FINALLY A MOVIE REVIEW FROM THE BEAR

Yep, I'm back in action and ready for the start of the fall season of "the sport", good movies, and less than 100 days until the Presidential, Gubinatorial, some Senate, all 435 House seats and many other state and local elections are with us the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. (Nov. 4).

All summer the Bear has been hybernating when it comes to movies because frankly very few have moved me to drive the few miles it takes to get me to Ronnies, Crestwood, or even Plaza Frontenac here in suburbia St. Louis.

Oh yea, I enjoyed "Iron Man" and " "The Dark Knight", especially Heath Ledger as "the Joker" was pretty good but finally this week my scan of the Post Movies led me to want to attend some good ones out there and today, I was not disappointed by the political satire: "Swing Vote."

Kevin Costner has been kind of on the outs with the "Hollywood set" and the public in general over the past several years but as "Bud", a beat up, cast off, assembly line worker soon to be laid off in an egg factory in a small New Mexico town, Costner gives us a damn good effort. (Yea, its hard to play stupid for an entire movie) and his supporting cast led by young Maddeline Carroll, is charming, witty, and zeroes in on the American psyche, who depends on the media for their political fix be it a Rush Limbaugh or Keith Olberman. And the other characters like Kelsey Grammar, Nathan Lane, and Stanley Tucci (He's one of my all time favorites along with Lee J. Cobb and Neville Brand) and yes, Dennis Hopper makes for one hellova ride.

I am convinced that Mr. Costner will realize a stronger reaction to his performance than many think come Golden Globe, SAG and Oscar time. Our public needs more films like this with all the "sound effect" loud and louder flicks we have been exposed to in recent years.

Being a political junkie, I especially enjoyed the discussions revolving around the Electoral College and the close proximity to an election which would throw the race into the US House for the first time since 1824 when John Q. Adams edged out Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, Henry Clay and the South's great John C. Calhoun and won in the US House when there was no majority in the Electoral College. (Many Americans call it the Electorial College and sometimes the Electrical College) More on this university in the future. It should go by the wayside but probably will be here forever.

The Bear recommends you take time out sometime in the next few weeks to swing on out to your favorite theater and catch "Swing Vote."