Cute as a Button

Okay, I've been writing all day AND it's been a few days now since I actually saw the film I am about to talk about, so I apologize if my thoughts seem rather fluid.

I thought The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a delightfully creative film. Though it's based on a short story from F. Scott Fitzgerald, it takes a remarkable amount of ingenuity to actually attempt to create such a complicated movie.

The basic premise is this. Our hero, a Mr. Benjamin Button is born quite a different person from you or I. You see, he ages backwards - born as a withered old man, and growing younger until he dies as a baby. Throughout the film, he falls in love with Daisy who, as an old lady dying in a hospital, is the impetus for the telling of the tale, as her daughter reads it from Benjamin's diary.

Now, consider what this requires: the actor, Brad Pitt, must be an old, small man, and then gradually become a child. What this means is that the film shows the execution of some marvelous special effects. Think Robert Zemeckis CG, only more life-like. Of course, its hard for us to guess what an old man the size of a child would look like, so it's hard to say if this part was exactly "realistic," but I found the overall fact that Brad Pitt was aging younger to be generally believable.

The story itself is very sweet. Rather than fighting his fate, Benjamin seems to accept his condition, largely do to his upbringing by a wonderful African American woman named Queenie. (I hope this actress is at least nominated for an Oscar - but more on that in a moment). In the end, the film bears the message that you can't fight fate or death, that when the time comes, you must simply let go. I find this remarkably insightful and a lesson well worth learning.

I also really enjoyed the love story between Benjamin and Daisy (played by the fabulous Cate Blanchett who, in my mind, can do no wrong). I thought it was very sweet, though not meant to last, and had a star-crossed lovers feeling that is very powerful film material. Daisy, of course, had to age at the same time Benjamin got younger, and I thought the makeup on Blanchett was quite good.

There was one scene in the film that I regard with utter amazement and extreme admiration. (This has a slight spoiler in it, so if you're someone who doesn't want to know a single thing about a movie before you see it, these next three paragraphs aren't for you...) At one point in the movie, something happens that makes Benjamin go to Paris - the audience isn't told what immediately. Instead, we are presented with a chain of events. More specifically, it's a chain of changed events... events that would have normally happened one way, but for some reason, happened differently.

A woman, leaving her apartment, forgets her coat and goes back inside. There, she answers the phone. When she does leave, she catches a second cab because the first one had just left. This second cab driver had just recently stopped for coffee, making him arrive at the woman's apartment at the time that he did. Upon backing up, he almost hits a man who was crossing the street, but was doing so at a different time than he normally does because he didn't set his alarm clock. It goes on like that. Eventually, it begins to involve Daisy, leading up to the moment she led the theater and began to cross the street. Now, Benjamin goes back through the events, showing what it would have looked like if everything had gone normally, and on this train of events, the cab with the woman in it stops when they see Daisy crossing the street.

However, as you can tell, that's now how things happened. The cab actually hits Daisy, breaking her leg and forcing her to stop dancing. While this is clearly complicated to pull off, it's something I enjoy thinking about quite frequently. The point as I understood it is that every moment in our individual lives is a byproduct of hundreds of other moments. While each of these moments could happen a hundred different ways, they only happen one way, and when they intersect, they cause the moment that we personally experienced.

Now, there are a few gripes I have regarding Benjamin Button. I understand that the film attempts to incorporate the entirity of Benjamin's long life, but somehow the filmmakers managed to take a "short" story and create a nearly three-hour movie! Personally, I'm not against long movie... but I believe that the story should dictate the length. Films like The Dark Knight or Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which were both over or around two and a half hours, did not feel long. The action near the end, the excitement, and the climactic energy led to a strong finish, one that made me (I don't know about anyone else) feel as if the extra length was well spent. However, Benjamin, I'm not going to lie... felt a tad too long. I began to notice time passing (something I believe I shouldn't do while in a movie) and felt that some parts could have been edited a bit more.

Additionally, well, there's Brad Pitt. Sure, he's a hottie (and is he EVER when he's on a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket and aviators!) but I personally don't believe he did that much acting. He kind of just... was. Was in the scene, was in love. I didn't really believe that he was anyone other than Brad Pitt pretending to be named Benjamin. Cate, well, she was great... from her accent to her mixed feelings about loving Benjamin.

Now, last thought here... Oscars. I'm pretty sure the nominations are bound to be announced soon, and I expect Benjamin Button will figure in them. Some of the blogs I read seem to think it'll make Best Picture... I'm not sure what I think about that. I hope and believe that the actress who played Queenie will be nominated, and I'm sure it will get nominations for best makeup, best adapted screenplay, and maybe special effects. We'll have to see!

All in all, I would recommend seeing it because it's cute, uplifting, and makes you think. It also has some very cool effects, and very nice shot of Brad Pitt in aviators.

Food - er - Milk for Thought

Wow, it's been a few days since I've gotten a post up. I've seen two very good, very blog-able (yes, I know that's not a word) movies since I last wrote, and I want to get to them each in turn. So, first up is...

The fantastically acted, very socially-poignant (and currently resonant) film, Milk. I'm going to take this in a few pieces.

The Story:
Okay, personally, this was one bit of history that never came to my attention. I had never heard the story of Harvey Milk, Proposition 6, Anita Bryant, or the "Twinkie defense." Background for anyone who doesn't know: Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. (More biographical information here). But what an interesting story. Harvey Milk really fought all the odds, running again and again, gaining momentum until he was finally elected. Then, he began to fight for gay rights. Battles were raging in many states, focusing around ordinances whether or not people could be discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality. The culmination was Proposition 6 in California, in which a senator attempted to fire all teachers who proved to be homosexual. Milk and his supporters, friends, and allies managed to... well, if you know history, you know how it goes. If not, I'll leave it to the movie to tell you what happened.

The Acting:
Wow. Seriously, what words can describe? I fully believed, for those two hours, that Sean Penn was Harvey Milk, a gay man fighting for what he believed in. The supporting actors - James Franco, Diego Luna, Emile Hirsche, Josh Brolin... were all equally believable. At the end of the film, before the credits, clips of the actual men were shown with clips of the actors. It was darn hard to tell them apart.

The Sentiments:
What really struck me about Milk was how it seems to resonate with the current events concerning gay marriage, particularly regarding Proposition 8 in California. We really are facing the same battle that Harvey Milk and everyone in his time fought 30 years ago. What led to this? Did our country take so many steps back to be facing this yet again?

On a personal note, I fully support gay rights. I believe that how someone lives his or her life - and particularly who they love - should not be the concern of anyone else, and should not be regulated. I feel disgusted when I hear Bible-clutching conservatives spouting off nonsense about how God hates homosexuality. Okay, that's a personal opinion, and one that Milk allows, but doesn't necessarily support. It takes the facts about Harvey Milk's life, about the battle against Proposition 6, and presents it for you to disgust as you will.

The Effect:
I walked out of the theater feeling inspired and saddened - an odd mix of emotions, I know. So much of the movie's message (if you believe in something, fight for it) felt strengthened by this past election. And yet, I come again to Proposition 8. My family and I were wondering on our way home whether this movie's release (if it had been released earlier) would have effected the outcome of Proposition 8 in California. I, personally, believe it might have. Though it wouldn't have reached people who are already close-minded on the subject, it might have reminded others of the past, and opened their eyes to think for themselves. Regardless, it was released afterwards. And, as it faces the future as a work of media, it's entirely possible it will win Oscars - I'd be willing to place money on actor nominations, if not screenplay as well... But I wonder how it will effect the next major battle of gay rights. Harvey Milk is definitely worth remembering.

One final note:
There was one part of the movie I wasn't a huge fan of. It's narrated in pieces by Milk, looking back on his life, recording a tape in case he is assasinated. Now, if this tape actually exists, more power to them... this is a brilliant addition. If not, it felt a bit choppy, as if they were in need of some narration to speed events along and explain things they didn't have time to show. Maybe if I saw it again, I'd like it, but the first time round, this interrupted the flow of the movie for me.

24/7

(Don't worry; this is SPOILER FREE!)

Whew. I get exhausted just watching Jack Bauer. Poor guy - never drinks, eats, or goes to the bathroom, and he gets the pulp beaten out of him constantly throughout the hellish day we watch him go through.

Yes, I'm in the middle of Season 6 of 24. And, man, is it addicting! It's a bit curious, really, why something about terrorism and terrible horrible no-good, very bad days would make such a good television show, but I really do enjoy it, as do many people.

I think it's adrenaline. It's exciting and gives you a rush as you watch it. And, even though it depicts things that would be so horrible in real life, it's not real. It came a bit too close to reality on 9/11 (by coincidence, more or less), but other than that, it doesn't really depict reality. There is no CTU, and there's no miraculous agent Jack Bauer here to save the world. Seriously, each of those punches would do some serious damage.

But, it's amusing. I enjoy watching it with my family, enjoying our various response: My dad who pretends he's not interested ("it's too violent") then ends up joining us and asking to watch it; My mom, who gets annoyed at the medical innacuraces, and shrinks at any sign of needles or blood (we do watch Grey's Anatomy also, by the way); and me, who ends up shouting various vulgarities at evil Presidents, troublesome Jack, and stupid terrorists.

So, if you haven't already partaken in this blood-fest, spiraling body-count of a TV show, I recommend you do, because it's too much fun to miss out on.

I've got one note about this season that I find interesting. It is, of course, a necessity to keep changing the country from which the terrorists originate from. In 6 seasons, the writers have been creative: Russia, Mexico, and even pissed-off British Marine guys have come into play. However, in this season, we are dealing with some Middle Eastern country... trouble is, we don't know which one. They keep saying "go find the ambassador" not specifing his country, or "we must bomb the northern part of their country," again not being specific. It strikes me as a bit of a double standard to create a fictional terrorist group from Russia, and then one from some unnamed Middle Eastern country. I suppose it would be hitting a little too close to home if they were to specify which one.

So, anyway, we've got 6 episodes left and the clock is ticking (quite literally). While we know beloved Jack will continue muttering in his musky breath, breaking rules, shouting at bad guys, shooting and never missing, and above all, never taking a break, I can't wait to see what happens next!

Worth a Million Dollars. Or Rupees.

Okay, I'm finally going to talk about Slumdog Millionaire. While it's true that the initial shine and glory of walking stunned and amazed out of the theater has worn off since Saturday, I still have a few thoughts about it.

Thought #1: Wow.

Yeah, that's it, really. It's an incredible film. Not only was it filmed on location in India, a feat in and of itself, but it seemed to capture some essential feeling of India... Even thought it was made by a non-Indian director - He's British, actually... I believe.

While I'm on the director - Whose name is Danny Boyle, I wanted to point out something I observed.

Thought #2: This guy is obsessed with millions of dollars.

I recognized his name from another film, which stayed with me for some reason: Millions. Millions was a small, generally un-noticed film about a young boy who found a great deal of money, and had to figure out what to do with it. It was also a beautiful, really sweet film... But I wonder what it is about millions of $ for this man Boyle. He seems transfixed about the effect winning or getting such an amount of money would have on a human. It's an interesting topic, I'll grant you that.

Okay, back to Slumdog. Really briefly, it's the tale of a boy (Jamal) and his brother (Salim) who are orphaned. Along the way, they meet a girl named Latika, who Jamal takes a liking to, in that really cute little kid kind of way. Chaos insues, and the boys are separated from Latika. The rest of the film is basically about Jamal fighting all the odds to get back to Latika. However, there's a catch, of sorts... It's not a linear story. The entire film also centers around Jamal being a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. As each question comes up, it relates somehow to his life, and we learn a bit more about his story.

Now, it sounds simple - or maybe complicated - but what you can't get from a summary is that it's done beautifully. Everything ties together smoothly, flows completely congruently, and just basically combines to create a work of art. What really struck me, though. It's a really complicated way of telling a story, yet it came off quite naturally.

Thought #3: It doesn't take much.

We don't learn about Jamal's entire life, yet we feel like we do. Each question that is asked reveals a piece of his story, yet by the end, I feel like I traveled with Jamal along his entire life's journey.

Okay, final comment. As you can maybe tell by the poster, one of the movie's main ideas or themes is the idea of Destiny: "It is written."

Thought #4: Destiny rocks.

It's such a nice touch to make a movie seem as if it could have only happened one way. There are no alternate-scenarios, no "what-ifs"... That's how real life is. Life happens one way. You can't double back or second guess, and neither could a viewer of this film. Even the hard parts of the film - some of the more violent scenes - are acceptable because that's just how it is. It's how it is in India, and it's what the character would have faced had this been a real story. It isn't glossed over or made prettier than it actual is, which would have taken away some of the film's beauty and authenticity.

So there you have it. It's an amazing film and I truly and heartily recommend it. I hope it wins all sorts of awards, because I think it deserves it.

Ruminations from a different time

Whew, I've just finished reading Emma, one of Jane Austen's wonderful novels. What a ride! I always feel like I've been transported to a totally different place and time when I'm in the middle of one of those books... Life was so different then - for women, for men... for everyone!

I can't imagine living in a time where everything was about marriage, social visits, and propriety! It was so simple, and could so easily be tedious.

Women had nothing to do but to search for a husband, to manage the servants and the household, and watch the children. If they were lucky enough to live in lively social circles, they could partake in balls and grand evenings... but that would only lead to social ridicule and inevitably someone whispering about someone else when backs were turned. They were quite mean to each other then, but really did nothing more than exchange pleasantries. The cattiness that Jane Austen paints - I assume it reflected how life reallyw as - is astounding! It's like high school only in a ball gown!

Men had nothing more to do than to manage the farm or the money, to meet with their friends, and to search for a wife who would be acceptable for their position in society. If he was lucky, he ended up with a wife he liked - or even loved... but it seems a too often occurance of ending up with a silly prattling woman like Emma's Mrs. Elton.

It sure makes for a fun read, though. I love being in that world of social conduct, of tête-à-têtes, and searching for a way to find a spouse above anything else is quite refreshing compared to a world of college, technology, bad economies, and global warming.

I was particularly struck by a theme in Emma - or rather, an idea. It's an important part of the plot that one character will fancy it that another loves them... and it leaves to all sorts of miscommunication and wrongdoings. It really shows how objective the world is... That what I perceive is completely different and perhaps even totally independent to how you would perceive it. I suppose this is important to remember for dealings with anyone, as Emma learned, and Jane Austen was probably trying to teach... That you never know what someone else is thinking!

Anyway, I do intend to get down some thoughts about Slumdog Millionaire, but that will have to be tomorrow's task. Have a lovely evening!

Oh, and in the words of the great John and Hank Green.... DFTBA!

Do we take it all for granted?

Why thank you. Yes, that is a new look I'm sporting. Fetching, isn't it?

I was going to save today's blog for a movie review, but as we aren't seeing anything until later, I think I'll save that for tomorrow.

I'm here to talk about technology. I was inspired by a recent YouTube video recommended to me by a Leaky friend. Check it out first, then I'll lay some thoughts down.



Now, this man has some excellent points. We do take a lot for granted these days. Are we too cavalier about technology? Or is my generation simply used to it? Is it okay that we're used to it?

A lot of questions to ask I know. Let me just share a quick story. This afternoon, I was writing a chapter summary for Leaky (my online bookclub) in Firefox. One thing led to another, I accidentally hit the back button and - boom - all my work done just as I had finished. Rightly so, I suppose, I was quite angry. Frustrated. Throwing things. You know, mad moment.

But in retrospect, should I be? I mean, I was typing something, online, to be used in an online bookclub, in which I communicate with hundreds of people from all around the world, all while sitting at my desk.

Whoa.

That's amazing. Just to be doing all that is quite phenomenal. So, should I be angry when the technology that allows all this to happen doesn't work quite right?

Now, I know that guy up in that YouTube video has a good point, and maybe we shouldn't take technology for granted quite so much. However, it is something that is in our lives to stay, and we're used to it, so maybe we do have the right to be frustrated when it doesn't work.

After all, back in the days of rotary telephones, as Mr. What's-his-name up there was saying... if they had malfunctioned, people probably would've been frustrated. Would they have been thinking of the miracle that is a telephone call anyway? I don't think so.

I think it's human nature to become accustomed to the technology that surrounds us, to revel in it, and take it for granted. Sure, we shouldn't waste too much belly-aching over it, but I don't entirely think we should be blown away every time a light comes on. After all, we've had electricity for a long time now!

What do you think? Do we take it all for granted? Or do we accept it as a part of our daily lives, as we well should?

Writing with a Fuzzy Head

Woot! I'm on break. And I'm sick. Of course. Yeah, I've accepted it's part and parcel of being a student. I held out most of the semester, but now my immune system seems to be angry. Great.

Anyway, I've been thinking now that my head isn't full of Statistics problems and Physics formulas... and I've been poking around the internet.

So, let me just throw this out there. The internet's cool. Really cool. Totally awesome. Everyone's blogging and vlogging, soul searching, and being seen by 1000s of people. They're raising awareness for charities (Woot to Project for Awesome) and soul searching right in front of the camera (or via the keyboard). It's neat. And I want to be a part of it.

I might be late to the bandwagon... Most Leaky people already have blogs and vlogs. And, hell, John and Hank Green have been doing it every day for a year. But better late than never, right?

So, that's my main New Year's Resolution. It might be a little early for this (it's only December 19th) but there you have it. Sure, I also want to exercise more, relax more, be happier... but this is something more concrete.

I'd like to blog OR vlog 4 days a week. Of course, that will require learning how to vlog, but I can do that. There you have it, it's written down.

And, of course, I have a few weeks to get ready. To do a practice vlog (once I get all this fuzziness out of my head)... and all that.

Well, there you have it. Cheers

Sign-offs, Peace Outs, and other Un-Salutations

Well, what other fancy name for "goodbyes" is there? They're un-salutations... as in, I'm not saluting you, I'm walking away from you.

Anyway, I've noticed lately that these are very popular and very iconic. Some of my friends (or at least acquaintances) will regularly say "Peace" or "Peace Out" or simply "Later" instead of something spontaneous like "Goodbye," or "See you later."

And on blogs this is common too. Over at the Krug Blog, who I admit I admire for writing regularly, Cass always signs out with "May the Force Be With You" (and there's a story behind it).

So do I need a sign out? A farewell-bidder to anyone or everyone who's reading, or even to myself for closure as I end a blog?

Not a bad idea. Let's see... I hate one word responses... "peace" is a noun, not a replacement for Goodbye. Star Wars has been referenced... is there anything from Pirates? Ah, yes. There we go.

Drink up me hearties. Till tomorrow.

Christmas TV Specials, non rant edition

Okay, I'm not even going to get into a rant about the ridiculous numbers of Christmas movies, specials, concerts, events, and series that start to abide on all TV stations during this time of year.

Nope, not gonna go there.

Instead, I'm just going to focus on the silliness of holiday-themed episodes of current TV series. What I mean here is when you tune into Lipstick Jungle or Life or Psych and you find it's a 'special Thanksgiving (or Christmas or fill-in-other-holiday-here) edition.'

Don't get me wrong, I've seen it done really well. Who can forget the Friends Thanksgiving episodes? As memorable as the rest of the series (or perhaps more so), these celebrations of the current holiday were an homage to the characters and to the wackiness of a holiday itself.

Even more recently, Grey's Anatomy did a great Thanksgiving episode a few seasons back. I still remember the hilariousness of trying to dress the turkey, surgeon style... "Gloves, scalpel, baster..."

But it's a little weird this year. Sure, Life did a good black Friday episode, but it came a week or two early. Lipstick Jungle's Thanksgiving episode was a week in advance, even though the show itself was on the day after Thanksgiving. What happened to scheduling here?

So, as much as I love seeing my favorite TV characters sit down to carve the turkey or open presents, I think ABC, NBC, and corporate networks alike have forgotten the point. These episodes should be used only if they're useful as a plot device. If having a holiday shows something about a character's past, a character's neurosis, or another plot line that's important in the overall show. Just throwing it out there is a little annoying.

Plus, what's with all the Christmas stuff coming so early? Stephen Colbert's Christmas special was hilarious, but why was it on November 23? What about the Psych episode, the weekend after Thanksgiving?

Come on, it's enough that we have to see Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations go up in Michaels in August... At least check your calendars once in a while.