Deep Blue Sea

Loved this portrait of a woman whose insistence on living a life full of unbridled passion threatens to swallow her whole. Rachel Weisz has always been one of my favorite actresses, and this movie showcases her talents perfectly. She's able to telegraph all the big and small emotional moments so seamlessly. Even when those emotions are contradictory, she makes it seem natural to the character. After reading Anna Karenina and then watching Leaving, Julia, and White Material, I was really "over" stories about women who let their emotions completely derail their lives, but I was still moved by this story. I wasn't surprised to find out this story was originally a play, since the action is so spare so the focus is on Hester and her relationships with the two men in her life and the emotional journey she makes. And the cinematography and set design were beautiful. I loved how the rich, lush interiors were highlighted with just enough warm light to suggest a burning passion stifled.

photo source: IMDB

Another Earth

Another Earth drew me in much the same way as Melancholia and Moon. A quiet, slow, meditative character study that uses a bit if sci-fi to explore feelings of isolation, regret, connection, and redemption, I felt so much empathy for Rhoda and her struggles to find her place in the world. I loved the moodiness of this film and how the discovery of a duplicate Earth connects people and yet makes them feel even more lost in a way that they've never felt before.

photo source: IMDB

Chew

Except for Alison Bechdel's excellent Are You My Mother?, graphic novels have been missing from my literary intake for years. Now Chew has changed all that. Ever since my friend's husband introduced the Chew series to me, I can't get enough of Tony Chu's world. Finishing an issue takes less than 2 days, and when I'm done I'm always amazed how rich and full and satisfying the story is in terms of character development and plot. In just a few pages, a whole world is fully presented with fully-realized characters humming along with their own conflicts and desires and roles. Food culture has gotten so exhaustingly hip and trendy that I love how Chew has laced it's food-centric universe with healthy doses of action and mystery.

image credit: Chew official site

Before Midnight

Having followed Celine and Jesse since the beginning, I knew that Before Midnight was definitely a movie I wanted to watch in a theater.

Before watching this movie, I took special care not to run into any spoilers, since I wanted Celine and Jesse's story to unfold within the context of the movie. With the last two movies there was such a heightened sense of uncertainty and urgency that exaggerated the romance between these two. Yet from a practical point of view, it would be easy to dismiss their connection as something somewhat immature - that what bound them together merely seemed like an authentic connection just because they hadn't had the long stretches of time to know each other as people and not just "the one that got away." I was really relived to see in Before Midnight that both characters have grown and changed in a way that is natural for the couple we've gotten to know from the last two movies and that their connection was authentic. And these two really are older versions of the Celine and Jessie from the previous movies. Both their personalities developed in a natural progression from where we left off in Before Sunset, so it made their story so much more believable, and yet the romance is still just as sweet. Celine and Jesse, I just can't quit you!

photo source: IMDB

Veep

In the persistent discussion of whether or not women are funny*, Veep and, in particular, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' performance, deserve to be part of the conversation. Lots of my favorite comedy faces appear in this series, but JLD leads the pack with a performance that somehow makes a vain, narcissistic, power-hungry politician seem sympathetic. With all the bumbling and incompetence, JLD exudes the kind of charisma and authority that it makes it easy to believe that she holds the VP's office.

* I'm not sure why this is even a debate. Some people are funny, some people aren't funny. I'm not sure why gender has to factor into the discussion.

photo source: Lacey Terrell via IMDB

In the House

Ever since Under the Sand and Swimming Pool, I always look forward to seeing François Ozon's movies. I really enjoyed watching the comedy and tension unfold in In the House. Since literature and creative writing were my major as an undergrad, I had to chuckle at how seriously the literature teacher reveres his classics. Most of all, I loved this movie's exploration of voyeurism, the mechanics of storytelling, and social class.

photo source: IMDB

Ballymun Lullaby

I've been really lucky to have been taught under the care of some really wonderful teachers, so in a belated celebration for Teacher Appreciation Week, here are three movies that showcase why, for me, teachers are modern day superheroes.

I came across the documentary Ballymun Lullaby the old fashioned way: by flipping through the television channels. I guess I have my computer's broken power supply to thank for that. I'm really surprised I had never heard of it given that the subject matter is popular among mainstream movies. Music teacher Ron Cooney has such an easy way with the kids. It's inspiring to see people who believe in what they do and take such delight in sharing their joy with their students.

photo source: Ballymun Lullaby website