BOOKS:
WHAT I’M READING NOW:
ONE DAY – David Nicholls. I wanted to read this before I see the movie and the book has turned out to be surprisingly sweet, in a good way with some really nice soul searching moments. I’m just starting so don’t tell me anything about it, yet! I am the part where Dex comes back from India with another beautiful girl on his arm and Em is working at a restaurant and he tells her (spoiler) he really, really wants to tip her and she feels a part of her soul rip away…..I already like the cast. Jim Sturgess won me over with his star turn alongside Evan Rachel Wood in ALL ACROSS THE UNIVERSE.
IVANOV – Anton Chekhov. I know, he’s a genius, but this is the first I’ve read his writing. And already the characters suck you in. But I guess a scene where a man named Borkin walking up to you jokingly with a shotgun will do that….
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED – BY Evelyn Waugh
So I’ve just turned the last page of Brideshead and I have so many questions. That opening---an English soldier with his troops coming upon the remains of a stunning estate where he once loved, lived (for a time) and dreamed as a young man---hovers over the entire book. What happened to Sebastian? What happened to Sebastian that he needs to walk around with a teddy bear named Aloysius at his University? What happened to the Flyte family? Waugh’s description in the first pages of how an officer became ‘obsessed’ with cutting another young man’s hair is so funny!
But again, I have questions, am I the only one who felt that the second half of the book did not feel as tightly wrought as the first? The portion with Julia felt surreal, whereas the part with Sebastian felt so intimate. Still, the writing was lovely and the pages kept turning, perhaps I shouldn’t compare the second half to the first, how can it live up to that? Such a melancholy book. I loved one review that described how he ‘indirectly’ gets at a time and place and a way of thinking. The way he leaves out why Sebastian drinks is genius in a way, because I felt myself filling in time and again, creating stories as to why Sebastian is the way he is. Sure he gives an explanation, but there’s so much more to fill in.
My mother-in law has promised to watch the BBC version with me and I’ve promised to cart over the newer Julian Jarrold directorial version that was written up in Vanity Fair a couple years back. So I’m sure I’ll be all bridesheaded-out by the end of the month. Looking forward to it. Let the healing begin!
BRANDO:
CRAZY STUPID LOVE – Starring Steve Carel, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Julianna Moore.
Gosling once again manages to convey yet another character that could have been endanger of being a cardboard cut-out, with depth and charm. He was channeling a bit of American Gigolo to boot. He’s got great comedic timing and the chemistry between he and Emma Stone was H-O-T, but it coulda also have been their dirty-dancing scene. Still, it’s the chemistry between him and Steve Carel that was really bittersweet. Just his watching Steve as he stumbles around flailing at life and the card he’s dealt was entrancing. Verdict. Crazy Stupid Good!
*SENNA- Must See. http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/films/view/film/103/senna
A documentary on Brazilian Formula One Race car drivier, Aryton Senna who won the world championship three times. My friend R told me about this. She and her husband are great fans. There was a great review that said it all. Something to the effect of, “I don’t know who will be more excited to watch this, fans or people who know nothing about Senna or Formula One Race car driving at all.”
Check out the website: http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/films/view/film/103/senna
RENTALS:
*BIUTIFUL starring Javier Bardem. Must See. Written and Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu (Babel, 21 Grams)
I liked Bardem’s explanation on why Innaritu is such a great filmmaker. “You can tear apart your heart in pieces, but if the camera is not in the right place, it doesn’t matter. He knows where to put the camera. He knows how to hold the silence.” I believe this applies to writing as well. You can have all of the character and storyline in you, but if you don’t know what moments to select and how to show that on the page, it doesn’t matter.
ROAD TO PERDITION starring Tyler Hoechlin, Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Daneil Craig. Directed by Sam Mendes. Based on the Graphic Novel by Max Allan Collins
I don’t think I can do better than this IMDB plot summary: Bonds of loyalty are put to the test when a hitman's son witnesses what his father does for a living.
Yes, I’m the last one to watch this film. There is so much to like. Paul Newman for starters, I miss him. The kid, Tyler Hoechlin (runner up to play Edward Cullen in TWILIGHT, now starring in TEEN WOLF) and Tom Hanks had such great chemistry! The tightly wound storyline, and the building conflict that could only have one true end is terrific. Jude Law puts in a menacing performance. For me it was the love of a father and his child and the discovery of one another while on the road that got to me. It’s rare when a movie has me agonizing over the events that unfolded and the riveting conclusion, long after the movie ends. I usually get that with books, like ALL THE PRETTY HORSES.
Teasers: I’m told the dark Irish comedy, The Guard with Don Cheadle, Brendan Gleason and written and directed by John Michael McDonagh (brother of playright Martin McDonagh – IN BRUGES) is wonderful. I haven’t seen it yet so I can only go by my father-in law’s glowing comments.
BURGERS:
Sanguechon Lomo Saltado steak sandwich. Need I say more?
Morimoto’s in Napa have I already mentioned this place? It’s by Sushi chef, who was on Iron Chef. It’s décor feels like something out of New York or LA. I’m digging it. Still trying to get reservations at Cotogna. What’s a girl got to do? Camp outside to get on the wait list. It’s like waiting for Kings of Leon concert tickets or something.
AND BASEBALL:
Insert Scream picture here…..Just when I couldn’t watch anymore. We went yesterday for the Padres sweep and Timmy’s last home game of the season and he ROCKED! Plus 2 homers by Beltran. I loved the sign a woman was holding up: IT’S NOT OVER TILL IT’S OVER. And a little girl who had a jersey that said, MRS. LINCECUM. And a baby with a full-on baby giraffe costume.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Revolution, El Paseo, Midnight in Paris and Giants vs...Play ball....
BOOKS:
ON WRITING:
I just read a great quote regarding the writing process and self-examination. It’s from Jonathan Franzen’s (THE CORRECTIONS, FREEDOM) interview in the Paris Review. It made me laugh, because it’s so true. “You always reach for the easy solution before you, in defeat, submit to the more difficult solution.” Sigh, how many other things does that apply to in our daily lives?
WHAT I’M READING NOW:
THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE – by Julie Orringer. And loving it.
YOUNG ADULT:
REVOLUTION – JENNIFER DONNELLY
I reviewed and raved about Donnelly’s book, A NORTHERN LIGHT a few posts back. Now she’s written another, REVOLUTION and it is so good! I get pumped when I find a good book. It inspires me, it gets me going on my own writing. Once again Donnelly plumbs history to meld it with the present.
Donnelly writes about Andi Alpers a teen musical prodigy attending a fancy school who is going through a very tough time since the death of a family member. Frightened about her well being her father whisks her to France where Andi’s life begins to strangely echo another teen from the French Revolution.
Coupled with the story of Marie Antoinette’s family is the intriguing mystery of a child’s heart perfectly preserved from the revolution. But to whom does the heart belong? The mystery and the transformation of both girls will keep the pages turning.
I loved the rich tapestry of history that Donnelly weaves into the background. I felt I was there with Alexandrine “Alex” Paradis as the politcal climate came to a roiling boil.
I could not stop turning the pages. You know it’s a good book when you’re bummed your halfway through it and you want more, more pages!
One of the wonderful things about reading Revolution for me right now, is that half of it, is set in France right before the Revolution and I’m reading Les Miserable which is set in 19th Century France during the political upheaval. The stories worked together to ground me in that region, during that time period, superimposing their tales, so that I feel as if they belong in the same fictional world happening at the same time.
In VANITY FAIR magazine – Actor Rob Lowe talks about his memories of auditioning for the movie version of S.E. Hinton’s, THE OUTSIDERS, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. . I’m not sure if it’s an excerpt from his autobiography that came out last april, STORIES I ONLY TELL MY FRIENDS, but the story of how the cattle call came down to him and the handful of actors that were finally cast for the movie, is engrossing. It brought me back, to the other teen movies I loved SIXTEEN CANDLES, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, and all of the young actors vying not just for that movie, but for their futures. Reading about Tom Cruise’s confidence, Patrick Swayze’s swagger, Matt Dillon’s charm, and the enigmatic, He’s the next James Dean---Mickey Rourke’s acting buzz was a fun ride.
LES MISERABLES – HUGO
Yes, I’m still plowing through Les Mis and loving it. Here’s my update if you’re following.
His observations! He really wrings out the most of a situation. He takes his time so that the reader feels every nuance. The themes of redemption and second chances at life are planting seeds in me. If you give someone rotten a second chance, there’s no hope. If you give a second chance to someone who was good to begin with, the path changes. Then there is the theme of misplaced goodness in the hands of someone treacherous, a frightening thought.
The storylines have built up to a frenzy. Marius is studying the next door neighbors, the mysterious, Jondrettes--- who I know---(spoiler coming) are going to turn out to be the Thenardiers. Hugo didn’t put that trump card in early on regarding Marius’s father saving Thenardier (when he was really trying to rob him) for nothing! Is that all it takes? Mentioning a scene where Thenardier saves a man on a battlefield and we’ll keep that in our memory bank until he shows up again 100 + pages later? I love how Hugo calls the wife the Thenardiess like she’s a tigress or something….
Hugo’s use of aliases is interesting. Is this like Nabokov’s use of doubles?
BRANDO:
BUCK - This stunning documentary (by Cindy Meehl) on Buck Brannaman horse trainer and consultant for Robert Redford’s HORSE WHISPERER made me cry. Buck is more than a horse trainer, he’s a gift to horses, he’s another way to be. Also, Buck the man, is funny. Just his explanation on what a human climbing atop a horse feels like to a horse is pretty comical yet true. The documentary follows Buck’s childhood and the tragic moments of his life that created who he is now. Buck’s philosophy confirms what I’ve always thought about the animals we have the privilege to raise: they reflect who we are inside. Sort of like the idea of a witch’s ‘familiar’.
Here’s his website: http://brannaman.com/
Here’s the movie’s website: http://www.buckthefilm.com/
GO SEE IT.
SUPER 8 – J. J. ABRAMS, Produced by Steven Spielberg, Starring Elle Fanning (who steals the show), Kyle Chandler (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), Joel Courtney, Ryan Lee (so funny!), Ron Eldard.
First off, Mary, if you’re out there on Goodreads, yes, I really enjoyed the movie. Elle Fanning does steal the show, and it’s a testament to her acting that I literally forgot she was Dakota Fanning’s little sister. The camera loves Elle.
In the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a mysterious train crash in the middle of the night. Soon, unsettling events begin to unfold in the small town. Who can they trust with the truth? The movie is about knowledge and power, how we choose to wield it, how it destroys and how kindness can literally set a soul free. It’s about the friendships you form, the jealousies, the hopes and goals. And oh yeah, there’s something that’s not of this world in the small town. I must say, I grinned each time young Ryan Lee had a line. Those braces! He’s like that kid you remember from elementary school! It’s impossible to tell more without revealing the plot. The texture of the movie reminded me of Stephen King’s short story that was made into the movie STAND BY ME, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Will Wheaton and River Phoenix.
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS – Woody Allen, starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, ---and (wink, wink) Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Salvador Dali, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Laurtec and many others...
Owen Wilson plays a struggling writer who accompanies his fiance and his potential in-laws on a trip to Paris. On a midnight walk he discovers an enchanting part of Paris few people have ever seen. Inspired by one of the writers he meets, he leaves a restaurant only to turn around and find the restaurant gone…Alison Pill was delightful as Zelda Fitzgerald and Kathy Bates is always good. Adrian Brody is a dead on Dali look alike. It’s about inspiration and conversation with people we feel a kinship to; how passion and encouragement and nurturing the soul as a writer nurtures a story. It’s about looking back and seeing the past as golden, and really posing the question of why that is, is it because the present isn’t all that great and what can we do to make it better for ourselves so that we don’t long for the past and instead want to be in the here and now. It’s about finding a place you feel you belong.
BURGERS:
5A5 Steakhouse lounge– 244 Jackson Street, SF.
Our friend JJ arrived from San Antonio and we went to AS5….They had these amazing, amazing, Toro sushi shooters: toro, fukujinzuke, soy-dashi sauce, massago….lordy. They come in a little shot glass, cut up like cerviche, little cubes, but ten times more delicious. The ambience is pretty cool. It had sort of a 60s throwback feel. The overhead lighting looked like the bottom of a space ship. How have I missed this place? The only reason I can think of is that ALWAYS amazing, Kokarri, is right next door.
EL PASEO House of Chops – Throckmorton, Mill Valley http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2011/03/22/tyler-florences-el-paseo-opens-here-are-10-fun-facts-about-the-new-mill-valley-restaurant/
So I was excited to check out this restaurant because it was an old mainstay of Marin, and I didn’t bother to visit it then, because I thought, well, it’s old and like, been here forever, and yes it’s good, only everyone’s been here. But my husband booked us for the new version. Tyler Florence and Sammy Hagar have revamped and rekindled the place. The restaurant and bar section are separated by just a sliver of a charming alleyway of cobblestone. Each cottage feels warm and cozy and new. There was outside eating, a long table nestled into the little kidney shaped hollow of the bar-restaurant cottage. There was a heating lamp and tons of charm. I made a note to return with friends on a hot summer night and eat at that spot. Great service, lively atmosphere. The cobble stone alleyway is now jumping with people and the delicious smells hit you the moment you walk in the door: baked bread, and garlic and pesto and steak. Yum. I had the filet with the house steak sauce and that was delicious. The steak didn’t even need sauce and I’m a sauce girl. So I did half sauce, half no sauce, and yes I gobbled the steak up. The chicken fried steak floated by on someone else’s platter and looked out of this world as did the rhubarb pie. But I was stuff, those are some big portions. Um…Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore, we’re in TEXAS! At least the portions felt that way.
We were seated inside next to the big hearth we sat down and EVERY THING was good.
Lets just put it this way, the complimentary sweetbread came in a cast iron pan with a handle, the entire loaf broken up into six parts was about the size of a domino case, the bread warm, melty, and the bottom layered in like a quarter inch of pesto butter or something equally yummy. I had to stop myself from eating it like an entrée and I actually asked the server if I could take the rest home in a doggy bag and to please leave the pan out so I could dip whatever else I could in it to sweep up the very last remnants of whatever that delicious pesto oil was. My steak was D-licious and I loved that my server knew his wines and was confident about which one to get. Lawdy. I must go back again. It was a real treat.
AND BASEBALL: (friendly rivalry, comments, heckling welcome):
So I’ve become a new fan of Baseball because of our 2010 SF Giants. And I have to put in a few disclaimers:
1.I’m still not sure I’m a fan of baseball as much as I am a fan of these 2010-11 GIANTS team. It’s like when Jordan was with the Chicago Bulls…I was a fan of basketball. And now? I can’t get back into it. I was born and raised in San Francisco and never batted (no pun intended ) an eye towards the Giants. Barry Bonds? Couldn’t care less…But now? This team of misfits like the band of brothers in Saving Private Ryan have got me hooked. On any given night, someone else can be the hero!
2.Our good friends, brothers, who played ball for the Toronto Blue Jays and Southern Arkansas University in another life, suggested one weekend that I start writing about my new found love of the Giants (and baseball in general), because I kept speaking to them in my own made-up baseball lingo. And this disclaimer goes for everything on this blog. I’m not going to worry about grammar or misspelled words, though I’ll try…If I do that too much I’ll freeze up and never write this blog. Okay? So, alright. Play ball!
Speaking of which. We went to see the Giants Vs. Dodgers game last night, July 18, 2011. Vogelsong shut them out, 5-0. Sandoval aka Panda aka Pandoval hit a homer, a beauty that went out like a shooting star past center field. Somewhere around the third inning I noticed the couple to our right. The woman and I were chuckling over how when a tall person sits in front of you it’s like a nightmare. Where do you go? Which way do you lean? Thankfully, we had an open seat to our right, so we scooted closer to the couple. But then somewhere around the fourth inning the man started clapping whenever the Dodgers got on base.
I felt my hackles go up. I looked over at my husband, and I said between gritted teeth, “Is he clapping? For the OTHER TEAM?!!!!!” Seriously, like I felt a growl coming out of me. Have you ever tried to take a bone away from a dog? You know that growl that comes out of them sort of primal like? Yeah. That was happening, but it was all in good fun. To be honest, it was fun and festive to have the rival team supporters in the stands. It made the win even sweeter. A lot of good natured heckling was going on. A few games back, for the Mets series, a guy came in with a Texas Rangers hat and the group of guys behind him who’d been heckling him, a few innings later, went and bought him a Giants cap and plopped it on his head. The guy turned in surprise and they (including the Tex fan)-we, all started laughing.
So it’s two days later and it’s a gorgeous day in the city, I mean like Maui gorgeous, and why didn’t I buy tickets for the Timmy vs. Kershaw duel? WHY OH WHY OH WHY? Brandon Belt’s back, with a homerun last night on his third swing, thank you very nicely. Crawford is just incredible, we’ve got a new catcher to the roster, Stew is growing on me and the Astro traded guy makes his debut…Keppinger? Kepplinger? Last I checked it was the 6th inning and I’m sulking cause it’s 0-0 and why didn’t I BUY TICKETS? Can you spell SWEEP? Silent scream…….
ON WRITING:
I just read a great quote regarding the writing process and self-examination. It’s from Jonathan Franzen’s (THE CORRECTIONS, FREEDOM) interview in the Paris Review. It made me laugh, because it’s so true. “You always reach for the easy solution before you, in defeat, submit to the more difficult solution.” Sigh, how many other things does that apply to in our daily lives?
WHAT I’M READING NOW:
THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE – by Julie Orringer. And loving it.
YOUNG ADULT:
REVOLUTION – JENNIFER DONNELLY
I reviewed and raved about Donnelly’s book, A NORTHERN LIGHT a few posts back. Now she’s written another, REVOLUTION and it is so good! I get pumped when I find a good book. It inspires me, it gets me going on my own writing. Once again Donnelly plumbs history to meld it with the present.
Donnelly writes about Andi Alpers a teen musical prodigy attending a fancy school who is going through a very tough time since the death of a family member. Frightened about her well being her father whisks her to France where Andi’s life begins to strangely echo another teen from the French Revolution.
Coupled with the story of Marie Antoinette’s family is the intriguing mystery of a child’s heart perfectly preserved from the revolution. But to whom does the heart belong? The mystery and the transformation of both girls will keep the pages turning.
I loved the rich tapestry of history that Donnelly weaves into the background. I felt I was there with Alexandrine “Alex” Paradis as the politcal climate came to a roiling boil.
I could not stop turning the pages. You know it’s a good book when you’re bummed your halfway through it and you want more, more pages!
One of the wonderful things about reading Revolution for me right now, is that half of it, is set in France right before the Revolution and I’m reading Les Miserable which is set in 19th Century France during the political upheaval. The stories worked together to ground me in that region, during that time period, superimposing their tales, so that I feel as if they belong in the same fictional world happening at the same time.
In VANITY FAIR magazine – Actor Rob Lowe talks about his memories of auditioning for the movie version of S.E. Hinton’s, THE OUTSIDERS, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. . I’m not sure if it’s an excerpt from his autobiography that came out last april, STORIES I ONLY TELL MY FRIENDS, but the story of how the cattle call came down to him and the handful of actors that were finally cast for the movie, is engrossing. It brought me back, to the other teen movies I loved SIXTEEN CANDLES, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, and all of the young actors vying not just for that movie, but for their futures. Reading about Tom Cruise’s confidence, Patrick Swayze’s swagger, Matt Dillon’s charm, and the enigmatic, He’s the next James Dean---Mickey Rourke’s acting buzz was a fun ride.
LES MISERABLES – HUGO
Yes, I’m still plowing through Les Mis and loving it. Here’s my update if you’re following.
His observations! He really wrings out the most of a situation. He takes his time so that the reader feels every nuance. The themes of redemption and second chances at life are planting seeds in me. If you give someone rotten a second chance, there’s no hope. If you give a second chance to someone who was good to begin with, the path changes. Then there is the theme of misplaced goodness in the hands of someone treacherous, a frightening thought.
The storylines have built up to a frenzy. Marius is studying the next door neighbors, the mysterious, Jondrettes--- who I know---(spoiler coming) are going to turn out to be the Thenardiers. Hugo didn’t put that trump card in early on regarding Marius’s father saving Thenardier (when he was really trying to rob him) for nothing! Is that all it takes? Mentioning a scene where Thenardier saves a man on a battlefield and we’ll keep that in our memory bank until he shows up again 100 + pages later? I love how Hugo calls the wife the Thenardiess like she’s a tigress or something….
Hugo’s use of aliases is interesting. Is this like Nabokov’s use of doubles?
BRANDO:
BUCK - This stunning documentary (by Cindy Meehl) on Buck Brannaman horse trainer and consultant for Robert Redford’s HORSE WHISPERER made me cry. Buck is more than a horse trainer, he’s a gift to horses, he’s another way to be. Also, Buck the man, is funny. Just his explanation on what a human climbing atop a horse feels like to a horse is pretty comical yet true. The documentary follows Buck’s childhood and the tragic moments of his life that created who he is now. Buck’s philosophy confirms what I’ve always thought about the animals we have the privilege to raise: they reflect who we are inside. Sort of like the idea of a witch’s ‘familiar’.
Here’s his website: http://brannaman.com/
Here’s the movie’s website: http://www.buckthefilm.com/
GO SEE IT.
SUPER 8 – J. J. ABRAMS, Produced by Steven Spielberg, Starring Elle Fanning (who steals the show), Kyle Chandler (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), Joel Courtney, Ryan Lee (so funny!), Ron Eldard.
First off, Mary, if you’re out there on Goodreads, yes, I really enjoyed the movie. Elle Fanning does steal the show, and it’s a testament to her acting that I literally forgot she was Dakota Fanning’s little sister. The camera loves Elle.
In the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a mysterious train crash in the middle of the night. Soon, unsettling events begin to unfold in the small town. Who can they trust with the truth? The movie is about knowledge and power, how we choose to wield it, how it destroys and how kindness can literally set a soul free. It’s about the friendships you form, the jealousies, the hopes and goals. And oh yeah, there’s something that’s not of this world in the small town. I must say, I grinned each time young Ryan Lee had a line. Those braces! He’s like that kid you remember from elementary school! It’s impossible to tell more without revealing the plot. The texture of the movie reminded me of Stephen King’s short story that was made into the movie STAND BY ME, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Will Wheaton and River Phoenix.
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS – Woody Allen, starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, ---and (wink, wink) Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Salvador Dali, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Laurtec and many others...
Owen Wilson plays a struggling writer who accompanies his fiance and his potential in-laws on a trip to Paris. On a midnight walk he discovers an enchanting part of Paris few people have ever seen. Inspired by one of the writers he meets, he leaves a restaurant only to turn around and find the restaurant gone…Alison Pill was delightful as Zelda Fitzgerald and Kathy Bates is always good. Adrian Brody is a dead on Dali look alike. It’s about inspiration and conversation with people we feel a kinship to; how passion and encouragement and nurturing the soul as a writer nurtures a story. It’s about looking back and seeing the past as golden, and really posing the question of why that is, is it because the present isn’t all that great and what can we do to make it better for ourselves so that we don’t long for the past and instead want to be in the here and now. It’s about finding a place you feel you belong.
BURGERS:
5A5 Steakhouse lounge– 244 Jackson Street, SF.
Our friend JJ arrived from San Antonio and we went to AS5….They had these amazing, amazing, Toro sushi shooters: toro, fukujinzuke, soy-dashi sauce, massago….lordy. They come in a little shot glass, cut up like cerviche, little cubes, but ten times more delicious. The ambience is pretty cool. It had sort of a 60s throwback feel. The overhead lighting looked like the bottom of a space ship. How have I missed this place? The only reason I can think of is that ALWAYS amazing, Kokarri, is right next door.
EL PASEO House of Chops – Throckmorton, Mill Valley http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2011/03/22/tyler-florences-el-paseo-opens-here-are-10-fun-facts-about-the-new-mill-valley-restaurant/
So I was excited to check out this restaurant because it was an old mainstay of Marin, and I didn’t bother to visit it then, because I thought, well, it’s old and like, been here forever, and yes it’s good, only everyone’s been here. But my husband booked us for the new version. Tyler Florence and Sammy Hagar have revamped and rekindled the place. The restaurant and bar section are separated by just a sliver of a charming alleyway of cobblestone. Each cottage feels warm and cozy and new. There was outside eating, a long table nestled into the little kidney shaped hollow of the bar-restaurant cottage. There was a heating lamp and tons of charm. I made a note to return with friends on a hot summer night and eat at that spot. Great service, lively atmosphere. The cobble stone alleyway is now jumping with people and the delicious smells hit you the moment you walk in the door: baked bread, and garlic and pesto and steak. Yum. I had the filet with the house steak sauce and that was delicious. The steak didn’t even need sauce and I’m a sauce girl. So I did half sauce, half no sauce, and yes I gobbled the steak up. The chicken fried steak floated by on someone else’s platter and looked out of this world as did the rhubarb pie. But I was stuff, those are some big portions. Um…Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore, we’re in TEXAS! At least the portions felt that way.
We were seated inside next to the big hearth we sat down and EVERY THING was good.
Lets just put it this way, the complimentary sweetbread came in a cast iron pan with a handle, the entire loaf broken up into six parts was about the size of a domino case, the bread warm, melty, and the bottom layered in like a quarter inch of pesto butter or something equally yummy. I had to stop myself from eating it like an entrée and I actually asked the server if I could take the rest home in a doggy bag and to please leave the pan out so I could dip whatever else I could in it to sweep up the very last remnants of whatever that delicious pesto oil was. My steak was D-licious and I loved that my server knew his wines and was confident about which one to get. Lawdy. I must go back again. It was a real treat.
AND BASEBALL: (friendly rivalry, comments, heckling welcome):
So I’ve become a new fan of Baseball because of our 2010 SF Giants. And I have to put in a few disclaimers:
1.I’m still not sure I’m a fan of baseball as much as I am a fan of these 2010-11 GIANTS team. It’s like when Jordan was with the Chicago Bulls…I was a fan of basketball. And now? I can’t get back into it. I was born and raised in San Francisco and never batted (no pun intended ) an eye towards the Giants. Barry Bonds? Couldn’t care less…But now? This team of misfits like the band of brothers in Saving Private Ryan have got me hooked. On any given night, someone else can be the hero!
2.Our good friends, brothers, who played ball for the Toronto Blue Jays and Southern Arkansas University in another life, suggested one weekend that I start writing about my new found love of the Giants (and baseball in general), because I kept speaking to them in my own made-up baseball lingo. And this disclaimer goes for everything on this blog. I’m not going to worry about grammar or misspelled words, though I’ll try…If I do that too much I’ll freeze up and never write this blog. Okay? So, alright. Play ball!
Speaking of which. We went to see the Giants Vs. Dodgers game last night, July 18, 2011. Vogelsong shut them out, 5-0. Sandoval aka Panda aka Pandoval hit a homer, a beauty that went out like a shooting star past center field. Somewhere around the third inning I noticed the couple to our right. The woman and I were chuckling over how when a tall person sits in front of you it’s like a nightmare. Where do you go? Which way do you lean? Thankfully, we had an open seat to our right, so we scooted closer to the couple. But then somewhere around the fourth inning the man started clapping whenever the Dodgers got on base.
I felt my hackles go up. I looked over at my husband, and I said between gritted teeth, “Is he clapping? For the OTHER TEAM?!!!!!” Seriously, like I felt a growl coming out of me. Have you ever tried to take a bone away from a dog? You know that growl that comes out of them sort of primal like? Yeah. That was happening, but it was all in good fun. To be honest, it was fun and festive to have the rival team supporters in the stands. It made the win even sweeter. A lot of good natured heckling was going on. A few games back, for the Mets series, a guy came in with a Texas Rangers hat and the group of guys behind him who’d been heckling him, a few innings later, went and bought him a Giants cap and plopped it on his head. The guy turned in surprise and they (including the Tex fan)-we, all started laughing.
So it’s two days later and it’s a gorgeous day in the city, I mean like Maui gorgeous, and why didn’t I buy tickets for the Timmy vs. Kershaw duel? WHY OH WHY OH WHY? Brandon Belt’s back, with a homerun last night on his third swing, thank you very nicely. Crawford is just incredible, we’ve got a new catcher to the roster, Stew is growing on me and the Astro traded guy makes his debut…Keppinger? Kepplinger? Last I checked it was the 6th inning and I’m sulking cause it’s 0-0 and why didn’t I BUY TICKETS? Can you spell SWEEP? Silent scream…….
Friday, June 10, 2011
SUPER 8
Ack! So excited. WSJ gave Spielberg & Abram’s new retro film SUPER 8 a great review. Gonna see it & report back. P.S. GO GIANTS! How about that new kid, Crawford & Torres with a Grand Slam...Hello!
Friday, May 27, 2011
HUNGER GAMES the movie
Here’s the first picture I’ve seen for THE HUNGER GAMES. There’s a synopsis on IMDB with cast and crew. Read the trilogy before the movie comes out. Jennifer Lawrence is going to be great as Katniss Everdeen! She was terrific in WINTER'S BONE. Can’t wait. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Dennis Lehane, Roth, Jane Eyre and Miette Macaroons
BOOKS:
Went to see Dennis Lehane speak. I don’t usually raise my hand when other authors come to visit, I’m too shy, but I did this time and asked him if he could talk about having a hand in the HBO series, THE WIRE and also his research for Darkness Take My Hand. He was happy to oblige and asked in what way I felt the two were connected so he could speak to my question and I said they weren’t. I just wanted to gush about THE WIRE : )
He had an interesting anecdote about the two characters from GONE BABY GONE, Detectives Kenzie and Genarro. He had tried to access their voices again after (I think) the third book in the series and couldn’t. Some years went by to where he believed he thought they were gone for good (no pun intended), but then a few years back he hailed a taxi and in the middle of the ride the main character’s voice, Kenzie’s voice, came back to him. Just picked up a conversation in his head as if he’d never left.
I latch on to this story because as a writer there are times when we try to grind the voice out and I think that tactic has the opposite effect. At times, the situation calls for waiting and giving the story time to breathe. But it’s scary right? The white noise of silence and a blank page? The impulse is to write anything, one word, a period, an exclamation mark. Anything. But there’s a reason for the quiet, for the break in momentum. Perhaps, we need to go through changes in our own lives to make room for the character’s voices to come. Lehane felt that the first books were about the main character’s premise. The question for Kenzie was always, ‘would he become the man his father was’--- and then Lehane went through changes in his own life. He became a father himself and that’s when this latest book and Kenzie’s voice returned to him.
A more fitting and immediate anecdote for me regarding writing slumps, is watching the Giants on television right now. My favorite broadcasters, Mike Krukow and D. Kuiper said that at times you hit a slump at bat and that you’re grinding for that hit, when the best thing to do is (easy for them to say, they admitted) relax. The same is true for me when I swing a golf club. Think too much about mechanics and you lose the gift, the beauty, of the swing. Writing is the same way. Relax, breathe, if it doesn’t come to you walk it off, reflect, and most of all, enjoy what you’re working on, the love of the game. The love of story. {Side note: Since I began writing this, Lincecum struck out 10 last night to break a Giant’s record of most double digit strike-outs, Huff’s bat is heating up, and the amazing Freddie Sanchez made a golden glove like catch, followed by a throw to Posey to keep a runner at third, bringing a second win against the NY Mets. Sigh----All is right in the world).
J.D. SALINGER BIOGRAPHY – by Kenneth Slawenski. I’m on the first pages of this one and am enjoying the ride. It sheds light on the pieces in Salinger’s life that brought Holden Caulfield to life: the prep school, the acerbic wit, the earnestness, his idea of what was ‘phony’ and even the chain smoking : )
INDIGNATION – by Philip Roth
It’s the second year of the Korean War and 19 year-old college student Marcus Messner, a butcher’s son, flees his father’s increasing paranoia. Obsessed with Marcus’s well-being, Mr. Messner chases Marcus away from the safety of his home town, a school where he is thriving and into the great abyss of college and the threat of war. I found the scenes with his father’s irrational paranoia hilarious.
They brought back old memories of my own mother working my father up. She was constantly worrying where I was, what time I would be home, how I was spending my afternoons. Funny because I was the least likely of my siblings to get in trouble. The three of them had already put my parents through the worry wringer and house mandates that should have been enforced on them were belatedly used on me. I belonged to the stamp club for goodness sakes! I was afraid to sleep in the dark. I kept my security blanket to a ripe old age! I was pigeon-toed, gap toothed, and a bookworm to boot. That type of nerd. The fast crowd would reject me in a heartbeat. I often wondered who my parents they thought they were dealing with when it came to me. A possible Bonnie looking for her Clyde…
LES MISERABLES – by Victor Hugo. Of course it’s a masterpiece, a classic. Still, as I turn the pages I’m trying to understand the puzzle of why I keep turning the pages. And why, as it competes with my reading of David Copperfield, do I keep returning to this book? I’m gleaning some insight, it’s Hugo’s painstaking set-up that keeps you hooked: We’re introduced to The priest, his character, his moral struggles, next comes the convict, and I begin to understand that it’s the gray area that the characters struggle with that keeps me coming back. Today I moved onto Fantine and the tooth buyer and oh lordy, I’m hooked. I’m miserable. I can’t wait to keep reading! I understand the title now. Goodness. And yet there’s hope. Or I’m delusional and projecting hope into the story. Still I read. I wrestle with myself each time to pick something up with a faster pace, a current topic, something I can learn from, so much so that I’ve picked up and finished Philip Roth’s INDIGNATION and finished it in three sittings. But it’s back to Les Miserables, as the story weaves its magic through my veins.
BRANDO:
WIN-WIN – I wish I'd written this story. There's so much to like about it. Paul Giamatti plays small time lawyer and high school wrestling coach Michael Faherty, a father and husband who is struggling to make ends meet when Kyle, a quiet, troubled, teenager shows up on a doorstep. Actor Alex Shaffer (who in real life---at the age of 17 won the New Jersey State Wrestling championship) plays Kyle, a kid with a mysterious past and connected to one of Giamatti’s clients. Faherty’s wrestling team is in desperate need of muscle and talent, is Kyle the answer?
I loved this movie. One of those small gems that don’t make a big splash but completely stay with you. It wasn’t perfect, but maybe that’s what made it so charming. There are some funny scenes and touching ones as well. Teenager, Shaffer channels a little of Sean Penn’s old time Spikoli. Bobby Cannavale and Jeffrey Tambor play Giamatti’s best friends and they are hilarious during the wrestling meets. Amy Ryan (from the WIRE) is terrific as Giamatti’s wife. I wanted more scenes between Giamatti and Shaffer, but I guess that’s a nice problem to have for a story, leave you wanting more!
JANE EYRE – Starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids are All right) and Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Bastards—I love that line when they find out he’s not German and he has one last drink---“Well, if this is it, old boy, I hope you don't mind I go out speaking the Queen's”) The chemistry between Wasikowska and Fassbender, er----Jane and Rochester is electric.
Wasikowska is riveting in her quiet, elegant, plain-Jane beauty. Fassbender is exquisitely unpredictable, menacing. Their repartee was a perfect chess match.
Spoiler coming----I wished they hadn’t left out the Fortune Teller scene from the book---I’m just a sucker for séances and fortune telling scenes. I never grow tired of them. If you haven’t read the book I don’t want to give too much away. My husband wanted me to set up the movie for him, but in this case I told him, “Setting up the story is to tell you the whole movie. It’s Jane’s life.” So just go see it. The actress who plays Jane as a child also deserves credit.
VAMPIRE DIARIES – Klaus! Joseph Morgan is a perfect cast to the first immortal vampire. I recognize those cheekbones from the movie Master and Commander. Glad to see him around. He’s a great foil to Damon’s crazy. I love that line, “I hear your brother and you fancy my doppelganger.” I’ll probably go around the house saying it with that same accent until I grow tired.
Okay, so it’s not a movie but if you’re in the Vancouver area, go see the play THIS. The cast is entertaining and magnetic and we made it to the theater with one second left to go, parked in what I’m pretty sure was not a parking spot and didn’t get a ticket!
SECRETARIAT. I’d forgotten how important adversarial situations are to a character’s growth. I avoided this movie because I thought “I’ve already seen Sea Biscuit.” But no, each story stands on its own. Diane Lane and John Malkovich are terrific as always. I’m so glad Lane is back in pictures. I’ve missed her. Now if we could only get Jodie Foster back in front of a camera.
BURGERS:
Miette – Macaroons. Nope not the thick, pound cake, shaped like an oyster, coconut macaroons. Just throw that image out the door. These are not your grandma’s macaroons. These delicate goodies are like little rosebuds: Vanilla! Rose Guerlain! Chocolate. Wait until you sink your teeth into them. Chewy freshness followed by vanilla in the center, cool and sharp as whip cream. Like biting into a dreamy cloud.
INCANTO – Noe Valley http://incanto.biz/food-wine/sampler-menu/
I looked at the menu. I didn’t want to eat anything. Hearts and belly and ears. My friend K ordered the item I wanted to order but was too chicken to do so. I didn’t want to eat tuna heart. Honestly, I didn’t. No, no, no…but then…she ordered it: Spaghettini, Sardinian cured tuna heart, egg yolk & parsley. Blow-you-away-delicious.
Went to see Dennis Lehane speak. I don’t usually raise my hand when other authors come to visit, I’m too shy, but I did this time and asked him if he could talk about having a hand in the HBO series, THE WIRE and also his research for Darkness Take My Hand. He was happy to oblige and asked in what way I felt the two were connected so he could speak to my question and I said they weren’t. I just wanted to gush about THE WIRE : )
He had an interesting anecdote about the two characters from GONE BABY GONE, Detectives Kenzie and Genarro. He had tried to access their voices again after (I think) the third book in the series and couldn’t. Some years went by to where he believed he thought they were gone for good (no pun intended), but then a few years back he hailed a taxi and in the middle of the ride the main character’s voice, Kenzie’s voice, came back to him. Just picked up a conversation in his head as if he’d never left.
I latch on to this story because as a writer there are times when we try to grind the voice out and I think that tactic has the opposite effect. At times, the situation calls for waiting and giving the story time to breathe. But it’s scary right? The white noise of silence and a blank page? The impulse is to write anything, one word, a period, an exclamation mark. Anything. But there’s a reason for the quiet, for the break in momentum. Perhaps, we need to go through changes in our own lives to make room for the character’s voices to come. Lehane felt that the first books were about the main character’s premise. The question for Kenzie was always, ‘would he become the man his father was’--- and then Lehane went through changes in his own life. He became a father himself and that’s when this latest book and Kenzie’s voice returned to him.
A more fitting and immediate anecdote for me regarding writing slumps, is watching the Giants on television right now. My favorite broadcasters, Mike Krukow and D. Kuiper said that at times you hit a slump at bat and that you’re grinding for that hit, when the best thing to do is (easy for them to say, they admitted) relax. The same is true for me when I swing a golf club. Think too much about mechanics and you lose the gift, the beauty, of the swing. Writing is the same way. Relax, breathe, if it doesn’t come to you walk it off, reflect, and most of all, enjoy what you’re working on, the love of the game. The love of story. {Side note: Since I began writing this, Lincecum struck out 10 last night to break a Giant’s record of most double digit strike-outs, Huff’s bat is heating up, and the amazing Freddie Sanchez made a golden glove like catch, followed by a throw to Posey to keep a runner at third, bringing a second win against the NY Mets. Sigh----All is right in the world).
J.D. SALINGER BIOGRAPHY – by Kenneth Slawenski. I’m on the first pages of this one and am enjoying the ride. It sheds light on the pieces in Salinger’s life that brought Holden Caulfield to life: the prep school, the acerbic wit, the earnestness, his idea of what was ‘phony’ and even the chain smoking : )
INDIGNATION – by Philip Roth
It’s the second year of the Korean War and 19 year-old college student Marcus Messner, a butcher’s son, flees his father’s increasing paranoia. Obsessed with Marcus’s well-being, Mr. Messner chases Marcus away from the safety of his home town, a school where he is thriving and into the great abyss of college and the threat of war. I found the scenes with his father’s irrational paranoia hilarious.
They brought back old memories of my own mother working my father up. She was constantly worrying where I was, what time I would be home, how I was spending my afternoons. Funny because I was the least likely of my siblings to get in trouble. The three of them had already put my parents through the worry wringer and house mandates that should have been enforced on them were belatedly used on me. I belonged to the stamp club for goodness sakes! I was afraid to sleep in the dark. I kept my security blanket to a ripe old age! I was pigeon-toed, gap toothed, and a bookworm to boot. That type of nerd. The fast crowd would reject me in a heartbeat. I often wondered who my parents they thought they were dealing with when it came to me. A possible Bonnie looking for her Clyde…
LES MISERABLES – by Victor Hugo. Of course it’s a masterpiece, a classic. Still, as I turn the pages I’m trying to understand the puzzle of why I keep turning the pages. And why, as it competes with my reading of David Copperfield, do I keep returning to this book? I’m gleaning some insight, it’s Hugo’s painstaking set-up that keeps you hooked: We’re introduced to The priest, his character, his moral struggles, next comes the convict, and I begin to understand that it’s the gray area that the characters struggle with that keeps me coming back. Today I moved onto Fantine and the tooth buyer and oh lordy, I’m hooked. I’m miserable. I can’t wait to keep reading! I understand the title now. Goodness. And yet there’s hope. Or I’m delusional and projecting hope into the story. Still I read. I wrestle with myself each time to pick something up with a faster pace, a current topic, something I can learn from, so much so that I’ve picked up and finished Philip Roth’s INDIGNATION and finished it in three sittings. But it’s back to Les Miserables, as the story weaves its magic through my veins.
BRANDO:
WIN-WIN – I wish I'd written this story. There's so much to like about it. Paul Giamatti plays small time lawyer and high school wrestling coach Michael Faherty, a father and husband who is struggling to make ends meet when Kyle, a quiet, troubled, teenager shows up on a doorstep. Actor Alex Shaffer (who in real life---at the age of 17 won the New Jersey State Wrestling championship) plays Kyle, a kid with a mysterious past and connected to one of Giamatti’s clients. Faherty’s wrestling team is in desperate need of muscle and talent, is Kyle the answer?
I loved this movie. One of those small gems that don’t make a big splash but completely stay with you. It wasn’t perfect, but maybe that’s what made it so charming. There are some funny scenes and touching ones as well. Teenager, Shaffer channels a little of Sean Penn’s old time Spikoli. Bobby Cannavale and Jeffrey Tambor play Giamatti’s best friends and they are hilarious during the wrestling meets. Amy Ryan (from the WIRE) is terrific as Giamatti’s wife. I wanted more scenes between Giamatti and Shaffer, but I guess that’s a nice problem to have for a story, leave you wanting more!
JANE EYRE – Starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids are All right) and Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Bastards—I love that line when they find out he’s not German and he has one last drink---“Well, if this is it, old boy, I hope you don't mind I go out speaking the Queen's”) The chemistry between Wasikowska and Fassbender, er----Jane and Rochester is electric.
Wasikowska is riveting in her quiet, elegant, plain-Jane beauty. Fassbender is exquisitely unpredictable, menacing. Their repartee was a perfect chess match.
Spoiler coming----I wished they hadn’t left out the Fortune Teller scene from the book---I’m just a sucker for séances and fortune telling scenes. I never grow tired of them. If you haven’t read the book I don’t want to give too much away. My husband wanted me to set up the movie for him, but in this case I told him, “Setting up the story is to tell you the whole movie. It’s Jane’s life.” So just go see it. The actress who plays Jane as a child also deserves credit.
VAMPIRE DIARIES – Klaus! Joseph Morgan is a perfect cast to the first immortal vampire. I recognize those cheekbones from the movie Master and Commander. Glad to see him around. He’s a great foil to Damon’s crazy. I love that line, “I hear your brother and you fancy my doppelganger.” I’ll probably go around the house saying it with that same accent until I grow tired.
Okay, so it’s not a movie but if you’re in the Vancouver area, go see the play THIS. The cast is entertaining and magnetic and we made it to the theater with one second left to go, parked in what I’m pretty sure was not a parking spot and didn’t get a ticket!
SECRETARIAT. I’d forgotten how important adversarial situations are to a character’s growth. I avoided this movie because I thought “I’ve already seen Sea Biscuit.” But no, each story stands on its own. Diane Lane and John Malkovich are terrific as always. I’m so glad Lane is back in pictures. I’ve missed her. Now if we could only get Jodie Foster back in front of a camera.
BURGERS:
Miette – Macaroons. Nope not the thick, pound cake, shaped like an oyster, coconut macaroons. Just throw that image out the door. These are not your grandma’s macaroons. These delicate goodies are like little rosebuds: Vanilla! Rose Guerlain! Chocolate. Wait until you sink your teeth into them. Chewy freshness followed by vanilla in the center, cool and sharp as whip cream. Like biting into a dreamy cloud.
INCANTO – Noe Valley http://incanto.biz/food-wine/sampler-menu/
I looked at the menu. I didn’t want to eat anything. Hearts and belly and ears. My friend K ordered the item I wanted to order but was too chicken to do so. I didn’t want to eat tuna heart. Honestly, I didn’t. No, no, no…but then…she ordered it: Spaghettini, Sardinian cured tuna heart, egg yolk & parsley. Blow-you-away-delicious.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
FOOD TRUCK CRUSH AT THE FERRY BUILDING
Just dropping by to tell you about Food Truck Crush happening at the Larkspur Ferry Building on Fridays beginning May 20th! Yum! Go get your food crush on! Check FOOD TRUCK CRUSH out on Facebook to see what foods they'll be featuring.
Tess
: )
Tess
: )
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
BOOK TO BRANDO:
Mara Rooney on the cover of W Magazine. Talk about transformation from Social Network to Girl w/Dragon Tattoo! Real piercings, bleached brows? Rooney Mara transformed into the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Just dropping in to post the link to Mara Rooney’s W Magazine cover. For those of you who’ve seen her on the Social Network, it’s quite a transformation from the preppy college girl.
I read a little of the article and I think…those are real piercings! Also up for the role, Fincher said, were Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Natalie would’ve been my first choice based on her feisty role as the little sidekick in The Professional, but I liked Mara a lot in The Social Network, so I’m looking forward to her portrayal.
More Soon...
Mara Rooney on the cover of W Magazine. Talk about transformation from Social Network to Girl w/Dragon Tattoo! Real piercings, bleached brows? Rooney Mara transformed into the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Just dropping in to post the link to Mara Rooney’s W Magazine cover. For those of you who’ve seen her on the Social Network, it’s quite a transformation from the preppy college girl.
I read a little of the article and I think…those are real piercings! Also up for the role, Fincher said, were Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Natalie would’ve been my first choice based on her feisty role as the little sidekick in The Professional, but I liked Mara a lot in The Social Network, so I’m looking forward to her portrayal.
More Soon...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
BOOKS:
THE HELP – by Kathryn Stockett. I am probably the last person to pick-up THE HELP. I fought it because everyone was carrying it around. Also, I was smug, I thought I’d read all I needed to about the civil rights movement. How wrong I was. I don’t know what turned me so that I actually picked the book up. Possibly it was the 2500+ reviews and 4 ½ star rating online or the fact that I saw a picture of the cast that included Sissy Spacek and Emma Stone. I think Bryce Howard will be a terrific Hilly.
I’ve turned into a big fan of this book. The characters are so well-drawn, especially Minny, she‘s got to be my favorite because you never know what’s going to come out of her mouth. Her words and actions are outrageously funny and shocking and at times dangerous. Skeeter is how I pictured the type of woman Scout Finch (from To Kill a Mockingbird) would grow up to be. The book portrays such an interesting and important mix of women from two communities. Lifelong friendships are put on the line and unexpected bonds are formed when a southern college graduate decides to interview the women who serve as housekeepers in their community. What is revealed through these interviews and the scenes with the respective employers is at times haunting, humorous, stunning and transforming. How Stockett manages to keep the humor alongside the tragic is masterful. Read it before the movie debuts this August.
Below is a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly:
Starred Review. What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
SHI*T MY DAD SAYS by Justin Halpern
This book is laugh out loud funny. The S and F-bomb abound so if you’re okay with that then just read it. The father-son relationship is charming and hilarious.
MINDSET: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
This non-fiction book describes how there are two different mindsets: Fixed and Growth Oriented. Which one are you? Its an insightful, original look at how some of us perceive challenges. Like a godsend this book came right before a giant editing project I was about to undertake or toss off the Golden Gate Bridge. It changed my thinking so much I wanted to write Carol Dweck and thank her. I read this book in a week, side by side with THE HELP.
BRANDO:
FLAMMEN AND CITRONEN (Flame and Citron) Based on true events:
Director: Ole Christian Madsen. Writers: Lars Andersen and Ole Christian Madsen.
Set during the Nazi Occupation of Denmark, the Danish resistance fights back in the form of two assassins: Jørgen Haagen Schmith “Citron”(legend has it he earned his nick name by his citron scented cologne or because he used to work for the Citrone auto plant) drives while red-headed youthful Bent Faurschou-Hviid "Flame" takes care of the enemy. Taking orders from a man named Winthers, a contact of the Allied forces in England, the pair at first, kill only Danes; then Winther gives orders to kill Germans, which brings unwanted attention on the resistance. Is there a traitor in their midst’s? Can Flame and Citron survive the war? Are they heroes if they kill people? Or more importantly, are they heroes or pawns? (Spoiler coming) When Winther's targets a woman Flame is having a relationship with doubt sets in.
Both actors were spectacular.
“Citron” actor Mads was recently seen in Coco and Igor Stravinsky. His quiet lumbering presence is a great foil for Flame’s intensity. Thure Lindhardt “Flame” is mesmerizing as THE idealistic assassin. He plays Flame with the desensitized, angelic innocence of someone who wishes to do his job well, only his job happens to entail killing people. His performance is complex, reminiscent of Alain Delon’s Jef Costello in Jean Pierre Melville’s - Le Samourai, but with a flourish all his own. You root for the both Flame and Citron while your idea of justice shifts constantly.
There are so many subtle thrilling reversals that I was blown away by the storytelling. It never strayed from its ultimate ending. It begins, “Do you remember the day they arrived? I think you do. Where were you when it happened?” Stine Stengade is terrific as the mysterious Ketty Selmer. Even now, I argue with myself on what to believe about Ketty.
Highly recommended. My father in-law, who endearingly doesn’t always remember the names of the movies he raves about---“Sounds good, Dad, I’ll rent it, what’s it called? You HAD to ask me that! Wait a minute it will come to me.” It almost never comes to him--- raved about this movie AND he remembered the title!
LASTLY, the cinematography! Jorgen Johansson’s noir style is lushly beautiful with its overhead shots, split shots, long corridors, muted yet bursting with color: the red of Flame’s tie, the coral-red of the resistance nun’s lipstick, the crimson of their car, and the muted sage or turquoise backdrops. My favorites are the long red corridor scene of the hotel Nordland with Bent walking down the shadowy corridor and the split shot of Bent entering a hotel teaming with Germans while the woman Ketty Selmer is going up the elevator. What a gorgeous eye Johansson has.
KISSES – Written and Directed by Lance Daly. Set in Dublin. Starring Kelly O’Neill as Kylie and Shane Curry as Dylan.
Where Flame and Citron is about two people, hardened by the epic WWII German occupation of their beloved Denmark, Kisses is an intimate portrayal of two adolescents who haven’t yet lost their sparkle despite their rough upbringing
Kisses, which I found cruising the Indie section of our local video store one evening is like its title, a small gem. It captures that first love you find as a child within the boundaries of your one block radius. In this case it’s the kid next door. Eleven (?) year old Kylie and her next door neighbor Shane flee their abusive households one afternoon and spend an adventure (sometimes gritty) filled evening on the streets of Dublin.
I liked the premise. How much can you capture in one night? The answer is lots if it’s done right. Beautifully shot, gorgeous, close-ups. And the child actors, were both luminous. Variety described the performances of the two young actors as: two flawlessly natural, non-professional leads, sustains its child's-eye point of view without strain.
Here’s from the Telluride Review: http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/08/30/telluride-review-lance-dalys-kisses/. On the fringes of Dublin, Kylie and Dylan, two pre-teen kids, live next door to each other. One night they run away, and together they make their way to the magical night time lights of inner city Dublin, to search for Dylan’s brother, who ran away two years previously, in the hope of finding, through him, the possibility of a new life. Dublin, as seen through the innocent eyes of our protagonists, is a kaleidoscope of magic, wonder and mystery. But as the night wears on, and Dublin takes on a darker character, the two kids have to rely on the kindness of strangers, the advice of Bob Dylan and their trust in each other to survive the night.
UNTITLED SPIDERMAN-REBOOT
I’m intrigued and excited about the new Spiderman actor. Andrew Garfield (THE SOCIAL NETWORK, NEVER LET ME GO). He was wonderful as the earnest best friend, Eduardo Sevarin in THE SOCIAL NETWORK. I’ve seen some stills and they look good! Also, I think Emma Stone with her strong raspy self, will be a great love interest.
RENTALS – LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
I’d forgotten how touching and funny Ryan Gosling’s performance was until I saw this movie again. He pulls off this sketchy sounding premise with heart and humor.
OSCAR PICKS:
Since we’re talking movies, I’d like to try and predict the winners for this year’s Oscars. Here are my choices below:
Best screenplay – Social Network (close fight between Black Swan for me. Both were so very tightly executed and exciting. Also noteworthy is Winter’s Bone).
Best Movie – I want Social Network to win, but I think it’s going to be Black Swan (not that I’m complaining).
Best Actor – Colin Firth (King’s Speech). I have yet to see Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine but I’m sure he deserves to be a contender. He always puts everything on it.
Supporting Actor – Christian Bale (The Fighter). Give this guy an Oscar already. I actually think he should be in the Best Actor category…Bale is electric in every scene.
Best Actress – Natalie Portman (Black Swan). But I also think Lawrence from Winter’s Bone deserves recognition.
Supporting Actress – Amy Adams ( The Fighter)
BURGERS:
GATHER in Berkeley. The sausage pizza with the burrata cheese was delicious. As was our two cocktails. Bee Sting and Flowered Sandals! Nice, warm, roomy restaurant. Very close to campus.
THE HELP – by Kathryn Stockett. I am probably the last person to pick-up THE HELP. I fought it because everyone was carrying it around. Also, I was smug, I thought I’d read all I needed to about the civil rights movement. How wrong I was. I don’t know what turned me so that I actually picked the book up. Possibly it was the 2500+ reviews and 4 ½ star rating online or the fact that I saw a picture of the cast that included Sissy Spacek and Emma Stone. I think Bryce Howard will be a terrific Hilly.
I’ve turned into a big fan of this book. The characters are so well-drawn, especially Minny, she‘s got to be my favorite because you never know what’s going to come out of her mouth. Her words and actions are outrageously funny and shocking and at times dangerous. Skeeter is how I pictured the type of woman Scout Finch (from To Kill a Mockingbird) would grow up to be. The book portrays such an interesting and important mix of women from two communities. Lifelong friendships are put on the line and unexpected bonds are formed when a southern college graduate decides to interview the women who serve as housekeepers in their community. What is revealed through these interviews and the scenes with the respective employers is at times haunting, humorous, stunning and transforming. How Stockett manages to keep the humor alongside the tragic is masterful. Read it before the movie debuts this August.
Below is a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly:
Starred Review. What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
SHI*T MY DAD SAYS by Justin Halpern
This book is laugh out loud funny. The S and F-bomb abound so if you’re okay with that then just read it. The father-son relationship is charming and hilarious.
MINDSET: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
This non-fiction book describes how there are two different mindsets: Fixed and Growth Oriented. Which one are you? Its an insightful, original look at how some of us perceive challenges. Like a godsend this book came right before a giant editing project I was about to undertake or toss off the Golden Gate Bridge. It changed my thinking so much I wanted to write Carol Dweck and thank her. I read this book in a week, side by side with THE HELP.
BRANDO:
FLAMMEN AND CITRONEN (Flame and Citron) Based on true events:
Director: Ole Christian Madsen. Writers: Lars Andersen and Ole Christian Madsen.
Set during the Nazi Occupation of Denmark, the Danish resistance fights back in the form of two assassins: Jørgen Haagen Schmith “Citron”(legend has it he earned his nick name by his citron scented cologne or because he used to work for the Citrone auto plant) drives while red-headed youthful Bent Faurschou-Hviid "Flame" takes care of the enemy. Taking orders from a man named Winthers, a contact of the Allied forces in England, the pair at first, kill only Danes; then Winther gives orders to kill Germans, which brings unwanted attention on the resistance. Is there a traitor in their midst’s? Can Flame and Citron survive the war? Are they heroes if they kill people? Or more importantly, are they heroes or pawns? (Spoiler coming) When Winther's targets a woman Flame is having a relationship with doubt sets in.
Both actors were spectacular.
“Citron” actor Mads was recently seen in Coco and Igor Stravinsky. His quiet lumbering presence is a great foil for Flame’s intensity. Thure Lindhardt “Flame” is mesmerizing as THE idealistic assassin. He plays Flame with the desensitized, angelic innocence of someone who wishes to do his job well, only his job happens to entail killing people. His performance is complex, reminiscent of Alain Delon’s Jef Costello in Jean Pierre Melville’s - Le Samourai, but with a flourish all his own. You root for the both Flame and Citron while your idea of justice shifts constantly.
There are so many subtle thrilling reversals that I was blown away by the storytelling. It never strayed from its ultimate ending. It begins, “Do you remember the day they arrived? I think you do. Where were you when it happened?” Stine Stengade is terrific as the mysterious Ketty Selmer. Even now, I argue with myself on what to believe about Ketty.
Highly recommended. My father in-law, who endearingly doesn’t always remember the names of the movies he raves about---“Sounds good, Dad, I’ll rent it, what’s it called? You HAD to ask me that! Wait a minute it will come to me.” It almost never comes to him--- raved about this movie AND he remembered the title!
LASTLY, the cinematography! Jorgen Johansson’s noir style is lushly beautiful with its overhead shots, split shots, long corridors, muted yet bursting with color: the red of Flame’s tie, the coral-red of the resistance nun’s lipstick, the crimson of their car, and the muted sage or turquoise backdrops. My favorites are the long red corridor scene of the hotel Nordland with Bent walking down the shadowy corridor and the split shot of Bent entering a hotel teaming with Germans while the woman Ketty Selmer is going up the elevator. What a gorgeous eye Johansson has.
KISSES – Written and Directed by Lance Daly. Set in Dublin. Starring Kelly O’Neill as Kylie and Shane Curry as Dylan.
Where Flame and Citron is about two people, hardened by the epic WWII German occupation of their beloved Denmark, Kisses is an intimate portrayal of two adolescents who haven’t yet lost their sparkle despite their rough upbringing
Kisses, which I found cruising the Indie section of our local video store one evening is like its title, a small gem. It captures that first love you find as a child within the boundaries of your one block radius. In this case it’s the kid next door. Eleven (?) year old Kylie and her next door neighbor Shane flee their abusive households one afternoon and spend an adventure (sometimes gritty) filled evening on the streets of Dublin.
I liked the premise. How much can you capture in one night? The answer is lots if it’s done right. Beautifully shot, gorgeous, close-ups. And the child actors, were both luminous. Variety described the performances of the two young actors as: two flawlessly natural, non-professional leads, sustains its child's-eye point of view without strain.
Here’s from the Telluride Review: http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/08/30/telluride-review-lance-dalys-kisses/. On the fringes of Dublin, Kylie and Dylan, two pre-teen kids, live next door to each other. One night they run away, and together they make their way to the magical night time lights of inner city Dublin, to search for Dylan’s brother, who ran away two years previously, in the hope of finding, through him, the possibility of a new life. Dublin, as seen through the innocent eyes of our protagonists, is a kaleidoscope of magic, wonder and mystery. But as the night wears on, and Dublin takes on a darker character, the two kids have to rely on the kindness of strangers, the advice of Bob Dylan and their trust in each other to survive the night.
UNTITLED SPIDERMAN-REBOOT
I’m intrigued and excited about the new Spiderman actor. Andrew Garfield (THE SOCIAL NETWORK, NEVER LET ME GO). He was wonderful as the earnest best friend, Eduardo Sevarin in THE SOCIAL NETWORK. I’ve seen some stills and they look good! Also, I think Emma Stone with her strong raspy self, will be a great love interest.
RENTALS – LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
I’d forgotten how touching and funny Ryan Gosling’s performance was until I saw this movie again. He pulls off this sketchy sounding premise with heart and humor.
OSCAR PICKS:
Since we’re talking movies, I’d like to try and predict the winners for this year’s Oscars. Here are my choices below:
Best screenplay – Social Network (close fight between Black Swan for me. Both were so very tightly executed and exciting. Also noteworthy is Winter’s Bone).
Best Movie – I want Social Network to win, but I think it’s going to be Black Swan (not that I’m complaining).
Best Actor – Colin Firth (King’s Speech). I have yet to see Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine but I’m sure he deserves to be a contender. He always puts everything on it.
Supporting Actor – Christian Bale (The Fighter). Give this guy an Oscar already. I actually think he should be in the Best Actor category…Bale is electric in every scene.
Best Actress – Natalie Portman (Black Swan). But I also think Lawrence from Winter’s Bone deserves recognition.
Supporting Actress – Amy Adams ( The Fighter)
BURGERS:
GATHER in Berkeley. The sausage pizza with the burrata cheese was delicious. As was our two cocktails. Bee Sting and Flowered Sandals! Nice, warm, roomy restaurant. Very close to campus.
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