Haha, that was from A Series of Unfortunate Events. I just saw it. Some other quotes I will use as titles (but must write down before they are forgotten): "Isn't it strange how none of our relatives are related to us?" "Oh, why didn't I wait an hour before I swam?"... See, I've forgotten it already. I think I'll have to see it again, what a shame.
I've quite a bit to type about, but I had a serious accident-- a papercut, on my finger, just under the nail. And it hurts to type, and... move my finger at all! My hands are also extremely dry and cracked, but some vaseline and a pair of socks will clear that right up. Trust me, it works. Of course, it will be hard to turn the pages of George Eliot with socks on my hands. And it's rather warm out tonight, so I may have to turn on the air-conditioning if I want to put socks on my hands. Again, just trust me on that.
Anyway, yes, I watched In America today. It was verrry good, I recommend it to all. The screenplay was fantastic, it really was. I'm glad I bought it!
Then tonight we went to go see Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and I loved the books beforehand, but the movie took it to another level. Granted, some things, some plays on words, couldn't be translated easily nor at all onto film, but the acting brought something else to it. The three (or should I say four, Sunny was played by twins) children were amazing. I was very impressed by the girl who played Violet, she took the emotional scenes rather well. And the boy who played Klaus handled anger very well, he managed a shaky inflection throughout. And Jim Carrey-- what's there to say? Perfection in that role. His movies are getting better and better, which might not say too much since I don't care at all for his early comedic work. At all. I usually find his character acting so over-the-top that it's boring after awhile. But this, this was just... hilarious. There were also a lot of subtleties in the jokes that I will most definitely have to see again. A lot of critics aren't liking this movie, mostly because in the end Count Olaf tries to marry Violet, who's only fourteen. But this is in the book, and it's no worse than when he left them on the traintracks locked in his car to die. Ebert and Roeper gave it two thumbs down, partially on this point, but then they went on to give Kevin Bacon's new movie (the one where he plays a recovering child molester) two thumbs up. Granted, A Series is directed at children, but I happen to think that Lemony (?) handled it in a way in which children will look at it innocently and adults will look at it disgustedly, which was part of the point of the movie-- children are often forgotten by adults in adult matters. Never mind the fact that Kevin Bacon is pitied in his movie because of his crime, not despite it. I'm not saying that that movie is bad, I'm saying that it's a double standard. It was in Olaf's character to do what he did. He killed two people in succesion in cold blood in front of the children, and tried to kill them himself, and killed their parents, and the list goes on. How is it ending on a bad note when he tries to marry Violet? It's a Series of Unfortunate Events, and that, my friends, is one unfortunate event. I think it was a witty movie, and marks a change in children's entertainment.
Which means nothing to you, I rest assured. But I care! Some things are too gum-drop goody. I liked the one point that Lemony (who I actually still think is a woman) made-- that loosing someone is like taking an extra step while walking up the stairs, and as your foot falls through that darkness where you thought there would be support, everything seems out of place.
I probably only liked the movie because I already favour stuff of it's kind: the overstuffed bigness of the cinematography in what should be embracing but is bleak... like a Burton film. It's a disconcerting yet envelopping paradox that draws a viewer in. I also loved the cinematography of In America, to see it through the camera like the eyes of the child added something special to it. It was highly sedimental.
Before I go, I advise you to always wait an hour after eating before you swim, or else you may lose your leg to leeches.
SILENCE, TRAITOR! - 2006-05-10
Irish History - 2006-05-02
Goodbye Bio! - 2006-05-01
DANCE, WATER! DANCE! - 2006-04-26
Gaaaaaah. - 2006-04-24