two lovers, 2 days....

…not me, you sillies!

within the past few days, i’ve watched two movies that i borrowed from the library:

two lovers

(source)

and

2 days in paris

(source)

yes, i just picked the letter “t” section, and fingered through the options til i happened upon these selections [tangent: don't you hate when you know you want to rent a movie but you wander aimlessly thru the aisles for ages on end, until you finally make a decision? ugh. such a drag!]. luckily, i found my movies within a couple of minutes, this time. (honestly, i didn’t realize how funny the titles sound when you put them together until i saw the dvd cases side-by-side; then i just couldn’t resist today’s blog heading!).

the library is a treasure-trove! sure, the options are not as extensive as at blockbuster, say, but you can find film classics, tv series, indy releases…and all for free! i also like that you borrow the movies for a week at a time. this is good, as i could spread out movie-viewing over a couple of evenings, if i so wished.

ok, back to the movies…

each of these films played at the princess when they were released, but i never got over to see them on the big screen. physically seeing the titles, reminded me they had been on my “to see” radar.

two lovers was disappointing. the movie was a bit too slow-paced for my liking, and the cinematography was very dark, sombre. i did like that the story revolved around people – my favourite type of movie. i really enjoyed that gwyneth paltrow’s character (michelle) was messed up emotionally, and was a bit of a whack job – she seems so prissy and perfect in real life. i also really liked the interplay between leonard (joachin phoenix) and his parents – their complex relationship was realistically depicted. while the storyline is nothing new (love triangle), i couldn’t guess how the movie would end. so, this movie viewing experience wasn’t a total flop, but i can’t enthusiastically recommend it to you. most guys would definitely be not so interested (except for the scene where gwyneth exposes a bare tata – that’ll rouse them!).

rating: ** (two stars)

2 days in paris, on the other hand, was highly amusing, and the type of movie i adore!

julie delpy wrote, directed, and stars in this relationship drama. who else does all that? yup – woody allen. and this film will remind you of his style, for sure, with the hand-held camera work/filming technique, character and dialogue-focussed storyline, that ad-lib style of conversation, as well as the voice-over narrative.

two stand-out actors: marion (julie delpy)’s father – what a character! his lines steal every scene. and the male protagonist, jack (adam goldberg) is rock-solid as the paranoid, hypochondriac boyfriend.

the film bounces back and forth between english and french dialogue (with english subtitles when french is spoken). listening to parisian french is just music to my ears. since my uni degree is in french (a very rusty skill, nowadays), i enjoyed hearing the french dialogue, then reading the subtitles and seeing how closely the translation matches. from what i know of french culture, the film does a wonderful job of subtly conveying parisian culture, and the xenophobic mindset which the french are stereotypically known for.

i laughed out loud so many times during the film! but, this movie is also about relationships – it’s a drama as well as a comedy. sometimes the subject matter was quite …liberated and free, if you catch my drift – as is the french way.

i loved the movie – until the final five minutes. i recommend it if you a) are a woody allen fan b) don’t mind “reading” a movie c) like relationship dramas (this one is too indy to dub a “chic flick”).

rating: *** (three stars)

did you see any movies or tv shows this weekend? friday eve i watched the new jersey shore!! (season 4, episode 1). it was a total hoot! i’ve missed these kids! jwoww is kind of freaking me out with her new look, though. funniest scene: snooki driving standard. memories!

~*~*~*~*~

31 FLAVOURS OF AUGUST

7/31

treat: banana popsicle

price: $0.79

rating: ** (two stars)

tasting notes: i was feeling a little caked-out after saturday’s party. plus, it was at about a zillion degrees of humidity, yesterday. there are only two acceptable flavours of popsicles: banana and chocolate. i chose banana! it’s funny that i don’t really like bananas as a fruit, but i love banana popsicles! i picked banana over chocolate because i was also a little chocolate-d out!

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