R.I.P. Lylas Filson

Today at approximately 5:15 p.m., my beloved grandmother Lylas Filson passed away. She had gotten sick about a week and a half prior. The doctors are still not sure what her illness originally was, as she had decided after two days of tests, medications, MRI's, etc, and the onset of pneumonia, that she wanted to go. She went on her terms and I'm grateful for that. I was able to spend time with her in her last days and let her know that I love her and said good-bye. I also asked her to give my father a hug and a kiss for me and tell him I love him when she saw him (he passed when I was 12) and she said she would.

My grandmother was the all-powerful matriarch of the Filson family survived by my grandfather, Russ, my aunt Andrea, my uncles Brett, Geoff and Neil and a whole bunch of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My grandparents had celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last summer receiving letters of congratulations from the Queen, the Prime Minister, the Governor-General and a whole schwack of other people. My grandparents had lived in Regina for many, many years and are well-known and liked in the community. We couldn't go anywhere in town without them bumping into at least a few people they knew. Active within her church and the curling community, she will be greatly missed by many.

I have so many great memories with her and my habit of taking in matinees started with her. In the summer when I was younger, she used to take me to see a movie in the afternoon and then out for gelato afterwards. She was also very supportive of my academic and artistic pursuits. I love her dearly and will miss her very much. I am also grateful that she was able to go on her terms and that she is no longer in pain.

Apologies because there may not be a new post until later on in the week as I will be busy with other stuff.

DVD Quote of the Day: The Jerk

One of my fellow cinephiles has informed me that I'm a jerk because I've never seen The Jerk. So, I picked up the Steven Martin: The Wild and Crazy Comedy Collection box set from Walmart, which includes The Jerk, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid and The Lonely Guy. I think I've just fallen in love all over again with Steve Martin (L.A. Story has always been one of my faves).


Directed by Carl Reiner, Steve Martin (who also co-wrote the story) stars as Navin R. Johnson, a kind of imbecile adopted and raised by a black family ("I was born a poor, black child"). Navin has never felt like he really fits in with the rest of the family and decides to see the world, starting with St. Louis. He gets a job there at a gas station working for Mr. Hartounian (Jackie Mason), then moves on to become a carny where he discovers what his "special purpose" is for. There, he meets and falls in love with Marie (Bernadette Peters, who's actually a hot little disco dancer). He also finds out he's a sudden millionaire. Hilarity ensues.


Steve Martin is quite the hottie in this film. It is very, very funny and unlike most comedies, the humour is unexpected and you can't see the joke and plot coming a mile away. I have no clue how I haven't seen it before now, but I'm sure glad I did. It's embarrassing for a Steve Martin fan to admit. Unfortunately, the DVD special features are minimal with a small "learn how to play 'You belong to me' on the ukelele" featurette (which may be fun if you actually own a ukelele) and a few minutes of an extended "atrocities" that the Father has shown Navin on film. There are sooooo many funny quotes that it's hard to settle on just one. From the part where Navin sends a letter home after losing his virginity......

Grandma: (reading letter) My dear family, guess what. Today I found out what my special purpose is for. Gosh what a great time I had. I wish the whole family could have been here with me. Maybe some other time as I intend to do this a lot. Every chance I get. I think next week I'll be able to send some more money as I may have extra work. My friend Patty promised me a blow job. Your loving son, Navin. (stops reading) And he's got the kisses here.
Father: That Patty must be a sweet girl.
Mother: God bless her.

So I've seen the movie and I'm no longer a jerk (happy now?)

More ramblings to come.....

Music and Lyrics

I got a chance to see Music and Lyrics this afternoon. I've been looking forward to this because of my girl Drew. What a cute movie.

Written and directed by Marc Lawrence (writer of Miss Congeniality and writer/director of Two Weeks Notice), the film is about washed up 80's pop star Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) still coasting on his old pop star glory while his partner went on to become a big solo star (think Andrew Ridgeley from Wham while George Micheal went on to become....well, George Michael). He plays the nostalgia circuit at state fairs, amusement parks and has been offered a spot on a new show called "Battle of the 80's Has-Beens". Current pop star Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), who is kind of a Shakira/Britney character, is auditioning has-been pop stars to write her a new song. Alex is thrilled at getting a chance to become relevant again, the only problem being that Alex can write music, but isn't so good at lyrics. Enter Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore) who is filling in for Alex's regular plant-waterer. Sophie inadvertently blurts out some lyrics to music Alex is composing, causing Alex to chase her and convince her to help him write the song.


In the process of composing and writing songs, Alex and Sophie get to know each other better and discover they have both been stuck and afraid to do the things they want to do. They also develop feelings for each other and help push the other one to do better. It's a typical romantic comedy that follows the same map as other rom coms, boy meets girl, boy and girl start to like each other, boy does something stupid to fuck it up, boy has to win girl back before she moves away. It is a typical rom com, but an entertaining one. Grant and Barrymore are so cute together, especially when they bicker. Of course, as in other films of this genre, the ones close to the main characters add flavour and humour to the film. In this case it's Alex's manager, Chris (Brad Garrett) and Sophie's big sister, Rhonda (Kristen Johnston, who is hilarious in this film). I would have liked to have seen the conflict that keeps Alex and Sophie apart a little more drawn out.


The 80's video for Pop!'s "Pop Goes My Heart" song is the funniest part of the film, and they sure had the look and moves down. I was surprised to see that this is the first and only credit on Haley Bennett's IMDB page, as she is really, really good as the ditzy pop star. The songs in the film are also very catchy and still in my head. Overall, it's a very cute movie and worth checking out.

Music and Lyrics
7/10
Recommended:....if you like romantic comedies, Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, or are in the mood for a light comedy.
Best line: Sophie (On discussing the difference between music and lyrics): The melody is like the initial attraction, like sex. But the lyrics are their story.

More ramblings to come......

Happy Singles Awareness Day

To celebrate Valentine's Day (ugh), I decided to dedicate a post to anti-Valentines flicks. You know, good movies to watch after a break up or when you just want to gag from all the heart and flowers crap and sappy chick flick displays clogging up the aisles at your favourite stores. Below are my list of recommendations for anti-Valentine's flicks. This is for you, Dave....

Swingers

I discovered this film last week. I believe movies, like people, are meant to come into your life at a certain point for whatever reason. Jon Favreau (writer and stars as Mikey) wrote this film based on his experience moving from NY to LA after a break up and his struggle to get over it. Directed by Doug Liman, Doug wanted to cast Favreau and his friends Vince Vaughn and Ron Livingston, but the studios wouldn't fund it. They financed it independently. It was rejected from Sundance, so they held a screening for distributors and it took off from there. The film launched the careers of Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Jon Favreau and Doug Liman.

This is a great anti-V-Day movie because it focuses on Mike (Favreau) and his depression six months after his long term relationship ends. She has moved on with someone else and he is getting used to a new city, feeling down and having trouble moving forward. There are a few great scenes between Mike and his friend Rob (Livingston), who has gotten over the slump Mike is in now. His friend Trent (Vaughn) tries to cheer him up by taking him to Vegas and when they go back to LA, they hit the neo-lounge scene with their friends Sue (Patrick Van Horn), Rob and Charles (Alex Desert). The guys all try to encourage Mike to meet women and get back into the dating scene. Mikey, after a few false starts, finally meets a girl who he connects with and finds they share some things in common. I don't think the couple formation at the end is solid or the important part of the movie. It's that yes, things are crappy for awhile, but they will get better....and probably when you least expect it. Keep hope alive.

Best exchange in the movie between Rob and Mikey, when Mikey is asking Rob how long it will take to get over the pain......

Mikey: How did you get over it? I mean, how long did it take?
Rob: I don't know. Sometimes it still hurts. You know how it is, man, it's like, you wake up every day and it hurts a little bit less and then you wake up one day and it doesn't hurt at all. And the funny thing is, this is kinda weird, it's like, it's like you almost miss that pain.
Mikey: You miss the pain?
Rob: Ya, for the same reason that you miss her. Because you, you lived with it for so long.

High Fidelity

I loves me some John Cusack. Based on a novel by Nick Hornby, this flick is another great anti-V-Day movie because Rob Gordon (John Cusack), a music geek, is going through a break up with his girlfriend. Rob, a chronic list maker, recounts his top five worst break ups, then confronts those women to find out why it didn't work. His misery is excellent and is amped by his two socially inept employees Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso). He still wants to make it work with Laura (Iben Hjejle). Rob is forced to look at his past and behavior find out why he can't seem to make his relationships work. To be honest, I haven't seen it in awhile, but may revisit it in the near future. Lots of great lines, but I will go with this one......

Rob: I can see now I never really committed to Laura. I always had one foot out the door, and that prevented me from doing a lot of things, like thinking about my future and... I guess it made more sense to commit to nothing, keep my options open. And that's suicide. By tiny, tiny increments.

Under the Tuscan Sun

This is a great break up/anti-VDay movie for women. Starring the beautiful Diane Lane as Frances, a fiction writer and critic who discovers her husband is cheating on her and wants a divorce. Based on a novel by Audrey Wells, Frances goes to Tuscany for a vacation to get her mind off her divorce (at the insistence of her friends). She decides quite spontaneously to buy a villa in Tuscany and live there. She starts over in a new country all on her own. What's great about this movie is that it doesn't feed into that whole "he was a jerk, here comes a great, charming too good to be true guy to show that great woman there are great guys out there" crap usually found in those movies. As a matter of fact, there are some false leads in this film regarding romantic interests. What's even greater is that as she is still hurting from her divorce, makes a small list of things she would like and thinks she has to meet a man before she can get them. One of her friends, later on, points out to her that she has them all, and didn't need a man to make it complete. It's a great movie that makes me want to go on a gay tour of Tuscany. One of the best exchanges in the film......

Frances: Do you know the most surprising thing about divorce? It doesn't actually kill you. Like a bullet to the heart or a head-on car wreck. It should. When someone you've promised to cherish till death do you part says "I never loved you," it should kill you instantly. You shouldn't have to wake up day after day after that, trying to understand how in the world you didn't know. The light just never went on, you know. I must have known, of course, but I was too scared to see the truth. Then fear just makes you so stupid.
Martini: No, it's not stupid, Signora Mayes. L'amore e cieco.
Frances: Oh, love is blind. Yeah, we have that saying too.
Martini: Everybody has that saying because it's true everywhere.

Sliding Doors

This is a great movie and one I intended to purchase for Valentine's Day. Starring Gwyneth Paltrow as Helen Quilley, a woman who is involved in a long term relationship with a free-loading, cheating boyfriend, Gerry (John Lynch). This film is unique in that we see two parallel stories involving Helen. One story happens when Helen gets fired and catches the train home early to catch Gerry mid-tryst with Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn). She leaves Gerry and moves in with her kick ass friend, Anna (Zara Turner) and begins to build a new life for herself. The other story is what happens when Helen gets fired and doesn't catch the train home early. She just misses Lydia and doesn't know Gerry is fooling around on her, although she suspects something is up. John Hannah is the ultra charming and righteous James that Helen meets in the first story. The two stories jump back and forth and Peter Howitt (writer and director) does a great job in making clear which story is which and seeing what is happening in each story at any given time.

What's great about this movie and what makes it a good break up movie, is that it clearly demonstrates that it's better to be alone, hurt and slowly recovering from the pain than in a relationship with mistrust, suspicion, fighting and unhappiness. I normally hate the couple formation in these movies (I truly believe you need time alone before moving on), but James is too fucking cute, charming and funny. Yes, walking in on Jerry with another woman hurt, but is it better not to know and always suspect, never really being sure whether something is going on and thinking you may be crazy, or to get really hurt and know for sure and start moving ahead? Did that last sentence make any sense at all? In any case, I recommend it if you haven't seen it.

Helen: (flipping through the paper) Bollocks to him. I'm over him.
Anna: (skeptically) Oh. You're over him.
Helen: Yes. Totally and utterly and completely over him.
Anna: No you're not.
Helen: I am.
Anna: You're not.
Helen: Anna, I'm over him! What do you mean I'm not? How do you know I'm not?
Anna: Well, two things really. One, you're still counting how long you've been apart in days - and probably hours and minutes - but the big-flashing-red-light way of telling you're not really over someone is when you're still reading their horoscope in the hope that they're going to get wiped out in some freak napalming incident.

Upon googling "break up movies", I stumbled across this page on www.eFilmCritic.com with even more suggestions for good break up movies.....I'll have to check some of those out....

Happy Valentine's Day.....more ramblings to come......

Quickie Reviews

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

I'm probably one of twelve people who didn't see this in its original theatrical release. I assumed it was juvenile bathroom type humour, so wasn't much interested in seeing it. However, it was nominated for a Best Comedy or Musical Golden Globe and is nominated for a Best Writing-Adapted Screenplay Academy Award, so I thought there must be more to it. It is hilarious and embarrassing to watch at the same time. Sascha Baron Cohen writes and stars as Borat, a character he created for his Da Ali G Show.

The premise is Borat is Kazakhstan's representative to discover and document America's culture to bring back to Kazakhstan to civilize their culture. While Borat is in America, meeting with various cultural experts (humour coaches, etiquette experts), he discovers Baywatch and falls in love with Pamela Anderson. He decides to travel across the country from New York City to California to marry Pamela. Along the way Borat meets many people like angry New Yorkers, southern sophisticates, drunken frat boys, rodeo cowboys, and many more. It is embarrassing to watch because Borat is able to draw out the ignorance in people and make it funny. There are some lawsuits because of it, because apparently, those people don't like their ignorance shown to the rest of the world. The trivia section of this movie on IMDB says that the police were called 91 times on Sascha Baron Cohen during the filming of this movie. Funny stuff.

Stranger than Fiction

I got a chance to see this at a matinee last week. I usually love Will Ferrell's work. He was good and so was Emma Thompson, as well as Dustin Hoffman. However, I just couldn't get lost in it, which should have been easy considering there was only one other person in the theater. Ferrell stars as Harold Crick who begins to hear a woman's voice (Thompson) in his head narrating his life. He panics after he hears her say he would die and tries to find the author to convince her not to kill him. Harold is an IRS auditor who meets and falls for one of his auditees, Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal). It's a cute story with some funny moments, but it was just okay. Ever see a movie where it was alright, but it just didn't quite click for you, but you can't put your finger on what didn't work? This is one of those.

More ramblings to come.....

Pan's Labyrinth

I got a chance to take in Pan's Labyrinth tonight. Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, this is Mexico's Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award nomination. I have been hearing rave reviews about it and have been looking forward to seeing it.

The film is a strange mix of historical drama and fantasy, with some family drama thrown in, but somehow, it all works. The film begins with a voice over narration, and since I will never be able to do it justice, I shall quote straight from the film...."A long time ago, in the underground realm, where there are no lies or pain, there lived a Princess who dreamed of the human world. She dreamed of blue skies, soft breeze, and sunshine. One day, eluding her keepers, the Princess escaped. Once outside, the brightness blinded her and erased every trace of the past from her memory. She forgot who she was and where she came from. Her body suffered cold, sickness, and pain. Eventually, she died. However, her father, the King, always knew that the Princess' soul would return, perhaps in another body, in another place, at another time. And he would wait for her, until he drew his last breath, until the world stopped turning... " The next scene is in northern Spain in 1944, shortly after Franco's victory. A young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) travels with her pregnant mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil) to meet her mother's new husband, the facist Capitan Vidal (Sergi Lopez). Ofelia tells fantastical fairy tales to her unborn brother to calm him down. Ofelia is not very happy in her new home. Her stepfather is a vicious, ruthless killer and ruler, and her mother has fallen ill and is confined to bed rest.


Ofelia is visited by a fairy who beckons her to follow to a labyrinth on the grounds of her new home. She follows the fairy and meets a faun (Doug Jones) who tells her she is a princess from the underworld and he is to help her get back home. She is given a book and told that she has three tasks to perform before the next full moon in order to open the portal to the underworld.

The historical drama part of the film has Ofelia befriending Mercedes (Maribel Verdu), the head of the domestic duties of the household. Mercedes works for the Capitan, but she is also helping the Resistance soldiers on the sly. She is aided by Dr. Ferreiro (Alex Angulo), who is staying at the house to help Carmen. They are encouraged hearing reports that Allied forces are closing in.


I really don't want to give too much away, as the film is so compelling to watch. The two genres of historical drama and fantasy work very well together and seamlessly go back and forth without any jarring disbelief in either plot. A film hasn't drawn me in like this one in a long while. However, it can be rather graphically violent in parts, so be warned that it is disturbing at times. I hesitate to say all that I have, as it might be better to go in knowing as little as possible.

Pan's Labyrinth
8.5/10
Highly Recommended....especially if you love fantasy movies and are sick of the films Hollywood's been churning out lately.
Best line.....can't give it away or I'd ruin an important plot point.

More ramblings to come......