Movies
All children, except one, grow up
Suffice it to say, today was a great deal more invigorating than I had expected. After a late start to the day (breakfast — or brunch, more appropriately), I headed off to the theatre to watch Despicable Me with L and A. Having bought our tickets (and then vacillating whether or not we wanted to sit in a dark, empty theatre so as to save the best seats), we headed in and claimed our Real 3D glasses.
I’m having a bad, bad day
If you take it personal, that’s okay
Watch, this is so fun to see
Huh, despicable me.
– Pharrell, “Despicable Me”
The movie, by all means, was great. The story was fun, the humour well-timed and (gosh darn it!) the orphan girls were so sweet! This makes me think that everyone ought to be forced to care for the young. Perhaps we’d have less villains that way? Behind our seats, a whole row was reserved for (what we assumed) was a birthday party. Hearing the children giggle with glee behind us wasn’t as annoying as I might have imagined — it was quite fun to have them behind us! (Too bad L was thwapped on the head by an overzealous child…)
After a rather long journey to procure a screen protector for A’s (new!) BlackBerry Bold 9700, we wandered over to Chapters where we discovered, much to our mutual pleasure, that we could have dinner together. We ate at The Boss (where I learned that I don’t actually know how to order beef in Cantonese…how do you indicate how well-cooked you want the meat?!).
Once full, we left the restaurant to a rapidly closing mall. We wandered over to a water fountain outside to wonder what we could do. I suggested we take a stroll in Central Park (despite my great fears of creepers running amok in the wooded areas). Off we went.
After dodging incoming golf balls from the pitch-and-putt and trekking through the verdant trees, we sat on a bench and noticed two people apparently shouting at one another. Perplexed, we gazed on to notice a man in a blue cape yelling to some people further away. Nosily, we inched closer and closer until…we noticed that it was a production! Outside! In the park! For free!
Enthralled, we found ourselves sitting on the grass (and swatting away the copious amounts of vampiric mosquitoes) and trying to unravel the storyline. As it turns out, it was a production of Neverland: Beginnings by Rainforest Theatre, a small local company. We watched with glee as Peter Pan was nearly wedded to the daughter of the pirate king and as we learned how Captain Hook gained (lost?) his eponymous appendage. With subtle amusement, we gazed on as one overexcited child-spectator inched closer and closer to the actors until he was actually sitting within the action, gazing upward and asking, “Can I see that?!”
I found it so magical that serendipity (and, admittedly, a reluctance to return home to do readings for ENGL 468) led us to a theatrical production in the ancient pulse of germ and birth. I thought I had encountered something out of Midsummer Night’s Dream! (But of course not. My appointment to see Henry V is this Friday.)
It is some indication of my great love for the theatre but I adored the way the actors interacted with the audience and with their surroundings. With little more than some light costuming, they created a world into which their children-spectators could be drawn by sheer charisma. And what is a more natural setting for a theatrical production than the forest?
The play finished and everyone dispersed. We headed over to P’s house to play poker briefly before I was summoned home with great displeasure at my waywardness.
And I could wish my days to be bound each to each with such wonder, joy and serendipity.
The little Maid would have her will
Been stuck on this song since I finally watched 500 Days of Summer. ![]()
Note though, that I am hardly a hopeless romantic. I probably subscribe more to Summer’s views on life and on love than Tom’s. Or maybe the little sister. She seemed wise!
Stand still, yet we will make him run
Today I went to watch The Time Traveler’s Wife with A, L and D. Going into the movie, I had fairly low expectations (significantly affected by the mostly negative reviews of the movie) so when the movie managed to tug on my heartstrings a little, I was pleased. Here’s the lowdown:
Based on the premise of The Time Traveler’s Wife, a Chicago librarian (Bana) has a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel when he is stressed. Though he often disappears from her life for long periods of time, he tries to build a romantic relationship with Clare Abshire, an artist (McAdams).1
To be truthful, I wasn’t entirely impressed by the book (even though my cashier had assured me it was one of the best she had ever read). The style is emotional but not engaging enough to produce the perfunctory willing suspension of disbelief necessary needed to enjoy the novel for its literary merits, in spite of the logical constraints. And I’m also not terribly emotional anyway so an appeal to pathos doesn’t sit well with me. This all meant, of course, that I hadn’t expected much from the movie.
Nevertheless, I should have realised that nothing – nothing – could possibly have been as bad as what I had been as bad as what I had expected. McAdams gave a fairly genuine performance, even if she was a bit overly cheery or overly dramatic at moments. Bana performed suitably, if woodenly, as Henry DeTamble. I was disappointed, however, with the rampant exclusion of the subtle events in the novel that made it so charming.
The movie could have been better than this but it was still a good try anyway. Not living up to the hype is very different than saying it was a bad movie overall and I wouldn’t be so cruel as to condemn the movie as the latter.
After the movie, we headed to La Casa Gelato for some dessert. After sampling several unpalatable flavours (I was feeling adventurous so I tried the gorgonzola!), we mostly resorted to surefire bets – I paired chocolate brownie with raspberry sorbetto. It was great!
Good day overall, glad for the respite from the monotony. I have to be more wary of falling into a regimented lifestyle. Must remember to loosen up from time to time.
- “The Time Traveler’s Wife (film).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 16 Aug 2009, 03:47 UTC. 16 Aug 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Time_Traveler%27s_Wife_(film)&oldid=308240389>. ↩
hold infinity in the palm of your hands
After getting plenty of sleep and spending the day fixing my laptop, I am pleased to finally blog about The Best Day Ever™.
I started by rolling out of bed (literally rolling off my bed and onto the floor) at around 9:30. Groggy and bleary-eyed, I turned on my laptop (doesn’t this tell you a lot about me?) and then I ate a quick, small breakfast. A then phoned me and informed me that we (A, N and me) would be meeting at Burrard Station at 11:30 to watch Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (of which I have only re-read 50%). Quite happily, I set off (wearing appropriate attire for the assuredly hot day) and arrived exactly at 11:30. Of course, this meant that I was awkwardly on time. A and N arrived shortly thereafter, gently reminding me of how I have a tendency to induce guilt in others by being precisely on time. I must remember that for the future – I will earnestly endeavour to arrive fashionably late, sauntering into the room with a grand entrance.
It was decided to purchase the tickets first at the Scotiabank theatre and off we went. I felt slightly crestfallen when I noticed that A’s ticket actually printed her name on it while mine was nameless. Curse my cashier for not knowing advanced functions made to impress friends and foe alike. Curse her.
After first visiting the Burrard location (at which we were turned away due to full capacity), we arrived at the Robson location of the Cactus Club Café and sat down for lunch. We had much deliberation over the menu and I got the J.D. BBQ burger (which was juicy and yummy! but not really my style, to be honest). We noticed the sheer number of staff our location seemed to possess; at every turn, a new staff member strolled by dutifully. N sardonically remarked about the recession and labour wages. I concurred.
After lunch, we headed to watch the movie. After reading the book in preparation for the movie, there were certainly some things I liked and disliked about the cinematic experience.
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I was generally unimpressed with the movie but felt like it did the job. It was adequate but not much more… As much as I adore the movies and the books, I can’t say that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be a particularly memorable cinematic experience. It’s a shame because I had had high hopes for David Yates’ directorial vision.
After the movie, we ventured around downtown and ended up in Sears at Pacific Centre. Excitedly, I skimmed through the stationery section, glowingly appraising the Montblanc pens and Moleskine notebooks.
We then heard the announcement of a lifetime. “Attention shoppers. We will be having a free giveaway on the fourth floor today, for shoppers only in the store right now.” I paused and looked to N and A, who were listening with rapt attention withal. I gingerly replaced the Moleskine notebook I had been thoughtfully caressing and we set off towards the fourth floor.
Needless to say, it was a disappointment. We got a dinky orange little fruit juicer (the efficacy of which I sincerely doubt) and waited the whole presentation to learn that we could have a free filet knife…with purchase of 29.99. We left.
As such, A and I were horrendously late for dinner with C and D at Thai Spice. I ordered Tom Yum which, admittedly, is a weakness of mine but I was rather disappointed with the lack of flavour. A’s pineapple rice was only passable. Happily, though, we played Sorry during dinner which (albeit displays a thorough lack of table manners) enlivened our dinner much more than the food would have done.
The crown jewel of the evening was really watching Les Miserables. It was spectacular. If you haven’t watched it yet, I assure you that you are missing out. The casting was wonderful; perennial favourites Jonathan Winsby and John Mann gave breathtaking performances while newcomers didn’t slacken at all.
Here’s what I thought:
- Murphy (Valjean) displayed masterful skill at singing with a particularly strong voice and diverse range; he was a little wooden at times but his singing was spot-on flawless
- Cournoyer (Javert) was a personal favourite; Javert doesn’t get much variety in song but Cournoyer did a commendable job at conveying Javert’s character
- Hosie (Fantine) was a strong presence but her wig was very offputting; I’m usually a big fan of Arts Club costume design but here is one case where I was rather distracted
- Lipman (Mme. Thenardier) and Mann (Mr. Thenardier) offered wonderful — wonderful — comic relief but Lipman’s vocal strength was not what I would have expected
- Winsby (Enjolras) was, of course, incredible and powerful; his performance is almost so strong that it is overwhelming, actually, threatening to overshadow the performances of others
- Victor (Marius) had a perfectly respectable performance though he was really overshadowed by Winsby at times
- Talbot (Eponine) was a surprise star; I was really impressed with her performance and vocal strength!
- Harwood (Cosette) gave a good performance throughout but I can’t recall any moments where I was floored by her
- Ballard (Gavroche), Matchette (Young Cosette) and Withers (Young Eponine) gave great performances, particularly at their ages! I bet I’ll be seeing them at the Arts Club when I’m much older
I particularly enjoyed “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Master of the House,” “Stars”and “Drink with Me to Times Gone By.” Unfortunately, “One Day More” was nowhere near as strong as what I would have liked but ç’est la vie!
All in all, a marvelous day. I just hope A doesn’t tire of my company!
forget and forgive: I am old and foolish
Today, I had the culmination of BIOL 334 in a 7-question exam. It wasn’t very difficult (in retrospect) and I paced myself evenly throughout, working methodically and systematically. I was particularly amused when I came up with 9 phenotypic classes for a particular cross (red, blue, lilac, fuchsia, magenta, periwinkle, rose, violet, indigo and cyan). The cheatsheet was only useful for assisting me with the ploidy question (which I shamelessly copied out of my notes).
I had a quick lunch with Derrick and Nelson before heading home for some well-deserved rest before the evening’s festivities: dinner and a movie!
I headed over to Metrotown a little early so that I wouldn’t be late…and ended up in Chapters, encouraging Louisa to come over and buy books. There’s an interesting anecdote about a tower of books and my head, so feel free to ask me in person next time you see me. Anyway, I started reading the Marple books and I hope they’re at least half as good as Poirot. Here’s hoping!
Allison got off work so we walked towards Sammy J’s. Louisa, of course, decided to wait for the crosswalk while I casually strolled up the stairs to take the overhead bridge. She’s still bitter that I was quicker. Dinner was alright, shared three appetizers with Louisa and Allison (Justin — Jalapeño Artichoke Dip, Allison – Steak Bites & Louisa – Calimari). We finished up quickly and went back to Metrotown to line up for our movie.
The Proposal, as far as romantic comedies go, was pretty good (7.5÷10). Lots of comedic moments even if some of the gags get tired af ter a while. There’s some chemistry between Reynolds and Bullock and certainly with some of the secondary characters. I think I’m a bit biased, comparing it with Bride Wars and He’s Just Not That Into You, but all in all, a fair movie. I laughed out loud in several scenes!
Here’s hoping I’ll loosen up over the next while. It’s my only chance to do so; no tutoring and no school means I’m free for (at least) one week.
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