Reads and eats
Well, I've been watching quite a few movies lately, so I thought I'd weigh in on some of them. First, I saw Vanity Fair, starring Reese Witherspoon, and I must say that I'm not sure quite what to think. I've unfortunately never read Thackeray's novel, so I can't critique the film based on its veracity to the book, but some aspects of the movie were jarringly out of place for me. There's a scene in which several British women perform in a little entertainment for an honored guest. There were legs, ankles, and bare flesh everywhere! In my understanding of the time period, this was strictly taboo. I'm not sure if this episode was described in the book, but it seems highly unlikely to me. I enjoyed the Indian influence in the movie, as it imparted a sense of exoticism and wonder that cold, gray England often seems to lack. Performances were all right, but something about it all just felt flat to me. There were several scenes where Witherspoon's character sings that seemed to stretch on far too long. (I don't say this to malign Witherspoon's singing voice. I just wasn't sure what such long musical scenes were supposed to be contributing to the film.) In conclusion, I found this film a rather mixed bag in regards to entertainment value.
I also watched Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, starring Renee Zellweger. Another hit and miss endeavor. First of all, I couldn't understand why Jones was whining about boyfriend Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) never fighting for her, considering he beat Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) to a pulp for her in the LAST movie. Secondly, some quite preposterous plot turns (Being thrown in a Thai prison? That's a bit much for even my flexible suspension of disbelief.) made the whole movie pretty hard to swallow. The movie was okay, and I don't expect that another film following the escapades of Jones will be worth watching unless the formula is changed enough to allow for some relief.
Lastly, I watched The Door in the Floor. Having read John Irving's A Widow for One Year, upon which the film is based, I feel qualified to comment. The Door in the Floor wisely makes use of only the best and most interesting narrative in the novel, which is the introductory story. (The novel continues to follow the characters as they age, showing the impact of the early narrative as it reverberates through their lives.) Kim Basinger was probably the perfect actress to cast in this film as Marion, a wife destroyed by the grief of losing her two sons. Jeff Bridges is also wonderfully unsettling (and annoying) as Ted, Marion's philandering husband. Eddie (played by Jon Foster), who bears a striking resemblance to one of the dead boys, is hired as Ted's driver for the summer (Ted, an alocoholic, has lost his license.), and he almost immediately develops a strong attraction to Marion. The two begin an affair, and the resulting fall-out ends the marriage of Marion and Ted. I liked this movie. Although it is not a hopeful or pleasant film, it is worth watching for Basinger's nuanced portrayal of a childless mother and Bridges' (often unsympathetic) character work.
Lastly, I had to share information about some delicious products from Williams-Sonoma. I don't usually make the significant trek to get to the only Williams-Sonoma in my area, but I had to pop in for a visit after tasting some delicious treats at a friend's house last week. They have a fabulous pecan pumpkin butter ($9.00) for the holidays. The appetizer they recommend for its use: 1 package of cream cheese, cut in half lengthwise and placed on a dish, topped with a spreading of the pumpkin butter. This mixture is them topped with chopped green onions, crumbled bacon, and chopped toasted pecans. They suggest serving it with wheat thins or other crackers. HEAVENLY. Not only that, they have a yummy pomegranate margarita mix ($14.00) that is divine, and its cranberry color looks so festive in a glass! Both of these items are on my holiday menu for next weekend, and you can find them at the Williams-Sonoma web site, which I've linked to above. Happy eating!
I also watched Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, starring Renee Zellweger. Another hit and miss endeavor. First of all, I couldn't understand why Jones was whining about boyfriend Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) never fighting for her, considering he beat Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) to a pulp for her in the LAST movie. Secondly, some quite preposterous plot turns (Being thrown in a Thai prison? That's a bit much for even my flexible suspension of disbelief.) made the whole movie pretty hard to swallow. The movie was okay, and I don't expect that another film following the escapades of Jones will be worth watching unless the formula is changed enough to allow for some relief.
Lastly, I watched The Door in the Floor. Having read John Irving's A Widow for One Year, upon which the film is based, I feel qualified to comment. The Door in the Floor wisely makes use of only the best and most interesting narrative in the novel, which is the introductory story. (The novel continues to follow the characters as they age, showing the impact of the early narrative as it reverberates through their lives.) Kim Basinger was probably the perfect actress to cast in this film as Marion, a wife destroyed by the grief of losing her two sons. Jeff Bridges is also wonderfully unsettling (and annoying) as Ted, Marion's philandering husband. Eddie (played by Jon Foster), who bears a striking resemblance to one of the dead boys, is hired as Ted's driver for the summer (Ted, an alocoholic, has lost his license.), and he almost immediately develops a strong attraction to Marion. The two begin an affair, and the resulting fall-out ends the marriage of Marion and Ted. I liked this movie. Although it is not a hopeful or pleasant film, it is worth watching for Basinger's nuanced portrayal of a childless mother and Bridges' (often unsympathetic) character work.
Lastly, I had to share information about some delicious products from Williams-Sonoma. I don't usually make the significant trek to get to the only Williams-Sonoma in my area, but I had to pop in for a visit after tasting some delicious treats at a friend's house last week. They have a fabulous pecan pumpkin butter ($9.00) for the holidays. The appetizer they recommend for its use: 1 package of cream cheese, cut in half lengthwise and placed on a dish, topped with a spreading of the pumpkin butter. This mixture is them topped with chopped green onions, crumbled bacon, and chopped toasted pecans. They suggest serving it with wheat thins or other crackers. HEAVENLY. Not only that, they have a yummy pomegranate margarita mix ($14.00) that is divine, and its cranberry color looks so festive in a glass! Both of these items are on my holiday menu for next weekend, and you can find them at the Williams-Sonoma web site, which I've linked to above. Happy eating!
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