Break is over. I’m sure that even the least observant of you have figured that out by now, so there really wasn’t much point in my saying it. However, I do enjoy stating the obvious every now and then. Phrases like “hey, its Tuesday, that means that tomorrow is Wednesday” and “oh, it seems to be raining” always seem to brighten up my day.
Anyway, we have another week of classes, and then—cue dramatic music—exams. Yeah, that kinda sucks, but you know what else sucks? Getting eaten alive by pterodactyls. Not just one pterodactyl, but pterodactyls. Like, three or four, at least. Think about it. Worst day ever. Well, I guess it would also be the best day ever, since you would get to see dinosaurs, but it would still be a bit of a bummer.
Incidentally, happy December. Instead of coming up with a theme, I’ll just review movies that I happen to feel like watching. That’s worked pretty well in the past, and it requires less planning on my part. Enjoy.
Adventureland (2008):
Movies about growing up aren’t exactly new. It’s an experience that everybody—well, almost everybody— goes through at some point in their lives, so most coming-of-age stories are derivative and predictable at best. Despite its subject matter, Adventureland overcomes these problems. It’s about a recent college grad named James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), whose summer plans fall apart, leaving him with no option but to get a job at the local amusement park, Adventureland. Don’t worry, that chain of events makes much more sense in the movie. Anyway. While at Adventureland, James meets a variety of quirky characters, the most interesting of whom is Em, played by Kristen Stewart. I was happy to see her in this movie, because it proved something that I have long suspected: Twilight is far below her acting level. She and Eisenberg both give very natural performances, which is good in a movie that needs human characters to succeed.
There’s plenty more to say about this film, but I’ll keep it brief-ish. Other than the fact that nobody gets eaten by pterodactyls, one of my favorite things about Adventureland is Brennan’s attitude towards sex. It’s rare to see a movie these days where the main character is not only a virgin, but one who sees sex as something more than a conquest, or an item to check off the “to do” list. There’s just something endearing about people who care for something beyond their own physical needs.
Diva (1981):
Now, I’m generally against the French. Though their food is delicious and some of the people are pretty cool and the scenery is nice, their films have a tendency to be self-indulgent and pretentious (*cough*Goddard*cough*). However, every once in a while—probably fairly often, actually—they come out with a film that is neither of those things. Diva is such a film. It’s a comedy/thriller/romance with quirky, well-written characters and a plot that requires your attention. Really, it deserves a full review, and I very well may give it one at some point. But for now, it’s enough that you know this: Diva is incredibly well made. Well directed, well scripted, well acted, well scored… the list goes on. The only thing that could possibly have made it better is the presence of Gerard Depardieu, but that’s only because everything he touches turns into cool.
And let’s not forget the most important thing… nobody gets eaten by pterodactyls. That would have been traumatizing.
Ok, so none of those movies were technically about not getting eaten by pterodactyls. That would require the presence of pterodactyls at least somewhere in the plot. But I think that there’s still a valuable lesson here: if you don’t want something to eat you, try to avoid it. Hang out in quirky movies that are about growing up or about the French. Just make sure you stay away from Jurassic Park III. You probably would get eaten; if not by the pterodactyls, then by something equally unpleasant.
On a completely unrelated note, send me hate mail at: jmelv08@stlawu.edu. Not because I expect any of you to hate lovable old me, but because I miss saying that.
For more information (on the movies, not the pterodactyls), go to: www.imdb.com
