#11 in my book challenge for the year, Truth and Consequences by Alison Lurie felt like a novel in shorthand. It was a quick read that I enjoyed, but the story of two couples–or is it four individuals?–never engaged me at the deep level that Lurie’s Foreign Affairs did.
#10 in my book challenge for the year is Salvation Run by Mary Gardner, about bikers and Lutherans in northern Minnesota. Mary Gardner is such a good writing instructor that I took the same class from her twice. Disproving the adage “those who can’t do, teach”, Salvation Run is exquisitely crafted. In simple prose, tales of flawed people who struggle with themselves and others interweave, but never confuse. Several characters linger long after the book is done.
Did you think I was just watching movies? I’ve been reading, too. It takes a lot more effort than it used to, and I’m having to give up a lot more things to do it (showers, housecleaning, email replies, phone calls) but I am reading. Further, I’m appreciating the reading, because I have to work so hard to do it. I think it’s tougher than watching a movie; it requires more mental energy, and more physical energy, too. Maybe you don’t think holding a book and turning pages is tough, but try doing it on little sleep and while nursing a baby–no small feat.
#9 in my book challenge for the year, Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner was the first novel I read, post-Guppy. The pink, chick-lit-y cover doesn’t match the novel at all; shame on the publisher for foisting it on the author. The mystery is interestingly plotted, and clips along at a good pace, but doesn’t linger in the mind. The meditations on marriage and motherhood, though, are complex and engaging. Weiner writes about ambivalence with humor and empathy. Her main character is easy to relate to, even as she questions her marriage and flirts with an old flame. The end of the book tidily ties up the mystery, but not the complex relationships. Some reviewers at Amazon have a problem with this, but I thought it elevated the book above its chick lit counterparts, and made me wish that Weiner focuses more on the messy relationship stuff for her next book.
Taking care of two kids and trying to get stuff done feels rather like my head and to-do list are at 45, but my life is playing at 33 and 1/3.
Speaking of, I’m woefully behind on my email and comment replies. Please don’t take it personally if you haven’t heard back. Thanks to everyone for writing; I do read and appreciate and will try to get back on track.
My spam lately is links for va1ium. Coincidence? Are they reading my mind? Ooh, the spam is talking to me.
I was sorely tempted to put ellipsis after that last sentence, but I think they’re so overused that they’re probably not able to be used at all anymore.
During the last big snow storm, I put Guppy in the Baby Bjorn, got Drake in his snowsuit and boots, shovelled our walks, then pulled Drake around the park in his sled. I will try to remember that day anytime I’m feeling useless and unaccomplished.
#26 in my movie challenge for the year was Millions, a quirky little film. I can see watching this with Drake when he’s a few years older; this is a good family film. I enjoyed the characters a great deal. While Damian, the main character, is endearing, I also liked the older brother and the father. The film is clever in its portrayal of how Damian sees saints, and whether or not they’re real. Roger Ebert called it one of the best films of 2005. The ending is overdone, but the film overall is quite charming.
#25 in my movie challenge was a date with my husband to see Lawrence of Arabia. We got a babysitter, I spent three nights expressing enough milk for two bottles for Guppy–enough to cover a four-hour absence–and we indulged in popcorn, candy, and soda at a local theater showing a pristine print in 70mm. I had seen it before over ten years ago, but remembered almost nothing. It was beautiful to look at, and engaging even at almost four hours. Roger Ebert says seeing this film in 70 mm “is on the short list of things that must be done during the lifetime of every lover of film.” I’m glad we did.
#24 for the year, Lord of War was the second of a bizarre double feature; it arrived in my library queue at the same time as In Her Shoes. Jared Leto is gently compelling as the little brother of Cage’s arms dealer. Reviews were mixed, but I found the film’s depressing message never outweighed the story, and was handled with deft, dark humor.
#23 in my movie challenge. I had to see Capote alone; my husband G. Grod was so aggravated by Philip Seymour Hoffman’s mannerisms that he not only refused to see the film, but fast forwarded through clips on television. Keener’s performance was good, but I didn’t think necessarily better than that in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. I enjoyed Capote’s portrayal of writerly history.
#22 in my movie challenge for the year. I enjoyed Clooney’s little-seen directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (click link; scroll down). His sophomore effort, Good Night, and Good Luck, is even better. The black and white is lovely, the performances are strong, Clooney’s voice is mesmerizing, and the interpolated music is both skillful and entertaining. Most surprising? The erudite vocabulary.
#21 in my movie challenge for the year, In Her Shoes the movie is a good adaptation of Jennifer Weiner’s book. Both get lumped–unfairly, I think–under the heading of chick stuff. Both have a braininess and a lessened (though not absent) sappiness that makes them worthwhile. My two quibbles: Mark Feuerstein, who plays Simon Stein, is too cute to make Toni Collette’s initial rebuff completely believable, and while Collette may have gained weight for the part, she looks normal, hardly heavy, as the script implies. My husband’s quibble: the senior citizens were uniformly funny, sassy, and wise.
#20 in my movie challenge for the year. The librarians behind the desk when I checked it out disagreed–one said Broken Flowers was boring and pointless, the other said it was great. I found it deliberately paced and subtle. Much was made of Murray’s understated performance, but two other things stood out for me. One, the formerly lovely Jessica Lange was nearly unrecognizable for the wrong reasons–artificially up-tilted almond eyes. Two, Tilda Swinton was unrecognizable with a cloud of dark hair, smudged eye makeup, and no trace of her native accent. Her character burned up the screen.
#19 in my movie challenge for the year, Wedding Crashers is a serviceable comedy that ably showcases how funny Vince Vaughn is (his annoying-ness is well-modulated here, unlike in Made) and how charming Owen Wilson is. Blonds aren’t usually my thing, but I’d make an exception for Owen.
#18 in my movie challenge for the year, Triplets is simultaneously creepy and wonderful, with distinctive art and delightful music.
#17 in my movie challenge for the year, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit begs only one question in my mind: could those bunnies be cuter?
#16 in my movie challenge for the year, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was on TMC’s month of Oscar roster. Both clever and funny, it has aged suprisingly well, both technically and narratively.
#15 in my movie challenge for the year. This is the movie I wanted to see a few months ago, but went to see March of the Penguins instead, becoming perhaps the only person to hate that film. Better pimps than penguins, I say. No one picked the pimp song to win an Oscar, which I found strange. Is it possible to see Hustle and Flow and not be humming that tune, no matter the lyrics? I also appreciated how the story had an easily predictable path that the creators did well to avoid.
#14 in my movie challenge was The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Sweet and smart, it’s the best modern comedy in recent memory. Paul Rudd, especially in the sequence at the end, thows himself into his role with delicious abandon. I wish this movie had received Oscar attention for best actor, film, and original screenplay.
After Drake was born, we had our three Netflix movies for three months, then finally returned them unwatched and cancelled our subscription. I’m not exactly sure what’s different, but since Guppy was born, I’ve seen twelve movies, three in theaters. Perhaps it’s that Guppy sleeps more than did Drake. Perhaps it’s that we don’t quibble about watching a movie with him–we put Drake to bed, watch a movie, then (try to) put Guppy to bed. Perhaps it’s the combination of giving myself a movie challenge, which puts it higher on my awareness and priorities. But I’m averaging two movies a week, both for the year and since Guppy was born. In case you want to congratulate me, though, please know that my house is filthy, my blog entries have been sparse, and my other writing has received almost no attention. Guppy and Drake are clothed and fed, at least.