The Kids Are All Right

While I occasionally fall victim to blockbusters and romantic comedies (I'm looking at you, Morning Glory) my heart will always belong to art house indie films. A double nod of appreciation if it's subtitled in English. It's not so much that I would call myself a film buff, it's just that indie films don't approach life with a rose-colored lens. They're honest, and real, and usually have a great score.

This weekend The Kids Are All Right finally reached my Fios on Demand box, and I eagerly settled in for a Friday night movie. Mark Ruffalo has been one of my favorite actors for quite some time, and I think he was brilliant in this movie. The film truly depicts a modern family- but without the comedic flair and Emmy award. Plus- it opens and ends with two of my favorite artists, Vampire Weekend and MGMT- and the set design was to die for.

{via}

Have you seen any good indie films lately?

Bonjour!

After a few Friday night dates with Netflix, I am officially a Francophile wanna-be. I am in love with all things Paris- the city of lights, red wine, macarons, the fashion, the accents -I could go on and on.

I know I'm about 10 years behind the crowd, but I finally watched Amelie a few weeks ago, which was about 10 years too late. It is such a darling movie! I loved the richness of all the yellows, reds, and greens (I notice the strangest things).


After having watched Inception twice in the theaters this summer, I developed a girl crush on Marion Cotillard. After also seeing her in Big Fish I knew she was a good actress but I was curious to see her in her native tongue. Amazing.

Her Oscar for La Vie en Rose was well deserved- that was the best performance I've seen from an actress in a really long time. I'm also convinced that I will be playing that song at my wedding. But the one movie of hers that I fell in love with (and sadly can't find to buy my own copy) is Love Me if You Dare - it's not too often that I movie can make me both genuinely laugh and move me to tears. Very highly recommended!


If that wasn't enough, I hear that this season of Gossip Girl starts out in Paris, so I have a lot to look forward to! I think it's been decided that my newest project is to learn the language- so now I just need to scout out cheap classes in Los Angeles.

What are you favorite foreign films?

An Education

Over the weekend I watched a charming little film called "An Education," which I immediately fell in love with. It was nominated for a few Oscars, and rightfully so as it was a great screenplay with a talented cast- I especially think Carey Mulligan is going to have a successful career.

Watching films like this one makes me fall more in love with the art of screenplay and cinematography. It's rare that films these days strike an emotional chord with the audience- theater is so littered with blockbusters and needless sequels (I'm talking to you SATC2 and Shrek 4), so when I come across a movie that I can actually relate to, I know I've found one that will have critical acclaim and little box office success.

Have you watched any good movies lately?

EPL the Movie

I love Julia Roberts and I love this book.  I'm not sure I will love her in this role. 

Either way, I can't wait to see this!! 

I Can't Believe I'm Writing This

I have a confession... I finally gave in. To the Twilight hysteria. I couldn't take it anymore. One, I sort of loved the soundtrack to the movie. Which then turned in to me watching the movie. And I'm a sucker for angsty love stories, especially when there is an air of intrigue and mystery.

As in, does she become a vampire?



Seriously. This is important information. And no one would tell me. "Read the books," they would say. And I would huff and puff and in my literary snobbery proudly proclaim that I'm "too good for young adult novels."

But after months of no answers, and then seeing the New Moon trailer... wait, he is a WEREWOLF? I couldn't take it anymore. I needed answers, and apparently the only way I was going to get them would be by reading the saga.

And now, here I am, blogging about a fictional teenage love story that I so adamantly refused to read. And it's taken over my life, where I haven't even blogged in weeks (and there's so much to blog about)!

The worst part is that these books are terribly written... seriously, I just finished New Moon and there were so many grammatical errors it was annoying (editors, anyone). And don't get me started on the whole Volturri scene, what a waste of a climactic storyline (at least it looks like the movie director took some artistic discretion and gave it some action).

Nonetheless I am obsessed. I had a dream about vampires last night, what is wrong with me? And I had to go buy the third book because I'm too far back in the "hold list" at the library.

I. Just. Need. To. Know. How. It. Ends.

Until then, my life belongs to this saga. My blog will go unwritten. I have two books to go.

Oh, and Harry Potter for the win. :)

(500) Days of Summer

One (of the many things) I love about living in Los Angeles, is that I do not have to wait to see 'limited release' movies. I can't tell you how many times I was excited for a movie to come out while living in Cincinnati, only to have to wait many more weeks for local theaters to pick it up, or worse yet, until it was released onto DVD.

That being said, I was eagerly anticipating the theatrical release of 500 Days of Summer featuring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, both of whom I adore. Last week I convinced my mom that she, too, would love it- and that it would be worth the drive in LA traffic to go see it (the closest it was showing to me was The Grove). And so we did.

And I loved it. Just as I knew I would.

(Photo: Chuck Zlotnick/Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox)

Viewers beware. It is not your typical romantic-comedy Hollywood type film. Which is, precisely, why I loved it so much. There are so many terrible 'chic flicks', all predicated on the notion that we are guaranteed our happily ever after. While some may argue that the entertainment industry is a form of escapism from the realities of not living our 'happily ever afters,' too often than not we still believe that they will happen. And movies such as 500 Days are quickly labeled 'indie,' given recognition at film festivals like Sundance, and not widely accepted into mainstream culture.

Levitt and Deschanel both gave lovely performances in the movie, both characters are relatable and lovable, as is the dynamic of their relationship. Apparently, there was concern over Levitt being "too intense" of an individual to play a romantic lead- but I think he did a wonderful job displaying an array of emotions (loved the dance scene)!

New York magazine wrote a great piece on the film and Joseph Gordon Levitt in its summer issue (June 29-July 6). [online version can be found here]. The article reiterates my argument that rom-coms are loyal to form, not to experience, and that this film captures the real essence of a twenty-something romance; as a phase in your life, when love dodges expectations. And haven't we all experienced that 'one great relationship,' that turned out to be nothing of the sort? Perhaps I'm just jaded.

I definitely give the movie two thumbs up, and will be sure to catch it again when it is released on DVD. Also, check out the soundtrack, it was full of great tunes!