"Button up we're almost there"

Stuck On Repeat

"Slave to Love" -- Bryan Ferry
"All This Time" -- Sting
"Reaching Out" -- NERO
"Storm Front" -- Billy Joel
"Whatever It Takes" -- The D.O.T.

Cinema

Take Shelter - Truly powerful performances, and glorious cinematography. However, the ambiguity of the protagonist's struggle gets in the way of the film's attempt at profundity. Worth seeing for it's strange beauty, this film left me wanting so much more than it had to offer.

Puncture - A fine, serious performance from Chris Evans helps draw attention to the very important topic of safety needle distribution within hospitals. This film has the tone of a John Grisham novel - it draws you in and is astute in its depiction of legal and corporate corruption, but it is ultimately fluff. It is a film that seems more like it should have been released on HBO rather than in the cinema, and I would indeed recommend that it is worth a watch once it makes the rounds on cable, premium or otherwise.

Star Trek -  I thought this was the sixth time I had seen this movie at the cinema, but it turns out it's *only* the fifth time. No matter, it still holds up, lens flares and all. The first two scenes say it all: I still tear up during Papa Kirk's self-sacrificing space battle, and then I get giddy as heck as soon as "Sabotage" starts blaring during young James T.'s joy ride. From there, it's all cake. I just wish Scotty would show up sooner - it seems like he's barely in the film. I've gone on about this film enough on this blog, so I'll just leave it at that for now.

Blackthorn - A beautiful, sparse contemporary Western. I found myself thinking on many occasions throughout the film that this is what the True Grit remake should have been like. Blackthorn is a straight-forward, quiet film with beautiful South American scenery. It does a surprisingly good job integrating flashbacks without making them seem superfluous, though one element from the past brought into the present does seem a tad forced and a bit too convenient. The sense of justice taken to heart by the film and emphasized in its coda is a satisfying nod to great Westerns past.

The Ides of March - It is difficult for me to evaluate this movie without comparing it to Farragut North, the play on which it is based. I reviewed the play here. Granted, the differences between stage and screen are vast and might be even greater than those between page and screen. Novels can be cinematic; plays, by definition, can't. Farragut North is a more compact, tightly wound piece of drama. By leaving many events and characters off stage, it brings a clear focus to the snappy dialog that propels it. Ides of March is a political thriller without the thrills. By virtue of it being a film, it has to show too much of it's hand to be interesting or challenging. Also, much of the profundity and bite of the dialog found in the play has been lost in the rewrite that brings the story to the screen. Also, Chris Pine brought much more complexity to the character of Steven than Ryan Gosling does, and I'm not just saying that out of favoritism. If I try to step back and evaluate the movie on its own merits, I still find it lacking. With George Clooney helming such a talented cast, I expected so much more from this film, but as usual the only one who doesn't disappoint is Philip Seymour Hoffman. In this day and age, a film about politics should have a lot more venom than this one does. The political landscape is full of snakes, but the reptiles here have all been defanged.

Texas Killing Fields - Reasons I saw this movie: (a) The word "Texas" in the title (b) Jessica Chastain. Under such conditions, I can't really be surprised that this movie wasn't great. It wasn't horrible either; it was strangely captivating for a film that is a narrative mess with many loose ends that are never tied up and completely unclear character motivations. The whole time I was watching this film, I was just thinking "What a mess." The cinematography is actually quite good, and unlike in Take Shelter, the use of music is subtle and serves to create a creeping sense of menace that is largely responsible for that captivation I mentioned above. Something bad is going to happen, you just never quite know when or how, even if you think you do. Of course, that might also have to do with the film itself not quite knowing the story it is trying tell.

The Big Year - This film surprised me. I feel like it didn't get a lot of press, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But I figured that I generally like Steve Martin and Jack Black, and after Midnight in Paris I am willing to give Owen Wilson the benefit of the doubt. Wilson seems to be mounting a comeback this year, and it's nice to see him return to the form he displayed at the beginning of his career. The cast of this movie is quite amazing all around. It seems that everyone and their brother (literally - Hi, Andrew Wilson!) of quirky cinema is on hand at one point or another, and it is one of those ensemble casts that doesn't flaunt its star power, but simply makes the film better through genuine talent. Big Year is a sweet film with a soundtrack that tends toward the literal, and in these ways it reminds me a lot of The Tao of Steve. I saw this movie on a Sunday morning, and it was perfect for that viewing time; it's a good old fashioned feel-good film that has its heart in the right place.

Margin Call - This is almost the movie that Wall Street 2 should have been. Margin Call seems to have a lot more integrity in the technical aspects of finance (I say seems, because I am still not completely sure I get all of this über high level finance stuff, despite the fact that even the characters in the movie demand it be explained to them in plain English over and over again), but it could use some of Wall Street 2's glitz and pizazz. On the other hand, stripping things down and removing the glamour that the media and the public tend to ascribe to banking brings home the true gravity of a financial crisis. The cast is quite strong here, with Zachary Quinto stealing every scene he's in, even if he's only in the background - those expressive eyebrows just can't be held back! Also reliably entertaining are Jeremy Irons, Paul Bettany, and Stanley Tucci. However, I use "entertaining" loosely here because this film is mostly business; it strives to depict a grim reality rather than a slick game. Moments of levity and true entertainment are few and far between, which left me feeling a bit let down. I went to the cinema to be entertained, and instead was educated and slightly befuddled by it all.

Martha Marcy May Marlene - In the screening of this film I attended, several people walked out of the theater. If I were the type of person who walked out on movies, I would have been right behind them. This film was just boring, and I could tell that is was going to stay boring and not go anywhere. Thank goodness for Hugh Dancy livening things up a bit, or it might have been close to unbearable. It never helps when the protagonist not only shuts herself off from the other characters, but also from the audience. I will say that the editing was very good, as the current and past stories are seamlessly and fluidly woven together. On the other hand, I kept wishing that the filmmakers had increased their lighting budget, because there were far too many shots that were murky and undefined for no good reason, much like story-arc of the film.

Urbanized - See this film if you like design, architecture, innovation, or urban planning; if you live in a city; if you've traveled extensively; if you want to travel extensively. This film made me say, "Wow, that's so cool" over and over again. It's a fascinating look at how humans adapt their physical and social surroundings. The film highlights urban design related projects around the world. There is a lot to take in, but my two favorite projects were co-creative low-income housing in Chile and a bus system that more closely resembles a subway in operation while offering a flexible infrastructure that can grow with the city in Bogota, Columbia. Other case studies include Brasilia, New York's own High Line, energy awareness in Brighton, England, and bike use in Copenhagen. This is right up there with the Electric Car docs that I love so much. I am blown away by the ideas that some people have and even more blown away when they can bring those ideas to life and put them into practice.

Like Crazy -This is a lovely film with top notch performances from Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones. It has an emotional rawness to it that draws you into the lives of two ordinary kids who are very much in love and trying to deal with all that life throws at them in the best way they can from moment to moment. There is something about this movie that reminds me of Notting Hill in a very peripheral way. However, unlike that paragon of turn-of-the-millennium romance, Like Crazy manages to be extremely romantic without ever being a fairy tale.

Netflix Queue

Major League
Hot Shots! 
Deep Water
The Mosquito Coast
The Girlfriend Experience
The Thing
High School Musical 2
Sports Night - Complete Series 

Amature Gourmet

Popovers
Curried couscous with apricots, walnuts, and grilled chicken
Apple Strudel
Thai green curry gumbo
Ginger cake

Book Shelf

Brandwashed, Martin Lindstrom
This is Lindstrom's most consumer-friendly book yet. While it does not have the scientific integrity of BRANDsense, his first effort, it is certainly more sincere and accessible than Buyology, which was too wrapped up in sensationalism to be taken seriously. I follow Lindstrom and the landscape of branding trends quite closely, so there was not much in this book that was new to me, but I can see its value in a marketplace in which consumers are not only more aware of brands, but knowing choose to interact with them on deeper and deeper levels on a daily basis.
The End of the Battle, Evelyn Waugh

Guy Crouchback's saga finally concludes in this final volume of Waugh's WWII trilogy. This book is much more serious and somber (or should I say sombre?) than the two that proceed it. The ravages of a long war (let's remember that Europe got into WWII much earlier than we did) are finally taking their toll on Guy and all those around him. The weariness of all, as well as the issues of displaced Jews, and the difficulties of living in London during wartime are among the many topics Waugh tackles in this volume. Of course, there is still plenty of satire to be had, it is just much darker here than in the previous books. It amazes, though does not surprise, me that each book in this trilogy takes on such a different tone, and yet all three books stand together coherently as one unit.

WindFall, William F. Buckley, Jr.

I absolutely loved this book, even though I know next to nothing about sailing and thus had no idea what Buckley was on about a good portion of the time. However, when I did understand what he was on about, I found his prose rather delightful. His style of travel writing reminds me much of my own. In fact, I remarked to my parents, "If I polished up my England Blog [and other travel posts], then it wouldn't be too far off from Buckley's style of writing." "But you are not William F. Buckley," my father observed. True. Yet, it gives me hope for my writing, and reminds me that I often have a better command of the English language than I tend to feel I do. Maybe my friends who have encouraged me to write a novel have simply been barking up the wrong genre. Buckley's writing is smart, humorous, and warm. Even though I would be loathe to ever spend 30 days on a sailboat, I do love the ocean, and it was a joy to be a fly on the wall of Buckley and crew's Atlantic crossing. I can't wait to read his other sailing memoirs.

Thank You For Smoking, Christopher Buckley

This book is over 15 year old, and it definitely shows. Observations that would have been outrageously cynical back in the early 90s have lost much of their bite in today's pundit-saturated media climate. Even the movie, which came out only six years ago, seems a bit dated. Smoking, at least here in New York where it is banned left and right, is almost a non-issue these days. However, the commentary that Buckley offers on Beltway Insiders and Big Business in general, if not Tobacco itself, is still amusing and deliciously satiric, even if just in a nostalgic sense (hey, remember when car phones were novel and only for people who were so important and really needed them?!).

Godforsaken Sea, Derek Lundy

This book is a mess. Lundy is completely unorganized in the way he presents his narrative. Thank goodness I had recently watched Deep Water and still had WindFall at top of mind to provide some context for the story trying to be told in Godforsaken Sea. Granted, the Vendée Globe is a massive undertaking for all involved and there are a formidable number of players of which to keep track, but I still think a much more linear narrative would make this story more palatable and easier to grasp for anyone who is not a sailor or sailing enthusiast. That being said, the Vendée Globe is a wicked inspiring race and those who chose to take part in it are even more inspiring. I finished this book in three days, in part because when Lundy got to a harrowing bit of the story, he put me on the edge of my seat like nobody's business. He captures the sailors's fears, stresses, and triumphs with a high level of emotion. Like Shadow Divers, this book makes accessible both the great risks and the great thrills of such a massively challenging undertaking. One element of the race that surprised me was the amount of teamwork involved in a modern-day solo race. Not only do the sailors have a plethora of electronics with which they can communicate with their land-bound sailing teams and families for  technical, meteorological, and moral support, but there is a surprising level of teamwork and camaraderie between the sailors themselves while out on the course, especially in the face of extreme adversity. While the Vendée Globe is certainly a "race," the nature of the beast is such that anyone who finishes is truly a winner. This book made me contemplate what "greatness" is and what it takes to get there. In this case, it seems to be equal parts daring and craziness. If greatness could be achieved through just the right amount of crazy, then I would probably be halfway to conquering the world by now (if I was half as passionate about any one thing as any of the Vendée Globe racers are about sailing). In the end, it all comes down to channeling your energy into something in which you truly believe with all your heart and soul, no matter what obstacles present themselves, while also never doubting yourself or your intentions. Sometimes it's rather amazing what a humans can do (and can survive) when they set their minds on it.

Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates

Yates uses his strong command of prose to create a book that is claustrophobic, fatalistic, and oppressive in every sentence. It is also hypnotic. While Revolutionary Road serves as counter-commentary to books like The Man In The Gay Flannel Suit, it still has amazing resonance today, which is perhaps why it was turned into a film (one that does a masterful job capturing the mood of Yates's prose) just three years ago. While Flannel Suit sees suburban life as a cozy, bucolic idyll, Road sees it as an inescapable prison of its inhabitants's own designs. One element of Yates's style that I particularly enjoyed was the fact that he reveals the imaginary and ideal conversations and scenarios that characters imagine before plunging back into the imperfections of their reality. This is a device with which many a reader, including myself, can identify all too closely. It is a good thing that Road's prose is so propulsive, because its oppressive world is not one in which the reader will want to spend any more time than absolutely necessary.

A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton's Extraordinary Life & His Quest for the America's Cup, Michael D'Antonio

This book is extremely interesting and informative. It's about so many things I love and/or am interested in, including Victorian England, tea, New York, yacht races, and branding. Lipton's rags to riches story, skillfully enhanced with period details and background information by D'Antonio, is truly engaging. This is one of those classic turn-of-the-century stories that has a charm lost in today's tech start-up world.  I was fascinated to learn about this man who so thoroughly understood the concept of lifestyle branding before there was even such a thing; he is almost a proto-Ralph Lauren. Lipton saw himself as the ultimate embodiment of his brand and knew that he always had to be "on" when in public in order to keep sales up and stimulate the growth of his company. His friendship with King Edward and his desire to be accepted by the aristocracy and the Royal Yacht Squadron humanize Lipton, as does his extensive philanthropic work. About the half of the book focuses on Lipton's rise to prominence, while the other half focuses on what he did once he had arrived, namely his pursuit of the America's Cup. D'Antonio does a wonderful job bringing the drama of the yacht races to life. His narration makes them both breathlessly exciting and easy to follow. There were many times when reading this book that I wished I could step back in time to witness some of the events in Lipton's life first-hand. Between Victorian capitalism and yacht racing there is a lot of room for romanticizing, but the book pays solid tribute to a man whose story is not as well known as it should be. Lipton deserves a place in history next to peers such as J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie, and D'Antonio strives to bring him to that level.

Drive, James Sallis

I am not sure whether it is better to see the movie before reading the book in the case of Drive, but since that is in fact what I did, it is difficult for me to imagine having tackled the media the other way around. The movie basically captures the mood of the book and the character of Driver perfectly while mixing and matching elements of Sallis's plot. Because of the way in which the film manipulates the plot and secondary characters of the book, I am glad that I saw the movie first, as I was able to appreciate how the material had been massaged to create a different, but equally effective story. One of the larger differences between the film and the book is that that book does provide background information about Driver and a glimpse into his childhood. While this background information in necessary to make the book more meaty, the film is more effective for having left it out, creating a Driver that is iconically enigmatic. Drive is an extremely quick read, so if you are a huge fan of the film (and, frankly, how can you not be?), I highly recommend taking this extended trip into Driver's world.

The Inner Circle, Brad Meltzer

It has been a while since I read one of Meltzer's books. The last one I read was First Counsel, which was sort of Grisham-lite in a DC setting; it was a decent spring break read. When I found myself bookless after my morning commute and had CVS and Walgreens as my only recourse in obtaining new reading material, Meltzer seemed the best choice when put up against James Patterson, Nora Roberts, and the like. While I was thrilled to read a book whose protagonist is a researcher at the National Archives (I really should have followed in my mother's footsteps and become a librarian), I found Meltzer's writing to be veering a little bit too much toward Dan Brown territory. Sure, governmental conspiracy theories are fun, but I really don't need you to repeat details that you clearly made important the first time you mentioned them. On the other hand, Meltzer is a master at pacing, and the plot zips along with lots of twists and turns to keep things interesting. This is a perfect beach or plane read when you need something to pass the time that is neither too taxing, nor insults your intelligence too much. However, if there are still some Grishams out there that you haven't read, I would turn to those before turning to Meltzer (unless you are a huge Dan Brown fan for some reason).

America's Victory, David Shaw

I am killing it with the intuitive order in which I am reading all these sailing books. This is a great follow up to the Lipton biography, even though it is taking a look back in time to the very first America's Cup race, before the trophy was known by that name. However, it is interesting to observe the cultural importance of sailing during the late 1800s and early 1900s, as well as the impact that press coverage had on that first race as well as on Lipton's many bids for the trophy. I am glad to have read WindFall, Godforsaken Sea, and A Full Cup before this book, because Shaw's writing is the most technical yet; at this point I am actually getting a good handle on all the sailing terms (even if some of them still make me giggle when they are strung together as sets of orders/directions). Shaw does a good job of balancing the technicalities of America's construction, journey to England, and races with cultural happenings of the day (e.g. the Great Exhibition/Crystal Palace) and historical context (e.g. the history of the Sandy Hook pilots, the origins of the word "yacht," etc.). Shaw successfully brings to life many of the main players in America's saga, especially Captain Richard Brown. While this book is definitely more for sailing enthusiasts rather than the casual reader, it still imparts an exciting and educational story.

Post title from: "October" -- Sally Taylor