Lovely Weekend

I'm just coming off a really nice weekend, and I wish I had one more day before the week started up again. Friday night after work I met Todd and Dylan for dinner around Union Square. We ate fully healthy vegetarian fare, and then counteracted every bite with a trip to Veneiro's. So good! If we lived closer, I'd have cannolis everyday.

Treats in tow, we made our way to the movies to watch Nine. I hadn't expected the movie to be as dark as it was. Afterward, Todd and I talked about the ending and how we both thought it was heading someplace different — and better. It had the feeling of an ending-by-committee. I think our ideas would have made for a more original movie that left viewers with much more to think about after the credits rolled. Also, did you ever have a writing teacher tell you that if your story includes a shotgun mounted on the wall, the gun has to go off at some point in the story? The idea, of course, is that if you give a detail like that, it should be there for a reason. Well, Nine had a shotgun on the wall and it never went off. Again, I think the detail had a purpose in an earlier version and got workshopped out to make people happy. I liked the movie, but I think anyone interested is just as well served waiting for the DVD.

Saturday the three of us went to a newly found brunch place in Harlem. It was really good and has a nice vibe. It's the kind of place where you could bring a book or laptop and settle in for a few hours, I think. Dylan went off to a friend's birthday shortly after brunch, and I requested that Todd and I spend the afternoon with a bottle of wine and a viewing of the latest Project Runway. He indulged me, and it was just what I needed. I've been feeling pretty stressed out lately, and the laziness and relaxation of our afternoon was perfect. We tried to go shoe shopping after PR, but we got sidelined by the new Whole Foods in our neighborhood and did grocery shopping instead. The evening ended with sushi in bed while we watched District 9. It was good, but very different and less political than I expected.

And yesterday started out with hours of homework (boo) followed by brunch downtown with Ben and Lorraina. Apologies in advance to Ben if you read this: I sometimes get a little negative about all the time I have to devote to school and the way it limits the fun things I can do. I know that going to school is an enormous opportunity, but it's still hard not to feel disappointed about all the social things I miss. Ben got his MBA a year ago and now has a job that would make me want to jump out a window. I can't believe the hours he works, the travel he has to do, and the way his employers expect him to be available at their whim. On the subway I had a moment of schedenfreude and said to Todd, "If anything can make me feel better about my situation, it's brunch with Ben!" Brunch was wonderful, and not because someone else's schedule sucks harder than mine. Instead, it was just a treat to catch up with friends I don't see often enough.

Todd and I did shoe shopping along 8th Street after we ate, and I came home with two new pairs of boots. Hooray! Poor Todd got no shoes and instead luggeed my boxes. He's the sweetest.

J & J

By request, my review of Julie & Julia:

Like so many others, I thought the Julia Child portions of this movie were winning and adorable in every way that a movie can be. Meryl Streep is as genius as she always is, and she infuses a joy into her portrayal of Julia Child that is absolutely infectious. Is there a role that woman can't knock out of the park? I loved Stanley Tucci as Paul Child, and I loved Jane Lynch as Julia's sister. Everything about these scenes were fabulous.

I wish I could say the same for the Julie parts of the movie. I've loved Amy Adams in many other movies, and she's played happy adorable people time and again, so I'm not sure what went wrong here. But Julie comes across as an annoyingly miserable person. She's unhappy, but the movie never tells us why. She has a sucky job, but otherwise it's unclear what makes her feel so lost. In contrast to Meryl Streep's scenes, which are like a party we all want to attend, Amy Adams' scenes are a downer each and every time.

The funny thing about this is that I loved Julie Powell in the book. I found her snarky, self-deprecating, and sarcastic, sure. She was never a pollyanna. But she wasn't a sourpuss, either. And I found the Julia Child scenes in the book somewhat shoe-horned in and unnecessary (I seem to be in the minority here, I'll admit).

Bottom line is that people should read the book and see the movie. The offer really different but equally wonderful things, and they'll make you appreciate the two protagonists in very different ways.

Lazy Staycation: Watching Grey Gardens

Yesterday and today are the staycation part of my vacation, and I've done a grand total of almost nothing. I've motivated to do the Wii both mornings in an attempt to counter act at least a little of the weekend's peanut butter cookie consumption, but that's the most activity I've done.

This morning I watched the HBO version of Grey Gardens, which I liked. It's impossible to watch it with a totally fresh eye, having seen the documentary multiple times as well as the Broadway musical version. I thought Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange were strong, though, and did a lot more than turn in impersonations. And I liked that this movie hinted at a bit of what happened during the Beales' bizarre decline. The documentary famously chronicles their life in squalor, and the musical shows their life in society in act one and then the documentary portion of their life in act two. This movie connects those two incredibly different periods more than any other retelling I've seen. Edith and Little Edie are so fascinating and bizarre that I need a little help understanding how they went from debutante balls to eviction notices. These connecting threads are important: recreating scenes from the documentary alone wouldn't add anything new or insightful.

Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns.

I'm so sad about John Hughes! I love some of his movies more than I can say, and even though his recent work doesn't have the same place in my heart that his Brat Pack and other 80s movies do, it's really sad to know he's no longer around writing, producing, and directing.

My favorite is pretty obvious here: It's The Breakfast Club. Some others (Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller, Some Kind of Wonderful) are right up there, too, but nothing will ever beat the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, and the criminal.

What's your favorite John Hughes movie?

(500) Days of Summer

The many great reviews I’d read for this movie may have over hyped it just a little, but overall, (500) Days of Summer lives up to all the great things you’ve probably heard about it. I loved the authenticity Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zoey Deschanel brought to their characters and their relationship: scenes where almost nothing is said—looks are exchanged, eyes are rolled, or hands are held—felt true and familiar.

Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel play Tom and Summer, respectively, and we know from the start that their relationship won’t last (hence the film’s name). Seen through Tom’s eyes, we experience the mystery and allure that is Summer Finn. Told out of chronological order, the movie bounces from one stage of their affair to another without a predictable rhyme or reason but always with purpose. Given the perspective of the movie, it’s no wonder I wound up appreciating and sympathizing with Tom more than Summer. He’s ultimately more likeable, if only because we see the world through his eyes. There were times when I’d had quite enough of Summer, thank you very much, but the strength of Gordon-Levitt’s performance allows us to stay with him even when it’s not quite clear why he’s so committed.

Some of the secondary characters, especially that of Tom’s little sister, felt far less authentic, which did detract from the movie but not enough to really hurt it. And there is a bit of cheese at the end that serves a purpose but is cheesy nonetheless. Still, it’s one of the better romantic movies I’ve seen in a while. It is more original, heartfelt, and believable that most of what passes for romance at the movies these days.

Loving Seeing Shannon

Shannon had a performance this past weekend at a show up in Connecticut, and since NYC is just a hop, skip, and a jump away, I was lucky enough to get some time with her, too. We had a fabulous dinner at Tartine in the village with Todd and a friend, and then the four of us visited Fat Cat, a bar downtown that I love. Todd discovered it a while ago, but this was my first time there. The subterranean bar is large and filled with all manner of games. Booths at the front have chess and scrabble; further back are pool tables, ping pong tables, a table version of bocce ball, and more. We staked out a spot at an open foosball table, where Shannon and I quickly proved that enthusiasm for the game is not synonymous with talent. Luckily we were mostly in it for the fun and not the competition. Oh, and this bar also has live jazz. I loved it.

The next day Shannon and I indulged in a bagel breakfast at Absolute (Virginia apparently only offers Dunkin’ Donuts bagels and the like, which is not the same as a proper New York bagel), did a Wii workout, lunched with Todd, and then wandered the city looking at bric-a-brac, beautiful dresses we couldn’t afford, and books we had no time to read (my currently to-be-read pile hovers around 80 books).

We feasted on home made vegetarian chili that night while watching Man Vs. Food, a show all about a normal guy who tries to eat a LOT and which instantly made me feel better about my big bowl of chili. After that, Shannon, Dylan, and I were off to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I’ll post a full write-up of my thoughts on the movie soon, but will say now that I’d like to reread the latter half of the series. Books one through four I’ve read multiple times each and know very well. Five, six, and seven are less embedded in my memory, though, and deserve a reread. Of course, see above for the size of my to-be-read pile, and you can imagine how soon that will happen!

Shannon was off early on Saturday morning for Connecticut, but I did get a few more hours with her last night when she passed through NYC again before heading back below the Mason-Dixon line.

Bruno: C-

Late on Friday night I tweeted/Facebook-status-updated: “Just watched Bruno, and it sucked.”

Since then, I’ve become slightly more appreciative of it—though only slightly. There are several legitimately funny episodes: scary stage parents, adopting foreign babies, and California PR wannabes among them. There’s also an ending that really just needs to be seen to be believed. Unfortunately, many of the best parts appear in the trailers, so you’ve probably already seen them. Also, these funny bits were truly episodic. Any plot (of which there was very little) was simply a series of contrivances to get Bruno to the next ridiculous episode. Upon even the laziest of inspections, the movie makes no sense whatsoever.

And, far more unfortunately, I really couldn’t appreciate the odd funny episode because I was so turned off by the oft repeated joke that essentially made up the rest of the movie: gay guys like things in their butts. Yes, that is genius satirist Sacha Baron Cohen’s gift to us: sodomy joke after sex toy joke after S&M joke. I realize that Cohen’s trying to reflect homophobic America’s assumptions and fears back on us, but I paid a whopping $12.50 (I still can’t believe it costs that much to see a movie in New York, but that’s a different post) wanting to laugh. I have no problem being offended. In fact, I went into Bruno expecting to be offended. But I expected to be surprised and tickled, too, and that didn’t really happen. Repeating the same joke, and an obvious one at that, again and again simply felt lazy.

And, bad news for Sacha Baron Cohen, his schtick isn’t surprising anymore. I admit that seeing him catch people — both famous and not — acting indescribably bad made for some very, very funny moments. But it’s no longer unexpected. Borat was fresh because the wider audience (those who hadn’t seen his TV show) didn’t realize what was coming. Now we can all pretty much see the set up for what it is, making each subsequent payoff one of diminishing returns.

Also, in comparison with Borat, Bruno is simply a less likeable character. Many of the unsuspecting participants in Borat began with optimism and a desire to help this clueless foreigner. It was only when he crossed a line that people balked, and part of the joy was in watching that transformation. Bruno is unlikeable to me as a viewer and to most of the people whose paths he cross in the movie. There is no transformation in Bruno, just Bruno being an ass, people acting embarrassingly stupid, a something-up-your-butt joke, repeat.

I had high hopes for Bruno, so it’s really too bad that I can’t say kinder things about it. My best recommendation is to wait for the DVD and then fast forward through to the good stuff.

Weekend Update

Todd and I are off to see Bruno tonight. I suspect it will be hilarious and offensive, much like Borat. That magical blend is Sacha Baron Cohen’s specialty, and given the clips I’ve seen it seems like he holds nothing back. The rest of the weekend will be a mix of fun and work. I have a draft written of my final solo assignment for the semester, due Tuesday, though I should probably go through it again and see where I can strengthen it. I also have some reading and a group meeting on Sunday for my final presentation. The final is all about how to market New York City, so if anyone has strong feelings about what makes you come here for a visit, please let me know.

In between all of that brain activity, Todd and I are meeting up with friends for brunch tomorrow and dinner tomorrow night. It’ll be a day all about food! If the weather holds out, we might make the evening meal a picnic in the park, which would be lovely. I haven’t had a picnic since April when I joined my college friends for a mini reunion in Sheep Meadow.

Frozen River

If you followed any of the Oscar chatter this spring, you might have heard about a little movie called Frozen River. It didn’t seem to garner much of an audience in the theaters, but I’m here to tell you that it’s 100% worth a viewing now that it’s out on DVD.

Set in up-upstate New York on the Canadian border, the movie focuses on two down-on-their luck women: one is a widowed Mohawk, estranged from her young son. The other is a white woman with an MIA gambling addict for a husband and two sons to take care of. Both struggle just to keep hold on their hard lives and modest dreams.

Through a chance encounter and shared desperation, they begin to smuggle illegal aliens over the US border through Mohawk territory. The runs include risky drives across an iced-over river, dealings with unsavory people, and the obvious criminal activity. The lure of easy money keeps them going, despite all the reasons to stop.

There is a quiet but powerful undercurrent of tension throughout the movie that kept me simultaneously rapt and anxious. The performances, especially Melissa Leo’s, are extraordinary.

The Hangover

Todd and I treated ourselves to a viewing of The Hangover as a remedy for my homework hangover yesterday.

This movie isn't amazing. It won't win any prestigious awards. It's definitely not going down as a classic of movie making. There are a few missteps including the totally fey Asian high roller–turned-kidnapper. Plenty of this movie stops making sense if you think about it too hard.

All that said, it made me laugh a lot. It's more a string of funny scenes and moments than anything else, but that still adds up to a whole lot of funny. I think seeing it in the theater played to its favor: the crowd obviously liked it, and being surrounded by all that laughter makes you want to laugh more. And once you're primed to laugh by the good moments, some of the merely ok moments make you laugh, too.

I feel hesitant to really recommend it, because I can see its flaws pretty clearly. But after a long, boring day in front of my computer thinking about how to position Cialis, of all things, I really enjoyed this movie. It really delivered the laughs, and sometimes that's all a comedy should do.

Tim Burton celebrated at MOMA

Since I have some Tim Burton fans as readers, I thought I should share this bit of news. The Museum of Modern Art will be holding a retrospective celebrating his work at the end of this year. It will run from November through April and will contain movie artifacts such as sketches, costumes, and puppets. There will also be some nonprofessional and early work that we’re likely less familiar with.

I'll definitely check it out and welcome anyone who wants to join me.

Weekend Update

This past weekend was a very full one. In addition to seeing Next to Nothing, Todd and I had drinks with some of my classmates. I thought I should go and network, but it ended up being a small group and I definitely could have skipped it. Todd was a trooper, though, and made nice with everyone there, even though he was probably bored to death. It was good that about half the people who were there also brought S.O.s, so it wasn’t all school talk all the time.

Saturday morning we lazed about and then hit the mean streets of New York (ok, the perfectly lovely and verdant loop in Central Park) for our first bike ride of the season. We were temporarily derailed by a flat tire on Todd’s bike, but one visit to the bike repair shop later we were on our way. It was a great day to be out and about, and we felt lucky with the weather. Rain was predicted, but as usual, the forecast was wrong.

That evening we headed downtown and saw The Thermals play at Bowery Ballroom. Todd loves concerts and has been to many in his day. He hasn’t been to many, though, in the last two years, in part because I’m sort of a dud when it comes to music. I just don’t pay that much attention to it. I like good music, but given the choice between spending my time with friends, a new book, watching a movie, etc. or a new album, I consistently don’t choose the album. It means I’m not up on many bands and definitely don’t make it to many shows (I think I’ve been to about 5 in my life). I also find concert behavior a little off-putting. Yes, I realize I’m an old lady in a 31-year-old body, but I just don’t enjoy being bumped into that much. Luckily, The Thermals put on a great show, and I had a really good time. Their energy was great, the music was excellent, and it was so much fun to see Todd enjoying himself so much. He goes out of his way to do things that I like all the time, so getting bumped into a little bit isn’t so bad in the grand scheme of things.

We also fit a viewing Star Trek movie into the weekend, which I really liked. I’ve seen episodes here and there over the years, usually with my dad, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan. I’d heard nothing but positive buzz about the movie, though, and it really was enjoyable. Live long and prosper.

Extremely Productive Weekend, Plus A Couple of Mediocre Movies

Todd and I cranked it out this weekend. We've been living in something of a mess, in part because our schedules didn't leave us a lot of mid-week time to continue unpacking my stuff and in part because several large items / boxes were going into storage. Until those things were out of the way, it was just impossible to put some stuff away or feel like we were making a lot of progress. Yesterday, though, a bunch of stuff went into our storage unit. We can now walk around the apartment without it feeling like an obstacle course! I also got my books more organized (Todd says I'm obsessed, but I really feel like it's disconcerting to have my copy of Twilight next to my copy of Feminism/Postmodernism). Todd put up two more shelves, in the bathroom this time. Everything is coming together.

And in between all of this, we even snuck in a couple of sort-of-funny movies. Friday night we watched Pineapple Express; we made the mistake of watching the extended cut, and boy did we feel that extra length. Yesterday we took a work break to eat and watch Role Models. Both movies had moments that were funny, but both also lasted too long, were kind of stupid, and wore out their welcome.

Busy Week

My days of lolling about last week are behind me. I was back in class last night and will be again tonight. It was actually quite nice to be back. I have a tendency to look at this program with a count down kind of attitude (ok, if I can take X number of classes per semester I’ll be out this quickly; after the summer I’ll be a quarter of the way through; etc.). I’ll be happier, though, if I recognize and appreciate the enjoyment I’m getting out of the process as I’m in it.

And in the meantime, I’m still managing (albeit with exhaustion on some days) to keep up with most if not all of my personal life. I’m 3/4 of the way through Watchmen right now, and I think Todd and I will see the movie this weekend. Also this week is the last show of my subscription to Roundabout and an outing with Todd and a couple of friends to see a sci fi opera. It’s a lot to fit in to a single week, but all of it sounds great, and I’m looking forward to it. Reviews of much of this to come!

Forgot one!

I also loved Tarji P. Henson's white dress.

Oscar Fashion

I used to love the Oscars, but something hasn't really clicked the last few years. They just seem to get more and more boring. I thought Hugh Jackman was a great choice for the host, though he should have been more visible throughout the show. He started out strong (loved his opening number) but faded throughout the night. I'm the right demographic for a song and dance number, but that routine with Beyonce was just bad.

There weren't many surprises for me in terms of the actual awards, either, which made it less exciting. This was the first year in many that I wasn't in a pool, and I wish I had been. I performed very well, so I think I could have taken home some cash. And where were the emotional speeches? Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn got me the most with their political angles. The rest were just blah.

All this is to say, though, that the fashion is the most interesting thing to recap. Below are my two favorite and two least favorite dresses of the night.

My absolute favorite was the dress Penelope Cruz wore. Since she started acting in English I've often found her annoying, but she does know how to rock a poofy skirted dress. Do you guys remember her 2007 Oscar frock? Beautiful!

Anne Hathaway is beautiful no matter which way you slice it, but she looked extra stunning and statuesque on Sunday night. It's too bad that she couldn't have done her dance number in it, because this dress is way prettier than the one she changed into to play Frank Langell/Nixon.

I don't even know what to say about Reese Witherspoon. This dress is just not cutting it. She's lovely but this dress is not. It's too bad, too, because she's looked gorgeous other Oscar nights.

And possibly the worst of the worst: Jessica Biel. The dress was wrinkled and puffed out in a really unflattering way. Her hair was gross looking (very greasy), and overall she just looked like a nightmare.

Be Mine, Coraline

I’m not really a big believer in Valentine’s Day. While it’s always nice to tell people you love them, the holiday seems too consumer-driven and artificial for me to get too excited about it. It’s more meaningful to tell people throughout the year what they mean to you, and I hope I succeed in doing that.

All this is to say that I wasn’t looking for a dozen roses and a standard V-Day outing on Saturday. Instead, Todd treated me and Dylan to Coraline in 3-D. It was great! I’ve never read the novella by Neil Gaiman, so I went in without any adaptation-related complications. I loved the movie! It was just creepy enough and extremely well done. The 3-D effects were excellent, too; their quality was immediately evident and outclassed everything we saw in the 3-D previews. They didn’t go for any of the cheap reach-out-and-grab-you 3-D moments, though, and just used it to make the movie look great. I’d recommend seeing it in 3-D if you have a theater close to you. If you don’t, though, the storytelling and movie won’t be compromised. You should still see it.

I’m adding this to my reading list, too.

Slumdog Success

I finally made it to see Slumdog Millionaire this past weekend. I’m now only woefully behind on Oscar Watch instead of incredibly woefully behind. After so many comments on my Benjamin Button post about how Slumdog was the movie to see, I went in with high expectations. I don’t think it totally lived up to the hype, but I still really, really liked it. I’ll spare you all a full blown review since most of you have already seen it. I will say, though, that I thought it was very well told, the performances were excellent across the board (especially impressive when dealing with child actors), and the music was great. I don’t know exactly which two songs are Oscar nominated, but I intend to find out. There are a couple I’d like to add to my collection.

The Curious Case of Mixed Reactions

This weekend was supposed to be all movies all the time, starting with a double-header of The Wrestler and Slumdog Millionaire with Jen on Friday night. Very, very sadly, Jen’s trip home was cut short, and we didn’t even get a chance to see each other face to face, let alone sink into several hours of movie watching together. I’m woefully behind on Oscar Watch 2009 and quality time with Jen. :(

I did see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Saturday, though, when Todd and I double-dated with Anne and Aaron. After much confusion about where we’d meet and eat, we finally caught up with them at the Old Castle Pub right across the street from the Ziegfeld, one of the prettiest theaters in the city.

The movie itself was a mixed bag. Anne and Aaron reacted very positively, describing it as beautiful; Todd and I were more lukewarm. There were undoubtedly elements that worked for me (the ending) and elements that did not (Brad Pitt’s NOLA accent). This being a David Fincher movie, it’s no surprise that it was unnecessarily long, and it definitely dragged at times. It is a beautiful love story, but for all of Benjamin and Daisy’s love, it lacked passion. Where was Benjamin’s anger? Why did he never rail against the unfairness of living a life no one else could really understand? Where was his fury that a long lasting affair with his one true love was impossible? Why was he so sanguine about his condition? Benjamin sometimes spoke in fortune cookie nuggets of wisdom, and a second life on a boat felt oddly Forrest Gump-ish. I’m not suggesting that Pitt should have been pissed-off for three hours, but without a full range of human emotions on display, Benjamin seemed even more other worldly, and, therefore, I felt less connected to him.

Having not yet seen any of the other best picture nominees, I’m still willing to make this claim: Benjamin Button, while a perfectly good movie, does not rise above and deserve to be called the best picture of the year. Movies not even nominated (Hello, Dark Knight!) deserve it more.

Lazy Bones

This vacation is ending not with a bang but with a whimper. After going out for lunch, Todd and I retreated to my apartment where we've spent the afternoon watching a DVD of This American Life (highly recommended), reruns of 30 Rock, and reading. Well, at least I read. Todd napped.

We didn't mean to be so lazy. Todd's idea for the day was to explore Williamsburg, which sounds ok when you phrase it that way. When you rephrase it (as I did) as aimlessly wandering around some random borough, though, it stops sounding fun. Add to the mix the annoying number of hipsters Williamsburg has to offer, and I just wasn't into it. We came back here and just never formulated a new plan.

So that's it. Vacation is over, we're lazy, and we've just ordered in a final fattening meal before we start the great weight loss challenge of '09. After this, it's all spinach and excercise!