Pearl Harbor Starring Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett

 This is a magnificent movie---it has history, action, romance and a fantastic love story. But let’s start at the beginning of our story in 1923 in the beautiful state of Tennessee. 

Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and his best friend Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) are young boys playing in an old stripped airplane. Probably an old discarded crop duster left in an old shed a perfect gift for little boys to let their imagination soar among the clouds with their heroes.

The boys were best friends living near each other. Rafe always protected Danny because he was younger ---like any older brother would do for their younger brother. All they dreamed about was flying together one day.

In 1940 Adolph Halter draws all of Europe into war and even though France has fallen to Hilter America still refuses to join the ranks of war.

n Long Island January 1941 Rafe and Danny are officially pilots after two years of training and now they know how to handle an airplane for real. So much so they get in trouble doing maneuvers with their airplanes showing how good they are in the sky.

Their last stunt got them both called into Lt. Col. James Doolittle’s (Alex Baldwin) office. First called into his office for a reprimand was Danny and he listened a while and then told the Lt. Col. That he was only trying to inspire the men like he the Lt. Col. Inspired him.

So, this took the wind out of the Lt. Col. Sails for a moment and the Lt. Col. Doolittle said that is BS McCawley, but very,

 very good BS. He said McCawley you remind me of myself 15 years ago.

Lt. Col. Doolittle told McCawley the British have accepted you into the Eagle Squadron and you will be on your way to England if you want to go.

What would you go Major?

I would go even though we will probably be in war soon because of Hitler and I will need you here with me.

Yes Sir---I am on my way.

Then Rafe tells his best friend Danny about his assignment and he is upset.

Danny said--- Guess what it is not combat training over there---it is war. There are no winners the losers die and the ones who come home are wrecks like my dad.

Rafe said--- I will be 25 years old---I will be an old man and they will want me to be a flight instructor, and I don’t want to do loops I want to be a combat fighter.

A group of nurses are on a train going to their assignment---Nurse Lt. Evelyn Johnson (Kate Breckinsale), Nurse Barbara (Catherine Kellner), nurse Betty ( Jaime King), Nurse Sandra (Jennifer Garner) and Nurse Lt. Evelyn Johnson is asked to tell a story about her experience of four weeks ago.

After Rafe leaves the office of the Lt. Col. Doolittle a bus is waiting to take all the pilots to be examined and inoculated. Evelyn tells about meeting Rafe as she gave him is eye examination.

Rafe was afraid that he would fail because he had trouble reading letters. And he explained this all to Lt. Evelyn Johnson---and since she knew how important flying was because her father was a pilot she passed him.

And so the love story begins and I will stop here as not to spoil the movie for you when you see it. It is one of my favorite Ben Affleck Movies. Ben’s wife Jennifer Garner was in this film also as Nurse Sandra. She is easily recognized by her deep dimples---a beautiful lady. They were not dating at this time---that came later.

© BEPH  2013 All Rights Reserved

PurvisBobbi44 is the sole author of this Blog and if it is seen anywhere

else on the Internet or in print it was taken without my consent. 

  

State of Play

Intrigue, murder, cover-up makes this movie an attention keeper. It has one’s mind going around in a labyrinth. Just when you believe you know the answer---of who did what to whom---it blows up in your face.

The first scene---we see what appears to be a common thief as he burst from an alleyway nearly collided with an elderly couple. And slides over the front of a moving car; then he ran and hid in an alley behind large garbage cans. He waits awhile trying to catch his breath---then starts looking around to see if it is safe to leave his haven. It was a bad move because his pursuer shot him twice---and few second later a guy delivering Pizza on a bike rode by---and the killer shot him also.

The first guy shot was dead, but the second guy was in critical condition in a comma.  The Pizza man had a family he was trying to support with his low wage job, and now the family might have no one.

Next we see Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) who looks like a reject from the 60’s with his long hair and unshaven face; driving his car singing, dialing his cell phone, eating and spilling food all over the car and then he throws his trash on the back seat; which by now looks like a refuse can. When he arrived he greeted Det. Bell who is investigating the crime scene.

Cal McAffrey is a brilliant reporter for the Globe in Washington DC and is known by many of the law enforcement employees. Cal smells a story behind the story of what just happened, and he goes to work on solving it. He is unflappable but works for a tough Editor Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren) whose bottom line is whatever is good for the paper. She is a fan of Cal’s but she does not give him sweet words of praise very often---because she knows it is sales that will keep her bread and butter.

Then a beautiful young redhead leaves her home to walk to the subway station as it is her mode of travel to her job. Upon arriving there she stands close to the edge waiting for the subway---one just knows something bad is going to happen.

The police called Congressmen Stephen Collins’ (Ben Affleck) office before he arrived . When he arrives his secretary tells him Soni Baker (Maria Thayer) who worked for the Congressman as his aide was killed in an accident at Metro this morning she was identified by her badge.

Congressman Collins is stunned---he stands with a look of disbelief. One of his staff members reminds him that it is time for the meeting this morning.

The meeting begins with Stephen Collins saying—Welcome to our hearing of Private Security Contractor Winkle into the Defense Answers and Practices—before we begin I have received some terrible news.

This is only the beginning of the story---now the News Media is speculating that Congressman Collins had an affair with his aide Soni Baker. The Domino effect begins as Cal McAffery

Congressmen Collins is a young tall dark and handsome man who is married. Will he remain the darling of his political party? Will his wife forgive him? Will he turn to his college room-mate Cal McAffrey for help? Is he innocent of being involved in the murders?

This is a great movie---and I am watching it again tonight, as one always misses something the first time. Enjoy the State of Play Movie.

© BEPH  2012  All Rights Reserved

PurvisBobbi44 is the sole author of this Blog and if it is seen anywhere

else on the Internet or in print it was taken without my consent.