Movies, movies and more movies

The photo is a wind farm in the north end of the valley. It is claimed to be one of the greatest producers of wind energy in the world. Some of the blades are 60' long.
Friday Morning we had breakfast at the club and headed into town for our first film, La Mission. The Bratt brothers production was a pleasant surprise. When it started I had the impression it was going to be a bit heavy-handed but as it progressed it became subtler and more nuanced. Benjamin Bratt plays an old school urban Hispanic single father who discovers an unsettling secret, which drives him to anger, violence and despair. The Mission District of SF is the setting and most of the characters are devotees of the “low-rider” culture. The music is varied and exciting. The casting involves many unfamiliar faces but the performances are well wrought. The film was shown in the Annenberg Auditorium at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Our ticket stubs afforded us access to the Museum and we took a quick tour before dinner. There was a very nice Art of Glass exhibit as well as their regular collection of Southwest Art. There is a sunken sculpture garden dominated by several pieces by Dale Chihuly included [I believe] one of the Venice Canal chandelier installations. We had dinner at Restaurante Guilermo, which turned out to be mediocre at best.
Saturday morning I saw “Today’s Special,” a light and delightful foodie movie about a young chef forced to take care of his ailing father’s failing Tandoori restaurant. He rediscovers his heritage through a mystical cabbie that teaches him the basics of Indian cuisine. It was funny, and appetite enhancing.
I turned right around and saw “Is It Me?” which was a waste of time. This incredibly clichéd and predictable gay comedy of errors was weighed down by old jokes, terrible music and acting that was so ham-fisted I could have been watching a silent film.
The evening film was much better. “Handsome Harry” is a carefully crafted melodrama about a mature man being set adrift trying to cope with a violent event from his distant past. Jamey Sheridan is not only “Handsome” but gives an exceptionally nuanced portrayal of a lost soul in search of redemption. He is supported by the likes of Steve Buscemi, John Savage, Aiden Quinn and Campbell Scott. A truly fine jazz soundtrack carries us through the half-dozen variations leading to a heartbreaking coda. I have 2 more scheduled on Sunday and I’ll try to squeeze in one more.
Getting around here is pretty easy. I expected it to be a smaller community but it is sprawling. Hwy 10 makes it pretty easy to get from Palm Springs to Rancho Mirage, to La Quinta and Palm Desert; everything seems to be between the highway and the mountains [which are snow-covered].