Retro Suites

I mentioned a couple posts ago that I was in Chatham, Ontario last week - a town that could possibly become home in the near future.  I have mixed feelings about prospect of living in Chatham, but quite enjoyed my time there, largely due to our fabulous hotel room at The Retro Suites Hotel.  This was literally our bed - I don't think it gets much better than that!

Shit My Dad Says

By the way, everyone should check out the shitmydadsays Twitter page.  It made me laugh on what was otherwise a bit of a crap day.

Review: Water For Elephants

I might be the last book lover in the entire world to read Sara Gruen's novel Water For Elephants.  The truth is, it sat on my bookshelf for over a year before I finally picked it up.  (Yes, there is a trend here.  I'm trying to finish all the unread books on my shelf before purchasing any more - it's like a kind of self-inflicted book buying rehab).   

Water For Elephants is set during the Great Depression, and tells of a young veterinarian named Jacob who aimlessly runs off to join the circus after discovering his parents have been killed in a car accident.  The story of his experience with The Bezini Brothers Most Spectacular Show On Earth is mesmerizing, full of sideshow freaks and exotic animals, seedy ringmasters and dramatic fist fights.  The beginning of each chapter features a photo from a Depression-era circus, which further enhances the overall effect of the novel.  The story centres around the show's purchase of an Elephant named Rosie, and Jacob's romance with Marlena, circus performer and wife of the dangerously unpredictable animal trainer, August.  Every so often it shifts to the present day, when Jacob is old man living in a nursing home.

While it's certainly not a children's book, parts of Water For Elephants reminded me of something I would have read as a child - and I mean that in the best possible way.  Rosie the elephant doesn't exactly talk, but she smiles, cries, and forms relationships with those around her.  It is also a book that begs to be read in one sitting (which would be nearly impossible unless you had nothing else to do that day or were a very fast reader).  In essence, it is a page-turner without being pulp (not that there's anything wrong with pulp) and it's hard to imagine anyone not liking this novel.  I for one was a little bit sad when I finished it.

On The Road Again

I apologize for my second prolonged absence from Magic Lantern this month.  This week took me on an unexpected trip to Chatham.  More on Western Ontario and what I learned along the way later...

Review: District 9

If I've talked to you at all in the past 5 days, chances are I've gushed about the movie District 9. Steve practically dragged me to see it on Tuesday, but it was not at all what I was expecting!  Specifically, I was expecting something loud and plotless with comic book/fantasy leanings.  Instead, I was overjoyed to find an intelligent, engaging science fiction movie.  Sure there's an abundance of computer-generated fight scenes (it is a Peter Jackson film, after all) but this movie is REALLY good, and all the digital explosions serve only to enhance the story.

With a few notable exceptions (e.g. ET, Contact), movies about aliens nearly always assume that they would be hostile in some way toward humans.  But what if we were hostile toward them?  It seems like a natural enough question, but one that has until now been rarely (if ever?) addressed at the movies.  In District 9, an alien craft becomes marooned over Johannesburg, South Africa.  Its inhabitants are weak, malnourished, and clearly in need of assistance.  The authorities respond by partitioning them off to a section of the city called District 9, which fast becomes the worst sort of slum.   The aliens are treated with varying degrees of disrespect by all ethnic groups in Johannesburg - a city already famous for its racial divides.  We (humans) irresponsibly dispose of them by  performing lab tests, label them "Prawns" because, well, they look like prawns, and exploit their addiction to cat food.  The best part of District 9 just might be how "human" the filmmakers allow the Prawns to seem.  I'm not usually one to pay a whole lot of attention to the subtleties of computer animation (because I know next to nothing about it), but I can't help but think that a lot of the sympathy the audience is led to feel for the Prawns is due to these effects.  Their expressions and movements are brilliantly presented, and the movie wouldn't be the same without them.

The story itself centres around a man named Wikus, who is employed by the governing body assigned to deal with alien affairs, and Christopher Johnson, the apparent leader of the Prawns.  I won't get in to the details of the plot because stories like this deserve to be experienced first hand - and you ALL need to go see this movie!  It is at once insightful, thrilling, and amusing (not in a laugh-out-loud-ha-ha way, but when you see it you'll know what I mean). 

Review: The Post-Birthday World

Yes I know I've been extremely neglectful of my blog lately.  Yes I know it's pathetic considering I don't even have an official job anymore.  What's worse is that I really have so much to write about - like this wonderful book by Lionel Shriver called The Post-Birthday World I finished almost a week ago!

The Post-Birthday World tells of a woman named Irina, who experiences a potentially life-changing moment in which she is tempted to turn her back on a stable, 10-year relationship, and kiss another man.  The novel explores two different scenarios:  should she have followed through with the kiss, Irina would ultimately have chosen to leave her partner, Lawrence, and begin a relationship with Ramsey, the sexy snooker star who tempts her.  Should Irina have resisted, she would have stayed with Lawrence.  Shriver executes the plot line brilliantly, alternating each chapter between her lives with Ramsey and Lawrence.  Neither scenario is perfect, nor is it entirely undesirable.  Ramsey is passionate, spontaneous, and reckless.  Lawrence is supportive, predictable, and pedantic.

The novel does not ask readers to choose between passion and stability, so much as it challenges them to face up to the fact that certain things in life such as happiness, suffering, and regret are inevitable no matter how careful one is with her life choices.  It is even, to a certain extent, a sneaky argument for determinism:  you can try as hard as you want to decide for yourself how your life will be, but you'll still experience a set amount of joy, grief, and success.  The most one person can do is decide in a very general way how she wants to be happy, and what she wants to long for.

I found many of the supporting characters to be a bit one-dimensional - even Ramsey and Lawrence, to a certain extent.  It suspect, however, that this is exactly what Shriver intended.  The heart and soul of this novel is Irina herself, and by playing down the humanity of the men she must choose between, Shriver ensures her protagonist's complexities shine through as clearly as possible.  

This is an extremely well-written and intricately calculated book.  The prose is very round-about and high-brow, which some people might find annoying.  Either way, I'd certainly recommend it for anyone who enjoys fiction.  It will definitely get you thinking.

Review: Julie and Julia

When I first heard about the movie Julie and Julia, my first thought was "finally a movie about women that's not about chasing men!"  I wouldn't call myself a feminist per say, but I do find this concept extremely refreshing.  Julie and Julia tells the stories of Julia Child, famous cookbook author turned television personality, and Julie Powell, the woman made famous by cooking her way through Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and blogging about it.  (I checked out the real blog and it's pretty interesting, actually.)  

Julie and Julia was written and directed by Norah Ephron, the same woman behind Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and other classic chick flicks watched repeatedly throughout my adolescence.  Here she brings a similar charm, creating likable characters who will no doubt resonate with most viewers.  Meryl Streep is fabulous as always as Julie Child, although I think I would have understood the role a whole lot more if I had actually heard Julia herself talk before seeing the movie.  For my fellow ignorants, here's what she actually sounded like.  For the record, she sounds exactly like Meryl in the movie.  While watching the film I thought Meryl might have been gently mocking Child.  The portrayal would certainly have worked either way, but I'm still eager to see the film again now that I'm in the know.  

Amy Adams is also very good as Julie Powell, although I definitely preferred the Julia Child parts of the movie.  This could be due to the fact that Chris Messina is not at all believable as Julie's husband, Eric.  I wanted to like his character sooo badly, but for some reason he seems to be purposefully loud and pig-ish when he eats and is thus extremely off-putting.  He also has the misfortune of being inevitably compared to Stanley Tucci, who is fantastic as Paul Child.

Julie and Julia is an aesthetically pleasing movie due to the passion the title characters exhibit for food.  This is the sort of passion I strive for, but can never quite achieve.  I'm forever saying I want to learn how to cook fancy French food, but find raw meat (especially anything that resembles the animal it once was) very difficult to work with.  Also, how on earth does anyone manage to enjoy eating dinner when there's a huge mess in the kitchen waiting to be cleaned up as soon as the meal's finished?  The movie inspired me to try and let go of these reservations, but I haven't actually ran out to buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking yet.  Maybe next week...

Be Italian!

I'm super excited for Rob Marshall's film Nine, which comes out in November (such a looong time!).  I am officially in love with Marshall (specifically Chicago), Daniel Day Lewis, and Fellini.  What a magnificent combination!

Review: The Time Traveler's Wife (the novel)

Audrey Niffenegger's book The Time Traveler's Wife sat on my bookshelf for quite some time before I was finally inspired to pick it up.  Despite hearing many laudatory reviews from reliable sources, I must admit that my interest finally piqued when I heard they were making it into a movie.  There's something genuinely satisfying about watching a film that has been adapted from a novel you know well, and I figured this was a good opportunity to enjoy that experience.

The Time Traveler's Wife tells of the unconventional relationship between two lovers, one of whom (Henry) is a time traveller.  He introduces himself to his *future* wife, Clare, when she is a small child and he a grown man.  Clare introduces herself to Henry when he is twenty-eight and she twenty.  Confused yet?  Actually, this book is not at all confusing, and flows quite nicely.  Normally I'm not one for maudlin love stories, but this one is very well written and not half as sentimental as the film version's previews make it out to be.  That Niffenegger was able to construct such a bouncy narrative and leave it virtually hole-free is truly an admirable feat.  I admire authors who use their imaginations to transcend reality in a classy way and create an authentic setting in which things like time travel seem delightfully plausible instead of unbearably cheesy. 

That said, I really don't have much else to say about this novel.  It is an engaging story and a beautiful meditation on how true love is ultimately timeless.  Look for a review of the movie soon.  I'm not expecting it to be half as good as the book, but I'm curious - and I like to look at Eric Bana.  

Prince Edward Island

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

 

Beside the Seaside

I'm off to the land of Green Gables and bright red mud.  I plan on doing lots of reading en route, so be prepared for oodles of book reviews upon my return :)

Flowers and Books (need I say more?)

I love how peaceful and dream-like this photo is.  I actually quite like the feeling of being disrupted from a mid-afternoon rendezvous with a book by an overwhelming urge to sleep.  It's such a luxury when you actually have time to give in to that feeling.  Orchids are one of my favourite flowers, but alas I never seem to be able to keep them alive.  I'll just enjoy them here instead.  

Photo via Here Comes The Sun.

Grace Lorraine Pratt; November 24th, 1926 - August 5th, 2009

My Nan passed away on Wednesday - part of the reason I've been absent from the blog these past few days.  Grace was a strong, beautiful women who lived a full life.  Her passion was her family - five children, seven grandchildren, and six honorary children (the Guthries, children of her twin sister and best friend Lila).  Grace and Lila moved from Prince Edward Island to Ontario in the fifties, and lived next door to one another for many years.  Nan will return to PEI on Tuesday to rest beside her husband David.  I have many fond memories of Nan.  She lived beside my parents for most of my formative years, and I was very close to her.

In her later years, Grace suffered from Alzheimer's Disease.  She slipped away from us slowly, and we grieved for her on so many occasions that this final loss seems like a blessing.  

If Nan enjoyed any quality of life in her last few years, it was surely due to the devotion of my father, Don.  He and my mother, Ann, took care of Grace for a year and a half when she lived at home, and Don visited her religiously when she finally moved into a nursing home.  Both my parents willingly sacrificed much of their social and professional lives for nearly three years, and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge their generosity.  

Nan was loved by many people.  She is an inspiration to me, and I strive to replicate her strength of character in my own life.

Review: Funny People

When I first heard about the movie Funny People a few months ago, I was ecstatic.  Seth Rogan and Adam Sandler unite in a Judd Apatow film?  I'm there!!!  I mean, it's damn near impossible to screw up such a stellar ensemble, right?  I guess in this case, "near" is the operative word.  Apparently, this is how it's done:

Write a really long, drawn out script about a comedian who comes down with a deadly blood disease.  Include a good number of pointless scenes that have nothing to do with the plot and add nothing to the aesthetic of the movie.  Don't skimp on the penis jokes - if you can, try to squeeze in an average of one per minute.  And whatever you do, don't present them in an ironic way, as you want to appeal to as many 12-year-old boys as possible.  Have the dying comic miraculously recover from his illness halfway through the movie, but leave no room for ambiguity around whether or not he was really sick (i.e., you wouldn't want audiences to consider that he may be playing a big joke on everyone or anything like that).  Make sure the comic learns next to nothing from his near death experience; this will ensure the plot remains as flat and dull as possible.  Any attempts to liven up the plot should be as over-the-top as you can make them.  Include lots of cloying tears and inauthentic supporting character relationships.

Honestly, I almost fell asleep numerous times while watching this movie - something that rarely happens to me in a theatre.  (Granted I was mid-migraine and heavily medicated - and it was the late show).  Still, I'm sure my fully functioning self would agree that Funny People is just not funny.  The chemistry between Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan is pretty good, and the idea behind the story could have a lot of potential.  Unfortunately, the script itself doesn't work in the least, and the scenes with Apatow's wife (whom I actually quite enjoyed in The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up) are simply painful.  

Boy, am I glad we saw this one on cheap night...

Three Years Ago Today...

I got married!  

I have a lot more to post about today (in the way of reviews and such) so stay tuned!

Golden Slumbers Fill My Eyes

It's been a great long weekend, but I'm so far beyond tired right now all I can think of is sleep.  Several days ago, The English Muse featured a post about beds that I can't stop looking at.  Here's one of my favourites.  The only thing that looks better to me right now is my own bed!  Speaking of which...

I Remembered My Camera!

I normally don't post so many personal snap shots, but was quite pleased with how some of the photos from the Family Picnic turned out.  By some miracle the teeming rain and oppressive humidity of the morning turned into sunny skies and gentle warmth in the afternoon, and the picnic went over beautifully.  Here are some pictures.

The kids are alright...

Cousins on the dock...

Grandma, Aunt Bunny...

Gramps (aka The Godfather)

B&B's cottage...

My aunt Barb (aka the picnic's hostess with the mostess)

My babies...

Family Picnic Baking

Tomorrow I'm going to a family picnic!  This tradition was begun by my great grandmother many years ago, and for about 30 years was held at my grandparents' cottage (which was recently sold).  This year it's back on Howe Island at my aunt and uncle's cottage.  Here I am in my great grandmother's apron, armed with her rolling pin, ready to make some pies for the picnic.  Beneath the apron I'm wearing Stella McCartney - a fitting tribute to one of the most stylish women I've ever known :)

....blueberry before being cooked...

...fully cooked with its lemon meringue (sans meringue) friend.  (I'll finish it tomorrow, as I don't trust the meringue to keep its shape over night).

I was really pleased with how these turned out.  Would you believe all purpose flour works better than pastry?