As we all know, I am not a huge fan of the chick flick. There are some I love but mostly I think chick flicks just play to feminine stereotypes. "Oh, woe is me. Why can't I find love? I must find someone to complete me or I will have never lived up to my requirements as a woman." Sheesh. Get a life and learn to be happy with your single-ness! But I digress. This summer I saw three excellent chick flicks. I highly recommend them for a lovely Friday night evening in with some pizza and beer.
Then She Found Me
If you haven't heard of this 2007 film, don't be shocked. It's a little indie directed by Helen Hunt, who also stars in the lead role of April. April was adopted as a baby. Later in life (think late 30s/early 40s) she marries Matthew Broderick. It doesn't work and her biological clock is ticking so loudly it's drowning everything else out. Add to her divorce the fact that her biological mother - a brilliant Bette Midler - has found her and wants to be a part of her life and April is a bit on edge. She meets Colin Firth, the father of one of her preschoolers, and he has his own set of issues. April has to decide what she wants to do with a new mother and that pesky biological clock. One of the problems I have with chick flicks is their predictability, which is why I love this film: it won't end like you think it will. Helen Hunt does a superb job of blending an amazing cast into a film about being a single woman in a time of possibility but a single woman who must also deal with the stereotypes of being an older, single woman.
Last Chance Harvey
Dustin Hoffman (Harvey) and Emma Thompson (Kate) share but a few moments together on screen in Stranger Than Fiction. That few moments is enough to show that there is chemistry there. That chemistry is exactly what makes Last Chance Harvey work. Don't expect this movie to fly by because it won't. Joel Hopkins, who directed just two films prior to Last Chance Harvey, moves these two into position in a long, leisurely fashion, but it's worth it. Harvey is in London for his daughter's wedding. Having been absent her whole life, Harvey is being pushed aside in his "fatherly wedding duties" by his wife's second husband. A chance encounter with Kate turns into an evening to remember. As the title implies, Harvey gets a second chance to make things work. I won't tell you what he chooses, though.
Julie & Julia
I have two words for you: Meryl Streep. There is nothing more to say. Go see this woman now because if she doesn't win an Oscar for her turn as Julia Child, I will be shocked. OMG. Loved, loved, loved her! And Stanley Tucci as Paul Child is brilliant! I cannot speak enough for how much I loved this film. Funny enough, though, it was the Julia and Paul sequences that made me love the film. Amy Adams and her blogging is fine but the love stories of Julia and Paul and Julia and food are so delicious. Just don't go see this film on an empty stomach.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Summer Television
I love summer television. It's the only time of year that I religiously watch tv during the week. Granted, I have more time in the summer to watch but that is beside the point. Why can't the basic networks get on board this year-round programming trend that the cable networks use to such excellent ends?
This summer I am super-excited about the following shows: Ice Road Truckers on History, HawthoRNe on TNT, Leverage on TNT, Burn Notice on USA, and Eureka! on Syfy. These are all fun, smart shows with excellent casts. Of the five, HawthoRNe is probably the weakest but I love Jada Pinkett Smith - have loved her for years - and think the show will grow into its own. Each is an ensemble show and that's what makes them all work. Even Truckers has a set of folks worth tuning in for and three of the five are brand new this year.
Although the summer season is almost over - Burn Notice ended last night and Truckers is only on for a few more weeks - both Leverage and Eureka! have only just begun. If you haven't checked them out yet, do so. You can catch back episodes on Hulu or the network's own site. They are clever shows that deserve an audience.
This summer I am super-excited about the following shows: Ice Road Truckers on History, HawthoRNe on TNT, Leverage on TNT, Burn Notice on USA, and Eureka! on Syfy. These are all fun, smart shows with excellent casts. Of the five, HawthoRNe is probably the weakest but I love Jada Pinkett Smith - have loved her for years - and think the show will grow into its own. Each is an ensemble show and that's what makes them all work. Even Truckers has a set of folks worth tuning in for and three of the five are brand new this year.
Although the summer season is almost over - Burn Notice ended last night and Truckers is only on for a few more weeks - both Leverage and Eureka! have only just begun. If you haven't checked them out yet, do so. You can catch back episodes on Hulu or the network's own site. They are clever shows that deserve an audience.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Summer Programming
Sorry about the complete disappearance, folks. Things got hectic in April and May. What can I say? Now I hope to be back and on schedule. That said, I don't plan to post every week on the same day. I'll post when I have three things to comment on. (Hopefully that will be once a week but who knows.) Also, as many of you know, I finally gave in to peer pressure and created a Facebook account. I enjoy it a lot more than I expected to. If you've got the time, it's awfully fun!
Film: The Evil Dead
I watched the first of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy last week and the second last night. (Army of Darkness is on its way.) I love them both for different reasons. The first Evil Dead film has several scary moments. Raimi's eye for cinematography is excellent; it's what makes The Quick and the Dead such a beautiful film. (Well, that and Russell Crowe.) The creepiest moment by far is when Ash's possessed girlfriend sits in the doorway cackling crazily. The effects - especially at the end - are cheesy and over-the-top, but the editing and cinematography are delightful.
Television: Picket Fences
I've been rewatching this show from the early 90s. I remember it with loving nostalgia and I am glad to see that the nostalgia is not completely unfounded. Ray Walston still shines as the cranky judge and Holly Marie Combs is still the show's moral center. Kathy Baker gets a little heavy-handed but it was the early 90s and working mothers still hadn't found their niche in prime time drama. (I'm not sure they have found that niche yet, but that's a conversation for another day.) The shows are timely for the time period but so far every one has a moral lesson: euthanasia, animal cruelty, teen sex, transsexuals. Despite the typical problems of dramas from that time period, I am very much enjoying my walk down memory lane.
Book: Alias Grace
Margaret Atwood's historical fiction novel is an amazing read, even if you don't like historical fiction. The story centers on the 19th-century murderess Grace Marks as she tells her story to Simon, a psychoanalyst, of sorts. More questions than answers are raised by the end of the book so I don't want to give anything away. What I will tell you is that you'll be surprised by several moments in the novel. Will you sympathize with Grace when her story has been told?
Film: The Evil Dead
I watched the first of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy last week and the second last night. (Army of Darkness is on its way.) I love them both for different reasons. The first Evil Dead film has several scary moments. Raimi's eye for cinematography is excellent; it's what makes The Quick and the Dead such a beautiful film. (Well, that and Russell Crowe.) The creepiest moment by far is when Ash's possessed girlfriend sits in the doorway cackling crazily. The effects - especially at the end - are cheesy and over-the-top, but the editing and cinematography are delightful.
Television: Picket Fences
I've been rewatching this show from the early 90s. I remember it with loving nostalgia and I am glad to see that the nostalgia is not completely unfounded. Ray Walston still shines as the cranky judge and Holly Marie Combs is still the show's moral center. Kathy Baker gets a little heavy-handed but it was the early 90s and working mothers still hadn't found their niche in prime time drama. (I'm not sure they have found that niche yet, but that's a conversation for another day.) The shows are timely for the time period but so far every one has a moral lesson: euthanasia, animal cruelty, teen sex, transsexuals. Despite the typical problems of dramas from that time period, I am very much enjoying my walk down memory lane.
Book: Alias Grace
Margaret Atwood's historical fiction novel is an amazing read, even if you don't like historical fiction. The story centers on the 19th-century murderess Grace Marks as she tells her story to Simon, a psychoanalyst, of sorts. More questions than answers are raised by the end of the book so I don't want to give anything away. What I will tell you is that you'll be surprised by several moments in the novel. Will you sympathize with Grace when her story has been told?
Monday, April 13, 2009
Happy Easter! (A Day Late)
I hope you all had a nice holiday weekend. I also hope none of you overdosed on Peeps and chocolate marshmallow eggs. This week's picks have absolutely nothing to do with Easter, though. (Passover maybe...)
Film: The Mist
I want to begin by saying that someone spilled the beans on the ending and that totally pissed me off! But I will never do that to all of you. And I still managed to enjoy the film despite knowing how it ends. If you haven't seen this Stephen King adaptation yet, put it on your list. The story is very compelling and realistic in terms of humanity's issues when faced with seemingly impending death. Unfortunately, the worst in us comes through loud and clear. But then, what would you do in a similar situation? It is mass-hysteria at its best. The effects are actually pretty good as well. Although the creatures are clearly other-worldly, they feel realistic. And of course there is the stupendous ending. Very intriguing and daring. Let's just say that this mist does not come on little cat feet.
Book: Persepolis
If you have not yet read Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel, what are you waiting for???!!! The first part of her work deals with growing up in Iran during the revolution. She goes from being a carefree, young girl in a posh existance to a veil-wearing young woman whose family is constantly worried about imprisonment. As a woman, I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like to go from having complete freedom to absolutely no freedom almost over night. Frankly, it's a topic that has scared me since I first read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale ten years ago. (To this day I keep cash on hand in case I have to run to Canada. Although I have recently been told that $50 may not get me there any more.) The second half of Satrapi's novel is her late-teen years after her parents send her to school in Austria. Very compelling and, again, surprising. As a constant stranger in a strange land, Satrapi tries to fit in. Sadly, she doesn't really succeed and that is what makes this graphic novel so lovely. It's nice to read a story without the traditional happy ending. It's a story I think we can all relate to in some way. Plus, it will 0pen up your eyes to what it is like for the non-militant Islamic people of Iran.
Television
Again, I don't really have anything to report here. Although I did watch the first episode of The Unusuals Wednesday night. It may make the blog in another week or two. Instead, I want to recommend hulu.com to you all. If you've missed the excellent commercials - I love Seth MacFarlane - it's a free website where you can catch the major networks' shows. For example, I missed Fringe last Tuesday - it's back - so I was able to watch it on Friday. There are 30-second commercials that you cannot fast-forward, but they are bearable. This is a great alternative for those of you who, like me, would rather buy new shoes than a TiVO. Now that I can watch television on my own time, I might actually have something to share in this section of my blog.
Film: The Mist
I want to begin by saying that someone spilled the beans on the ending and that totally pissed me off! But I will never do that to all of you. And I still managed to enjoy the film despite knowing how it ends. If you haven't seen this Stephen King adaptation yet, put it on your list. The story is very compelling and realistic in terms of humanity's issues when faced with seemingly impending death. Unfortunately, the worst in us comes through loud and clear. But then, what would you do in a similar situation? It is mass-hysteria at its best. The effects are actually pretty good as well. Although the creatures are clearly other-worldly, they feel realistic. And of course there is the stupendous ending. Very intriguing and daring. Let's just say that this mist does not come on little cat feet.
Book: Persepolis
If you have not yet read Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel, what are you waiting for???!!! The first part of her work deals with growing up in Iran during the revolution. She goes from being a carefree, young girl in a posh existance to a veil-wearing young woman whose family is constantly worried about imprisonment. As a woman, I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like to go from having complete freedom to absolutely no freedom almost over night. Frankly, it's a topic that has scared me since I first read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale ten years ago. (To this day I keep cash on hand in case I have to run to Canada. Although I have recently been told that $50 may not get me there any more.) The second half of Satrapi's novel is her late-teen years after her parents send her to school in Austria. Very compelling and, again, surprising. As a constant stranger in a strange land, Satrapi tries to fit in. Sadly, she doesn't really succeed and that is what makes this graphic novel so lovely. It's nice to read a story without the traditional happy ending. It's a story I think we can all relate to in some way. Plus, it will 0pen up your eyes to what it is like for the non-militant Islamic people of Iran.
Television
Again, I don't really have anything to report here. Although I did watch the first episode of The Unusuals Wednesday night. It may make the blog in another week or two. Instead, I want to recommend hulu.com to you all. If you've missed the excellent commercials - I love Seth MacFarlane - it's a free website where you can catch the major networks' shows. For example, I missed Fringe last Tuesday - it's back - so I was able to watch it on Friday. There are 30-second commercials that you cannot fast-forward, but they are bearable. This is a great alternative for those of you who, like me, would rather buy new shoes than a TiVO. Now that I can watch television on my own time, I might actually have something to share in this section of my blog.
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