Ruse & News
Excerpt from an article by Alyssa Guzman at nypost.com: “Joe Delfausse, 82, went viral on Tuesday after a large group of people gathered in the middle of Ninth Avenue in Brooklyn to peer into his telescope to catch a glimpse of Saturn.” Kudos, Sir. Photo from Google Images:
Headline from NYP: “‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ singer slams Republicans for song use at debate.” They don’t realize they’re almost as big a problem as Dems.
Suggestion for anyone vacationing in Brazil: a new dining experience, 295 feet in the air, only $450. Photo from GI:
From NYP: “‘Achieving their goals’: Migrant smugglers promoting easy border crossings on social media during crisis.”
Friday night’s movie fix, courtesy of Netflix by mail, was a breezy romp rife with casual violence, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023). Brit authorities are puzzled as to why an unknown stolen item is worth billions to potential buyers, why 30 security personnel were murdered during the heist. Jason Statham plays an agent on the trail of the macguffin. At first he employs mostly fisticuffs. Gunplay is soon required and the body count rises. I guessed it would be something to do with cryptocurrencies. I felt dumb when the secret was revealed. What this flick has over those similar is a good plot. At times the dialogue is too cute but not awful. I wasn’t too crazy about Statham being portrayed as a superman, but I still enjoyed the show. The supporting cast is excellent. Aubrey Plaza has become my favorite actress, here playing a brainy assistant. Hugh Grant, almost unrecognizable behind shades, older and using a different voice than I recall, is outstanding as a master criminal. Josh Harnett is fine as a popular actor forced to assist in the government’s scheme, as is Bugzy Malone as the efficient assassin who rounds out the crew, Carey Elwes as its wine connoisseur nominal leader, and Peter Ferdinando as a rogue agent. Lourdes Faberes cuts a fierce presence as the criminal’s assistant. Guy Ritchie directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies. 89,0000+ users at IMDb have rated …Ruse, forging to a consensus of 6.3 on a scale of ten. The film did not fare well at the box office, returning $37+ million against a budget estimated at $50 million. Anyone who prefers all-out action may be disappointed. Running time is less than two hours. Although there is a lot of violence, there is not much blood flow. I don’t recall the level of profanity, which may mean it’s minimal by today’s standards. Here are Statham, who has training in several of the martial arts, and Plaza, photo from GI:
Good tidings in this foxnews.com headline: “Over 100 individuals reported missing in Maui confirmed alive, FBI says.”
Government in a nutshell — excerpt from an FN article by Adam Shaw: “Paper straws, which are being pushed across the U.S. as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic versions, may contain ‘forever chemicals’ that are harmful to both humans and the environment and were observed more often than in a sample of plastic straws, a new European study has found.”
Someone sent a Sicilian message to the floating book shop today. Corner of Bay Parkway and 85th St.:
Not much action on this humid day. My thanks to the woman who overcompensated me for Hide and Seek by James Patterson, and to the one who bought First Among Equals by Jeffrey Archer; and to Bill, who was happy I reserved The Columbo Phile: A Casebook by Mark Dawidziak, a book that covers the entire series.
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