What's Black and White and Red All Over

Attended my first Sens' game of the season this afternoon and watched them methodically post win number four over the New Jersey Devils. Spezza played his best game of the season so far, collecting three assists and Alfredsson also put up three points. The team is starting to round into form a bit as the other lines created some quality scoring chances and forced Martin Brodeur to play very well to keep his team close. The power play scored once but had several excellent chances and with one exception looked more threatening than it has in the first three games of the season. The lack of secondary scoring may become worrying but for the time being, it doesn't seem to be causing any trouble at all.

This week, I also saw the film Zodiac which I was very impressed with. Methodically constructing the environment and attitudes of the various seekers pursuing San Fransisco's famous serial killer. The film is engaging and compelling, told with enough visual flair to keep the audience interested without overwhelming the story and detracting from the realism of a based-on-a-true-story tale. It is the sort of film that leaves you with questions about both the veracity of the specific events as well as piquing the audience's interest in the era and the psychology of the various individuals who may have been the taunting killer. Interestingly, despite the distance of almost forty years, the fact that the truth remains uncertain makes the case somehow more chilling than even more recent sprees that ended in resolution. There is something unsettling for people in a mystery that doesn't reveal itself, which is probably why the case remained such an open wound for those involved in it.

I suppose that is the difference between art and entertainment. The film is artistically satisfying because it leaves the audience with questions and pushes you into discussions and debate about it afterwards. But a sporting event provides excellent entertainment only because it never ends with to be continued . . .