Sarah McLachlan's Birthday!

Sarah McLachlan is without a doubt my favourite singer of all time, male or female. Her voice is something special and every time I listen to one of her songs, I lose myself in the words and get transported to wherever her wonderful voice is singing about. It's her birthday today and what better way to celebrate than listing my ten favourite songs of hers. No easy task for sure. I first really started listening to her in 2004 when the song "Fallen" came out from her album Afterglow. I had obviously heard songs such as "Angel," "Adia," "Sweet Surrender," and "I Will Remember You" beforehand because they were all extremely 

popular. They are still extremely popular today, with "Angel" and "I Will Remember You" firmly etched into the memories of people all around the world. One of my friends in middle school even did a project on her for music class. Only in 2004 was when I really started appreciating her songs and listening to as many as I could. Now I am a huge fan and have seen her in concert three times. I plan to go to as many shows as I can in the future and hopefully meet her one day as well. 

Happy Birthday Sarah! You are truly one amazing singer and performer. I can't wait to see what the future holds for you and all the amazing music you plan to release. 

Here are my ten favourite songs (with accompanying YouTube videos to boot):

Runners Up: Don't Give Up on Us [Laws of Illusion], Forgiveness [Laws of Illusion], Ice Cream [Fumbling Towards Ecstasy], Love Come (Piano Version) [Laws of Illusion] & Mercy [Solace].

10. Fallen, from the album Afterglow

9. Full of Grace, from the album Surfacing

8. Adia, from the album Surfacing

7. Good Enough, from the album Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

6. Bring on the Wonder, from the album Laws of Illusion

5. Witness, from the album Surfacing

4. Elsewhere, from the album Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

3. Sweet Surrender (Ballad Version) from the album Surfacing

2. Do What You Have to Do, from the album Surfacing

1. Possession, from the album Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

Film Review: The Phantom of the Opera

Title: The Phantom of the Opera
Directed by: Rupert Julian
Written by: Elliot J. Clawson, Tom Reed & Raymond L. Schrock, based upon the novel by Gaston Leroux
Year Released: 1925
Grade: B

"Erik: [title card] If I am the Phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so... If I shall be saved, it will be because your love redeems me."

Another black and white film to add to my viewed list, The Phantom of the Opera is a good movie. Having a film about an operatic stage production might not lend itself to being a silent film so well, but it comes off surprisingly beautiful on screen.

The story revolves around the "Phantom" lurking under the Paris Opera House, causing murderous mayhem in order for understudy "Christine Daae" to become a star. He also wants her to fall deeply in love with him and be committed to him forever in return. 

Lon Cheney does a great job playing the "Phantom" and the unveiling of his grotesque face is quite scary. The fact that he did his own make up as well, is also quite astonishing. He did a great job at evoking the horror, along with the sorrow and love he feels for "Christine." Mary Philbin is quite good as "Christine," successfully portraying the fear at being captured, but also the internal heartbreak she feels for the lonely "Phantom."

The visuals in the film are also quite astounding. One thing I have loved in each of the black and white films I have watched is the gorgeous cinematography. Using light and shadows really pay off here and gives the viewers a sense of dread and fear at every corner. The production design is also excellent, with the grand layout of the opera house superbly realized and the foreboding layers of tunnels underneath it mysteriously horrifying. 

I have to say I did enjoy Joel Schumacher's version more overall, but the unveiling of the "Phantom" is way scarier here and this tale is more terrifying to watch. If you're looking for a slightly scary black and white film to watch, I recommend picking up The Phantom of the Opera.

Film Review: 21 Grams

Title: 21 Grams
Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Written by: Guillermo Arriaga
Year Released: 2003
Grade: A

Paul Rivers: How many lives do we live? How many times do we die? They say we all lose 21 grams... at the exact moment of our death. Everyone. And how much fits into 21 grams? How much is lost? When do we lose 21 grams? How much goes with them? How much is gained? How much is gained? Twenty-one grams. The weight of a stack of five nickels. The weight of a hummingbird. A chocolate bar. How much did 21 grams weigh?

Alejandro González Iñárritu's films always feel like huge, sprawling pieces of work even when he is trying to do something more intimate. I thought his first film Amores Perros, was good, but not great and I absolutely loved his follow up to 21 Grams, Babel. I still have to check out both Biutiful and Birdman, which both look stunning. Whatever the case, I am sure he will always be counted on in my books to make nothing less than a good movie. 21 Grams belongs in the same group as Babel quality wise, offering us a look at several different characters and showing us how the paths they take in life and their stories are inevitably all connected in the grand scheme of things.

21 Grams follows three main characters: "Paul Rivers," a critically ill man in need of a heart transplant, "Jack Jordan," a born again Christian ex-convict, and "Cristina Peck," a grieving mother who loses her two daughters and husband in a freak accident. Bits and pieces are shown of each of their stories throughout the film and by the time the movie comes to a close, the puzzle comes together revealing the full spectrum of their devastating tale.

I don't want to give away too much information because the power that lies within the developments is something people need to experience themselves. I will say that each story is powerful enough to stand on it's own and when they do all click together, the result is nothing short of staggering.

The trio of actors at the forefront are all spectacular, each doing magnificent work. At the top of the pile is definitely Naomi Watts, digging into some dark, gritty places as Cristina. If Charlize Theron hadn't won that year for her extraordinary work in Monster, I believe Naomi Watts would have won the Oscar. I didn't understand all the hype over her work in Mulholland Drive (extremely overrated and SO confusing), but her performance here is excellent. Sean Penn, so good in Mystic River in the same year, is also great here showing us that "Paul" has always wanted something more than the life he was given. The heart transplant he so desperately needs could be the key to unlocking that path. Benicio Del Toro is also amazing as the Christian ex-convict who seeks redemption for all the bad choices he's made, but begins to question if his faith has been guiding him in the right direction all along, as well. Of the supporting cast, Melissa Leo and Charlotte Gainsbourg stand out from the rest as "Jack's" wife, and "Paul's" wife, respectively.

People accuse AGI of being too dour and depressing with his films, however I think he is an amazing film maker with a very strong voice. Life isn't always peaches and cream and Alejandro dives into the darkness of it all without fear and his results are brilliant to watch on screen. Redemption comes at a price and is an unfortunate, but fortunate part of life as well, and how ultimately it can connect us all whether we plan it to or not is fascinating to see.

Book Review: Dark Places

Title: Dark Places
Author: Gillian Flynn
Year Released: 2009
Grade: A+

When a book can dig it's hooks into you and not let go, then you know what you're reading is something special. This is how I feel about Gillian Flynn's Dark Places, a propulsive, deeply unsettling and layered mystery. It kept me up until three in the morning because I could just not put it down. It's disturbing prose, multifaceted characters, and it's many twists and turns made my eyes stay glued to the pages.

The story centers around a woman named "Libby Day," the lone survivor of a massacre that claimed the lives of her two older sisters, "Michelle" and "Debby," and her mother, "Patty," when she was only seven years old. The culprit behind the murders: her brother "Ben", whom she had a big hand in sending to jail. Her coerced testimony is what put him away and she has always been steadfast in her belief that her brother killed their family. However, a group called the "Kill Club," which examines and investigates famous murders, believes that "Ben" is innocent. The leader of the club, a boy named "Lyle," offers to pay "Libby" for souvenirs she kept of her family, but also to go digging for more information on that terrifying night and find out what really happened.

The novel weaves back and forth through time between "Libby" in the present, as well as her mother "Patty" and her "Ben" on the day leading up to the murders. It's this amazing way of telling the story that really entranced and sucked me right into the plot. All three of these characters are fleshed out extremely well and the way their story lines all come together is thrilling. I don't want to give too much of the story away because this is a book where the developments are just too exciting to divulge and really should be left for people to discover on their own.

This is a scary, disturbing, twisty mystery-thriller with some gallows humor to boot. I LOVED Gone Girl and I can't wait to see how they turn this story into a film as well. Flynn's other novel, Sharp Objects is also high on my "to be read" list. I highly recommend Dark Places, it's one of the best novels I have read in a while and if you're looking for a great book to read, this is it. 

Film Review: The Grapes of Wrath

Movie: The Grapes of Wrath
Year Released: 1940
Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Nunnally Johnson
Grade: B+

"Tom Joad: Then it don't matter. I'll be all around in the dark - I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look - wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready, and when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they build - I'll be there, too."

John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath is a literary classic. We all know this, but even I had a hard time getting into it. While I admired the story and characters, and how it spoke to many people, it just didn't entrance me. However, the movie is very good and is able to condense the sturdy novel into a shorter, succinct slice of life that many of us might be stunned to see.

The film centers on "Tom Joad" (Peter Fonda) who has just been released from prison, and his family. He arrives at home only to discover it abandoned, his family gone. Their farm has been foreclosed on them by the bank. All farmers in the area were forced from their farms by the deed holders of their land. "Tom" meets up with his family again at his uncle's house where he is informed that they will be trekking to California in search of employment.

The journey to California is filled with tragedy, doubt, and an unshakable fear of not being able to secure work or a place to settle. However, through it all the "Joad" family manages to stick together and support each other even through some dire circumstances. The spotlight placed on the extreme poverty during the time is devastating to watch, with many poor and starving workers with their families populating the camps the "Joad" family stay at along the way, as well as the migrant workers protesting and striking. The film also demonstrates that sticking together and having the solid love and support of your family is enough to get through the darkest times.

The whole cast is great with the exceptional Peter Fonda and Jane Darwell, as "Ma Joad," standing out the most. The script by Nunnally Johnson is also great, capturing the long novel nicely without sacrificing too much prose. In the end, The Grapes of Wrath is a valuable film that everyone should have the chance to view. There is still so much poverty in the world, and this film only illuminates that it's a problem people have struggled with time and time again.  

Book Review: The Demonologist

Title: The Demonologist
Author: Andrew Pyper
Year Released: 2014
Grade: C

What first starts out as a terrifying journey of one man trying to save his daughter from the clutches of unspeakable evil, quickly dissolves into a boring ride filled with too many religious references.

The novel follows a college professor who specializes in the "Revelations" section of the Bible and certain passages within. He gets invited to Italy to witness something phenomenal by a tall, creepy thin woman who may or may not be a harbinger of impending doom. He reluctantly brings along his daughter and after witnessing said phenomenon, his daughter is taken away and possessed by some demonic force. Maybe the devil himself. The professor then goes on a journey to find her, aided in part by one of his colleagues. 

Reading the cover and backside of this book at first, made me think that I was going to be in for a terrifying ride. Boy, leave it to me to screw up and judge a book by its cover. While starting off on a pretty scary note, I quickly became bored. There are a couple of jolts of horror along the way, but not much else. I didn't quite get the ending as well and am confused to what actually happened to the characters at the end. 

There is another of Andrew Pyper's books that I want to read (Lost Girls) and that novel has the distinction of being one of the scariest stories ever written. I am hoping that one lives up to its moniker, because The Demonologist certainly didn't

Movie Reviews: The General & 1408

Movie: The General
Year Released: 1926
Directed by: Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton
Written by: Al Boasberg, Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton
Grade: B

"Johnnie Grey - [To the recruiter who rejects him:] If you lose this war don't blame me."  

I had the pleasure of watching another good silent film the other night, The General. It's a rather humorous take on "The Great Locomotive Chase," and very charming. I love that I am catching up on older black and white movies, especially silent ones that are as entertaining as this one. It's a very simple story following a railroad engineer being rejected from joining the army who has to don the uniform anyways to rescue his fiancee who has been captured by Union spies, while aboard his locomotive, "The General." There are some great action set pieces within the film and Buster Keaton is perfect at getting the right amount of laughs across. Overall, The General is a solid film that will charm the pants right off of you.

Movie: 1408
Year Released: 2007
Directed by: Mikael Håfström
Written by: Scott Alexander, Matt Greenberg & Larry Karaszewski
Grade: A-

"Gerald Olin: It's an evil fucking room."

Horror movies are where it's at. If I am looking for a good movie to watch with my friends, the scarier ones are the ones I tend to gravitate towards. They're the ones that make you huddle together and give you and your group of friends that close feeling of being terrified right out of your seats. You also can't help but compare what you would do in the situation to that of the film's protagonist.

I watched 1408 the other night, for the fourth time and it's still just as great as I remember. John Cusack plays writer "Mike Enslin," who has slunk to the level of amateur ghost hunter, spending his time debunking many "haunted" hotels and writing about them in his books. After a tragedy in his past, and a willingness to not write a second real novel after his first, this is the situation he has placed himself in. After receiving a post card in the mail inviting him to stay in the feared room 1408 of The Dolphin Hotel, New York, "Mike" takes up the offer. Even after trying to be dissuaded by the head of the hotel "Gerald Olin" (Samuel L. Jackson) to not spend the night in the room, "Mike" does anyways. What he encounters is beyond anything he could have imagined, and memories from his past are about to be dredged up in an ugly way.

Stephen King has had many of his stories turned into films and even though I haven't seen many, I've got to think that this is one of the best. It is pretty damn scary at times, and incredibly sad and touching at others. The production design within the hotel room is also quite amazing, surprising us as the story moves along.

John Cusack has always been a solid, reliable actor, but here he is amazing. I dare not reveal his whole back story, but his work here is great, peeling back the layers of his jaded exterior to reveal a scared and heartbroken man underneath. Samuel L. Jackson also does nice work in a more subdued role than normal, conveying authentic worry and a bit of menace when the role calls for it. Mary McCormack is excellent as well in her few scenes as "Mike's" estranged wife, "Lily." Mikael Håfström ratchets up the tension to scary heights, while expertly toning down the horror at times for quieter moments. The writers too, have done a great job at adapting King's short story.

1408 is a nerve jangling thriller and one I highly recommend checking out. It might make you think twice before checking into a hotel room again.

2014 Golden Globe Predictions!

Mind everyone, that I haven't seen many of the movies or television programs that have been nominated this year. In fact, I have seen more television nominees than film. Without further a due, here are my predictions for the big show tomorrow night!

Best Motion Picture - Drama: Boyhood [Alternate: Selma]

Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy: Birdman [Alternate: The Grand Budapest Hotel]

Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything [Alternate: Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game]

Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama: Julianne Moore - Still Alice [Alternate: Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl]

Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy: Michael Keaton - Birdman [Alternate: Ralph Fiennes - The Grand Budapest Hotel]

Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy: Emily Blunt - Into the Woods [Alternate: Julianne Moore - Maps to the Stars]

Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture: J.K. Simmons - Whiplash [Alternate: Edward Norton - Birdman]

Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture: Patricia Arquette - Boyhood [Alternate: Emma Stone - Birdman]

Best Director - Motion Picture: Richard Linklater - Boyhood [Alternate: Alejandro González Iñárritu - Birdman]

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: Gillian Flynn - Gone Girl [Alternate: Richard Linklater - Boyhood]

Best Original Song - Motion Picture: "Big Eyes" - Lana Del Rey (from Big Eyes) [Alternate: "Glory" - Common & John Legend (from Selma)]

Best Original Score - Motion Picture: Antonio Sanchez - Birdman [Alternate: Jóhann Jóhannsson - The Theory of Everything]

Best Animated Film: The LEGO Movie [Alternate: How to Train Your Dragon 2]

Best Foreign Language Film: Ida (Poland) [Alternate: Force Majeure (Sweden)]

==================================================

Best Television Series - Drama: House of Cards [Alternate: The Affair]

Best Television Series - Comedy/Musical: Orange is the New Black [Alternate: Transparent]

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Fargo [Alternate: The Normal Heart]

Best Actor in a Television Series - Drama: Kevin Spacey - House of Cards [Alternate: Dominic West - The Affair]

Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama: Viola Davis - How to Get Away with Murder [Alternate: Ruth Wilson - The Affair]

Best Actor in a Television Series - Musical/Comedy: Jeffrey Tambor - Transparent [Alternate: Louis C.K. - Louie]

Best Actress in a Television Series - Musical/Comedy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Veep [Alternate: Taylor Schilling - Orange is the New Black]

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Matthew McConaughey - True Detective [Alternate: Martin Freeman - Fargo]

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Maggie Gyllenhaal - The Honourable Woman [Alternate: Jessica Lange - American Horror Story: Freak Show]

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Matt Bomer - The Normal Heart [Alternate: Alan Cumming - The Good Wife]

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Kathy Bates - American Horror Story: Freak Show [Alternate: Uzo Aduba - Orange is the New Black]

The movie and shows I will be rooting for: Gone Girl, Game of Thrones, The Affair, Girls, Transparent, How to Get Away with Murder, Homeland, Veep, True Detective, American Horror Story: Freak Show and Mom.

Good luck to y'all with your predictions as well!

TV Show Reviews: Showtime's Homeland & The Affair

I have loved Homeland since the very beginning. Season 1 was a masterpiece of masterfully plotted tension and drama and even though only parts of Season 2 and 3 lived up to the freshman season's lofty heights, it was still one of the top television shows of each year. 

A lot of people have said that Season 4 was a "resurgence" of some sort, but I think Homeland has constantly been on that same great footing all along. Eliminating the character of "Nicholas Brody" at the end of last season was a risky move, but the show needed to do so in order to move on. Season 4 revolves around among many things such as, "Carrie" receiving faulty information on the whereabouts of a known terrorist, the aftermath of acting on that knowledge, the search for the suspected terrorist, the tension between the US Embassy and Pakistan Intelligence, and the ongoing war between the U.S.A. and Pakistan itself.

While there are plenty of thrilling action scenes and tense set pieces throughout (which Homeland always delivers in spades), my favourite episodes were the more personal ones mostly focusing on "Carrie." "Carrie Mathison" has always been one of the most fascinating characters on television and Claire Danes has always been fearless in portraying her. The choices "Carrie" makes may not always seem like the smartest ones, but they're riveting to see unfold and Danes has always been up to the challenge. Whether it be confronting her fears over raising a child who she may not feel any real connection with, to (once again) seducing an asset into giving up crucial information, to severely tripping on hallucinogenic drugs (with a surprise hallucination forming to boot), to confronting a woman from her past on abandonment, Claire Danes has been nothing short of riveting, heartbreaking, resilient and extremely vulnerable. My admiration grows for her each episode, as well as the not too shabby cast around her. Mandy Patinkin does devastating work as "Saul", Rupert Friend brings some surprising layers to "Peter Quinn," Amy Hargreaves shines in her few scenes as "Carrie's" sister "Maggie," Laila Robins brings fierce determination to "United States Ambassador Martha Boyd" and Tracy Letts continuing his great work as "Senator Lockhart." Season 4 also showed us some teeth grinding worthy villains in Mark Moses' treacherous "Dennis Boyd" and Nimrat Kaur as "Tasneem Quereshi," a devious woman withiin Pakistani Intelligence.

Overall I would place Homeland's fourth season right behind it's first and right above it's second. Even though nothing can compare to season two's three gut punch episodes in a row ("State of Independence, New Car Smell and Q&A, which when put together could equal one amazing movie.") I am looking forward to where the show goes in season 5. The ending provided a way for some excellent stories to be told, and I can't wait!

Homeland, Season 4 - A

My Favourite Episodes: Trylon and Perisphere, From A to B and Back Again, Redux, Halfway to a Donut, There's Something Else Going On, 13 Hours in Islamabad, Long Time Coming

I have never had an affair (unless you count a forbidden food one with spaghetti countless nights after I've made a big batch,) nor have I ever known anyone to take part in one. I don't think I would want to and considering the ramifications, it blows my mind why anyone would want to make that destructive decision. The Affair details the consequences of these actions tragically, and so beautifully, while offering us a choice of who's sordid story is the one to believe.

The series revolves around two people: "Noah Solloway," a struggling writer who is also a school teacher, and "Alison Lockhart (nee Bailey)," a waitress. "Noah" is married to "Helen," who he married in college, and has four kids with. "Alison" is trying to come to terms with the death of her child four years prior, while struggling with her marriage to "Cole." Their two worlds collide when "Noah," with family in tow, goes to spend the summer at "Helen's" parents' house in Montauk, Long Island. They decide to stop in at the restaurant where "Alison" works for lunch. While there, "Noah's" daughter begins to choke on a marble and he manages to save her while "Alison" has an emotional reaction to the whole situation. Or does she?

Part of The Affair's structure is that "Noah" and "Alison" offer different viewpoints of how things happened each day. In "Alison's" version of the first time they meet, she doesn't have quite the emotional reaction to the choking. She is the one who gives "Noah" the advice to help dislodge the marble from his daughter's throat. It's these different versions of events that keep us guessing throughout the ten episodes and adds some extra mystery to the proceedings. What we do find out is "Noah" and "Alison" are both being interrogated by the same detective for a crime that has been committed and it's interesting and fun trying to decipher who may or may not be telling the truth. 

The cast is uniformly great with Dominic West and Ruth Wilson's extraordinary performances leading the way. Maura Tierney and Joshua Jackson also shine very brightly, as well as the rest of the supporting cast. We get to delve quite extensively into the immediate families, and all actors within are up to the challenge. 

I loved how the ten episodes spooled out, the suggestions and new information flowing at a great pace giving us lots to digest and mull over in our minds. The multiple (and I do mean multiple) sex scenes are also quite hot and filmed with the right amount of smoldering passion, sexiness, and slight awkwardness. The chemistry between all the actors is quite palpable. 

I am so happy Showtime renewed it, what with the ratings not being the highest in terms of viewers. The Affair is a dense, challenging, sexy, multiple layered show that deserves to be watched. I can't wait to see where the second season will take us.

The Affair - Season 1: A

My Favourite Episodes: 1, 7, 8, 9, 10 

Song of the Day

Stand Back Up, performed by Sugarland

Written by Kristian Bush, Kristen Hall & Jennifer Nettles

From the album Twice the Speed of Life

I picked Stand Back Up for my "Song of the Day" selection simply because I can't get over how amazing Jennfier Nettles' voice is. Stand Back Up is a great song because it emphasizes that age old message of "when you fall down, you've got to get back up and keep trying." Pick any song of hers or Sugarland's and you can tell she puts everything into every song she sings. I also admire how she can subvert expectations by singing a country tinged song, and then jumping over to a more rock, steam-punk oriented song, evident on Sugarland's last album The Incredible Machine. Have a listen and I am sure you'll agree her voice is one for the ages. I would love to see her or Sugarland live, and am extremely jealous of everyone that gets to see her perform in Chicago.

Quick Hello & TV Show Review: HBO's Getting On

First off, I would like to say HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone and sorry I have been away for the last little bit. What with all the Christmas stuff, and the New Year stuff, time has slipped by me. I hope y'all had a wonderful holiday and spent some quality time with your fam jams. However, now is the time to buckle down and move forward with this posting and writing thing I have committed myself too. I have written down some reviews of things I have finished watching or reading since my last post and would like to share some with you. I am also going to be whittling down the "Song of the Day" posts into a couple ones per week instead of having one everyday. Now, let's get down to business.

A comedy series set in an extended care unit of a memorial hospital may not seem that funny to begin with, but thanks to some sharp humor and spot on performances from the entire cast, Getting On is a very smart satire.

I'm sure many of us have had to deal with doctors that are unfortunately as "Dr. Jenna James," played to the egotistical hilt by the great Laurie Metcalf. Metcalf is smart in the way she plays the role though, giving weight to Dr. James' sympathetic side, making us feel sorry for her while cringing at her massive ego. Alex Borstein and Niecy Nash are also quite brilliant as the nurses working under her. Nash's "Nurse Didi Ortley" is the most sane one of the bunch while Borstein's "Nurse Dawn Fourchette" is almost as neurotic as "Dr. James." Maybe just a wee bit less. It is very entertaining to see each of their personalities clash with each other. 

One thing that I love is that the great cast also extends to the other hospice care workers and patients around the area. From Mel Rodriguez as harried supervising "Nurse Patsy De La Serda," to June Squibb as foul mouthed patient "Varla Pounder," to Molly Shannon as a daughter of one patient, to Jean Smart as the daughter in-law of another patient, to the heartbreaking Carrie Preston as a patient looking for some light at a grim moment in her life. Everyone does a great job of balancing the drama with the dark comedy. It's also nice to see everyone's various story lines collide in very humorous ways. Some of the ones that have gotten the biggest guffaws from myself have been "Dawn" and "Patsy's" confusing and contentious relationship, "Varla's" verbal tirade against everyone trying to help her, and "Dr. James'" feces and anal sphincter studies concerning rats and humans. There have also been the quieter stories involving "Didi's" family and her tough, but loving relationship with them.

Getting On has the ability to hit us in a tender spot close to home, but can also tickle the funny bone just as well. What is tragedy without humor at times. I love how this show hits it's mark and isn't afraid to shy away from the more melancholy side of life. HBO is such a vital television network that has always gone this route with their shows and I think we should continue to embrace them. Here's to hoping that they renew Getting On for a well deserved third season.

Getting On - Season 1: A

Getting On - Season 2: A-

Favourite Episodes: If You're Going to San Francisco [Season 1]

                                      Nightshift [Season 1]
                                      Doctor Death [Season 2]