No Country for Margot in Real Life

As I had had the keen foresight to take Thanksgiving week off from work, I was able to visit the cinema thrice within a seven-day time span. Ahh, what bliss it was. As a sidenote, the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood is quickly becoming my favorite place in Los Angeles. Not just because of the posh movie-viewing standard it provides, but because I've seen three great movies there in a row. A winning streak like that can earn a gal's affection real quick like.

While I'm dishing up the countrified slang, might as well dive into my first review. The Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men is as brutally violent and darkly funny as all get out. While my favorite line in the film is one-word long ("Alright," exquisitely delivered by Josh Brolin after some tossing and turning in his darkened trailer bedroom), the dialogue is peppered with cult-status quotables like Tommy Lee Jones' dry as dust "If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here." My absolute favorite scene is the coin toss in the gas station, where Javier Bardem menancingly tests the tensile strength of implied threat with pitch black humor.

Best supporting actor awards should be immediately dispatched to Brolin, Jones and Bardem. "Supporting" only because they share in the film's success so equally. Talk about a (cowboy) hat trick. Bravo, boys!

My only beef with the film was the casting in the secondary roles (although the bit parts were terrifically performed). The truth in acting was lacking when it came to Brolin's character's wife and mother-in-law (esp. in a real clunker of a taxi scene obviously meant to be comic relief). Woody Harrelson was distracting and the usually spot-on Stephen Root was strangely self-conscious and awkward. While those stumbles dimmed the film's luster for me slightly, nothing could make this instant classic any less instant classic-ier.

Now onto cinematic delight numero dos. Margot at the Wedding is a neurotic jumble, which is to say I loved it. Which is also to say, I wouldn't recommend it to most homo sapiens.

If you like talky movies, say "hey." If you enjoy emotionally eviscerating film experiences, say "ho." Since I do find enjoyment in both of the above, I was digging Noah Baumbach's new offering. Much less accessible and winning than Baumbach's wonderfully written and acted The Squid and the Whale, Margot at the Wedding is no less wonderfully written and acted. Both films share a lack of narrative structure that weakens the whole, but Baumbach knows from modern-day angst and finely noted foibles.

Nicole Kidman is a verbally evil delight as a sister with a chip on her cashmere-sweatered shoulder. Jennifer Jason Leigh is beautifully bemused as the black sheep in the family fold. Speaking of Black, Jack ain't bad as the groom to be. And the terrific supporting cast keeps pace with the needling sisters admirably. A special shout-out is deserved by the young boy playing Nicole's son in the film. Zane Pais plays a difficult role with admirable delicacy. The sisters of Margot at the Wedding lingered on my mind for days after seeing the film. I almost missed them, like I would a newly made friend who lived far away.

Truly one of the most lovely and loving facets of the film was the cinematography by Harris Savides. Desaturated hues of bottle green, rosy russet, worn-in blue and bleached-out beige gorgeously capture the faded feeling of old Super 8 home movies, adding to the sense of nostalgia and regret. Even Wong Kar-Wai would weep at the sight of it.

Now onto more crowd-pleasing fare: Dan in Real Life. As big a fan of Steve Carell as I am, I didn't think I would like this one. It gave off whiffs of saccharin schmaltz and the reviews were mostly dismissive. WRONG! It was sheer romantic comedy delight and I don't use that phrase casually. Sure, there were some sit-com-y short-cuts and undeniable cute-osity, but overall it was warm, witty and wonderful. Carell and Binoche ground the film so beautifully. You'd expect that from a silver screen veteran like her, but Steve holds his ground and more. I laughed out loud and sniffled out loud. *Sigh* I'm a lucky film goer, I am, I am.

Coming back home to Califone

You know how you fall in love with an album on your first listen, then lose interest in a month or two and wonder what the big deal was anyway, then, later, you run into it by accident in your iTunes library and go, "Oh, my god. It's even more gorgeous than I remember." Yeah, exactly. Califone's Roots & Crowns album is just like that.

Maybe she'll address their body image issues next

From the "Some Jokes Write Themselves" file (emphasis added):

Paris Hilton Tries to Help Drunk Elephants
Nov. 13, 2007, 10:15 AM EST

The Associated Press

GAUHATI, India -- Paris Hilton is being praised by conservationists for highlighting the problem of binge-drinking elephants in northeastern India.

Activists said a celebrity endorsement such as Hilton's was sure to raise awareness of the plight of the pachyderms that get drunk on farmers' homemade rice beer and then go on a rampage.

"The elephants get drunk all the time. It is becoming really dangerous. We need to stop making alcohol available to them," the 26-year-old socialite said in a report posted on World Entertainment News Network's Web site. Her comments were picked up by other Web sites and newspapers around the globe.

Last month, six wild elephants that broke into a farm in the state of Meghalaya were electrocuted after drinking the potent brew and then uprooting an electricity pole.

"There would have been more casualties if the villagers hadn't chased them away. And four elephants died in a similar way three years ago. It is just so sad," Hilton was quoted as saying in Tokyo last week. She was in Tokyo to judge a beauty contest.

Her publicist couldn't immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

Hilton promised to improve her bad-girl image after she completed a jail term in June for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

She announced plans to do charity work in Rwanda, but the trip was postponed until next year.

Sangeeta Goswami, head of animal rights group People for Animals, told The Associated Press: "I am indeed happy Hilton has taken note of recent incidents of wild elephants in northeast India going berserk after drinking homemade rice beer and getting killed."

"As part of her global elephant campaign, Hilton should, in fact, think of visiting this region literally infested with elephants," Goswami said.

Another conservationist said elephant alcohol abuse was just a symptom of the real problem.

From MSN.com

Michael Clayton

The latest George Clooney vehicle, Michael Clayton, is a high-gloss corporate thriller that demonstrates what a well-oiled machine a big studio picture can be. It's a satisfying ride with impeccable production values and bracing performances, especially by Tom Wilkinson (his eerie voiceover at the outset of the film is shiver-inducing) and Tilda Swinton (seeing her trembling corporate powerhouse of a woman neatly laying out her pantyhose before a big meeting telegraphs so much about her character so elegantly). Still, there's not much here that elevates the genre or lingers on the mind post-credits roll.

Clooney admirably keeps his charm in check as a jaded "fixer" who cleans up nasty legal spills for a top law firm, but he's almost too reserved to care about. A moving scene with his son as they drive away from a family get-together is more a credit to the solid writing than his acting. (Sometimes his strangely heavy-handed black eyeliner is more riveting than his facial expressions in close-ups. Maybe the makeup artist just wanted to buy a little more time with the Cloonster.) Another scene deserving a shout-out for writing is a moment between Clooney's character and his boss at the latter's mansion. Boxer-like dexterity in that dialogue. And Clooney is wearing one sweeeet chocolate brown jacket while delivering the lines.

My biggest beef with the film was the choice to use a flashback storytelling device. It seems to serve no expository purpose, but handily knocks the knees right out from under the climactic chase at the end of the film. WTF? May it please the jury, the prosecution rests.

Kawaii translation

Read in Japan Up!, a free magazine about Japanese Cuisine and Trends, while I was waiting for my take-out ramen. (Clearly, my mother, boyfriend, husband or roommate was not at home cooking for me at that point.) This excerpt is from an article about Japanese tapas restaurants (a.k.a. Izakaya restaurants):

"Don't forget than an Izakaya could be another home for you. If your mother, girlfriend, wife or roommate is not at home cooking for you, you can spend your own dinnertime at an Izakaya. Instead of lonely buying hamburgers and French fries at a drive thru, enjoy your favorite healthy dishes from the Izakaya menu, which have variety of dishes to choose from. If you sit down at a counter, a chef or waitress could be your chatting partner. Izakaya restaurants are not just there when you have gatherings or celebrations, it's also there during tough and lonesome times."

Cool joint

Relish the delicate and exquisite artistry of Wool and Water's paper dolls. Oo la la.

Aye chihuahua

The intern at work caught me off-guard when handing me my new cubicle name tag today. So what was my reply to her?

“Neato Frito.”

I actually just said “Neato Frito” to an impressionable college student.

My street cred is toast.

Analogy of Love

Two of the funniest members of The Groundlings, Brian Palermo and Mitch Silpa, portray the awkwardness of accidentally saying the L word over mahi mahi.