Childhood trauma leaves mark on DNA of some victims: Gene-environment interaction causes lifelong dysregulation of stress hormones

ScienceDaily (Dec. 2, 2012) ? Abused children are at high risk of anxiety and mood disorders, as traumatic experience induces lasting changes to their gene regulation. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich have now documented for the first time that genetic variants of the FKBP5 gene can influence epigenetic alterations in this gene induced by early trauma.

In individuals with a genetic predisposition, trauma causes long-term changes in DNA methylation leading to a lasting dysregulation of the stress hormone system. As a result, those affected find themselves less able to cope with stressful situations throughout their lives, frequently leading to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety disorders in adulthood. Doctors and scientists hope these discoveries will yield new treatment strategies tailored to individual patients, as well as increased public awareness of the importance of protecting children from trauma and its consequences.

Many human illnesses arise from the interaction of individual genes and environmental influences. Traumatic events, especially in childhood, constitute high risk factors for the emergence of psychiatric illnesses in later life. However, whether early stress actually leads to a psychiatric disorder depends largely on his or her genetic predisposition.

Research Group Leader Elisabeth Binder of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry examined the DNA of almost 2000 Afro-Americans who had been repeatedly and severely traumatised as adults or in childhood. One-third of trauma victims had become ill and was now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder rose with increasing severity of abuse only in the carriers of a specific genetic variant in the FKBP5 gene. FKPB5 determines how effectively the organism can react to stress, and by this regulates the entire stress hormone system. The scientists hoped to cast light on the mechanisms of this gene-environment interaction by comparing modifications of the DNA sequence of victims who had not become ill with that of those who had.

The Munich-based Max Planck scientists were then able to demonstrate that the genetic FKBP5 variant does make a physiological difference to those affected, also in nerve cells. Extreme stress and the associated high concentrations of stress hormones bring about what is called an epigenetic change. A methyl group is broken off the DNA at this point, causing a marked increase in FKBP5 activity. This lasting epigenetic change is generated primarily through childhood traumatisation. Consequently, no disease-related demethylation of the FKBP5 gene was detected in participants who were traumatised in adulthood only.

Torsten Klengel, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, explains the findings of the study as follows: "Depending on genetic predisposition, childhood trauma can leave permanent epigenetic marks on the DNA, further de-repressing FKBP5 transcription. The consequence is a permanent dysregulation of the victim's stress hormone system, which can ultimately lead to psychiatric illness. Decisive for victims of childhood abuse, however, is that the stress-induced epigenetic changes can only occur if their DNA has a specific sequence."

This recent study improves our understanding of psychiatric illnesses which arise from the interaction of environmental and genetic factors. The results will help tailor treatment particularly for patients who were exposed to trauma in early childhood, thereby greatly increasing their risk of illness.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Torsten Klengel, Divya Mehta, Christoph Anacker, Monika Rex-Haffner, Jens C Pruessner, Carmine M Pariante, Thaddeus W W Pace, Kristina B Mercer, Helen S Mayberg, Bekh Bradley, Charles B Nemeroff, Florian Holsboer, Christine M Heim, Kerry J Ressler, Theo Rein, Elisabeth B Binder. Allele-specific FKBP5 DNA demethylation mediates gene?childhood trauma interactions. Nature Neuroscience, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nn.3275

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/A6x4bs8YQOQ/121202164057.htm

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Help Yourself Today - Self Help Tips And Techniques Anyone Can ...

If you are considering an effort of personal development, doing a little research first would benefit you. Read on for some great tips on developing yourself to become a better person.

You cannot provide care for others unless you care for yourself. Whatever point you may be at on your journey, it is important to properly care for yourself.

Have a special account for emergencies. It?s common for us to add even more charges to our already overtaxed credit cards whenever an unforeseen expense arises, no matter how large or small. Putting back a few dollars weekly can build an emergency fund quickly. This fund can be crucial in both your immediate and distant future as you work toward decreasing debt, rather than accumulating it.

Always try do do the best you can at whatever you do. Follow your passions to decide what to excel at. No one can be perfect at everything, but we all aspire to provide inspiration to others. Increase your professional skillset, and you will feel a lot better about yourself.

Remembering to listen is as important as speaking your mind. This is particularly true when you are talking about self-development. Many people talk to themselves, and this is something you should be doing as well. In addition, listen to yourself very carefully. You will not be able to understand your needs or desires without truly listening to your own words.

Compliment other people. Instead, do the exact opposite and treat others with kindness and respect. This kindness will make you feel better and help you to treat yourself nicely as well.

An important part of self improvement is bettering your health. If you want to build healthy habits, you need to be motivated to eat better and exercise more. If your health is a priority, you have a better chance of feeling your best and therefore being a better contributor in other aspects of your life.

Always be ready to write down any ideas that you may have at any time or location. Pack some paper with you when you go out. Write down your thoughts in detail, and be sure to put it into action.

You should always want a higher level of self restraint when working hard for personal development. Learn not to give in every time your body craves something that may not be good for it. Try and curb your desires to overindulge on harmful items. Not only will you learn restraint, you will also keep your body healthy by refusing to participate in these harmful activities.

Sit down and uncover what has become the barrier between you and your goals. Many people have problems doing this. Once you can pinpoint your own weaknesses, it is easier to accept them, act on them, and change them. By eliminating things that stand in your way, you can walk on the path to your future with less stumbling blocks on the way.

Research different individuals who are currently, or have been successful in the past, and see how they got to that point of success. Find out what other people have done to become more successful in their careers. Finding out how other people did things will make your own journey toward success that much easier.

If you are feeling angry, allow yourself ten seconds before opening your mouth to say anything. Take a long, slow breath while thinking of peaceful things. Focus on remaining calm and think about what you want to say before you speak.

Many people starting on a personal development journey struggle because their goal is too vague and unspecific. Try to set a goal that is specific. If you create a clear goal, you will achieve the results you want.

Write down your goals to help you grow on the inside. For example, should you want a greater amount of confidence, write about it. Next, you?ll want to give some thought to what you?ve done in the past and could do in the future to be more confident. Picture everyday situations that allow you to work toward that goal. This method will increase the likelihood of your success.

Learn what habits successful people do and try practicing them and applying them to your life. Concentrate on practicing some vital core habits at first, and keep at it until they become second nature to you. People say that it takes 21 days for a habit to stick, so have confidence in yourself and keep working on it.

As you have read in the beginning of this article, part of self improvement is expanding your knowledge. You must also be able to apply that knowledge. There are perhaps limitless ways in which one can grow as a person. Once you have started to apply this knowledge, you will begin to feel more confident in yourself and your abilities.

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Tags: personal development

Source: http://lifecoachnet.com/help-yourself-today-self-help-tips-and-techniques-anyone-can-use/

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PFT: Chiefs to honor domestic violence victims today

AP

Every week we?ll bring you all the inactives from the early games in one post, constantly updated with the latest information. So check back often to see the full list as it becomes available.

Jaguars at Bills

Jaguars: RB Maurice Jones-Drew, CB Derek Cox, DE Austen Lane,?WR Toney Clemons, RB Jordan Todman, OL Steve Vallos, DT Jeris Pendleton

Bills: DE Mark Anderson, DE Chris Kelsay,?WR Donald Jones, CB Aaron Williams, LB Kirk Morrison, OL Thomas Welch, QB Tarvaris Jackson

Seahawks at Bears

Seahawks:?G J.R. Sweezy, DT Jay Howard, CB Marcus Trufant, WR Charly Martin, OL Mike Person, T Mike Person, WR Jermaine Kearse

Bears: WR Devin Hester, WR Alshon Jeffery, G Chris Spencer,?QB Josh McCown, DT Matt Toeaina, CB D.J. Moore, DE Cheta Ozougwu

Colts at Lions

Colts: S Tom Zbikowski,?Palmer, ?FB Robert Hughes, FB Dominique Jones, T Bradley Sowell, T Tony Hills, DT Kellen Heard

Lions: WR?Titus Young, QB Kellen Moore, CB Jonte Green, T Jason Fox, T Corey Hilliard, WR Brian Robiskie, DE Ronnell Lewis

Vikings at Packers

Vikings: WR Percy Harvin,?QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, CB Brandon Burton, LB Audie Cole, OL Mark Asper, TE Allen Reisner, DE D?Aundre Reed

Packers: LB Clay Matthews, S Charles Woodson, CB Sam Shields, DE C.J. Wilson, RB Johnny White, WR Donald Driver, LB Terrell Manning

Panthers at Chiefs

Panthers: RB Jonathan Stewart, QB Jimmy?Clausen, WR David Gettis, CB James Dockery, LB Doug Hogue, G Bruce Campbell, DE Antwan Applewhite

Chiefs:?FS Kendrick Lewis, WR Steve Breaston, NT Jerrell Powe, QB Ricky Stanzi, C Bryan Mattison, WR Devon Wylie, G Hayworth Hicks

Patriots at Dolphins

Patriots: TE Rob Gronkowski, G Logan Mankins, DE Chandler Jones, OL Mitch Petrus, TE Visanthe Shiancoe, RB James Develin, DB Derrick Martin

Dolphins: QB Pat Devlin, S Jonathon Amaya, LB Josh Kaddu, T Will Yeatman, TE Michael Egnew, TE Kyle Miller, DT Kheeston Randall

Cardinals at Jets

Cardinals: DE Calais Campbell, WR Andre Roberts, QB Kevin Kolb, OL Pat McQuistan, RB Alfonso Smith, G Senio Kelemete, TE Todd Heap

Jets: QB Tim Tebow, WR?Clyde Gates, CB Aaron Berry, LB Ricky Sapp, DT Damon Harrison, G Caleb Schlauderaff, TE Hayden Smith

49ers at Rams

49ers: TE Demarcus Dobbs,?QB Scott Tolzien, RB LaMichael James, S Trenton Robinson, RB Jewel Hampton, G Joe Looney, NT Ian Williams

Rams: LB Mario Haggan,?QB Austin Davis, WR Danny Amendola, T Joe Barksdale, RB Terrance Ganaway, OL Chris Williams, DT Matt Conrath

Texans at Titans

Texans: G Antoine Caldwell, CB Jonathan Joseph, LB Bradie James, LB Brooks Reed, WR DeVier Posey, CB Alan Ball, T Derek Newton

Titans: LB Colin McCarthy, QB Rusty Smith, RB Jamie Harper, CB Ryan Mouton, T Byron Stingily, WR Lavelle Hawkins, DT DaJohn Harris

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/02/chiefs-will-have-a-moment-of-silence-for-all-domestic-violence-victims/related/

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American Airlines to refund prepaid insurance money quickly to ...

I received several emails this fall from American Airlines employees who were dismayed that American would take up to 120 days to refund the health insurance premiums that the employees have prefunded through the years.

However, a couple of Transport Workers Union locals have posted this message for members on Friday, from American:

?We are working to send the refunds of employee retiree medical prefunding contributions early, and are hopeful to have the checks to employees in December. We anticipate being able to share the mailing date next week, after all of our reviews are complete.?

The employees? pre-funding was American?s way to hold down its costs for retiree health insurance. Back in the 1990s, AA started requiring employees to ?pre-fund? the insurance if they wanted AA to pay for insurance premiums after they retired.

But the new labor contracts do away with AA-paid insurance after retirement. As part of that, American is refunding the money the employees put up over the years to pre-fund the insurance.

So, the employees are only getting their own money back, but it?ll surely be welcome sooner rather than later.

UPDATE: A TWU official elaborated/clarified/corrected the above, by sending me this language from the TWU/AA agreement:

?During the restructuring agreement negotiations, the parties agreed that upon implementation of the changes to the Retiree medical plan program an active employee who currently prefunds for retiree medical will be refunded the employee?s prefunding account (which reflects investment experience), excluding employees who have already received employee prefunding refunds.?

?In addition, the parties agreed that contingent on the successful resolution of the Section 1114 process, as soon as practicable after termination of the Trust Agreement for the Group Life and Health Benefits Plan for Employees of Participating AMR Corporation Subsidiaries (Union Employees), the Company prefunding contributions for each participating active employee, and investment earnings attributable thereto, will be distributed to the employee (subject to applicable tax withholdings and/or excise tax), excluding employees who have already received refunds of their employee prefunding accounts. The refund will be made to the employee no later than 120 days following September 12, 2012.?

By my calculation, 120 days from Sept. 12 would be Jan. 10, 2013.

Source: http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/american-airlines-to-refund-prepaid-insurance-money-quickly-to-employees.html/

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Shoppers' habits not changed by garment plant fire

NEW YORK (AP) ? Before purchasing a shirt, shoppers will run their hands over the fabric, look at the price tag and wonder how it will hold up in the washing machine. Some might even ask if it makes them look fat.

The one detail, however, that is rarely considered: What are the conditions like for the workers making the shirt?

A horrific fire that raced through a Bangladesh garment factory Saturday, killing 112 people, has put the spotlight ? at least temporarily ? back on those workers and their sometimes treacherous work environment.

The factory, owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., made clothing for several retailers around the globe including Wal-Mart, Sears and The Walt Disney Co. All three companies have distanced themselves from responsibility for the incident, saying they didn't know that their subcontractors were using the factory.

Holiday shoppers have also maintained their distance from the tragedy.

"Truthfully, I hadn't even thought about it," said Megan Miller of Philadelphia as she walked out of the Disney Store in Times Square. "I had Christmas on my mind and getting my kids something from New York."

Shoppers from Cincinnati to Paris to Singapore all said the same thing: They were aware of the fatal factory fire, but they weren't thinking about it while browsing stores in the days since. Brand name, fit and ? above all ? prices were on their minds.

"Either our pockets get lighter or we have to live with more blood on our hands," said Amy Hong, a college student who was at a store in Singapore. "I try not to think about it."

Experts who survey shoppers say the out of sight, out of mind attitude is nothing new.

"When you talk to them about their biggest concerns, where something is made, or the abuses in some country, almost never show up," said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group, which interviews 10,000 to 15,000 consumers a week, mostly on behalf of retailers. "The numbers are so small, I quit asking the question."

Convenience is much more important to shoppers.

Take Tammy Johnson who was at a Walmart in Bloomington, Minn. this week. She lives nearby and appreciates that the store has a large grocery section in addition to clothing and other goods.

"It's easier and it's cheaper," she said of her decision to shop there. "I hate that, but it is true."

Even those who want to make socially responsible purchases a priority have little information available to work with.

There's no widespread system in place to say where all the materials in a shirt come from let alone whether it was made in a sweatshop or not.

A label saying "Made in USA of imported fabrics" doesn't provide as much information to shoppers as they might think. Maybe tailors assembled it under good working conditions, but what about the people who wove the fabrics? Another label saying that a shirt is made from 100 percent organic cotton fails to say anything about the conditions of the factory in which it was made.

"What do they know at the point of sale about where it comes from, other than the tag?" said Paco Underhill, founder of Envirosell, which studies consumer behavior. "Our hearts are generally are in the right places. It's the question of making sure we have the knowledge and pocketbook to follow."

And it's not just clothing. It is hard to tell where televisions or laptop components are made.

Companies selling products say they even struggle to tell. Work is often given to subcontractors who themselves use subcontractors. While many major companies stipulate ethics and standards that their subcontractors must follow, policing them is a costly, time-consuming process that sounds easier than it is.

In the case of the Bangladesh factory, Wal-Mart said it had received a safety audit showing the factory was "high-risk" and had decided months before the blaze to stop doing business with Tazreen. But it said a supplier had continued to use Tazreen without authorization.

In recent years, consumers have become much more aware about the food they eat, and where it comes from.

Supermarkets are full of eggs laid by free-range chickens, organically-grown apples and beef from grass-fed, hormone-free cows. Some upscale restaurants now name the farm that provided them with pork chops. And customers pay a premium for these foods.

The difference: They perceive a direct benefit, since the food is going into their bodies.

Ethical choices when buying clothing ? or the latest version of Apple's iPhone ? are much more blurred.

Jean MacLeod, who was shopping at a Walmart on the south side of Indianapolis, is willing to pay more for goods if they are made in an ethically responsible manner and does it all the time when she buys food.

Walmart wants the best prices for its customers, she said, but the company also has power as a buyer to make sure factories have decent working conditions.

"They should be able to say, 'Look it, we don't want to buy from you unless you do things a little more our way,'" MacLeod said. "If they don't want to buy from them, then that means that factory will go out of business."

Arguments have been made that producing items with cheap labor isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Factories in the Third World can provide jobs with wages well above a region's average. They can help lift families out of severe poverty. The catch is that there are fewer safeguards to protect workers from being exploited from unscrupulous employers.

At the Bangladesh factory, locked exits prevented many workers from escaping after fire broke out.

It draws eerie parallels to New York's Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911, where 146 people died within 18 minutes of a fire starting in a factory with locked exits.

That fire was the catalyst for widespread changes in labor laws in U.S. But in the 100 years since, the desire for cheap clothing hasn't abated and costly labor has just shifted to factories overseas.

"To put it maybe too frankly, profit and efficiency and competition always trump safety and health," said James A. Gross, a labor relations professor at Cornell University.

Not every company sees things that way.

Los Angeles-based American Apparel promotes itself as a line of "sweatshop free" clothing. Its founder and CEO, Dov Charney, said that companies can control working conditions ? they just need to bring production closer to home. American Apparel knits, dyes, cuts and sews all of its products in-house.

"When the company knows the face of its worker, that's important," Charney said. "You can control working conditions and quality."

Yes, American Apparel spends more on labor, but it isn't as much as you would expect. Charney estimates that an imported T-shirt selling for $6 at Walmart would cost about $6.30 if produced domestically thanks to the company's massive scale.

"The consumer can care. They can buy from companies that are committed to fair trade and try to seek out those companies," he said.

Take Nike.

In the mid-1990s, the sneaker giant came under pressure to change its ways after numerous reports of child labor, low wages and poor working conditions. Eventually wages climbed, minimum age requirements were put in place and Nike increased monitoring at its factories.

But such change only comes after persistent public pressure.

"Clothes makers will always do what they want, but the buyer should educate himself," said Paris shopper Pierre Lefebvre.

Not all buyers have that luxury. Family budgets are tight.

"Especially with this economy, we like our money to go as far as it can," said Lesley Schuldt, who left a Cincinnati Macy's this week with five shopping bags worth of jewelry, cookware and gifts. "I have no idea where half the stuff I bought was made, but I imagine it was not in the U.S."

___

Associated Press reporters Amanda Lee Myers in Cincinnati, Josh Freed in Bloomington, Minn., Tom Murphy in Indianapolis, Meghan Barr in New York, Heather Tan in Singapore and Thomas Adamson in Paris contributed to this report.

___

Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shoppers-habits-not-changed-garment-plant-fire-050552713--finance.html

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Blogging my way to health and fitness: Quitting Smoking Is A Thing ...

By Jeffrey Bergen

The potential risks of smoking are all around us and this is a thing that can end up leading to a lot of different kinds of diseases and illnesses for individuals who do smoke. Something that surprises me is that there are millions of people that realize how bad this is however they carry on and smoke anyway, basically causing themselves to end up getting sick. In the following paragraphs we're going to be speaking about a number of the reasons you ought to quit smoking along with a number of the strategies you will be able to use in order to achieve this.

For those of you who are unaware I ought to mention that smoking isn't only something which can wind up causing cancer of the lungs, but it can additionally result in heart disease as well as cardiovascular disease. While many folks believe that there are different medications they're able to take in order to correct these conditions, very often this will cause death in plenty of men and women and you ought to also be aware that it can be quite painful. While loads of folks believe that they have to die from something, I should point out that some of the deaths which can be a result of smoking can actually wind up being extremely painful for many years before you finally die.

For people who think that the main reason above isn't nearly enough reason for you to quit smoking another thing you may possibly take into consideration is the impact this is going to have on your loved ones. For those of you who happen to be younger, you ought to comprehend that it is not a thing that will take 40 years before you have health issues, your health problems could begin in as little as a couple of years. Of course, if you end up passing on before your parents, this is also a thing that they may never recover from.

One of the main keys to quitting smoking is actually having the desire to quit in the first place, and the reasons above should provide you with that. You are going to wind up having a low chance of success if you decide to quit but don't actually have the desire to do it.

Something you're going to discover that individuals have had success with when trying to beat their cravings is taking deep breaths for about a minute's time when they have a craving for a cigarette. This helps individuals beat the physical craving of having a cigarette because you are going to be breathing deeply similar to you would if you were inhaling a cigarette.

Having a cinnamon flavored toothpick when you have the urge to have a cigarette can help you beat the hand to mouth habit that you have, making it easier to quit. For those of you who are unable to find these in your area you need to be aware that these are something which you are able to order right online.

After reading this article you should have much more than enough reason to actually want to quit smoking, and by following the recommendations above you should have the ability to achieve success.

About the Author:

The EZGuides team provides articles with tips, tricks and advice on a range of topics including overcoming addictions. On the EZGuides.net website (click the link:visit the site ) you'll find ebooks and eguides, rated, ranked and reviewed, providing in depth expert information on stopping, quitting, ending and overcoming any addiction including smoking tobacco, smoking marijuana, alcohol, gambling and more...

Source: http://bloggingmywaytohealthandfitness.blogspot.com/2012/11/quitting-smoking-is-thing-that-men-and.html

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Source: http://rdyvyro.posterous.com/blogging-my-way-to-health-and-fitness-quittin

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New Movie Reviews: Killing Them Softly, Hitchcock, Anna Karenina ...

It is Friday, and you know what that means? NEW MOVIES! This weeks new movie reviews include: Killing Them Softly, Hitchcock, Anna Karenina.

Killing Them Softly (97min)
Killing Them Softly is an intriguing film directed by Andrew Dominik ? adapted from George V. Higgins? novel ?Trade? ? starring Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Vincent Curatola, Max Casella, and Sam Shepard.

It follows three dumb guys who think they?re smart and come up with a ?brilliant? idea to rob a Mob protected card game, which in turn causes the local criminal economy to collapse. Enters Mr. Pitt who plays Jackie Cogan, a mob enforcer who is hired to track them down and restore order.

At first glance Killing Them Softly could easily pass for a Guy Ritchie film with its lay-it-out robbery story and gritty underbelly gang violence. It reminded me a little of ?Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.? However, unlike Ritchie, that?s where the resemblances end. Director Andrew Dominik (known for Chopper) takes the art of filming to another level by developing his characters more so than the story ? and it shows.

The acting is superb, they all play their parts perfectly and no one disappoints. The dialogue is sharp as characters desperately try talking their way through or out of increasingly sticky situations. The story itself is decent, but slow paced. Sure there is some action, and when there is action it?s good and packs a punch. The killings are gruesome, yet it?s the character development and emotional investment that really brings it home.

Killing Them Softly is an art film rather than a thriller. From the opening credits to Pitt?s final, damning line of dialogue, Killing Them Softly is definitely one to see, which is why I give it an 8/10

Hitchcock (89min)
Hitchcock is the new ?biographical? drama directed by Sacha Gervasi and based on Stephen Rebello?s book ?Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho.? I use quotations for ?biographical? because the film is pretty much fiction and full of ?Hollywood Inspiration?.

It centers around the relationship between director Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville during the making of one of his most famous films, Psycho, and how he got the inspiration for Norman Bates from real-life Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein.

Going into the film I had high expectations. Hitchcock is arguably one of the best directors of his time, however the film doesn?t portray any of that ? instead it feels more like an exploitation film, something put together with his name in hopes to grab the attention of the Academy for awards season.

The actors are seasoned but can?t seem to get-it-together enough to portray any depth to their characters. The storyline it-self is weak, although it sounds intriguing, Hitchcock fans will learn next to nothing about his work from this film; in fact, we don?t see a single frame of ?Psycho? or any other Hitchcock film.

You would expect more from Hitchcock as it?s portrayed to be an ?artsy? film, but it just doesn?t live up to his name. I give Hitchcock a 4/10

Anna Karenina (130min)
Anna Karenina is a classic remake directed by Joe Wright based on the novel of the same name from Leo Tolstoy. The film stars Keira Knightley, Jude Law, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Set in the late 19th century Russia, the film explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children.

It all starts when Anna leaves St. Petersburg, her husband Karenin (Jude Law), and their young son to convince her distraught, ever-pregnant sister-in-law Dolly (Kelly Macdonald) in Moscow to once again forgive Anna?s blithely unfaithful brother, Stepan Oblonsky (Matthew Macfadyen), for his latest fling. On the way she meets the jaded Countess Vronsky (Olivia Williams), on the train who then introduces Anna to her son, the dashing officer Count Alexei Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who is instantly smitten.

His pursuit of her is so relentless that she can barely catch her breath, and turns scandalously public fast. His brazen behavior at a ball embarrasses Dolly?s younger sister Kitty (Alicia Vikander), who had flattered herself that the count was her suitor, so she?s in no mood to accept a proposal of marriage from Oblonsky?s serious-minded best friend, Konstantin Levin (Domhnall Gleeson).

This film version paints the lovers as selfish and self-absorbed types who refuse to recognize what their affair is doing to the people around them. Though the cast is well-acted and the film visually pleasing, the couple is not all that likeable which makes it difficult to really care about their situation and doesn?t pull at our heart strings as well as the novel did or past interpretations have.

Knightley?s twitchy performance compares favourably with Tolstoy?s Anna, but even with all of Knightley?s flamboyant costume changes and her tormented conflict between her obligations to her husband ? the Downton Abbey-esque drama gets tiresome. Nevertheless this remake wisely keeps intact Tolstoy?s great dialogue, and adds a bit of spice with its intense railroad scene in Moscow between the soon-to-be lovers ? one that was not in the book.

Overall the film keeps reminding us that it?s just about the love affair instead of running with Tolstoy?s many other themes, which would have made the film probably impossible to follow. I give Anna Karenina a 6/10

Felix Kay,
Catch new movie reviews by @TheFelixKay every Friday on Vancity Buzz.

Source: http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2012/11/new-movie-reviews-killing-them-softly-hitchcock-anna-karenina/

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