Smart Words and Sundays

"The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday. That's guaranteed. I can't begin to explain that. Or the craziness inside myself and everyone else. But guess what? Sunday's my favorite day again. I think of what everyone did for me, and I feel like a very lucky guy."-Silver Linings Playbook 

I love you mama, baba, B, and Pilgrim

Entertainment Recap!

Here’s a recap of everything you’ve been missing in the entertainment-sphere if you’ve been hiding under a rock-no judgment here.

Downton Abbey’s U.S. premiere of season 4 just wrapped.  The furtive, longing glances were just as good as ever.  I won’t reveal any spoilers but the important thing is that Mary has 50 suitors (just a bunch, no big deal) and poor Edith is still alone.  #feelinlikeedith

This awards season is truly exciting, with fantastic, dynamic performances from the ones in 12 Years a Slave to American Hustle.  Jennifer Lawrence is still supremely charming and my vote for girl crush-if only she actually ate as much as she professes to, then she would be perfect.  Lupita Nyong’o is the most beautiful being that has ever appeared on this earth, on point with all her fashion choices.  If they don’t make a Barbie or some sort of doll-replica of her soon I’ll be shocked.  Matthew McConaughey’s random speeches add to the fun although they are slightly grating (here’s to hoping Leo takes the Oscar).  “Alriiiiight, alriiiiight, alriiiiiiight.”

One award that Matthew McConaughey should win for his immense comeback?  An Emmy.  He is brilliant in HBO’s True Detective, a show with as intense and dark an ambiance as McConaughey’s character himself.  Seriously, though, that Quaaludes scene alone makes Leonardo DiCaprio deserve the Oscar.  His extreme difficulty going down the stairs reminded me a bit too much of myself after midterms.  Can’t. Make. It. To. Dorm. Too. Defeated.  If Pink does some of the acrobatic wonders she did at the Grammys I am going to cry tears of wonder and jealousy.  As long as it’s not like that year Beyonce sang every single nominated song.  I’m not sure Ellen DeGeneres (host this year of the Oscars) will push the envelope as much as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, though.  Must I remind you of the now-classic lines: “’Gravity’ is nominated for best film. It’s the story of how George Clooney would rather float away into space and die than spend one more minute with a woman his own age.” And, of course: “”Like a supermodel’s vagina, let’s all give a warm welcome to Leonardo DiCaprio.”

After the sad excuse for an Olympics I’m looking forward to the return of new episodes.  Then I’ll finally be able to stop hating myself for watching The Bachelor’s Juan Pablo.  Don’t judge man, it was between that and curling.

Like air hockey, but sadder?

An exciting book-to-film is coming out this summer!  No, not Fifty Shades of Grey, I do have some dignity…it’s The Fault in Our Stars!  Shailene Woodley plays Hazel (or as Augustus lovingly calls her, Hazel Grace)-proving that one can star in an incredibly banal show, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and still be a good actress.

Speaking of ABC Family shows, there is no shame here when I recap the latest on Pretty Little Liars.  It’s the most tweeted about show, I’ll have you know.  Basically, Ezra, the high school teacher, turns out to be just a regular creepster, not an evil genius creepster, which was incredibly disappointing and infuriating.  He did provide possibly the best excuse of all time though (which I will be using as I write my final papers): “I was writing a true crime novel.”  KThx.

Aria finds out how much of a bad writer Ezra really is.

If you’re actually looking for a smart show, may I recommend The Good Wife?  With its spitfire writing, power-house acting, and complex turns it may be the smartest show on right now.  That’s saying a lot, as TV is more like a stimulating lube tube right now for the mind, with provocative shows like Girls, Breaking Bad, and Homeland, than its previously condescending title.
If you’re looking for some cute/smart fun Parks and Recreation is still the most underrated quirk of a comedy gem.  The Mindy Project is also back with a vengeance this season, funnier than ever with absurd shenanigans-including a sexting fiasco gone wrong.

True dat.

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention a couple of things that are guaranteed to brighten up any winter blues.  I mean guaranteed.  First off is The Lego Movie-one of the most clever and genuinely funny animated films in a long time.  Second, I have two words for you:  Broad City.  My sister turned me on to this new show, full of the most awkward hilarity, basically an unpolished Girls.  Perhaps the best episode so far is “Working Girls” when Abbi, one of the main characters, goes to retrieve a package for her apartment crush.  The lengths that must be traveled-man we feel you (fake cough Student Services, just saying).

Alas, we come to the end…of my procrastination.  Enjoy the Oscars tonight!

Pilgrim in a Cart, Pilgrim in a Bag...

He liked the shopping cart...

The shopping bag...not so much.

Thank You Note

Jimmy Fallon's hilarious and spot-on thank you notes inspired me to write this.

Thank you, Sticky Fingers aka person who stole my labeled ice cream sandwiches from the communal dorm freezer, for ruining a happy Friday.  TGIF quickly turned to WTF when the following happened:

I watched a movie with a girlfriend Thursday night (The Heat what what) and we bought ice cream cookie sandwiches to enjoy.  They were delicious.  In fact I stopped myself from eating two because I felt like that was too much.  I thought hey I'll save a couple for tomorrow, etc.  The next day I go to get one of said sandwiches because I couldn't be good anymore and lo and behold my horror.  I open the communal dorm freezer to find the ice cream sandwich box (labeled mind you)...empty.  Not only did you eat the sandwiches that were left, and when you did this I shall never know as I put them in at midnight and returned early the next morning, you left an empty box as if to rub salt into my wound, my poor icecreamless wound. 

I thought of writing a passive aggressive note and taping it to the fridge, something along the lines of...
Hey jerkhat, I hope you enjoyed the ice cream.  Next time throw out the box.  If you want anything else please let me know and I would be happy to get it for myself, label it, and put it inside the fridge for you.  Did you sneak out of the kitchen with the ice cream sandwiches in hand or did you wave them around like you just don't care?  Perhaps there is more than one of you.  Maybe you enjoyed the ice cream sandwiches together, evilly twirling your mustaches (whether you're a guy or girl).  If you're the same person who took my chocolate milk boxes and helped yourself to my ice pack then there's a special spot in hell for you.  Oh and by the way, I might or might not have hidden a camera in the kitchen.  Hehehe.

Thanks.  Thanks a lot.

What I lost

Anyhoo, I also considered sending a mean email to the dorm list (I wouldn't be the first to do it).  Finally I decided to do nothing and vent my anger on the internet like any other normal person does.  Tis a messed up world when people steal ice cream sandwiches from labeled boxes and do not even bother to get rid of the evidence.  Tis a sad sad world.

Olivia Wilde's Brilliant Note to Our Future Selves in Glamour

Proving that Olivia Wilde is officially one of our celeb girl crushes (along with JLaw, Lena Dunham, Mindy Kaling, the list goes on and on):

http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/2014/02/olivia-wilde-asks-what-will-they-think-of-me-in-75-years

Nail Stickers!!

So, initially I was against nail stickers because I saw them as an affront on my classic beloved nail polish and I had a bad experience with a set from Forever21.

My sister got me this beautiful black and white one, though, with writing and I fell in love.  It lasted almost two weeks and I kept thinking they were going to fall off but they were on there tight.  You have to use nail polish remover to actually take them off.

I'm feeling adventurous now and want to give the Forever21 ones another shot.  I'm thinking the cat or bat ones, hmmm...

Miley Cyrus Bangerz Concert: Flying Hotdogs, Fuzzy Animals, and Much More

There is no hint of irony when I say that I like Miley Cyrus.  She's gutsy and smart, has really cute hair, and has an amazing voice that is completely underestimated.  So when I went to see her this past Tuesday night in San Jose I was freaking out like a total fangirl.

Her show was upbeat and fun and passed by so fast.  She performs all her best songs, including even some forgotten ones (I didn't forget though I say creepily) like "Can't Be Tamed."  She does two covers, "Hey Ya!" (check out the video above) and "Jolene."  Her costumes, designed by Cavalli, were adorable-her body is crazy.  From start, Icona Pop opened for her, to finish, a grand finale of "Party in the USA," Miley gives her all and doesn't disappoint.  I apologize for the fuzziness of the photos, hopefully you can still see some of the awesomesauce that was Bangerz.

That famous tongue

Miley on Miley

This was for the song "FU" with some sort of Snuffleupagus creature

I want that fur coat, like now.

She was in a really pretty full body, black sparkly jumpsuit

She's riding a hotdog.  Not much more to say.

She's closer to us and I screamed like a fool

I mean, a hotdog.  That would be much cooler than the electric scooter I ride to class.

#selfieatmyownconcertnobigdeal

There's that beloved cat and the finale!

It's coming, it's coming!

I will say no more.

Meow and Whatever Sound Bats Make

Have you seen the new bats and cats collection at Forever21?  If not you need to look ASAP.

http://www.forever21.com/Product/Category.aspx?br=f21&category=Promo-Bats-and-cats-collection

Me-owns (see what I did there? see?) an embarrassing amount of the pieces but wish I could pull off the fur bat jacket.  I need the bat pajamas I feel in order to make a sound statement at the dorm...as Rachel Zoe so brilliantly put it, "I die."
 

The Fall Season in Shows: A Quick Rundown

New shows worth checking out:

Trophy Wife

Mom

Blacklist-I actually haven't watched it but my family is obsessed.

Sadly it was a weak start to new shows this year.

New shows to skip:

Reign-It could have been more fun but it takes itself too seriously and the leads lack charisma.

Most of the new comedies, including: Sean Saves the World, The Millers, The Crazy Ones, Back in the Game

Ironside-So much potential wasted

I don't want to put Super Fun Night on here because it has a cute premise but it needs to sharpen up

Shows that need to get back on track:

New Girl

Scandal-Let's get it together people!  The reason we watch is to see Olivia and Fitz together, come on.

The Real Housewives of Miami-Usually a fun escape, it seemed more shrill and annoying this year.

Parks and Recreation-This isn't the show's fault really, but I fear that it may be going the way of cancellation and that's a shame because it really is a cute, quirky gem.

Pretty Little Liars-I am only putting PLL on this list because the Halloween show was such a disappointment; don't waste our time with a transition into the Ravenswood spin-off, not cool.

Shows that are back with a bang:

The Good Wife-Wowza.  Backstabbing, betrayal, could the split at Lockhart/Gardner be any more intense?

The Mentalist-We best be finding out who Red John is, finally.

Revenge-The show listened to viewers and got back to what it does best, Emily crossing off people one red X at a time.  Just don't let her get too soft on us; Jack and Nolan aren't helping any.  "Oh Ems all I ever wanted was your friendship," I love you Nolan but shut it, I want to see the kick-ass Emily action!

Glee

The Mindy Project-I almost counted it out last year but this year it is more ridiculous and funnier than ever with no lack of banter between Danny and Mindy.

The Vampire Diaries-They might want to temper down the doppelganger thing though, I mean I'm totally for multiple Paul Wesleys walking around but it's getting a bit much.

2 Broke Girls

And the funniest lines so far go to:

The Mindy Project: Danny to Mindy

"You're mad because you think the Brown Lady M&M stole your look!"

2 Broke Girls: Caroline

"I cannot be a latent bisexual, I already have enough on my plate!"

The Vampire Diaries: Damon to Jeremy

"Put the crossbow down Pocahontas."

No Cats Allowed

My sister sent me this link in explanation of why we should never get a cat...

http://theoatmeal.com/misc/frame/cat_kill

And it's true, who would want to see this face mad?

 

And Other Such Things

 

Just a bunch of ramblings of things I had wanted to write about that were worth mentioning I think...

The Killing ended with such a bang I thought about it the whole week afterward.  Did not see that coming.  This was me the entire time (I think I got on my mom and sister's nerves)..."Oh. My. God. No. No. No.  What? No. No. How will Sarah be okay after this? Oh. My. God." It looks like we will never know though because the show is cancelled again :(

As to Pretty Little Liars can I just say...I knew it! Ezra you were slightly creepy! But does this mean he's not the real culprit? And why does someone have that much time and money to torture 4 teenage girls?

Come on Vampire Diaries. Last season was a little lacking. You better make up for it with more shots of Damon this season.

The Fault in Our Stars can be described by one word-"Wow." It's a fast-read and incredibly poignant. It speaks truths that I believe everyone can relate to. Augustus Waters is my new favorite literary hero. I am hoping the movie can live up to the book but Shailene Woodley is turning out to be a very good actress who makes acting look natural.



This is not new but everyone must see A Separation. It is one of the best movies of all time I think. I could go on and on about how it shows human universality and what ties and tears us apart but I it would suffice to just say see it.

Short Term 12 is excellent. It is a small indie about a halfway house for kids with troubled pasts. Worth seeing and remembering that sometimes smaller films still get it better than anything else.



Before Midnight, the ending of the trilogy Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, is a beautiful end. The fight scene, which everyone has talked about, is like watching real life. I think the names fit the stages of life. Before Sunrise is about the naivete and hopes we have when we are in our 20s and the world still seems bright and new. Before Sunset is when we have lived a little and have had more experience in our 30s as we decide where to go with major turning-points in our lives. Before Midnight is about our 40s and beyond as we are trying to find more stability and want to be able to reflect kindly on our past.

I am looking forward to fall movies, like Gravity, and shows like Betrayal (oh the melodrama yay).

I am off now but will be back soon!  I will just leave with The Silver Linings Playbook quote that has been stuck in my head lately thinking about my family and my good friends, "The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday. That's guaranteed. I can't begin to explain that. Or the craziness inside myself and everyone else. But guess what? Sunday's my favorite day again. I think of what everyone did for me, and I feel like a very lucky guy."

Pilgrim and me on my scooter (sigh not a cool Vespa sadly) wish he could come with me might have to sneak him into my luggage...

Girls Girls Girls

I am a little late to the party but I finished Girls seasons one and two on my iPhone like a madwoman a couple of months ago.  I had heard a lot about the show, about how it is controversial and some critics love or hate it.

I found myself caring for and about the characters.  Sure they are whiny, even neurotic and desperate, at times.  I guess all of us are at some point.  That loneliness and searching comes along with my generation.  It is a package deal as we seem to be even more lost than just usual young people.

I think the beauty that lies in the silences in Girls is extremely powerful.  This point is perhaps most illustrated in one of my favorite episodes (albeit one that seems out of place in tone), "One Man's Trash."  The most affecting and agonizing scene is when Hannah opens up to only to find that we are almost disposable to one another.  She admits that really she just wants to be happy even though everyone pretends they want more.  Two lonely people find each other and still one ends up hurting the other.

There are scenes in Girls that are cringe-worthy but the fact that Lena Dunham is willing to go there is both extremely courageous and smart.

Birthday Time

I feel like T. Swift lied to me; 22 was not "magical."  Here's to hoping 23 is...

I got new hair! :)

I'm back!

Hi readers, I've missed you.  I'm sorry for being away for so long.  I was dealing with summer classes both online and in person-although I'm convinced that online ones are more work than in person.  In person one can fudge the reading and can listen to lectures.  Basically we read the complete textbooks in 6 weeks.  I had one teacher who liked to use CAPITAL letters in her emails telling us to read the syllabus.  In my film class (which was in person and which I enjoyed) there was one student who couldn't understand why we would want to watch films from any other perspective but the American perspective.  I was about to say, "What do you think is the point of film?  We get to travel to places we will never see and meet people would probably never get to meet otherwise.  The point is for us to open our eyes."  I was just opening my mouth when another girl, albeit a little know-it-ally, said a little more bluntly, "What are you talking about?"  They proceeded to fight about Kubrick's position on war (anti-war obviously but not so obvious to our friend here who believed Kubrick loved war and that was the reason he focused on it so much).  It reminded me of when I had tutored this spring.  I was going over Shakespeare's Julius Caesar with one of my tutees.  I was giving some background on Shakespeare and how he explores human themes like love, loss, and betrayal.  My tutee then says, "Man, he had a lot of problems."

So, after surviving 3 summer classes, a home makeover (and unsuccessful garage sales-one man asked if I had any old firearms or Navajo rugs.  I hope you are not allowed to sell old firearms?), and lots and lots of swimming (oh do I have a story for you there...) I am now preparing to go back to Stanford in the fall-2 weeks away.  I will have a mobility scooter (not the cool Vespa kind, more like the elderly kind with a basket in the front).  My mom said, "You will be popular with your scooter," and I said, "I don't think that's how the whole popularity thing works.  Not that I would know."

Initially I was scared shitless (excuse my bad language here but sometimes it seems like other words don't fit) but now I guess I feel more nervous but kind of feel like, "Let's finish this up already." 

What We're Left With

Rust and Bone is a gut-wrenching, aching collection of poignant scenes.  Two lost souls from different worlds, Stephanie and Ali, meet in a club.  Stephanie (played brilliantly by Marion Cotillard), a whale trainer, has a horrific accident during a Seaworld-like whale show, in which she loses both her legs.  The scene in which Stephanie wakes up and finds that she is missing her legs is rattling and devastating and made me cry out.  Ali is a lower-class single father who used to be a kickboxer.  He seems fed up with life and doesn't care about anything or anyone very much. 

Marion Cotillard has become one of the strongest actresses of right now.  She handles this role with care and just with her eyes we can see Stephanie journey from being haunted to being hopeful.

Stephanie and Ali develop an unlikely bond driven by Ali's lack of notice of her disability and her pull towards his physicality and roughness.  This bond is also driven by Stephanie's desire to reach out and hold on to someone, anyone, that will make her feel like she didn't fully disappear.  They come to rely on each other as partners.  It takes one more tragic event, though, for Ali to finally understand what's important and to admit his love for Stephanie. 

Stephanie's transformation from the dark depths of despair to an unrelenting strength is both painful and astounding to watch.  Although my situation is nowhere near to Stephanie's, I felt like I was crying for her and for me.  We are finding a new way to walk and we are defined by our wounds and scars.  These characters are all damaged in their own way.  Through our breaks we become whole though, for to be human is to be (slightly) broken.

The Love Song of Jay Gatsby

I saw The Great Gatsby in an early premiere.  I had mixed feelings before I saw it as I had been extremely excited to see the movie when I learned Gatsby would be played by Leonardo DiCaprio but I grew worried when Carey Mulligan (although an excellent actress) was cast instead of Scarlett Johansson as Daisy, Tobey Maguire was to be the eternal observer/our eyes for that era as Nick Carraway, and especially because Baz Luhrmann was to direct the film.  Luhrmann is unpredictable and I am not the biggest fan of Moulin Rouge!.  I did enjoy his version of Romeo + Juliet, punk and angsty, is interesting with two great leads, Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

Needless to say I went in with expectations lowered.  Luckily, I liked The Great Gatsby more than I thought I would and more than the critics' reviews allowed us to believe people would.  Originally the film was supposed to come out in December before the Oscars and got pushed back to May. 

Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby takes too long to get started.  It also seems to take too much pleasure in the excessiveness it purports to show for the purpose of paying homage to F. Scott Fitzgerald's analysis of the time.  It's a world where the takers take all and those who wish to be a part of that world never truly are.

I didn't particularly care for Luhrmann's cartoony, garish direction.  For Gatsby, it's easier to picture a darker vision.  The middle and the end of the film is gripping, though.

Gatsby and Daisy show us what truly tragic, destructive love looks like

Most of the actors do seem to be miscast, but they try their best.  Mulligan's Daisy isn't totally wrong, but Daisy is supposed to be more aware, shallow and selfish rather than skittish and overly sensitive or vulnerable.  Maguire is not right as Nick.  An actor with more depth is needed; perhaps like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, or (go along with me here) Gabriel Mann.  DiCaprio steers the film and is simply excellent.  He is also beautiful to withhold as he brings that era to life and seems to have been born in the wrong time.  His clothing fits him effortlessly and his golden, sleek hair shines in the sun.  Joel Edgerton, who plays Tom Buchanan (Daisy's brutish husband), comes the closest to matching DiCaprio's strength.

The soundtrack was built up more than the movie itself.  The theme song, Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey, to Daisy and Gatsby's love affair is both haunting and epic.

Funnily enough I came across this poem that I had written in high school during an academic program to Oxford, England.  I had read The Great Gatsby in then and I remember writing about what it meant to me.  I remember feeling for Gatsby and seeing that utter humanness in him; he just wants to belong.

Ode to Mr. Gatsby 

Brilliant but blind

Gatsby, who are you trying to be?

Lost in the place you know, lonely,

            in the middle of a deafening crowd.

Daisy, deceptive as the flower, seemingly

simple and sweet.

You loved her.

An obsession willing

            to sacrifice your life, hurting

            others.

Getting hurt yourself.

Acts of ultimate betrayal.

Gatsby, you are pretending

The privileged who lives untouched,

            fall separate and numb to the world.

They welcomed your amateur acting game.

Trying so hard to be seen in an invisible world,

I see you now,

You disappear.

Oblivion is Sci-Fi at its Best

                       

Oblivion is a surprise in the midst of the many misses that are spring movies.  It is sci-fi with some heart, what is so often missing in the genre (please don't make me mention Prometheus again).  The heart comes mainly from Oblivion's lead, Tom Cruise.

Cruise is so vastly underrated as an actor.  Like Brad Pitt he can drive blockbusters as well as smaller films.  Arguable Cruise is an even better actor than Pitt, able to show great range of emotion and more depth.

Oblivion is set in the future after an alien race has defeated much of the human race.  Earth is largely uninhabitable and Jack Harper (Cruise) and partner, Victoria, are under the impression that everyone has relocated to different moons.  Jack soon learns that they have not been told the full truth.

The cinematography of Oblivion, especially the scenes of Jack and Victoria's living quarters high up in the sky with a pool almost suspended in air, is beautiful.  Something that truly stands out about the film, though, is the musical score.  Grand and lovely, it stays with you long after the movie's final credits roll.

Pain & Gain: More Pain than Gain

Pain & Gain is an unpleasant film to watch, start to finish.  I am not a big fan of Michael Bay's work, particularly because of all the problems Pain & Gain illustrates.  Bay tends to focus more on style than story or substance.

The way the movie is filmed is interesting, very Miami with bright, nauseating colors and glitz.  I could not believe it was based on a true story and I can see how it was hard to choose the tone of the film.  Pain & Gain can be classified as a black comedy.  Three fitness junkies come up with a plan to make quick money by kidnapping and torturing a mogul.  They are inept at everything and the film goes on from there.  There is no one to root for as all the characters are unlikable and unsympathetic.

Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) try to provide some comedic effect.  Where the film fails is taking too much joy in the violence it shows, making the movie seem like it is on the substance Johnson's character, Paul Doyle, becomes addicted to.  This makes the movie seem like a bundle of absurdity and leaves us with the questions, why and what was the point?

Mud: A Subtle Portrait of Firsts

When I first saw the preview for the film Mud on TV I was surprised because there had been little promotion for it.  Mud looked interesting, though, and had good actors in it, including Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon.  It looked like one of those films that serves as a portrait of the south, and from some reason I am particularly drawn to those.

Mud did not disappoint.  It is a bildungsroman, or coming-of-age tale, of a couple of best friends.  Ellis and "Neckbone" learn about love, loss, and how people are complicated and live in an eternal grey area-where it's difficult to tell exactly what's wrong and what's right.

The setting is as complex as the people in the movie.  Set in the deep south, Mississippi, there is a clash between city and life on the river.

Matthew McConaughey is great as the title character, a man with a good heart who is misguided and usually on the losing side in life.  He is also a bit self-destructive as he keeps saving and sticking with Juniper, a childhood love (Witherspoon).  I'm not sure what happened to make McConaughey snap out of the 8ish years of soulless rom-com hell he was stuck in, where he wasted any of the talent he had, but whatever it is he should keep it up.  This is the McConaughey we had hoped for, the one in Amistad and A Time to Kill.  This is the actor who can play flawed characters that are ultimately good and who can also play men who are anything but good and live on the outskirts of life.  In The Lincoln Lawyer I started to wonder if he could only give impressive performances when he plays lawyers.  Then came Killer Joe and Magic Mike.  He also has Dallas Buyers Club coming out later this year that already has him talks for being an Oscar contender.

The two young boys, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland, are excellent in the film.  Their performances are so natural, and like the film, stoic and subtle.  Mud is a hidden gem indeed.