Friday Five

1. I've seen all 10 nominees for Best Picture. Finally. I'm partial to the Hurt Locker. Rent it today. It's a thriller about disarming bombs. Don't skip it just because you think it's a "war movie." It's not. Tthe war in Afghanistan is the setting. And it has great cinematography. And it's a directed by a female, the front runner to win and become the first woman best director winner.
   
   
2. It feels like ages ago that we had snow, doesn't it? I didn't go into work Thursday or Friday. On Thursday, I walked a mile or so to eat lunch because I didn't have groceries. I knew the roads weren't bad, but I love the snow, so why not? Here are a few pictures from my journey. (I took them with my new phone; it has a zoom!)
   
   I love the hay barrels in this photo. This is in a field behind my apartment complex.
   
   The resort-style pool at my apartment. Loved the juxtaposition in this photo. Palm trees covered in snow.The road I walked from my apartment to Chick-fil-A.
   
   
   
3. On Friday, I went a little stir crazy. I got out in the afternoon and drove to the mall to see a movie. Poorly chose "Valentine's Day." Do not waste your time or your money. Skip it and put "Love, Actually" in your DVD player. You will thank me.
   
   
4. Saw the Greencards in concert last Wednesday and Zane Williams (!) two days ago. I haven't seen Zane since college. He sounded good, but the venue was awful. Horrible acoustics. Want to see him again when I can really hear what he is singing.
   
   
5. Going to see a documentary film festival this Saturday in Denton. If that interests you and you want to tag along, let me know. We are going to see three Oscar-nominated docs, including the "Cove." So if you are anti-dolphin slaughter, this is the movie for you.
   

Friday Five: Oscar Nominations

I love movies. Shocking revelation, I know. Tuesday was Oscar nomination day, and I have opinions on those nominations. Again, shocking.

1. Unless you've been living under a rock (or simply don't care, which if that is the case, I won't be offended if you stop reading now), the AMPAS expanded the best picture list to include 10 (10!) movies. Crazy. Nominees and my reaction below.
   -Avatar
   - the Blind Side
   - District 9
   - An Education
   - Hurt Locker
   - Inglourious Basterds
   - Precious
   - A Serious Man (have not seen)
   - Up (have not seen)
   - Up in the Air
   
   Super excited about the inclusion of District 9 on this list. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Avatar has to have the worst dialogue of any Best Picture nominee, possibly ever. So bad it was distracting. The Blind Side, really? Tim McGraw can now say he starred in an Oscar-nominated movie.
   
   
2. Overall, don't see the point of expanding the list when the Best Director category is still five. Movies there weren't nominated for best directing are the "second-class citizens" of the best pic race. But with the inclusion of Avatar, the Blind Side, Up and Inglourious Basters, maybe ratings will increase.
   
   
3. What happens if Up loses the Oscar for animation? How can the Academy justify that? It was good enough to be nominated for the overall best picture race, but somehow is not considered the best animated film?
   
   
4. Kathryn Bigelow might become the first woman to win the Oscar for best director! Lee Daniels is the first African American man to be nominated for best director! Exciting! Except I have mixed feelings about Daniels inclusion. Saw Precious, liked it, recommend it. Daniels pulled incredible performances out of his cast - two receiving Oscar nominations - and deserves credit. But I didn't like many choices he made shooting and editing the film, including, but not limited to, the scenes in and around the fantasies. So mixed feelings.
   
   
5. In the Loop was nominated for adapted screenplay. Wow. Just saw this movie last week. Probably the most profane movie every nominated for an screenplay Oscar. You know how sometimes, you watch a movie with repetitive foul language and you get used to it by the end. The profanity in this movie is so over the top (and creative) that you always notice it. It's a British comedy about the lead up the Iraq war. But it's very smart and clever and deserving.
   

Friday Five

1. For my (few) regular readers, I'm not done with my Best of the Decade series, I'm just struggling with the TV and music lists. Challenges, challenges. To be continued.
   
   
2. Super excited about the premier of LOST next week. Bummed that I work every Tuesday night and can't watch the episodes live. What is going to happen? Totally love these posters for LOST. Check out more here.
   
3. Recently released movies you should add to your Netflix queue immediately: the Hurt Locker, the Cove (propaganda with disturbing footage, but worth knowing about), and (500) Days of Summer. Yay!
   
   
4. Glad the work week is over. I worked Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in addition to regular working hours. And I'm not done yet. I'm working 11-4 tomorrow.
   
   
5. Recent happy thoughts:
   -"What the Fraggle Rock is going on here?" - Scrubs
   -"stealing" wi-fi from the parking lot
   -people sitting on the floor reading in a bookstore
   -watching tape-delayed sports instead of looking up the scores
   -Conan: "Let's have fun on television!" followed by jumping and dancing
   -playing tennis and cooking with Janie on Sunday
   

Best of the Decade: Movies

I'm constantly debating myself on the criteria for my favorite movies of the decade. Ultimately, I decided to only include movies I own - with exceptions.

Exception one: documentaries. I have seen some exceptional documentaries, but I don't own any of them. I figured I'd be doing those docs and my faithful readers a disservice by not including them.

Exception two: movies I expect to own or think I own. Think I own? Movies I've tried to watch several times, only to be frustrated by their absence from my library. But when I go shopping for movies, I never remember to look for them (because I think I own them.) So I'm counting those movies. Besides, it's my blog and my list, and I make the rules.

So, here are my favorite movies of the decade, once again in alphabetical order. I'm still torn between some of the movies on the official list and my honorable mention. I just love so many movies! If you like the illustrations, check out the work of Elloh at her Etsy shop.

1. Almost Famous. Hands down my favorite Cameron Crowe film of the decade. A teenage boy goes on the road as a rock journalist and discovers himself and his passion. Crowe based the film on his own life experiences and the authenticity helps the movie resonate. It also has great characters. Watching this movie makes me shake my head at Kate Hudson's career choices. Her breakthrough performance 10 years ago is far and away the best performance of her career.
   
   
2. Amelie. Love at first sight, baby. Some movies pull you in instantly, like this one. How can you not be charmed by Amelie and her romantic journey and her quest to help others find happiness? Add in the city of Paris and gorgeous cinematography, and you have a winner. Seriously, check this movie out now.
   
   
3. Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. (Before Sunrise came out in 1995, but I saw it in 2003. And you need to watch them in order, so I'm including both.) I like to think I would appreciate these movies even if I hadn't backpacked through Europe, but I can't be sure. The opening sequence of Sunrise left me giddy because it was so true to life. You meet strangers on trains, have deep and personal conversations, and alter your plans to travel with them, all before exchanging names. I lived it. From there, I was hooked. Nine years later, the sequel arrived, and I think I like it more than the original. The movies are one long conversation, set in Vienna and Paris, so don't expect much in terms of plot. But the point is the conversation and the relationship. Heads up: you might not like the ending, but I think it's perfect.
   
   
4. The Best of Youth. I've written about this Italian miniseries before, and I will keep encouraging you to watch it. The movie follows two brothers throughout their lives set against the backdrop of Italian history. It stars, who I like to call, the Italian Hugh Jackman, and it's just captivating. Great storytelling. And over the course of six hours (not a typo) you feel connected to the characters. And by the closing scene, you feel closure. The final scene is one of my favorites of the film because it communicated so much without words.
   
   
5. Brothers (the original Danish version). I just wrote about this film, so I won't say much more. This movie nails the nuances of all kind of relationships and manages to express so much with very little. And it's far superior to the recent American remake.
   
   
6. City of God. This film is about the slums of Brazil and what you must do to survive, with our hero using his love of photography to escape his surroundings. It's not easy to watch, but it is beautifully made. Somehow it wasn't nominated for the foreign film category in its eligible year, but returned the following year with director, cinematography, editing and screenplay nominations. So it's a well-made film.
   
   
7. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Is there any genre film Ang Lee can't direct and direct well? I loved many things about this film: the breathtaking fight sequences, the dominant role of women, the heart.
   
   
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry team up and the result is better than any of their solo efforts. Loved the originality (it won the Oscar for original screenplay)! The movie is such a fun, unique journey. Kate Winslet should have won her first Oscar for this performance. She is outstanding!
   
   
9. Grizzly Man. Fascinating is the best word to describe this movie. It's about a man who devoted his life to studying bears, believing that they are misunderstood by the human world. He lives with the bears every summer and this movie uses his own footage to chronicle his life until he is mauled to death (not shown). Fascinating.
   
   
10. Little Miss Sunshine. How can I leave off the movie that made me laugh more than any other movie I can remember. After I saw this movie, I called several people to tell them to go see this movie immediately. And I couldn't stop laughing long enough to do much talking. I also couldn't fall asleep because I kept remembering scenes in my head and laughing.
    
    
11. Memento. I say that my movie obsession began when my aunt took me to see the Spitfire Grill in high school, but Memento played a key role as well. I watched a lot of odd movies in college, and some were just awful. But this 2000 film convinced me that I had to keep searching. If I have to sit through a few duds to see a movie like Memento, it's worth it. This revenge thriller is told backwards because the protagonist has a memory disorder that prevents him from making new memories. If you want to know why so many fanboys were excited when Chris Nolan took over the Batman franchise, this movie is the reason.
    
    
12. Moulin Rouge! I was in Europe when this movie came out, and didn't know much about it. I remember turning to Janie in the middle of the Elephant Love Medley and saying, "I love this movie." And that moment, when a movie overtakes you, is one of the reasons I love cinema. I still can't believe Baz Luhrmann didn't receive a best director nomination for this movie. It's travishamockery that boring Ron Howard and an overrated Beautiful Mind beat out Baz. Anyone could have made a Beautiful Mind; there was nothing distinct or special about it (multiple personalities represented by real actors does not count). Baz Luhrmann is the only person who could have made Moulin Rouge! It breaks my heart every time I see it.
    
    
13. Murderball. Rugby-playing quadriplegics compete for Gold in the Paralympic Games in Athens. Really, that should be enough. Add double crossing coaches and other conflict, and you've got yourself an interesting movie.
    
    
14. Once. The little movie that could. I'm not sure I've seen a more perfect movie scene than when Glen and Marketa get to know each other while playing and singing "Falling Slowly." And what a song! (So glad it won the Oscar because it was essential to move the story forward. Hate it when songs that play over the credits win. What is the point?) I have a smile on my face the entire time I watch them. I can't find a movie clip to show you, only edited and cut ones, which don't do the scene justice. Again, some people aren't entirely thrilled with the ending, but it doesn't change my love for the film.
    
    
15. The Royal Tenenbaums. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I love the quirkiness of this film. Comedy with a heart.

Honorable Mention: Across the Universe (I'll take Julie Taymor reaching for the stars, sometimes hitting her target and sometimes missing, over cliched, blah romantic comedies any day), Big Fish (great visuals and a compelling story), Billy Elliott (what's not to like about a young boy falling in love with ballet), Bourne Trilogy (specifically the Paul Greengrass-directed second and third films - each one got better), Children of Men (kind of dark, with only a slight ray of hope at the end, but man, gorgeous to look it), Hairspray (fell in love with this movie by the end of the opening song), Hero (loved the decision to drench fight sequences in certain colors), In America (one family's story of immigrating to America, not all happy, with young actresses that break your heart), Lars and the Real Girl (delightful and moving; don't be turned off my premise of man dating sex doll), Pride and Prejudice (love the Keira Knightley version and how it portrays the character of Elizabeth), Slumdog Millionaire (a romance disguised as a thriller, this movie will steal your heart) , Stranger than Fiction (this movie comes across like a book, and it has brilliant moments, like when Will Ferrell brings Maggie G. flours), Waitress (slightly odd tone, but very lovable film with a great performance Keri Russell; takes on an added depth when you know the writer/director and star was murdered before it's release)

Friday Five

1. My car doesn't vibrate anymore. It's amazing! Always thought it was normal because Rachel's Saturn did the same thing in common. Absolutely not normal. I had two engine mounts replaced - one bent and one broken. Yikes.
   
   
2. Today is my last day of work until January! And today is a department Christmas party, which includes breakfast and ice skating at the Galleria. Yay!
   
   
3. As part of our office Christmas party - yes, that equals two work Christmas parties - we had a door-decorating contest. I joined forces with the girl next door, and this is our creation.
   
   
   
   I'm sure you immediately guessed the "scene" on the wall, but in case you had a little trouble, Santa and his reindeer had a little accident and their sleigh crashed into a snow bank. We did not win the contest.
   
   
4. It makes me happy that Better Off Ted is back on the air! Kudos to ABC for renewing a poorly-rated, critically-acclaimed, FABULOUS comedy. If you don't already watch it, check it out Tuesdays on ABC.
   
   
5. I love this time of year. Yes, it's Christmas and all that, but it's also Oscar season. Several prominent critic groups, including the Golden Globes, announced their nominees or winners....and the Oscar speculation has begun. With 10 best picture nominees this year, the anticipation is greater than usual. Love it!
   

Friday Five

1. After traveling three straight weekends, I used last week to be lazy, which is why I didn't blog. I slept in, read books, watched DVDs and relaxed. I'm traveling again this weekend, so it was much-needed.
   
2. After reading the biography of the Duchess of Devonshire, I'm ever-so happy I don't live in the 17th or 18th centuries. Women were completely dependent on their fathers or husbands. Even giving birth to a female was not greeted with enthusiasm. The Duchess' influence in political matters was unheard of and amazing.
   
3. Even though I've been in Central Texas since December, I'm still shocked when I walk outside and instantly start sweating because of the humidity. Crazy.
   
4. What exactly is the point of Supreme Court confirmation hearings? The candidates never say anything new, at least Roberts and Sotomayor didn't. Senators just get to grandstand, which is nothing new.
   
5. Overall, underwhelmed by the new Harry Potter movie. It felt like a teenage love story with a little Fighting Evil thrown in.

Friday Five

1. Four-day weekend! Those don't come along too often, so I'm looking forward to it. Have a safe weekend!
   
   
2. Had a fun girls' weekend in the Metroplex with Lubbock friends last weekend. Ate a hot dog and garlic fries at a Rangers game; saw a chick flick (The Proposal: cute); ate fondue; chased fireworks in Grapevine (can't really say watched because we drove toward them and when we finally found a place to pull over, goodbye fireworks); had relaxing pedicures. All in all, a good weekend.
   
   
3. I might have some exciting news in a few weeks. Stay tuned. :-)
   
   
4. Watched Oscar-nominee "Waltz with Bashir" this week. Extremely moving film. The final images take your breath away. Wasn't sure what I thought of the film when it started (it's a foreign-language animated documentary about Israel's invasion of Lebanon and a specific incident) but as the movie concluded, I noticed I was leaning toward the TV in anticipation. Haunting images. War if awful. Highly recommended.
   
   
5. "Witty movies directed by Woody Allen" is one of the categories suggested by Netflix. I'm hit and miss on Woody Allen. Never see "Melinda and Melinda." The acting is so awful, I can't believe I watched the whole movie. I expected it to improve.
   

Friday Five

1. I'm going to Denver this weekend for Brent's wedding. Happy for Brent. Ready to escape this Texas heat for cooler mountain air.
   
   
2. Now that my schedule is back to normal, I'm home at night to cook dinner. I bought a Williams-Sonoma "eating by color" cookbook at Marshall's for $5, and I've been cooking from it this week. I've only made four recipes, so I'm not ready to recommend the book, but it's fun mixing-and-matching recipes to eat five colors a day.
   
   
3. I'm sure you are all wondering what I did at work on Thursday. I practiced my hula-hoop skills! One of the guys in the accounting firm down the street stopped by the office to socialize. When he gets bored, he comes down to our office. A lady in my office is married to one the partners in his firm. Today he noticed a stack of hula hoops in someone's office. So he wanted to know who could hula hoop. If you said you could, he made you prove it. I said I wasn't very good, and he still made me prove it. After he left in disgrace - he was the worst one- someone picked up a hula hoop again and found the secret to keeping it going. We all tried again. And we called the guy back to the office to see our new hula-hoop skills. She wanted to have a "hula-off" between our offices in the street. I work for the American Cancer Society, and we take time to hula hoop.
   
   
4. Nadal lost his first ever match at the French Open. It's been a shocking French Open hasn't it, tennis fans? Anything can happen, but it looks like Federer is going to equal Sampras' record of Grand Slam titles in a few days. Most people will concede he is the Greatest of All Time if he wins this tournament, but I don't agree. How can you be the GOAT when you can't consistently beat another player (Nadal) in your generation?
   
   
5. Does anyone else enjoy the categories Netflix creates and provides recommendations for on the Netflix home page? So specific. Here are five categories I've seen recently, a little bonus Friday Five.
   
   • Critically-acclaimed romantic thrillers
     
   • Suspenseful space-travel TV shows
   • Dark political documentaries
   • Feel-good teen musicals
   • Visually-striking dramas with strong female leads
     

Friday Five: Movie Magic

It's not secret I love movies. For this week's installment of Friday Five, I am going to list five moments of movie magic. What is movie magic? It's when you walk out of a theatre thinking you've seen the best movie of the year, or get on the phone and call everyone you know and tell them to watch a movie you've just seen, or a scene in a movie that movies you. These aren't my all-time favorite movie moments, just five recent ones. I do have that memory issue.

1. Once - The "Falling Slowly" music number. What a great scene.! The music is great (the song won an Oscar!) and everyone - the directors, actors, musicians and editors - gets what happens when people connect for the first time.
   
   
2. Moulin Rouge - The "Elephant Love Medley" number. I saw this movie with Janie, and halfway through this song, I turned to her and said, "I love this movie!" The eagerness of Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman's complete dedication to her role won me over. The whole movie is fabulous, but I still remember my reaction to this moment in the movie.
   
   
3. Before Sunrise - The opening train scene when Jesse and Celine meet for the first time. I was freaking out when I started watching this movie because I experienced what I was watching. Well, not exactly. I didn't get off a train with a guy I just met before telling him my name, but I did ask a guy to eat dinner with me before I knew his name. Many Americans watching this movie probably rolled their eyes at how far fetched this scene was, but it's authentic. Backpackers are a sub culture in Europe. If you meet someone on a train or in a hostel that speaks your language, you pursue the relationship, even if it's only a two hour train ride. You share personal things and exchange travel stories. And sometimes, like Jesse and Celine, you ask for more, and have a great experience. I actually like the sequel, Before Sunset, better than the original, but it was the opening train scene that stayed with me.
   
   
4. Little Miss Sunshine - The pageant scene. I have never laughed so hard at a movie as I did while watching Little Miss Sunshine. The whole movie is funny, but Olive's performance in the pageant tops it all. Once I started laughing, I couldn't stop. I was laughing so hard, I started to sweat. I walked out of the theatre laughing. I got on the phone and called Rachel, Janie and Megan (I think) to tell them to stop what they were doing and watch this movie. I couldn't go so sleep that night because I kept playing parts of the movie over and over in my head and laughing. If that isn't movie magic, I don't know what is.
   
   
5. The Constant Gardener -The entire movie. The performances were great (Oscar awarded to Rachel Weisz), the method of jumping-around-in-time story-telling technique was effective, the "liberal" message of giant corporations covering up wrongdoing was timely, the visual style of the movie - all of these things combined to make a movie I loved. I walked out of the theatre thinking this was the best movie I'd seen all year. I later found out the director also directed City of God, one of my all-time favorite movies.
   

I did not list these movies in any particular order. I had this idea on my drive back from Lubbock last week. When I thought of a movie, I would write it down. When I looked at the list, I realized I owned all the movies on it. What would make your list of magic movie moments? Share in the comments!

Friday Five

1. I wrote a post on Friday after all. I had a few hours between normal work hours and attending a Relay For Life event tonight. Since my job is help people plan and execute this overnight event, I'm glad I have the opportunity to be a part of one first. It should help me do my job.
   
   
2. Gas stations in this are have started stocking caffeine-free Diet Dr. Pepper, and it makes me happy. I spend a lot of time on the road for this job, and I like to drink something other than water. Especially if I've driving home at night, drinking a caffeine-free drink is like tricking my body
   
   
3. I'm getting closer to watching all the movies nominated for top awards at the Oscars (picture, actor, actress, foreign film, documentary, screenplay). Once I see Frost/Nixon and Frozen River, I will have seen all the best picture and best actor/actress and screenplay nominated films. Yay! I'm not doing so great with foreign films and documentaries; they need to come out on DVD.
   
   
4. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Watch Instantly feature on Netflix. I just watched the Visitor, starring Oscar-nominee Richard Jenkins. Somehow Netflix manages to stream a two-hour movie at high quality with no interruptions, and yet, every time I try to watch an ABC show online, it stalls my entire Internet connection. If you aren't taking advantage of this feature, do it now. I've heard the studios want to renegotiated the available this feature. There are some really great films available to watch this way, including popular movies like Made of Honor and Enchanted, and entire seasons of TV shows (all three seasons of the Office!)
   
   
5. "What is this, Horseville? Cause I'm surrounded by naysayers! Word play!" and “What those people were doing to the Superdome." or "One word: coffee. One problem: where do you get it?' ' Anywhere!You get it anywhere!"
   
   If you don't know where those quotes came from, it's because you still aren't watching the funniest show on TV. Haven't we discussed this? (By the way, you can also watch 30 Rock instantly on Netflix. What are you waiting for?)
   

Friday Five

1. Quote of the Week: "Traveling changes you but slowly, minutely. It's not one big mind altering event but a polishing of the edges of your personality. So of course I'm different. I can already see many of the changes. But many of these were incremental changes I never even noticed - and still haven't." - Matt Kepnes
   
   
2. Commentary of the Week: My friend Janie's take on the heroine of the movie Happy-Go-Lucky. In case you forgot (or don't know) Janie started the Happy List tradition that I still carry on. This movie has been on my to-watch list since I heard about it, and I'm glad I watched it before I read Janie's thoughts. I totally agree with her, too!
   
   
3. Movie Trailer of the Week: So far John Krasinski hasn't had a great movie career, but this movie has potential. Plus it co-stars Maya Rudolph. And Maggie Gyllenhaal! And Allison Janney! And Catharine O'Hara! It's also written by Dave Eggers and his wife, so it should be funny.
   
   
   
   'Away We Go' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video
   
   
4. Life Event of the Week: I turned 30! I had a group of friends over for lunch on Saturday, and it was a blast. I enjoyed having people from different stages of my life present: family, high school friends, college friends, "real-world" friends, and a few tag-a-longs. And keeping with tradition, I had cookie cake. Not just one, but two! I will never outgrow cookie cake.
   
   
5. Happy things of the week:
   
   • exercising for two weeks without foot issues (including some running!)
   • listening to Rick Steves' podcasts while exercising on the treadmill
   • patches of bluebonnets throughout the city, not just on the side of the highway
   • playing Taboo
   • Stephen Colbert told the the South Carolina governor he was extremely boring
   • "Beautiful World," duet by Dierks Bentley and Patty Griffin
   • taking a walk along the lake on a sunny afternoon
     

Friday Five: Long Time Gone

Wow! I can't believe I haven't blogged in more than a month! I now return to my weekly feature.

1. The new job is going well. January started with a bang. I've started traveling to my territories and made several trips to the Austin office for training and events. I enjoy working with volunteers, and am staying positive about my more challenging events and communities. My boss is encouraging and easy to talk to. My coworkers are friendly and supportive. It's a good fit.
   
   
2. Because of all the traveling I've been doing for work, I haven't been able to establish much of a routine or find a church home. My best bet for a church of Christ here doesn't have any single people my age. The young professionals class I attended was full of married couples. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, but I'd prefer to find some people in the same life stage as me. So I'm still searching for that. I've joined a group of girls that meet once a week for dinner. After three or four weeks, I've determined these aren't the right type of people for me. No one from this group will become a lifelong friend. So I'm "using" them until I find a group where I feel like I belong.
   
   
3. I had a great girls' night with Rachel and Lauren (plus a few add-ons) from college a few weeks ago. We had a blast! It's always fun to spend time with close friends, the kind where you can pick up where you left off, not matter how much time has passed between visits.
   
   
4. Movie Update. I recommend Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Button is a classic "Oscar movie." Very polished and epic. I'd read that it was hard to connect to emotionally, but that wasn't the reaction I had. Can I just add that Brad Pritt is beautiful? Slumdog is at heart a romance, which makes all the critical acclaim bizarre. I have a theory regarding the mostly male movie critics and feminine-oriented films. Critics do not forgive weakness in chick flicks, usually romances, but they forgive all sorts of liberties and flaws in male-oriented films. Slumdog is a violent, gritty film that appeals to males, but it's also a love story. Somehow the so-called flaws of this love story are acceptable because it's in masculine packaging. Anyway, I liked the movie and encourage you to see it. The presentation - colors, soundtrack, editing- is great. Also, the subtitles were part of the presentation instead of a distraction. I also enjoyed the movie Last Chance Harvey with Emma Thompson and Dennis Hoffman. Emma Thompson is fabulous! A grown-up love story. Rachel Getting Married was more emotional than I expected. Anne Hathaway is good. She should take more complex roles like Kym and stay away from fluff like Bride Wars. I'm pretty sure the heat wasn't working in the theatre; I wore my coat and gloves. Gloves! In the documentary genre, I suggest American Teen, a profile of high school seniors in Indiana. It's been compared to a the Breakfast Club (with real people) because it profiles a nerd, a jock, the popular girl, and the quirky outcast. Some parts seem phony, but character of Hannah was enough to keep me invested in the story. Worth a rent.
   
   
5. Book Update. I went on a reading kick and read two novels by Tana French - In the Woods and the Likeness. Both are murder mysteries set in Ireland (!) with well-developed characters, interesting, complex stories and excellent writing. The books are a series, so read In the Woods first.
   

Friday Five

1. Don't see the movie "The Happening" by M. Night Shyamalan. Awful. The dialogue is cheesy, cliche and unrealistic. The acting was bad. I like Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel, but both were horrible. They didn't have much to work with in terms of character development and dialogue, but they were painful to watch. Shyamalan has officially lost the benefit of the doubt. I didn't see "Lady in the Water" but I heard from several people that it wasn't as bad as the reviews. Now I don't want to give it a chance.
   
   
2. So glad "30 Rock" is back on TV! With Tina Fey's popularity this Fall, I can't believe NBC didn't capitalize on that buzz and launch the show earlier this month and try to build a larger audience. Wasted opportunity. SNL didn't need Thursday specials to drive traffic to their show during this election season. The episode wasn't one of the best, but it's still good. Loved the facial expressions in this episode. If you aren't watching this show, you need to be! If you missed this episode, try watching it on the NBC website. I wrote this Monday night after watching it online.
   
   
3. I voted, and I hope you have to. I love early voting. If you haven't voted yet, don't forget to cast your vote for President on Tuesday! The only time I remember not voting for a major office was the 2002 gubernatorial race. I did all sorts of research to determine who I was going to vote for, and then the night before the election, I found out I was registered to vote in Abilene and not Grand Prairie. I could have driven 300 miles round trip to vote, but I didn't. I've talked to several people the last few weeks that don't plan on voting, and I don't understand that. We live in a democracy, where our voice is our vote. Why choose to be voiceless? Next time you are at your grocery store, pick up the Voters Guide or click here for the Texas edition. You can take it in to the voter's booth.
   
   
4. The Vietnam Ministry of Health has recommended banning small-chested people from riding motorbikes! Why? To improve driver safety of course. I guess their thinking is that larger drivers are less likely to suffer serious injuries if they are involved in an accident. What will we think of next?
   
   
5. So did anyone watch the Obama "infomercial" on Wednesday? I was traveling and missed it. It's an interesting tactic, especially since McCain can't afford to buy the same airtime. I'm curious about the response/backlash and the ratings, although as you read this on Friday, you've probably formed your own opinion after watching it or already know how well it went over.
   

Friday Five

1. I had a fantastic time at the Cowboys game! What started out as a potential blowout ended up being a competitive game. It's fun to be part of the crowd, especially when you feel like you have an impact on the game. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them from Eileen.
   
   
2. I've decided to follow one of those Couch-to-5K training plans. If you've followed this blog for a while, you know I used to be a runner and then over training (stupid spinning class!) resulted in tendinitis in my left foot. I've had to take several breaks from exercising as a result. I miss running and want to do again, but I don't want to do too much too soon. I figure this slow-build plan should do the trick. Plus I'll keep up the anti-inflammation diet I mentioned in this post.
   
   
3. How many of you have read the book "The Shack?" I'm just not that into it. I had to force myself to read it last night, never a good sign. It's such a cultural and religious phenomenon that I made myself read it. I just don't get what all the fuss is about.
   
   
4. I don't like watching Presidential debates. I'm following the election enough that I don't learn anything from the debates. I didn't watch the one this week, but I read the transcript the next morning. The polls said Obama "won."
   
   
5. I watched two high profile summer movies this week: Iron Man and Sex and the City. Both movies could have been shorter, but I enjoyed them. Jon Favreau seems to be a talented director. Elf and Iron Man couldn't be more different. I didn't like the choices the characters made in Sex and the City. Seemed written to advance the plot and create conflict instead of reflecting the characters well.
   

Best of 2007: Movies

I had a hard time picking my favorite movies of the year. I saw a lot of movies, courtesy of Netflix of course, but few wowed me enough to put them on this list or recommend them to other people. I saw several movies over the Christmas break, including potential Oscar-nominated movies, but I had a hard time putting those on my list (I'll get to that in a minute.)

Here is my list, in no particular order.

1. Waitress staring Keri Russell. I missed seeing this in the theatre due to it's limited theatrical run in my market. I finally watched it on DVD. I've already blogged about, so I won't say much more. It's a movie with heart, which I always like.
   
   
2. Once. Another movie I've already blogged about. A non-traditional musical with plenty of heart and a realistic resolution, even if it's not one we "want." I love the song "Falling Slowly" the two characters play together that starts their relationship.
   
   
3. Jesus Camp. As a person that helps plan and run a Christian camp, this movie might be more interesting to me than you. The film focuses on a summer Bible camp for children as young as five. I don't want to live in a Christian church state (church states don't work anywhere else in the world, so why would we want one here?) and the goal of this group alarms me a little. Regardless of where you stand of the role of religion in politics and government, you should find this doc intriguing.
   
   
4. Bourne Ultimatum. I love Jason Bourne. I've read all the books, which are more of a jumping off point for the movies instead of an adaption. A lot of people don't like Greengrass' quick-cut editing, but I think it illuminates Bourne's role as the weapon against anyone he faces. One of the best action flicks I've seen since, I don't know, the Bourne Supremacy. :-)
   
   
5. Zodiac. If I expected this to be an adrenaline rush like the Bourne Ultimatum, I might have been disappointed. I'd read enough to realize this was more of a slow-boiling, psychological thriller. I thought it worked. Seeing the emotional and psychological toll trying to find a killer took on difference people involved in the investigation was fascinating.
   
   
6. Atonement. I was not expecting the artful direction of this film. Gorgeous film! I read the book and the film took advantage of it's medium well to tell the story. I loved how we would see part of scene as witnessed by one character and then see the full scene without losing the scene's impact or significance. This method also helped the audience understand why Briony did the things she did because we saw what she saw. Atonement is a good story with good actors beautifully filmed.
   
   
7. Hairspray! This was the best experience I had at the movies all year. I didn't know much about the play or the music. The movie starts with the in-your-face "Good Morning Baltimore" sung by Tracy. At first I was unsure of what to think, but by end of the song, I was sold. It took me to the "Elephant Love Medley" to feel that way about Moulin Rouge the first time I saw it, but Hairspray accomplished that with the first song. I left this moving smiling and humming the songs. I saw it again in the theatre and bought it on DVD the first day it came out.

Over the Christmas holidays I saw Juno, Sweeney Todd and No Country for Old Men. None of them made my final list. Why? It was a mix of high expectations and bleak, dark subjects. Juno is not dark. Juno is uplifting and funny. However, the reviews I read for this film were so glowing that I expected something magical. What I saw instead was your basic, feel-good comedy/drama that is being touted as the most original work to ever come along. Obviously the critics have never watched an episode of Gilmore Girls. However pop-culture happy, witty and snappy the dialogue on Gilmore Girls was, it still seemed natural. With Juno, especially in the beginning, it didn't seem real. The movie couldn't recognize it's own limitations and tried too hard.

I couldn't put the book No Country for Old Men down when I started reading because I had to know what happened. And despite the fact that I knew who lived and who died, the Coen brothers set up scenes and chases so well, I was tense and anxious during the movie. But something about the conclusion, when the Sheriff is processing everything that has happened and his role in it, rubbed me the wrong way. I thought the same thing as times during the book, but because there was so much inner-monologue throughout the the book, it didn't take away from my overall experience. With the movie it did. And the movie was too long; near the end I was waiting for it to be over. Well made but hard to like, like Sweeney Todd.

The dreary art direction fit the tone and spirit of the movie; Tim Burton was the perfect person to make this movie. I wasn't bothered by the lack of singing talent of Depp and Bonham-Carter. It's the character of Sweeney Todd that I don't like. He has a valid reason for wanting revenge, but that is all that matters to him. Does he care about the welfare of his daughter? Only if it helps him get revenge against the person that ruined his life. I didn't like him any more than I liked the villian, which is problematic. Maybe I'm not supposed to, but I doubt it. It's hard to not like a movie that is as well made as this, but I don't.

Once

If you missed seeing the movie Once, you can rent it or buy it today. The "art house musical" won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. It stars two musicians who get to know each other through music. It's a very heartfelt movie.

Also, check out this video! It's Indiana University's a cappella group Straight No Chaser.

Silence

Those of you that only watch mainstream American movies, have you noticed how there is almost never any silence? It's almost like the studios are afraid that if there isn't dialogue or an intense action sequence (think Jason Bourne) the audience will lose interest.

I thought of this over the weekend while watching the movie "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring." This Korean film has two main characters. Occasionally a third person enters the story to progress it, but mainly it's a two-person movie. And the characters are Buddhist monks living on a floating monastery in the middle of nowhere. Guess what? Minimal dialogue. I remember hearing one of the characters speak, and I suddenly realized I was watching a 90 minute film that had 30 minutes of dialogue at most, probably considerably less. And dialogue wasn't necessary. The movie was able to communicate everything it needed to through other elements. It seemed the the silence gave me the opportunity to question what was happening and how it was effecting the characters. The director let the movie unfold instead of telling me what was happening.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to everyone, but if you want to see a perfect example of silence being the right choice in a movie, watch the Best of Youth. The closing scene in that movie is perfect, and it would have been ruined with words. (Don't forget that movie is six hours long. Jaime started watching it around 10 p.m. one evening, which I thought was an odd choice. Turns out she forgot it was so long. Originally it was an Italian miniseries.)

Weekend Recap

Normally when I go home for the weekend I have some down time. Not this trip. Here are the highlights.

1. Taste Addison: Saw Blues Travelers and the Los Lonely Boys in concert. It seems wrong that my entry fee does not cover food for an event named Taste Addison. It was fun.
   
   
2. Tennis. The only time I play tennis these days (sigh) is when I'm in DFW, so this is always a plus. However, playing tennis at noon on a hot, humid day is not ideal. Summer is here.
   
   
3. Georgia Rule. Jamie's decree: SKIP IT. One, it's not a good movie. Two, if you haven't read anything about it, you will go see a different movie than the one advertised in the previews. It's one of those. Just like all the children that had no way of knowing the sadness awaiting them at the end of the "fun, fantasy film" Bridge to Terabithia.
   
   
4. Trinity Hall. It was fun to drink Strongbow, eat bread pudding and listen to an Irish band on a Saturday night.
   
   
5. Mother's Day. The card I got my mom was "retro." It was a child's Strawberry Shortcake card. It was a hit. My mom laughed and informed me that she still had my Strawberry Shortcake sheets in a closet if I wanted them. I wonder if this closet stores my Rainbow Bright sleeping bag.
   

Friday Five: Independent Film

I love movies. I love all genre of movies. I'm more and more attracted to movies most people have never heard of. Technically I don't know if foreign films are considered independent, but for the purposes of this post I will place them in that category. They probably qualify anyway as they are not created in Hollywood, have much smaller budgets than Hollywood films and generally have a limited release. So for today, here are five reasons I love and support independent film.

1. The Spitfire Grill. My senior year in high school, my aunt dragged me and my sister to see this movie. All she told us about it was that it was an Official Selection of the Sundance Film Festival (an Audience Award winner to be more exact). I loved the film and credit it for my passion for indies. Ironically, my aunt ignores most of my opinions about movies because my "superior taste" (her words not mine) and resists all attempts on my part to introduce her to new movies. She couldn't believe I made her sit through Stranger than Fiction.
   
2. Film Festivals. After watching the Spitfire Grill, I started seeking out movies that were Official Selections of the Sundance Film Festival. Rachel V. is a movie buff as well, and in college we would stroll through Hastings looking for independent films to rent. Back then I didn't research films or read reviews online, so we made our decisions on the spot. We watched some bad movies, (Photographing Fairies), and odd movies (Being John Malkovich) but mostly we were rewarded with movies like Memento, Billy Elliott and Run Lola Run.
3. Originality. Writers and directors hired to make blockbusters usually cater to the lowest common denominator or are encouraged to stick to what works, so these movies usually lack creativity and originality. Obviously, this is not always the case. And independent films suffer from the same problems too. Charlie Kaufman is completely original, and his films are good because of his originality. See Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation and Being John Malkovich if you want to see a unique vision. And you don't have to love these movies to appreciate what they bring to the film world.
4. Documentaries. I've already dedicated an entire post to documentaries, but they are an aspect of independent film that shouldn't go unnoticed. These filmmakers work with limited budgets and are often self financed. These movies don't make much money at the box office, so to get their movies seen and create revenue, documentary filmmakers sell their movies to TV stations. What's the problem with this? For a documentary to be eligible for an Oscar nomination, it has to screen in theatres and the additional screening rules in place prevent filmmakers from working with TV. Grizzly Man was one of the highest rated movies last year, but wasn't eligible for the Oscar because it aired on cable. I have almost never been disappointed in a documentary, whereas feature films let me down consistently. So if a documentary comes to a theatre near you, pay to see it.
5. Foreign Films. If you can't get past the subtitles you are missing out on great films. Amelie just makes me feel happy. The Best of Youth is one of the best movies I've seen in years. It's six hours long, but I want to watch it again. The martial arts films like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are beautiful works of art. And City of God is one of my all-time favorite movies. It's not very often that a foreign film has it's director nominated for Best Director at the Oscar, but that happened with this film. I like foreign films for their originality but also for the different outlook and voice they bring to cinema.
   

Friday Five

My goal is to post a Friday Five list every week. Today I'm starting with the five best documentaries I saw in 2006. If you don't watch documentaries, you are missing some of the best movies every year. I just recently started watching documentaries on a regular basis, and I wish I had started sooner. It was hard to trim my list to just five, but here goes.

1. Grizzly Man. Fascinating is the best word to describe this movie. It's about a man that devoted his life to studying bears, believing that they are misunderstood by the human world. He lives with the bears every summer and this movie uses his own footage to chronicle his life until he is mauled to death. Fascinating.
2. Devil's Playground. I wrote a whole post about this movie and how it examines the period in the lives of Amish teenagers when they leave Amish customs behind and behave like normal teenagers.
3. Murder on a Sunday Morning. This doc won the 2001 Oscar for it's portrayal of a murder case involving racial profiling and ridiculous police brutality and corruption.
4. Murderball. Rugby-playing quadriplegics compete for Gold in the Paralympic Games in Athens. Really, that should be enough. Add double crossing coaches and other conflict, and you've got yourself an interesting movie.
5. Mad Hot Ballroom. Competitive ballroom dancing in the New York public schools. Awesome! Watching these kids dance the rumba, tango, foxtrot, etc. is super entertaining. And pretty darn impressive.

That's my list. Grizzly Bear is by far the best documentary I saw last year, probably one of the best movies. But I bet you would enjoy any of these docs if you gave them a chance. They are all on Netflix. Grizzly Bear has aired on cable as well. I always think I'll be bored by a documentary, but that has never happened, even though I have been bored by a feature film. If you've only see March of the Penguins, Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 911, try one of these less mainstream, but equally good and usually better documentaries.