2 Things @ Once

Review: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

It’s rare that a movie with so much hype behind it doesn’t disappoint once you get around to seeing it. Now, add to that a slew of Academy Awards, all well deserved. This intense, emotional story about a young man whose life-long search for his true love lands him on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire is supported by kinetic direction and editing, terrific cinematography, and a perfectly matched soundtrack.

I’ve heard Slumdog described as Dickensian and a throwback to the heartwarming classics of Hollywood’s Golden Age, to which I’d agree. It’s also something of an original. Even if you think you know how it will end, you’d be hard-pressed to guess where the story will take you. For American audiences, these unfamiliar actors, the unconventional premise, and a backdrop of the Mumbai slums make this a doubly powerful viewing experience.

I'd give it 4.5 out of 5 "phone calls to a friend."

Review: Ethan Frome

Edith Wharton (1911)

In telling her snowbound story of doomed love, Wharton doesn't waste any time with extraneous plot or long-winded internal monologues. In prose that is distilled to its descriptive essence, the cold and isolation of the New England setting is nearly tangible.

Circumstances have conspired against Ethan Frome, a struggling farmer who is unhappily married to Zeena, a sickly, disagreeable woman. When her cousin Mattie comes to live with them as Zeena's caretaker, Ethan's spirit is rejuvenated but when Zeena determines to send Mattie away, as they say in the movies, tragedy ensues. Wharton creates vivid, sympathetic characters. An excellent book, though no escape for a wintertime read.

Evanston FalconCam Is Up!

Twice this week I've seen one of the returning falcons in downtown Evanston. Both times the bird was perched on the south-west corner of the old Marshall Field's building. I've been checking the library website for updates; as of today they report that Falcon Watch 2009 has officially begun. You'll find the FalconCam here.

Cheesiest Wine Online

Doing our part for the economy, I joined friends for a prix fixe dinner last night and we shared a tasty bottle of red wine recommended by the waiter. I'd never had a wine made from seven different grapes! When I got home, I checked to see if it was available at my favorite discount wine store, but they didn't list it online. So, I dialed up the Seven Daughters website and was immediately and nearly completely turned off the wine.

Horrible horrible website. Looks more like a singles dating scene then delicious wine. Ugh, the music. The happy young people whispering together and throwing their heads back in riotous laughter. And with copy like this:

Seven Daughters Winemaker's Blend is a celebration of your on-the-go lifestyle, which overflows with both business and play.

...wine blends that are sophisticated, flirtatious and undeniably fun - just like you.

Our wines are crafted to meet the needs of today's wine drinker -- a seamless blend of exploration, fun and sophistication.

The needs of today's wine drinker? Holy schmoly, it's a twelve dollar bottle of wine people.

Under the "News" section of the website they have an endorsement titled, "Seven Daughters Praised by an American Housewife." WTF?

My friend Marie said it best when I emailed her the site address: "Horrible website. It succeeded in making me feel bad for liking the wine."

Bobby and Kenneth, Separated at Birth

I guess I wasn't the only person last night who thought Bobby Jindal sounded a heck of a lot like Kenneth from 30 Rock. (Thanks Marie!)

I guess this was all over the internet today, but remember I spent my day technology free with a 2-year-old.

And then over on the "new" Late Night show, with Jimmy Fallon (yikes), the "real" Kenneth had fun with it as well.

What Should Have Been a Quick Post to the Blog Turns Into a Two-Hour Ordeal

Technology can be a bitch. No time to go into details now. Everyday is a learning curve.

Tiffany Glass Dome : Chicago Cultural Center

Corrupt IL Politics: It's Not Just a Joke, It's an iPhone Game!

I laughed out loud when I read this in the Chicago Tribune online today:

Apple gives its approval to 'Pay2Play' game based loosely on travails of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Apple has given a wink and nod of approval to "Pay2Play"—not the unsavory political practice but a game for the iPhone.

The application by Juan "J" Rubio starts players off in Springfield, mired in debt, with impeachment 30 days away. They must amass cash by buying and selling items such as Senate seats before they're booted from office.

Rubio plans to update the game to keep up with the latest corruption-related events. That could keep him busy.

A Month of Saturdays

January 24th, 3 pm : Ando Gallery, Art Institute

During a day of touring photo exhibitions, I popped into the quiet sanctuary of the Ando Gallery, tucked away in the Asian section of the Art Institute.

January 31st, 3 pm : American Gothic Giganticus, Michigan Avenue

This huge replica of the couple from Grant Wood's iconic painting is currently standing across the street from the Wrigley building, baffling passers by.

February 7th, 3 pm : Trip prep

In April, I'll be sailing for a week with friends in the British Virgin Islands. A fair amount of pre-prep goes into such a trip, since we have to figure out provisioning the sailboat with what we'll need well before we get there. Cricket was giving me her best input.

 

February 14th, 3 pm : Swiffering

Valentines Day does not get more glamorous than washing the winter grime off your hardwood floor.

 

February 21, 3 pm : Running Errands

Trapped in a Sports Authority dressing room listening to James Blunt. This was my breaking point yesterday.

Review: Moving Midway (2007)

Film critic Godfrey Cheshire goes behind the camera to capture an important chapter in his family history. It begins in 2004 when his cousin announces that their ancestral home, a plantation house in North Carolina, is going to be moved to a new location and the land sold to a shopping mall developer.

The massive effort that goes into separating a 150-year-old house from the land is just one of many interesting facets to this personal story that touches on the hot-button social issues of race and slavery that this country still grapples with, especially in the South. During the course of the film project documenting the move of the house, Cheshire reaches out to the African-American roots of his family tree, notably Dr. Robert Hinton, a professor at NYU whose grandfather was born into slavery at Midway Plantation. Hinton expresses very different feelings about the plantation house, the land it sits on, and what it means to separate the two.

Moving Midway successfully blends American social history, architecture and a thought-provoking musing on the mythology of the Southern plantation. Threaded throughout is the engaging story of Cheshire's discovery of his unexpected extended family.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 mint julips.

To Tweet or Not To Tweet

So, Twitter.

I've got a love-hate thing going on with Twitter. I like the concept and see the potential but right now it feels more like a time suck than a useful tool. I suspect this has to do with the folks I follow and those who follow me--and the pitifully small number of them that there are.

I stopped Twittering back in 2007 when my mobile phone plan changed and no longer included texting. Recently, I've gotten back into it and while I'm following a number of folks I actually know and others I "know" from their blogs or podcasts, it doesn't feel as interactive or relevant as I'd hoped it would be. It probably doesn't help that most people I know don't Twitter.

Do you? I'd love to know what others think about it, how they use it, and how they find interesting feeds to follow. (Shameless plug for followers: If you're so inclined, you can link to my account here. Follow me!)

And while I'm on the subject of hot social media, it seems everywhere I turn these days, I'm bumping into Facebook. Am I the only person not on Facebook? There are a number of reasons why I haven't jumped on the Facebook bandwagon:

1. Regular posting to my blog takes up enough of my time. The thought of generating content for another website holds no appeal.
2. I understand that Facebook is the number one photo sharing site but I'm already invested in Flickr, so ditto above.
3. The idea of reconnecting with friends from high school is repugnant to me. I hated that period of my life and have absolutely no desire to revisit it, even virtually.
4. I really don't care to know the minutia of others' lives, which may sound odd since I'm participating in Twitter. The difference there is the brevity and instant nature of it. With Twitter there's a benefit of being able to get headlines and local news in real time or shouting out to the Internet "Hey, I'm heading downtown and want to try a new restaurant. Suggestions?"
5. It also bugs me that you can't see what Facebook is really about without signing up for it (which I won't do), so it's hard for me to get a sense of what, if anything, I'm missing out on.
6. Facebook sounds like another way to waste oodles of time on the Internet and believe me, I really don't need another way to kill time bonding with my laptop.