Black and Deathly

With the onslaught of movies opening in our fair city, the husband and I are trying to ease back into our crazy movie-viewing rhythm. Christmas somehow consumed all of December, so it's been slow going.

Against my better judgment, my husband convinced me that we should just screw it and go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I had laundry to do, birthdays to shop for, soup to cook - but somehow was swayed to spend at least 2.5 hours at the movies instead. Guess what, people? Totally worth it. I really liked the movie. I even liked that the money-grubbing powers that be decided to split the book into 2 movies. I think this decision will really do this final tale justice. The plot clicked along a little faster than in the book (but that's pretty necessary), but even so it was able to show the fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are blossoming adults, yet still awkward kids. These actors have really grown professionally and it's beautiful to see that as well. I was also very impressed with the cinematography - the wilderness scenes really achieve the desolation and isolation that the characters are feeling. They aren't just gorgeous settings in the UK. My favorite scene may have been the one in Godric's Hollow - it looked and felt just how I imagined it when I read it!!! Super eerie, yet weighted with fate and importance. It was kind of like when I saw the first movie and you came upon Hogwarts for the first time. Very exciting. I know one general criticisms of these movies is their disjointed nature for the viewers who have not read the books (like they plot doesn't connect well enough for them to really be stand-alone movies). But my husband hadn't read this book yet and he felt like he could follow it pretty well. I am anxiously awaiting Part 2! I know a few people are holding out on seeing Part 1 until the second part comes out so they don't have to wait for the end (a la The Lord of the Rings). While I understand that viewpoint, I was just too excited to see this one!

Once our 10-day Christmas celebration ended on the 26th, we dropped the dog off at home and raced over to the Arbor to see Black Swan. I was definitely nervous about being disappointed because there has been so much hype. The film is really a slow build, so for the first 30 minutes I was kind of like, "damn, over-hyped." But then, it kind of snuck up on me and I was right there in it. Flawless performances all around and really interesting through and through. It is much more than a dance movie and more than a thriller. It's one of those that you discuss at length with each person you encounter who has seen it as well. There are tons of nooks and crannies and possibilities to explore. And yes, the lesbian scene is pretty hot.

We also attempted to see The King's Speech this week, but it was sold out. Attempt #2 is on Sunday. I'm also hoping to make it out for one more this week - True Grit, The Fighter, 127 Hours, who knows?

"If they invented facebook, they would have invented facebook!"

I was watching Conan last night and Jesse Eisenberg was one of the guests. This reminded me that I never posted a review of The Social Network.

My husband and I saw it at the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek about a month ago and I remember really enjoying it start to finish. However, in the days and weeks since, it's been kind of clanging around in my head. But not in an interesting, let's-think-about-it way like Inception, more like it wasn't super-memorable. I've been wondering why. I know you're thinking it was the glass of wine or whatever I had during my dinner-and-a-movie, but my husband and I split a bucket of beer at Inception, and I remember a whole hell of a lot more about that movie.

Seeing Jesse Eisenberg on Conan was a great refresher. Jesse Eisenberg (and Justin Timberlake) is what made the movie so great. The movie, if you don't know, is about the beginning of facebook. How it came together at Harvard at the beginning of the decade and how it almost fell apart upon the business's move to California. Of course, it follows Mark Zuckerberg as well, as the two seem more and more inseparable as the movie rolls on. It's an interesting story of relationships and status (to be honest), and what else is facebook about really?

However, Jesse Eisenberg, though his character (Mark Zuckerberg) is somewhat unassuming, commands your attention throughout the entire movie. He is in such control of himself, his emotions, his speech, that you are really interested by this character/person. After watching it, though, I was kind of like, "yeah, he was good, but isn't he just like that?" He is not - is what I found out on Conan last night. He is awkward, unsure, and self-deprecating. And loves cats (he fosters cats, isn't that so nice?!). He seemed like such a nice guy, but not necessarily at all like the cocky programmer he portrayed on screen. The Oscar buzz for his performance is still strong, so you may want to head out and catch this one if you still can. It also features great support performances from Justin Timberlake (as Sean Parker), Andrew Garfield (the new Spider-Man), and this guy who plays the Winkelvoss twins. It's interesting for anyone who uses facebook, which is everyone (except my mom, thank God). At the very least watch the trailer, which may be one of my favorite trailers of all time.

On a related note, are you watching Conan? I am, and DVR-ing it as well. I really like it and I don't want to let Conan down like I did with the The Tonight Show (I only watched his first and last episodes, but to be fair, I go to bed at the time that show comes on; how my parents watch so much of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson - I will never understand). I'm ready for the show (so glad Andy Richter is back!) to get into a groove and get some recurring bits, but I'm sticking with it for now (I kind of miss watching Family Guy, though).

Pandora

No, not that Pandora, I already reviewed that one. By the way - did anyone see the "Avatar" re-release? All I ever really heard about it was that they extended the "sex" scene. Meh.

Anyways - I was listening to Pandora (internet radio station you build) at my little desk yesterday. The radio station selected was my Rilo Kiley one with Ben Folds thrown in. So...I'm scanning along in my little hole and "Question" by the Old 97's comes on. I immediately switch back to my browser window so I can click on "Like" as fast as possible - and it's already been selected. Good ear, Pandora.

The thing about this song is - it just makes me feel right. And like everything in the world is right for 2 minutes. As soon as the opening riff started I gasped out loud and just drifted away for a moment to the scene where I imagine this song taking place. It's simple, just guitar and vocals, verse-chorus-verse-chorus, but it packs an emotional, sentimental punch. This song is just perfection.

Here's the chorus (I'll sing it to you any time you like):
Someday somebody's gonna ask you
A question that you should say 'yes' to
Once in your life
Maybe tonight
I've got a question for you

Pair this with the tall drink of water that is Rhett Miller and the way he sways his hips when he plays guitar and I am done.

Other Old 97's faves:
* "Rollerskate Skinny" (my fave)
* "Great Barrier Reef" (my husband's fave)
* "Nineteen"
* "Firefly" (inspiration for my myspace and absolutepunk names - haha! so punk, right?!)

UPDATE - I wandered over to their website after I initially posted this entry and discovered they have a new album coming out on October 12th. Can't wait! Mr. Ken Bethea does a great, quick breakdown on all of the songs on their homepage (and Rhett Miller has a videoblog from the offices of Dunder-Mifflin! That's right, MB, I said it.).

Catfish

My husband and I found ourselves in the luxurious position of having no plans this past Friday night. So...we began discussing possibilities and I mentioned casually maybe we could go to the movies and there's this cool-looking movie showing at the Alamo South Lamar...and my husband exclaimed, "I saw that on News 8 this morning and I want to see it, too!" We are just too adorable like that. Fortunately I bought tickets that afternoon online because it was sold out by the time we got there.

The aforementioned film is a documentary entitled "Catfish." The film reviewer on News 8 posed it as one of the 2 movies about facebook coming out this fall - but it is much more than that. The documentary follows Nev Schulman as he is being filmed by his brother, Rel, and Henry Joost (the 2 filmmakers and Nev share an office space in NYC). They decide to film Nev as he embarks on a relationship that begins on facebook and proceeds to mail, phone, gchat, and eventually a face-to-face meeting. Again, as the reviewer mentioned, this is one of those cases where "truth is stranger than fiction." He even went so far as to say that it's more of a reality-documentary - meaning it's more free-form and less agenda-driven than most documentaries.

My husband and I both enjoyed the film immensely. It unfolds in such a dramatic way and really tries to remain honest while pointing out some obvious flaws in social networking in the internet age. It was also laugh-out-loud funny, shocking in a jaw-dropping sort of way, and emotional. Somehow I felt it all in the span of 90 or so minutes. Kudos to Nev for laying it all out there for us.

There has also been some controversy surrounding "Catfish" - other viewers (famously Morgan Spurlock and Zach Galifianakis) have called its authenticity into question. However, the 3 of them claim that everything happened as it played out on screen - no script, no actors, none of it (unlike "I'm Still Here," Casey Affleck's 'documentary' about Joaquin Phoenix - is anyone going to see that?). I wouldn't suggest seeking out articles on the controversy if you haven't seen the documentary yet as it may spoil the big reveal.

I say - get out and see this one if it shows up near you. I thought about it all weekend and am really glad we were able to see it.

Also - I had one of the specials at Alamo South Lamar at the urging of our waitress. It was spaghetti squash, zucchini, tomato sauce, and parmesan cheese with garlic bread and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD. Check out the specials if you can, is what I learned on Friday.

Re-invigorated?

I stumbled upon an article on msnbc.com last week about the dearth of "Oscar movies" so far this year. While reading the article I felt inspired to make an appearance on my long-neglected blog and regale you, my faithful readers (reader? singular?), with my thoughts. I was so inspired I even made a little trip over to my tried-and-true Oscar-watch blog, "Little Gold Men" on vanityfair.com to uncover some more possibilities for you. Alas - no Oscar bait over there yet. So we'll press onward with this little nugget.

Of the films mentioned - I've seen two. Oops! I need to continue to hang out at the Arbor after the first week in March, I suppose. Instead I (along with my husband and parents) made my way to the 4-screen theater in Bastrop (where my parents live) on a steamy July day to see Toy Story 3. Unfortunately, I missed the beginning of the short because at this particular theater I HAVE to get a refreshment from the concession stand. Why, do you ask? Because they serve Red Flash (Coca-Cola's answer to Big Red - I'll drink either). Anyways, once the children in the theatre settled down and I settled in (and stopped freaking out about the number of children in the theater), the movie swept me away. What a sweet, bittersweet, honest ending to a wonderful franchise. It was appropriate and fun and still had a great message. While I didn't get to see it in 3D (see aforementioned theater), I don't know that that could have made it any better. The article discussed that this may be another Pixar Best Picture contender now that the ban on animated films being nominated in that category has been lifted.

Towards the end of the summer, my husband and I began taking advantage of his summer off and my Friday afternoons off by catching a matinee movie at the Alamo Drafthouse Village. It was a really fun thing to do together. The film that started this date ball rolling was Inception, the psychological thriller by Christopher Nolan. I know the hipster thing to do is bash this movie, but I don't care. I loved it. I loved that my husband and I spent the whole weekend discussing it and turning it over and basically just thinking about it. I loved being able to suspend my disbelief for a few hours to enter Nolan's dreamworld, literally. The acting performances are excellent and include a well-rounded ensemble cast of characters from across the board. I definitely see the blu-ray of this movie sitting on our shelf in the near future.

The other films mentioned were The Kids Are All Right, Restrepo, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Winter's Bone, The Social Network, True Grit (filmed in and around Austin!), and Hereafter. I'll be honest with you, I've only even heard of half of them and I definitely missed The Kids Are All Right in the theaters. I have a feeling we'll get there, though.

Outside of these films, the one we watched most recently was The Ghost Writer. This is a film directed by Roman Polanski starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, and Kim Cattrall (and her dreadful British accent). The film is based on a book by Robert Harris and is a thinly veiled criticism of Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister (so thin that I even picked up on it and I know precious little about international politics). It is a stark, muted movie set on the stormy Massachusetts coast and follows a ghost-writer (Ewan McGregor) working on the former British Prime Minister's (Pierce Brosnan) memoirs. As the writer stumbles on his predecessor's (recently deceased under suspicious circumstances) research into the underbelly of this politician's life, he discovers more than he bargains for and begins to fear for his life. It is a very interesting movie, albeit a slow build, but one worth watching. The scuttlebutt is that while some of the performances may get nominations for Academy Awards, no one would dare nominate Polanski or this film in their respective categories due to his recent troubles.

The other movie popping up around Austin with Oscar buzz is one called Get Low. This movie stars Robert Duvall and Bill Murray and involves a crochety old man (Duvall) planning his funeral to be staged before he dies. Some say there's a nomination in it for Duvall. I say, maybe it's time to head out to the Arbor...

Hmm...

Life has greatly slowed down our movie-watching lately. In between gigs for my husband's band and the Olympics, not to mention our regular schedule, our dvd players and movie tickets have been oh-so-lonely.

I don't think we will make it as far along through as many Oscar-nominated films as possible this year for a few reasons. #1 - We have been BUSY (see above)! #2 - It seemed that a smaller volume of the films came out on dvd before the award show. The last 2 years that has really allowed us to get a large chunk of them watched. #3 - If previous award shows and predictions are accurate, we've seen all of the winners. I think this is really what has kept my motivation low. We busted to see all of the Best Picture nominees and those that had already won acting awards, but last year we actually saw EVERY movie nominated for an acting award. This year I bet we've seen 30% or so? So speaking of Best Picture nominees...we finally saw the last one last night...

Netflix sent us A Serious Man at least a week ago. It's been sitting out neglected and alone (although protected from our cats and that is no easy feat). Yes, we're busy, but see my aforementioned statement concerning motivation. I hadn't heard anything that glowing about this film when it was in theatres (and Austin loves the Coen brothers), so I just haven't been too pumped about it (much more pumped about A Single Man - Best Actor nomination for Colin Firth, but alas, that was it's only nomination and down on the list you go).

I wouldn't say I'm pumped about it now after our viewing.

The film opens in turn-of-the-century Eastern Europe on a Jewish couple. This scene is spoken entirely in Yiddish and is a folk tale. FYI - it has nothing to do with the movie and merely "sets the tone," as the Coens put it. I wouldn't say it was as beautifully or lovingly done as the first scene in Inglourious Basterds, but it is neat (looking back) as a stand-alone vignette. This was how it was intended, so now you know (as I didn't) that it is not an integral plot device.

Someone I discussed this film with before I saw it put it this way, this is the Coen Bros.' "religious movie." They grew up Jewish in the Midwest in the '60's and this movie is about a Jewish man/father/husband/brother/professor in the Midwest in the '60's. In one sense, it is a re-telling of Job - but in a way it's not. And that may be what has left me so unsatisfied. Job is studied as a wisdom book in the Old Testament. Job is a most faithful servant of God and through a wager with Lucifer, an angel (widely believed to be the devil), God decides to test Job. God believes that no matter what Lucifer brings upon Job, Job will not turn away from the Lord. So Lucifer does just that. While Job becomes angry, he does not stray or blame God. At the end of the book (spoiler alert!), all of his life and luxuries come back and yay for Job!

While Larry (the focal character) is tested and tested and does not blame Hashem (God), Larry was never really that good in the first place. Not like Job is described to be. He is a physics professor, he owns a house, he has a wife and 2 kids, they go to temple - but there is nothing remarkable about Larry. He can't stand up for himself, he can't help his family. His defense for his troubles is: "I didn't do anything!" And that is precisely the problem - he has never done anything. He has just rolled with life without making a splash or being significant - to anything or anyone. I wish the Coen's would have explored that aspect, but except for the repitition it was left largely unexplored.

This movie definitely has its moments, but I am not sure why it is nominated for Best Picture. The main thing I got from this movie is - the Coens can pretty much make what ever they want at this point. That could be a good thing, but I remember feeling like this after seeing No Country for Old Men. Kind of like, how did we end up here? And where are we going?

Will we see anything else before Oscar night? I don't know. We may have time to grab a movie out over the weekend, or maybe we'll just make time watch Bright Star, the next film on our queue.

Any thoughts for an Oscar night menu?

14 down...

The husband and I made it another double feature night at the Arbor last Friday. Can I just say again how much I LOVE the staff there?!

We started off with "An Education" in the late afternoon. This film stars Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard and is set in London in the early 1960's. The story follows Jenny, a prep-school student whose whole life is centered around getting into Oxford. The focus doesn't seem to bother Jenny as she looks forward to her time at Oxford as a time to escape her parents and eventually move to Paris and listen to French pop music. Her life is intersected by David (Peter Sarsgaard) a worldly gentleman with a penchant for showing young women the school of life. The movie (with screenplay adapted by Nick Hornby - !!!) is enjoyable and actually much funnier than I thought it would be. Alfred Molina, Olivia Williams, Cara Seymour, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, and Emma Thompson shine in their supporting roles and Carey Mulligan really treads the line between 16-yr-old schoolgirl and "young woman" very well. I don't think this is Best Picture, but Mulligan and Hornby's contributions are delightful and worthy of accolade.

We then moved on to "Crazy Heart" - Jeff Bridges' tour-de-force as an aging country singer-songwriter. Thank you, director, for opening the movie at a bowling alley - you know we all wanted it, thanks for delivering. Word of warning - this movie is INTENSE! Maybe not "Precious"-intense, but intense in its own way. I knew the film was about the redemption of this man, but I didn't know we were going to follow him all the way down to the bottom, and then lower than that. The music really takes center stage and I think that really added to the authenticity and credibility of the film - not to mention the actors doing their own vocal and instrumental performances. Who would've thought?! The cameos are so outstanding that I won't ruin them for you. Of the two from our double feature - I would recommend this one over "An Education." Can't wait to watch The Dude accept his Oscar. And Ryan Bingham (fellow Austinite!!! or former, at least).

I had Monday off in honor of President's Day, so I decided to catch up with my husband on our Oscar quest (he was 2 ahead of me!). So I headed down to South Austin to catch "The Blind Side" at the AMC at Barton Creek Square Mall. Foolish me forgot about "Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief" opening this past weekend - I just about had a heart attack standing in line to buy my ticket. No fear upon entering my theatre, just me and old people. Not gonna lie - I really enjoyed this movie. I thought Sandra Bullock was great as a tough, but soft Southern mom and I'm glad this story got told on the big screen. Some critics have branded this film as racist, and I do see that. But at the end of the day, isn't it just about reaching out and helping someone who is down-on-their-luck even though they're not like you? Again - not Best Picture, but a good movie about football and family.

So on Tuesday it was time to catch up on our neglected Netflix and watch "In The Loop" - nominated for Best Original Screenplay. This one is a government satire about miscommunication and power plays eventually leading to declaring war - all in about a week. It involves both British and American politicians and I just don't know if I got it. I would maybe want to watch or discuss it with someone who knows anything about the inner workings of politics (*cough*Will*cough*). It was pretty funny for the first half and then I just got really confused - and kind of ended up not liking any of the characters. Apparently the movie is spun off from a show on the BBC - sadly British humor does not always translate for me. But how awesome was it to see Anna Chlumsky again?!

The future holds "A Serious Man" - coming in our Netflix today. This is the last Best Picture nominee for us to view. Not sure what we'll see in the theatre next - "Nine" has the most nominations of any movie we haven't seen. But "Shutter Island" opens this weekend and I want to see that...who knows...