I think I'm on overload...

...I may need to dance it out.

The nice thing about So You Think You Can Dance in the past has been that there is always a breather between seasons, and with the Canadian version wrapping up as the American one takes the stage again I'm finding it a little hard to concentrate on what's going on. Not having ever really been a fan of the reality genre, I've found that this is the one show that has kept me interested but if they keep this up....well they may lose me in the shuffle.

For visual stimulation, see below to watch the intro/photo shoot for the new top 20.

-enjoy!

Seriously Good...

Prior to hitting up the Cumberland last night I wasn't sold on the idea of going to see A Serious Man (the Coen Brothers new cinematic offering). The previews made it look as though it was going to be another film that you sit through in silence (with the odd uncomfortable chuckle) and end up appreciating later when you've had a chance to mull it over. Needless to say, after the whole Visage debacle at TIFF I was a little apprehensive about another "artsy" film-going experience so soon. But I have a friend to whom I promised last night's movie choice and thusly I found myself squished into a packed theatre in Yorkville, apprehensive but prepared for my movie-going experience.

I should have known better. After Fargo and No Country for Old Men there should have been no doubt in my mind that they could pull it off. And they did. The Coen brother's style and control effortless crafts the suburban nightmare of Larry Gopnik, middle-aged physics proffessor, into a thing of wonder and hilarity. Though it could easily have become predictable and sad as they piled misfortune after misfortune onto one man's shoulders, the Coens manage to avoid the obvious laugh and go for the slightly less commercial one, simultaneously cutting the tension and allowing us to sidestep the growing feeling of sympathy one begins to experience on Larry's behalf.

Now there is one thing about this movie that I didn't like, and it's really more of a criticism of myself than anything else. I don't speak Yiddish. I think if I did there were a lot more jokes (which our compatriots in the theatre were laughing at) that I could have enjoyed had I known more Yiddish than "Naches" (Joy) and "Goy" (non-jew). That said, if you have some time, check this movie out.

It's seriously worth it.

"You're just a boy in a dress..."

It is a time honoured fashion in Hollywood for famous male leads to take parts in which they dress in drag. In the past is has been alternately touching, funny, conversational and just plain fun. So when I found out that Ryan Reynolds is being tapped to don women's clothing in order to "win back his ex-girlfriend by befriending her" it got me thinking (and not just about how bad I think this film will be).

There have been many quality films working with this as their premise. I have put together a must-see list of gender bending film forays that I think everyone will enjoy. Each has a different aim or message but ultimately they all take a moment to make us examine ourselves (as any good film should).

So enjoy!


To Wong-Foo Thanks for everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
After Vida Boheme and Noxeema Jackson win a major New York drag contest and a trip to Hollywood, they are persuaded to take the inexperienced drag princess Chi-Chi with them. They hire a beat-up old Cadillac and set off for Los Angeles, but their car breaks down in a small town in the middle of nowhere. With just their wits and an endless supply of garish costumes, they transform the town and everyone who lives there--until homophobic cop Sheriff Dollard catches up with them...

Tootsie (1982)
Michael Dorsey is desperate; he can't find a job. That is, until he gets a female role in a soap opera and becomes very famous. Of course, nobody knows that this new television star is a man... But, after a while, he falls in love with the leading actress of the series, and here is the big problem: how can he express his feelings, since she thinks that Michael is a woman?

Some Like it Hot (1959)
Two struggling musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon) witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and try to find a way out of the city before they are found and killed by the mob. The only job that will pay their way is an all girl band so the two dress up as women. In addition to hiding, each has his own problems; One falls for another band member but can't tell her his gender, and the other has a rich suitor who will not take "No," for an answer.

...That's all for now but feel free to post your own suggestions!

A.K.A. The Pacifier: Redux

Shorties: quick and dirty reviews for fall

In a stroke of "what do you mean she's NOT chained to her desk?" I have been out and living my life of late and have thus negated my duties in completing reviews of the films I've seen. To that end-- and in hopes that you too are out experiencing the world and its many pleasures-- I have put together few short reviews so as not to take up too much time that you could be using effectively.

See! I'm being a good citizen who encourages her fellow to go outside. But first read on.

EXTRACT...
...was not what I was expecting it to be and I was quite pleasantly surprised. And you know what I was thinking. As soon as you see Ben Affleck's Jesus hair in the trailer you find yourself pushing aside images of your friends shoving chemical enhancement on you so you'll enjoy the movie as much as they do. That said, there IS certainly a scene of that magnitude but overall I found the movie went for the commercial laugh rather than the underlying stoner one (a la Pineapple Express). Plus, I really can't get enough of Kristin Wiig. I think I have another girl crush (those of you who read often will already know I have a thing for Sandra Bullock).

WHIP IT...whip it goood!
Ellen Page, Kristin Whigg (again!), Juliette Lewis and Drew Barrymore, with a special mention to Zoe Bell (for Kathy) and Eve (for Matt) come out swinging in this girl power commercial offering from first time director Barrymore. Although the roller derby scenes could have (in my opinion) been a little tighter and more action packed, Barrymore does a remarkable job of balancing the two aspects of the film: that of the young Bliss (Page) who is growing into a woman and that of the fledgling Hurl Scouts who have never won but are fighting Rocky-style for the top. While this is not the indie darling it could have been (especially with Page in the lead) the film does "legitimize" itself a little through its soundtrack, which is full of hipster tracks that will really make you feel you're unique. Is it commercial? Yes. Does it push boundaries? Less than you'd think, but it remains an enjoyable romp through an as yet commercially unexplored world. Did I ultimately come out wanting to know more about roller derby?

Hells yeah I did.

COCO AVANT CHANEL
Went to see this over the long weekend and frankly I was quite disappointed by the offering. Having been a huge fan of Audrey Tautou since the French darling Amelie swept her to mainstream stardom I really wanted to love this film but the pacing just killed me. The premise (for those who are unaware) is the life and times of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel before she hit it big as the designer who would create the now infamous fashion house. The problem being that a lot of her life prior to the designing wasn't particularly interesting. Certainly Chanel was an interesting person and as character studies go the film is constructed well but the slow pacing and the manner in which she is framed (which frankly isn't very sympathetic) caused me to wonder if it wasn't simply a representation of history. I have never found historical re-creations in themselves to be interesting...it has always been the questions raised and the tensions and obstacles met that compel me to sit through "another historical drama" as they say. For me this film fell flat, but there are others that I was with who appreciated the slow pacing. To each his (or her) own I suppose but if you're not a fan of the slowly paced, quiet character study...skip this one.

I'm sure there are more movies (and thus reviews) in my immediate future but for the moment I will leave you with this suggestion: it is the Shakespeare Festival at Stratford. GO!

That is all.