Stuck On Repeat
"Don't Let Go" -- Miles Fisher"Together You and I" -- Dolly Parton
"Why Can't This Be Love" -- Van Halen
"Abracadabra" -- Steve Miller Band
"Angel" -- Aerosmith
Cinema
In addition to the films below, I also took in re-watches of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Procol (4th viewing), The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2nd viewing), and Drive (3rd viewing).
In addition to the films below, I also took in re-watches of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Procol (4th viewing), The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2nd viewing), and Drive (3rd viewing).
The Iron Lady - I found this film to be a lot more engaging than many reviewers out there, and I wonder if this is because I was either not yet born or far to young to remember the time during which Margaret Thatcher was in power. Having not lived the times portrayed by the movie first-hand, it was all new to me. Not only was it new, but it was also a period of British history about which I had been wanting to learn more for quite sometime, since Thatcher's England is the backdrop for so many British films that I have watched over the years. In addition to the film being informative (not counting the dottier moments of Thatcher's old age, which worked well enough as a framing device, but seemed, in a move at odds with Thatcher's personality, to openly elicit sympathy), I thought the hair and make-up, along with Meryl Streep's performance, were stunning achievements. Biopics as a genre have great limitations and a viewer's opinions of such films are often colored by her opinion of their subjects. Like J. Edgar, The Iron Lady provides a capable, though skewed, portrait of its subject.
Pariah - Such a lovely film that runs the gamut from joy to frustration and despair, and everything in between. The actors have poured their hearts and souls into these rolls and it shows. The film has a raw truthfulness to it, with moments of levity and anguish rolling through the story with natural rhythms. Nothing here feels forced, thanks both to the well-written script and nuanced performances. This is one acclaimed indie that lives up to its hype.
Joyful Noise - Sure, some elements of the plot don't quite make sense, and all the musical numbers are a bit too polished, but it's hard not to like a movie by the director of the much beloved Camp that just happen to star Dolly Parton. The film has heart, and, most importantly, a show-stopper of a climactic musical number. I only wish Dolly and Kris Kristofferson had gotten more screen time together - they just don't make 'em like that anymore.
A Separation - I found this to be an interesting film simply because it offers a look at a culture about which I don't know very much about. This film would not have made it onto my best of 2011 list, as it did for many critics, but it is certainly a well told story that deftly incorporates the views of many characters into its fluid narrative.
We Need To Talk About Kevin -This film is certainly an achievement in non-linear story-telling and editing. After seeing the film, I can't imagine ever wanting to read the book on which it is based, despite the film's fascinating qualities and Tilda Swinton's spellbinding performance. The child-actor who plays young Kevin is truly creepy an unforgettable as well, and John C. Reilly brings an amazing amount of presence to a character who is largely absent. Such a well-done psychological drama puts films like Martha Marcy May Marlene to shame, showing that tension can exist even when the audience is allowed into the characters's lives, rather than being kept at arms length.
Haywire - No pretensions here. This is a film about a girl who can beat guys up without really giving them a fair fight, and it delivers. Before I saw the film, I tweeted that I was excited for the "man candy," and that is what the men are - little more than window dressing, mere objects to be taken out when they threaten the heroine. Meanwhile, Michael Fassbender is continuing to do for white towels what Daniel Craig did for small blue swimsuits. No complaints from this viewer. The score is a bit derivative of the Ocean's films, but the action is solid and propellant, providing a nice break from playing Oscar catch-up this month. Afterall, everybody needs a good roof-top chase sequence in their lives at this time year.
Albert Nobbs - Excellent acting is on offer here. I am kind of getting sick of Mia Wasikowska, but Aaron Johnson needs to get more projects ASAP - he is electrifying in every film in which I've seen him, including this one. Glenn Close and Janet McTeer are both totally mesmerizing, giving finely nuanced performances. The story is a bit nowheresville, but the boarding house community/upstairs-downstairs vibe is a nice one. This is a pleasant film, but an ultimately empty one, perhaps reflective of the Nobbs's life itself.
How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster? - This is more of a show-reel of Foster's greatest hits than an informative documentary. While Foster's buildings (the Gherkin, the Riechstag, London City Hall, and Wembley Stadium, among many others) make for wonderful eye candy, this film does not provide much background information on their designs (with the exception of the Reichstag, which has a fascinating back-story). As a designer, I was hoping for more direct design insight (a la the excellent Urbanized), rather than general design philosophy, Foster + Partners history, and (positive) reaction to completed projects. At this point in architectural history, moving the main building systems underground or the structure of the building to the outside does not count as insight, though it was interesting to learn that Foster was one of the first to do the later with the HSBC tower in Kong Kong. It is fantastic that one man has been able to design so many iconic buildings, but this film does little to uncover the vision that formed them.
Netflix Queue
Bridesmaids
Space Cowboys
Henry's Crime
Sword of Honour
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Space Cowboys
Henry's Crime
Sword of Honour
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Book Shelf
Devil May Care, Sebastian Faulks
The book cover proclaims that Devil May Care is by "Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming." I would say this is quite accurate. It has been several years since I've read Fleming's Bond books, but it seems to me that Faulks does a superb job of capturing the spirit and ethos of Fleming's style. This feels like a true Bond book, complete with a kick-ass Bond Girl. Even the villain is vintage Bond. The writing is very cinematic in nature, by which I mean that I could easily picture this entire book as a movie - I was watching the story unfold in my mind's eye as I read. Smart, thrilling, and fun - as all the best Bond stories are.
Carte Blanche, Jeffery Deaver
While Faulks, writing as Fleming, kept his action confined to the familiar setting of the Cold War, Deaver brings his Bond into the post-9/11 21st Century, with spectacular results. He maintains the classic Bond backstory/history/mythology, but brings the action to the present day, with the result being as thoroughly engaging as Casino Royale, and the story putting Quantum of Solace to shame. The one disconcerting thing about the framework of the book is that Bond is still described as having dark hair with a lock that falls across his forehead, yet at every turn there is no question that it is Daniel Craig's James Bond carying out the action, especially when the action takes our hero to South Africa. This book would make a spectacular Bond movie, and I hope it does make it to the big screen one day because it would be an excellent addition to Craig's tenure as Bond. A must read for any Bond fan, and a great way to kill some time until Skyfall is released this autumn.
The Litigators, John Grisham
On first blush, this book seems to be a bit of a mashup of The Rainmaker, The Street Lawyer, and King of Torts, but Grisham takes the plot in a few unexpected directions, barely managing to keep things fresh. Surprisingly, the secondary plot-line (involving a child harmed by lead paint) is the more engaging one, giving this book much in common with the television reboot of Grisham's The Firm. While not as good as the efforts of Grisham's heyday, The Litigators shows off the author's knack for constructing and investing in very human characters, and is easily his best effort since The Broker. While this would not be the best introduction for Grisham neophytes, it is a perfectly acceptable read for fans stuck in an airport or on the beach.
Trinity Six, Charles Cumming
I was quite disappointed by this book. I was all ready to be sucked into a world of Cambridge Spy intrigue, but instead found myself in modern London with some rather dull characters. Is it possible for a spy novel to be too straight-forward? If so, I would say that such a problem plagues this book. I would find myself second-guessing characters, expecting exciting twists, only to find that the action unfolded just as promised. Where is the fun in that? Things do pick up a bit when our protagonist is forced to leave London for Berlin and Vienna, but even these changes of scenery produce little above Spy Novels 101 level action. The Cambridge/historical element is little more than a hook here, serving to draw the reader in, but revealing itself and falling to the wayside far too early. If you're in the market for some Cambridge Spy action, I would recommend going with the much more stimulating and satisfying Spytime, by William F. Buckley.
Foundation of Love, Scotty Cade & Z.B. Marshall
Scotty Cade is back at it, this time with another one of my friends as co-author, and they have done a bang-up job. I hate to sound like a broken record, but Scotty is becoming a stronger writer with each of his books, and this one is most definitely the best yet. Foundation indeed - this book has a wonderfully solid backbone in its story and plot and a well-developed protagonist. To make things extra fun, there is a romcom style love-triangle as well. Bringing everything together is a passion for Charleston that both authors have - and share with the reader, so much so that I want to add Charleston to my destinations list ASAP.
Silent Mercy, Linda Fairstein
Fairstein is another author of legal thrillers who I have been following for a long time. Like Grisham, her early works are her best, but she has also rebounded from a slump with this most recent effort. Fairstein's books always incorporate a specific element of New York history into the story, and this time around we are given a church tour. However, as in life, things don't truly get exciting until the circus comes to town. Mike Chapman is Fairstein's best creation, and a treasure of literature (at least to @boogdogdc and me). He is given plenty of face time in this installment and lots of quality interaction with our heroine, Ms. Alexandra Cooper. Again, if you too are a Fairstein fan, give this one a read - Fairstein may be back in her groove after switching editors/publishers a few books back.
Sticky Wisdom, ed. Matt Kingdon
I am surprised that this book did not come across my radar back in my Master's Degree days - not only is ?What If! a UK-based company, but their book is also very similar to many of the innovation books that I read during that time. However, perhaps it is for the best that I discovered now, a little over five years down the road, because it is the kind of thoughtful and well written, yet easily accessible, innovation book that can reignite the spark of enthusiasm that I felt during my student days. It is nice to know that there are companies that truly believe that thinking creatively and not setting boundaries can lead to true change. So much of the corporate world seems stuck in a never ending cycle (see my review of Confessions of an Advertising Man from last year), but Sticky Wisdom reminds the reader that it doesn't have to be that way. This book is a nice reminder of why I felt, and still feel, that branding and innovation is my true calling.
On Green Dolphin Street, Sebastian Faulks
This is one of the best books I have read in a quite a while; it puts most of my Best of 2011 list to shame. On Green Dolphin Street is one of the rare books that moves my soul, that I want to start over again from the beginning as soon as my heart has stopped thudding in my chest upon turning the last page. It is a book full of heartbreak and daily life, sweeping from WWII to the French conflict in Vietnam, to the election of 1959 (Nixon and JFK). When I started the book, I was pleased to find that it had a whiff of the Mad Men ethos to it, but by the end its layers of profundity topped even those of the show. Faulks has created a story that lies somewhere between the works of Ward Just and Dawn Powell, unearthing the complications of suburban life beneath the shimmering veneers of Washington, New York, and London at the quietly turbulent dawn of the 60s. With writing like this, it's no wonder that Faulks is able to pull off Fleming without a hitch.
Post title from: Devil May Care - James and I are going to have to disagree on that particular point of view if/when I start having conversations with fictional characters about pastries; he has clearly not been to Balthazar or City Bakery.
The book cover proclaims that Devil May Care is by "Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming." I would say this is quite accurate. It has been several years since I've read Fleming's Bond books, but it seems to me that Faulks does a superb job of capturing the spirit and ethos of Fleming's style. This feels like a true Bond book, complete with a kick-ass Bond Girl. Even the villain is vintage Bond. The writing is very cinematic in nature, by which I mean that I could easily picture this entire book as a movie - I was watching the story unfold in my mind's eye as I read. Smart, thrilling, and fun - as all the best Bond stories are.
Carte Blanche, Jeffery Deaver
While Faulks, writing as Fleming, kept his action confined to the familiar setting of the Cold War, Deaver brings his Bond into the post-9/11 21st Century, with spectacular results. He maintains the classic Bond backstory/history/mythology, but brings the action to the present day, with the result being as thoroughly engaging as Casino Royale, and the story putting Quantum of Solace to shame. The one disconcerting thing about the framework of the book is that Bond is still described as having dark hair with a lock that falls across his forehead, yet at every turn there is no question that it is Daniel Craig's James Bond carying out the action, especially when the action takes our hero to South Africa. This book would make a spectacular Bond movie, and I hope it does make it to the big screen one day because it would be an excellent addition to Craig's tenure as Bond. A must read for any Bond fan, and a great way to kill some time until Skyfall is released this autumn.
The Litigators, John Grisham
On first blush, this book seems to be a bit of a mashup of The Rainmaker, The Street Lawyer, and King of Torts, but Grisham takes the plot in a few unexpected directions, barely managing to keep things fresh. Surprisingly, the secondary plot-line (involving a child harmed by lead paint) is the more engaging one, giving this book much in common with the television reboot of Grisham's The Firm. While not as good as the efforts of Grisham's heyday, The Litigators shows off the author's knack for constructing and investing in very human characters, and is easily his best effort since The Broker. While this would not be the best introduction for Grisham neophytes, it is a perfectly acceptable read for fans stuck in an airport or on the beach.
Trinity Six, Charles Cumming
I was quite disappointed by this book. I was all ready to be sucked into a world of Cambridge Spy intrigue, but instead found myself in modern London with some rather dull characters. Is it possible for a spy novel to be too straight-forward? If so, I would say that such a problem plagues this book. I would find myself second-guessing characters, expecting exciting twists, only to find that the action unfolded just as promised. Where is the fun in that? Things do pick up a bit when our protagonist is forced to leave London for Berlin and Vienna, but even these changes of scenery produce little above Spy Novels 101 level action. The Cambridge/historical element is little more than a hook here, serving to draw the reader in, but revealing itself and falling to the wayside far too early. If you're in the market for some Cambridge Spy action, I would recommend going with the much more stimulating and satisfying Spytime, by William F. Buckley.
Foundation of Love, Scotty Cade & Z.B. Marshall
Scotty Cade is back at it, this time with another one of my friends as co-author, and they have done a bang-up job. I hate to sound like a broken record, but Scotty is becoming a stronger writer with each of his books, and this one is most definitely the best yet. Foundation indeed - this book has a wonderfully solid backbone in its story and plot and a well-developed protagonist. To make things extra fun, there is a romcom style love-triangle as well. Bringing everything together is a passion for Charleston that both authors have - and share with the reader, so much so that I want to add Charleston to my destinations list ASAP.
Silent Mercy, Linda Fairstein
Fairstein is another author of legal thrillers who I have been following for a long time. Like Grisham, her early works are her best, but she has also rebounded from a slump with this most recent effort. Fairstein's books always incorporate a specific element of New York history into the story, and this time around we are given a church tour. However, as in life, things don't truly get exciting until the circus comes to town. Mike Chapman is Fairstein's best creation, and a treasure of literature (at least to @boogdogdc and me). He is given plenty of face time in this installment and lots of quality interaction with our heroine, Ms. Alexandra Cooper. Again, if you too are a Fairstein fan, give this one a read - Fairstein may be back in her groove after switching editors/publishers a few books back.
Sticky Wisdom, ed. Matt Kingdon
I am surprised that this book did not come across my radar back in my Master's Degree days - not only is ?What If! a UK-based company, but their book is also very similar to many of the innovation books that I read during that time. However, perhaps it is for the best that I discovered now, a little over five years down the road, because it is the kind of thoughtful and well written, yet easily accessible, innovation book that can reignite the spark of enthusiasm that I felt during my student days. It is nice to know that there are companies that truly believe that thinking creatively and not setting boundaries can lead to true change. So much of the corporate world seems stuck in a never ending cycle (see my review of Confessions of an Advertising Man from last year), but Sticky Wisdom reminds the reader that it doesn't have to be that way. This book is a nice reminder of why I felt, and still feel, that branding and innovation is my true calling.
On Green Dolphin Street, Sebastian Faulks
This is one of the best books I have read in a quite a while; it puts most of my Best of 2011 list to shame. On Green Dolphin Street is one of the rare books that moves my soul, that I want to start over again from the beginning as soon as my heart has stopped thudding in my chest upon turning the last page. It is a book full of heartbreak and daily life, sweeping from WWII to the French conflict in Vietnam, to the election of 1959 (Nixon and JFK). When I started the book, I was pleased to find that it had a whiff of the Mad Men ethos to it, but by the end its layers of profundity topped even those of the show. Faulks has created a story that lies somewhere between the works of Ward Just and Dawn Powell, unearthing the complications of suburban life beneath the shimmering veneers of Washington, New York, and London at the quietly turbulent dawn of the 60s. With writing like this, it's no wonder that Faulks is able to pull off Fleming without a hitch.
Post title from: Devil May Care - James and I are going to have to disagree on that particular point of view if/when I start having conversations with fictional characters about pastries; he has clearly not been to Balthazar or City Bakery.
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