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sarea
After a month+ absence, I'm back! :D I'm terrible about updating if I don't update every day. :/ I wonder what kind of psychological block I have about that.
I took about 3 weeks off from work, which was great, but still too short. I just hate working. I'd love to retire, but that's not going to happen any time soon. Had a really mellow time in LA. Was able to get together withjade_okelani and ropo a few times, but not as much as we had initially planned, because we were all struck by the plague. Ugh. So much terrible sickness this year. Also, the day before I left, I gave myself food poisoning. So that was the worst flight experience ever, considering I also had my two pets with me. /relives horror
It was really nice not to have to worry about feeding myself like, at all, when I was down there. Now I'm having to fend for myself again and I'm struggling. I've had a McRib two days in a row. >.> Last night I finally made myself some kale and sausage soup.
I'm sure more random tidbits about my trip will pop out eventually, but right now I want to talk about movies!
Silver Linings Playbook: I loved this one. Romcom is one of my least favorite genres of movies, because while I like romance, I feel like I'm watching the same movie over and over and over. I would definitely put this movie in the romcom category, but it's also fresh and different, and has more substance than your typical romcom. But it is most certainly a romcom. ** SPOILERS ** It ends happily, for one thing. And for another, there is BALLROOM DANCING. The two together make it an undeniable romcom. ** END SPOILERS **
Jennifer Lawrence and, surprisingly, Bradley Cooper, both totally bring it. I've loved JL since I saw her in Winter's Bone, and thought she deserved to be a big star. I'm glad that that's coming to pass. I disliked Bradley Cooper in Alias, where he was a total schmuck, then ended up really starting to like him (mostly for his looks) after he wasn't on the show anymore. Then he started to annoy me, mostly because he seemed to be all slick good looks, but he might have won me back with this role. I was very impressed with him.
But all that said, the movie is still, basically, a romcom, so I'm shocked (though pleasantly so) that it's getting such Oscar buzz, and actually has a shot at winning not only Best Picture, but also Best Director and the primary actor roles. O.o It'd actually be pretty awesome if that happened, lol. I'm definitely rooting for Bradley and Jennifer, but supporting actress I'm pulling for Anne Hathaway and supporting actor I'm pulling for Alan Arkin (even though Robert DeNiro was great, and I would not be disappointed if he won).
Les Miserables: This was OK, but not as good as I was expecting. The trailer made it seem like it was going to be epically awesome. It was just good. Anne Hathaway was epically awesome (her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" was so moving), so I hope she wins the supporting actress Oscar. And in fact, everyone else was very good, some impressively so. I knew Hugh Jackman had been on Broadway, but Valjean is a tough role and I wasn't sure how well he'd be able to pull it off -- he did so remarkably. I knew Amanda Seyfried could sing, but I was really pleasantly surprised by how she was able to pull off that soprano role. I didn't realize Colm Wilkinson (the original Valjean) was in the movie until I saw his name in the credits, then realized that he was the Bishop. I liked Eddie Redmayne, and will give him props for making me care about Marius in a way that I usually don't, but I didn't find him very attractive (I know, I'm shallow). Loved Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers, even though HBC is about 1/16th the size of your typical Madame Thenardier. The gal who played Eponine was fine. I didn't expect to have any issues with her, since she's a stage performer and had played the role before (even though Lea Salonga will always be my ideal Eponine).
The one disappointment, at least with regard to singing, was Russell Crowe. And it's a fairly significant disappointment. I thought, looks wise, he was the most perfectly cast of all the roles. I was orgasmically delighted when he was cast as Javert, who is my favorite character. He perfectly looked the part. Unfortunately, while his singing was OK, it did not rise to the level of his castmates at. all. I don't want to diss too hard here, because I certainly could not have done what he did. And I didn't expect him to be Philip Quast. At the same time, everyone else was so strong that it made it painfully obvious that he did not have the same calibre of singing the rest of them had. He was straining from almost the very first note. I actually cringed every time he sang. :/ Thankfully, he did OK with my favorite song, "Stars," even though it still wasn't that strong a rendition. Literally, I'm afraid to listen to the soundtrack to this movie because I don't want to hear Russell.
I'm glad Tom Hooper wasn't nominated for Best Director. I could not understand the choice he made to zoom in super close on each character and then leave the camera there as they sang their solos. If all I wanted was to see someone singing, I can do that by going to a stage show! The great thing about a movie is that you can use cinematography and take people places that you just can't do on stage! You didn't even know where the hell each character was! It was really bizarre and frustrating. That worked OK for "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables," or at least you could argue that it didn't detract from it, but "On My Own"? The lyrics to that song are LITTERED with imagery! Starlight, trees, rivers, etc!! I was so looking forward to seeing the gorgeous backdrop as Eponine sang her sad, heartbroken little song, and we got none of it, just a close up of her face as she walked through rain. WTF?
There were some changes they made with regard to song choices/placement that were good, and some that were confuzzling.
Good changes:
- In the musical, Fantine sings "I Dreamed a Dream" before she becomes a prostitute; in the movie, after. She sings, "and still I dream he'll come to me," which doesn't make as much sense after she becomes a prostitute, because I think at that point she's basically given up all hope. But the rest of it is more poignant.
- Eponine doesn't sing to Valjean during his death scene. It doesn't really make sense that she would; I mean, as far as the audience is concerned they don't even really know each other, so why would she appear? In the musical, it's nice because there's some beautiful harmonizing with her and Fantine and Valjean, and the actress is already there so why not, but it doesn't make much narrative sense.
Bad changes:
- The too-smooth transition from when Fantine gets her hair chopped off and the "captain" she takes as her first client in the movie. I could be wrong, but I'm 99% sure that in the musical there's an implied passage of time, and the captain is just another john. That's why she sings, "don't they know they're making love to one already dead," the "they" implying multiple clients. However, in the movie, he's her first client, which led Robbie to believe that Fantine didn't become a prostitute but had just done it the one time.
- The randomness of the client Fantine refuses. Again, the bullet point above led Robbie to believe that it was because Fantine had only done it the one time by that point. In the musical, again, she's been a prostitute while, and the client is extra creepy and jerky to her, which is why she gets some of her spark back and refuses him. But they didn't show him being extra assholish (iirc, they took away all the lines he sings that make him so); he basically just approaches her and she shuns him, which makes no sense to those who know she's been a prostitute awhile because -- why him? Why then?
- Having Javert pin that commendation or whatever to Gavroche's chest. WTF? It was moving and all, but it was a very cheap (imho) emotional moment that they paid for dearly with characterization and motivation. Javert is totally stoic and unmovable; that's why he kills himself! That one moment of humanity totally makes his killing himself later totally WTF, or at least it did for me. The reason he's my favorite character and why the bridge scene makes sense in the musical is because he's so rigid in his thinking, and so confounded by Valjean's actions (toward him and in general), that when he even begins to consider things he's never considered before, he can't take it, and has to take his own life rather than live in a world where things are not black and white. But by showing that small moment of sympathy for Gavroche, it takes all that away because it shows that he already has a shade of gray -- he can see the waste of a small child's life -- in which case, the decision to take his life later when he "realizes" that Valjean can be both good and bad does not have the same impact! On us, and ostensibly on him!! So that was very badly done, imho. It was such a cheap, obvious moment that sacrificing all that other stuff was not remotely worth it.
- There was some new music that I didn't recognize, and I didn't like it. But that might be just because I know Les Miserables so well, and I'm not a fan of change, lol.
There were probably others, but that's all I can think of for now.
Argo: I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. I didn't not like it. It was fine. But it wasn't really a movie I'd care to see again. The best part was Alan Arkin. Ben Affleck leaves me cold (Jade and I have the opposite taste when it comes to Ben and Jeremy Renner -- she loves Ben and Jeremy does nothing for her, while it's the opposite for me), and while the story being real and all was cool, it was also not really that gripping. Also I felt very little sympathy for the people he was trying to rescue. I mean, look at what the other hostages were suffering through! They were holed up in the Canadian Ambassador's house talking politics and having nice dinners -- oh yeah, poor you. I mean, sure, of course there was danger involved and what not, but none of it felt immediate to me; I never really felt like they were in any danger (because of course, history tells us that they made it out), and on top of that it's not like they were being tortured and threatened on a daily basis like the other hostages, so, meh.
Skyfall: I liked it, but I didn't love it as other people did. Still, I do think it was a signficant snub that it didn't get a Best Picture nom considering there are only 9 noms this year. Daniel Craig is the best Bond, imho. ;) (And yes I'm being shallow again.)
Magic Mike: Finally saw this and really liked it. I'm glad it ended the way it did, though it was also surprising. It was actually a much more 'serious' movie than Silver Linings Playbook, given Soderbergh's involvement, and between the two I would have tagged Magic Mike as more of an Oscar contender. I mean, not that it is, either, really -- but if SLP can be, it can! But oh well, it released too long ago.
21 Jump Street: Another Channing Tatum movie that I'm late to the bandwagon on, but it was delightful. So unexpectedly funny, and it really turned the corner on Channing for me.
Other random thoughts on the Academy Award nominations:
- When are they going to acknowledge what an amazing actor Leo is? Maybe The Great Gatsby will finally be his turn?
- Completely shocked that Kathryn Bigelow and Ben Affleck were snubbed for Best Director. Even though Argo wouldn't be my Best Picture selection, it was well directed, and Ben has cache in Hollywood for his directing skills. And of course, Kathryn has total cred after being the first woman to win that award for The Hurt Locker. So WTF? I guess I'm also surprised by Tom Hooper, because while I did not care for his directing in Les Miserables at all, he's gotten a nomination in all other awards type things, so yeah. Weird.
- John Hawkes not getting a nomination for The Sessions, especially considering he's been nominated before, and what he did for that movie. Jeez, what does it take?! I haven't seen Flight or The Master either, but is what Denzel and Joaquin did in their roles really so amazing that it eclipsed John's performance? I haven't seen any of them but from what I have seen and read, I seriously, seriously doubt it.
- Not surprised The Avengers didn't get a Best Picture nomination, but it should have. It was so the best pic of the year for me. ;) And Joss Whedon is in the same boat as Leo -- an ultra talented person not getting recognized, ever. Well, except the box office. Go Best Visual Effects, I guess!
- I am a little surprised that The Dark Knight Rises got snubbed, though, especially again as there was 1 more Best Picture they could have slotted in there, and it got all this critical acclaim. Personally I'm glad because I don't know what everyone else watched, but TDKR was so long and boring and disjointed to me. I think this actually goes to show that comic book films have not gotten the traction we thought they'd gotten due to The Dark Knight having such a good showing in 2008. It's clear now, imho, that that had been a fluke due to Heath Ledger's death and people wanting to honor him posthumously.
I took about 3 weeks off from work, which was great, but still too short. I just hate working. I'd love to retire, but that's not going to happen any time soon. Had a really mellow time in LA. Was able to get together with
jade_okelani and ropo a few times, but not as much as we had initially planned, because we were all struck by the plague. Ugh. So much terrible sickness this year. Also, the day before I left, I gave myself food poisoning. So that was the worst flight experience ever, considering I also had my two pets with me. /relives horrorIt was really nice not to have to worry about feeding myself like, at all, when I was down there. Now I'm having to fend for myself again and I'm struggling. I've had a McRib two days in a row. >.> Last night I finally made myself some kale and sausage soup.
I'm sure more random tidbits about my trip will pop out eventually, but right now I want to talk about movies!
Silver Linings Playbook: I loved this one. Romcom is one of my least favorite genres of movies, because while I like romance, I feel like I'm watching the same movie over and over and over. I would definitely put this movie in the romcom category, but it's also fresh and different, and has more substance than your typical romcom. But it is most certainly a romcom. ** SPOILERS ** It ends happily, for one thing. And for another, there is BALLROOM DANCING. The two together make it an undeniable romcom. ** END SPOILERS **
Jennifer Lawrence and, surprisingly, Bradley Cooper, both totally bring it. I've loved JL since I saw her in Winter's Bone, and thought she deserved to be a big star. I'm glad that that's coming to pass. I disliked Bradley Cooper in Alias, where he was a total schmuck, then ended up really starting to like him (mostly for his looks) after he wasn't on the show anymore. Then he started to annoy me, mostly because he seemed to be all slick good looks, but he might have won me back with this role. I was very impressed with him.
But all that said, the movie is still, basically, a romcom, so I'm shocked (though pleasantly so) that it's getting such Oscar buzz, and actually has a shot at winning not only Best Picture, but also Best Director and the primary actor roles. O.o It'd actually be pretty awesome if that happened, lol. I'm definitely rooting for Bradley and Jennifer, but supporting actress I'm pulling for Anne Hathaway and supporting actor I'm pulling for Alan Arkin (even though Robert DeNiro was great, and I would not be disappointed if he won).
Les Miserables: This was OK, but not as good as I was expecting. The trailer made it seem like it was going to be epically awesome. It was just good. Anne Hathaway was epically awesome (her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" was so moving), so I hope she wins the supporting actress Oscar. And in fact, everyone else was very good, some impressively so. I knew Hugh Jackman had been on Broadway, but Valjean is a tough role and I wasn't sure how well he'd be able to pull it off -- he did so remarkably. I knew Amanda Seyfried could sing, but I was really pleasantly surprised by how she was able to pull off that soprano role. I didn't realize Colm Wilkinson (the original Valjean) was in the movie until I saw his name in the credits, then realized that he was the Bishop. I liked Eddie Redmayne, and will give him props for making me care about Marius in a way that I usually don't, but I didn't find him very attractive (I know, I'm shallow). Loved Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers, even though HBC is about 1/16th the size of your typical Madame Thenardier. The gal who played Eponine was fine. I didn't expect to have any issues with her, since she's a stage performer and had played the role before (even though Lea Salonga will always be my ideal Eponine).
The one disappointment, at least with regard to singing, was Russell Crowe. And it's a fairly significant disappointment. I thought, looks wise, he was the most perfectly cast of all the roles. I was orgasmically delighted when he was cast as Javert, who is my favorite character. He perfectly looked the part. Unfortunately, while his singing was OK, it did not rise to the level of his castmates at. all. I don't want to diss too hard here, because I certainly could not have done what he did. And I didn't expect him to be Philip Quast. At the same time, everyone else was so strong that it made it painfully obvious that he did not have the same calibre of singing the rest of them had. He was straining from almost the very first note. I actually cringed every time he sang. :/ Thankfully, he did OK with my favorite song, "Stars," even though it still wasn't that strong a rendition. Literally, I'm afraid to listen to the soundtrack to this movie because I don't want to hear Russell.
I'm glad Tom Hooper wasn't nominated for Best Director. I could not understand the choice he made to zoom in super close on each character and then leave the camera there as they sang their solos. If all I wanted was to see someone singing, I can do that by going to a stage show! The great thing about a movie is that you can use cinematography and take people places that you just can't do on stage! You didn't even know where the hell each character was! It was really bizarre and frustrating. That worked OK for "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables," or at least you could argue that it didn't detract from it, but "On My Own"? The lyrics to that song are LITTERED with imagery! Starlight, trees, rivers, etc!! I was so looking forward to seeing the gorgeous backdrop as Eponine sang her sad, heartbroken little song, and we got none of it, just a close up of her face as she walked through rain. WTF?
There were some changes they made with regard to song choices/placement that were good, and some that were confuzzling.
Good changes:
- In the musical, Fantine sings "I Dreamed a Dream" before she becomes a prostitute; in the movie, after. She sings, "and still I dream he'll come to me," which doesn't make as much sense after she becomes a prostitute, because I think at that point she's basically given up all hope. But the rest of it is more poignant.
- Eponine doesn't sing to Valjean during his death scene. It doesn't really make sense that she would; I mean, as far as the audience is concerned they don't even really know each other, so why would she appear? In the musical, it's nice because there's some beautiful harmonizing with her and Fantine and Valjean, and the actress is already there so why not, but it doesn't make much narrative sense.
Bad changes:
- The too-smooth transition from when Fantine gets her hair chopped off and the "captain" she takes as her first client in the movie. I could be wrong, but I'm 99% sure that in the musical there's an implied passage of time, and the captain is just another john. That's why she sings, "don't they know they're making love to one already dead," the "they" implying multiple clients. However, in the movie, he's her first client, which led Robbie to believe that Fantine didn't become a prostitute but had just done it the one time.
- The randomness of the client Fantine refuses. Again, the bullet point above led Robbie to believe that it was because Fantine had only done it the one time by that point. In the musical, again, she's been a prostitute while, and the client is extra creepy and jerky to her, which is why she gets some of her spark back and refuses him. But they didn't show him being extra assholish (iirc, they took away all the lines he sings that make him so); he basically just approaches her and she shuns him, which makes no sense to those who know she's been a prostitute awhile because -- why him? Why then?
- Having Javert pin that commendation or whatever to Gavroche's chest. WTF? It was moving and all, but it was a very cheap (imho) emotional moment that they paid for dearly with characterization and motivation. Javert is totally stoic and unmovable; that's why he kills himself! That one moment of humanity totally makes his killing himself later totally WTF, or at least it did for me. The reason he's my favorite character and why the bridge scene makes sense in the musical is because he's so rigid in his thinking, and so confounded by Valjean's actions (toward him and in general), that when he even begins to consider things he's never considered before, he can't take it, and has to take his own life rather than live in a world where things are not black and white. But by showing that small moment of sympathy for Gavroche, it takes all that away because it shows that he already has a shade of gray -- he can see the waste of a small child's life -- in which case, the decision to take his life later when he "realizes" that Valjean can be both good and bad does not have the same impact! On us, and ostensibly on him!! So that was very badly done, imho. It was such a cheap, obvious moment that sacrificing all that other stuff was not remotely worth it.
- There was some new music that I didn't recognize, and I didn't like it. But that might be just because I know Les Miserables so well, and I'm not a fan of change, lol.
There were probably others, but that's all I can think of for now.
Argo: I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. I didn't not like it. It was fine. But it wasn't really a movie I'd care to see again. The best part was Alan Arkin. Ben Affleck leaves me cold (Jade and I have the opposite taste when it comes to Ben and Jeremy Renner -- she loves Ben and Jeremy does nothing for her, while it's the opposite for me), and while the story being real and all was cool, it was also not really that gripping. Also I felt very little sympathy for the people he was trying to rescue. I mean, look at what the other hostages were suffering through! They were holed up in the Canadian Ambassador's house talking politics and having nice dinners -- oh yeah, poor you. I mean, sure, of course there was danger involved and what not, but none of it felt immediate to me; I never really felt like they were in any danger (because of course, history tells us that they made it out), and on top of that it's not like they were being tortured and threatened on a daily basis like the other hostages, so, meh.
Skyfall: I liked it, but I didn't love it as other people did. Still, I do think it was a signficant snub that it didn't get a Best Picture nom considering there are only 9 noms this year. Daniel Craig is the best Bond, imho. ;) (And yes I'm being shallow again.)
Magic Mike: Finally saw this and really liked it. I'm glad it ended the way it did, though it was also surprising. It was actually a much more 'serious' movie than Silver Linings Playbook, given Soderbergh's involvement, and between the two I would have tagged Magic Mike as more of an Oscar contender. I mean, not that it is, either, really -- but if SLP can be, it can! But oh well, it released too long ago.
21 Jump Street: Another Channing Tatum movie that I'm late to the bandwagon on, but it was delightful. So unexpectedly funny, and it really turned the corner on Channing for me.
Other random thoughts on the Academy Award nominations:
- When are they going to acknowledge what an amazing actor Leo is? Maybe The Great Gatsby will finally be his turn?
- Completely shocked that Kathryn Bigelow and Ben Affleck were snubbed for Best Director. Even though Argo wouldn't be my Best Picture selection, it was well directed, and Ben has cache in Hollywood for his directing skills. And of course, Kathryn has total cred after being the first woman to win that award for The Hurt Locker. So WTF? I guess I'm also surprised by Tom Hooper, because while I did not care for his directing in Les Miserables at all, he's gotten a nomination in all other awards type things, so yeah. Weird.
- John Hawkes not getting a nomination for The Sessions, especially considering he's been nominated before, and what he did for that movie. Jeez, what does it take?! I haven't seen Flight or The Master either, but is what Denzel and Joaquin did in their roles really so amazing that it eclipsed John's performance? I haven't seen any of them but from what I have seen and read, I seriously, seriously doubt it.
- Not surprised The Avengers didn't get a Best Picture nomination, but it should have. It was so the best pic of the year for me. ;) And Joss Whedon is in the same boat as Leo -- an ultra talented person not getting recognized, ever. Well, except the box office. Go Best Visual Effects, I guess!
- I am a little surprised that The Dark Knight Rises got snubbed, though, especially again as there was 1 more Best Picture they could have slotted in there, and it got all this critical acclaim. Personally I'm glad because I don't know what everyone else watched, but TDKR was so long and boring and disjointed to me. I think this actually goes to show that comic book films have not gotten the traction we thought they'd gotten due to The Dark Knight having such a good showing in 2008. It's clear now, imho, that that had been a fluke due to Heath Ledger's death and people wanting to honor him posthumously.
