5 things I love this week

July 5-11, 2009
 
1. These photos and the stories being told by my friend Becky, whose family is making a life in South Africa. I am equally proud and envious, as she is living out one of the dreams that has lingered in the corners of my mind for a decade now. These sunsets are just one reason.
 
    
source::The Fudge Five
 
2. Cereal Box Storage Bins. The instructions, which feature a bit of sewing, terrify me but I love love love the idea of using what you have to create something beautiful, functional and fun!
 
3. The Uniform Project. That one woman wore the exact same dress every single day for one year is astounding. That she made it look fresh each and every time is truly inspired. And it’s all for an extremely important cause. This certainly has my mind whirring!
 
4. The Power of Story, Part One. Angie Lucas, of Yeah, Write, had an encounter with a neighbor that proves how important our personal stories are and that it’s never too late to begin writing them down. If you’re not inspired by this man’s efforts, then I would ask you this: “Do your children, grandchildren, family and friends know all the stories of your life? Will they wonder just who you were and what you loved and what influenced you in life when you’re no longer around to tell them?” Everyone has stories to tell. It’s time to start sharing yours.
 
5. The Power of Story, Part Two, by David Masters (reprinted from Write to Done)

---

King Shahryar of Persia loves his newlywed wife more than all the world. It is his greatest happiness to meet her every wish, and to treat her with the finest jewels – diamonds, rubies, and sapphires – and beautiful silk dresses.
 
Shahryar’s Queen, however, is in love with another man. For many years, the Queen and her lover have a secret affair.
 
When King Shahryar finally discovers his Queen’s infidelity, he is furious. Breaking down and losing his mind, he has the Queen executed. As revenge on his former wife, he decrees that all women are unfaithful.
 
He soon marries a new bride, but has her executed the next morning, before she has a chance to cheat on him. He marries again, and again executes his new wife the next day. He repeats this pattern until his chief advisor can find no more women for him to marry. The only single woman left in the whole kingdom is the advisor’s own daughter, Scheherazade. Reluctantly, the chief advisor agrees to let her marry the king.
 
On their wedding night, Scheherazade tells the king a story. At the climax of the story, she stops her storytelling, and refuses to continue. The king is determined to discover the ending to the story. He begs her to finish, but she will not tell the ending.
 
The next day, the executioner knocks on the king’s door, as has become custom the day after each wedding. The king sends the executioner away. Scheherazade’s execution can wait until tomorrow; he must first hear the end of her story.
 
That night, Scheherazade finishes her story. The king is satisfied, and will have her executed the following morning. However, while he is plotting Scheherazade’s demise, she begins another story. Again, she stops telling the story at its climax, and refuses to continue. Again, the king holds off her execution so he can hear the ending to her story. And again, that evening, when she finishes the previous story, she starts another.
 
For 1,001 nights Scheherazade captivates the king in this way, holding his curiosity each night with a new story.
 
During these years of sharing stories, the King has fallen in love with Scheherazade. He can no longer imagine having her executed. Scheherazade, too, has fallen in love with the King. Together, they live happily ever after, with a reign of justice and truth, always listening carefully to the stories of their subjects.
 
“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
 

Summer Film Series – Vol. 7, No. 3: PUBLIC ENEMIES

July 5, 2009, at Movies 14 in McKinney, Texas
 

 
At this point I’m a full-fledged fan of both Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, so the idea of both starring in one film — and a gangster film set in my beloved Chicago, no less — really just sealed the deal for me with regard to Public Enemies. The two actors could have done nothing more than sit across from each other and talk throughout the entire two-hour running time and I would have considered the film a complete success. Depp has been consistently entertaining me for twenty years now, and Bale has become fully reliable in his characterizations. That the story of Public Enemies is based on the pursuit of John Dillinger by Melvin Purvis, newly appointed agent-in-charge of Chicago’s Bureau of Investigation field office, is just icing on an already perfect cake. Thankfully, nothing in the film disappointed me.
 
That is not to say that Public Enemies is a perfect film; so much more could have been done by way of story and character. But what story there is has been told with great elegance and beauty. The look of the film is exquisite, evoking all of my own imaginings of the Depression-era Midwest, and every detail has been finely tuned to ensure that the audience is never jolted from this period. Set design, costuming, art direction are astounding, and all of the expected details are present, including the infamous Tommy guns and multiple getaways on the running boards of a Ford Coupe. I’ve seen these iconic images all of my life, so I would have been greatly disappointed to not see them in this film. Additionally, the film is given a soft focus by centering Dillinger’s story around the love of his life, Billie Frechette, played by the enchanting Marion Cotillard. While this gives the film its heart, it also serves to detract from the legend of John Dillinger and the criminal history that made him an icon. I would have enjoyed more outlaw elements and fewer romantic scenes but Depp played both sides effortlessly, bringing to life a Dillinger that I’d never considered before. Which is, of course, the specialty that makes Johnny Depp a legend even now.
 
Public Enemies could have been a better film, but I appreciate that director Michael Mann has given us something we didn’t expect from him nor from the subject. And I have to respect this and praise everyone involved for choosing the less obvious route and creating true art in the process. This film is the kind of movie that will draw me back to it again and again throughout my life. And that is the highest praise I can give.
 

Summer Film Series – Vol. 7, No. 2: UP

June 25, 2009 at Movies 14 in McKinney, Texas

When the first trailer appeared for Pixar’s latest film, UP, my reaction was, “Um… no.” I was thoroughly disappointed in the concept, despite the beauty of the film itself. A story about a cranky old man and his balloon-powered flying house didn’t have appeal. It seemed… weird. But because the film came from Pixar, and I have loved almost every film they’ve produced, I was willing to refrain from judgment until I saw more. It took practically a year for me to care at all about this new film, and that interest didn’t even begin to flame until it was released last month and some trusted bloggers began proclaiming its delights. Suddenly I found myself ready to take another Pixar journey, knowing full well that they would have to truly WOW me to overcome my initial reservations. In the end, I wasn’t wowed, but I did find enough joy in the film to not feel I wasted any money on the ticket.
 
The grumpy old man was successfully tempered by a nostalgic sequence involving the romance between him and his wife, including a montage depicting a full lifetime of being friends and spouses. This alone helped me care about the character and find him fun to watch. This also resulted in grounding the film when all of the quirky characters began popping up. A chatterbox little boy, a troupe of talking dogs, and a hugely colorful bird (in every sense of the phrase) often threatened to push the film over the top, but the determination of the old man to steer his home to a paradise location in South America kept the film from veering into too much camp. And that, for me, saved the film.
 
Visually, UP is everything I expected from Pixar: rich detail, stunning animation, and vivacious coloring. I’m sure the 3D version is remarkable. But I felt the film lacked the punch of previous Pixar offerings. UP is simply… sweet. A sweet film. Not a great film, and not a film I care to see again. But it was sweet and, at times, touching. I was disappointed, however, in how very “adult” the theme of the film was. It’s a story of love and loss and reclaiming dreams — concepts that hit the core of an adult much more readily than a child. This thought was underscored by the cinema full of children with whom I viewed the film; there simply wasn’t the same energy in the room during this latest film as I have witnessed in previous years. The kids did seem to enjoy it, but their laughter and their interest was only evident during the movie’s outrageous moments (almost entirely involving the child character, the bird and the dogs). Because these moments were fewer than any others in the film, UP did not come off as a movie made for children as much as it seemed a film for adults. And I’m not sure of the reasoning behind this. I was also extremely disappointed in Pixar’s decision to include a villain who, at one point, wielded a shotgun and fired it at a house with a child inside. It disturbed me to the point of questioning their judgment, and I’ve never questioned them before.
 
Ultimately, the film was a good Father’s Day outing for me and my dad. We enjoyed it but felt the same thing: this isn’t the best Pixar can do. Because my mother is not a big fan of animation, she chose to skip this one, and I never felt she was missing anything. Which disappoints me. I’m truly a fan of all Pixar has done and can do. I hope that next year’s offering returns to former glory and that they return their focus to children as a target audience. History has proven that Pixar’s films for children are just as enjoyable to the adults who accompany them, and there are very few moments of regret. That’s what I expect from Pixar.
 
film image from Rotten Tomatoes
 

Summer Film Series – Vol. 7, No. 1: TERMINATOR SALVATION

June 22, 2009 at Movies 14 in McKinney, Texas

You might think I’ve always been a fan of the Terminator films, given my love of sci-fi and action movies, but the truth is that I didn’t actually realize that love until the last decade or so. Before that I enjoyed science fiction like Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind but felt these were more mainstream and did not hold the stigma of “science fiction”. As such, I never really cared at all for movies like Terminator, and didn’t see the first film until college, around the time the second film was being marketed. My roommate had seen The Terminator and kept insisting I would love it, but her interest had always been fully focused on Michael Biehn, whom she adored, and I really couldn’t trust her judgement anyway. This is the same friend who loved Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris films, and with whom I would spend practically every weekend at the video store walking around for hours because we couldn’t agree on which films to rent. [Thus, our prepetual renting of most all of the Michael Madsen B-movies.] Eventually, though, I did watch The Terminator and was interested enough to see Judgment Day soon after. And that sealed the deal. Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong provided the story that interested me — mother and son united to save the future — and Robert Patrick’s liquid terminator put the excitement and fear into my viewing experience that had been missing in the first film. At that point I embraced all things Terminator. I saw the third film, ridiculous as it was, and I anticipated each weekly installment of this past season’s tv series The Sarah Connor Chronicles, hoping to gain more insight into the mysterious future of John Connor and his Resistance fighters who battle the machines. So naturally, when this most recent film was announced with Christian Bale in the role of John, I knew it was a must-see for me.
 
I know the critics have not embraced Terminator Salvation, and the audience has not flocked to the cinema, but I found the film to be everything I wanted and so much more. It’s not perfect, of course, but it’s filled with all the right elements: action, war, meaningful relationships, sympathy for the underdogs, and straight-up heroes and villains. Though there is a complex mythology to the Terminator series, this film does a very good job at laying out the major points for the uninitiated. And for those of us who have followed the stories through all the incarnations, this newest chapter is mostly satisfying and fills in some of the gaps we’ve been hoping to understand. The ending is a little hokey, a little too convenient for the furtherance of the series and mythology, but up until that point I found very little to criticize. And I can forgive that moment if it means there can be another film set post-Judgment Day. The setting of a post-apocalyptic earth is much more engaging to me than having terminators continually return to the past on assassination missions. I much prefer to see the adult John Connor fighting on their turf. And Christian Bale is a perfect, perfect actor to portray the legend. Every command he gives, every look of grief and remorse, and every gentle touch given to his wife (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) bring to mind all the John Connors we’ve seen in the past and wrap him up in a neat little package. He’s everything I expected the character to become, and he’s so much more than I realized he would be. All credit to Bale, of course, who has become one of the actors I look forward to seeing the most these days. I would say that this Terminator film belongs to him, but if you’ve read anything at all about the story you’ll know that it really doesn’t. And that this is due to Christian Bale, as well.
 
The media has been focusing on Sam Worthington as a mysterious character named Marcus Wright who survives a nuclear explosion and meets up with a teenaged Kyle Reese and the Resistance. The story of Terminator Salvation really finds its focus in Marcus. And Worthington is phenomenal, playing up the mystery of the man but retaining sincerity and compassion despite a backstory that would lead us to believe otherwise. And while he is enough to provide all the best character moments, there is also Moon Bloodgood to add to his emotional journey. She is impressive, as well, and I look forward to seeing her gain some notoriety and substantial roles in the future. She is the perfect accompaniment to Worthington, steely and strong and confident and wise. It is their two characters that move Terminator Salvation beyond a war movie and into a true relationship drama. And that gives the film its heart.
 
I don’t know if plans are being made for another film in this series, but I hope it happens. The story is not yet complete for me, and this film proves that it can be fresh again. I was impressed by camera angles and characterizations and performances and, yes, the machines. But this film has proven that the focus need not be on the machines, as in previous installments; it has much more depth when following the human characters in their struggle to save the world. I hope there are screenwriters who can tap into that and give us one more satisfying film to conclude the entire series.

images from Rotten Tomatoes and Internet Movie Database
 

Seriously, Coca-Cola? Have we not learned?

Can we not come up with a suitable alternative than these plastic rings? Have we not learned anything in the past 20 years? Seriously, Coke? Seriously?
 

 
I hear your question: Why did I buy the product if it offends me so much? It’s a valid question. I admit that I never even thought to look at the packaging when I picked it up but probably would have purchased it anyway. Because even though it does offend me that a global company can’t find a better packaging solution, it offends me just as much that a concessioner* will charge me $3.00 for only one of these bottles when I found the six-pack for that very price. I’m on a budget and I refuse to play that game. But that doesn’t mean I can’t wish companies were better than they are or that they were making greater strides in their enviro-efforts. I mean, surely someone has figured this out by now, wouldn’t you think?
 
* Yes, I’m that girl in the cinema who pulls snacks from a bottomless purse.
   But I do draw the line at a bag full of cheese fries. Jus’ sayin’.
 

5 things I love this week

May 31 – June 6, 2009
 
1. This quote by Stephen R. Covey: “We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.”
 
2. Water’s Edge 2009 Summer Bash, and the fact that you’re never too old for a slip-n-slide. (This is my beloved pastor in the video!)
 
3. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency on HBO. Jill Scott is perfection as Precious Ramotswe, Anika Noni Rose as Mma Makutsi is better than I’ve ever seen her, and I have decided that their greetings of “Dumela Mma” and “coco!” are much sweeter than anything we have in the English language. I am instantly and absolutely in love with the series and its favorable views of the oft-overlooked quiet life in Africa.
 
4. The Cryptic Canvas, celebrating Empire Magazine’s 20th anniversary, and the fact that I got 44 of the 50 movie titles with no help at all! So proud to keep my Movie Geek badge! [Let me share two great hints: for the high-kicking cheerleaders, "Use the Force", and when looking at the building of C's, think in numbers.] It’s just such a great game!
 
5. The Cupcake Rodeo from Maker Faire in the Bay Area, California. I mean, seriously… is there anything better than confection on wheels?!
 

 

5 things I love this week

May 17-23, 2009
 
1. Frightened, a post by Karen Russell about stepping out of her comfort zone and documenting the process. Beyond the poignant photograph at the conclusion of her story, I love how she so completely and fully expresses my own thoughts and struggles in the exact same area. This post made me laugh and nod my head in complete understanding, and it reminds me to document ALL of life’s moments, regardless of my comfort level.

 
2. The spring’s first baby birds, born on both my doorsteps. Although I saw this same process last year with the exact same type of birds in the exact same locations outside my flat, I am still amazed and awed by the wonder of Creation. Watching the nesting process for the past month or so, and now seeing these new little baby birds, less than a week old, is the purest form of joy one can experience.
 

click image to view entire photo set more closely

 
3. The Bloghop at Cards for Heroes. Is there anything more inspirational than seeing creative endeavors solely for the sake of kindness and support? The Cards for Heroes mission is “to support our nation’s armed forces by sending blank greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them throughout their deployment.” Today through Memorial Day, all the artists involved in the project will be posting a single creation on their personal blogs, and we are the lucky ones invited to join in the celebration. I’m so inspired by the project itself, but there’s no better jumpstart to my own creativity than viewing the work of others.

 
4. A gift from Down Under. I was surprised by the postman stopping at my door this week to deliver a package with an exciting shipping label…
 

As a member of BookCrossing, I’m accustomed to receiving books through the mail, and this one was no surprise as the owner sent a message a while back asking if I was still interested. I responded with gratitude at the random gift, but never checked the sender’s profile to know where it would be coming from. To see the package from the land that is my heart’s desire was even better than the gift within. I am floored by the gesture, amazed at the mailing of it in these times of increasing postal rates, and I’m honored to have been the recipient. We don’t know each other, but I will forever feel connected in a small way to this reader from around the world. There’s nothing more fun than a good mail day, but it’s a priceless moment when that mail arrives from the land of your dreams.
 

 
5. The finale of Survivor: Tocantins and its winner, J.T. Thomas. I still find Survivor to be a fascinating social and psychological experiment, but as the seasons pile up I often do not recall many of the players from previous years. Not even the winners. But I’m certain this season will be different. J.T. is not an easy guy to forget. He didn’t actually register on my radar until well into the second half of the season, but as he began to emerge in the power position, I became more and more drawn to him. Interestingly, while most seasons of late had no final players that kept my attention (must less made me root for them), the Tocantins season gave me three strong players to love and support. In Taj, Stephen and J.T. the game came alive as it hasn’t in a very long time. I would have been thrilled with any of those three taking home the big prize. That it was J.T. in the end is probably the most special of all; he is easily the most charming contestant ever on the show. And by the finale he was completely under my skin. What is most fascinating to me, however, is how strong a reaction I felt when the final episode switched from last competition day to present-day in the studio on live television. The J.T. who appeared before us in the studio was clean-shaven and dressed in a bright shirt and blazer, and I actually recoiled at the sight of him. The guy who charmed me was that jungle creation covered in 39 days of mud and rain and sand and campfire smoke, all scraggly beard and wild hair. The cleaned-up version threw me so much that I found no appeal in him at all. Of course, once he lost composure over his win and began to speak with tears in his eyes, I remembered just what made him so lovable. I’m still partial to the unwashed version, but no matter how he looks, J.T. Thomas is worthy of everything he achieved. I can’t imagine another Survivor season that will compare.
 

images from CBS
 

CAPRICA

DVD viewing
 

 
I feel I must preface all comments by saying that I was a faithful viewer of the most current Battlestar Galactica series, which just completed its run. I was enormously invested in the characters and the mythology and the intricate storytelling that virtually reinvented the original series of 1978. And while I was also a fan of that first creation, nothing about its second life was remotely similar — not its tone, not its stories, not even the look of the cylons themselves. The only thing that remained was the name and the idea of being at war with a cybernetic lifeforce. I loved the new Galactica as dearly as I’ve loved any television series, and it will forever be my standard for science fiction; it’s a very high standard of drama and character before special effects, and it is very, very rare.
 
In 2010, the creators of Galactica will bring a prequel series to television that explores the roots of the cylon beings and follows two families that become inextricably connected. In its pilot film, Caprica, the story is set over 50 years prior to all that we knew from past series, and the two families are bound together through the tragic deaths of daughters. From the midst of this grief, each of the fathers seeks to move forward in vastly different ways: one by seeking to recreate his daughter’s image through technology, and the other by simply learning to cope with the loss. The connection of these two fathers is the reality of the original Galactica, as we learn that the coping father is patriarch to the surviving fleet’s commanding officer while the father using technology will ultimately be responsible for the near-annihilation of the human race. And still, knowing all this, the drama rests fully in the humanity of each family and their attempts to make sense of a senseless present.
 
It is not necessary to know anything at all about Battlestar Galactica prior to watching Caprica. Having a base of knowledge will only give you small insights into various motivations or moments of time. Instead, Caprica begins with a fresh slate, seeking to tell a story from its origin point and hoping to draw viewers into its own mythology and characters. In that way, it succeeds. Where the film fails, however, is in its presentation of the story. In fact, the film begins with an assault on the viewer, focusing long and steady on outright debauchery in a “virtual club” that is used simply to show an underground movement among adolescents. The setting is used again and again throughout the film, but it is simply a gateway to an alternate space that has decried the club’s activities as immoral and unrighteous. The fact that the director and producers chose to continually assault viewers with these graphic images seems less for story and more about feeling unconstrained by television censors. I am grateful that the series will be on TV, for that will shield me from feeling as unsettled and repulsed as I was in watching the pilot. I am especially disappointed in this creative decision because the full run of the Galactica series was crafted so well and used many of the same themes, but never felt it necessary to resort to such gratuitous imagery.
 
Despite this negative perception, I still enjoyed the bulk of the Caprica film. It is intelligent, complex, and features outstanding performances by its lead actors, Eric Stoltz and Esai Morales. The initial film sets up the series perfectly, and it left me wanting more as it completed its final scene. I don’t feel the same urgency that I felt with Galactica, but I am intrigued enough to be looking forward to the new series. And I have very high hopes.
 
image from scifi.com
 

5 things I love this week

April 26 – May 2, 2009
 
1. Children of the World choir. Every one of these children has been personally impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, yet each of them has found joy in knowing Jesus Christ and has found a father in God. They have suffered as no child should ever have to suffer, but they have the most radiant smiles and most open hearts I’ve ever seen. We should all take our cues from these dear children, and we should worship our God with the same jubilance and surrender. I join them in singing a Global Hallelujah!
 

 
2. The decision to make a Dangerous Surrender to God. Thank you, Kay Warren, for your commitment to sharing a personal testimony and for encouraging all of us to stand at the precipice and jump into the unknown. I’m terrified but I am so excited!
 
3. How God uses my words to help friends. When I shared some of my frustrations and disappointments to a friend this week, rather than posting them on my blog for all to read, God used them to help a friend put her own circumstances in perspective. I will never understand just why God tells me one direction on this day and a completely new direction on the next day, but I have learned that He is to be trusted and that He has a purpose planned for everything. I’m encouraged when I learn that my experiences are shared by other people, and I am comforted to know that I do not journey this world alone. I praise God for friends, this week! And I’m thankful for the life He has given me and for the ways He is challenging me to become more like Jesus.
 
4. Celebrating the 14th birthday of the first nephew. My life was so different fourteen years ago, but I’m thankful every day that God chose to raise me out of the pit of despair so that I can be filled with joy and I can be a treasure to those I love so dearly. If my nephews and niece learn nothing else about me, I hope they will see what a difference God has made in my life. That without our God, there is no life and there is no joy. Happy birthweek, K2!
 
5. The beginning of Summer Movie Season, and having my selections set in place. I do love this time of year!
 

THE WRESTLER

DVD viewing
 

 
I’m not sure what I expected from The Wrestler, but I knew that Mickey Rourke’s performance was central to the film’s success and acclaim. I knew very little about the premise other than it being the story of a professional wrestler whose heyday was in the ’80s but he was still making some money by continuing to appear as his legendary persona, week after week. Turns out, that is the story. It is a character piece about one man’s struggle to find a place in the world when his glory days have ended but he doesn’t quite know how to let them go. It’s not that he’s an embarrassment; it’s just that he knows nothing else. And he has ruined all relationships with family, including a daughter who grew up without him, so that when the wrestling days are finally at an end, he honestly can’t find anything else to fill his life.
 
Mickey Rourke is the entire film. He brings heart and soul to the title character of Randy “The Ram”, and he gives a performance that is worthy of every award and all critical praise given to him throughout this past awards season. Rourke is extraordinary. The film is gritty and reality-driven, pulling no punches about a professional wrestler’s life and “craft”, such as it is, and it is a masterful piece of storytelling. Even the supporting characters of Evan Rachel Wood, as Randy’s daughter, and Marisa Tomei, as the object of his affection, are warm and rich in their roles. I never expected to appreciate Tomei considering the one thing I read about her appearance in the film was that she spent most of the movie in a state of undress, and yet, even as a stripper trying to support a child on her own, she is likable and truly draws you into her crisis of age and conscience. There is very little about The Wrestler to be criticized, and that was a treat in itself.
 
I can’t say that Mickey Rourke’s success story as the comeback kid will draw me to his future projects, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film because of him. If he shows such sensitivity and lack of ego in future roles, then I look forward to his second act. But even if I never see another project of his, The Wrestler was worthy of this moment of glory.
 

5 things I love this week

April 19 – 25, 2009
 
1. The Character Project, presented by the USA Network. Again, really interesting photographs of everyday people. I am truly inspired by these images and by the simplicity of the shots. Truly inspired.
 
2. The return of television series In Plain Sight . When this series debuted last year it took me quite a long time to become devoted, even with a cast I absolutely loved. But by the final episodes of that first season, the writers had given lead character Mary Shannon depth and sensitivity, not to mention motivation for all her abrasive mannerisms. When the final scenes concluded the season, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. And with its return last Sunday, I am fully engaged. Not only is Mary much more than she ever was before, the series has more heart that it did in the beginning. I see an evolution coming that will transform In Plain Sight into a rich character drama instead of just another quirky USA series. I look forward to what’s in the works! 
 
3. The 56 Leonard penthouses. All I can say is “Smokes!” These are just exquisite and decadent and modern and heart-palpitatingly seductive. If I truly did come into a windfall, I’d have to consider purchasing one of these along with my Chicago flat. Astounding!
 
4. This photo and its equally priceless second half. Haven’t we all had days like this?!
 
5. The fact that you’re never too old to do something new on your birthday.
 

My dad’s very first piñata, thoroughly demolished, in honor of his 63rd birthday. So cool!
 

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (2008)

DVD viewing
 

 
I read no good reviews for the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, yet I always intended to see it anyway. Critical opinion is rarely a determinant of my viewing habits, and I generally like movies that others find ridiculous and a waste of time. In the case of this remake, I’m sad to say the reviewers were right.
 
The film is not entirely awful, actually. For the first hour I was fully engaged and intrigued and even entertained by the story and Keanu Reeves’s performance. I love that he knows his level of talent and takes the roles that showcase that best. Reeves was ideal as Klaatu, using his non-emotive style to portray a newly-human being adjusting to a foreign life. He did a fine job with no over-the-top posturing or delusions of grandeur. It was exactly what you would expect from Keanu Reeves, and I enjoyed the performance in its entirety. What causes the movie to fail is actually the film’s own posturing. As you might expect, the premise for a movie about earth’s destruction by an alien race leaves the door wide open for soapbox messages about environmental activism and how wretched and destructive is the human race. Once I realized this was the film’s justification for humanity’s total annihilation, I knew the “message” would be thrown at me again and again. Unfortunately, that takes up the entire final hour of the film.
 
As the movie set up the plot, I really did have high hopes for its success. And I absolutely loved the new incarnation of GORT. But the preachy screenplay and the lack of further substance brought the film to a screeching halt for me. I finally just wanted the film to end. That ending, sadly, left me with much the same feeling as The Happening — that kind of “That’s it? This is how it ends?” moment that never satisfies. So much more could have been done with this film, so much more could have been improved upon from the original. After this lame effort, though, I doubt anyone will want to tackle the story again.
 

5 things I love this week

April 12 – 18, 2009

1. Dev Patel in Slumdog Millionaire. He is the very heart and soul of the film and simply remarkable to watch. He is charming and emotive and flawless in his performance, making every movement look effortless. And at the end of the film, in the unexpected celebration scene, he was the best dancer among a crowd of people for whom dance is a cultural heritage. Watching the special features about the making of the film, I was shocked to learn that dancing is not something that comes naturally to him. Onscreen, at the end of the film, it was as smooth as if he’d been doing it his entire life, and it was full of that same individual expression that colored his entire character in the film. To say I’ve been charmed is a complete understatement. I look forward to
everything that this young man has in his future.

2. Fox TV series Fringe. People don’t seem to be watching this series (and I just don’t understand why!) but what began as a series of quirky criminal oddities has become highly engaging. With last week’s episode, Inner Child, the writers managed to draw me deep into an emotional storyline involving a once-feral child then at the very last moment of the hour, they revealed how this seemingly unrelated case was actually connected to the larger mythology that has been buliding throughout the season. This is J.J. Abrams’s specialty, of course, and while Fringe does not have the mass appeal of Lost, it is incredibly interesting and forces me to think very far outside what I know and believe to be true. And I love that! I don’t have high hopes for the series’ renewal, but I am absolutely engaged in its every episode and the phenomenal acting of its key players and guests. If you haven’t watched Fringe, you really have been missing something fantastic.

3. the idea of photographing strangers. This appeals to me because (a) I’m socially fearful and it would challenge me to overcome that, and (b) I’m extremely curious and it would force me to put that curiosity to good use. Stay tuned!

4. This photo of cookies, not because I care at all about the cookies (I’m not even sure what they are) but because I love the colors and composition of the shot. This is how I hope to see the world one day, in colors and composition. These are the kinds of photos I’m trying to learn to take. Just beautiful… even if they are just cookies.

5. GoandBe.org and the proclamation that we should not go to church… we should be the church.

image from Rotten Tomatoes

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

DVD viewing

It is not always the case with an Academy Award that the most popular (i.e. chosen) film is also the very best film. And most of the time, my own favorite films are not the best films I see throughout a given year. But occasionally the Best Picture Oscar winner will truly be the best picture of the year, and such is the case with Slumdog Millionaire.

As has become more frequent than ever, I never got to the cinema to see this film during its release, so I’ve been anxiously awaiting my opportunity to view it for the first time. I’ve heard nothing but praise from everyone who did see it, and yet, I knew so very little about the story itself. The premise I did know, that a young man from the slums of Bombay (now Mumbai) found himself on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with only one question remaining in the quest for the top prize of 20 million rupees. Yet that is nothing more than the story’s setup. I did not know his motivation for appearing on the show (it’s absolutely not what you would imagine), nor did I understand that his show appearance is simply the first piece of a beautiful, sweeping epic about love and family and the choices we make in this life and the reasons we choose the way we do. There are not enough words in my language to convey the depth of this film, to speak toward its wealth of character and relationship. Watching this film is a vivid and remarkable experience.

As the story begins, the audience is cast headlong into the slum community from which the central characters emerge. The deep poverty of this environment broke my heart at first glance and stayed with me throughout the entire film. But then, as I watched the DVD’s Special Features and listened to director Danny Boyle speak about life in these areas, I realized that my perception was yet again so very Western. Boyle made the statement that the people living in these areas have created a thriving community, that life within is as safe as areas of his native London. It is evident in every shot of Slumdog that Boyle fell completely in love with the city and its people, and as I listened to him speak about the rich culture of these so-called slums, I was convicted of my own narrow-mindedness. What is so foreign to me is completely acceptable to an entire nation. That is not to say, of course, that the residents would refuse a chance to rise above their circumstances. But in Boyle’s estimation, they have embraced their current life and made the very best of what they have, raising children as a village and doing whatever it takes to create a true sense of home. My perception is forever changed.

It is my hope that the film industry begins to allow filmmakers more creativity to present stories that move viewers in the way that Slumdog Millionaire has moved the world’s population. We deserve better movies, we deserve high levels of excellence. There are great writers and great directors just waiting for that single opportunity to tell simple stories in basic terms. And I hope that Slumdog’s example will open the doors for these artists. By doing so, we just may come to understand the global community that is currently sheltered from America. When that happens, we’ll all be better for it.

 

5 things I love this week

April 5 – 11, 2009
 
1. this ingenious take on insomnia.
 
2. creative birthday parties for adults. This party made me want to redo my own birthday and find a bunch of people to celebrate with me. Why, oh why, does Dallas not have Zipcar?
 

 
3. Nathan Fillion on Castle. I’ve been a fan of Fillion’s for several years, since he first charmed me as Captain Mal and then burrowed beneath my skin in Waitress, but as Rick Castle he is bringing beautiful depth to a sometimes unlikable character. It’s the father-daughter relationship that reminds us how our outer selves are often not indicative of our true selves, and I have come to love the Castle character a little bit more each week. And with this past episode, it appears there will be even more depth in the character’s arc and the series itself. I never have high hopes for midseason replacement TV, but now that I’m invested in Castle I am rooting for it to pull through. If nothing else, Nathan Fillion has earned it.
 
4. the beginning of Major League baseball season, even without The House That Ruth Built
 
5. the fact that Sunday’s a-comin’
 

birthday party image from oh happy day!

5 things I love this week

March 29 – April 4, 2009
 
1. World Autism Awareness Day.This is a subject so close to my own heart and the hearts of my family, and it is so important to learn just what autism is and how we can help. When autism was first mentioned to us, I immediately dismissed it as not pertaining to my family’s situation. There were no “typical” signs of the autism I knew and expected. What I didn’t realize is just how broad is the spectrum that encompasses autism. There are many, many levels and each child can be affected in a different way and with varying degrees. Our own experience is not typical but it is common, and it has been education that helped us see the differences and know how best to interact and teach. Learn more and be informed. Autism affects one in every 150 people, and chances are you know someone who is challenged in some way by autism. Thankfully, there is a lot we can do to help!
 
2. The jazzed feeling I get from being creative, even when I’m only tweaking someone else’s design. The website project I’m involved in has been such a creative boost, and that I’m working at all is such a blessing. I couldn’t ask for a better situation right now.
 
3. a newly discovered blog, The Hidden Seed. I am enamored by the writer and by the idea of trying on a new style each day. My favorite, thus far, is The Traveler. Since I was born with wanderlust, it just seems perfectly designed for me! And the fact that this charming woman conquered a battle with weight makes her all the more heroic to me. She’s a role model and an inspiration, and I look forward to her energy every single day.
 
4. a new Bond for a new era, including a new-style Bond girl and the indomitable Judi Dench bringing such class and humanity to M
 
5. The return of My Boys and the getting together of Bobby and PJ. So, so adorable! Not to mention the ridiculously hilarious mustache-growing contest of the male players and all the great jokes that allows. That the show is set in Chicago is just icing, allowing my heart to soar each week at the site of all those beloved locations. It doesn’t get better than this!
 
images from Amazon.com and TBS

QUANTUM OF SOLACE

DVD viewing
 

 
In describing Daniel Craig in this latest 007 offering, I cannot help but remark, “This ain’t your daddy’s Bond.” Which is exactly the reason I’ve come to love the current Bond films — Craig is so very different, so modern in his take on the British agent, and yet he retains the core of Bond in his relationships and his humanity. In Quantum of Solace, I’ve never liked James Bond or Daniel Craig more.
 
Quantum begins with an insane car chase, which is quickly followed by a tunnel-to-rooftop-to-staircase foot chase. As if this wasn’t enough, the film also features a speedboat chase and later, an airplane chase. All involving much gunfire and much explosion. And yet, with so much happening and so many types of chases, the movie never seems to fall to the ridiculous. In fact, after a while there are just enough moments in between the high octane chases to allow you to breathe and get a sense of the story at play. Perhaps to emphasize this very thing, the director included one of the most beautiful scenes in recent memory by staging gunplay and hand-to-hand combat to the building crescendo of an opera performance. It is not until the very last moments that you even begin to hear the gunfire, making the entire scene like a silent film. It’s exquisite, and it is this very scene that elevates Quantum beyond its action pedigree.
 
Still, the film is an action film. It is action in the style of the Bourne saga, which is probably the reason I loved it so much. Aside from this, what makes Quantum such a great film is Daniel Craig. He’s not the suave and smooth Bond of history. He’s surly and irreverent and unapologetic, a man trying to do his “job” in the midst of overwhelming pain at the betrayal and loss of a lover (Vesper from Casino Royale). But this particular Bond is appealing to me in a way no previous incarnation has been. This is my kind of hero. And I have no interest in preserving a Bond legacy that is no longer relevant. Craig has made Bond relevant again, and I will continue to take this ride for as long as he continues.
 
There are characters and moments that fit with the Bond legacy — although none of the “villains” are very villainous — but the joy for me was seeing a new kind of “Bond girl” in Olga Kurylenko. She’s not the 60s sexpot, despite her great beauty, and she’s not intended to be the pretty face who falls in next to Bond. Instead, she’s a pivotal character in the story and is practically Bond’s equal in every sense. I loved that she was in the midst of all the action without being a damsel in distress. (Although there is one moment near the end where the story threatened to fall into that trap, but a clear reasoning was given that didn’t seem out of place.) I do hope future Bond girls are made on the model of Kurylenko, allowing yet another modern element to update the 007 model. It is this that will take James Bond far into the 21st century while still hearkening back to Ian Fleming’s roots. And it is this that will finally create a Bond fan out of me.
 
image from Rotten Tomatoes

 

4 things I loved (last) week…

… plus one I absolutely did not!

March 22-28, 2009

1. this backyard patio.


If I was an outside kind of girl, this would be my permanent spot. Alas, I’m not, and so I visit it vicariously. But it looks comfy, no? via desiretoinspire, from Mae Brunken Design
 
2. Penelope Garcia on Criminal Minds This character, darling that she is, always gets the very best lines, and even when she’s frustrated. This week’s episode provided a quote I had to listen to over and over again: “I choose to see the good in people, and getting into someone’s mind and trying to find the god-awful thing that happened to them that made them do the god-awful thing to somebody else has seriously impaired my ability to giggle.” How I do love this show!
 
3. Neal McDonough on Desperate Housewives. Only a beloved actor could make me return to such a show (I gave up after its first season), but McDonough has been such a welcome face on Sunday evenings this season. His character is unhinged — something he plays so. very. well. — and he has shown a range I’ve yet to see in previous projects. It’s been a good year for McDonough, and I hope this exposure will lead to many more TV gigs. He deserves it, and I love seeing him on a weekly basis. Especially when he’s a psychopath.
 
4. knowing the Academy got it right. Anne Hathaway deserved every bit of praise and honor for her performance in Rachel Getting Married. But so did Rosemarie DeWitt as the eponymous sister. Both gave stirring, real performances, as if they had lived a life of sibling strife and were now showing it to the world. A difficult movie for me to watch, but still full of fantastic work.
 
grumble #1. the not-so-lovely feeling when one’s lifeline is severed. On Friday my computer died. In the early a.m. (pre-dawn) hours. With one single click of a mouse, it is stuck in a never-ending loop of start–>winlogon errors–>restart–>logon errors–>restart, and there is simply nothing understandable just yet. Thank God for my current work project that allows me to use a borrowed CPU, but the temporary-ness of that is not lost on me. I suspect I’ll soon be visiting the public library on a regular basis and learning to live without Internet. If this past weekend is any indication, I may find myself completely unsure what to do with all that time. Here’s hoping the computer can be saved. Here’s hoping!

 

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

DVD viewing

Rachel Getting Married has been on my list of films to see since I first read about it last fall. That it’s an “indie” means there are not many chances for it to appear in my small town, and I never made it to Dallas when it was playing in the cinema there. With its celebration at this year’s Oscars, I was even more interested and took the first opportunity on its DVD release to set aside time to finally watch it. Thankfully, it was everything I imagined it would be.

The story of the film is simple but the power of the film lies in its cast. Anne Hathaway’s role of younger sister Kym, a woman of great angst and pain, is the center of the story as she returns to her hometown, fresh out of rehab, in order to participate in her sister’s wedding. As the sister, Rachel, Rosemarie DeWitt is every bit the counterbalance to Kym. Both sisters share a great family tragedy, but it is the differences in how each family member copes with that enduring pain that generates the life of this film. It is a heartbreaking film. So very difficult to watch. So very easy to judge the characters. Yet so real that it’s impossible to find fault with any of them. Unless you have experienced such a tragedy in your own life, there is no way to understand what drives these people. There is no way to come to terms with just who is the better person, the better sister, the better friend. Rachel Getting Married is about relationship amidst tragedy. About whether blood is enough to bind people together, no matter the circumstance.

As is the norm these days, this film was full of jarring moments that offended my morals and sensibilities. And yet, I expected as much since the primary character is a recovering addict. Despite the profanity and occasional sudden sexual moments, the film managed to stay focused on the relational aspects of the story more than the shock factors. My one complaint (so to speak) was the never-ending segments of musical performance. That Rachel’s fiancé is a musician seemed to give the director free rein to showcase every musican who was a guest at the wedding. Honestly, it was tiresome for me, and after a couple of minutes I simply hit the fast-forward to skip to scenes with verbal interaction. But this is a minor issue in an otherwise flawless story. Rachel Getting Married is a film that endures, and Hathaway and DeWitt will forever be sisters in my mind.

5 things I love this week

March 15-21, 2009

1. This listmaker’s dream. There’s no end to the amount of fun I can have on this forum, and I’m so excited to have a super-organized way to keep up with all the ongoing stuff in my head!

 
2. Luke (and his formidable mom, Margie) from The Amazing Race.

Much ado was made at the beginning of the race about Luke’s deafness, but as the teams dwindle it is awesome to watch how unimportant that fact has become. He and his mom are one of the strongest teams in the race, consistently finishing in the top 4 on each leg (twice at #1!), and I am so enamored with his drive and his emotional stamina. Each episode has shown additional layers to Luke’s personality, and previews for next week reveal that his heart is easily broken at the poverty he witnesses in countries around the world. I have never wanted a team to win as much as I want Luke and Margie to win this race. They have shown great integrity, and they have proven that there is no such thing as a disability if you don’t let it define you.

 
3. Adrian Brody in Cadillac Records. Just hearing his name always brings a smile to my face, but it’s his raw talent that endears me to Brody. And in Cadillac Records, he’s exquisite. The entire cast is phenomenal and the movie so good, but Brody was the glue that held all the pieces together. Him and Jeffrey Wright, as Muddy Waters. They elevated an interesting story into a compelling film, and I hated to see it end.

 
4. Spring. Having work that kept me at home in front of a computer was made so much more enjoyable by being able to open all the windows and feel the cool spring air. Coupled with a soundtrack by Norah Jones, Adele and Sara Bareilles (with a little Nick Drake thrown in more good measure), there just isn’t anything better.

 
5. The return of an old friend.


I’m sure this is not the same little guy (or gal) who blessed me last year, but the sweet little coo I’ve been hearing in the mornings thrills my heart just the same. I’ve left the little nest in its exact location just in case of a repeat performance, and this one (possibly a few of them) has been blessing my balcony since mid-February. Such a treasure!