Jeanne Powell's Blog
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May.13.2013
THE GREAT GATSBY a film review by Jeanne Powell
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life inspired the love affair he wrote about in his 1925 novel, THE GREAT GATSBY. Fitzgerald left Princeton without graduating, enlisted in the army in 1917, and fell madly in love with a wild...
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May.07.2013
"Within The Eye of The Storm" is an award-winning documentary by Shelley Hermon. The Sundance Film Institute calls it "a unique, beautiful story filled with love and hope."
Rami Elhanan is a former Israeli soldier whose young daughter was killed by a suicide bomber.
Bassam Aramin is a former...
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Apr.16.2013
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP a film review by Jeanne Powell
Robert Redford is back with a film we have been awaiting since the last Weather Underground activist came in from the cold at the end of the Carter administration. I do not mean to imply they all came...
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Apr.13.2013
42
a film review by Jeanne Powell
A film about baseball legend Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) was overdue. This film has excellent production values and will satisfy many with its glossy history of how major league baseball broke the color line in...
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Mar.14.2013
EMPEROR a film review by Jeanne Powell
“Emperor” is a thoughtful political thriller directed by Peter Webber, who also directed the highly praised “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (2003). Vera Blasi and David Klass wrote the screenplay based on the book, HIS MAJESTY...
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Feb.16.2013
We used to meet in the Mission district at Cafe La Boheme every week. Clara and Dan simply rolled down a hill or two from their respective flats. Don and Carlos walked over from their separate digs in el barrio. And I traveled on the #49 to the Mission, or a combination of the #47...
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Feb.07.2013
SF Poet Laureate Emeritus Jack Hirschman has chosen the winners of the Poets Eleven 2012 literary celebration.
The anthology, published by the San Francisco Public Library, is for sale online. Three of my poems are included.
Poets Eleven 2012
http://redroom.com/member/jeanne-powell/...
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Feb.07.2013
Many readers know Riane Eisler as the author of THE CHALICE AND THE BLADE: OUR HISTORY, OUR FUTURE.
Anthropologist Ashley Montagu has said this is "the most important book since Origin of the Species." Isabel Allende has said The Chalice and the Blade "is one of those magnificent...
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Jan.05.2013
Les Miserables a film review by Jeanne Powell
The French novelist Victor Hugo died in 1885 and was buried with honors in the Pantheon, the temple to great French intellectuals. He published his 1,400 page novel Les Miserables in 1862, when he was 60 years of...
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Nov.21.2012
LINCOLN a film review by Jeanne Powell
Director Stephen Spielberg’s Oscar-worthy film is adapted from historian Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 2005 best-seller, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Tony Kushner’s screenplay is ambitious and successful with a difficult...
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Nov.02.2012
FLIGHT a film review by Jeanne Powell
Denzel Washington delivers a fascinating performance as a troubled airline pilot in “Flight.” This film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, has Oscar™ nomination written all over it.
Washington initially trained for the stage with the American Conservatory...
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Oct.31.2012
CLOUD ATLAS a film review by Jeanne Powell
“Cloud Atlas” is a work of mind-bending fiction turned into a somewhat intriguing film, with lots of star power. At nearly three hours in length, the film is uneven and too long.
British author David Mitchell’s popular novel, published in 2004...
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Oct.05.2012
(c) 2012 Jeanne Powell "When a Legend Visits" all rights reserved
Last month I tore myself away from answering emails and walked across campus to a convocation at a parish church. This was not a religious event, but the announcement read more like a summons than an invitation to...
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Sep.17.2012
ARBITRAGE a film review by Jeanne Powell
For billionaire Robert Miller (Richard Gere), life is working well. Every time he enters a room, he is reminded of how good power feels – in his palatial home, in his corporate office, inside the best restaurants in New York. Just a few...
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Sep.11.2012
THE WORDS a film review by Jeanne Powell
An intriguing surprise awaits the viewer of “The Words,” first screened at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. A multi-layered story line which keeps you interested features characters who speak without profanity, conversation instead of violence,...
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About Jeanne
"You do a beautiful job of reviewing--be it films or lectures. Reading four reviews back to back, so to speak, reinforced my conviction in this regard. I thank you wholeheartedly for keeping me up to date cinematically."
-- Louise M. Jefferson, Ph.D.,...
Connections
Causes Jeanne Powell Supports
Union of Concerned Scientists, VVAW (Vietnam Veterans Against War), Doctors Without Borders, Waterkeeper Alliance, PSR (Physicians for Social Responsibility...
Jeanne’s Favorite Books
The Chalice And The Blade by Riane Eisler; The Alchemist by Paul Coelho.