glory. “I am a fighter and just doing my job” the mealy mouthed congressman replied. Could Manny, whose head size has reached gargantuan proportions, be a tad more forgiving than most due to secrets lurking within his own closet?…

…respected boxing scribe Bernard Fernandez unleashed a blistering attack on the Pacquiao - Margarito fight while also throwing his lot in with those who will refuse to watch or cover the travesty.  Promoter Bob Arum’s decision to keep Pacquiao “in house”, fighting only other Top Rank fighters, is as sordid a move as any Don King engineered sham…