What I Watched
- Gidget (3 stars): My sister insisted I watch this Sandra Dee flick on New Year's, and, while it's no masterpiece, I will admit it was very cute and I enjoyed it. There, I said it.
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (3½ stars): At a running time of 2 hours and 48 minutes, you're certainly getting your money's worth out of your theatre ticket with this one. Honestly, I would have been perfectly happy with a run time of about 2 hours and 15 minutes, which would have forced the cutting of a few sequences that were unnecessary and, in my opinion, muddled up the narrative and the theme, which in turn lessened the potential emotional impact of the story. That being said, I did enjoy the movie. The make-up and special effects were very well done, and there were parts of the movie that were really touching.
- Ever After (3½ stars): This retelling of Cinderella has had a huge impact on me over the years. I blame it for starting my obsession with dark, longish, wavy/curly hair on men, and it definitely had an impact on my philosophical views as well as dooming me to life as a hopeless romantic. It's not as clever as The Princess Bride, but, as far as reimaginings of fairytales go, this one's pretty charming.
- Doubt (4 stars): I was pleasantly surprised by this film. The transition from stage to screen wasn't as smooth as the one for Frost/Nixon, but the powerhouse performances by Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, as well as the grounding character played by Amy Adams, had me glued to my seat.
- Death at a Funeral (3 stars): An amusing but slightly uneven dark comedy. With a little more heart, it could have been great.
- In Bruges (4 stars): This had all the potential to be a five-star rating, but it seemed like the film was never able to decide whether it was a comedy or a drama. It was great at both, but it really jerked my emotions around so much that I just didn't know how to feel when it was done. Great story, great performances. Just puzzling.
What I'm Writing
I'm still toiling away at Fairytale Redux, but I've also started planning an adaptation/update of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. After reading it and seeing the 2002 film version last year, I started toying with the idea of reimagining the story set in today's world. And, since it's in the public domain, I've really got no excuse not to do it. I'm almost done with my beat sheet, and I hope to get a 40-scene outline done in the next couple of weeks.
That's all for now. Hope the New Year's off to a good start for everyone!
