Good night, and good luck.

After a relaxing Pilates class at the Yoga Sanctuary, I walked across the street to the Carlton (the original multiplex - now people have home TVs bigger than these screens) and made the 7:40 screening. 93 minutes later I emerged, thoughtful and smiling. Loved this movie! Great cast, Cool black and white, Cool jazz (I went out later that week to buy the soundtrack.) David Strathairn is so good as Edward R. Murrow. Too bad he'll lose to Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote on Oscar night. George Clooney did a great job co-writing, directing and producing. Bravo George! Who cares if Angelina doesn't want you as godfather. This movie was an especially perfect alternative to a night at home watching the other George (Dubya's) State of the Union.

Le sofa est arrive!

We finally arranged to have the sofa delivered. They were supposed to come Friday, January 20th but apparently they were still dismantling the giant sectional and could not deliver it until Saturday around noon. (I had to phone them 2 hours after they were supposed to be here to find this out but HEY I'm only the client....) So today on a snowy Saturday they showed up and took 5 pieces of leather sofa down to the basement (they still had to remove the back door, Richard cringed when they scratched his paint job). And then they began to reassemble it. It took these 2 guys an hour and a half but it looks gorgeous. Jan was our guest from Vancouver for part of the weekend and she agrees that the contrast stitching looks cool and the new favourite seat in the house is the chaise end of the sectional - with a perfect view of the HDTV.

ex-Montrealers Unite!

Saturday night we had 15 people in our home: 10 adults and 5 kids. This was the first test for the new basement and according to Tomas (Dori's son) "the basement is perfect." Phew! He was impressed with the open space ("good for playing hockey") and of course the new TV. Emma and Luiza forged new friendships and "les boys" Gabriel and Alexandre were in fine form. David C (our Top 40 under 40 lawyer) brought hors d'oeuvres and was an amazing sous-chef helping me prepare all the ingredients for my jambalaya (mmmm). Shelley must have spent 3 days chopping every vegetable known to mankind which meant we had plenty to dip in delicious eggplant dip (from Sun valley) and more to enjoy in the refreshing salad. Tom B provided another amazing dessert: homemade Black Forest Torte. (mmmmmmm) Gina (with her arm in a cast after a spill in Florida), Linda, Jeff and Bruce rounded out the guestlist. A wonderful evening of food, wine and friendship.

Anticipation... frustration

Last year, you read about the trials of our basement reno. In 2006, we thought we would finally move ahead and start using the space more often (hence the incentive of our TV purchase) so I bought a new leather sectional to complete our "basement loft". Yesterday I came home early from work to take delivery but the two guys couldn't get it into our basement. (They actually reminded me of the demented movers we used in November 2002 - not strong problem solvers.) After removing the door and tilting it, part 1 of the couch got stuck in the stairwell. Tossing and turning tonight in my bed I felt they should have tried removing the legs or some other way to maneouver it in the space but like I said, thinking out of the box was not their strength. Basically they seemed bitter about doing the things they needed to do (i.e. taking the door off its hinges) and didn't even come with their own tools (I supplied the measuring tape, screwdriver and hammer.) We thought of putting it upstairs and moving our current sofa and love seat down but we weren't sure they would fit in the stairwell either. And then I'd be paying these bitter guys extra to do it all. Richard and I will need to go back to the store and check out our options. A real drag since we are expecting 15 people (friends and their kids) for dinner on Saturday. I think Simon at work jinxed me because he kept saying about my delivery "it's not coming, it's not coming" and now he's right. Stay tuned for the next chapter...

Mary's Birthday Dinner

Tonight Mary Long invited a few of her closest friends for dinner at Pure Spirits Oyster House in the Distillery District to celebrate her 40th birthday. It was an absolutely wonderful evening from start to finish. The food and company were divine. We started with a round of Cosmopolitans for our toast to Mary then fresh oysters followed by soup or salad and a choice of mains. I had the salad with beef tenderlion and portobello mushrooms (very tender and tasty) and ended with dessert and chocolate espresso martini (pretty intense). Mary opened her presents and got to visit with everyone throughout the evening. We finally closed the place at 1:00am. I agree with Carol: 40 is the new 30. Happy Birthday Mary!

Birthday and Brokeback with Les Filles

Tonight we celebrated my birthday with Les Filles (Sarah, Pavlina and Alison). We met at Winners and took the streetcar east to Gio Rana's, 1220 Queen St. E at Leslie. It's an old bank ("a strip mall style bank" as Alison noted) and there's no sign outside - just a big nose over the door like at his other location near Yonge & Eglinton. The place filled up quickly even at 6:00 on a Friday and we got started with beers and then a yummy Shiraz. Scrumptious appetizers and sides and my main (ossu bucco with Cremini mushrooms) was so tender it fell off the bone.

No time for dessert because we decided to try to see Brokeback Mountain at the Beach cinemas a short cab ride away. We got there and grabbed coffees but the only seats available were in the front row. Pavlina and I bailed and found single seats further back but Alison and Sarah didn't want to move (despite the annoying people around them). It was a heartbreaking movie and the performances were very strong. Heath Ledger deserves every prize he wins - muttering like a young Brando in cowboy boots with a convincing accent that belies his natural Australian one. Jake Gyllenhal is also very good as are the supporting actresses Michelle Williams (Heath's new partner) and Anne Hathaway (sporting a Farrah-like blonde hairdo - a sharp contrast to her natural rich brunette in Ella Enchanted and Princess Diaries).

I kept thinking about the movie the next day - it's not so much a gay cowboy movie as it is a movie about nurturing your relationships and being true to yourself. These guys probably couldn't have been together because of the era, and so they settled for the standard choices of marriage and kids and only came alive once or twice a year when they got together. Although most straight men won't see it, they should. And the Alberta mountain scenery is gorgeous. MMMM

Merci les Filles for
Osso bucco and Brokeback
Ang Lee is redeemed

P.S. Anne Hathaway is also starring in The Devil Wears Prada which will be released in June 2006. Les filles will go to the movie ensemble and then we will review both the film and the book at The Pilot (since we're a bit behind in our book club meetings) ;-)

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And thank you for the warm birthday wishes. We ended 2005 with a relaxing Christmas and a low key New Year's Eve/ birthday celebration. As usual, we spent much of each day on the phone talking to family and friends. Santa was very good to us this year. Christmas started early when we took delivery of our new 32" Sharp LCD TV on Tuesday, Dec. 20 (after they cancelled delivery once we finally got satisfaction from our salesperson because the customer service line was useless.) We got a bunch of our fave DVDs including Kill Bill vols. 1 & 2 and some great CDs (thanks Rich and Steve!) Thank you also to Uncle Wes and Marcella and Mom and Dad in Calgary and Winnipeg for your Christmas packages. Richard gave me a Bose Sound Dock for my iPod - it looks cool and sounds great. It kept me company in the kitchen while I was cooking Christmas dinner. No turkey this year - just a veal chop with scalloped potatoes and vichy carrots...mmmm... And of course a great wine from Uncle Wes and Marcella. New year's is also quiet - just watching the celebrations from Nathan Phillips Square and Niagara Falls. Who would imagine we would spend so much time in our basement but it's great to be finally using the space after starting the reno last spring. There are always things to work on (the bathroom!?) but it is teaching me patience and a new acronym: GEPO (good enough, push on).

Richard and I look forward to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2006 and wish you the same.

Dinner with The M Club

Tonight The M Club (Mary, Marlene, Manny and Mary Margaret) met for a delectable Christmas dinner at Avant Gout (8 Birch St just north of the Summerhill LCBO). It's a narrow house that has about 9 tables. The interior is painted a dark red and when you walk in you feel like you're in the dining car of the Orient Express. The chef is North African from France and my meal was delicious: fresh greens in a vinaigrette with goat cheese and salmon tagine. We even had a warm chocolate cake for dessert. I brought Christmas crackers and all the Ms were such good sports, everyone wore their party hats!

KONG is KING

See the mighty Kong
Skull Island and dinosaurs
Listen to Jack Black

WOW! Really enjoyed King Kong which we saw Saturday afternoon at the Beach Cinemas. I heard Director Peter Jackson say that the Lord of the Rings trilogy was "just a warm-up" for making Kong. At 3 hours (+ 20 minutes of trailers), it's not short but neither did it drag. Jackson did a great job and got wonderful performances from Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Kong - very emotive (it's all in their eyes). In the end, King Kong is a sad and touching movie that just happens to have sumptuous 30's sets and costumes and awesome CGI dinosaur fight scenes that blow Jurassic Park out of the water. (I'm sure we'll see a Skull Island ride at DisneyWorld or Universal Studios soon.)

As we were leaving the theatre I noticed a kid who couldn't have been more than 4 or 5. I really don't know what some parents are thinking because I feel Kong needs a height requirement: "You must be this tall to see this movie". Many scenes are graphic and scary (giant bugs eating peoples' faces and massive dinosaurs chomping at people and other dinosaurs.) My friends' kids have trouble with scenes in Stuart Little.

That night after a wonderful party with friends, we caught the tail-end of Saturday Night Live featuring guest host Jack Black. Here is Jack's opening monologue and The Kong Song on SNL - pretty hilarious.

Winning at Winners

As many of you know I work at College Park above the best Winners in Toronto. I have regular weekly (daily?) shopping therapy sessions at Winners and this week I have to share my fantastic find. Che, even though you were dissing Winners saying it had been picked over before Christmas I found 6 Nachtmann crystal Bordeaux wine glasses (the website says they're handblown) for $3.99 each!!!! That's 6 Grande lattes at Starbucks (talk about the latte factor) and probably less than the price of 1 glass at William Ashley's. I found a photo of the glasses on the Nachtmann website: (the one behind at left)

Can't diss Winners now
Source of my favourite glasses
Bordeaux anyone?

Finding Balance

I meant what I said in the last line of my previous post: I really can't wait for time off. Work has been INSANE for the past month and it is only now starting to ease up. As my friend Dori notes, I'm putting in private sector hours in a public sector job. And most evenings I'm working in the dark (they turn the lights out at 7:00 on my floor at College Park and I have often been there late working by the light of my monitor until 8:00 or 9:00pm). What up?

So now I am "taking back the night" and reclaiming some of those lost hours. The first step is seeing more movies! Last night's was the first in 6 weeks - highly irregular for Haikugirl's natural moviegoing habits.

In early December I took a course on Work-Life Management led by Dr. David Posen, author of The Little Book of Stress Relief. The course was amazing and couldn't have come at a better time for me. I am working at bringing more balance to my life at work and at home. One strategy is to just deal with the next 15 minutes (instead of getting overwhelmed by everything we have to do). Another is to do something for yourself every day. I made a commitment to blog, play piano, or walk at lunch at least 30 minutes each day to shift the focus away from work.

Wishing you and yours balance at the holiday season. May you have as relaxing a Christmas as we hope to have, filled with family, food, song and DVDs.

Christmastime is here
May peace and love fill your home
Enjoy your time off

The Squid and the Whale

Caught The Squid and the Whale last night at the Cumberland with Alison and Pavlina. A real spur-of-the-moment movie outing after we celebrated Pavlina's birthday dinner with Sarah at Saigon Sister. We wanted to see Jake and Heath in Brokeback Mountain but all screenings were sold out. Back to the film: Laura Linney is married to Jeff Daniels and they split up. The story follows the kids going back and forth between houses. Amazing performances by the whole family, although Jeff Daniels plays a pr*** and we didn't see enough of Laura Linney. Son #2 Frank is played by Owen Kline, son of Kevin and Phoebe Cates (he's got his mother's eyes). The soundtrack is sweet - just what you'd expect from the co-writer of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Writer/director Noah Baumbach made a nice film about a sad subject (his friend Wes Anderson of Life Aquatic and Royal Tenenbaums fame produces). Alison is glad she didn't know that until afterward or else we might not have seen it. More movies on tap for this weekend.

N-E-1-4 Kong?
Brokeback Mountain? Family Stone?
can't wait for time off

Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great... was GREAT! An inspirational, strong woman who had the right idea: Behave so the kind will love you, the evil will fear you, and all will respect you. An astute collector of art, a woman who loved the finer things and had the flow to buy them, a master communicator and marketer who knew how to create and use her brand. Really the whole package. She counted Rousseau and Diderot as friends and loved Voltaire. No wonder there is a cult that follows Catherine the Great. The gilded Coronation Carriage was impressive, but so was the story of the transport of the Thunder Stone from the rural woods to the heart of St. Petersburg. It forms the massive base of the equestrian statue of Peter the Great, often called The Bronze Horseman. They slid the stone on rails filled with large ball bearings and when those sunk into the mud, they waited till things froze to continue. A really enlightening two hours - amid the construction chaos of transformation AGO. On now only until January 1, 2006 (be sure to get the audio guide).

After the tour, Mary, Pavlina and I walked over to Cafe la Gaffe on Baldwin street. Delicious food, not not great service, but a wonderful place to catch up into the wee hours.

Mary and Pavlina both remembered fims they saw of Catherine the Great. Mary's was in colour (and starred Catherine Zeta Jones) Pavlina's was in black and white - I don't think IMBD goes back that far ;-). Anyone out there with Catherine the Great movie experiences?

Catherine the Great
Girlpower au maximum
Master marketer

Glorious Monterey

Richard and I had an absolutely wonderful time with Uncle Wes and Marcella at their beautiful home in Monterey, CA. We flew into San Francisco late on Thurs. Nov 10 and they were there to meet us and whisk us away two hours south to Monterey. Their condo is in a forest on the hill. You can see the ocean through the trees from the balcony. Their newly renovated guest bathroom is amazing (it's inspiring us to finish our project in the basement). We spent our time enjoying delicious food, great wine and driving along the coast and through the forest. Lunch at Nepenthe in Big Sur was a highlight: the restaurant is perched atop a cliff overlooking the ocean. The clear blue skies, unseasonably warm weather and crisp Chardonnays made us feel like we had recaptured summertime. We also saw the Monterey Bay Aquarium and took a trip to the Carmel Valley where we had lunch outside at the Corkscrew Cafe. On the way home we stopped at Bernardus to pick up some wines. This was our second visit to Bernardus - on Nov 11 Uncle Wes and Marcella had treated us to an unforgettable WINO dinner at the Bernardus Lodge. My parents had been their guests last year and met all of the wonderful people in the Carmel WINO chapter (Wine Investigation for Neophytes and Oenophiles) The final WINO dinner of the season was absolutely amazing: delicious food, awesome wine pairings from Stephen Ross Dooley (a native of Minnesota) and the most outstanding service we had ever experienced. I'll be posting photos soon (please come back!)

Many, many thanks to Marcella and Wes for their bottomless hospitality - you are truly the greatest and most gracious hosts around and we thank you for every glorious minute we spent in the Golden State! Here are some haiku for you:

Bernardus WINOs
The friendliest bunch around
Pour us some more wine!

Marcella and Wes
You are such amazing hosts
Thanks for everything

Love, Marusia and Richard

Capote

The Film Club saw Capote at the Varsity on Friday November 4. Phillip Seymour Hoffman turns in an uncanny performance of writer Truman Capote - definitely Oscar-worthy - but if you're craving action or had a long day at work, don't see this film. I want my family to see it because it was filmed in Winnipeg. Hints include: the Old Dutch chips in the 50's style corner store, the prison shots of Stoney Mountain Penetentiary in the blistering winter sun, the St-Charles Hotel in the Exchange District downtown. Here's a piece of MM trivia: Dr and Mrs Hrushovetz had their wedding reception there in 1962 - I don't think the place looked as gritty then.

Ultimately, I found the film engrossing. It was probably a very accurate portrayal of this self-absorbed egotist who couldn't even be happy for his friend Nell Harper Lee when Capote attended the movie premiere of her book To Kill a Mockingbird. (Who knew that author Harper Lee was a woman? Catherine Keener turns in a note-perfect, low-key performance). Capote was also a master manipulator. The scenes in the prison when he keeps returning to talk to the accused murderer Perry are haunting. As the centre of attention at the cocktail parties in his circle, Capote repeatedly talks about honesty and truth, but he strings Perry along with lies that he's hardly written a word. All this so he can get him to reveal the events of the night of the murder. Strange that Capote never completed another book after In Cold Blood. Maybe I'll suggest it for book club. MMMm

Memories from TIFF 2004

I was rooting through the pile of photos on our external hard drive and found these treasures from TIFF 2004. Enjoy the panoplay of stars...



Sean Penn at the screening of The Assination of Richard Nixon, the 2004 group pick. Notice the crummy walls at the Ryerson Theatre. The reno in time for TIFF 2005 was a big improvement. As for the movie, like Sean said, "I can't say 'enjoy the film', but..." His performance was great but don't rent this unless you're an insomniac...















A good shot of Director John Waters and TIFF co-Director Noah Cowan. Johnny Knoxville striding by in his white suit. Not my favourite people or film but I like my pix of them ;-)

Red carpet shots of Chris Cooper and Daryl Hannah with Antonio - our own resident star. Plus, the entire cast of Silver City (can you find Billy Zane behind the chic at the mic?) Proof that the quality of the film is indirectly proportionate to the number of people onstage.

TIFF Top Picks

Attention filmlovers: If you attended TIFF 2005, I want to hear your Best and Worst picks of the fest. List at least 3 (and up to 5) in each category. This year, I saw 11 films (less than a third of Joe's 35) and enjoyed the diversity of my choices and the access to stars on the red carpet. After 13 years, I also think I'm getting better at film selection, but you be the judge:

MM's BEST of TIFF
1. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (for Robert Downey Jr's narration and the director's surprises)
2. Thumbsucker (for Keanu's lines and Tilda Swinton's and Lou Pucci's performances - see it in theatres now!)
3. C.R.A.Z.Y. (because it was real, touching and uniquely 70's Canadian)
4. a tie: Corpse Bride (for the chance to meet Johnny Depp on the red carpet at the Elgin) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (because I got to see it with Les Boys and it prompted such discussion afterward)
5. Sketches of Frank Gehry (for the relaxing pace and beautiful examples of his work)

MM's WORST of TIFF
1. Beowulf & Grendel (we walked out - need we say more?)
2. Entre ses mains (In His Hands) - how many times can you walk back into the arms of a killer?
3. Nanook of the North (well, at least the throatsingers were interesting)

Okay TIFF (and VIFF) veterans - let's hear from you! Post your comments on this blog or email me - you know where I live!

haikugirl / MM

When bad movies happen to good actors

As promised, Jan's review of The Dying Gaul.... really, really dying....

Hi MM
Saw The Dying Gaul last night - Campbell Scott, Patricia Clarkson & Peter Sarsgaard - how could you go wrong? Lotsa ways apparently. Sarsgaard plays a fledgling screen writer that has written a screenplay called The Dying Gaul - the story of a homosexual couple based on his own relationship with his former lover, now dead from AIDS. Scott plays the movie mogul that buys the play for one million dollars, on the condition that it is rewritten as a hetrosexual aids story. Clarkson is Scott's bored, smart, frustrated screen-writer wife. The couple form a tight relationship with Sarsgaard - Scott becomes his lover, and Clarkson begins to anonymously chat with him on gay chat sites. All sounds fairly promising, and you can't really blame the actors for the problems with this one. The pacing is off, and there are some bizarre cinematic choices, particularly to show the "chat" between Sarsgaard and Clarkson - at one point it is shown as their disembodied speaking heads. Made me think of SCTV's takes on Bergman, and I don't think that was the intention. Clunky, awkward, and boring. Have to give Sarsgaard points for the hysterical weeping breakdown he has after a sexual encounter with Scott - bizarre high pitched choking crying that was genuine enough to be uncomfortable to watch, but my praise ends there. This is apparently based on a play - can see that it could work well on the stage, but this is one reaaaaally bad adaptation.
-Jan

I love Jan's reviews
Too bad for Peter Sarsgaard
Just rent Garden State

Letter from VIFF

I wanted to post this letter with reviews from a friend attending the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) - thanks Jan:

Hi there Mary Margaret!
Hope all is well. Am currently in the throws of VIFF - and what a different experience! Imagine being able to get tickets to films you want to see just by walking up to a ticket wicket and asking for them...also, nice price (10 films, $87). Of course, you don't get the celebs either.

Have seen a couple of winners so far - The Squid & the Whale, which should come out soon. Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels as a couple, both writers - he also a prof, with a writing career on the demise, she on the rise. They divorce, and the story is largely about how it affects their two sons. Really liked it, an not just because Jeff Daniels' self-involved demi-god-wannabe character confirms every suspicion I have about profs/writers. Both funny & painful. Also a great comic role by Billy Baldwin as a local tennis pro. Also lovely was a french film When the Tide Comes In, about a travelling actress who gets involved with one of her audience members. Nice not only because the protagonists don't fit the ideal specs you'd find in a North American film. And finally, saw Life With my Father, Quebecois film about two sons dealing with their charismatic, ailing, womanizing father. Shades of the Barbarian Invasions, which I gather was being filmed at about the same time. Needed some editing, but otherwise quite good.

I am looking forward to seeing E.I.I. once VIFF is over - saw a bit on Gogol Bordello on The New Music, looks very fun. My next review will be for The Dying Gaul, with Campbell Scott.

Jan

Everything is Illuminated

This movie was at the festival on Mon Sept 12 at 9pm but I couldn't see it because I was at Dave Chappelle's Block Party. Instead, Mary Long and I picked it for our movie night out Fri Sept 30 when it opened in Toronto. We loved Everything is Illuminated MMMM and recommend it to friends and family. Other reviewers don't seem to agree.

Written for the screen and directed by Liev Schrieber (he of Scream 3, Manchurian Candidate and Hamlet fame) this is a solid directorial debut. Based on the critically-acclaimed novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, this film is all about the characters - including the dog. Elijah Wood (Jonathan) goes to Ukraine in search of a woman in an old photo who apparently helped his grandfather Safran escape the Nazis. Jonathan is a 'collector' literally collecting things he encounters and bagging them so he won't forget. When he gets to Ukraine, he finds Alex Jr as his 'trusted interpreter' and Alex's grandfather Alex Sr. as the 'certified guide' who says he's blind and won't travel without his 'seeing eye bitch' a hilarious dog named Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. This unlikely band travels through rural Ukraine (the credits suggest it's really Czechoslovakia) in their 'rigid search' for Trachimbrod - the town where the photo was apparently taken. This proves to be tougher than they thought because no one has heard of it.

Alex Jr's English is 'not so premium' but the actor Eugene Hutz he is also the lead singer of Gogol Bordello and wrote and performed much of the music on the movie's soundtrack - a kind of Ukrainian gypsy/pop/klezmer music. I think I'll pick it up to add to my own collection. This film is funny and touching, some scenes are wonderous, and it will make you pine for your own grandparents and past. My brother Steve should be the first to see it.

road trip through Ukraine
everything in the past is
illuminated

P.S. Movie clubbers, our next film is Elizabethtown, then Paradise Now.