Three sentence movie reviews: Medicine for Melancholy


There were parts of this movie that were odd, went on a bit too long or were just awkward. But I found the main male character delightfully amusing (“‘preciate it” he said often at the beginning of the film, almost like a nervous tic, and that won me over) which partially made up for the somewhat flat female lead. If you are interested in views of San Francisco, or are intrigued by the “Before Sunrise” concept turn on its head, this is a movie for you.

And this too? Where DO you find the time?

Dishcloth #3
Dishcloth #3’s pattern had a lot of yarn overs and left twists which gave me ample opportunities to drop stitches, which I did often. At one point I was short six stitches, which resulted in my counting stitches as the end of the row more often. I think the next time I knit this pattern I will use markers to delineate where the transitions are supposed to be.

Three sentence movie reviews: Comedian


If not for the inclusion of Orny Adams–a steaming bundle of neurosis and uncertainty who was painful to watch–this would have been a much better movie. I understand the dramatic contrast between the seasoned pro and the up-and-coming comic could have been an interesting one, but Adams was so unlikable that I mostly just waited for him to go away. There were some interesting and also delightful moments, like Jerry Seinfeld telling the story of the Glen Miller band tromping through a slushy Iowa field, but I’m not sure it’s worth watching the entire movie to experience them.

Poem for December 2011: A Song in the Front Yard

Go to here to read this poem.

You also have the option to listen to the poem although I have to say that the recitation doesn’t do a lot to bring out the charm.
I chose this poem because it accurately captures the frustration I felt growing up and being “good” all the time. (Whether I was actually good or not is beside the point. I felt like I was good all the time and every treated me as if I was good all the time, thus, I was good all the time.) As an adult, it’s easy to see that “coming in at a quarter to nine–or even earlier–is a good thing, and perhaps hanging out with someone who sold a back gate is not the best company to choose. But there comes a time in childhood when a split seems to happen and there are suddenly the “bad” kids and the “good” kids. The bad kids might not really be bad, just testing rules to be cool or suffer from a lack of supervision. But the good kids can see the split and for me the longing to break rules and ignore the consequences was a strong one, even if it wasn’t often acted upon.

Three sentence movie reviews: Bright Star


Much like Paul Schneider(!)’s character I really didn’t get what John Keats saw in Fanny Brawne and so was befuddled for much of this movie, and thus missed tapping in to the star-crossed love. This was kind of slow, but I’m not really sorry I watched it. The director’s interviews at the end were nicely illuminating.

How did those 2011 resolutions go?

Well, it turns out I forgot one entirely. I was going to cook four different kinds of vegetables each week. That would explain why I had a separate “V” designation for chores accomplished (as compared to the “F” for anything to do with food. I did cook/prep a lot more vegetables early in the year and then less so the second half of the year.

I did do a very good job cooking food and not throwing out a lot of it. That list on the fridge I referenced in the resolution post did help a lot. I discarded the sheet at one point, but will bring it back. The notebook also helped and I have already purchased my notebook for 2012. I backslid a bit in November/December and ended up throwing out more food than I wanted. But overall this was a pretty good success.
Push ups. I still love them, but apparently not enough to really do them every day. Early in the year I did them pretty consistently and if I were in my mid-twenties, I would have been churning out my age. Alas, I am in my late thirties and didn’t ever reach that number. I think I pushed too hard at the beginning and ended up incredibly sore which was a deterrent.
Resolutions for 2012? I’m pondering them right now.

Best movies watched in 2011

The Annual Patricia Awards
I haven’t stopped to count how many movies I saw last year. Let us say there were 70. Here are my favorites (and not favorites):
Best series to watch and then immediately invite your MAunts over to watch it so you can watch it again:
Pride & Prejudice (1995)
The movie I over prepared for (read book, saw original) and found disappointing:
True Grit (Cohen Brothers)
Best documentary illuminating the selection process for a Broadway musical:
Every Little Step
Wonderful, delightful tale that managed to completely eviscerate me emotionally in the last five minutes:
The Illusionist
Best random pack of scary sisters I want someone to write a novel about:
The Fighter
Not a movie to watch when trying to wind down after a hard week:
and
Best movie that passed the Bechdel test:
Hannah
Movie that could have gone so wrong, but instead was so very right:
Source Code
Movie that spawned a personal film festival:
Fast Five
Bad, forgettable title (I just had to google it to remind myself what it was) with at least one incredibly funny scene and well developed characters:
and
Good romantic comedy your boyfriend will probably also enjoy:
Going the Distance
Best of the Vin Diesel Film Festival.
(I know! I was surprised too!)
XXX
Unfortunate example of how Hollywood completely erases strong female characters:
(which is ironic, really, because this movie got me started on the book series)
Gone Baby, Gone
Best movie to watch on your boyfriend’s birthday after bicycling many miles:
X-Men, First Class
Movie I enjoyed, but not as much as I thought I would:
and
Suffered, I think, from a long delay before the big monster reveal:
and
Most authentic (and hilarious) teenage boy dialogue:
Super 8
Best eye candy of the fashion variety:
Mad Men, Season I
The “man, why don’t they make more movies about wrestling?” award:
Win Win
My favorite of the superhero movie this year:
Captain America
The “Please avoid the movie and take the time to read the book. You won’t be sorry” award:
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Absolutely delightful
(even though I still am squeamish about Woody Allen):
Midnight in Paris
Happy sigh:
Babies
Pretty bad “last” movie, but with entertaining “bonus” interview with the costumer:
The Thing Called Love
The documentary where the “normal” people were more compelling than the celebrities:
and
Even if you just watch the “Will Shortz reads his mail” scene you will walk away happy:
WordPlay
“Old Fashioned” style movie I absolutely loved:
The Good German
The “two hours reading the book will be time better spent” award:
One Day
The movie that was seared onto my brain at age twelve:
Stand By Me
Funny movie we had no idea we would see:
Horrible Bosses
Excellent ensemble effort:
Contagion
Hit the nostalgia button hard:
Pearl Jam 20
Best horror movie concept of the year:
Attack the Block
Excellent acting, all around:
Margin Call
Best reason to start knitting again:
Heroes, Season 1
Well done movie that was very slow, darn it:
Hugo 3-D
Yet another interesting illumination into Broadway:
Life After Tomorrow
Movie that surprised me the most:
Being Elmo
Remake that surprised me the most:
and
A good reason to go into movies with an open mind:
Footloose (2011)
Movie with the most delightful little scenes sprinkled here and there:
The Descendants
Movie where my front teeth dried out because I was smiling so much:
The Muppets
Best movie about baseball and math this year
(and possibly ever):
Moneyball

Best books read in 2011

The annual Patricia Awards
(with 2011 being the year of the YA novel)
I read 101 books this year. I was hoping to read no more than 70 and completely failed. To be fair, there were a lot of YA novels, which are quick reads. There were also a goodly number of poetry and Shakespeare plays, which are also quick reads, but suffice to say I spent a lot of time reading this year. You needn’t read as many books as I did. Instead, take a gander at the following awards and pick (or avoid) a read for yourself.
(All original reviews of these books can be found on this blog or on Goodreads)
Darn Good Concept whose ending was unfortunately bungled:
Incarceron
Catherine Fisher
Best female character I’ve encountered in years:
and
Best series to spawn 100 discussions about a variety of topics:
and
Best book by an author with my last name:
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Best novel to include a hilarious musical theater scene:
and
Most memorable main character since Owen Meany:
Will Greyson Will Greyson
John Green & David Levithen
Best book to read during the holiday season:
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares
Rachel Cohen & David Levithen
Book I couldn’t convince anyone else to read due to odd subject matter, but that I (and the book group) absolutely loved:
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Muriel Barbery
Interesting portrait about one man overcoming (and succumbing to) his upbringing:
The Last American Man
Elizabeth Gilbert
An interesting idea, a gripping read, all capped off with two perfectly awful last chapters:
My Name is Memory
Ann Brashares
The classic novel I enjoyed much more than I thought I would:
Frankenstein
Mary Shelly
Sidesplittingly funny story of exactly what the title says:
The Absolutely True Dairy of a Part-Time Indian
Sherman Alexie
Good collection of poems about people and travel:
The Last Uncle
Linda Pastan
Interesting book (especially about the history of the science of diet and exercise) whose advice I would rather not follow:
Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It
Gary Taubes
The most delightful tales from anywhere this year:
Tales from Outer Suburbia
Shawn Tan
Parts 1 & 2 of what would have been an intense five part novel:
and
Most heartbreaking story of its creation:
Suite Francaise
Irene Nemirovsky
Biggest slog I should have just quit reading:
The House at Riverton
Kate Morton
Best set of poems to read when you need a bit of a laugh:
The HaHa
David Kirby
Most fun book written this year for Laura Ingalls Wilder fans:
The Wilder Life
Wendy McClure
A bit too long, with a completely unneeded side plot, but still a very good read:
The Hour I First Believed
Wally Lamb
Excellent magical realism and overall most cherished book read this year:
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
Aimee Bendar
Fun to read, if only for the Richard III as Rocky Horror Picture Show send-up:
The Eyere Affair
Jasper Fforde
Best reason to clear your schedule for a few days:
Freedom: A Novel
Jonathen Franzen
My two favorite British characters this year:
and
The kind of book where the five pages of setup is completely worth it for the joke’s payoff:
Freddy & Fredericka
Mark Halprin
Best languid description of landscape:
My Antonia
Willa Cather
Best audiobook to listen to while you wait out the insomnia:
A New Earth
Eckhard Tolle
Best intriguing plot and plot shift:
Silver Sparrow
Tayari Jones
Most delightful eleven-year-old of the year:
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Jacqueline Kelly
Especially good novel to read aloud with a partner:
One Day
David Nichols
A bright bit of fun for a cold night:
13 Little Blue Envelopes
Maureen Johnson
Book that I finished, but only so I could discuss it at book group:
100 Years of Solitude
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Best urban tale set in Canada:
Blink & Caution
Tim Wynne Jones
Book I found both heartbreaking and heartwarming:
A Place on Earth
Wendall Barry
Book I liked the best of the “Anne” series:
Anne’s House of Dreams
L.M. Montgomery
My favorite book read for the Mock Printz:
A Monster Calls
Patrick Ness/Siobhan Dowd
Incredible, wonderful, stupendous book…Until the last four words:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Laini Taylor
Best sci-fi historical fiction novel:
Kindred
Octavia E. Butler
Best “rough around the edges” memoir:
It’s So Easy & Other Lies
Duff McKeagan