Embracing my city

I am from Baltimore, MD, well a little north of the city. Anyways, I have never really felt a strong connection to this city. It partly has to do with the fact that I lived in New England for the past four years and also strongly cheer the Patriots, Red Sox and the Celtics. Additionally, I never really explored the city and its neighborhoods. Now that I am home until further notice I decided to try to enjoy all the things Baltimore has to offer.

This past week I walked around Hampden, MD. It is just outside of the city and is absolutely adorable. I loved walking in and out of antique shops and marveled at the numerous restaurants that I cannot wait to try. This brings me to my latest film review. I watched the movie, Diner (1982), directed by Baltimore native, Barry Levinson.

The film is about a group of college friends at a turning in point in their lives and the uncertainty of their futures. One of the only stable things in their lives is the local diner, in the movie it’s the Fells Point Diner. (Side note: I have explored this area of Baltimore and simply love it!) 

I actually really liked this movie. It doesn’t have superb cinematography or exceptional dialogue, but it was very pleasant. First of all, I fell in love with the soundtrack. The movie takes place in 1959 which is a great time for rock and roll. Secondly, I think I connected to the characters in this movie because I am going through a similar time in my life, the transition from college to the real world. It really is about the friendships that will last for the rest of your life. This group of friends formed a family. It is a casual but entertaining watch and if you are from Baltimore, I think it is a must-see!

Movie Review: War Horse

I finally put myself through the torture of Steven Spielberg’s new movie, War Horse. Let me first say, I cried as much as I expected. I almost feel bad because I feel like the film is not getting the right amount of attention because most people don’t want to put themselves through a film about a helpless animal.

I am always excited about any Spielberg production. When I read that Spielberg’s partner at Dreamworks, Stacey Snider heard about this play in London, the next day she hopped on a plane. It was a powerful story and Spielberg is one of the only directors to bring this remarkable story to the camera.

There are several reasons why I think people should see this movie. First, I was obsessed with the cinematography ranging from the countryside in London to the war scenes. Spielberg did an amazing job. I enjoyed the meticulous use of color, especially in the last scene and in the French countryside and the dark palate of the fighting scenes. 

The second reason why this is a must see film is that all the owners of Joey, the horse, were wonderful. There was only one scene that was extremely hard to watch, but other than that it was way more of an emotional journey. But the real reason is that it is just like Spielberg to truly show a part of history that was often overlooked. Many people are unaware of the use of horses during the First World War. I also believe that the WWI’s history gets buried by WWII. I felt that I was honoring those who served in WWI, both soldiers and horses, when I went to see this movie. Don’t be afraid of this movie, just bring some tissues.

Movie Review: Midnight in Paris

This past week I re-watched Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. I had seen it in early September and absolutely adored it; my second viewing confirmed my feelings. However, and this is why I love watching a movie a second or third time, I was able to pick up on aspects of the film I had previously missed. 

The film takes place in Paris, obviously, and stars Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams as a couple visiting Paris with McAdams’ character’s parents. The film follows Wilson’s character, Gil, as he struggles with his future by fixating on the past, and not the recent past. The story then takes a surprising turn as Gil is on an evening stroll he magically time travels back to the Paris in the 1920s. It is there where he meets numerous famous icons like, the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Picasso, Stein, and so on. 

My first viewing yielded two praises for Allen. The first is his cinematography, especially of such a beautiful city. I loved seeing the shots of Paris during the day, the night and the rain. The second is the overall meaning I took away from this movie. I think that each person takes away something different from a movie. For me, it was when Gil had a revelation by saying, “Yeah, that's what the present is. It's a little unsatisfying because life's a little unsatisfying.” Somehow with this standard Allen defeatist tone I took away something positive. As a history major I have always been enthralled in the past and often wished I lived in another time period, like Gil. I believe Gil realized that the only solution is to live in the present, be happy with the possibilities and always admire but not envy the past.

My second viewing allowed me to observe Allen’s writing tactics. I focused on the beginning dialogue among Gil (Wilson), Inez(McAdams), Paul(Sheen) and Carol(Arianda). I loved how Allen was able to make their dialogue seem like real-life and like it was not part of a script. I enjoyed both the scene at Versailles and at the wine tasting because both had typical dialogue and at the same time expressed the character’s personalities. The script was free from any Hollywood formula. I think it was the combination of great writing and acting.

I just adored this movie! I definitely would suggest it for your next movie night!

Pop Quiz

As part of my New Years resolution I have decided to keep up with this blog and write at least 2 posts a week. Unfortunately, I have a little bit of a family problem this week so my posts will be relatively short.

My Dad came across this quiz on the IMDB website and it is very hard. But, it is fun so give it a try!

Click here

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Recently, I have had mixed feelings about the over exaggerated hype of the Christmas season. I feel the true meaning of Christmas is lost in today’s commercialized and self-involved world. Not to mention, for the past 4 years I have spent the month of December cramming for college finals. This resulted in a lack of participation in Christmas festivities and some carelessness. Even when I attempted to enjoy the season I was always distracted. For example, last year my roommates and I visited the Yankee Candle Factory where we spent over two hours exploring the store. For the entire two hours I not only left my keys in my car in the parking lot but, I left my car running. If that’s not winning I don’t know what is. 

This year is the first time in that I have been home for the month of December. Being home allows me time to bake cookies, decorate the house and watch some of my favorite holiday movies. Without fail, certain holiday movies continue to inject me with the holiday spirit. The movies I watch at Christmas time make me thankful, grateful and joyful for my friends and family.

Below I have a list of my favorite holiday movies:

1.       The Santa Clause

2.       Elf

3.       A Christmas Story

4.       Love Actually

5.       White Christmas

6.       A Charlie Brown’s Christmas

7.       Santa Claus is Coming to Town

8.       Scrooged

9.       Santa and the Three Bears

10.   It’s a Wonderful Life

The Brits Have Done It Again!

Last Christmas, my family and I spent our entire Christmas vacation watching Foyles War which we quickly became obsessed with. I was introduced to a different style of cinema that I think is commonly used by British film. It is all about the importance of the pause. I noticed in Foyles War and in my new obsession, Downton Abbey the story unfolds slowly and intricately. For this type of cinema it is more about the plot than the fast paced high action film that is over seen in contemporary Hollywood cinema. British cinema emphasizes the value of the story, the talent of the actors and the combination of both elements to make a compelling, entertaining and captivating TV series.

Downton Abbey chronicles the numerous stories of both the family and servants of an early 1900s English manor. The first season starts the morning after the Titanic sinks and ends at the announcement of the First World War. I didn’t expect to become completely enthralled with this series but I couldn’t help myself. I adore all the characters and was impressed with all the actors. The best part of a TV series is that there is time to develop the characters and that is exactly how Downton Abbey presented itself. I found myself at times becoming too involved with each character that resulted in girlish squeals and gasps.

The drama at times can be extreme but it’s hard to resist the pull of the narrative. I truly enjoyed all the characters, even the secondary ones; it was a well casted series. Maggie Smith is a hoot and plays one of my favorite characters in the show. I highly recommend watching this series, and leave some time in your schedule because it is addicting!

I am now counting down the days until Season 2 premieres!

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