Sometimes Good Things Can Happen

I spent a fair bit of time bemoaning the fact I couldn't see The King's Speech because of an R-rating due to a scene of repeated profanity ostensibly used to loosen the King up during therapy. Well, it turns out the powers that be re-edited it, muted the profanity, and resubmitted it for a new rating. Ta-da - The LA Times is saying the re-edit got a PG-13 rating and will be re-released soon. Good times. See you Colin Firth fans at the theater!

As A Lady Of Leisure

The job hunt is not going well, especially since most places that do summer hires around here are actually downsizing. So I have had some time on my hands. This has meant lazy mornings in which I don't get out of my pajamas until it is no longer morning and hours spent finishing projects that have been sitting gathering the proverbial dust for months and months. It also means that I have had lots of time to catch up on my movie viewing. I'm burning through my Netflix queue and have seen some good things in the theater, so here are mini-reviews in case you are interested.

Iron Man 2

I saw this months ago, but I still feel it necessary to mention because it is just plain fun. Robert Downey, Jr.'s devil-may-care attitude is firmly in place, Gwyneth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson have higly covetable wardrobes, and I still drool over the beach house that doubles as the Iron Man bunker of invention and inebriation. I was less enthralled with the villains of the piece, mostly because one was so hyperactively quirky and the other so muted, despite his requisite rage, that it seemed at once too much and not enough. Also, I had no idea creating new elements only required laser beams and Captain America's shield. Good times.

Prince of Persia: Some unnecessary subtitle that does nothing to illustrate the dreaminess of Jake Gyllenhaal in this film

This movie wasn't necessarily something I was looking forward to, but it looked like a nice way to escape reality for a couple of hours. Also, my main criteria for deciding when to spend unholy sums to watch a movie in the theater is a) will I regret not seeing it on the big screen and 2) are there dreamy actors involved. The answer to both of those questions was yes for something like Prince of Persia, so I went. And I was pleasantly surprised. I know critics had multiple complaints, but I thought this movie was very much in the tradition of jolly adventures like The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. I would not be surprised if there was eventually a Prince of Persia ride at Disneyland. Anyway, if the movie is at a dollar theater near you, go see it. It isn't going to change the world, but it did make me laugh. 

Hairspray (1988)

So you know how the musical Hairspray - both the Broadway show and the film adaptation - has a loving family at its core and really only the obvious antagonists seem without human decency? Well, that is the complete opposite of the source material. I couldn't finish this film. It is bitter and unhappy and even the 'good guys' in the piece were people I would avoid on the street. All the parents are overbearing, all the teenagers are oblivious and self-centered, all the jokes are at someone's expense. Do yourself a favor and avoid this. I had to watch the film adaptation of the musical after attempting to watch this, just to cleanse my palate.

Avatar

I watched this with my brother and sister-in-law. I kept falling asleep and yet not missing anything. Also, pretty much plotted out the course of the movie after the first third. In fact, I didn't actually get to finish it with them, but I don't feel like I ever need to finish it. Sure, the visuals were stunning, but that is not enough to get me to watch it again. Unless I'm suffering from insomnia.

The A-Team

As a child, my favorite non-cartoon shows were Knight Rider and The A-Team. I LOVED these shows and seriously thought owning a black van and a Trans Am were the height of adult attainment. So I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about The A-Team movie. Then they did things like cast Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson in it and I had to go see it. Which I did. First of all, watching it made me feel like a kid again, that feeling of excitement and enthrallment when you get wrapped up in a show that you aren't quite sure isn't real. I got to be seven again, which is a wonderful feeling. Secondly, the casting was pretty much perfect and the plot managed to just barely stay on the acceptable side of the crazy line. The only moment of disbelief I couldn't willingly suspend (and this movie requires a good bit of suspension of disbelief) was the fact that Jessica Biel's character - a military officer tasked with enforcing law and ensuring justice - wore 4-inch stilettos during most of the movie. Which is insane. If you liked the show as a kid, definitely go see it. It will make you feel like a kid again - in a good way. Also, stay til the very end of the credits.

Hamlet (2009)

Even casual readers of this blog know I love David Tennant. In 2007 when it was announced that he would be doing Hamlet for the RSC, I was ecstatic and wanted to go to England to see it on stage. I started graduate school instead. However, the RSC and the cast nicely filmed an adaptation of their staging of the play, which I bought at Target in the spring and finally got around to watching. Now, I love the play. I find the whole discussion of grief and sanity fascinating. I thought Kenneth Branagh's 1996 adaptation was gorgeous. I still think that. However, David Tennant's Hamlet is so very engaging. I don't know that I have seen an adaptation that let the actor portraying Hamlet play so very much with the question of his own sanity. The introspection and exhaustion that follow grief and trauma is readily apparent and I loved it. Patrick Stewart is, of course, marvelous as Claudius and the supporting cast is fantastic as well. If you are a fan of the play, David Tennant, Patrick Stewart, or anything Shakespeare do check out this adaptation. It will be 3+ hours well spent.

Lars and the Real Girl

It is really impossible to describe this movie in any coherent way. It is about a community coming together to help one of it's own. It is about the human capacity for love. It makes you take stock of your own attitudes toward humanity. I watched the whole thing on tenterhooks, expecting cruelty and horridness in ever new scene when all the movie offered was kindness and love. Which made me think about what that said about me. I highly recommend checking this sweet movie about a man struggling through traumas from his past and present and how people around him show that they care and love him. It will make your day.

American Teen

This is billed as a documentary, which it is. Sort of. It is about actual high school seniors in Indiana. The kids are real, the school is real, the situations are real. However, it is highly edited to present a certain narrative. One could argue that most documentaries are edited down to present a narrative. But, this seems to want to keep the kids in simple categories for most of the film and glosses over complexities that would have made the film far more powerful and interesting. The students aren't necessarily shown as their true selves, but rather examples of generalized types. Some small moments in the film hint that each student is more than who they are presented as and who they present themselves as, but they are rare, almost as if they were forgotten pieces of greater stories that ended up on the cutting room floor.  Also, in this post-reality television world when kids are brought up with shows like The Hills, is it even possible for them to be their true selves when being followed by a camera? Being observed heightens any situation and alters the way people behave. Oh, and be forewarned - the movie can be a trigger for any unresolved high school PTSD stuff you might have. 

The Proposal

I finally took the time to watch this movie. I don't really know why I didn't see this before now, as I enjoy both Sandra Bullock and Betty White, but I didn't. I enjoyed the movie, but I kind of wish the film had spent more time in character development rather than naked hijinks and the many talents of small town general store managers/caterers/strippers. I felt I should care about the main characters and that I would probably even like them if the were real people I knew, but there weren't enough reasons for me to care about the characters. Other than being portrayed by likable actors like Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Frankly, I need a little more than that.

Cactus Flower

This movie caught my eye on Netflix simply because it said it starred Walter Matthau, Goldie Hawn, and Ingrid Bergman. That is a very random combination of actors. But it is a combination that completely works. I really enjoyed this movie - a romantic comedy that works better than most. Goldie Hawn won an Oscar for her role, which is understandable. And Ingrid Bergman just shimmers in it, especially given the freedom to be funny - something I don't think she was given much freedom to do. And, honestly, it is one of those great roles for an over-40 actress that seem so rare because it isn't a caricature. If you check out only one movie on this list, choose this one.

A Stroke of Genius

Since school ended, I have had a bit of time on my hands which I have spent watching all the television and movies I didn't have time for during the last quarter. Lately I have been watching  A Bit of Fry and Laurie and subsequently had a stroke of genius the other morning as I was lazily lying in bed. There have been rumours of a remake of My Fair Lady with various people attached to it. Well, wouldn't the travesty of remaking My Fair Lady be somewhat mitigated if Hugh Laurie was cast as Prof. Henry Higgins and Stephen Fry as Colonel Pickering?  Can't you just see it?

Moments of Truth

Ever have those moments in which something random, from a film or song or story hits you with impressive and inordinate force? Maybe it is just me, but I was watching Last Chance Harvey (which is marvelous and should be required watching for anyone who enjoys Emma Thompson or Dustin Hoffman) and Emma's character Kate says "You see, what I think it is, is . . . is I think that I’m more comfortable with being disappointed." This line almost made me cry. I am, especially in matters of men, dating, relationships, etc., very much more comfortable being disappointed. It is much safer than getting one's hopes up. Which seems a very sad way to live one's life, however many times one has previously been disappointed or had one's hopes dashed. It has given me something to ponder. Any thoughts?

Highly Probably Outcome

So, I am feeling restless and adventurous and like I want to take a risk. My personal life doesn't really afford much in the way of adventure or risk-taking right now. Writing blog posts late on a Tuesday night seems to be about as crazy as it gets. Not that I'm really complaining - stability is a good thing. However, something needs to change. Which means I have been seriously toying with the idea of chopping my hair. It is really only chin length right now, so by chop I mean a few more inches. I have had it very short before, but not for quite some time. So I would like your opinions. Or at least hoping that if it is a really bad idea a voice of sanity will reach through the internets and virtually slap some sense into me. But first I should show you what I am thinking.

Above is the old standby of hair risk I have never quite been brave enough to demand. I have tried once or twice and been convinced by stylists that perhaps I should go with something slightly different, i.e. not so bold, short, or made for a face like Gwyneth Paltrow's. I understand their hesitancy because I obviously have a very different face, but they needn't have feared any retribution on my part if I ended up not liking it. Hair grows, I don't care that much, it is just hair, etc. Then I watched an Audrey Hepburn movie called How to Steal a Million which is worth watching just for a yummy, young Peter O'Toole and Hepburn's Givenchy wardrobe. But it also made me realize I really want to cut my hair.

I am a bit obsessed with her hair right here. I don't have an Audrey Hepburn face either, so I'm sure my stylist would balk, but I really do adore the short, faux-beehiveness of it all. Am I crazy? Here are some other angles:

Any opinions? I won't be able to make an appointment for a few days, so feel free to let me know what you think, dear readers. Although, it is a highly probably outcome. And if you want to see the hair in action, How to Steal a Million is streaming on Netflix.

Edited to Add: This is the current state of my hair. Just thought that might help with the opinion-making.

Curiouser and Curiouser

I am so very much looking forward to the insanity abounding in Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. Check out the article in USA Today.

So, Yeah II

Remember this post from last year? About how I realized my dad would probably get remarried before I get a date? Well, I apparently have excellent intuition. My dad got engaged this weekend to a lovely woman who shall be known, until I can come up with a better alias, as Future StepMother or FSM for short. I'm sure this is coming as a shock to a few of you, as I haven't mentioned anything about it because I wasn't sure how much my dad wanted people to know, but as they have announced it on Facebook, I figure I can mention it here. It happened quickly and the wedding will be sometime this summer. 

In other news I was sick this weekend and spent lots of time watching movies on Netflix. If you are a fan of Cary Grant I would suggest checking out The Bachelor and The Bobby-Soxer. I also watched Bella and have a new fantasy boyfriend, because the lead actor's eyes were simply hypnotic. Also, the movie is fantastic and I highly recommend it. To say much about it would kind of ruin it. So go experience it yourself and get back to me.

It's All About The Sexy Swagger

We all know I'm a raging Anglophile. That is no secret. That I am also a fan of the James Bond franchise shouldn't be a surprise either. I was very, very skeptical of the casting of Daniel Craig as James Bond but found the reboot that was Casino Royale to be wicked awesome and Mr. Craig to be this generation's Steve McQueen (Seriously, Google image search them both. They could be father & son). So I was breathlessly anticipating Quantum of Solace. I was a little worried after reading some critics' responses to the film. But I shouldn't have been. It is also wicked awesome. Sure, it lacked some of the emotional depth that Casino Royale had, but it wasn't like there wasn't ANY emotional development. Additionally, I thought it spoke volumes about Bond himself, that he was becoming a violent automaton after the events of Casino Royale. Additionally, the Bond girls were beautiful, but that didn't undermine the intelligence they were supposed to have, unlike the unfortunate Denise Richards' attempt in The World Is Not Enough. But what I really meant to say here, is that Mr. Craig has perfected the sexy swagger. The man can be trudging his way across a Bolivian desert after surviving a plane crash and HE STILL MANAGES TO LOOK DEAD SEXY AND TOTALLY COOL DOING IT. That is a gift, my friends. This picture doesn't really do it justice. You'll have to go see the film.

Also, if the universe is at all just, I will some day drive an Aston Martin. Oh, and the new song isn't half bad either.  I raised an eyebrow about pairing Jack White and Alicia Keys but it actually works.

Because I'm Only 1/2 Way Through The 300 Pages I Need To Read By Monday

I will just direct you to this post at Romancing the Tome. I'm sure you all know who I voted for, although I'm a little skeptical about the accent situation. Shouldn't the actor playing Prof. Henry Higgins, the English dialect and language expert, actually speak with a proper English accent? Still any reason to stare at George Clooney on the big screen is good in my book.

Andrew Davies Can Bite Me

There are no words for the level of HATE I feel towards his new adaptation of A Room with a View.  In fact, I am so blinded with rage that I can't verbalize anything.  A Room with a View is one of my top 5 favorite novels and he desecrated it.  I realize I should just let it go, but I can't. I'm sure I'm overreacting, but when one of the best lines from the novel, one that signifies the whole theme of the novel, is left out of the adaptation for no apparent reason, how can it be a true adaptation?

"Leave them alone," Mr. Emerson begged the chaplain, of whom he stood in no awe. "Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there? To be driven by lovers-- A king might envy us, and if we part them it's more like sacrilege than anything I know."

Now I have to go buy the 1985 adaptation with Helena Bonham-Carter, Dames Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Julian Sands to scrub this atrocity out of my head. Especially the part about George dying in WWI.

X-Philes Synchronize Your Watches!

The moment you have all been waiting for is finally here! Fox announced that that the second X-Files movie would begin filming in December and would be released 25 July 2008. Apparently it is filming in Vancouver B.C. again, which brings joy to my heart. And also means Parker and I have to move up our timetable for visiting that fair city. Think of all the FBL-ers floating around that town this winter! So let the countdown begin.

Movie Review: License to Wed

I'm sure you have been waiting breathlessly for my review of this movie and I'm sorry it was delayed. I was asked to teach the 14-16 year-old girls at church and suddenly there are a lot more demands on my time. But here it is:

What I Liked:

John Krasinski -- He did a good job with what he had. And it was wonderful to see him on the big screen. Also, on a strictly superficial note, his wardrobe was a vast improvement over the standard pleated-khakis-and-button-down Jim uniform. Mr. Krasinski can rock the male twinset. He can also rock a linen suit and a white t-shirt and pajama pants. I'll stop gushing now and hopefully retain what is left of my dignity.

Mandy Moore's Wardrobe -- Seriously, she had the cutest dresses. Plus, Ms. Moore looks like a normal human being, wonderfully unlike all the lollipop-shaped starlets we see these days. So whenever she was onscreen, I was scrutinizing her outfits, trying to remember them so I can some day recreate them.

Their Apartment -- These characters had the nicest, cutest apartment any florist and basketball coach ever had. I wanted the lamps and the linens, the couch and all the little accessories. I regretted not bringing a notebook to take notes. Which brings us to:

What I Didn't Like

I Never Got Drawn In -- If I notice every single outfit the female lead wears (and sometimes what her sister wears) and am contemplating taking notes on the set decoration of the leads' apartment, I'm not involved in the story. It was really hard to care about the characters at all. I didn't feel sympathy for the characters (maybe for the actors, but never for the characters!) and their crises, frustrations, sorrows etc. never registered with me because I just didn't care.

I Kept Asking Why -- As in, "Why are they together?" You don't see them fall in love, just some narrated vignettes showing first meeting, date, kiss, etc. and are told they are in love, but you never see why. Why they connect as human beings, why they are together, why they want to get married to one another, or why they have any interest in one another (other than sex) at all.

I Also Kept Asking Who -- As in, "Who are these people?" I'm not a huge fan of major exposition, but not finding out what either of them does professionally, or how the male lead's interacts with his family, or what they like to do in their free time. I kept wondering why I had paid good money to spend 90+ minutes with these people when I didn't know anything about them. (Confession: I paid good money to see John Krasinski on the big screen for 90+ minutes, but the people who made this film don't know that. Or at least they shouldn't bet on it.).

Robin Williams -- I've never been a huge fan of his frenetic style, but here his character crossed so many boundaries it started to get skeevy. Just take a good look at the movie poster
to realize how skeevy. There isn't any background on his character either, so you just have to figure he is an over-involved reverend, or insane and possibly dangerous.

The Creepy Man-Child -- Nothing about this character was funny. Just creepy and/or annoying.

Total Reliance on Cliches -- Seriously, there was the Bride's Practically Perfect Heterosexual Male Best Friend By Whom The Groom Feels Threatened, the Cynical, Recently-Divorced, Possibly-Alcoholic Sister of the Bride, the Wealthy, Waspy Parents of the Bride, the Groom's Best Friend Who Feels Trapped By His Marriage To A Nagging Wife And Their Out-Of-Control Children. All of them spouted cliches about love and marriage and all the while I'm thinking it seems like a bad sitcom. With a cheesy resolution in which everyone makes up, becomes friends, and the Bride's Practically Perfect Heterosexual Male Best Friend By Whom The Groom Feels Threatened and the Cynical, Recently-Divorced, Possibly-Alcoholic Sister of the Bride possibly hook up.

If you are still really curious, or don't want to pass up a chance to see Mr. Krasinski on the big screen, check out your nearest dollar theater. Otherwise, I would recommend waiting until it makes it to your local library and borrow it. All considered, I think Mr. Krasinski deserves better. Which is why I am breatlessly waiting for his next movie, Leatherheads, in which he stars with George Clooney and Renee Zellweger. That is definitely something to which we can all look forward!

Random Thoughts

I am completely scatterbrained lately, for obvious reasons, and have not been able to put a coherent thought together, so here are a bunch of random thoughts.

-- I realized last week that I actually like my job. I know! I haven't felt that in, well, ever. I'm training to take on another position and am actually feeling like a part of a company. Such a new and wonderful feeling.

-- I forgot how beautiful this place could be in spring and early summer, before the weather hits 90+. The green of the circles, the smell of freshly-cut hay and growing mint, the contrast between the irrigated fields and the dry edges. The blue of the sky. I'll have to take pictures to share with you all.

-- Everyone should go see Ocean's 13 because it is just plain fun. Plus, it is two hours of George Clooney, whom I adore, and lots of other nice-looking men who I know lots of people enjoy looking at, but who fade into the background when compared to my beloved George. Don't mock, I know I'm obsessed and I'm fine with it.

-- People should not tell me, in all seriousness and with no HINT of humour and/or sarcasm, that my mother can now help me find my eternal companion. EVER. It is not comforting and is rather insulting. Like I need divine intervention or I am completely unmarriageble. Hello?

-- I am completely addicted to caffeinated sodas. I crave them on a daily basis. I really must do something about this, but as I'm still exhausted after sleeping from 10:30pm to 7:15am, I don't really know what.

-- Even though I like my job, I still feel I'm being punished every morning when I have to drive to work and none of the children are going to school. I think we should ALL get June through August off.

Movie Review

My brother and his wife were in town this weekend and my mother was feeling well enough to have an adventure, so we decided to go see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. I was a little skeptical, as I had not liked some of the plot developments in the second installment, but I will always pay good money to see Johnny Depp in eyeliner. Here are the highlights and the lowlights.

The Highlights:

The aforementioned Mr. Depp in eyeliner.

The Surrealist touches inspired more by avant garde filmmaking, rather than any blockbuster formula.

The continued piratization of Will Turner, to the point that he resembled nothing so much as Captain Jack Sparrow's younger brother. In eyeliner.

The kick-trash female roles. Do NOT mess with a woman scorned.

Good triumphed over evil.

There were casualties on both sides while good did the triumphing over evil.

The Lowlights:

Actually, there really wasn't much I didn't like about this movie. When I first heard it was somewhere around 2 hours and 45 minutes, I thought it rather excessive. But it didn't seem long whilst sitting in the theater.

I know some people were complaining about the ending as we left the theater, but I liked the ending. It wrapped it up enough that if this is the end, it works. But it left enough of an opening that should the money made on this movie inspire them to do another, there needn't be any contrivances to get the story started again.

All in all, the movie was bittersweet, just what you want in what might be the end of a beloved series. And I say it is totally worth the $8.00 to see it. Especially if you like men in eyeliner.

Four Square

ZB tagged me, so here it is:

Four Jobs I Have Had

• Administrative Assistant
• Plant & Soil Processor
• Assistant Event Hostess/Server
• Chiropractic Assistant/Receptionist
  

Four Movies I could Watch Over and Over

• Charade (Actually, I could watch anything with Cary Grant or Audrey Hepburn, but they are together in this one!)
• Rat Race (I giggle just thinking about parts of this movie!)
• Sliding Doors (Really anything set in London is good, but this also has a fun plot.)
• The X-Files Movie (Quelle suprise!)
  

Four Places I Have Lived

• Moses Lake, Washington
• London, England, United Kingdom
• Washington, DC
• Salt Lake City, Utah
  

Four TV Shows I Watch

• The Office
• House
• Supernatural
• Scrubs (I got addicted to the show after it was syndicated and on almost as many times a day as Seinfeld.)
  

Four Places I Have Gone On Vacation

• Disneyland
• Ayr, Scotland, United Kingdom
• Disney World
• Spring Lake, Michigan (Honestly, most 'vacations' I have taken in my life have been to see family, so I don't know if they actually count.)
  

Four Websites I Visit Daily

• Television Without Pity
• Miss Nemesis
• Go Fug Yourself
• Romancing the Tome
  

Four of My Favorite Foods

• Couscous with pine nuts, chicken seared in balsamic vinegar & olive oil, and veggies of any kind.
• Eggplant Parmesan (I can't actually eat this without making myself totally and completely ill, but I love it!)
• Coke & Lime (it is a food, no?)
• Guacamole (My father is appalled I eat this without even the pretense of chips!)
  

Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now

• Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• London, England, United Kingdom
• St. Ives, England, United Kingdom
• Anywhere with an ocean, a warm beach, and plenty of sun!

Four People I Tag

• Molenjarta
• Esperanza
  
• Panini
• Aquamarine
  

Wuthering Heights

I decided to join the book club organised by our ward's Relief Society and thus undertook to read the book they will be discussing at their next meeting: Wuthering Heights. I read Wuthering Heights when I was in high school. Not because it was assigned, but rather because I wanted to. I had already embarked on my anglophilic obsession with 19th century British women novelists and had worked my way through Austen's ouvre and had finished Jane Eyre. Wuthering Heights was the logical next step. Being seventeen and engaged in several intense crushes (well, intense as any high school crush can be) on inappropriate boys, naturally the book appealed to me. I felt the anguish of proud Catherine and anger of spurned Heathcliff. I was so engaged in the book that I declined an invitation to a co-ed snowmobiling party to finish it. I bought a copy of the book. It sat on my shelf through college and beyond and I haven't really thought of it in years except when packing and unpacking it during my many moves. Until now.

I don't know if it is age or wisdom, but the book doesn't hold the same power it once did. As I read it, often aloud to my mom so we can both get it finished by Tuesday, I am more annoyed with the characters than anything. Edgar Linton, who I mentally mocked along with Catherine, is now the most sympathetic. I have no patience for what I now read as Catherine's selfish rantings. Either I have grown cynical or just lost my naivete, but I hold no romantic notions about Heathliff. I pity him; I wonder what would have become of him if shown one ounce of courtesy or compassion by any in the Earnshaw or Linton households other than Catherine and her father. However, I no longer have any idea of hope that he might have some shred of human decency, an idea I harbored when I read the book a decade ago. And it isn't just because I know the end from the beginning now, because the genius of Wuthering Heights is how engrossing the story is, even though the novel's struture is such that the outcome for most of the characters is known from the beginning of the novel. The first time I read it, I knew that Heathcliff came to a bad end, because he opens that book very near the bad end. I'm just not connecting to book the way I once did, nor am I enjoying reading it as I once did. It is more like a chore.

An interesting corollary to this is that a decade ago when I read Jane Eyre I liked it, but wasn't moved by it. After seeing the recent Masterpiece Theatre adaptation of it, I re-read it and found it so much more engaging. Is this also a symptom of age or wisdom? Or do I simply not have the emotional energy for any entertainment without a fully happy and hopeful ending these days?

And in a superficial and wholly 'What the crap!?!" moment for you all, when I was searching Google for a picture of the book, I came across a Wikipedia entry that mentioned someone in Hollywood was floating the idea of a film adaptation of Wuthering Heights with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp as Catherine and Heathcliff respectively. Any thoughts?

Movie Rec

This past weekend Miss Parker and I went to see Dreamgirls and were blown away. We are both fans of the Motown sound and movie musicals, so we were pretty sure that we would like the film but it was above and beyond our expectations.

Everyone involved does excellent work. I never really cared one way or another about Beyonce, but she does an excellent job, which you don't really recognize until her solo near the end of the movie. However, the most amazing performances come from Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy.

I remember being impressed by Jennifer Hudson's voice when she was on American Idol a few years ago, but she so totally embodies her character and is such a vocal powerhouse that I felt like giving her a standing ovation at least twice during the film. And I don't give standing ovations freely.

Eddie Murphy is known for comedy so humorous moments in the film were expected. However, it is his portrayal of a man fighting against being a has-been, a man who is flawed and self-destructive but still hoping for a better future that surprised me. And I think the depths of his expressiveness will surprise you too.

So, if you enjoy great music and good storytelling, I would definitely recommend seeing this movie. Oh, and fans of The Office, keep an eye out for a cameo by John Krasinski!

Is it wrong . . .

that I want to see The Holiday simply because part of it is set in England? Oh, and Kate Winslet is in it.

Movie Rec

I recommend that you readers go and see The Illusionist if it is in a theater near you. It is one of the most visually stunning films I've seen in a while. I don't want to say much about it for fear of giving plot points away, but go and see it. It is worth the $7.

The End of Innocence

Minor Spoilers - Read At Your Own Risk!

I finally saw Superman Returns yesterday. It seemed a fitting way to spend an overly hot afternoon and wile away the hours before the real festivities started. I was still slightly conflicted, even after hearing mostly good reviews from critics and friends alike. I got off to a rocky start when, after hearing Marlon Brando as Jor-El, hearing the John Williams score, I did not see the oh-so-familiar names of Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder whoosh past on the starry background and felt like crying. But I soon found it entertaining and thought-provoking. So here is what worked for me and what didn't, and of course, the thoughts it provoked.

What Worked

First, accolades must be given to those in charge of the art and set direction. The Art Deco with a modern twist was a perfect fit. It paid homage to the 1930s origin of Superman while creating a seamless modern world that the audience could recognize. It was simultaneously familiar and other, making Metropolis and the world of Superman believable and complete.

I think being the person picked to wear the tights would be extremely daunting, especially in the wake of Christopher Reeve, but Brandon Routh did well. He made Clark Kent and Superman separate entities, but you could still see a bit of each in the other. So either the casting agent had an excellent eye or Mr. Routh has a great future ahead of him. Or both.

I have never cared for Kevin Spacey as an actor, having never seen most of the films people laud him for. However, he made an excellent Lex Luthor, balancing the megalomania with the almost tangible sense of insecurity that drives it. He made a plausible villain in both his climb to victory and his fall to defeat.

I have long enjoyed watching Parker Posey do what she does best -- kooky supporting characters. But I think she did an extraordinary job as Lex's hanger-on. Her change from obedient follower to instrument in defeat felt validated by each scene she was in. It wasn't just the sight of a handsome, suffering Superman, or the loss of someone important in the impending mass destruction. Rather, it was about recognizing the sheer evil of the whole plan. She made Kitty believable as someone who would follow Lex to the end of the earth, literally, but would still have the iota of courage to undermine him.

What Didn't Work

The Lois Lane with whom I am familiar is a ball of energy harnessed by a steely determination. The Lois Lane on the screen was not. Kate Bosworth did not portray the woman who risks life and limb for a story, but rather one that has a keen nose for news. There is a difference. There was no sense of immediacy in most, if not all, of her scenes. Lois Lane moves at 120 mph to everyone else's 60. Here, she maxed out at maybe 75 mph. For example, if one were sneaking a smoke, one would be more agitated than resigned. And this movie's Lois Lane seemed more resigned than agitated about pretty much everything.

Additionally, I had issues with the whole Lois Lane subplot. Why does she need a child? She could have been equally upset about the disappearance of Superman without the driving force of an on-hold fiance and a child. Again, she played this, or was directed to, with an air of resignation, which seems so completely un-Lois like.

Finally, the unavoidable Christ references. The Superman mythos has long been compared to the Christ story, but some of the images and textual references were so blatant, it took me out of the movie long enough to say "Are you kidding me?"

Final Thoughts

I really did enjoy this movie and would like to see it again. It tackled the iconic story well and probably restarted the franchise. I found its themes intriguing. The one that got me thinking the most was that of our modern twist on hero worship. Throughout the film, Perry White wants to know everything about Superman in order to sell papers. He doesn't care what it is good, bad, or fatal. If it sells, it is gold. In a world where weekly the heroes of past and present are dissected and trotted out for inspection, do we recognize the damage we do to them and to ourselves? If we can't believe in them, even for a moment, can we ever believe in ourselves? This theme is picked up and carried through to its end by Lex Luthor's visceral pleasure in watching his goons beat Superman to a bloody pulp. He seemed to enjoy it even more than when he was participating in the beating. Do we get pleasure from watching the great be torn down because it makes us feel greater, or because it absolves us of our guilt for not being so? If the great have weaknesses, weaknesses that destroy, does that validate our mediocrity? And if we can't uphold greatness, is it the end of innocence?