Despicable Me (source)

Yesterday was set aside for some serious lounging time. Rich spent the first half of the day (and then some) getting all his boarding gear cleaned up and organised but then we crashed on the sofa with Evelina. While we gave her last bottle, we watched Despicable Me (one of my Mother’s Day presents from Evelina) which I have now seen twice since Friday!  Then we had a very early night which was bliss and much needed by us both!

Market Hall, Warwick (source)

Today, the weather was not on our side so we decided to stay close to home. After a deliciously leisurely morning, we went into Warwick and got Evelina’s passport application sent off – she needs it for our holiday to Italy in July – and then we grabbed a late lunch at a fab cafe in  Market Square called Within Reach Cafe which has a simple menu of sandwiches etc plus daily specials including soup, quiche and a hot dish.  The ingredients used are excellent quality and the service is lovely and friendly.  There is room for a pram next to each table and they have baby changing facilities which makes is particularly appealing!  I went with my mum recently and knew I would be back.  The prices are reasonable too.

After lunch we took a look in the Warwick Museum and then afterwards, I picked up some cheap wool from Warwick Wools for the giant granny square throw I am making for the lounge. We also popped into Present Days (I love that shop) and ended up buying a cute elephant toy for Evelina. After giving Evelina a quick feed in the car, we headed for Leamington so we could pop in a couple of shops and we managed to both end up getting some new togs in the Gap sale.

So our first day out of our staycation has been very much like most of our other holidays (ie eating and shopping!).  We have plenty of ideas for the rest of the week: swimming with Evelina, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, a day in Stratford, a walk round Abbey Fields in Kenilworth and a visit to Kenilworth Castle, Compton Verney and / or Baddesley Clinton.   I would also like to see Suckerpunch at the IMAX (without evelina of course). I don’t know how much we will manage but tomorrow is meant to be a nicer day, so I am sure we will be out and about.  It’s already been so nice to spend some proper quality time together as a family.  I am really looking forward to the rest of the week.  Right now, Evelina is in bed and we are about to pop on a Harry Potter film.

I had heard rave reviews about these comic books and also heard that a film was being made, so I got the first book after a trip to Nostalgia and Comics in Birmingham (a great shop!).  Initially, I wasn’t sure about it and I think my problem was that Scott came off as a bit of a jerk.  He treated his poor, too-young-for-him high schooler girlfriend terribly and it took me a while to get on board with him.  This is something the film did not need to worry about.  By casting the lovable and awkward Michael Cera (also known as Paulie Bleeker in Juno amongst other things), I was naturally predisposed to like him and his behaviour comes across as more bumbling and less dickish.

The story is essentially that Scott Pilgrim likes a girl, Ramona Flowers (played by the lovely Mary Elizabeth Winstead), but in order to date her he has to defeat her seven evil exes.  Awesomely ridiculous fights and special powers ensue and we are treated to some hilarious performances by blockbuster actors like Chris Evans who plays a douchey movie star and Brandon Routh‘s vegan rock star with psychic powers.   I don’t think you have to have read the books to enjoy it – Rich seemed to enjoy it despite his reservations – but I also think that fans of the books can’t find too much to be upset about in the film (what am I saying, there will *always* be people upset with adaptations).

**Warning this review contains spoilers and overuse of the word ‘myth’**

On Sunday, while I was feeling poorly and Rich was busy watching Villa beat Reading, I decided to watch He’s Just Not That Into You.  I had looked forward to getting this film through from Lovefilm and after a long delay, it finally arrived.

I am vaguely aware that it did not get rave reviews (but since when did that stop me from enjoying a film). Maybe I should have been put off more by the stunt casting of the large ensemble cast of big names but I wasn’t.  And maybe the interlinking stories should have seemed a bit hokey but I liked how that all played out.

My main beef is that the film’s message – the one in the title, for goodness’ sake – is pretty much shot to hell by the way it seemed to neatly tie up *nearly* all the pairings, only leaving the unfaithful Bradley Cooper (why does he have to be cast as such a douche?) to pine for his nubile love (the rather lovely Scarlett Johannson and his wife,  Jennifer Connelly, to start a new life with a new mirror (as part of her symbolic interior re-design).  This was my overwhelming impression as soon as the film was over.

The main characters, such as they are in such a large cast, are Ginnifer Goodwin‘s Gigi and Justin Long‘s Alex who tells it like it is.  Gigi is a serial dater who makes every assumption that a female supposedly makes: he doesn’t call because he lost your number; he pushes you away because he can’t handle his emotions;  he rejects you because he loves you.  Alex is the straight talking mythbuster who starts to guide Gigi away from the lies she has used to make herself feel better.

The myth that men have such complex thought processes when it comes to us, the fairer sex (and this context, I mean that in all senses of the word), dates right back to when a boy first pushed you over in the playground: he does it because he has a crush and BAM! now every time a man treats you badly, it’s easy to blame it on him liking you too much, or being afraid of his feelings.

This same ‘complex-man’ myth is perpetuated, according to the film (and presumably the book, which I haven’t read) by anecdotal stories that spread like urban tales: the guy who had been staunchly against marriage proposing to his girlfriend after 10 years, the unfaithful partner that renounced his philandering ways, the guy who didn’t call until 13 days after the first date… these are all the proof that we need to balm our insecurities.  Alex swiftly calls all this bullshit.  He calls these stories the exceptions to the rule.

So far so good.  I am liking that this behaviour is called out as obviously bogus.  I have yet to come across a man who likes a girl but despite all the help in the world, continues to reject her.  I have done my own share of wearing someone down and believe me, it does not feel like a victory at the end of it.  If a guy likes you enough, he will do something about it.  It seems so harsh but there it is.

Then there is Jennifer Aniston‘s character. (Sidebar: the problem with using so many big names is that it makes it really hard to remember character name and frankly, I can’t be bothered to look it up). She is the one who finally leaves her Ben Affleck-shaped boyfriend of 7 years because she realises he never wants to marry her, only to realise when push comes to shove that being unfiancée to Ben Affleck is better than no Ben Affleck at all. She gets him back only for him to promptly propose – exception to The Rule no 1.

To add insult to injury, Alex falls for Gigi although he doesn’t realise it (having such complex emotions and all) so he rejects her, gets jealous of her seeing other people, obsesses over her calling him, and finally goes and gets his girl – exception to The Rule no 2!!

So my first reaction after watching the film was the main beef (for those who have lost he will to live, or the use of the scrolling finger, my main beef is: ‘the film’s initial message – the one in the title, for goodness’s sake – is pretty much shot to hell’).  Two different exceptions to the bloody rule that HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU!  But then I started to write this post and I realised two things:

a) that of the 5 pairings in the film*, only 2 of them ended up together at the end (even if it is the 2 that we are most invested in);

b) the whole reason these self-help books really get on my nerves is because they do not take into consideration individuals and specific situations. They play in generalisations, lumping all men into one category and all women into another which is fair to neither sex.

* I am not including Mary (Drew Barrymore) and Conor (played by Kevin Connelly) since they only met right at the end.

So maybe the whole point of the film is that advice like ‘he’s just not that into you’ is just as misleading (at best, or toxic at worst) as all the other crap we tell ourselves and our friends.  Maybe it all comes down to each individual.  Maybe, you can’t really know what another person is thinking unless you just, I don’t know, ask them. And then, you don’t know if they are telling the truth, because, hello? sometimes people are not very self-aware or they actually tell lies!.  Which is really why I came away from this film thinking what a bloody mess the whole dating game is.

So there you have it: the circular argument that has revolved around my head. I actually did like a lot about this film.  I also was intensely irritated by it at time.  It made me cry. It made me happy.  It made me feel a tiny bit relieved to be married and out of the game (which is really stupid because this is precisely the sort of thinking that can come back to bite you on the arse when you are down on your martial luck).

So my message to any singletons still reading who haven’t seen this film yet: if you do want to watch, handle with care and keep the faith!!

And finally, how adorable is Ginnifer Goodwin? I was really rooting for her character and I think her High Adorabilty Factor played a big part in this. I have only ever seen her in smallish parts (do I dare admit to watching (several times) Win a Date with Tad Hamilton?).

In March:

• I played some Guitar Hero despite knowing the damage it could possibly do
• I scanned in old family photos for my mother-in-law
• Who watches the Watchmen? Well, me along with a lot of other people.
• I read a book about teenage sexuality which a lady in my OU course tutorial said she would not allow her daughter to read as it is irresponsible and endorses sex before marriage.  Personally, I thought it was a pretty cautionary tale and cleverly shows how temporary teenage feelings are.
• I watched some more American Idol – looking forward to it starting again which must been soon and with Ellen too! YES!

Baby met Johnny

Carried a watermelon

Fell in love dancing

First off, let me say I loved this film. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it. The rather disconcerting poster did not reveal much and though I had seen a trailer, I mustn’t have paid much attention to it.

However, I did know that I love Steve Carell in pretty everything he has done and I guessed that this would be more Little Miss Sunshine thanThe 40 Year Old Virgin and I was right. It isn’t a laugh-out-loud comedy (I believe it is described as a dramedy but that word always reminds me of camels so I don’t like using it) but it is warm, touching, funny, and chock full of good performances.

Juliette Binoche plays the love interest and she brings a touch of class and intrigue to the character. You can see why he is so taken with her so quickly, only to discover that she is his younger brother’s girlfriend. The action centres around an annual family get-together at Dan’s parents’ house in New England (I guess, I haven’t looked it up).

Carell really brings pathos to this role and the audience is firmly in his corner as we cheer on this widowed man with three girls to raise. These girls really could do with a kick in the arse, by the way, as they give him no credit for all he does for them; Instead the two eldest just seem intent on bitching him out for his rather rational and fair parenting. I guess teenagers are devoid of compassion. Anyway.

The large ensemble cast with the likes of Amy Ryan (love her in the Office season finale!) and Dane Cook (I didn’t he was an actor as well as a comedian – In fact I really don’t know much about him at all but this was not what I was expecting) all contribute to the feeling of warmth and family that is so integral to the lives of the characters and ultimately make Dan’s feelings for his brother’s new girlfriend so hard for him to handle. If you like Little Miss Sunshine, then give this a whirl.

I had heard good things about this film before I saw it. Wil Wheaton wrote a favourable comment about it and I had heard good things also from friends who had seen it. I was NOT disappointed. It was absolutely superb. It was very funny. Very funny indeed. The script was dynamite. I was so happy to see that Robert Downey Jr. was just brilliant.

The effects were solid and the machine-on-machine fighting blew Transformers out of the water.

Jeff Bridges was excellent and almost unrecognisable (until he starts to talk with that distinctive voice of his) as the benevolent/malevolent Obadiah (what a cool name!).

I loved the sassy Pepper Potts, played very well by the lovely Gwyneth Paltrow. She deserves an award just for the scene near the end where she has to run in extremely high heels! I am loving her red hair too! All this girlie talk trivialises her input in the film and I don’t mean to. She brings a sensitivity, strength and she had great chemistry with RDJ – so much so that ricardo actually commented that he was disappointed they didn’t kiss! Aw he is a Tony/Pepper ‘shipper!

Terrence Howard was superb as the good friend and all-round good guy Jim Rhodes.

I am glad for IMDB.com for times when I forget to look for an actor’s name in the credits. The voice of the computer Jarvis was frustratingly familar and British and I now know is Paul Bettany. I was told to wait though the (very long) credits for a sneaky extra scene at the end and it was definitely worth it (although the scene is not very long so if you do wait, which you should, be prepared!).

I also now want to buy Back in Black by ACDC and Ironman by Black Sabbath!

The lead Jim Sturgess did a good job at being the super-intelligent dorky MIT student who gets involved in a crazy life of weekends in Vegas counting cards for muchos $$$. I am not so keen on Kate Bosworth (she needs to eat a burger, y’all). I haven’t loved her in anything since Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!. YES I watched that. A couple of times. I didn’t mind her Lois Lane in Superman Returns. I just don’t love her. Kevin Spacey was just superb as the friendly professor with a seriously dark side. It was very cool seeing Las Vegas now that we have been. Our experience was slightly less rockin’ than theirs though. All in all it is worth a look but maybe wait for the DVD?

In case you haven’t seen the trailer: