BOOK!

I just noticed that I also have this blog for books.  Well, OK!

I finished a book that I liked a lot, given to me by Dad for Xmas: The Razor's Edge, by W. Somerset Maugham.  

Definitely well-written and surprisingly modern and relatable, considering that it's 60+ years old.  It inspired me to "loaf" in a foreign land, just as the protagonist in the book, Larry, does.  However, he's trying to find the meaning of life, after his best friend gets killed during WWI.  I don't think I have quite the same issues as he does.  Nevertheless, I too think that "real work" is overrated.  At least the kind of work you do because everyone just expects you to.  I don't think I really have to worry too much about that.  

Although I definitely would still like to live in a completely foreign (completely foreign?  Not sure exactly what that means) country, like Cambodia, or Morocco, or India, for a year or more, just absorbing the culture, and maybe teaching English.  Someday soon, hopefully. 

Spent $9.25 to see the FIRST WEEKDAY SHOWING of a film at the Krikorian today: Coraline. As I paid, I thought, "This better be freakin' worth it. Charging me an extra $1+ just 'cause it's 3D, how dare they...."  Grumble, grumble. 

But it was worth it! I'm really glad that I shelled out the extra bucks to see it before it went to DVD, or even to the Academy, where I kind of doubt they'd be showing it in 3D. The effect really helps to make you feel like you're inhabiting Coraline's world. And what a crazy world it is! Kangaroo rats that play in a brass band, glowing gardens, and gross has-been actresses who do flips for scottie dogs. I'm glad I didn't really know the plot before, because it was great not knowing what crazy visual effect was going to happen next. I especially liked the part where Coraline crawls through the glowing tunnel into the "Other" world.

Granted, as my beloved Filmspotting reveiwers noted, the story line isn't especially creative, and the ending is pretty cliched. Nevertheless, this didn't really bother me. I got a little freaked out by the evil Other Mother when she turns evil, but I was prepared for it.

I also really liked the music; it's very French. Except for the They Might Be Giants song, which was almost too obviously composed by the band! I still enjoyed it, though.

Hooray for a change from the typical computer animation! I actually kind of want to see it again....

It's been a while since a movie moved me enough to post about it on here.  But today Mom convinced me to watch Maria Full of Grace, a film she'd seen before.  I knew it was about drug trafficking, and that it made Mom and Leah cry, so I wasn't too excited about seeing it.  

But I'm definitely glad I saw it.  It told this story that could easily have been sensationalized, or sappy, but it just told it very straightforward, with a completely real performance by the lead actress, Catalina Sandino Moreno.  As Mom said, her performance is so natural and powerful that you feel like she's your friend, or one of your ESL students, and you just hope that everything turns out all right for her.  

I've fallen behind in my movie reviews.

Seen 2 in the last 2 days:

1. Gran Torino (Krikorian, yesterday)
Definitely good. But not overwhelmingly good. Not even "slightly watery eyes" good. I just enjoyed it, and was surprised by the large amount of humor in this fairly intense film. Granted, most of the humor comes from laughing at Eastwood's blatantly racist comments, but hey, it's definitely better than nothing. I also really liked that this movie seemed quite realistic in the way that Clint Eastwood's character doesn't change into a saint overnight.


2. Wendy and Lucy (Academy, today)
Saw this for $2, and I hate to say it, but I'm kind of glad that's all I paid. I definitely was glad to have seen this film, but, as I was prepared for, nothing really happens. So you kind of just have to sit back and be patient. It kind of feels like you're in the movie with Michelle Williams as she's trying to find her dog, Lucy. But towards the end, I couldn't help sobbing a little. And I did feel like I could relate to Wendy (Williams) a lot, just in the way that single young women can be treated by society (not that we are necessarily wronged, but just that people do sometimes have a certain way of judging us).

GOOD MOVIE!

I just watched In Bruges.  And I really enjoyed it, despite having to leave the room during some of the extra-violent parts.  I suppose I'm becoming a little more accustomed to violence; I've actually been able to admit enjoying, and recommending, some relatively violent movies (The Beat My Heart Skipped, Slumdog Millionaire).

I guess the deciding factor is whether the violence seems gratuitous, and it doesn't in In Bruges. 

I really liked this film because it has a really different mix of genres.  I suppose it's most clearly a "shoot-em-up" hitman flick, but it's also an affecting story about human relationships, and finally, it's really funny, despite its humor being juxtaposed with a fair amount of disturbing death and destruction.  Even the last lines of the film, which should be sad, make you laugh at the same time.  

Colin Farrell does a great job proving again that he actually can act (I've thought he was a solid actor since Phone Booth, but I think a lot of people don't consider him to be a "serious" actor.)  

All in all, I'd definitely enjoy watching this again (now that I know when to avoid all the bloody scenes); I'll just need to watch a cheesy romantic comedy in the meantime.  Or maybe a documentary about musicians and the meaning of classical music.  (Since I think that's what's next on the Netflix queue.  Thanks, Dad.)

Watched Barton Fink yesterday.  I wasn't sure what to expect; all I knew about it beforehand was that it involved a murder.  The film is extremely quiet and tense, and the murder doesn't happen until about halfway through the film, so I couldn't relax at all!  Not my ideal movie-watching experience. 

Nevertheless, I think I enjoyed the film.  Typical Coens brother mix of macabre and funny.  John Turturro does a great job, and John Goodman was pretty good (although he always annoys me a little bit; I can't really explain why).  

The film didn't really make a lot of sense, but for some reason that didn't really bother me.  Perhaps because Wikipedia told me that it's not supposed to.