# 3 - Half Nelson

Ryan Gosling is without question the best working actor under thirty, and I’d even say one of the top five living actors of any age). I would of course point to his performance in Half Nelson as a thoughtful but drug-addicted, inner city junior high history teacher (quite the mouthful) as back-up for that statement. The contrast between his passionate lectures which emphasize understanding the social forces behind major historical events (why they happened, rather than the who/what/where/when) and his drug abuse is heartbreaking. He is ultimately a good person with big ideas who wants to make the world a better place. His drug habit stemmed from his disaffection with the world, created by the realization that he’s just a small fish in a big pond and that he’ll ultimately never influence much of anything.

Much of the film focuses on his relationship with Drey, one of his female students who has found out about his dependency. She is also jaded, having grown up in a broken home in one of the more violent areas of Brooklyn. Both characters are extremely real, due to amazing acting and a script that doesn’t indulge the typical Dangerous Minds-esque clichés that most ‘amazing teacher inspiring students in the ghetto’ films fall back on.

However, I will say that it’s scripted and shot in a wistful, introspective style which reminded me a bit of Lost in Translation (my favorite movie ever, in case you’ve forgotten!), so if you didn’t enjoy that film, you might not appreciate this either. You also need to be willing to accept that you’re not going to completely love the protagonist – he has a lot of human shading, shall we say.

Finally, if you’re not convinced yet … It also has one of the best jokes I’ve heard in years!

Girl: Knock Knock
RG: Who’s there?
Girl: Interrupting cow
RG: Interrupting co----
Girl: MOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Okay maybe my sense of humor isn’t quite as good as my taste in movies. Anywho.

# 4 - Pan's Labyrinth

Roger Ebert declared Pan’s Labyrinth his favorite of the films he saw during his recovery back in 2006. I think there are a few (three, to be exact) better entries from that year, but I wholeheartedly agree with his 4-star rating. In case you’re curious, this is the first movie on my list that I believe deserves that rating (V for Vendetta is a 3-star film, numbers 5-9 are 3 ½ stars).

Pan’s tells the story of a young girl burdened with tumultuous family life in Spain in the 1940s. She retreats to an imaginary land (or a real otherworld, if you prefer) in reaction to the violence surrounding her. Here she must complete tasks in order to prove that she is the princess of this world.

The brilliance of this film lies, I believe, in Guillermo Del Toro’s direction which identifies the symmetry between the fantasy land and the fascist regime of the era. It couldn't have been easy to balance the (albeit extremely weird) fairy tale with incredibly graphic war scenes, but he pulls it off seamlessly. He is aided by fabulous art direction / cinematography, and great acting from the little girl and that creepy guy with eyes on his hands (see above!).

It’s kind of akin to Mirrormask, another good film about a young girl that uses fantasy to escape her life, but Pan’s is so much better because it is – in the end – cemented in a more adult world that doesn’t shy away from very real, devastating consequences.

#5 - Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine is a movie about how families, even at their most destructive, are a unit onto themselves. They exist almost in their own universe, while the world rolls along outside. Despite being a comedy (with excellent adult wit), LMS also doubles as a dramatic satire about the traditionally dysfunctional American family. Two of my favorite scenes emphasize this duality: any one of the “family member runs after moving van” moments, and the son’s monologue on the pier (not to mention the amazing ending). What I particularly enjoy about this film is that it has a lot to say, but perhaps not one particular, conventional message. It allows the audience to take what wisdom or wit from the film that they so choose. Truly a delight of 2006.

# 6 - Borat

Comedies are inherently difficult to review – does being funny make it a successful cinematic endeavor? I’m not sure I know the answer to that question, neither from my own point of view or in a general sense. However, I am quite sure that Borat goes beyond a hilarious mockumentary and into the realm of meaningful social commentary. It is not the funniest movie ever made; some scenes are repetitive and others you may have to hide your eyes a few times to get through. But, I don’t care about that, I was impressed most by scenes such as the one in which Borat receives social etiquette lessons from a rich family in the deep South. They do not raise their voices when, being naïve about proper toilet use, Borat brings his poop back to the table. But, they scream that he must leave immediately when he invites his black, prostitute (but otherwise lovely!) girlfriend to the soiree. Another meaningful scene involves a group of college frat boys on an RV spewing idiotic comments about women. Their subsequent lawsuits are just silly. Regardless of the producer’s offer of alcohol to loosen them up, they were not forced to drink ALL of it. Moreover, the values they portrayed were obviously instilled a long time ago. In short, Borat delves into the prejudices of America that are normally left to the realm of "serious" films ... and that is very nice indeed.

Critic's Review.

# 7 - The History Boys

Ah, they should make more movies like this. By that I mean ones which are driven by character and not plot. The History Boys is a bit like an R-rated Dead Poets Society, at least in form. The substance is really quite different. The mentor, instead of being harmless and inspirational like Robin Williams, likes to take his male students for rides on his motorcycle so that he can make them do ... naughty things. Strangely enough, this teacher (played delightfully by Richard Griffiths) is also harmless! The movie makes his behavior acceptable and even funny; a note-worthy achievement in itself. I really like that the film was able to make light of what are usually such serious, depressing issues. Quite an original take on a group of young British men as they finish their entrance exams to Oxford and Cambridge. The “inspirational learning” scenes are so much better than the ones in DPS (which I also love). They mostly take place in French and are so intellectually stimulating that they make you wish you had gone to a British prep school, even if you had to endure the creepy motorcycle rides! I love that this movie just has so much life. Everything from the back-and-forth banter, to the luscious green scenery, to the boys’ (mostly homosexual) passion is endowed with so much vivacity. Even the bittersweet (and slightly miscalculated) ending could not dampen the joyful memories I have of watching this film.

Critic's Review.

# 8 - Children of Men

Don’t let the gray cinematography, 1984-ish themes, or the fact that none of the characters have a future fool you --- this in an uplifting movie! I may be the only person who walked out of the theatre with that sentiment, but I’m sticking to it. But first, some background info. So one day, humans stop having babies and everyone goes a bit crazy. Then some activists (lead by Julianne Moore) find a pregnant lady and … well everyone goes even more nuts. Clive Owen is protecting the mommy to be, and in the process there is a scene where the chaos that surrounds them stops for a second to appreciate this woman (pictured above). I found it to be one of the most hopeful moments of any film in 2007. Children of Men is one of those rare action-packed, heart pounding movies that is about something more than a jewel heist or a bomb in the subway. It’s kind of about what it means to be human, and how our legacy (or lack thereof) can affect that. Watch this excellent piece of sci-fi work, and then consider movies like War of the Worlds and Hitchiker's Guide and what a diservice they have done to the genre.

Critic's Review.

# 9 - Casino Royale

Finally, the franchise gets its much-needed upgrade (not just an update). This entry throws away the usual nonsensical plot, increasingly absurd gadgets, and unskilled female leads. This is a gritty, emotional, well-made film. Much more Bourne Identity than The Avengers. What’s particularly lovely is that Craig’s Bond goes far beyond martinis and beautiful women – he’s a fully fleshed-out human being for the first time. Sometimes he’s impossibly cruel, other times achingly vulnerable, and finally we understand his attitude towards relationships, MI6, and England. I would argue that (hold your breath) this goes beyond anything Sean Connery ever brought to the role. Ok, feel free to stop reading now. The ending runs too long and is a bit too predictable, and I’ll need a few more Craig outings to officially decide … but I have an inkling we’ve just seen the best Bond, in one of the best Bond films ever.

Critic's Review.

# 10 - V for Vendetta

Having read the graphic novel some time before seeing the movie, it’s obvious that two hours isn’t nearly enough to present the complexities of Alan Moore’s work. But, I would say, despite the standard ‘Hollywoodization’ process, the Wachowski brothers did the source material considerable justice. The film retains its soul and spirit, and is a really a movie driven more by the message than the medium (despite all the jaw-dropping action and special effects). Natalie Portman is good, Hugo Weaving embodies everything that V is, and the authentic British supporting cast lend some credibility. The twists and turns are well executed, it never drags on, and it’s impossible not to get at least a little emotional during the climactic final scenes.

Critic's Review.

The Worst Movies of 2006

Preface: I mercifully didn’t see very many bad movies this year. Certainly none that rival my hatred for The Aviator. In fact, I don’t feel particularly strongly about any of them, but of course I’ll beef up my hatred for the sake of this list.

5. The Da Vinci Code

Not a particularly good book (if someone tells you anything by Dan Brown is one of their favorite books, discard their knowledge of all pop culture as irrelevant), but certainly an exciting one. Although you might find yourself throwing the book across the room in a rage fueled by its utter disregard for believability, it is fairly well the definition of a page-turner. Unfortunately, the movie is neither good nor exciting. First we have the terrible casting of all the main characters (Harrison Ford, at age 64, would have made a better Robert Langdon than the all too loveable and wimpy Tom Hanks). And what were they thinking with Ron Howard? One of the most bland, literal directors operating today brought nothing interesting to the production. Even Audrey Tautou, a very lovely actress, was too obvious a choice. Can you imagine what a different movie this could have been with the same script but this line-up: Alfonso Cuaron, Daniel Craig, and Sophie Marceau?

4. The Lakehouse



The passionate chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock was lost after Speed. Maybe they’re both too old, or too married, but it feels like this is their 50^th wedding anniversary. In other words, they are in love but boringly so. On top of that, it makes no sense. Literally sit there with a pencil and paper and try to make some sense of the timeline (not to mention how they could possibly own the same dog), and you’ll agree it’s impossible. And no, the story isn’t good enough to overlook this ridiculousness.

3. Superman Returns



Oh what a train wreck. Can someone please ban Kate Bosworth and her ribs from making movies? And Kevin Spacey’s days as an arch villain should have ended with Keyser Soze. But I won’t argue with the choice of Brandon Routh, he was physically perfect and a decent enough (if not good) actor for the part. What’s really upsetting is how lackluster everyone is. It’s like they are living in a nightmare that they can’t wait to wake up from. Batman had more gusto for life and I think Metropolis would be a more joyful hometown than Gotham City! They should have made Superman Begins instead of Returns ... oh and also with a completely different cast and script.

2. Cars



I don’t see why everyone went so ga-ga for this animated drivel. Sure Paul Newman was pretty cute as a blue chevy (or whatever he was), but the story was so contrived and snore-worthy. Cars do not make good animated characters. Penguins do! Happy Feet was much better.

1. The Devil Wears Prada



The more praise a film gets that I did not like, the higher it’s pushed on this list. I can understand the love for Meryl Streep – excellent as always – but otherwise this movie has no soul. We’re suppose to relate to Anne Hathaway’s character, the everyday girl shoved into the New York fashion world, but she makes such inane choices like cheating on her amazing farm-boy boyfriend (Adrien Grenier of Entourage, wildly miscast) and we’re still suppose to sympathize with her and cheer when he takes her back? That’s not laudable, in my mind, and neither is this movie.

Lost 3:8 Review (spoilers)

First, re: my theories from the end of the fall set of episodes:
- I was quite sure Alex was a set-up. Turns out, not so much. Now I still think this isn't so feasible, considering she was captured by the Others as a baby, not a 10 year old. So her alliance and belief system would be according to what they had taught her. But, maybe she remembers her mom or something, so okay.
- I was also certain the fish biscuits were laced (with some kind of hyper fertility drug). This one I'm thinking is even more plausible considering what we learned about Juliet's work off of the island.

Onwards:
- Good flashback. Not at all annoying and I didn't feel as though it got in the way of the (excellent) island action. If this is what all flashbacks were like (i.e. about an interesting character, revealing things that add to both their development & island mythology, and most of all - brief!) I wouldn't be bitching about them.
- Great action, with Kate and Sawyer running around getting shot at, Ben waking up (super creepily) on the operating table, Jack making decisions, etc.
- The secondary characters are totally not necessary. I didn't even miss Locke.
- Randomly, I still miss Boone. And sometimes Shannon.
- "God loves Jacob" ... good for him! Could Jacob be Ben's father since Ben was born on the island? It might explain why Ben has a fairly powerful position amongst the Others. Or perhaps he just "creeped" his way into it.
- So ever since the sky turned purple (the hatch exploded) time started working differently between the island and the real world. Likely it slowed down in a relative way, meaning the human race has probably self destructed. This would explain why Ben couldn't go there to get help on his spinal tumor. Or perhaps the time warp itself is enough to make travel impossible. BONE TO PICK: even so, Jack and Kate and Sawyer were already being "hooded" and taken to the Others' side of the island when the hatch exploded. Thus, Ben had made the request for Jack before they knew that the time had gone all wonky. Gaffe.
- Juliet & Jack are doctors named Burke and Sheppard. Just like on Grey's Anatomy!
- I liked the shot of Juliet and the Portland guy talking while their faces have the X-ray image on it - how artsy! But why is that guy wearing massive eyeliner?!

Concluding:
- Well I guess I'm suppose to like Juliet more now, but I totally don't. What a whore. That entirely inappropriate insult aside, I have come to accept her as part of the cast. She is, at the very least, interesting. But I still wouldn't buy any Jack-Juliet love. I just don't see it.
- Very, very excited for 15 more weeks of episodes like this! (hopefully!)
- 9.2/10

Mini Review: Shakespeare in Love

***

I don't really have a whole lot to say about it, or at least don't feel like thinking about it. Anyways this is certainly a good movie. I liked the acting, especially Judi Dench who won her best supporting oscar for a performance lasting a total of 6 minutes in only a few scenes. Normally I would scoff at such a brief role even being considered - but I think she was deserving.

Gwyneth was better than she usually is. The script was a little hit and miss. Sometimes it felt like it was trying to be more tragic or poignant than it was designed for (it was a melodrama, through and through). It all felt a little choppy and there was altogether too much Romeo & Juliet. What I loved was the ending - it pretty well redeemed the entire movie for me. The final scene of Viola walking across the beach was perfect. And unexpected given the genre and where it seemed the film was heading.

But really, how on earth did this win a Best Picture oscar? Well I looked up the year (1999) and it turns out there wasn't a whole lot of competition: Elizabeth, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, and Life is Beautiful. Personally I probably would have given it to the last one, but Shakespeare fits the hollywood bill better.

100th Post: Top 10 Movies of 2000-2005

Well, there you have it, this is my 100th post on this blog. In the tradition of the great jedi blogger, Kimota94, I am choosing to celebrate this occasion with a special post that is fun for me (and hopefully you too!) and appropriate given the history of this blog. Thus, a movie list, and this time in '10 words or less'

#10 - Monster's Ball ~ screw halle berry, this has the complexity of great literature
# 9 - Talk to Her ~ creepy foreign film at its finest ... comas and bull riders
# 8 - Sideways ~ "I am not drinking any fucking merlot!" ... enough said
# 7 - Million Dollar Baby ~ as I said before, un-editable (flawless)
# 6 - Amores Perros ~ I greatly underrated the first time, now see it's brilliance
# 5 - Wonderboys ~ what more movies should be -- plot optional, character development key
# 4 - Spirited Away ~ one of a kind, to say the least
# 3 - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King ~ best part of an epic for the film history vaults
# 2 - Before Sunset ~ sunsets really need to last longer
# 1 - Lost in Translation ~ Watching again tonight ... for the 8th time in 2 years

And that is that! Happy 100th to me.

Reviews in 5 words or less

I think it's pretty funny that this post will get far fewer comments than my previous "note to self" entry. It's also ironic that it instructed people to "please ignore" and received more comments than any other in over a month!! Oh you people. You know, continuing on my ramble, I used to be able to consider a post with only 4 comments a complete failure in blogging. Oh the good old days of 20+ comments... which I abandoned for you people. You people!!! (Just kidding, I love and appreciate all of your readership). Anywho:

An Unfinished Life: simple, graceful
Happy Feet: cute... I guess...
Ice Age 2: decent plot, some funny parts

And Manhattan Murder Mystery hasn't arrived in the mail yet, so I'll save it for another day.

Review: Amores Perros

****

Dogs, of all things, are the interlinking motif that ties together the three stories in Amores Perros. They are not entirely separate (though each has its day in the sun), but rather filmed ala Pulp Fiction.

So basically, Gael Garcia Bernal plays a young man in love with his brother's wife. His brother is a bit of an asshole: he robs pharmacies, yells a lot, beats his wife, and threatens to kill his brother multiple times. So we're rooting for Gael, even if he decides his way out of this is to enter his poor puppy into intensely violent dogfights. Warning: animal lovers take heed when watching this film. Although, I am nothing if not an animal lover, and I made it through okay, largely by reminding myself that all the dead dogs were courtesy of the Prop Department. There is an explicit announcement at the beginning of the film that no animals were harmed.

Moving along, Gael gets into a bit of a car crash where he injures a famous model who happens to be having a bit of an affair. She is recovering in her apartment when her precious dog chases falls into a hole in the floorboards and mysteriously disappears. This is definitely the weakest of the three arcs, but it's not nearly as silly as it sounds, and it fits well with the general theme (more on that later).

Finally, an old homeless man collects stray dogs and goes about his business as a ... well, this part I don't want to spoil for you. Needless to say, he has a colorful past and is up to trouble now. He's on a quest to reconcile with his estranged daughter, and ends up getting involved in Gael's life along the way.

Essentially the theme of the whole thing, as I see it, is that striving for something more than you have earned (greed) will be your downfall. This is seen in"one last dogfight", the extra-marital affair, and the loss of a family. The script is nearly flawless, with a whole chunk of poignant lines and scenes. One in particular that comes to mind is the confrontation between the homeless man, his "boss", and his "job".

But the most magnificent thing about the film is the direction. The stories are mixed together with such elegance that it would have taken years for any par-level director to achieve. The film is also visually stunning. The sets are rich in detail and there are dozens of awe-inspiring shots.

The tagline for Amores Perros is "Love. Betrayal. Death." These are seen in each of the arcs, and all are executed superbly. This is one of the best films of the decade.

Review: Lost in La Mancha

**

Lost in La Mancha feels like (probably because it was originally intended to be) a super long DVD 'making of' featurette. Sidenote: I think I've referred to these features in some shape or form in all my last three reviews: how odd.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have much more substance than that, and thus certainly doesn't enter the league of real documentaries. If you aren't familiar with the concept, I will once again be oh so gracious and provide some background. Essentially, eccentric director Terry Gilliam has dreamed of making a film version of Don Quixote for the last decade. Having no luck in Hollywood, he turned to Europe for the money. Johnny Depp, Vanessa Paradis (Johnny's real life partner), and renowned French actor Jean Rochefort signed on.

Moreover, not all that much really does go wrong! There's an initial lack of budget ($32 million, about half of what would normally be required for a picture of this scope). There are some pre-production problems with scheduling, and later a storm screws up a scene and damages some equipment. The coup de grace is Rochefort's illness that causes him to exit production for at least a month. Yes, some bad luck, but it doesn't seem quite so extraordinary that a whole movie was warranted.

More likely, they were just trying to salvage some of the $32 million squandered. It appears the box office total was less than $1 million, so hopefully the DVD sales pulled in a bit more than that. It seems that Gilliam has a bit of a track record for screwing things up.

Actually, I think this would have been a much better little documentary if it had starred a more appealing director than the insufferable bugger that I had no idea Gilliam was. He is constantly swearing, yelling at his cast and crew, and blaming others for his own failures. His one shining moment is standing beside his first assistant director, who inevitably gets blamed for everything (apparently this is just how it works in Hollywood). But besides Brazil (which I never particularly liked), 12 Monkeys and The Fisher King seem to be the only things he's done right. His resume is full of half-completed, abandonded films and flops. His latest, Tideland, appears to be continuing in this tradition, already receiving unanimous 'boos'. Hey, at least he finished it!

So, I wouldn't recommend Lost in La Mancha unless you happen to be a big Gilliam / Don Quixote fan, or an aspiring little film-maker yourself - where this may serve as a useful "how not to make a movie" manual.

Review: The Big Chill

***

I don't often bother to summarize the plot in my reviews; I'm not that kind to my poor readers. And I usually manage to spoil it in some ways for those who haven't seen it. (Although normally not as much as in my History of Violence review below). Anyways, today I am being kind.

The Big Chill is about a group of close friends who attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor some 10-15 years ago. One of their members has committed suicide for reasons that remain unclear at the end of the film (corpse admirably played by Kevin Costner). The ensemble cast works exceedingly well as a sort of family, due largely to the many weeks the cast spent in close quarters before shooting began. On a DVD featurette this was referred to as a "brilliant decision" on the part of director Lawrence Kasdan - to me it seems rather obvious.

Moving past this small disagreement, the movie is quite well done. Detailed directing; a skillful script full of emotional, thought-provoking, real moments; competent actors, none of whom stands out (in this case a good thing); and some interesting inter-connected drama among the group. I especially liked the decision to not reveal the motive behind Alex's suicide. The 1960s inspired soundtrack works at some times better than others (notably good: You Can't Always Get What You Want, The Weight. Notably bad: When a Man Loves a Woman, Natural Woman). But overall the music adds to the picture, not distracts from it.

But let's get to the bottom line, shall we. The ending. I can't imagine a more cliched way to wrap everything up: Nick continues to follow Alex's path, Meg gets a baby from the only appropriate source, Karen & Sam hook up with unseen ramifications. All of these events could have been predicted within the first 5 minutes. Moreover, there isn't a whole lot of resolution. In a movie about losing your way as you enter the real world, you expect there to be some kind of ... finding of the way at the end. I think this could have been done swiftly without being too suffocating. To not walk a certain path is much more realistic for most of these characters, but they seemed to have left just to meet again at the next funeral (most likely Nick's).

I guess it's a bit of a conundrum really. Lives aren't often never fixed, and certainly not in a weekend. The film is ultimately interesting and quite feel-good but has a cliched feel and lacks that extra mile of real substance.

Review: A History of Violence (2005)

In one of the DVD's special features it mentions how Cronenberg often does movies about change - people becoming different (often physically, but in this case mentally). By the time Fogarty and his crew arrive in town, it's as if Tom has actually forgotten them. He, to spoil the movie entirely ... so stop reading now if you don't want that to happen ... has indeed become Tom. The first 1/3 of the movie is undoubtedly the best, and so utterly convincing that the viewer nearly forgets this is a Cronenberg film (except for the auspicious opening scene lingering in the back of one's mind).

The slaying of Fogarty and his crew is a bit I have problems with. Sure this is ultimately a movie about violence (Cronenberg has also commented that he intended it to be rather Darwinian in nature), but it still seemed rather out of place. The blood continues into Philadelphia where Tom goes to confront an old acquaintance (William Hurt). I've never seen Hurt play anything like this, and thus am continually impressed with his acting chops - some of the best in the business, in my opinion.

But moving on to more pressing matters, what is this film really about? What does it have to say? Cronenberg seems to think it's got something to do with the duality of lives and realities, and some kind of survival of the fittest. One of the most crucial scenes for me would be the initial diner scene where Tom is pushed aside, 20 years of hard work shattered to preserve his physical safety (subconciously). I guess this matter of 'who is Tom?' is what the movie is about from Tom's perspective, but to Edie (the always wonderful Maria Bello), it's about something quite different, and the same holds true for Jack, their son. I enjoyed these mutliple layers quite a bit. I also appreciated the film's tight 96 minute run time. If you actually read any of those reviews I posted a while back, you'll know that being too long gets you a big X in my book.

So anyways, this is a solid addition to the quirky Cronenberg collection, but could have benefited from a bit less violence.

Rating: *** 1/2

General Update

Well I suppose it's time for another blog entry from me, since I've had not one but two nudges already. I just haven't been in the blogging mood, jeez! So anyways here's a general recap of what I've been up to:

Birthday!!
- I turned 20 six days ago. It was super. My wonderful parents took me out for a delicious meal. We decided to postpone the movie that usually follows because I had to get home to finish preparations for my party. I don't think I've ever had more than 5 people in my apartment at once, and certainly no real parties. I don't know if this quite qualifies either since 90% of the people that would normally have come were out of town. So it was probably more of a large gathering.
- There were probably around ... 15-20 people there, I guess? Most of my high school friends, a few from Ivey (including one professor!), and a handful of randoms. I'll tell you that story now. Around about 9:30pm, some of my guests sitting by the window announced that there were some people on a balcony across the way starring at us! So, having my new social personality attained in the summer, I proceeded to skip out onto the balcony and shout greetings and invitations to my party. They disappeared.
- 5 minutes later, I get a call from one of my invited guests buzzing me from downstairs. When he arrives at the door, he's joined by 5 people I've never met! It turned out the randoms from across the way were trying to buzz me by dialing my apt # (which I had shouted across), my friend found them and brought them up.
- Anyways, everyone was really impressed with the level of preparation: I had decorations, cookies, cupcakes, a lasagna, and tons of free alcohol. It was a good little party.
- Around 11 we left for the bar, where there was no line and most of us were able to bypass the cover. Inside, it was the perfect amount of busy: not too crowded, but not dead.
- Had a fabulous time.

Went to Toronto the next day.
- Visiting dad for a week.
- Seeing lots of movies.

Deloitte Christmas Party on the 16th. It was INSANE. I have never been to or heard of a party like this. This year's theme was Cruise Ship.
- 200+ tables set up for dinner, a full stage and band on either end of the long room (entire Toronto Convention Center)
- Open bar and buffet all night
- Midway games (huge) set up one side
- Entire casino area, with blackjack, roulette, craps, etc. Tokens, instead of money, were given for the draws.
- "Walk the plank" to get on, with the head partners dressed up as the captains of the ship.
- Mini golf
- Shuffleboard
- Ping Pong
- Pool tables
- People who would draw your caricature
- Massage tables
- Oxygen bar (?!)
- Karaoke
- At 8pm, all these balloons dropped for the ceiling as a "sail away" thing. Redeemed for prizes.
- Balloon maker
- Mariachi and jamaican bands wandering around

Anyways that gives you some idea of the scale of this event. I would estimate that if you consider the cost of the space, decorations, hundreds of staff needed, food and alcohol consumed, that it was probably a $5-$10 million party. I really hope I get to experience some more of these! (re: earlier entry).

Reviews in 5 words or less:
The History Boys: didn't go cliched route
Volver: best almodovar yet; perfect
Stranger Than Fiction: a long version of trailer
Scoop: more hilarious than people say
All About My Mother: classic almodovar; tight story
The Pursuit of Happyness: hope goes a long way
Blood Diamond: accent not so bad
Casino Royale: best bond, but not amazing
Match Point: i liked scoop better

Reviews in 5 words or less

Borat: social commentary parts are best
Hannah & Her Sisters: no manhattan, but classic allen
Pirates of the Caribbean 2: if no expectations, great fun
The Ice Storm: good dialogue, interesting, albeit depressing
Fast Food Nation: discussions, not easy answers

Reviews in 5 words or less

The Prestige: glossy fun but too easy
Marie Antoinette: great, though yawn-inducing for many
The Queen: a fair portrayal, nothing big

ps. yawn-inducing counts as one word!