enchanted by enchanted

So, every time I am home with the parents, we try to do a movie and dinner. So, this trip, we decided to take in the new live-action/animated hybrid, ENCHANTED. I loved this movie! Disney does a great job with a sweet story, casting fantastic actors, and also, pokes fun at itself, keeping adults in stitches remembering the animated movies they grew up on...mostly those before the TOY STORY era. So, the movie starts in animation where our young lovers meet and fall in love, and plan to marry. The prince's stepmother (the delicious Susan Sarandon) fears the loss of her power and so leads the young, beautiful Giselle (the pitch-perfect Amy Adams) to a wishing well that she pushes her into, and deposits the young girl in a place where no on has a happily-ever-after...NYC. (he he) So, as she tries to find her bearings and lost-love, she meets a NYC lawyer (the well-coiffed Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter who kindly put her up for a night. Chaos ensues as the Prince (the always fabulous James Marsden) takes himself off to find his love in the city pursued by the stepmother's henchman (the funny Timothy Spall). Smart, funny, and sweet, this film takes all the fun of a Disney film and updates it for a contemporary audience.

Final thoughts: A fun and worthwhile trip to the movies!

photo credit: www.movieweb.com

bee movie

Needing a giggle, I took in the new kid's movie, BEE MOVIE a couple of weekends ago. It was a pleasant diversion, and I did indeed giggle a bit. It was one of those things...it was funny, but it could have been funnier. It was smart, but it could have been smarter. So, although I walked away having enjoyed it, I can't help but feel that it should have been a better movie somehow. On his graduation day, Barry (Jerry Seinfeld) finds out that he should choose a job at the hive, and he will do that until he dies. Finding this distressing (wouldn't we all?), he heads out with the nectar gatherers, and has an adventure in Manhattan (don't we all?). Meeting a human woman, he breaks the cardinal bee rule, and talks to her. A friendship forms....and Barry realizes that he wants more to life than living in the hive, a worker bee forever. SPOILERS AHEAD! So, this movie is about finding your individuality...which makes sense to me. But then, in takes a bizarre turn when Barry finds out that humans are taking honey from bees they have imprisoned (um....slavery?), and starts litigation against humanity. So, the bees win, and they get all the honey, and all retire. Suddenly, all of the flowers start dying because bees are no longer cross-pollinating the plants and stuff. So now, Barry has to convince all of the bees to back to work at the hive...so this is really a movie about finding your part in Corporate America and helping the company keep going....so down with individuality? So, as you can see, there was a lot going on...

Final thoughts: Some funny moments...but the message is a little odd.

photo credit: www.movieweb.com

my so-called broadway star

Last weekend, the one before turkey day festivities, I took myself off to the theatre to check out PYGMALIAN starring Claire Danes. First, I know you're saying to yourself, but there's a strike...how did you see a show? Because this show was produced by a non-profit theatre company, it was unaffected by the strike. So, off I went, treating myself first to a lovely dinner at Pigalle (my part to help the restaurant economy), and then headed down to 42nd street. It was very bizarre to see Claire Danes on-stage...and I couldn't help but recall high school, and the fabulousness that was MY SO-CALLED LIFE, and the dreaminess of Jordan Catalano. Anyway, Ms. Danes does fine work on her Broadway stage debut. Strangely, what works against her is the incredible accomplishment of the rest of the cast. Jefferson Mays is sick and hilarious as the bizarre Henry Higgins. His performance is thrilling to watch, and you can't help but squirm at his awkwardness and at his social faux-pas after faux-pas. Boyd Gaines is wonderful as the kind Cl. Pickering, and Helen Carey is a hilarious and graceful Mrs. Higgins. Although I ended up loving the show, the opening scene didn't quite come together, and with "realistic" lighting made it hard to see anyone's faces on the stage. Fortunately, after this slow first scene, the show picks up, and is quite fabulous. This really was a nice night at the theatre.

Final thoughts: Although Ms. Danes is a movie-star, and fine as Eliza, Jefferson Mays steals the show as the bizarre and funny Henry Higgins.

photo credit: www.playbill.com

gobble, gobble

Greetings, all! I hope that you had a lovely holiday, and were able to spend time with the people that you love and/or with family. I was fortunate enough to head home to Ohio to spend some time with the parents, the brother, his wife, and the gorgeous nephew, and even caught up with a friend from high school. My bro and his family actually moved, and I spent a good part of the weekend trying to help pack/unpack them, co-babysitting my nephew with my mom, and vacuuming humble-abodes. I also managed to eat Bexley Pizza Plus...still the best pizza in the world, Greek food, Mexican food, and the traditional turkey dinner with leftover sandwiches. I also introduced the parents to LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL which was shown again on MTV, and we watched a fabulous special about The Ohio State University Marching Band. All in all, it was a lovely weekend, and I was sad to head back to the city. The good news is that I am home again in just a couple of weeks for the Christmas holiday. Hope you had a great holiday!

ET came home

In the never ending quest to become healthy, I took a big old step and bought myself an elliptical trainer (et). Because my life is my life, when the machine was first delivered and assembled, it was put together incorrectly. I should have known it was going to be wrong as the guy first put the display piece on backwards. So, the guy left, I realized it was wrong, and then had to wait for a couple of days for technicians to come out and reassemble it. So, it now sits and stares at me in my bedroom making me feel guilty and mocking me with it's shiny newness. I have used it several times....and hope to continue to do it. To better health in the future....

movie redux

BELLA

A couple of weekends ago, I decided to head to the movies and once there, I would decide between seeing BELLA and THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 3D. Strangely, when I arrived, someone was handing out free tickets to see BELLA, so BELLA it was. I really wanted to love this movie....and it's not that I didn't like it, it was just...okay. To its credit, there were some fantastic actors involved. Both Tammy Blanchard and Eduardo Veregui are heartbreaking as two lost souls trying to make their way through the world. Blanchard finds herself pregnant, alone, and fired from her job where she works with Veregui and for his brother. When she is sent away, Veregui runs after her to see what he can do. This leads to a day of new beginnings for both as they try to figure out how to move from the past into the future. The story, with many sweet elements, is strained as the movie goes on...and because this movie is meant for realism, the strain really shows. I wanted to care about it all passionately, and sadly, I just didn't quite get there.

Final thoughts: Great actors in a so-so movie. Perhaps add it to your NetFlix list if you like those humanistic movies.

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

Last weekend, I finally made it out with my friend from work, so we headed to the fabulous Paris Theatre on 58th street and took in LARS AND THE REAL GIRL. To be honest, I have a bit of a crush on Ryan Gosling. He is just so talented, and continues to do offbeat, compelling, and fantastic work. With an amazing supporting cast, this little movie is both uplifting, sad, sweet, funny, and poignant. Lars lives in his brother's garage, and continually fights off the advances of his sister-in-law to hang out with them. He likes to be alone. One night, he comes to the house to dinner saying that he would like to bring a friend if that was okay with them. In comes Bianca, a life-size sex doll that Lars has ordered off of the Internet. Assuming that he has completely lost it, they take Lars and Bianca to their doctor/psychiatrist to try to figure out what is wrong with him. Why does Lars see Bianca as a real person? How will the town react to her? What about that cute girl at work who is always trying to talk to Lars? Gosling's commitment to every role is commendable, and this one is no different. His sweetness, and damage is painful to watch, and yet, Bianca always seems so real through it all.

Final thoughts: A sweet, bizarre, funny and sad film you should check out. Gosling is fabulous, and not bad to look at either. Plus, Emily Mortimer is fantastic as always!

FRED CLAUS

You know how sometimes a movie will get bad reviews, but you go anyway and its really funny and you have a great time? That so didn't happen with this movie. And, to make it even worse, it is full of great people like Rachel Weisz and Paul Giamatti.

Final thoughts: Watch it on TBS next year if only for the sibling anonymous group meeting.

photo credit: http://www.movieweb.com/