The White Countess

Since I'm so enamoured with When We Were Orphans (it is so so good) I have decided to rewatch

The White Countess and I loved it even more this second viewing. Perfect casting, perfect story, perfect writer and a very good film that seemed like it was made for me. Tears kept flowing and flowing..

Espion(s), Hot Ice - End, When We Were Orphans

Espion(s) is a very dull film. Considering its subject matter it should have been a thrill ride but no, I actually fell asleep in the last minutes and had to rewind and watch them again. This was not a good purchase.


I have finished Hot Ice which served its purpose and started When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro which of course is brilliant right from the beginning.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents Eps.6-7

Well these two were not as good as the first five I have seen (I actually fell asleep during Breakdown). That's all I'm going to say about them.

Straw Dogs (Remake), Rock of Ages, The Lucky One, Forbrydelsen Season II End, Alfred Hitchcock Presents Season One First Five Eps.,

Straw Dogs (Remake) This one was nowhere near as good as the original. I enjoyed it for different reasons. Alexander Skarsgaard was very good looking.

Rock of Ages This is a bad film. No other way to say it. I have watched it till the end though since I used to be a rocker (a rather tame one sure but I was)

The Lucky One This film was vanilla, totally vanilla. It produces some tears.


Forbrydelsen II was not as good as the first one but still I like Sarah Lund and the third season seems more promising.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents Season I  I have watched the first five episodes and they are good. Well I must be getting old since I turned to one of those people who like b&w old films a lot better.

Hot Ice is still going good. 

I Spit On Your Grave - Remake

After a night of exercise (having to take my deliveries from the central office of the delivery company) I have decided to watch

I Spit On Your Grave right away. First off I liked the original a lot better. This one looked as if to be made only for the shock value of how disgusting the revenge ends up being. And it was - even I, who is pretty much sanitised to on screen violence- had to look away at one scene. But gone are the thoughtful script, internal conflicts of the victim and the mindset of the perpetrators. They added an element of surprise that didn't carry a single element of suspense. All in all this was not a good purchase but at least I didn't fall asleep.


Meanwhile Hot Ice turned out to be an adventure romance (in the vein of films such as Romancing the Stone, Fool's Gold etc.) and it is not bad and I'm having a good read but it is not that impressive. But it is an old book where everyone smokes indoors and there is not one single mobile phone in sight which turned out to be one of its charms.

The Gallants, Native Speaker - End, Hot Ice

The Gallants  stayed away from this one for a long time despite the good reviews. I just didn't want to watch old men fighting and nostalgia etc. but in the end I have decided to give it a try (I'm in a bit of a dry spell, where nothing seems interesting anymore etc.) predictably I loved it. It has that certain HK film quirks and comedy which appeals to me and I loved the oldies and their fights were good too. I recommed (but do not expect any eye candy)

I have finally finished Native Speaker and even though it nicely escalated towards the end and I do love that I got almost all the Korean references it ended up not a book to my own heart. He is a good writer, it is a decent story but somehow we just didn't connect (by we I mean me as the reader and him as the writer).

So I'm planning to start on Hot Ice by Nora Roberts at my lunch break. Now in my visits to U.S.A I have seen that this lady is one of the writers who has most book on the shelves (of everytype of store). So when I have found one of her books at the secondhand book fair I didn't hesitate. I'm expecting light reading.

Leaves of Grass

Leaves of Grass - this one ended up being a pleasant surprise. I knew nothing about this one except that it starred Edward Norton as twin brothers and is directed by Tim Blake Nelson. Now I'm sympathetic towards him and I simply love Edward Norton so I have given this a try. And it ended up being on the same wavelength of thought as I'm. I wouldn't necessarily call it a good film but it worked for me. There were even moderate tears.

Friday Night Lights Season One- End, Forbrydelsen Season II Eps. 6, Martha May Marcie Marlene, Grey Skies, Return to House on Haunted Hill

Friday Night Lights ended with my tears, God I'm such an easy viewer to manipulate :) Anyway there were no surprised and I say goodbye to my fictional hubby coach Taylor with a light heart.

Forbrydelsen II occupied a quarter of my weeked with 5 episodes in a row and I was not bored throughout. I love Sarah Lund as a character but Season II is not as good as I. Just how many times she is going to be kicked out and brought back again? It is starting to lose its novelty.

Martha May Marcy Marlene is an USA indie that tells the story of a girl who has lived in a cult commune for two years and managed to get out but now has difficulties in fitting the regular life, understandably. The cult - commune was a place of many horrors but nothing is black and white since there were some good things there and she had some good times too. But even when she is exposed to some of the horrors, she somehow managed to keep going, and finally had her limit with murder. It is a thoughtful film with a clean cinematography that I liked, and all in all, it was a rewarding viewing.

Grey Skies this is stupid film. A waste of my time. For some reason I kept watching waiting for it to get better but it never did  (I need to stop wasting my time with these)

Return to House on Haunted Hill is also not a good film but at least it was entertaining. It starred that researcher girl from The Mentalist (what happened to that show?).

Native Speaker continues to be the type of book that I have a good time reading but doesn't really stay with me other times.

Friday Night Lights Eps.18, A Theater of Love - End, Native Speaker,

Friday Night Lights continue to entertain me. I think I'll have slight withdrawal symptoms but not enough to order the continuing seasons.

I'm afraid Jason's heart will break, this time not by Leila but by not making the quad football team to go to Beijing. They made such a point of it that I think this dream will crash and burn. On the bright side Leila and he finally managed to have sex and are very happy together.

The Coach continues to be amazing (even his name is amazing, Eric - sigh) and meet each challenge with the right attitude. God I love this man, ideal husband - who doesn't exist in real life. He actually reminds me a bit of a Texan Steve Carella (yet another fictional great husband).

I have finished A Theater of Love and it was good to the last drop. This book has only one other novella left in it.

Meanwhile I have started Native Speaker written by Lee Chang Rae. It turned out to be a very good novel although I'm not in love with it -yet.

Friday Night Lights Eps. 14, A Demon In My View -End, A Theater of Love

Last night I have watched all 5 episodes of Friday Night Lights. Again I'm not in love with it but I like it well enough not to fall asleep and I like how the people are depicted flaws and all (both thematically and visually).
Jason is having a better time (well as best as one can in his situation) now that he has made up with Leila and can focus on his future. I like how eager he was to get married, in need of security and proving that he is worthy of love. I also liked how Herc adviced him on not to make 'the noble sacrifice' and how Jason listened to him. Now if the law suit could be handled in a way that is good for both sides...

I like the Coach which is no surprise because he is a character designed to appeal to both men and women. He is tough but fair to his footballers, he is easy to get along with but knows when to show his teeth with the town's people, he is enlightened enough to understand that the law suit is nothing personal and he is a great husband who listens to and acts upon his wife's advice. He is a good father and he is also very easy on the eyes. What's not to love?

I have finished A Demon in My View and the ending was something I expected (a long time reader of Ruth Rendell) but I'm not complaining since it is yet another winner of a book as far as I'm concerned.

Now as usual I have gone to the opposite direction and started Barbara Cartland's A Theater of Love and now I understand that maybe I shouldn't have read so many of her novels as a kid (I really was a kid 7-8 years old) she has ruined regular men for me. Her male characters are so so good. And this Duke (isn't it almost always a Duke) is wonderful in everyway. Besides, his first name is Sheldon :)

Blind Date, Like Crazy, Friday Night Lights Season 1 Eps. 9, Forbrydelsen Season I - End & Beginning of Season 2, Sing You Home - End, A Demon In My View

Well, I have to start somewhere so

Sing You Home - another winner from Judi Picoult. I loved right to the very end (unexpected tears flowed).

A Demon in My View written by my favorite Ruth Rendell is very good. I love her writing style and the way she describes things. Apparently there is an unexpected ending but I'm not holding my breath for it. As usual when the comes to Rendell I love the journey more than the destination.


Blind Date - this cute little rom com entertained me and I have a good time watching it (tears).


Like Crazy - this one was pretty much pointless. I don't know why I have stuck with it (probably because Jeniffer Lawrence - who was so very good in Winter's Bone was in a small role)

I have finally opened up my long awaiting Friday Night Lights dvd. I get why people like it so much but I'm not totally enamoured with it the way a lot of people are. I'm enjoying the first season very much though. To no one's surprise Jason Street is the guy I like best (I like this actor too, the first time I remember watching him was in The Good Wife) but the coach is kind of cute too. Anyway I like how American the whole thing is and despite the fact that almost all leads look way older than the high school extras, there is a sense of reality to it (probably because of the cinematography).

My recent TV show crush though is Danish Forbrydelsen. I loved loved loved Season 1 to bits and have only watched the first episode of season 2 but completely hooked anyway. Sarah Lund is a great character and I think Danish actors are very good looking but in a real, non plastic way.

Agneepath (Remake), Sing You Home

Agneepath remake turned out to be better than I expected. Hrithik Roshan, despite looking saggy and worn out - in the face-, was the right choice for the film. He had good chemistry with Sanjay Dut who played the arch villain Kancha and with Rishi Kapoor who played the minor villain Rauf Lala. Revenge stories usually appeal to me and this one was good in that regard and I liked the visual sensibilities even though they were a bit in your face, they still looked good and more importantly served the story.

Acting was better than I expected, Rishi Kapoor is my all time fave on screen Kapoor and he was easily the best in the cast. Munnabhai is the only time I care to watch Sanjay Dutt on screen but he was decent as the villain and hammed it up just at the right dose. Hrithik Roshan also hammed it up, yep flaring nostrils, screaming to the heavens etc. were all there but they were also mixed with sweet, understated Hrithik of Zoya Akthar films and to be honest the film required the ham and Hrithik has a way of coming off as completely sincere in this type of grand scale Bollywood production, which is all one needs in the end.

Now comes the weak link, Priyanka Chopra. The woman tries but to watch her try was almost painful this time since everything she did was a miss. I could practically hear the director's directions as she ploughed through. And there are things that can generate fake tears right? Why not use them if you can't produce real ones. Also I think she needs another rhinoplasty since that nose started to slant to one side.

Now of the item number, yeah Katrina is not Malaika nor Bipasha and I can't call her a good dancer but she has the moves, she has the eyes and she has the panache. Is it one of the best item numbers ever? Of course not. Did I watch it again after the film ended? Yes.

One last thing, I love you Abhishek and you are the start of my heart but as a viewer I'm grateful that the lead role didn't go to you.

And I have started Jodi Picoult novel Sing You Home and even though the plot seems ridicilous when you read it, she somehow managed to make it work and I'm loving it so far.

Talaash

Talaash surpassed my expectations. As a spoilerphobe I have stayed away from everything about the film and very pleasantly surprised. Expecting a decent whodunnit police procedural I have found a sensitive film about dealing with the loss of a loved one, guilt and as a side story with the life that has been given to you, trying to find a way out. I saw the twist early into the film (well anyone who has watched Sixth Sense probably did) but it didn't take away from anything since I was very much the viewer the whole time. Viewing how a couple tries to go on, how a man is consumed with guilt and filled with what ifs (I like the simple but effective directorial choise in depicting this) the man who everyone thinks a fool using all this intelligence to live a better life - and the women one not only lost a child but also losing her life partner, the other after a revenge that will finally set her free.
All these stories worked for me and I like each character in her/his own way. The performances were all so so good that I forgot I was watching Rani, Kareena, Amir and Nawazuddin. All in all was very satisfied as a viewer.

There were some small faults of course such as overexposition in dialogue, the awkward product placement but they didn't bother me since I like the rest so much.

Meanwhile there is very little left of The Diving Pool and I liked it enough to seek out other novels of this writer.

Moll Flanders - End, The Diving Pool

Moll Flanders ended nicely and I'm glad that I have not given up on it.

Now I have started reading The Diving Pool written by Yoko Ogawa, the book includes three novellas and it starts with The Diving Pool which is so far so good. I do like Japanese prose.

The Twilight Samurai

The Twilight Samurai got me as much as it did in the first viewing. The story so good, Seibei is so much like a man I'd have been very happy with... This was a good viewing altogether.


Meanwhile Moll Flanders has gone too deep into the world of crime and despite the fact that she is not a very likable character I somehow want her to be able to get away from everything and be happy for whatever years left to her. I guess this is the power of a good storyteller. The oddest thing about the edition I have is that there are no chapters... Curious whether this is intentional or just one of the many printing mistakes the edition has (this is a purchase from the second hand book fair)

The Help, The Descendants, Winter's Bone, Live Flesh

The Help Well it is as good as the novel (that is not really a compliment). It is the sort of story you just know written to manipulate you and the film goes along with that line. I fell for it of course and cried my heart out.

The Descendants Now this one was better. I really like this director, Mr.Alexander Payne (loved his Sideways) and this one was very good. The thing I love was how well they showed Hawaii, not as a travel brochure but it seemed very close to how I saw and loved the place. Kudos. I didn't like George Clooney as the lead because I can't seem to warm up to the man for some reason. Also who'd believe that a person would choose Matthew Lilliard over George Clooney? It just didn't make sense. I think the film would have been better if Lilliard would be in the lead role and George Clooney in Lilliard's role. But I like the film and its ending very much.

Winter's Bone now this one was favorite among the films I have seen this weekend. It is a horrible story going on in a horrible world (among illegal drug manufacturers in rural Minnesota) but it is very well acted (Jennifer Lawrence made me like her in this role) and filmed. Everything looked real and I was very much into it. I liked this ending of this one too.

Live Flesh I think this is my third viewing and I just didn't like it as much. Now I love Francesca Neri because I think she is very naturally pretty and she is a decent actor too but she just didn't fit well into an Almodovar film. No wonder he never worked with her again. Same goes for Javier Bardem, he is a good actor but that role was not sympathetic.. I liked the secondary actors much better in this one and cannot honestly call it one of my favorite Almodovar films anymore.

Still reading Moll Flanders and she is still being naughty.