A New Hobbit Trailer Is Out

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is due in theaters on December 13th. The second trailer has been released; thoughts?

What Dreams May Come

Last night I had a dream about a guy. And as my dreams about men go, it was fucked up! Thursday night, in the midst of my delusion, I sent Paul Walker a tweet. Then last night, I had a dream that featured him and Vin Diesel. We happen to meet at a swanky party. Conversation was awesome and it felt like Paul and I connected. Next thing I know, he and Vin are walking away. In a moment of panic, I yell out "Paul, where are you going?!" He doesn't look back. I yell out again, "Wait for me!" I start to ran after him. At this point, he has somehow changed into his swimming trunks. He then tells me, "Look, I'm off to the beach. If you want to join me, you'll have to take care of my cat as I surf." A couple of things run through my mind. First, AWESOME! Paul is taking me to his apartment! Second, wait, um, I'm scared of pets; especially cats. But what is a girl to do when her crush is right in front of her. I decide to come clean. I start to tell him I'm scared but out comes the cat. Or so I thought. Paul's pet is a raccoon - if I want to spend time with him, I need to take care of the raccoon. But I want Paul, I want Paul sooo bad. I bend down to pick up the raccoon and BOOM, I wake up!

Now, I know this dream probably means I'm pursuing a difficult goal. But reality is, Paul never replied to my tweet, the hunky-blue-eyed-make-me-wanna-do-something-real-bad-to-you is not checking for me. Lastly, Fast Five is the closest I'm getting owning those lips.

Sidenote: thank you little brother for the 3am texts about the movie. My lack of sleep sure does appreciate it!

2011 Academy Award Predictions

It's 6pm, the evening before the 2011 Oscars, and I'm finally done watching all the Oscar nominated films & docs (except 4 of the 5 foreign films). I wish I could get an invite to become a member of the Academy and vote. It's sad to know that many who can vote don't even watch all the films before voting. Before I give you my picks, do you know how the best film is chosen? Ok, let me try to explain.

So, after the whole The Dark Knight-not-getting-a-nomination debacle, something had to be done. That something resulted to 10 film best feature film nominations in the proceeding years. However, It's no longer who get's the most votes but rather who is higher on everyone's preference.

So, let's say 10 of us vote. Each person lists the best picture in order of preference. For me it's

The Social Network
The Fighter
Inception
Black Swan
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Kids Are Alright
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Now, for a film to win, it has to garner 50% of the votes. So if the Social Network is not voted by 5 out of 10 of us, one film that ranks at the bottom needs to get the boot. So if Winter's Bone is ranked lowest on most of the 10 ballots, it get's booted and its votes redistributed based on popularity. So, if The Social Network, Inception and The Fighter was ranked highly amongst the remaining 9 ballots, then they'll get most of the redistributed votes. This continues until we arrive at the final film. So, it's possible that although I rank the Social Network highly on my ballot, it may get surpassed in number of votes if the other ballots don't rank it as highly. So, you can find the King's Speech or Inception beating it come Oscar night. Hope that makes sense.

As for the rest of my picks, they are as follows:

Best Director:
It's hard to pick which way the Academy will go. Tom Hooper won the Director's Guild Award for directing The King's Speech. However, The Social Network is also a strong contender thus so is David Fincher. I'm going with Tom Hooper.

Best Actress:
Natalie Portman in Black Swan. I love Annette Bening. However, Natalie owns the role and you just get lost in her. Unless the Academy wishes to overlook this and award Annette for losing to Hilary Swank twice, it's Natalie Portman's statuette to lose.

Best Actor:
This was tough for me. Jesse Eisenberg truly annoyed the sh*t out of me as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. James Franco also made 127 Hours truly riveting to watch as the only cast member for most of the film. However, Colin Firth in The King's Speech has the edge this year. And I dare ANYONE to say otherwise!

Best Supporting Actress:
This is hard. It really can go either way between Melissa Leo in The Fighter or Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit. The Academy does love kid actors and first time nominees in best supporting female categories tend to win. See Ana Paquin, Tatum O'neil, Jennifer Hudson and Marlee Matlin to name a few. But, despite history, I give this one to Melissa Leo.

Best Supporting Actor:
There's no competition here - Christian Bale in The Fighter - moving on.

Animated Feature Film:
This is a tie between Toy Story 3 and The Illusionist. The Academy loves Pixar film and Sylvain Chomet (the Illusionist) won this category the last time he was nominated for The Triplets of Belleville (I loved it!). But I'm going with Toy Story 3.

Best Documentary:
I've only watched 4 out of the 5 due to availability. My sister and I truly feel Restrepo should win. However, I think the Academy will go with Exit Through The Gift Shop.

Adapted Screenplay:
The Social Network will edge out Toy Story 3

Original Screenplay:
Inception should and will win.

What are your picks? Make sure you tune in to ABC come Oscar night, Sunday February 27th at 8pm EST.

The Oscars Are Coming!

Ah, what a wonderful way to get back to this blog. The Oscars were announced this morning and if you ask me, yes you did!, The Town and Ben Affleck were ROBBED! Here's a few of the nominations

Best Picture
127 Hours
Inception
Winter's Bone
Black Swan
The Fighter - Yay Mark Wahlberg!!!!!!
The Kids Are Alright
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3 - Overrated in my opinion
True Grit

Best Actor
James Franco - 127 Hrs
Javier Bardem - Biutiful - I knew it! I just knew it! There was no way he would be left out.
Jeff Bridges - True Grit - Oscar loves to invite winners back
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network - Still have no desire to watch this film....don't know why
Colin Firth - The King's Speech - Swoon!

Best Supporting Actor
Jeremy Renner - The Town - much deserved
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are Alright
Geoffrey Rush -The King's Speech
John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
Christian Bale - The Fighter - this could be his year unless Oscar remembers previous winner Mr. Rush

Best Actress
Annette Bening - The Kids Are Alright - can she finally get her Oscar. Natalie Portman may be her Hilary Swank this year...But no Julianne Moore...my bff
Natalie Portman - The Swan
Nicole Kidman- Rabbit Hole - The face moved...it moved!!!
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine -Yay! This makes up for Ryan Gosling
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone

Best Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo - The Fighter - welcome back!
Amy Adams - The Fighter - welcome back!
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom - apparently, I need to watch this movie
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit

Best Animated Feature Film
Toy Story 3 - I say if you are in Best picture, you cannot be in this category!
How To Train Your Dragon - I don't get it
The Illusionist - must have taken the place of DESPICABLE ME!!!!!

Best Director
Black Swan - Darren Aronofsky
True Grit - Joel and Ethan Coen - took the place of Christopher Nolan for Inception.
The King's Speech - Tom Hooper
The Social Network - David Fincher
The Fighter - David O. Russell

Best Documentary
Restrepo - My fave...just heart breaking!
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Inside Job
Gasland
Waste Land

Best Foreign Language Film
Biutiful - Mexico
Incedies - Yah Canuck! (That's Canada eh)
In a Better World - Denmark
Dogtooth - Greece
Outside the Law - Yay Algeria!

Best Original Screenplay
The King's Speech
Inception
The Kid's Are Alright
Another Year
The Fighter

Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Fun tidbit - Dido can now be known as an Oscar Nominee - Best Original Song for 127 Hours!

You can view the remaining categories here. Tune in to ABC on Sunday February 27th at 8pm EST. Good luck to all the nominees!

Let Me In - No Invitation Needed

Usually I write movie reviews the day after I watch the movie. This time around, it's been 15 minutes since I finished watching Let Me In.



I do not like remakes. When I heard the Americans were doing a remake of the Swedish movie, Let The Right One In, I said "Um, I read subtitles just fine..." This is the first remake since I can remember that I have not been disappointed by.

To sum it up, this is a love story between two pre-adolescents - one human, one what I can only assume to be a vampire. It's a love story between Abby (the increasingly wonderful Chloe Moretz) and Owen (played hauntingly by Kodi Smit-McPhee of The Road). Owen's parents are going through a divorce and he's relentlessly bullied at school by 3 boys. Abby moves into his neighborhood with her "father" (Richard Jenkins). Soon the two become friends - two social outcasts drawn to each other - despite Abby's and her "father"'s hesitations. They only meet at night and of course Owen becomes very curious about this yet drawn to her.

Abby, do you want to go steady?
What does that mean?
Do you want to be my girlfriend?
I'm not a girl?
Huh? Then what are you?
I'm nothing

I don't want to give the movie away but soon you realize there's more to Abby's relationship with her "father". What really struck me was that although I knew what Abby's "father" was doing was wrong, I kept hoping he could get away with it. The same can be said about Abby. You see the monster/evil that she is but at the same time she's so vulnerable and lonely you just want to comfort her at the same time. This is definitely a credit to the writers and actors - especially the child actors who shoulder most of the film. There's also more suspense than gore which makes the movie even more scary. I was excited, scared shitless and heart broken all in the span of two hours.

It's wonderful to see a vampire story from the eyes of children - no, Twilight should be crossed off your mind at once! Kids can be so trusting, forgiving and fearless. I know that I wouldn't have the courage to befriend Abby like Owen did; especially after I see who she truly is. But at the same time, Abby is the closest person to Owen. As soon as I saw the picture from Abby's past I immediately knew how the story would end but that did not take away from it at all. It reminded me of the Leona Lewis song I Got You. 


Go ahead and say goodbye, I'll be alright
Go ahead and make me cry, I'll be alright
And when you need a place, to run to
For better or worse, I got you


I felt a sense of manipulation on Abby's end - like she was just trying to lure Owen for her own purpose which you'll figure out in the end. This is very different from the original movie and I felt was not true to the spirit of the original. Also, I did not see much conflict in Abby about who she is and what she/ her "father" has to do in order for her to survive. This is definitely not the superior version of the story, however, it's also a worthy Hollywood remake. Once the movie ended - at 0115 - I was left with the daunting task of walking back home. If it wasn't for my recent ailment, I would have run home like Usain Bolt was chasing my ass!

Greed Is Good and Legal

Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf) says "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome". While watching Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, it was amazing to see powerful, educated men fall into the same traps as their predecessors thinking they can do it better and not fall into the same traps. Jake is torn between revenge for his mentors suicide caused by the fall of the investment firm KZL, the allure of making money for the clean energy firm he believes in with the help of Gordon Gekko  (superb as usual Michael Douglas), and living a non-money hungry life with Winnie Gekko (Carey Mulligan).

Gekko is now out of prison - he was given one of the harshest sentences for a white collar crime. He comes out of jail in 2001 to see a very different financial landscape and with no one waiting for him after he is released. He still thinks the name Gekko is a powerful name in the financial world, but to his former colleagues, he's a joke. The scene in the restaurant when he reunites with Winnie is not only awkward but shows how vulnerable Gordon is too. He cannot survive in a world where he cannot reclaim his pre-prison glory. But can he navigate a world where greed is no longer only good but legal? What is he capable of doing to reclaim his lost standing?

This sequel was very timely. KZL could be seen as a substitute for Lehman Brothers, Schwartz could be Merrill Lynch/Bank of America. Seeing how the executives threw each other under the bus and sought government help through scare tactics (too big to fail) was surreal. Where is the moral hazard - what is to stop these financial institutions from making the same mistakes if we keep bailing them out? It is sickening to think that the spread of rumors such as the financial viability of a firm could spread like wildfire, be considered true, affect stock prices thus impacting the lifesavings of many unsuspecting main street families. It's a game to these executives - but they pack away their additional golden parachute in Switzerland knowing fully well of the crimes they are committing.

Although it was evident how seductive money is (Gekko explains this very well to Jake) it's the thrill of the game that keeps these men doing what they do. The picture of Satan eating his son in Bretton James' (brilliantly portrayed by James Brolin) home office nicely sums up what these men are capable of. They will devour their young - mentors, children - to retain the thrill, the power and the seductive mistress that is the mean green.

There was also a contrast between the old school Wall Street players and the newcomers. At the start of the housing bubble burst, Bretton and Jake go racing their ducatis to get away from it all. After Bretton informs Jake that they will not be investing the $100M in the firm of his choice, Jake is clearly upset. But Bretton tells him that there's no room to be emotional in business. The old schoolers seem to have no souls e.g. Bretton and Gordon. However, it is Jakes mentor Louis Zabel (Frank Langella) who tells Jake before his death that the most precious thing in life is not the money and assets you accumulate for your retirement, it is time - the time you spend with your family. This is a lesson Jake tries to teach Gordon when he tracks Gordon down after he disappears with Winnie's trust fund to mixed results. Maybe there is some humanity/soul left on Wall Street. I suspect we won't find out until the next bubble bursts.

An Ode to Ben

You are not back. To be back means that you must have left at some point. You never did. I read your recent article on Entertainment Weekly. You hoped that people do not view you as a one-hit wonder. NEVER! Yes, Hollywood is a fickle town. You are only as good as your last hit. Ben, you are a great actor, director and writer. Your Oscar for Good Will Hunting was not a fluke either. Yes, both movies you've directed were based on your home town of Boston (I loved seeing so many places I visit weekly). But, Martin Scorcese and Woody Allen based most of their films in their city of New York. Does that negate their great work? I am truly proud of the work I saw on the screen Saturday night. It was funny, engaging, moving, heart pounding and against better judgement, I was rooting for the bad guys. So Ben, stay grounded, keep marching on and keep up the excellent work.

P.S. I would love to work on production of one of your films :-)

Fall 2010 New Show: Nikita

Let me preface this by saying I was hell bent on not watching the new update of Nikita on the CWl. The constant previews playing Rihanna’s rockstar was unbelievably irritating. Yes, I’m not a Rihanna fan – sue me! Further, Maggie Q, who plays the titular character, is soo skinny I just want to feed her a couple of burgers. But I know she plays action real well – she’s a huge star in Asia – and all the rave reviews the show has been getting cajoled me to give the pilot a try.


For those of you who don’t know about Nikita, here’s a little info on her. Nikita was recruited out of jail by a secret government agency and trained to be an assassin. She broke one of their rules – she fell in love with a civilian. The agency, or Division as Nikita calls them on the show, kills her boyfriend. She is now on a mission to take them down. Nikita was originally introduced to us in the 1990 French film, La Femme Nikita. Seven years later, the movie was made into a US tv show. This is technically not a retelling or continuation of the story from the movie or the television show.

First, whatever happened to Shane West? I thought he would have been a bigger star by now. Anyway, the show reminded me of Alias - Nikita could easily be Sidney Bristow minus the hot boyfriend Michael Vaughn. It moved at a fast pace, great action, you learned a few things about the characters that made you want to know more rather than inundate you with too much information. Yes, I’ve been drawn in, checked my tv watching schedule – What?! You don’t have one? – And found that the show won’t conflict with my already set Thursday night viewing schedule. Welcome Nikita!

Dreams and Reality

I think my love for tv, movies and all things entertainment is getting out of control. For one, I’m freaking out now that Lost is over I’ll have to leave my room. Not one of the crop of new shows available this fall is catching my attention…NOT ONE! And that has never happened to me! Secondly, I somehow dream about movie stars in the oddest ways. Allow me to share my dream with you.

As a kid, I shared a room with my two siblings. There was a bunk-bed and a twin bed in one room. If we had visitors, my siblings would share the bottom bunk while I would sleep on the top and the guest would have the twin bed. But in my dream, I had the twin bed, Will Ferrell had the bottom bunk-bed while Mark Wahlberg and Eva Mendes were sleeping downstairs in the living room. The movement of furniture downstairs wakes me. The first thing that pops in my mind, because I suspect I’m a pervert, is that Mark and Eva are getting it on! Will also can’t sleep and fells uneasy because his wife and friend are both sleeping downstairs.

I am then transported to the set of their new movie, The Other Guys. Mark gets injured and Eva runs to him leaving Will very hurt. Now, instead of me thinking what a horrible wife she is, I notice she’s wearing panties that are too small under her shorts. Plus, she has a wedgie. All I could wonder is why would a Calvin Klein underwear model not invest in a thong, or even panties in her size? And with that thought, I woke up. I wonder why Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson did not feature in this dream. 

Predators

I know it took me a while but I finally got around to watching Predators. I watched the Original movie as a kid but I don't remember much of the storyline apart from the governator being in it and the movie being set somewhere in South America. It was great going in not knowing much of the story; except that somehow Adrien Brody has become hot! Well, it's the added muscle but who am I to say...

As usual, I was the only girl in the movie theatre so I was greeted by curious glances from the men in there. The last time this happened, I was watching Rambo 4. And both times, it was a great experience. A grin spread across my face when I saw the mix of actors in the film: Danny Trejo (starringin the upcoming must see Machete), Topher Grace (such a cutie!), Alice Braga, Walton Goggins (great on The Shield and Justifed on FX) and Laurence Fishburne to name a few. Essentially, the film pitted human predators against alien predators; the hunters are now the hunted. It was interesting to see how they react in this situation; deceitful, heroic, self serving. At some point I wondered if Chris Hansen would be walking in and letting them all know that they were on an extra sick episode of To Catch a Predator. That ending was obviously setting us up for a sequel. Wouldn't mind seeing it.

Trailer

Inception: Insert comprehension here.

Have you watched Inception? I have. Did you like it? I loved it! Did you understand it? I think I did...sorta... First, SPOILER ALERT!!!! You see, Inception is super cool! Yes, I don't know how else to describe it but super cool. It was so much fun yet not just a blow-anything-up kind of summer movie with no brain *side-eye Transformers 1&2*. The special effects had me wondering "how did they do that?!" That ending however had me questioning everything that I had thought I understood about the story line. The first thing that raised a red-flag to me was the fact that Cobb got to go home and see his kids after a long time away. But when we see the kids, they are still wearing the same clothes as they did the last time he saw them. To top it off, they haven't aged one bit! I thought it had been years since his wife had died. Also, that top didn't stop spinning. I remember Cobb mentioning that if it toppled over, then you knew you were back in the real world and not in dream land or some third level of subconsciousness. But do I really want to know what it all meant? Kind of. Does it take away from the whole movie? Not a bloody bit!

I highly recommend you go watch this film.

I'm Mental!

Lost is over, Flash Forward is over, New Adventures of Old Christine is over. I now will have to get a life and leave the house! What will be my new addiction? I'm running out of Japanese and Korean dramas to watch. I may now have to join mom and watch Filipino dramas and Telenovelas. What suggestions do you have? I know summer has not officially started but I'm already worried about my fall tv schedule. This year I have so many openings that I fear I may have to start watching Dancing With The Stars and, God forbid, Survivor and American Idol out of boredom. Oh the horror!

Sex and Abu Dhabi

I finally got around to watching Sex and The City 2. I had heard it sucked but I love SATC. There are only two series I own on dvd; SATC and Coupling. So as you can imagine, I was really looking forward to watching this film. Boy was I disappointed. I understand that the show was primarily about the girls but shouldn't the men have featured more? The movie left a particularly bad taste in my mouth when I saw how the Nigerians were portrayed. Sis, you were right, total buffoonery! Might as well have been a minstrel show. I can also see Muslim taking offense to this film. Charlotte says some real stupid things sometimes. One prime example is her introducing herself in Abu Dhabi as Charlotte York and not Goldenblatt. Really, because you are Jewish?!

I came out of the theatre feeling the following:

1. I in my lifetime will never fly first class to Asia or Africa. I won't afford a $22,000 per night hotel and have my own servant while on vacation. A month ago I had checked how much it would cost me to fly to Tanzania first class; get the fuck out of here! it's not happening. London, when I have $5K to spare. I would love to experience one day with no care about money; where it's coming from and where it will be spent.
2. I see why Liza Minelli is a gay icon.
3. Movies have been killed by their sequels. This is particularly true with horror films and The Godfather III. SATC should have just remained at one and I would have left the building singing "I am woman, hear me roar!"

'80s Muscle Men Galore

Have you ever watched a trailer that was just cheesy? The trailer gives everything away but for some reason, you will still pay $10.50 to go watch it at your local movie theatre? Well, that's how I feel about The Expendables, the latest offering from Sylvester Stallone starring himself, Jason Statham, Eric Roberts, Jet Li, Dolph Lungdren, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke with guest appearances by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. I am actually excited about seeing some AARP members kick some butt!

On the flip side, there's Charlie St. Cloud. Don't know about you, but I'm not ready to watch a Zac Efron vehicle even though he's pretty and Kim Basinger features.

Killers

As previously mentioned, my brother and I continued with our tradition of movie marathons. The second and final on our list was "Killers" starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigel. Ashton plays Spencer Aimer, a government assassin on a mission in Nice. Jen Kornfeldt (played by Katherine) is a computer tech also vacationing there with her parents, played by Tom Selleck and the delightful and crazy Catherine O'Hara after a bad break-up. Once Spencer meets Jen, he walks away from the spy life to lead a happy normal life in a community filled with neighbors. Three years into the marriage, their happy life is soon thrown upside down when a hit is put on Spencer and there's no knowing which of their seemingly nice neighbors and friends are sleepy agents bent on collecting the $20M bounty. Spencer soon has to confess to Jen about his previous life while trying to save both their lives and marriage.


At times Spencer's spy life seemed like a scene from any Bond film. The beautiful women, killer cars I would kill for given the chance and exotic locations I can only dream of visiting. Spencer also seems to settle in well in suburbia. But much like the beautiful Wisteria Lane neighborhood of Desperate Housewives you never truly know your neighbours; everyone has something to hide. The first sleeper agent to emerge is a surprise, but the next few become to predictable and almost boring. Even the reveal of the spy who ordered the hit could be seen a mile away. But with every moment, Mrs. Kornfeldt provided alcohol filled hilarity. That is one boozy lady! 

This role was something different for Ashton in my books. For the first time, I saw him as a man and not a man child stuck in his Punk'd days. He was quite a delight. Demi Moore is one lucky lady. Katherine played the usual characters she's known to play; no stretch whatsoever. May be it's time to challenge yourself a bit more. While the film is enjoyable and filled with enough "awww" moments for the ladies, this is one film I could have waited to watch on pay cable or netflix. 


*Rating - Rent it!

Get Him To The Greek - Review

I love when my brother visits. It means we'll do back to back movies, talk about random stuff and have so much fun together. Too bad A-Team was not opening this weekend. My brother really wanted to watch Get Him To The Greek starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill. I wanted to watch A-Team  but it was the wrong weekend as my luck would have it. I wasn't expecting much from this film. Boy was I wrong. First, I had forgotten Aldous Snow was in the forgettable (pun intended) Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Second, two minutes into the film I almost died from laughing.

First, about the film. Hill plays Aaron Green, a record company intern. He lives with his girlfriend played by Elisabeth Moss of Mad Men fame. During a meeting at work, he pitches the idea of staging the 10th anniversary concert of Aldous Snow at the Greek Theatre. His boss played by P. Diddy (more on him later) is not too keen on the idea but later tasks Aaron to collect Aldous Snow from London and get him to the Today show in New York then to the Greek Theatre in L.A. It is what happens during this trip that makes the movie.

As soon as the movie started, I thought I was in the wrong movie hall. Why? The movie starts with the Aldous Snow's video for the worst single EVER "African Child". You'll want to click on that link; trust me! The first few minutes of the film chronicles his notoriety through magazine covers and paparrazi run ins with stars such as Pink, Christina Aguilera etc. The celebrity that kills it for me is on-again/off-again girlfriend Jackie Q; played hilariously by Rose Byrne currently seen in the FX drama Damages. It also includes the funniest line I have heard all year. It's a response to Snow sr.'s claim that he managed Aldous' first two years of his career. It's too dirty to quote here but hilarious.

The most memorable supporting character is P. Diddy as Aaron's over-the-top music mogul boss, Sergio. I would not be surprised if this character get's his own movie. Initially I thought Diddy would essentially play himself in this film. I'm sure there was a bit of that but he sure was memorable. The scene where he eats his own head during Aaron's drug filled haze should convince anyone that Diddy should venture into comedy. Some of his memorable lines include "You ever been mind f***ed before? I'm minding f***ing you right now. You feel my d**k in your mind? I hope you are wearing a condom cause I have a dirty mind!", 

All in all, my brother and I left this movie theatre extremely happy. And we learned one thing from Aldous, "When life hands you a Jeffrey, stroke the furry wall!"


*Rating - GO WATCH!

Who's Right?

I have been bored this week; cooped up indoors apart from physical therapy sessions. It has also been a very trying week emotionally. Today I decided to venture outdoors. Destination: Movies. Film: Just Wright.

 

I have wanted to go watch this film for some time but was finally up for it this week. The film stars Queen Latifah as Physical Therapist Leslie Wright and Common as New Jersey Nets Player Scott McKnight. This movie interested me because 1; Common is FOINE! 2; Scott McKnight is attracted to who Leslie is and never sees her size. 3; Common is FOINE! That has been my one hang-up. No, not Common’s beauty but weight in relationships. Every year for my birthday I ask my sister to gift me $5,000 for liposuction. The wonderful person that she is always says an emphatic “NO” thank God! I miss my small self from back when I danced with my University Dance Team. I always believed that the less I weighed meant I got asked out more. But rarely did these connections go past looks. The older I got, the more I valued personality over great looks. Yes, we all have a type. But I have noticed that a beautiful being inside can make a person beautiful on the outside. A connection can be had with a regular Joe who doesn’t fit your picture of the ideal man. All you need to do is take time to know them. That’s what Scott did.

Scott initially pushed aside his attraction to Leslie after he meets her God-Sister Morgan played by Paula Patton. Morgan is gorgeous on the outside but has some deep issues thus is only looking out for herself and the man who can provide her with a better life. Their courtship is fast and when things go south for Scott, Morgan is quick to hightail it out of there. But Leslie has always been there for Scott; before and during Scott’s trying times. Scott takes time to know Leslie. But if Leslie is so wonderful, why is she single? I have been asked this question many times. But Leslie’s answer is exactly what I used to say. “I’m looking for the one I can’t live without.” I used to want this until I met the one I couldn’t live without. It was wonderful until I realized there was someone else he couldn’t live without. That’s when I realized that although I loved him and couldn’t imagine life without him; I needed him to feel like his world was over without me. My friend *Isabel’s sister *Dana told me that you should marry a man who loves you more than you love him. That’s Just Wright for me.

*Names have been change to protect identity

Is It a Wonderful Afterlife?

I love Gurinder Chadha films. She of the Bend it Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice fame. It was therefore a no brainer that I had to watch her latest film, "It's A Wonderful Afterlife". What's the film about?



In short, Indian parents and their quest to marry their children. Something that I'm familiar with since some of closest friends are Indian. In this case, we have Roopi. She's a regular girl, doing great work and not in a rush to marry. But her mother, will not rest (in more ways than one) until Roopi marries. I see how great Roopi is but to her suitors parents, they only see her as fat and unattractive. This really hurts her mother (and me!). So as not to give the story away, I'll get to a thought I had. I know that that there's a huge pressure for my Indian girlfriends to be married. One is in her mid-twenties but she's already considered an old maid. I find her beautiful externally and internally.

Like Roopi, my girlfriend loves her job, she is independent yet respects traditional customs and her parents wishes. But how do reconcile your independent self with an arranged marriage? Especially one where you do not have the luxury to date for a year or two before marriage. Is this why Roopi has a hard time when she meets her potential husband? Although time was of the essence for Roopi, a fact she was not aware of until the end, she was able to date her guy for sometime. Is this better for the couple? On a last note, although Roopi's weight was an issue to seemingly everyone (mind you, she didn't look bigger than a size 12), her eventual boyfriend, played by the HAWT Sendhil Ramamurthy of Heroes, did not even seem to notice. This only seems to happen in the movies but I digress. Sis?