Movie Review: State of Play

I saw this on Saturday. Mike, being a big fan of journalism movies (All the President's Men, Good Night and Good Luck, His Girl Friday, Zodiac) wanted to check it out. I definitely enjoyed it (Russel Crowe, Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, and Rachel McAdams give great performances), but there was something lacking in the plotting. Mike described it as about 80% of the quality of Michael Clayton, and I would agree with that. It's not quite as amped up as Clayton, so you're not waiting for some one's car to blow up the entire time. Nor are the plot twists quite so twisty, and the ending just sort of putters out. The constant whining over the death of print newspapers is also a bit much, making the movie feel a little grumpy. Also, how in the world are we supposed to believe that Russel Crowe and Ben Affleck are close enough in age to have gone to college together? In real life about 8 years separate them, and Affleck has a perpetual twenty-something look to him. Overall, a tasty snack but not a full meal.

Book Review: Death at Rottingdean

Death at Rottingdean by Robin Paige

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Not a super-complicated mystery (I think of this series as similar to "The Closer" TV show: if something or someone pops up for no discernible reason, that means it's a clue to the killer). Nevertheless, there were several interesting passages detailing the birth of automatic handguns. This builds upon the authors' previous examinations of modern technology (including motor cars and forensic techniques) as it developed at the end of the Victorian Era. This aspect remains one of the most unique parts of this mystery series.

Also, the use of quotations from totally random sources abates somewhat relative to previous entries in this series. However, it doesn't go fully away.

Movie Review: Hellboy II

I finally got to see this on DVD. I remember thinking that Hellboy I was a decent movie, but not great. This one is a step up from that. It's much more fantasy-driven, dealing with a war between elves and humans. As such, del Toro (who both wrote and directed the movie) has created a visually interesting world full of mystical creatures. There is much less action occurring in the real world (the streets and subway tunnels of NYC) and way more in fantasy locales (the Troll Market, the elves' throne room). The major issue is that the characterisations are a little flat. Hellboy himself remains interesting (the movie deals a bit with his constant struggle to fit in with humans) but his comrades aren't. At one point a main character has to decide whether to save Hellboy's life, and her struggle did not seem nearly as emotional as it ought to have been.

Movie Review: Watchmen

Although I avidly read comics, I have never gotten into Alan Moore. I have read a couple things by him (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Killing Joke), but I have never managed to get through his iconic stuff: Watchmen, V for Vendetta, etc. So bear that in mind.

I found this movie interesting, but too long for what it was. There were some beautiful, eye catching sequences (particularly the opening credits), but these were also very drawn out. I wasn't that interested in the characters, so I wasn't willing to wade through so much flashback and slow unraveling of the mystery. Really, the opening credits were the best part of the movie, which raised expectations, only to fail to meet them.

Book Review: Death at Devil's Bridge

Death at Devil's Bridge by Robin Paige

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
What I found most interesting about this book was the setting: a motor car exhibition in the late 1890s. This allows the authors to talk a lot about the early development of the motor car, including some fascinating details about the relative benefits and costs of steam, electric, and gasoline powered cars. Given that we're trying to wean ourselves off of oil today, it was neat to hear some of the reasoning behind choosing gasoline engines in the first place.

The mystery itself ends a bit oddly, with an abrupt, less-than-pat conclusion. I was surprised by this, but it did make a refreshing change from the usual happy ending. The authors also spend some time developing tension in the Kate/Sir Charles relationship, which I am sure will continue in the rest of the series.

Book Review: Death at Daisy's Folly

Death at Daisy's Folly by Robin Paige

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
This mystery series has not been "knock my socks off" good, but it has been enjoyable. Each book is short, but not too short (270-290 pages). If they were any shorter, the mysteries would feel rushed. If they were any longer, they would lose their light feel by dwelling too much on the mystery or characterization. I am especially pleased at the way the relationship between the two protagonists, Kate and Charles, has developed. Both characters are described as independent and intelligent. Given that, it's refreshing that they approach their relationship with honesty and open communication. There are few drawn-out misunderstandings between them. If something is wrong, they talk it out quickly. Most mysteries with romantically involved leads do not follow this pattern.

Book Review: Death at Gallows Green

Death at Gallows Green by Robin Paige

My review

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
I just finished this up this morning. I read the first installment in this series several years ago, and I remembered liking it. Thus, when I saw this in a local mystery book store, I decided to give it a try. It was a pleasant, quick read. The mystery isn't super-difficult to solve, but that is appropriate for a book of this length. The characterization of the two lead sleuths, Kate and Sir Charles, was good. I look forward to future developments in their relationship. My one major annoyance was the quotations printed at the beginning of each chapter. Although they were somewhat relevant to the content of the chapters, they came from such diverse sources that it seemed as if they were drawn at random from Bartlett's. This was distracting, in that I was always wondering why these sources were chosen. The one exception was quotations from Beatrix Potter's books, since Potter appears as a friend of Kate's.

I did see from the inside cover that one of the authors (Robin Paige is the pen name of a husband and wife writing team) has written a series of Beatrix Potter mysteries. I want to try those, since Potter is an interesting figure, and she was well-written in this book.

Best Picture Round-Up 2008

I know this is super late, but I did see all the Best Picture nominees before the Oscar ceremony. My thoughts, in brief:

Milk
Sean Penn gives a beautiful performance, as does Josh Brolin. The pacing was a little off (particularly during the portions dealing with the second boyfriend), but the ending was very powerful.

Frost/Nixon
A very simple, yet compelling film. The performances are tight. Ron Howard's direction is controlled and appropriate. I wouldn't expect any less from the director of Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, and Cinderella Man.

Slumdog Millionaire
A beautiful movie, though the game show framing mechanism is both creative and a little forced.

The Reader
My favorite of the 2008 Best Picture nominees. This film shows how personal pride leads one woman to destroy hundreds of lives. It's examination of German guilt for the Holocaust, both for individuals and the nation as a whole, is both fascinating and sobering.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Interesting, but way too long for what it was. I was surprised that the movie was framed by Hurricane Katrina. I suppose they felt they had to deal with that, given that the film is very much about New Orleans.

Craft Circle

I participated recently in a craft circle, where I sent out crafts to five people, and got five crafts in return. Here's what I sent:

A crochet rabbit amigurumi:



Crochet cupcake pincushions:


Crochet flower pins:

Badges from my badge-maker:



Crochet bird pins:

Knit Garters

A Pair of Period Garters

Notes: These are building upon my interest in period knitting, following Taylor's Mitts from a couple years ago. These are meant to hold up the cotton or wool stockings worn by women in the 18th and 19th centuries. You tie them around your leg right below the knee. They were inspired by the many extant examples of garters shown on the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston website. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a specific extant example to base these on, so they are more "inspired by" than fully accurate.

Finished Size: These are quite stretchy, but they were made to fit around a leg of 13" circumfrence.

Materials: Way less than a ball of Paton's Classic Merino or similar worsted wool yarn (Cascade 220, Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, etc)
1 set of US 4 needles
Medium (about a size F) crochet hook
Darning needle
Scissors

Gauge: 8 stitches=1.25" in garter stitch (row gauge is unimportant)

Garters: cast on two stitches using a long-tail cast on, and leaving at least a 6" tail.

Knit into the front and back of each stitch, so that you have four stitches total.

Knit back and forth in garter stitch (knit every row) until the garter measures 10.5".

K1, m1, k2, m1, k1, giving six stitches total. Work one row even in garter stitch.

k1, m1, k4, m1, k1, giving eight stitches total.

Continue working in garter stitch until the whole garter measures 19". On the next row, k2tog, k4, k2tog, giving 6 stitches total. Then work one row even in garter stitch.

K2tog, k2, k2tog, giving 4 stitches total.

Continue working in garter stitch until the garter measures 30". Then k2tog, k2tog, giving 2 stitches total. Finish off by cutting a 6" tail and pulling it through the two live stitches with a crochet hook.

Repeat for the second garter.

Tassels: cut six strands of yarn about 3" long each. Lay these side-by-side and fold the whole bundle in half. Tie a piece of yarn around the bundle just below the fold, making a loop, and knot it off securely. Attach this tassel to one of the garters by threading the 6" yarn tail through the loop a couple times and knotting off. Repeat for the three other ends of the garters.

Cable Faster, Dammit!

I'm making really slow progress on the new celtic cabled cardi. The back is done, and now I have half a front. The last time I knit this, I did it in a couple weeks. I've been working on this version for months. I don't know what happened!

I have a good excuse...

...for not posting much lately. I just got married!!! I do, of course, have some knitting progress to catch up on, but I'm still recovering from the wedding crazy.

Shetland Triangle: Almost There!

I am so close to finishing the Shetland Triangle. I bound off early this week, but I need to block it. I think I'm going to wait until I visit my parents next week to do that, because they have more floorspace. This picture is just a preview; I experimented with pinning the shawl on my ironing board to get a feel for what the final product will look like.

I have also started swatching for a sweater--another go at the Cable/Rib Cardigan from Vogue Knitting a couple years back. I have already knit this pattern once before, but the yarn I used (Debbie Bliss Cashmerino) is starting to look pretty ratty. So I pulled out some Classic Elite Patina I had in the stash and started swatching. I still need to wash the swatch, but I think I've found a gauge I like.

A Couple Book Reviews

Have you seen this website Goodreads? It lets you create a list of books you have read, are reading, and are planning to read. Plus it stores your ratings and reviews. The site design is pretty nice too. I started my profile here.

And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
I had been planning on reading this one for awhile, so I finally picked up a copy from bn.com. Unfortunately, I wasn't thrilled with it. The story follows a young widow who, two years after her husband's death, finds out he may have been involved with some shady art dealers. The widow, Lady Emily Ashton, hardly knew her husband. She married him only to escape the overbearing influence of her mother, and he died shortly after their wedding. It's only through reading Lord Ashton's diary that Emily begins to realize how interesting her husband was. But this exploration also leads her to discover his involvement with art forgers. The plot itself was okay, but Emily as a character is annoying. She is selfish and quick to judge those around her. She doesn't even seem to be that smart, given that it takes her a long time to figure out what, to the readers, is the obvious answer to the mystery. Nevertheless, I'm considering reading the second installment in this series, if only because I've seen other series get much better over time (such as Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen series or Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series--though I did get burned by Marion Chesney's Edwardian Mystery series).

Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte
This was a short yet enjoyable book, which is part of a larger series about, you guessed it, Captain Alatriste. These books were originally written in Spanish, and are slowly being translated into English. This installment centers around "the adventure of the two Englishmen." Alatriste, a soldier-for-hire in 1620s Madrid, is given an assignment by a member of the Spanish Inquisition. Alatriste is told to kill two Englishmen traveling into Madrid. However, when the attack actually unfolds, Alatriste realizes that his targets aren't two nobodies, but rather people very important to the fate of England and Spain. And more intrigue ensues.... Overall, I was very taken with this book. It's not the most well-paced (there are some places that wander off on tangents about 1600s Spain), but the clear love Perez-Reverte has for Spanish history leads to some interesting writing. I'm already reading the second installment.

Blergh

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. I'm getting married in June, and I have been working on my research agenda for my dissertation. That has pretty much sucked away any knitting time.

Knitting news:

But, I have managed to slowly keep plugging along on my shetland triangle. The pattern was originally written with about 8 repeats of the body chart, but I've done 14. I had to add all these repeats because the intended recipient, my mother, complained that the shawl was too small when I showed it to her in December with 8 repeats. I've put my foot down at 14, so I've now started the edging chart.

Movie news:

I did see a bunch of stuff over the past couple months.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
I liked this movie, even though it was incredibly heavy handed. (We get it! Catholic=Bad! I can totally understand why some Catholics were offended by this movie. ) Nevertheless, Cate Blanchett really owned the role of Elizabeth. It's the strength of her performance that lifts the film from mediocrity.

In Bruges
This is an odd little film written and directed by the playwright Martin McDonagh. It follows in the tradition of many modern Irish plays, dwelling on themes of death, fate, and the plight of the working-man. (Admittedly, I'm basing this assessment after only having read one JM Synge play.) Imagine something depressing along those lines, then throw in a dose of ridiculous gun violence, cocaine, and midgets. The result is oddly funny and quite watchable. I haven't been able to take Colin Farrell seriously before, but he was quite good as the main character in this film. And for some reason Ciaran Hinds (Munich, There Will Be Blood, Persuasion) pops up for an uncredited cameo.

Once
This film is pretty weak in its plotting, but it's so short that it doesn't really matter. The story revolves around a Guy (Glen Hansard) and a Girl (Marketa Irglova) who run into each other on the streets of Dublin and decide to collaborate on a demo album. The Girl and the Guy both have a lot of emotional baggage that prevents them from acting on romantic feelings that are kindled over the course of the ensuing week. But the music they create does help both of them make something new out of their lives. The scene where they first play "Falling Slowly" is fantastic. That song was very deserving of its Oscar.

Elizabeth
I neglected to see this before I saw the sequel. In some ways, I'm glad of that, because this film was better, allowing me to end things on a higher note. The plot is hopelessly romanticised (even I could tell things were off, and I haven't read anything about Elizabethan history since sophomore year of college), and like the sequel, it boils everything into a Protestant v. Catholic brawl. Nevertheless, Cate Blanchett again delivers as Elizabeth, and Geoffrey Rush has some striking scenes as Francis Walsingham. I think Joseph Fiennes is largely wasted, but you can always watch Shakespeare in Love to make up for that. The one thing that I thought was really odd about the movie was its sometimes amateurish effects and subtitles. They used this huge, ugly, white lettering to tell us when the action moved to Scotland or The Vatican. And there is one scene where someone gets beaten to death that looks like it's from a low-rent war movie. This doesn't gel well with the otherwise rich atmosphere.

Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr. is the man. I don't even like Tony Stark as a character, and I still had a great time watching this one. (Note: I actually saw this on May 3rd, even though this entry is dated April 30th--I went back and edited this in.)

Grey Cabled Mittens

I finished them! I've been wearing them this past week, and I'm quite happy with them. They fit well, aren't too bulky, and are pretty warm. I did end up buying yarn for a matching Gretel hat (damn you, tempting yarn sales!). Hopefully I can start swatching for that soon.

Oscar Wrap-Up, 2007 Best and Worst Movies

So I sat through the entire Oscars ceremony last night. I was pleased with a number of the awards results, from the expected (best actor Daniel Day-Lewis, best supporting actor Javier Bardem, best picture No Country for Old Men, best score Atonement) and the unexpected (best supporting actress Tilda Swinton, best editing Bourne Ultimatum, best visual effects The Golden Compass). I thought Jon Stewart did okay, especially considering that he only had a week to prepare with his writing staff.

Which brings me to my 2007 Best and Worst: Movies list. Of the Oscar nominees, the only film I planned to see but didn't was Elizabeth: The Golden Age (I have netflixed it though). Of the other movies, I would still like to see Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and The Great Debaters. I'm going to admit that I'm voting a bit more with my heart than my head here. I ranked some stuff pretty high, even though I saw more artistic merit in other movies. This is what I enjoyed the most.

The Best:
1) Michael Clayton. I loved a lot of movies from 2007, but this is the only one I didn't have ANY reservations about. Acting, script, design, direction...this movie has it all. Plus, it stars George Clooney.

2) The Bourne Ultimatum. This isn't a particularly cerebral film, but it is well-written, directed, and acted. And the assassination in the London train station scenes are as good a suspense/action sequence as any I've seen. I like that someone as talented as Paul Greengrass (United 93) is willing to make something so enjoyably popcorn-y. This is sure to become an action movie favorite. Plus, it stars Matt Damon.

3)3:10 to Yuma. Like Bourne, this is also a fairly straightforward film. But also like Bourne, it's incredibly well-made and very enjoyable. Russel Crowe and Christian Bale work wonderfully together.

4) Ratatouille. Pixar continues its streak of beautiful, lovable, quality family films. It's not quite Finding Nemo, but it's close. As soon as I finished watching this one, I put it back in the DVD player and watched it again.

5) No Country for Old Men. I still have reservations about the ending, but this movie was impeccably executed. The showdowns between Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin are so good, that you can almost forgive anything else.

6) Atonement. Unlike No Country or There Will Be Blood, this is an example of a "classic" drama, made very much in an older mold. However, due largely to its interesting plot structure and kinetic direction, the film avoids feeling dated. I wish they had given Keira more to do (she comes off as annoying, largely due to the lack of material she has to work with), but James McAvoy and Saoirse Ronan are excellent.

7) Eastern Promises. It's all about Viggo Mortensen. End of story.

8) Gone Baby Gone. The script lacked some zest, relying too much on voice-over narration, but I was very taken with Ben Affleck's direction and Casey Affleck's performance. I'm looking forward to future projects from them.

9) Zodiac. A beautiful ensemble piece, though a bit drawn out. Mark Ruffalo totally works his ridiculous haircut, too. I was a bit surprised it got totally ignored this award season, though it was probably released too early in 2007.

10) Juno. A little too artificially cute for me, but Ellen Page is amazing. Plus, who doesn't like JK Simmons?

Stuff I liked but had some issues with: American Gangster, Charlie Wilson's War, Harry Potter 5, Across the Universe, Shoot 'em Up, The Golden Compass, Live Free or Die Hard, Oceans 13, There Will Be Blood.

The Worst:
1) Spider-Man 3. Painful. May be a franchise killer, though Marvel is planning to try again.

2) Shrek The Third: Eh.

3) Breach: A waste of Chris Cooper.

4) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: It lost a lot of the joy of the previous two installments. It felt as if they just wanted it over.

5) The Seeker: The Dark is Rising: Very disappointing. It was so flat.

6) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: There was a good movie in this film, but it's hard to find in the 2 hours 40 minutes running time. It's really a shame, given that Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt are quite good.

At the speed of light

So Mike and I have been pushing really hard to see a bunch of movies before the Oscars. We started January with the following list, and have crossed a number of them off:

Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
American Gangster
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma
No Country for Old Men
There Will be Blood
Eastern Promises.

This past holiday weekend we saw 3:10 to Yuma, No Country, and Jesse James. It was a sort of a "western weekend."

3:10 to Yuma

Of the three, this is the one I enjoyed the most. Christian Bale plays a rancher, Dan, struggling to provide for his family. Dan is a Civil War veteran, and he's never really recovered from that experience. Russell Crowe plays a violent bandit, Ben Wade, who is captured in Dan's hometown. Dan volunteers to transport Ben to the 3:10 train to Yuma prison in exchange for much-needed cash. But, as a result, Ben's gang of theives is hunting Dan, trying to free their leader. The story is reasonably simple, and it ends just like you would expect. However, I was very impressed by the acting of the two leads, Bale and Crowe. Bale's character is a bit of a pathetic loser, but Bale makes sure we don't write him off. Crowe's Ben Wade is a scary psycho (there is one scene where he kills a guy with a fork), but he's also a bit of a dandy (Crowe sports a purple striped waistcoat throughout most of the film). Crowe meshes those disparate qualities together very effectively. These two men are so different, yet they manage to come to an understanding in the end. The final sequence is a keeper. (PS--Firefly fans, this movie features Alan Tudyk, aka Wash.)


No Country for Old Men

I'll admit that I was too scared to go see this movie when it first came out. The trailers alone were close to giving me nightmares. But after hearing so many good things from friends, I decided to suck it up and head to the theater. I'm glad I did. Yes, there were some violent parts, but the movie didn't dwell upon the gore. It's much more of a suspense piece, stringing you along in anticipation of something awful happening, instead of showing lots of awful things happening (though the final body count is really high). Javier Bardem is as good as everyone says he is, and I was equally impressed with Josh Brolin (I'm actually surprised he didn't get more awards buzz). And the dry wit conveyed by Tommy Lee Jones tops it all off. My only complaint: what is up with the ending? I realize that the Coen brothers sort of backed themselves into a corner, in that a movie like this has to end with a big shootout, but they probably didn't want to be so conventional. But instead of that type of ending, we get a drawn-out sequence where people meditate on the meaning of life. These scenes aren't bad, but they fit poorly with the rest fo the film.

The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

No need for a plot synopsis here. The title does say it all. The only thing I would add is, "... Framed by Lots of Arty Shots of Blowing Grass," after "Ford." I'm still a little confused by this movie. The actual assasination scene was interesting and well-constructed, but in order to get there we have to wade through lots of really random plot, somewhat stupid voice-overs (please, don't describe to the audience what you're already showing on the screen), and, well, grass. Seriously, the film crew must have spent days sitting in a hayfield somewhere. The acting is really good, led by Brad Pitt (as James) and Casey Affleck (as Ford). I just don't understand all the other artistic choices.

Mitten Chop!

I overcame "second mitten syndrome," and I am now about a third of the way through the second one. I'm contemplating what hat I could make to match these. I like the look of Ysolda's Gretel. This is the problem with knitting mittens--I always think they require a matching hat, which means buying more yarn! But Fabric Place is having a sale on Cascade 220, so maybe I can justify breaking my yarn diet....

Mitten Number One

I finished the first of my cabled mittens yesterday and set it out to block. I really like this pattern, despite the fact that it has some typos in it. But they were pretty easy to figure out, and the result is very cute. I sort of want a hat to match these, but I don't know if this cable pattern would translate well onto a hat. I'll have to think on it. I could always resort to my favorite cabled hat pattern, the Basic Cable from SNBN.

In other news, Mike and I have been trying to catch up on some more movies before the Oscars. First, there was Juno. I loved the quirkyness of this movie, but after a while the crazy dialogue got to me. You can tell that this is Diablo Cody's first film writing effort because she tried to cram way too much nonsensical hipster-speak and oddball situations into the script. However, the basic characterizations are very strong, and all of the actors, led by Ellen Page, do an excellent job. This is the second movie directed by Jason Reitman that I have enjoyed, following 2005's Thank You for Smoking. I am looking forward to his next project.

We also saw Eastern Promises on DVD this past weekend. In some ways, this movie didn't have a story arc at all. We just follow around a bunch of Russian mobsters for awhile. There isn't much resolution in the ending. However, I liked that there wasn't an epic storyline. This movie had no chance of topping all of the great gangster films out there, so it doesn't even try. Instead, it gives us a couple interesting characters and lets us explore their lives for a bit. Viggo Mortensen is amazing, as always. But be prepared for some graphic violence.