water

Wow! "Water" is an incredible film! Definitely one of the best films I've seen in awhile, particularly in the foreign film genre, which I LOVE!

It's a fuerte film in the respect that it's about widows in India - if you're widowed, you're widowed for life and live a life somewhat as an outcast. Incredible film though. Amazing colors, great music, and about a culture at least I find intriguing because it's so different from my own. Some of the big themes have to do with hope, tradition, religion, truth, or what is right and wrong and how do you decide,... Wow!

I loved this movie. It's been a few years since I saw it, but it left an impression and BEAUTY is a major theme in it. I thought back to the movie briefly as I read the following quote from Simply Christian (again, you should really read the whole book):

"Beauty, in other words, is another echo of a voice - a voice which (from the evidence before us) might be saying one of several different things, but which, were we to hear it in all its fullness, would make sense of what we presently see and hear and know and love and call "beautiful." ...

Heaven and earth are full of a glory, a glory which stubbornly refuses to be reduced to terms of the senses of the humans who perceive it." - NT Wright, Simply Christian, Chapter 4

whip it

We're in the process of trying to find films for this semester's film night (so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them), but I recently saw this movie with the girl from Juno and LOVED it. I watched it just as a light movie one night, but actually think it is totally quality. So, thus far my lists of great movies seen in 2010 are:

Avatar
Whip It!
The Boys Are Back

I'd like to at some point see The Elegance of the Hedgehog (since the book was fabulous) and Sherlock Holmes, but they may have to wait until they come out on video.

avatar

Last night I finally got to see Avatar on the big screen and I saw it both in version original (English) and in 3D. It was absolutely amazing!

It was beautiful and just an incredible experience all around. I had some things immediately afterward so had to dash out as soon as the film ended and felt fully exhilarated running though the metro to get back home. I love movies like that that are contagious and make you feel like a superhero running on a secret mission or a mission of life and death just as you go about normal, everyday life.

So, yes, I'd definitely recommend it. It definitely does have some commentaries on the world and life that would be interesting to discuss as well, but the main thing that makes it an incredible film are the special effects, the cinematography and all that.

a brief update

I am hoping to write some thoughts about my recent trip to the US and seeing it through my Spanish friends' eyes a bit since she came with me. I arrived back on Friday morning, am still fighting with jet lag (at least in the mornings), have watched four movies in the past 24 hours to prep for our film nights this fall, am trying to cram one and a million things into the next 24 hours, and leave tomorrow afternoon for two days of meetings in Barcelona.

On a side note: here are some fun books I've read recently or am hoping to read soon - Know it All by A.J. Jacobs who worked for Esquire, The Elegance of the Hedgehog (I've probably mentioned it before), and Reading Lolita in Tetuan. Oh and some good nonfiction books that I highly recommend are The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan, Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (or anything by Lewis for that matter), The Promises of Grace by Bryan Chappell (or Praying Backwards - also great), and The Prodigal God by Tim Keller (or anything by Keller).

As for movies...I have a list, so I'll finish watching them and then give you the reviews or send you to my ministry website.

Music is a wonderful thing. I love how it can transport you to somewhere else, how it can somehow move you in a way much deeper than mere words.

So, I just have to say that while it is definitely a girly movie, You've Got Mail is definitely up there in the movie world. And I love the music. I'm listening to it right now and it makes me feel reminiscent. About what, I'm not quite sure. But it does make me happy. It makes me think of daisies and witty monologues about pencils and butterflies on metros and you've just got to love about a million things about that movie. Hmm....

Well, I don't actually have much to say, but I do think the guy who did the music, George somebody, is a genius, as is the playwright. Oh, I just finished the music. :-) I guess on to other things.

film list

I'm putting together a list of films for film discussion nights for next semester. If you have any ideas, I'd love the suggestions...

Thus far these are my ideas...

* To End All Wars (2001)
* Crash
* The Shawshank Redemption
* The Dark Knight
* Il Postino / El Cartero (de Pablo Neruda) (1994)
* Dieu est grand, je suis toute petite (2001)
* Amelie
* The Secret Life of Words (La Vida Secreta de Las Palabras)
* Little Miss Sunshine
* Slumdog Millionaire
* Changling
* High Fidelity
* Mystic River
* God Grew Tired of Us (I still have to watch this)
* The Visitor (I'm watching it right now ;-))

silly teen movies

i have no idea what possessed me to do so (although kelly, an old roommate, would be proud), but i watched "the clique" and "another cinderella story" this weekend, in the midst of cleaning. i don't quite know what possessed me to do so.

friday i watched "surf's up" with beth, carol & sarah jane (carol's 12 year old daughter), which is a good animated film and was mainly for carol & sarah jane. i had just skimmed through some films to rent prior to carol & sarah jane getting there and somehow hoped to watch a teen movie. so on sunday i somehow jumped back to that and actually did. now, neither movie was actually worth watching much of, but since i was multi-tasking and resting simultaneously (and had quite a bit to organize), i got through them both - both scary and crazy. i now have no idea why i am telling you this other than for kelly's sake and because i am tired and illogical right now. so, no need to do the same, although i would recommend "surf's up." and if you do feel the need to see a silly teen movie, "mean girls" is actually good and i'm sure kelly could add a good list.

Movies...

We are in the process of planning several events for this semester. One is a cine forum, where we will watch a film and then talk about some of the themes from the film. The various themes are beauty, relationships, freedom, spirituality, and I think I'm missing one. If you have any suggestions on films for beauty, freedom, or spirituality, I'd love some help. Right now my brainstorming (which is definitely brainstorming, not anything set) includes the following...

Beauty - August Rush, Il Postino / El Cartero (1990, The Postman (of Pablo Neruda))

Relationships - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Freedom - Amistad, Bloody Sunday, Garden State

Spirituality - Dieu est grand, je suis toute petite (2001, God is great, I am small, with Audrey Tautou))

This is what I have so far... I'd love some help if you have any ideas.

Films to see

I am realizing that both my lists of movies & books are getting entirely too long. While it isn't actually the beginning of a new year, fall is much more like new year's to me than January 1st. Thus, I am retiring my previous list an starting a new one, which is presently blank.

Here is the old list, 2007-08. Enjoy!

Movies I've Seen Recently & Would Recommend (in a purely random order)

Once
August Rush
bella
Across the Universe
Innocent Voices (Voces Inocentes)
The Great Debaters
Sicko
Blood Diamond
The Cult of Sincerity
Proof
White Oleander (La Flor del Mal)
Emma
No Reservations
Mansfield Park
Surf's Up
Martian Child (the name may sound cheesy, but it really is good)
Kite Runner
Freedom Writers
Take The Lead
Save The Last Dance
Narnia - Prince Caspian
Reign Over Me
The Ultimate Gift
Definitely, Maybe
Maid of Honor
Baby Momma
Smart People
Volver
Crash
27 Dresses
Peregrinos

"Where does change come from and how do you know when it happens?" - The Air I Breathe, movie

latest movies

i'll write more later, but i watched a great movie today - Reign Over Me with Adam Sandler and the guy from Hotel Rwanda. it is definitely a sobering drama, but is amazing.

i recently watched bella and the ultimate gift, also good movie pics, particularly bella.

it's been a little while since i saw anything actually in the theater, but the new narnia movie, if it's still out, Prince Caspian, was great.

happy movie watching! i'm sure i'll have seen some more after my little hop across the ocean.

dancing

i just commented on a friend's post about dancing, i think specifically salsa. anyway... i told her a fun story about my time in orlando and thought it worth repeating here.

my friend bekah, who will soon be in madrid with me, loves to dance, particularly salsa. i do too, but not as much as bekah. so during the training she was going through and i was coaching in florida, on occasion bekah organized a salsa night, either to teach people or to go out. i can't say that i went to as many nights as i would have liked, but the one night i went out with them was FABULOUS and a time forever sketched in my memories.

there was a salsa convention going on in town, so we went to the open dancing. there were three of us women and two guys. we got there and were blown away by the dancers, all professional or semi-professional. i felt like i was on the set or in a movie, definitely very surreal. and they were definitely FAR out of our league. but we danced anyway and i had the greatest time!!! i felt like a star. while i'm sure i didn't look anything like them, i pretended i did and felt like a million dollars. damien and drew being there to dance with, along with the other random guys i danced with were obviously fairly key. it was definitely a night to remember. i only wish i had some pictures to go along with it.

and the venue was stellar. a huge ballroom with a hardwood floor and all the glitz to go with it. it kind of made me think of the japanese version of "shall we dance" (which by the way is MUCH better and came out far before the american version with richard gere).

Note: By the way, the picture above is from the Antonio Banderes (he's spanish) movie "Take The Lead" which I just saw a few days ago at a friend's house a few days ago in Lawrence, KS, while I was preparing for my talk on Spain at Grace EPC. It is a GREAT movie that is about dancing but also a lot more. Definitely a great movie to rent.

Prince Caspian

A few days ago my parents and I went to see the new Narnia movie, "Prince Caspian," based on the book by C.S. Lewis. It was great! I am a bit biased as I listened to my dad read these books growing up and I just think they are great stories. It takes you to this magical land and I always love how Aslan is portrayed. Anyway, it's definitely a movie to see, although it's a little violent for little kids (in my opinion).

2 days in paris

a few days ago i found this amazingly cool video store with tons of foreign films and independent films and just a ton of movies to rent. katie and i picked 2 días en paris to watch, since we both like before sunset and before sunrise which feature julie delpy in paris. this one is actually a film by her.

i wouldn't say it was the best movie ever. and i'm not sure i would recommend the movie as a whole (it had a bit more discussion about sex than i would have wanted, offset only be the fact that it also made adam goldburg's character completely uncomforable), but there was an incredibly funny scene made even funnier by the fact that katie and i were exhausted and thus a bit slaphappy. it's almost at the end of the film (the second from the last chapter) and just in case you do desire to see it, i'll just include a couple quotes... hilarious.

"all we need is love, you and me... i'm a fairy... no, i mean a real fairy... you need to care for her, much care, give her lots of care..."

katie and i watched this scene three times and were crying we were laughing so hard.

the cult of sincerity

Some friends, or more accurately friends of friends recently made a film, posted it on youtube (by the way, it's a full length film), and are now giving about half of their earnings to Fount of Mercy, an NGO (non-profit) working in Uganda. It's a good film. So, check it out if you have time. Oh, and by the way, to help them out and to "donate" to Fount of Mercy via them, you can do so for nearly for free. So go check out the film and do what they say.

Once

So, I have to say that both the movie "Once" and it's soundtrack are incredible. Granted if you don't like one you probably wouldn't like the other. (The movie has more music than words.) I've been listening to it while doing other stuff and just have to say it's amazing!

Some Good Reads

Okay, this really is the last post of the night, as I should really get some sleep.

First, here are some GREAT books you should read that have helped me think more about the world and about issues of justice and humanity:

There is No Me Without You - Melissa Fay Greene (about Ethiopia, specifically the huge number of orphans & the AIDS epidemic and about a woman (and others) who have given their lives to take care for these kids)

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hossini (while a bestseller and now coming out as a movie, it is also a great book about Afghanistan & two boys growing up. definitely one of my favorite books of the year!)









And here are a couple of movies in the same vain (both are violent and definitely intense, but very good):

Blood Diamonds (if I remember right, it takes place in Sierra Leone; while Leonardo Di Caprio is in this movie, he plays a very different role before and in my opinion is the best role he has played - I'm generally not a fan of his and in fact wasn't going to see the movie because of that)

Innocent Voices (takes place in El Salvador during a war, showing child soldiers, which apparently is much more common than i'd like to believe in some of the more impoverished parts of the world) (http://www.innocentvoicesmovie.com/)