Stefan and I didn't have our regular Oscar competition this year. In fact, I barely got to see the ceremony hence the reason for my lack of my annual fashion report this year.
Although here are my two cents. Whoever is styling Jennifer Hudson needs to be shot! Her tatas were about to make an appearance and while I think every girl (big or little) is permitted to look sexy, rippling back fat is never sexy on ANYONE.
Anyway, Stefan and I realized that neither of us had barely seen any of the Oscar nominated movies this year, so we decided to catch up.
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Posted in Reviewing
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
So, I had a dinner and movie date with Stefan's mum tonight. We usually have these closer to Oscar nomination time because neither of our boys will come with us to watch historical, costumey type of movies.
I always try not to read too many reviews before watching a movie because it usually taints my view of it. I like to watch movies with a clean slate.
I remember watching Elizabeth and just being blown away by Cate Blanchett's masterful performance. I was bitterly disappointed when she lost out at the Oscars to Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare In Love, who gave a Keira Knightley-esque performance (and you all know what I think of her!) So needless to say, I was eagerly anticipating this movie.
I read the reviews after and unfortunately, the reviews were right.
The movie was only ok. The costumes were fantastic (as you can see here) but I think the writer or director tried to cram far too many story lines into such a short period of time. In doing so, it's lost many elements from the previous movie. Elizabeth is portrayed as a rather emotionally frayed older woman, Walsingham, an aging doddering advisor and although Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh is great eye candy, his character seems lacking. Although there are moments (very brief) of great verbal repartee by Blanchette, the movie overall fails to have the soul it did in the first.
I still think Cate is an outstanding actress and she's done the best she could with what she was given. I must say, totally off topic, that I am quite enjoying her fashions during her promotional tour of this movie. The lady knows how to dress! And that is about the only redeeming thing of the entire movie.
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Posted in Reviewing, Star Gazing
We're having such a great discussion over at our online book club, Ship of Fools, about this book. I wanted to continue some of my thoughts here.
I read this book about eight months ago. I am not sure what compelled me to pick it up, perhaps the interesting title but, after the first page, I was completely hooked. Didion's writing is masterful, so raw and honest in her grief.
Living in a Western society, I find it weird that people are so uncomfortable talking about this subject. They don't believe in teaching it to their children. When pets die, kids are told that they've gone to some farm somewhere. When our pets died, we sent out handmade funeral invitations to our neighbourhood friends. We'd all have a chance to say goodbye. I am glad that my parents never hid the truth from me. We talk about loved ones that passed frequently.
When one of my good high school friends died, there was no more talk of her after the memorial services. It was as if everyone wanted to forget something tragic had happened. It was hard for me not to talk about her. I missed her so much and I would think of her in classes and hallways I had seen her last. At the end of the year when I was organizing a memorial for her for our yearbook and had to get a letter from her parents, I found a kindred spirit in her father.
It was awkward at first, he was hesitant and finally I guessed that he really wanted to talk about her. So I talked about things we used to do in school, the funny things she would say, her dreams for her future. I stayed for over an hour. As I left after a very teary afternoon, he whispered, "Thank you. Everyone refuses to talk about her. It's like she never existed." You know the cheesy saying - No one ever truly dies, as long as we have them in our hearts, they are still with us? I really believe it and silence about death is the true death.
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Posted in Reading List, Reviewing
Recently, I had to get rid of some of our furniture and miscellaneous things. We seem to be drowning in "things" right now. My parents had such success selling off their goods from their old house online that I thought I would also give it a try. Usually, I'm a Craigslist fan. I am constantly trolling it for miscellaneous things that I don't need.
After weeks and weeks of posting and reposting, I had some interest but no bites. I then remembered that my dad had mentioned this lesser known site called Kijiji. It works on the same principles as Craigslist but since barely anyone I knew had heard of it, I was a little skeptical on it's rate of success.
Boy! Was I wrong! I basically sold everything I listed within 3 days of posting the ad. Most of the responses were seconds after I posted them. I do wonder why this site has proven to be more effective than Craigslist though. Regardless, I am happy to be rid of those things.
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Posted in Randomness, Reviewing
that make me happy!!
Yes, I know it sounds ghetto but we don't have a dishwasher so we still do all our dishes the old fashion way. Up until recently we had a really (in my mind) unsanitary dish rack that did not have proper drainage. I would spend every other day washing the darn thing while muttering under my breathe "Salmonella" or "E-coli." They're the only two deadly food bacterias that I know of.
Finally, I convinced Stefan to splurge on this fancy dandy simplehuman one and I've been happy as a clam since. There's something really soothing and calming to me about hand washing dishes. I think it's because it used to be one of the very first chores I learnt as a child; and I used to make up imaginary games that I was in some dishwashing liquid commercial.
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Posted in Much To Do About Nothing, Reviewing
For some reason, Stefan and I managed to squeeze in two DVD rentals this weekend. I know that this may not sound like some reason to blog but I really don't watch a lot of movies. I never know how the heck I do well in those Oscar competitions. I think maybe because I watch all the award shows for the fashions?
With The Departed, I found it *yawn* super boring. I didn't find it interesting or original. Even the violence became a little mundane after awhile. Somehow, I feel like this movie was the pity Oscar for a talented director who has been missed too many times (according to the academy anyway). I don't know, maybe I am just not a mobster type of movie watcher to really appreciate it. I started falling asleep toward the end.
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Posted in Reviewing
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Baby, it's cold outside.... How cold? It's been hovering between -20 C (-4 F) and -35 C (-31 F) and really this weather would have been tolerable if we had any HEAT! I swear, I think our landlord is trying to get us to move. Years ago when we moved in, the area was somewhat sketchy and no one really got "loft living." Now, with recent developments and the opening of some really stellar restaurants and building of condos, the area is hot and happening. We still pay reasonable rent in comparison to some of our new neighbours that have moved in. Needless to say, I've been spending most of my week keeping warm. Fingers left out of blankets, or sleeves start to turn into little icicles.
I borrowed The New Natural Cat from the library in order to educate myself more on taking care of Mindy, who has had recent bouts of illness in a more natural way. Like anything new, I read it through and tried to determine for myself what made sense. Sometimes "natural" healing books are too pro-their way and against the others' way. I liked that this book had both pros and cons of both. Even though she does lean more toward the natural way of healing, she also recommended visiting a vet you trusted with your feelings about alternative healing and also going to a vet should your cat be seriously ill. I think I am actually going to buy this book since it's just been a wealth of information and I think I will refer back to it often. Mindy's already benefited from a couple of remedies the book suggested for her irritable tummy.
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Posted in Reading List, Reviewing
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Only ONE book!
I swear I am not getting lazy although I must say that I am having a hard time keeping up with work taking up so much of my time of late. Also, my library books were all overdue and there was not much that I felt like re-reading from my library. Except for this book, Kitchen Confidential.
This is one of my all time favourite books for many reasons. When I was in university, I spent about three years bartending and waitressing. After all, it was the only job that a university student could have that made relatively decent money. A lot of times, chefs depicted on Food Network are clean, polite and usually boring. This book really deals with the realities of restaurant life and truly depicts what "lifers" in the business are like. I also love that Anthony Bourdain never hides his absolute love and curiosity about food. In my ideal world, I would have loved to have been his assistant when he travelled and ate his way around the world.
Whenever I read this book, I am reminded of all the funny and interesting people I have met, the insanity of chefs and I do really think back on those days as the "glory days." All the wait staff and chefs I met were all pretty quirky characters. There are days when I really miss it but I know that there is no going back. That, and I would have most likely been a raging alcoholic by now. Somehow, it always went hand in hand. You always went out with your mates for that extra pint after.
Working at a restaurant has taught me so much how to interact with different people and work under pressure. These are lessons that you can never teach to someone. In many ways, the experience has definitely molded part of my personality today. I can always tell if someone has ever worked in the service industry. There is a self confidence that radiates from those who enjoyed their experiences there. I'll be sure to kick my kid towards a restaurant job when it's their time, as I really do believe it's a wonderful life lesson.
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Posted in Reading List, Reviewing
Some more literary friends often bemoan that I am apt to read fluff. I read the way I eat -- I like to sample a bit of everything. Fluff has its uses like all things such as; cleaning the palate of the mind for a more serious book, providing brief levity without being taxing, wasting time at airports.
I always wish that there was a boy lit genre. Ever since I was young I have always had the privilege to be privy to inner boys' talk. I think it's because I am a die hard tom boy with girl sensibilities. Guy friends feel confident that they can confess without the usual judgements and get a girl's perspective at the same time. I am often bemused by the boys and really, in some ways they have more drama in their lives than we women expect. It would make good reading and I am just throwing this out there for budding male authors looking for an idea.
Just remember to give me some credit if you gain any success.
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Posted in Reading List, Reviewing
Tsk! Tsk! Only three books read this week. I am never going to get to my personal goal of trying to read (this includes my re-reads) of three hundred books this year. Why three hundred? Seems like a reasonable number. That, and it's divisible by the prime numbers 3 and 5.
Have I ever mentioned my weird obsession with numbers? I break phone numbers, birthdays, social insurance number, any type of series of numbers by making little math quizzes in my head. Once it's broken down, I never forget it. I think in my past life I was a wannabe mathematician.
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Posted in Reading List, Reviewing
I spent the very first day of the new year doing what I love to do best - cooking a yummy meal and sharing it with a friend. Stefan had gone to see a Bruins vs. Leaf game and so Lia was kind enough to come and share dinner with me. She had never watched Love Actually before and watching this movie is slowly becoming an annual Christmas/Holiday tradition for me.
It's just generally a happy, feel good movie. Sure, some story lines are more enjoyable than others but I like that not everyone has a sappy happy ending. Because life's like that.
From this last watch, I've decided that Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz) storyline is my new favourite. I like the idea of people being absolute strangers, unable to communicate and still able to fall in love. I hate to admit it, but I am a cheesy romantic at heart.
But what I really love is Jamie's the little house he retreats to after he discovers his brother was shagging his current lover. I love the idea of having an old decrepit cottage in Europe with a pond (hopefully not muddy and filled with eels) and writing. But I definitely would not do it on an old fashioned typewriter, as much as I love them. I would die without my computer and internet.
I am glad to have shared the experience of watching the movie with Lia - spicy shrimp linguini, couple bottles of wine, good conversation, snuggling under my sockmonkey sheets. It's a great start to a new year.
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Posted in Joy-Friends, Reviewing
Oh man! So, super lucky me....I totally scored on this marketing campaign. They hooked me up with a phone, an extra memory card (to take videos on my phone!), a bluetooth headset (good for my road trips) and earphones for the phone (because it also plays mp3 and videos!) It's very exciting.
Note to everyone out there, don't just read the five pages of the manual to set it up. Because basically that's what I did. There are supposed to be tons of functions but I haven't really tested them all out yet because I usually just like to press random buttons to figure stuff out. You'd probably figure it out way faster if you read the manual, unlike myself.
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Posted in Reviewing
I went to see this movie yesterday with Lia and Jenny. If you are planning to watch it and want to be completely surprised, then don't read this review as I will talk about some scenes in the movie.
I'd been eagerly anticipating it since it is about an industry that I work in. I had initially read the book; which was hilarious and I enjoyed it but in many ways it was over the top and obviously had exagerrated details about the industry to create drama. The movie, in my opinion, happens to be slightly better than the book, in that it is less vicious and more realistic and it gives the "devil" a bit of humanity. Albeit, the "humanity" part is very slight.
I don't care how many "devil" bosses you may have had (and trust me, every one has had them) when you look at the situation after the fact, those people were inevitably human. Evil, yes, but everyone has a backstory to why they treat people a certain way. It may not be right but it's the way it is. You can either learn from the experience or not, and you move on.
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Posted in Reviewing
I've been trying to get back into my reading groove and you know it's hard to figure out what you want to read. I go to the library and I try to pick out books that catch my eye in the different sections. It's rather overwhelming because sometimes there's so much choice and you can't always tell by the back flap. The book can sometimes look interesting and then it sucks.
Anyway, I realized that I had been neglecting male authors lately so I've been making a serious effort to consciously pick them up. You know, because it's important to get the opposite sex's point of view.
So this book, Man and Boy by Tony Parsons was my latest read. I don't want to generalize but the last five books that I've read by younger men have ALL dealt with the same subject.
Man is in relationship. Man goes through crisis. Man has one night stand. Woman leaves man. Man is lost without woman. Man needs to re-adjust to life. Woman is being impossible for not understanding his slip. Yada yada yada.
Boo-fucking-hoo. Cry me a river.
I know people cheat. It does happen. More than we think it does, so let's not lie to ourselves. It happens for many reasons. Everyone makes mistakes, I know that.
BUT, why is it such a popular topic for guys to write about? Is there no other intriguing life experience that they can talk about? I just want to know. Is this all they think about? It's just such a done storyline. It's like the cop out "I-need-to-create-tension" part of writing. And really, I don't feel sympathetic towards these characters. Cheating as an excuse to get out of a bad relationship is pathetic in my books. Be a man and just deal with it.
So, as I was reading this last night, I was also absolutely seething with rage. Stefan hates it when I read books with topics that bother me because I just get so upset. I started to ask him (I like to ask people, especially him, hypothetical questions -- it can be really fun) whether he would cheat and he just said, "Do I look stupid? Don't you know that I am afraid of you? I don't want my nuts chopped off and shoved down my throat."
I am glad he knows where we stand.
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Posted in Reviewing, Stefan
Wednesday, February 8, 2006
I must admit that I have never read any of Louis de Berniere's works. I can already hear the audible gasp going around the internet. But what about Captain Corelli's Mandolin, you ask? My answer would be, there are just so many books out there and so little time!
This was a gift from a friend and I really love books as presents because it forces you to read something that you might not have picked yourself.
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Posted in Reviewing
Saturday, January 7, 2006
I must say I had my doubts about this movie. First of all, I wasn't sure how they could make a short story into a full feature film. Secondly, I could not imagine Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger could convincingly play star crossed lovers.
Both Ledger and Gyllenhaal give unbelievable performances. The relationship they play is not an easy one but wrought with confusion,self-doubt and despair. On the surface they're both the ultimate Marlborough Men, rugged and tough. For some reason, they're inexplicably drawn to each other. Neither want to want each other but they can't stay away. Yet, they are stuck to the life that society forces them to lead and both lives are ultimately destroyed by their inability to be true to themselves. Not having been fans of any of their previous works, this movie definitely elevates their craft to a completely different level.
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Posted in Reviewing
Saturday, December 3, 2005
The Bird Factory is a debut novel by David Layton. The story centers around Luke Gray, a man who makes wooden birds for a living and is perfectly content with his lot in life. That is until his wife decides to turn his life upside down by trying to have a child. The emotional turmoil and mental stress of infertility causes Luke to rethink his life. This also leaves him to confront his less than perfect childhood with his philandering father and his controlling mother.
I liked the very clear and succinct method of Layton's writing. The novel is dark, yet humorous and full of observations of human fallacies. Although, the outcome of the story itself was not as original as I had hoped it would be, it was still an enjoyable read.
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Posted in Reviewing
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
I know I've stated before that I don't really watch movies. I should clarify to say that I don't really watch a lot of movies in the theatre but I do tend to watch a lot of rented DVD's. Anyway, we finally watched the latest instalment of the Batman series, Batman Begins. I was a little hesitant to watch it simply because I am a big fan of comics. I grew up reading them and I often find the adaptation from paper to screen usually pretty disappointing. And let's be honest, the last few Batman movies, how shall we put this nicely? SUCKED SHITTY ASS.
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Posted in Reviewing
Saturday, November 5, 2005
I was a little hesitant at picking up this book at the library. First of all, the pink cover simply screams "Frivolous Chick Lit! Summer Reading! Piece Of Fluff!" I was due for a brain-dead read anyway so I picked it up.
Playing House is about a woman named Frannie Mackenzie, a Canadian girl who finally manages to make it big in the Big Apple, only to have her dreams thwarted by an unexpected pregnancy. Unfortunately, the father is a struggling jazz musician named Calvin Puddie or is it Pudhie? Hence lies the dilemna. Frannie is a thirty something woman who has been living her fabulous life as a writer in NY, sleeping with someone that she doesn't quite know and now she is about to bring forth another human being. She is quite unsure of herself and her future.
Frannie evetually goes back home to Toronto for a quick medical check up, and is then rejected from the US border due to incomplete Visa paperwork. She is forced to reconcile the fact that she will no longer be living the big city life in the near future, but in Toronto, among her family and friends. Calvin subsequently shows up (after she confesses her pregnancy) and they try to juggle a burgeoning romance during the uncomfortable phases of pregnancy and delivery.
I loved the fact that the main story line is based in Toronto. I don't read that many Canadian authors (I know, so bad) and it was nice to be able to picture distinctly in one's mind the places being described. I wouldn't really call it "Chick Lit" per se because although it was eventually a love story, it definitely did not start off as one. It was really witty and laugh out loud funny. (Trust me. I got berated for laughing out loud in the middle of the night by a boy who has a cold but thinks he is suffering from pneumonia) The characters are both so individual and different. Often cantakerous and at odds with one another, Frannie and Calvin find a mutual peace in their love for their child. Definitely light reading but certainly not fluff, this book is like a glass of pink lemonade on a dark, winter afternoon.
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Posted in Reviewing
I finally managed to go to this much spoken of restaurant, The Korean Grill House on Queen Street. Why I did not venture here earlier, I am not quite sure since it is so close to my natural roaming habitat. I am always a little wary of places or anything that has too much hype simply because when the thing being hyped up doesn't live up to expectations, there is always that empty feeling of wanting more.
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Posted in Reviewing
The Kite Runner is the wonderful debut by Afghani-American author, Khaled Hosseini. The story follows the life of Amir and Hassan, two little boys who grow up as brothers in Afghanistan in the 1960s. Amir is the son of a privileged businessman, a Sunni Muslim. He grows up with Hassan, a son of a family servant who is a Sh'ia Muslim. The author weaves a delicate tale of the two boys growing up closely and yet there is always a barrier between them. This is not just because of their statuses in life but also because of their separate but similar faiths. Khaled Hosseini explores the precarious relationships of fathers and sons, friendships and betrayals, all taking place in a country in political turmoil. The book resonates with a child's response to horrific acts taking place in his childhood and the adult's reaction to rectify the past. The Kite Runner is provocative and heart wrenching and will leave the reader thinking about the story long after it's over.
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Posted in Reviewing
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Entre Ses Mains is wonderfully, drawn out psychological thriller that deals with the boundaries of right and wrong. The movie focuses on Claire, a young, vibrant woman who is in love with life, her husband and her child. She lives a very orderly and comfortable life as an insurance broker and her life is uncomplicated. This is all until she encounters Laurent, an enigmatic vet who has a flooded basement
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Posted in Reviewing
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
From the first glance, Summer In Berlin seems like a movie about ordinary people, living their ordinary lives in the summer in modern Berlin. Katrin is a 39 year old single mother who has trouble finding a job, Nike is her girlfriend and neighbour who is a bit of a tart and has dry sense of humour, Max is Katrin's son about to hit his teens and Ronald is Nike's bad boy love interest. Even though the story mainly centers around these characters, this movie definitely has a very strong ensemble cast that make up very poignant moments in the movie.
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Posted in Reviewing
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Zozo is a movie about a 10 year old boy who is ripped from his home in war-torn Beirut in 1987. He starts off as normal a boy can be in a war torn zone, playing with his friends and gossiping about girls. That all changes the day his family receives official papers to immigrate to Sweden to reunite with his grandparents. Zozo is sent out on an errand and just barely misses being hit during an attack. His family however, are not so fortunate and Zozo is left to fend for himself.
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Posted in Reviewing
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Toronto is buzzing with activity this weekend — the 60km walk for breast cancer, the Toronto Taste Festival in the downtown core and my favourite first Fall activity, the Toronto Film Festival. Stefan and I are fortunate to have had the chance to get tickets for the past five years. My big thing when it comes to picking movies out of the hundreds, is not to pick a movie that I think will be too mainstream with "big" stars. In fact, I usually stay away from those movies. Last night was an exception and I am so glad that I was privileged to be at the world premiere of Neverwas.
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Posted in Reviewing
Everyone seems to be reading these days, or at least looking for books to read. I am glad to know that I have more "reader" friends than expected because sometimes I feel like this really big geek. I have this secret wish to read as many books as possible and, being a bit of an overachiever, I had this unattainable goal of reading at least four books a week. Then real life happened, so I read when I can.
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Posted in Reviewing
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
If you have not picked up this amazing book by Audrey Niffenegger, you simply must. This has honestly been one of the few books that has completely gripped every aspect of my thoughts in the longest time. As I am a bit of a speedreader, trust me that this is a big deal as I consume an average of five books a week.
The story is based around a time traveller named Henry and the love of his life named Clare. Because of the time travelling, the reader is kept in sync with time as it follows Clare's life timeline. She first encounters Henry when she is six and he is 36. It is a fascinating story of longing, love and human nature. Beautifully written, irreverant in parts, but mostly just poignantly true to the matters of the heart and life, the book is one that you simply cannot put down until the end.
The double edged sword wound for me is that because I am a speed reader, I have come to the end of this wonderful book too soon. However, because I can read so fast, it just gives me an excuse to read this wonderful story again. And again. And again.
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Posted in Reviewing
I went to see the new version of Charlie and the Chocolate factory this evening with the fabulous Miss Marie. I am still absorbing it. The movie was definitely enjoyable and very entertaining. I love that little boy, Freddy Highmore but must say that he was much better in Neverland. Then again, it's so hard to compare as they're such different movies. The new Oompah Loompa's were hilarious! I felt like the other childrens' character's to be a little weak but maybe it's because there was not as much time to build on them? I'm not sure. The sets were very typical Burton-esque and sometimes I feel he should break out of his mold but I suppose that is why they wanted him to make the movie in the first place.
Johnny Depp, however was so GOOD! He just made the character so fresh in his own wonderfully, wacky way. I was never a big fan of the original 1971 version as Gene Wilder creeped me out with his sometimes nice-sometimes weird behaviour. Johnny Depp was consistently weird the entire movie which made it all the more entertaining. I am starting to love him more and more as an actor as he matures. He just gets more versatile and interesting with every movie he makes.
So even though I was unsure of the movie in general, it warrants a look at the theatre simply because of Johnny Depp's performance.
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Posted in Reviewing
I've been meaning to write about this movie that I saw two nights ago with my friend, Jenny. (Hmmm....do you notice that almost every other Canadian girl under the age of fourty is either a Jen, Jenny or Jennifer? I seem to have a lot of "Jen" friends...) I hadn't heard too much about it, but Jenny said it was supposed to be interesting and I am so glad that I agreed to watch it.
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Posted in Reviewing, Star Gazing
