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Saw "No Strings Attached" with adelagia and lyndsiefenele this weekend. I loved it, mostly. Love Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, who were both fab. The story of how the relationship develops is really cute, funny, and refreshing. But just like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," which also gave good relationship development, it failed in the payoff department, the point at which the leads realize they are Really In Love and Meant To Be Together.
Now, every romcom has this moment... it's what makes it a romcom. They have 90 minutes to tell the story then get them together. Maybe that's why it always feels rushed and slightly unbelievable and totally unoriginal. Unfortunately, "No Strings Attached" fails at it too. After a mostly funny, unique, and touching movie, the payoff moment is completely ordinary. It's not BAD, it's just undeserving of the rest of the movie. It happens like it happens in ALL romcoms (which is why I mostly avoid them, they annoy me to death because they're essentially all the same movie, except for ones like HtLaG and NSA, which for me has at least a good story/dialogue to get them there). So yeah, that part was kind of disappointing and a let down. :/
I just don't get it because a lot of movies that have romances, but aren't romcoms, do it REALLY WELL. Why can't actual romcoms do it???
One thing to note... Cary Elwes is in NSA, but his role seemed totally flummoxing, because it's such a nothing little role. He has some UST with Natalie's character, which goes nowhere, and that's it. And it's like, what was the character even DOING there, much less played by Cary Elwes?? Well, after complaining about it to Jade, who saw the movie in a screening, she explained that originally, Natalie's character actually DOES have a fling with Cary's character! In her comment card she wrote that she thought that was really wrong and it should be taken out. Obviously she wasn't the only person to think so, because in the final cut of the movie, they did indeed remove it. However, it does mean that Cary is sort of floating there on the periphery for no apparent reason. :))
Anyway -- I love Natalie. I do hope she wins an Oscar for Black Swan. Have you guys seen/heard her SNL rap? Hilarious. NOT SAFE FOR WORK.
The three of us might go see a screening of "Water for Elephants" on Thursday. Then it'll be our turn to get something taken out of the movie. :))
Started watching Mad Men S4. I've been trying to save it because it's one of my favorite shows and I wanted to have it to look forward to, but I caved.
It's nice to get back into this world and the characters, but I felt kind of disconnected from them at the beginning. I didn't get the same feeling from the show that I'd gotten before, maybe because it'd been too long, or maybe it's because I'm not crazy about a lot of plot changes/developments.
- I thought it was going to be a lot more exciting to see Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce being the underdogs. I didn't really get that feeling until after they lost Lucky Strike. Before that point, it was basically the same position they were always in, since Sterling Cooper was always the #3 or whatever, they weren't a giant firm to begin with.
- WTF that Betty is already married to that other guy!!!!!! I think this is the thing I hated the most. I've never hated Betty like a lot of people. I thought she was one of the most interesting characters, because she's so repressed, and is such the epitome of the 1960s housewife. I also didn't like the idea of her being involved w/ this Henry Francis dude -- though I DID like the idea of her having a fling -- because it seemed like she was just trading one situation for another situation exactly like it. But I thought we might get to see her struggle as a single mom for awhile, not marry this other guy immediately. Ugh, it's so lame and now her character's been totally marginalized. We've barely seen her in this season, and what we have seen, she's just been a shrewish bitch.
I'm not trying to say that she should have stayed with Don. In fact, I thought it was pretty awesome and empowering of her to divorce him after everything she learned about him, because he WAS a terrible husband. But to go RIGHT to marrying Henry Francis, any respect I had for her just vanished.
I've started liking her again a little more in the last couple of episodes -- when she was mature about Don coming to Gene's birthday party, when she helped Don by talking to the Feds without giving anything away, when she was excited for Sally about going to see The Beatles. And at least she's not trying to sabotage the kids' relationship with their father.
Still, I am really disappointed by the direction they took with the Don/Betty relationship and with her character. She was one of my favorite characters on the show, and now she's been totally put on the back burner, and even made unforgivably dislikable (before, I could always argue on her behalf... now, I still could, but it's harder). Continuing to live in the same house that she shared with Don, just with the new guy? WTF? Effing get out, make new memories, whatever!
Sigh. See, I totally go up and down about her.
- I totally don't believe that 'memory' of Roger's of how he and Don met. The pathetic, overly smiley Don so never existed. I refuse to believe he ever existed. It's so not Don to try and ingratiate himself so lamely. I mean, there's no way he turned from that guy into the Don we know -- his aloofness/charm/way with words is what should have gotten him the position at Sterling Cooper, not because he pestered Roger to death. That's just so out of character.
- Speaking of Roger, he used to be one of my favorite characters. Now I just find him a sad little man. Especially when it comes to...
- Joan, who also used to be a favorite character of mine, but now she's also such a shrewish bitch most of the time that I just can't like her as much. WTF are they doing with all their female characters?!
- At least Peggy is generally the same. Which brings me to the thing I have loved most about this season -- episode 7, "The Suitcase." OMG so good!!!!! The focus on Don and Peggy and their relationship was such a welcome change of pace. I'd forgotten how much I love the two of them together -- not necessarily romantically, in fact, it's better that it's more... what... father/daughter? Mentor/protege? Big brother/little sister? Whatever it is, it totally works, especially with just that little hint of UST below the surface.
Don truly cares for so few people, and I think it's really compelling the way he cares for Peggy in a non-sexual way, and the way Peggy cares for him in return, in an undefined way. When she and Mark broke up, he yells that she never stands Don up, which, if I recall correctly, is not the first time someone has said something to that effect -- I think maybe it was Duck, the first time? And now we also know that her mom thinks that her baby was Don's. Anyway, I saw that apparently a bunch of critics also loved this episode, one of whom said that it made them care about the fates of these characters in a way that they haven't for a long time -- and I completely agree with that.
- Even though I really don't like Don himself in theory, and think he was a terrible husband, and all that, yet somehow I'm still on his side. I can totally empathize with Sally's desire to be with her father rather than in that house with her mother. I was glad to see Betty being bitter and upset about seeing Don at dinner with another woman. I'd like to see Don married again, even though I know he'll never be faithful and would never, ultimately, make his wife happy. What is that?? Why does he have such power over me?!
Meanwhile, the homemade Pop Tarts were... a bust. They are delicious -- flaky, buttery pastry with jam in the middle -- but they are not really Pop Tart like. They're just pastries.
Ugh, I have a meeting with my manager's manager in an hour. I HATE those meetings, and always hope he'll cancel. Doesn't look like that's going to happen this time. :((((
adelagia and lyndsiefenele this weekend. I loved it, mostly. Love Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, who were both fab. The story of how the relationship develops is really cute, funny, and refreshing. But just like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," which also gave good relationship development, it failed in the payoff department, the point at which the leads realize they are Really In Love and Meant To Be Together.Now, every romcom has this moment... it's what makes it a romcom. They have 90 minutes to tell the story then get them together. Maybe that's why it always feels rushed and slightly unbelievable and totally unoriginal. Unfortunately, "No Strings Attached" fails at it too. After a mostly funny, unique, and touching movie, the payoff moment is completely ordinary. It's not BAD, it's just undeserving of the rest of the movie. It happens like it happens in ALL romcoms (which is why I mostly avoid them, they annoy me to death because they're essentially all the same movie, except for ones like HtLaG and NSA, which for me has at least a good story/dialogue to get them there). So yeah, that part was kind of disappointing and a let down. :/
I just don't get it because a lot of movies that have romances, but aren't romcoms, do it REALLY WELL. Why can't actual romcoms do it???
One thing to note... Cary Elwes is in NSA, but his role seemed totally flummoxing, because it's such a nothing little role. He has some UST with Natalie's character, which goes nowhere, and that's it. And it's like, what was the character even DOING there, much less played by Cary Elwes?? Well, after complaining about it to Jade, who saw the movie in a screening, she explained that originally, Natalie's character actually DOES have a fling with Cary's character! In her comment card she wrote that she thought that was really wrong and it should be taken out. Obviously she wasn't the only person to think so, because in the final cut of the movie, they did indeed remove it. However, it does mean that Cary is sort of floating there on the periphery for no apparent reason. :))
Anyway -- I love Natalie. I do hope she wins an Oscar for Black Swan. Have you guys seen/heard her SNL rap? Hilarious. NOT SAFE FOR WORK.
The three of us might go see a screening of "Water for Elephants" on Thursday. Then it'll be our turn to get something taken out of the movie. :))
Started watching Mad Men S4. I've been trying to save it because it's one of my favorite shows and I wanted to have it to look forward to, but I caved.
It's nice to get back into this world and the characters, but I felt kind of disconnected from them at the beginning. I didn't get the same feeling from the show that I'd gotten before, maybe because it'd been too long, or maybe it's because I'm not crazy about a lot of plot changes/developments.
- I thought it was going to be a lot more exciting to see Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce being the underdogs. I didn't really get that feeling until after they lost Lucky Strike. Before that point, it was basically the same position they were always in, since Sterling Cooper was always the #3 or whatever, they weren't a giant firm to begin with.
- WTF that Betty is already married to that other guy!!!!!! I think this is the thing I hated the most. I've never hated Betty like a lot of people. I thought she was one of the most interesting characters, because she's so repressed, and is such the epitome of the 1960s housewife. I also didn't like the idea of her being involved w/ this Henry Francis dude -- though I DID like the idea of her having a fling -- because it seemed like she was just trading one situation for another situation exactly like it. But I thought we might get to see her struggle as a single mom for awhile, not marry this other guy immediately. Ugh, it's so lame and now her character's been totally marginalized. We've barely seen her in this season, and what we have seen, she's just been a shrewish bitch.
I'm not trying to say that she should have stayed with Don. In fact, I thought it was pretty awesome and empowering of her to divorce him after everything she learned about him, because he WAS a terrible husband. But to go RIGHT to marrying Henry Francis, any respect I had for her just vanished.
I've started liking her again a little more in the last couple of episodes -- when she was mature about Don coming to Gene's birthday party, when she helped Don by talking to the Feds without giving anything away, when she was excited for Sally about going to see The Beatles. And at least she's not trying to sabotage the kids' relationship with their father.
Still, I am really disappointed by the direction they took with the Don/Betty relationship and with her character. She was one of my favorite characters on the show, and now she's been totally put on the back burner, and even made unforgivably dislikable (before, I could always argue on her behalf... now, I still could, but it's harder). Continuing to live in the same house that she shared with Don, just with the new guy? WTF? Effing get out, make new memories, whatever!
Sigh. See, I totally go up and down about her.
- I totally don't believe that 'memory' of Roger's of how he and Don met. The pathetic, overly smiley Don so never existed. I refuse to believe he ever existed. It's so not Don to try and ingratiate himself so lamely. I mean, there's no way he turned from that guy into the Don we know -- his aloofness/charm/way with words is what should have gotten him the position at Sterling Cooper, not because he pestered Roger to death. That's just so out of character.
- Speaking of Roger, he used to be one of my favorite characters. Now I just find him a sad little man. Especially when it comes to...
- Joan, who also used to be a favorite character of mine, but now she's also such a shrewish bitch most of the time that I just can't like her as much. WTF are they doing with all their female characters?!
- At least Peggy is generally the same. Which brings me to the thing I have loved most about this season -- episode 7, "The Suitcase." OMG so good!!!!! The focus on Don and Peggy and their relationship was such a welcome change of pace. I'd forgotten how much I love the two of them together -- not necessarily romantically, in fact, it's better that it's more... what... father/daughter? Mentor/protege? Big brother/little sister? Whatever it is, it totally works, especially with just that little hint of UST below the surface.
Don truly cares for so few people, and I think it's really compelling the way he cares for Peggy in a non-sexual way, and the way Peggy cares for him in return, in an undefined way. When she and Mark broke up, he yells that she never stands Don up, which, if I recall correctly, is not the first time someone has said something to that effect -- I think maybe it was Duck, the first time? And now we also know that her mom thinks that her baby was Don's. Anyway, I saw that apparently a bunch of critics also loved this episode, one of whom said that it made them care about the fates of these characters in a way that they haven't for a long time -- and I completely agree with that.
- Even though I really don't like Don himself in theory, and think he was a terrible husband, and all that, yet somehow I'm still on his side. I can totally empathize with Sally's desire to be with her father rather than in that house with her mother. I was glad to see Betty being bitter and upset about seeing Don at dinner with another woman. I'd like to see Don married again, even though I know he'll never be faithful and would never, ultimately, make his wife happy. What is that?? Why does he have such power over me?!
Meanwhile, the homemade Pop Tarts were... a bust. They are delicious -- flaky, buttery pastry with jam in the middle -- but they are not really Pop Tart like. They're just pastries.
Ugh, I have a meeting with my manager's manager in an hour. I HATE those meetings, and always hope he'll cancel. Doesn't look like that's going to happen this time. :((((
