"A Weed By Any Other Name is Still a Weed."

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My hubster and I had a very cozy weekend with movies, blankets and soup. One of the movies that we watched was Gnomeo and Juliet. It was absolutely adorable! I was bit concerned how they would translate the original story line for the kiddos. I thought they did a great job. It kept true to the original story as much as possible with allowing for a happy ending for the wee ones. Overall, I enjoyed how Juliet is such a strong female lead. It's been really refreshing to see animated female characters who are sassy and strong. 

Lately, We've Watched...

 

 

 

 

All By Chance

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"I get emotional about what these children can have. When you watch these parents at the protest, you want to grab them and say to them, 'Remember when you were a child. You wanted to be an astronaut, a scientist, or president of the United States.' And you couldn't because no one taught you which direction to go there. So, wanting to be an astronaut seemed as faraway as the moon, which it's really not that far but no one told you that. And you just don't want to see anyone else miss out because no one told them that they could have it."

- Karl Willingham, Harlem Success Parent

A Few Movies We Like

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Happy 226th Birthday, John James Audubon!

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A few months ago, we watched a wonderfully intriguing documentary about John James Audubon called John James Audubon: Drawn from Nature.

"A Woman Who Cuts Her Hair Is About To Change Her Life."

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As part of our v-day celebration, we watched Coco Before Chanel. The landscapes and the shots are gorgeous. The vast picturesque shots remind me of Pride and Prejudice (the version with Kiera Knightly). The characters are interesting but not too complicated. I've adored Audrey Tautou ever since Amelie and He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. I've even watched A Very Long Engagement. It's always refreshing to watch a movie about a woman who is a strong willed, free thinker. More than ever, I'm jonesing for my blue striped French fisherman's shirt.

"Our Dreams, They Feel Real When We're In Them Right?"

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We finally watched Inception at home. My hubster had been eagerly waiting to watch it. My thoughts? The plot was interesting. The graphics were engaging. I think the shortfall comes with the characters. I couldn't find myself investing any emotion in any them. Usually, we're emotionally invested in characters enough to carry us through a movie or a book. Perhaps, they just weren't my kind of characters. With that said, trying to figure out the ending is definitely worth watching the movie.

"Oh Yes. My Pinkie Promises."

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Last summer, my friend Mark kept posting on FB how many times he watched Despicable Me. All I could think of was, "Wow! It must be so good!" We finally watched it this weekend. It was absolutely adorable. Pharrell did a great job with the theme song, which makes it a bit more grown-up. The minions totally steal each scene. The plot is sweet without being over-the-top-cavity-inducing sweet.

"There's No One Like Thierry..."

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I couldn't sleep last night. Luckily, I stumbled across Exit Through the Gift Shop. I loved it as much as I loved Planet B-Boy. I heart Banksy and street art. It really shows that Banksy's cleverness extends beyond the street art that he's best known for.

Paris

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From I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown

Little Girl: I'm tired of all this kindergarten stuff. 

Rerun: Why don't we run away to Paris? If we got on a plane at midnight, we could be in Paris tomorrow. 

Little Girl: Do you have any money?

Rerun: I have 50 cents. Maybe, we can get upgraded to business class. 

"I Love You, Bro Montana"

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I Love You, Man was totally adorable. Not quite sure how I can make that sound more manly. It was refreshing to see a man romantic comedy. It wasn't overly sentimental. It has the perfect balance of hilarious awkwardness, comedic timing, and genuine heartfelt emotion. It also has two of my favorite actors in it. I've been in love with Paul Rudd since Clueless. I adored Rashida Jones when she was on The Office as Jim's girlfriend. The only bummer is that the end gets a big dragged out. Other than that, I totally recommend this movie.

Ip Man

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I'm very particular when it comes to boy movies. There are very few boy movies that I can actually get through and enjoy. When my hubster gave glowing reviews about Ip Man, I was a bit skeptical. Surprisingly, he was right. Ip Man was exciting even though there wasn't any flying kung fu action. The characters were very likable even the not-so-entertaining wife. I definitely recommend it if you're into kung fu movies, especially Bruce Lee movies. Fun fact: Ip Man mentored Bruce Lee.

Babies! Bebes!

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When I went to Chicago, my friend Nic told me all about Babies. She said that she loved it. Ever since then, I've been looking forward to watching it. Once it started streaming on Netflix, I just had to watch it. I thought it was an interesting social commentary on one of the most universal aspects of culture: child rearing.

I loved the Mongolian baby. There seemed to be a radiating warmth and serenity whenever that baby was on screen. When his brother puts him out to pasture is one of the hilarious highlights of the movie. There's an earthiness to Namibian baby. There's a sweetness to the Japanese baby. The only baby that I couldn't connect with was the American baby living in San Francisco. Interesting, no? I totally recommend this movie. The cinematography is very engaging. It's always nice to have a break from movies filled with dialogue and watch a movie that has very little dialogue.

I'm Waiting Too

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No child's education and future should be determined by a ball, a computer, or a folded piece of paper in a box. We are all responsible for our children and their education. They need that education to have their future--to reach their dream job. Yes, everyone has a dream job even the little ones. Do you remember what it felt like to dream of what you wanted to be when you grew up? Do you remember listing three or four (most likely unrelated) professions? 

At one point, I wanted to be a corporate lawyer, a veterinarian, and a waitress. (My mom squashed that waitress dream as soon as she could.) I'm in the trenches each and every day with the rugrats. I never imagined that this would be my career and my passion. Yes, it's harder than it looks. Yes, it's more rewarding than it looks. I'm in the trenches with them because I had amazing teachers who taught me to believe in myself and my dreams. They helped me develop the skills and the drive to follow the dreams that I didn't know lived deep within my heart. We need teachers like that. I know many of them. Say thank you as often as you can because not everyone is like them.

"We Speak with Our Eyes "

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Over the summer, I watched Planet B-Boy: Breakdancing Has Evolved during my documentary binge, but I never got around to blogging about it. Scandalous! It was one of my favorite documentaries. I love this documentary for so many reasons that I'm not quite sure where to begin. What's the heart of the movie? The creative individuals who are passionate about their art. I love that! Each team has such intriguing personalities and back stories. I really connected with the stories of the Japanese and South Korean teams. It was fascinating how they included the perspective of the b-boy families to make it really personal. At times, the commentary becomes poetic, which is a welcomed surprise. Of course, the dancing is amazing. It's an oldie but goodie. I highly recommend it.

"After Me, The Flood."

 

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 After doing some channel flipping, I stumbled across Valentino: The Last Emperor. It reminded me a lot of The September Issue. Pretty clothes. Petty bickering. Gorgeous locations. A central controlling figure. The Colosseum. Between the two behind-the-scenes documentaries, I prefer The September Issue. There's a part near the end that Anna Wintour really seems human as she's explaining the professional pursuits of her siblings. What do I like about Valentino? I do love the fact that Valentino has five pugs. Adorable! I also admire his gorgeous dresses. I still can't believe that they're all handmade--every seam and every piece of sequin.

Amelie

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I adore Amelie. My absolute favorite bit of the movie is the very end when Amelie and Nino ride around Montmarte on the scooter. The tenderness, the sweetness, the silliness, what is not to like? This weekend, I'll be dreaming of Paris and hopefully squeezing in a scooter ride around the countryside. Happy Friday!

"You Are My Best Friend. You Are My Only Friend."

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In the midst of our housekeeping frenzy, I took time to watch Mary and Max. I was definitely skeptical about it. The synopsis read: A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man with Asperger's living in New York. The cover art featured on Netflix also creeped me out a little. The verdict? I loved it! It's whimsical and tragically sweet. Their friendship forms over random facts, awkward questions, and chocolate delights of questionable taste. The wit and humor that supports the story is illustrated through the narrator's voice and is undeniably funny.

Le Ballon Rouge

One of my all time favorite movies is La Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon). When I was a wee one, I first saw it on the Disney Channel. I love that there is no dialogue and only beautiful music is used to tell the story. I totally think this is where my obsession with Paris started. This movie and the Madeline books.

"How Much Does Your Life Weigh?"

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Before we got Once, we watched Up in the Air. It had gotten mixed reviews from our friends, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Actually, I was happy that it got mixed reviews. Sometimes, I feel awkward if I don't like a movie that everyone is raving about. Totally unnecessary. I know. Back to Up in the Air, I'm not a fan. Not quite sure what it is. Maybe, it's because I'm not totally employed at the moment, and I relate entirely too much to the person sitting opposite of George Clooney's character. Maybe, it's because I know someone who lives that insane traveling life. Maybe, it's because everything that he wanted me to toss in my backpack and throw away is everything that is keeping me afloat. I know I'm supposed to laugh when he gives those ridiculous seminars, but some people really choose to live like that. If I want to watch a movie about the airport, I'll watch The Terminal even if it's a bit over sentimental at times.