jerelull Reviews

Traveler (2007)

Destined to not be renewed

[8/10 · 31 July 2007]

My wife and I have very different tastes in TV. We have separate TIVOs and there is little overlap in what we watch and record.

Traveler is one of the few.

When we watch together, it takes twice as long to watch as we often pause and discuss what just happened, or roll back to see it again.

Nice cinematography. Good, unpredictable plot, episodic to boot, always a plus for us. Nice development of the characters and plot in just 8 episodes.

Unluckily, when we agree that usually means the show is going to be canceled.

Wind (I) (1992)

The quintessential yacht racing movie

[9/10 · 14 January 2006]

As a long-time sailor and racer, I admit that most consider a sailboat race like watching the grass grow, but they've done a great job of producing exciting racing scenes, while having so few technical inaccuracies that the most avid of us keep rewinding to review and debate. Take good note of the early dinghy racing scenes. I don't believe they used any trick photography: things really can happen that fast.

Of course, there's a larger set of stories, the classic love stories: between men and women, of sailing, of ideas, of ideals; the rough retelling of the Dennis Connor story (though I place Robertson/Weld as Connor, not Modine/Parker); an accurate representation of the "Old Boys'" network that *is* big-money yacht racing --I've met "Abigail Weld" many times; and the "absurdity" of a desert-based effort winning the Cup, a nod to the Melges' campaign.

The photography is astounding, the character development (the reason for the film's length) good, and the music complimented everything admirably.

That it's "about" sailing will turn many off, but those of us with a love of the sea and sailing hold this as a classic to be cherished.