The Director Is In

I have a new blog where I am posting my movie reviews at directorisin.blogspot.com. Please visit!

Easter

, originally uploaded by ● Züleyha Sucu ●.

Happy Easter

For the Love of All That is Mechanical!

I got a pretty new Nissan Versa. This car is far more tricked out than my previous cars have been; it has a built in bluetooth that talks to me & I don't need a key for the door or egnition. In honor of this I really want to name my car something that is an homage to science fiction as I feel this car is straight out of a sci-fi movie.

The possibilities:

• HAL - Yes, the talking computer from 2001: A Space Oddysey that tries to kill all of the astronauts on the ship. This one may have been vetoed already as it is witty, but ultimately kind of creepy.
  
• KIT - That's right, and I like the version voiced by Mr. Pheeney from the orignal Knight Rider tv show. The alternate names of KNIGHT RIDER and KNIGHT VERSA have been proposed.
  
• LOGAN - in honor of Logan's Run. I haven't seen this film, so for me I think it would be more of an homage to Free Enterprise and you have to be a true geek to get that one.
  
• HIRO or ANDO - Durring season one of Heroes Hiro Nakamura transports into the future and recieves a copy of 9th Wonders where he is the star and driving a blue Nissan Versa. So what does he do? He goes back and when he and Ando come to America he insists on renting a blue Nissan versa just like in the comic.
  
• XANDER - I just thought of this one and it makes me smile. I have no idea how my car could be an homage to Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I would love it if it was.

Suggestions?

The Good Movies of 2008 (so far)...

You know me and the movies. They are my passion, my joy, my muse. So it's safe to say I see a fair amount of them. I have a few early favorites for this year.

Something strange has happened. I think I may have seen one of (if not my favorite) movie of 2008 already and it is only March. What movie am I talking of? In Bruges of course.

This movie took me delightfully by surprise. I expected to get two hours of the gorgeous Colin Farrell, an entertaining dark comedy and perhaps a cult favorite in this film. Instead, In Bruges turned out to be one of Farrell's best roles, and a magnificently acted, written and suprisingly deep story that leads Farrell's character into the depths of hell before he realizes that perhaps he should listen to his older and wiser friend and find a way to forgive himself and find a way out of hell.

In Bruges is at once a sly dark comedy, a gangster film, a buddy flick, and an artfully woven morality tale with three complete and compelling characters that each represent something unique and different within the human sphere. Ralph Finnes is the hard nosed crime lord who care for rank and respect, and sees only black or white in a situation; Brendon Gleeson is the wise comerade torn between his loyalty to a man who once saved his life and the mentor-like love he feels towards Farrel whom he wants to save from a life like his; lastly, there is Colin Farrell who stumbles between the line of feeling he is damned for his actions and must shoulder all the blame and feeling as though he is a victim of random coincidence and forces outside his control.

This film is a magnificent tale handled with such an experts touch by Martin McDonagh that one would never know that his was his first forray into the realm of feature films, or that his characters began as Englishmen and were only converted into Irishmen when the leads were cast.

The next phenominal film of 2008 is the recently relesed film Married Life starring Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Clarkson and the astonishing Rachel McAdams. Set in the not-yet-hopeful days just after the end of World War II Married Life raises the complicated question posed by the narrator (Brosnan) finally at the end of the film - how well can you know the thoughts of the person that lies next to you.

Married Life begins with Brosnan telling the story of his friend Harry (Cooper) who has been married to Pat (Clarkson) long enough to have a grown child who has a child of her own, and he longs to leave his marriage to Pat because he believe he has found true intimacy with war widow Kay (McAdams); the complications arise when Richard (Brosnan) meets Kay and though he has often described marriage as a fatal disease he become smitten with Kay and cannot bear the thought of Harry having her instead of he. Harry, unaware of Richards feelings for Kay pushes the two together as he wants his best friend to be a friend to the woman he now loves as he is with the woman to whom he is still married. Durring the fateful courtship of Kay by both Richard and Harry the later devises how to get out of his marriage without shaming or hurting his devoted wife - he has to kill her in the most humane way he can think of.

In Married Life Ira Sachs blends together the best of its predecessors Far From Heaven and Double Indemnity and creates something new and bold that is sure to garner a place in the American film cannon and if relesed in the Fall instead probably a few Oscar nominations.

I was also plesently surprised by Penelope. I do not argue that you can figure the entire plot structure andbeats of this film by watching the trailer but this film so marvelously creates a unique world that you are captured. This film is a fairy tale to it's very core and if you are willing to be caught up by it's innocent spirit then you cannot help but enjoy the ride. Technically, I had to admire the production and costume design in this movie which were things of beauty and went the extra mile to help create a contemporary fairy tale.

Finally, one of the great early surprises of this year is the Frances McDormand, Amy Adams headliner Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Set just before Brittan is caught in the escilation of World War II never-do-well nanny Gwenivere Pettigrew (McDormand) is cast out by her most recent employer and seeking anyway to gain employment fakes her creditentials to become social secretary to Delysia Lafosse a cabret singer and aspiring actress who cannot get a handle on the men in her life much less decide what she really wants out of her life.

This film operates as a critique on the spolied upper class who are interested in nothing but frivolity and their own joy, advancement and ignorance as their contry begins to be plunged into war. Delysia must decide what is most important to her: being rich and famous, being taken care of in the manner she is acostumed to or being loved but penniless. At the same time Miss Pettigrew and Joe watch the oppulence around them and try to not get too attached as they remind each other that this generation doesn't remember the last war.

As it stands so far 2008 is turing out to be a stellar year for movies, though if my picks thus far are any indication the little movies are going to be the ones worth seeing this year.

<3

Wall Flower

Doc's Day 58
Originally uploaded by mrbosslady

I'm the middle sibling of 3, the only sister of 2 brothers.

Both of my brothers are giddy in love. One of them I am genuinely happy for, the other I am attempting to reach being genuinely happy for.

Though they appear to be far from the actual event they ar both talking about their girls being their future spouses and even talking of their weddings. They talk about all of this with anticipation. A new interest has come into their lives and it is amazing.

When events come up phrases like "I'm only going to go if 'the girlfriend' can make it", and "I don't know, Saturday is date night" continually pop up and make me feel like an eternal spinster. Dispensation is made for the boys because they have an obligation, but it's never even a question that I will go to whatever family and friends want me at, and an expectation that I will be uncomfortable and lonely once there because I will be the only one out of puberty there by myself.

This is an amazing thing for both of them; yet, here I am the continual wall flower stuck on the sidelines with no prospects of even someone who wants to take me to coffee. I've never had anything that has consisted of more than one date.

Good things come to those who wait. But when? When do you stop waiting?