Books, Brando, Burgers & Baseball

SENNA, ONE DAY & IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER

2011-09-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

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.

Revolution, El Paseo, Midnight in Paris and Giants vs...Play ball....

2011-07-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

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…….

SUPER 8

2011-06-10T09:02:00.001-07:00

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!

HUNGER GAMES the movie

2011-05-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

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/

Dennis Lehane, Roth, Jane Eyre and Miette Macaroons

2011-05-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

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.

FOOD TRUCK CRUSH AT THE FERRY BUILDING

2011-05-04T09:52:00.001-07:00

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
: )

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2011-02-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

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...

2011-01-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

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 SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ & WINTER'S BONE

2010-07-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

BOOKS:

THE SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ – Dahlia Sofer
Set in the Post Revolutionary Iran of 1981, Sofer gives us a gripping, elegant tale, of a Jewish gem trader Isaac Amin who is arrested one day and accused of being a Zionist spy. From four enlightening perspectives: Isaac’s, his daughter Shirin, his son Parviz and his wife, Farnaz a tale of hope, betrayal, possible friendship and the legacy of Post Revolutionary Iran, unfolds.

Although the story sounds bleak in synopsis, I found Sofer had magic in her touch. From the very first page, I could not put it down. At every turn I felt hope and saw beauty in the evocative memories of each character she presented. Also fascinating are the portrayals of how the different classes were affected by the revolution. The jealousies, the misdirected, sometimes absurd, anger and the history, made for an enchanting tale.

I must confess that the beautiful purple hardcover initially caught my eye and I’m so glad that it did. I look forward to her next book. It’s now also available in paperback: ttp://www.bookpassage.com/book/9780061130403

TINKERS – Paul Harding, Pulitzer Prize

I haven’t read this book yet, but I went to see the author speak. I’m sharing his story for those of you out there receiving rejections. This guy had 25 rejections!!!! And then he went to meet a friend, a poet (if I remember correctly), who suggested he send it to ‘his’ editor, who wasn’t interested, but suggested Harding send it to the Bellevue Literary Press http://www.med.nyu.edu/medicine/aboutus/blp-launch.html. I hope I have the whole story right but any errors, completely mine. I wasn’t taking notes, I just realized after the fact that I wanted to write about it. Powell’s Books describes it as, “a beautifully written meditation on life, death, the passage of time and man’s eternal attempt to harness it.”

Bellevue Press is a non-profit publishing house the size of a small office, and works out of, get this----the NYU Medical School. The editor/publisher read TINKERS, called Harding, and said, “I want to publish this”. Many hand sales later from the Book Passage, Corte Madera, AND other independents and voila, PULITZER PRIZE. Can you spell Hot-dang?! The story has its roots in Harding’s grandfather’s life, who was an Epileptic. So---for those of you receiving rejections...there you go. Here’s an interview of him with Powell’s Books before the book was available: http://www.powells.com/authors/paulharding.html

YA (Young Adult)

MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins (Waiting-Can’t wait, till the release date!)
LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater is out and receiving great reviews. I just saw it at the bookstore and had to stop myself from buying until I finish the other four books I’m reading!

BRANDO:

WINTER’S BONE (Best Picture Winner at the Sundance Film Festival) – Based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell and Directed by Debra Granik, (Super)-Starring Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes & Garret Dillahunt. A sparse, gritty, unflinching, thriller set in the Ozark back country. Seventeen year old Ree Dolly is left in charge of her mentally ill mother and younger siblings. While trying to make ends meet she must find her missing father and bring him back for his court appearance. The task proves almost Herculean. Jennifer Lawrence is captivating, and deserves and Oscar, but don’t just listen to me. Go see the movie. You don’t exactly leave the movie with a spring in your step but with awe at the storytelling and the emotional ride and fierce heart of the character, Ree. Here are some reviews on the official website: http://www.wintersbonemovie.com/press.html

CYRUS – Directed by Jay & Mark Duplass. Starring Jonah Hill, John C. Reilly, Katherine Keener and Marisa Tomei. Poignant, funny, at times uncomfortably so. Cyrus pushes the envelope of mother-son codependence. Solid terrific acting. Are the new kids out acting the pros? I’m thinking Jonah Hill may be up for an Oscar after this? Known for his comedy in KNOCKED UP and SUPERBAD, Hill puts in an amazingly restrained, but still funny, sometimes, uncomfortably honest, performance. I didn’t know this guy had it in him. Ditto goes for John C. Reilly, who I also forget is a serious actor. After his string of hilarious Will Ferrell slapsticks I’d forgotten his dramatic performances in MAGNOLIA, CHICAGO, THE HOURS, & THE GOOD GIRL (to name a few). Marisa Tomei is always amazing and she puts in another nuanced, how does she do that---performance. She is totally believable as the mom who takes being her child’s best friend to the extreme. At times it feels as if it will tip over into comedy but keeps to its restrained edgy feel. Dramedy?

NEXT UP:
INCEPTION – Directed by Christopher Nolan (of Memento fame)
THE KID’S ARE ALL RIGHT – Starring Mark Ruffalo, Annete Benning, Julianne Moore

RUMORED: GREEN HORNET. I heard a rumor they were going to remake the Green Hornet and since there are already pictures up I can only say, WHAT? NO ONE can take Bruce Lee’s place as Cato. C’mon! NO ONE. Sorry. Not happening.

BURGERS:
HUMPHRYS SLOCOMBE ¬– Okay, yes. I know....I’ve mentioned this before but one evening my friend M, suggested we make a pit stop after dinner, and I know it sounds crazy, but this one flavor---McEvoy Olive oil ice cream, is just INSANELY good. Yeah, I know sounds kooky. But there it is. Out of this world good. Um, so I wasn’t brave enough to try the Prosciutto Ice Cream:
http://www.humphryslocombe.com/%7C_Flavors_%7C.html

You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook and my website: www.tessurizaholthe.com

A Northern Light by Donnelly

2010-06-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

BOOKS:
YA (Young Adult) – A NORTHERN LIGHT – Jennifer Donnelly
I can’t gush enough about this book. If you love a good story, loved Dreiser’s classic, AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY and the movie, A PLACE IN THE SUN with Montgomery Clift, Liz Taylor and Shelley Winters, then you must pick up this book!

A NORTHERN LIGHT is about a murder mystery, poverty, longing, romance, the love of words, feminism, racism, obligations and finding one’s voice. The characters are so engaging that I want a sequel. I demand a sequel! There were times when I had to put the book down to walk the dog and I kept wondering if I could maybe harness the book to my dog during our evening walk.

Donnelly paints such a likeable heroine in Mattie, Mathilda---she’s strong and loyal and unsure and brave and funny--- and her crux is so taut at every turn, should she mention the letters or not? And the plot so riveting, whether she’s in the present or past, she gives clues that are hard won revelations. Donnelly gives us just enough information at each turn, to build a gorgeous web of gripping narrative. She places us suspiciously in the same quandry as the tragic Grace Brown, however----with Matt, you’re certain, at least I HOPED I was certain, that it would not come to the same end. What a great ride. Highly recommended. I. CAN’T. WAIT. TO READ. HER. AGAIN.

YA (Young Adult) - MAGIC UNDERGLASS by Jaclyn Dolamore.
I loved the premise of Dolamore’s book. A piano playing automaton who may be haunted! And a dancehall girl! Dolarmore delivers this fairy story in a unique way that sets her apart from other fairy books. Her gothic tale is told with rich language and imagery I was immediately absorbed into her world. With hints of Jane Eyre and a sprig of Harry Potter, I found this a page turning read. My only critique is I wanted MORE! It wrapped up a little too fast at the end. I could’ve spent at least another chapter with Nimira and the prince. Although it does seem that there’s room for a sequel so maybe I’m just further under Dolamore’s spell! It’s a sliver of a book so go pick it up!
NEXT UP: I think next up for me is Little Brother by Doctorow after I finish A GAME OF THRONES---soon to be HBO special FIRE AND ICE. Teaser looking good.

BRANDO:

VAMPIRE DIARIES – I grew up reading the first three-four books of LJ Smith’s series and I must say I was skeptical at first on what they would do with the Vampire Diaries, given that I already love Twilight and I already watch TRUEBLOOD (love that Skaarsgard, he’s a different kind of Damon)---but KUDOS to amazing screenwriter Julie Plec (Dexter—duh, no wonder) fame. She constantly surprises me! I was so happy with the way she/they handled the Season Finale and ----spoilers ahead----Katherine’s return. I sat in shock at how perfect that was. And then to lose Malise Jow I shouted Nooooooo!

Can I hire her please when my Young Adult book comes out to star as my main character or her younger sister? Both Malise and Phil Collins’s daughter (BLIND SIDE) stand out. I want both of them for the film version of my young adult book! Just casting couch dreaming here folks. I also found a great male lead but I’m not giving it away here. Someone might snatch him up!

Damon (Ian Somholder) just gets more riveting. His humanity bubbling to the surface this week was heartbreaking. And as in the book, I’d choose Damon over Stefan any day. I don’t know why. Yes I do. Damon’s evil-good. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the overall storyline.

Having said that and having mentioned Twilight---I CAN’T WAIT FOR ECLIPSE!

COCO BEFORE CHANEL: Audrey Tatou, Alessandro Nivola
Wow. What a charming heartfelt movie. Tatou as always, does a terrific job. Have you seen her in PRICELESS? She’s like the Audrey Hepburn of our time. Alessandro Nivola was heart breaking and focused. The chemistry between the three lead characters was strong and almost turn your eyes away intense and Coco’s journey is admirable. I don’t want to say anymore. The camera shots too were gorgeous, like a postcard. It’s a biopic on the life of famed designer Coco Chanel. Go see it!

INDIE RENTALS:
THE LIVES OF OTHERS - The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) is a 2006 German Drama film. It’s multi-layered but ultimately it’s about one man holding the fate, the lives of others in his hands.

BURGERS: MOMOFUKU – New York. Try the pork bun and the fried chicken. Delicious. I could’ve just kept eating the porkbun. Intimate seating, but just enjoy!
http://www.momofuku.com/noodle-bar/menu/dinner/

Temple Grandin

2010-04-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

BOOKS:

I reccommended MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD a few months back and so I was fascinated by the lecture given below by Dr. Temple Grandin who, like Marcelo, is a person with high-functioning autism. If you loved Marcelo this book and this woman, might be of interest to you.

THE WAY I SEE IT: A PERSONAL LOOK AT ASPERGER’S AND AUTISM by Dr. Temple Grandin (www.templegrandin.com) . Dr. Grandin is whip smart and a kick. Doctor of Animal Science and professor at Colorado State University and a consultant to the livestock industry in animal behavior. Grandin is known for her work in autism advocacy and is the inventor of the hug machine a device she created to calm hypersensitive persons.

She had me riveted on her explanation---of all things, on how a bull will show a lateral threat by standing sideways and giving you his profile to show how big he is, only many people mistake this as docile because he isn’t looking straight at you directly. “When he gets that way, look out.” Good to know.

That was just one of her anecdotes but she delivers them in such deadpan humor it’s hilarious. She is one of the most practical people I’ve ever heard give a lecture. I was amazed by her memory, in the movie they show how her photographic memory works. In keeping with this theme of high-functioning autistics having brilliant minds, she was discussing different autism traits of “Aspies” (Aspergers). Some are math related, some are word, some focus on art and she said, “Heck half of Silicon Valley is probably Asperger’s.” She advocates finding what interests autistic children early on and encouraging their strengths. She claimed she wouldn’t know where she’d be now if her mother hadn’t encouraged her art. In the movie of her life, TEMPLE GRANDIN on HBO, I loved Julia Ormond’s (who played Temple’s mother), response to a doctor talking down to her about her daughter’s condition. When he asks if her father is available, because he doubts if Ormond can follow him Ormond says, something like, “It’s okay doctor. I graduated from Harvard, try me.”

A NORTHERN LIGHT by Jennifer Donnelly – Just cracked open but I’m excited to read. It’s a take on the 1906 true story that inspired Theodore Dreiser’s novel AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY. Also the movie with Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters, A PLACE IN THE SUN, which is heart breaking and a must see. Only I suggest having a comedy at hand afterwards because the story is so well done, a lingering sadness will pervade you. I’ll let you know what I think when I’m done, but I mean, the book’s already won a Printz Award so, I’m guessing I’ll love it. Pick it up and read along with me. Love to hear your comments.
Also picked up MAGIC UNDERGLASS by Jaclyn Dolamore.

BRANDO:

If you can find the HBO special TEMPLE GRANDIN starring Clair Danes and Julia Ormond, I highly recommend, Temple’s story is powerful and heroic. Her mother’s determination that she go out into the world is inspiring. Claire Danes performance is jaw dropping. Where did that come from. I attended Grandin’s lecture this month and Danes really nailed Grandin’s exhuberance and intelligence.

I was all ready to see KICKASS, about teens tired of getting bullied who become superheroes, by director Quentin Tarantino and (supposedly) violent as heck, but my husband went without me. We were supposed to go together but I was home making revisions on this next project and he didn’t tell me until the end of the night. Yeah, thanks babe. So, unfortunately I cannot review this movie. (I hope you feel guilty).

RENTALS:

Michael Jordan on IMAX. It’s about basketball and a whole lot more. It’s about work ethic and what it takes to be the best. My husband always puts it on when I start a book project. It gets me pumped. It’s like my Rocky Theme song. One of my most favorite scenes is when Kerr, asks if Michael gets to play opening night after his absence from the game to follow his baseball career. Scotty Pippin says, “Generally speaking if you have your own statue outside of the arena, you don’t come off the bench.”

MADMEN – Yes, I know, old news but I just rented the first season. How smart IS this movie? If you want to comment you can only bring up subjects right after the one guy gets his short story published. Such a terrific sociological study. One of my sociology teachers a year back was discussing power struggles with me and she loves the show and she, Jessica pointed out how hilarious it is that the women all have a problem with the divorcee, when their lives are equally hazardous. Such great storytelling. Pick it up if you’re late in the game like me.

INDIE RENTALS:

RAN – by Kurosawa. King Lear Kurosawa style: elegant, violent, riveting.

RASHOMON by Kurosawa. Directed by the amazing Akira Kurosawa. A 1950 Japanese Crime Mystery. The crime is relived through different perspectives, each person telling a slightly different story. Who is telling the truth?

BURGERS: Stellina’s in Point Reyes – After the Grandin lecture we went to Stellina’s. Their mussels, sausage stew is out of this world.

Of Zombie's and Seances

2010-04-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

BOOKS:

Just read Libba Bray’s - A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY. About 4 girls in London’s Spence school in the 1800s. It’s like stepping into a delicious, gothic, time warp. It’s about friendship, cliques, power and pushing against society’s expectations for ‘proper girls’. A wonderful read, two thumbs up. Great atmosphere. Ever since I read that teeny séance scene in Graham Greene’s THE MINISTRY OF FEAR, and Bronte’s JANE EYRE, I’ve wanted to feel that spooky ambiance again. In fact, it’s part of the reason I loved SÉANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON, an opera by Stephen Schwartz, which debuted last year in Santa Barbara. It’s a remake of the old black and white movie of the same name and directed by Bryan Forbes.

Went to see Ian McEwan at City Arts and Lecture last week and he gave this terrific story of the genesis of his novel, ATONEMENT. He was in Holland and he had this idea of this young woman inside a house filling a vase with flowers. A young man was waiting for her outside and she was torn between wanting to see him and wanting to avoid him. McEwan then sketched the scene out in this notebook where he allows himself to jot down things he’s not working on. He forgot about the scene. Months later he had a different image of a younger girl watching a scene play out near the fountain, from her bedroom window. The third scene came weeks later when he realized the young girl at the window was looking back on her life and that one moment of misunderstanding that would reverberate throughout their lives.

Until that point, McEwan had thought the first scene could have been a short story, possibly something set in the future; it wasn’t until months later that he realized he had a novel. The first scene of course, is the character Celia (played by Keira Knightley in the movie) wanting to avoid Robbie Turner (played by James McAvoy).

It was fascinating to hear how the story came to him like a gift. Sometimes writers sit down with a definite plot in mind and other times, you’re backed into it and given small gems to piece together. And who are we to say no, to scoff in the face of the muse crooking her finger? The best you can do is scramble for a notebook and pen.

I had this experience myself, writing THE FIVE-FORTY-FIVE TO CANNES; I was with my mother in-law in Cannes, where I was supposed to be taking a break from writing. We were sitting at this sea-side café. It was a gorgeous sun drenched day and we were watching families come into the square from the beach for lunch. And I thought to myself, in my day-dreamy way, ‘how nice, these families must meet every year in Cannes over the course of their lives’. Even though they could have been locals, I decided they were visitors. And my next thought was, ‘What if one year, one family member, the golden boy, the black-sheep, doesn’t make it to Cannes?’ All I knew at the time was that the young man’s absence was ominous. That evening I sketched out an outline. Throughout the trip I wrote feverishly for three weeks and at the end of our vacation I had hand written THE FIVE-FORTY-FIVE TO CANNES in three notebooks in three weeks. It was an amazing, very Jane Austen, experience.

There’s something liberating about working on something ‘just for the fun’ of it, to see where it might go. There are times when you have a plot first and there are times when the story takes you by the hand and whirls you up in its dance. I recommend both.

I devoured Carrie Ryan’s THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and had nightmares. Fun! At first I was skeptical, a zombie book? (As in book vs. movie) How will that play out? Except I did enjoy director, Danny Boyle’s 28 WEEKS (and the sequel 28 DAYS) LATER. And then the book opens with her mother…and I’m hooked. Great book. I haven’t had a ‘oh god I’m glad it’s a dream nightmare’ moment, in a long while. Fun! Of course then I had to go out and consume THE DEAD TOSSED WAVES, in like two nights. Wonderful, intense read.

Speaking of Danny Boyle (and now I’m letting my Books section mix with my Brando section) have you seen the list of credits to this man’s name? Wow. Here’s just a few: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, TRAINSPOTTING, SHALLOW GRAVE, MILLIONS, it goes on. He’s one to watch, isn’t he?

I’ve just finished INCARCERON. What a wild Alice in Wonderland ride. It’s about a young man who may or may not have been born in a prison that’s as vast as the dessert. Who may or may not be a dead prince. Fisher continually kept me guessing. My only critique of the book, if you can call it a critique, is I wanted to sit with the characters for just a breath longer. Love that Keiro. (Why is that? I loved Damon in LJ Smith’s book too). The sequel SAPPHIQUE is next, maybe it’ll be ‘all about Keiro’.

BRANDO:

After Reading and giving a lecture for BLESS ME ULTIMA at the Hayward Library I made comparisons to Pan’s Labyrinth and Salem’s Lot----The scene with the preacher in the kitchen when the vampire leader breaks in and grabs the cross the preacher holds to ward him off and the nosferatu looking vampire says, “Your Faith against mine,” is one of my favorite showdown scenes. So now I feel the need to recommend the two. Stephen King’s SALEM’S LOT is one of my all time favorite vampire movies, the scary factor is just unrelenting, and then the brother scratching at the window is, priceless. Smart-scary without the gore.

AN EDUCATION – A story about a girl’s coming of age in 1960s London. Okay, here’s the deal. I thought the acting was superb and Carey Mulligan is just a revelation. The entire cast is strong and I really like Peter Saarsgard, I thought he was intense in BOYS DON’T CRY, JARHEAD, SHATTERED GLASS, and his acting is always great, BUT-----spoilers coming so close your eyes. I didn’t believe that a young sixteen(?) year old, even a precocious one would fall in love with someone who was made up to look more like her father’s crowd. Maybe if she was college age…What would have been more believable to me was if he had switched places with Dominic Cooper. Cooper looked more the part of the ‘playboy’, someone I would believe a young girl, dozens of young girls, to fall head over heels and risk her future for. Cooper would’ve put a different spin on the whole throw your life away story-line.

Saarsgard is more of the quiet, steadfast, goodlooking, older brother type. I didn’t believe he was this playboy. I don’t know. Dominic Cooper would’ve been way more believable to me. It was a thorn in my side the entire movie. I wanted them to switch parts so then I couldn’t focus on the movie. I couldn’t get past it. Rosamund Pike is wonderful as the shallow, passive aggressive, girlfriend. Such a turn from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’S gentle Jane.

INDIE RENTALS:

The Wind that Shakes the Barley (Irish) – Ken Loach film about the Irish War of Independence 1919-1921 and the Irish Civil War. Cillian Murphy is heartbreaking as is his character’s plight. You also learn a little bit of history.

Pan’s Labyrinth – Guillermo Del Toro. Set during Franco’s Spanish Civil War and filled with magical realism. A dark fairy tale of a girl’s coming of age. The young girl Ivana Baquero is TERRIFIC as Ofelia. She reminds me of Natalie Portman’s star turn as Mathilda in--- and also a great film, THE PROFESSIONAL.

BURGERS:

Bequet caramels from Montana. Oh my gosh. Salty-sweet. Individually wrapped.
Luxe Cappuccinos, Los Angeles – oh so creamy goodness….sigh.

2010-03-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

BOOKS:
(Literary) CONVERSATIONS AT CURLOW CREEK – David Malouf. A conversation between a man about to be hanged at dawn and the officer in charge of the hanging. Just cracked this open and I’m already engrossed. Malouf has this way of immediately quieting the reader into a trance. How does he do it?

(Young Adult) MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD – Francisco X. Stork. This book was a wonderful surprise. I rooted for Marcelo and his big heart. When the book ended I wanted to keep in touch with Marcelo, he’d become so real to me. I wasn’t sure about the book at first, I thought, young adult without swords or dragons to slay? No mazes? Well, maybe the maze of the Real World and office cubicles.

Here’s the premise from School Library Journal: Marcelo Sandoval is a high-functioning, extremely self-aware teenager with Asperger's syndrome. He has an empathetic mother and a father, Arturo, who appears to be less empathetic as he pushes Marcelo to live in the "real world”.

BRANDO:

THE PACIFIC (Mini-series) – by director Stephen Spielberg debuted last night on HBO! Covers the Pacific Theater during WWII. Catch it if you can. It starts with Guadalcanal but if the previews are correct it will span the Philippines and the Malay Peninsula. The story and casting are tight and a must see for WWII buffs.

TREME – Fans of David Simon’s THE WIRE will be looking for this new up and coming drama series debuting on April 11, 2010. The series will focus on the people of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina struggling to rebuild the city and retain their unique culture. Looks like it stars a couple of THE WIRE cast.

TEMPLE GRANDIN (HBO) – A biopic by Director Mick Jackson about Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of top scientists in humane livestock handling. Claire Danes’ performance is terrific.

INDIE RENTALS: Prisoner of the Mountains Directed by Sergei Bodrov, starring his son Sergei Bodrov Jr. Based upon a short story by Leo Tolstoy, two Russian soldiers, Sacha and Vania, are ambushed in the Caucasus by Muslim rebels and taken prisoner. Luck for them the village leader, might want to make a trade. But will he? It's about brotherhood, war, and the smaller yet important stories between two vastly different cultures.

SCARY RENTAL: Let the Right One In Swedish Director Tomas Aldfredson’s, Frightening in its quiet realism, vampire movie. Although there’s an eerily hilarious scene with the owner’s dog, be forewarned there’s one (or a couple) of disturbing scenes. You’ve been warned. This movie is exactly the opposite of any vampire lore except maybe two. The WSJ raved about the cinematography saying there was much to study for any filmmaker. I had a funny experience with this one I was anticipating TWILIGHT and my father in-law said the new vampire movie was getting great reviews and so I rushed to get the paper only to be lured into this one. Ack!

BURGERS:
El Castillito (Mission, SF) – Excellent carne asada tacos.
Truly Mediterranean (Mission, SF) - The best chicken schwarma’s.

TWEAKED, ECLIPSE & MANKA'S

2010-03-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

BOOKS: TWEAKED by Nic Sheff. A young man’s memoir about growing up addicted to methamphetamines, abusing alcohol and drugs, and working through his recovery. Poignant, honest, raw, & well written. This memoir brought to mind an edgier Holden Caulfield, Sheff’s tender but frightening renderings had me turning the pages.

BRANDO: So are they going to make a fourth Twilight movie or what? What’s the hold up? It can’t be the so called ‘bloody’ portions of Book 4. They’re not all that bad. I mean it is a vampire movie folks. Right? Right? I just read that they’re deliberating on whether to break it into one or two movies. Okay. Cool. I can't wait. Of course there's also ECLIPSE coming soon! Right? Right.

The other day I caught Robert Pattinson on THE VIEW working the publicity circuit for his latest movie, Remember Me. I felt bad for Emilie de Ravin (his co-star and LOST regular). She got like two questions to Rob’s 30.

His early interviews in the first dawn of TWILIGHT were so charming and reminiscent of Gregory Peck. Pattinson deflected praise for his role and instead praised co-star Kristen Stewart as the best actress of their generation. I liked her in INTO THE WILD, and I can’t wait to watch her in SPEAK (I have the Netflix at home but my DVD player is on the fritz). What Pattinson did, showcasing her that way reminded me of what I’d once read about the gracious Gregory Peck (one of my all time favorite classic movie actors). Apparently for Roman Holiday he insisted they give the then unknown Audrey Hepburn equal billing and then on interview he is said to have praised her as the “star” of the movie, and she is. It’s one of my all time favorite movies. There are so many great moments:
“Is this the elevator?” “No, this is what’s laughingly known as my apartment.
And then that scene where, drugged on sleeping pills she’s just about to knock on the neighbor’s door and Gregory Peck reaches over for a hail Mary grab of her wrist, just before her knuckles come down.

Classic Movie reccomenation: ROMAN HOLIDAY of course.

Romantic Foreign Rental recommendation:

HORSEMAN ON THE ROOF (Le Hussard sur le Toit) –Olivier Martinez and Juliette Binoche (French subtitles ooh la la la). Directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau. Here’s the tag line: In a time of war a young officer tries to help a young woman find her husband. The scene opens up in Aix where I’ve been and where you must go. So beautiful…sigh.

I want to talk about Lars Von Triers trilogy of devastation and his new movie but I think that needs a separate Blog. Devastating but so well done. So well done but devastating. I’m talking about Dancer in the Dark and Bjork’s performance. Breaking the Waves and Emily Watson’s performance. But I can’t do it right now.

BURGERS: My friend K just took me to an amazing MANKA’S at Vladamir’s dinner benefit (http://www.mankas.com/) for Haiti in Inverness. It was held at the charming Czechoslovakian restaurant VLADAMIR’S. My gosh, the fried local oysters on lettuce with aoli! I was greedy again. I also, which is classic of me dumped a whole glass of STUBBS chardonnay on the floor. The bread pudding was exquisite! As was the beet soup with a dollop of yogurt. Goodness. The Owner’s of Devil’s Gulch Ranch http://www.devilsgulchranch.com/ were present and gave a great presentation. Vladamir’s grandson and daughter served. What a wonderful night. I’ll have to try Vladamir’s sometime it’s on YELP.

2010-03-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

BOOKS:
I want to read this Young Adult Book next: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (to be made into a movie---that’s the scoop).
I like this quote from memoirist Mary Karr. The word ‘memoir’ can easily be switched with plain old ‘My Novel’. And it epitomizes the writer’s struggle:
"The Memoir? It circles me like a gnat. I circle it like a dog staked to a pole. Years it's gone on that way."

BRANDO:
The movie I’m waiting to see if the rumors are true: Kazuo Ishiguro’s excellent, creepy, page turning NEVER LET ME GO with Carey Mulligan and Kiera Knightley by director Mark Romanek. It will be great to see Knightley and Mulligan together after Mulligan starred as the wonderfully-delirious-annoying Kitty to Knigtley’s Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. Especially after Mulligan’s Star rising turn in AN EDUCATION. By the way I’m liking those ads for Chanel with Kiera.

The Prophet – only I’m afraid & claustrophobic

Great Smart-scary rental ( in the vein of THE OTHERS) – Spanish Director Juan Anonio Bayona’s THE ORPHANAGE.

BURGERS:
Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream in the Mission. So the dessert that I had at Flour & Water was “Caramel Cream & Sea Salt” from Humphrey Slocombe. Only I’m on their website now and not seeing it…hmmm…..Maybe you need to visit the Fabulous Flour & Water, EAT a full on dinner, then order the dessert with LOCAL Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream to find out (wink wink).
I’m not sure what the rest of HS Ice Cream is like but I nearly went nuts eating this one scoop. It was a flavor explosion of subtle but seismic proportions. I guess it was supposed to be shared because that’s what my friend K and I ordered it for, but I couldn’t control myself. I didn’t share. She may think I shared but when she wasn’t looking I snuck a giant scoop. Which brings to mind a Wall Street Journal review on an author David Kessler’s THE END OF OVEREATING who writes about certain foods engineered to over-stimulate our senses. I don’t think this ice cream was engineered though. I think it was just plain good. Maybe I shouldn’t read the book till I’ve had my fill.

And since we’re on it. Anthony’s Cookies. Also in the Mission. I try to eat at all three places whenever I visit CALLIE & San Francisco.

Oh Romeo, I don't like thou....

2010-03-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

So I caught this mini-documentary on West Side Story starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer over the weekend. And Natalie’s co-stars, all of them, were saying she was a sweet girl BUT---that the entire time they were filming, she never once spoke to her leading man!
Their guess is that she really wanted Warren Beatty to have the part. And I admit they were dynamite in Splendor in the Grass.

But I digress, so to watch the scenes again it’s incredible the chemistry that Maria and Tonio do have in West Side Story. Talk about great acting. How do you act like you’re in love when the girl acts like you don’t exist off-screen? Or maybe that helped the tension.

I wish they would do a remake of Arsenic and Old Lace with George Clooney in the Cary Grant part. Clooney has such great comedic timing in Oh Brother that I think he would be terrific in an Arsenic remake…now for the two old aunts….who shall we cast?

Hello

2010-03-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

So...Books Brando & Burgers. What can I say but that these are the things I love?

Books - Incarceron - Fisher, Ransom - David Malouf

Brando - Avatar, Avatar, Avatar go see it. How can you enjoy it at home later? Must be seen on the big screen. Oh, yeah and Hurt Locker. Wow.

Burgers - If you're in Vancouver for the Olympics...La Quercia- best pasta ever. Elysian Coffee. Aphrodite for breakfast.

More soon.