Greenberg quotes that made me cry laughing...

Sure, I haven't been blogging for a looooong time. I know. I'm sorry. I'm raising two kids under 5 and trying to stay sane. Writing usually does the trick, but lately, I'm trying to write things of meaning. That's not panning out so well, so I will go back to my fun stuff. Commentary. Today, specifically, I want to applaud the genius of Noah Baumbach's direction and writing, as well as Ben Stiller. His portrayal in GREENBERG was shockingly deep and perfect.

The movie is about a New-Yorker, recently out of the hospital after a nervous breakdown. He house sits in LA and finds himself in a desperate but very honest display of the human need to connect and not feel alone with his brother's 25 year old assistant. The plot is somewhat relevant, but way more interesting is all the beautiful awkward, and all too common moments of life that, well, just happen. Stiller has a haunting way of being neurotic and self-consumed, yet thoughtful and full of heightened awareness. I laughed literally every five minutes. Some times it was how biting his tongue was, others were the strange irony and weirdness of over communication or lack there of. Most of the time it was at the attempt of apathy in the face of his true disappointment and how brooding and deflecting is not really funny, but somehow Ben Stiller finds away to translate the dark into humorous and smart.

Some of my favorite quotes (rough, since from memory) from Greenberg:

Roger Greenberg: "This is why I don't f'ing go out....I can't find ONE movie I like at a multiplex, or I go to a Starbucks and I LIKE the music they're playing..."

Roger Greenberg: "Why are all the grown men dressed like kids, and the kids are dressed like super heros?"

Roger Greenberg: "No! No! No! See!? This is why I should be dating a 38 year old divorcee with teen kids and low expectations!"

This movie is clearly not for everybody. A good friend told me I'm either very observant or a little more warped then most for laughing as hard as I did, as frequently as I did. It was sincere to me. I honestly, believe Stiller's character, yet because the dialogue was so smart and so TRUE, it met in a perfect place of levity. It feels a bit like Woody Allen, but so contemporary and wistful of the past.

Stiller is notable for showing true discontentment with how things have turned out. Great music references, movie references (Wall Street- Charlie Sheen moment of hilarity), and he oscillates between being proud of his indifference, to being truly embarrassed. His letters of complaints merely scratch the surface of how disgruntled he has become, yet Ben Stiller plays the role so well you want to hug him or smack him on the back of the head and hand him a beer. There is a little bit of him in all of us. Some are just more comfortable admitting it.

"Up in the Air" is heavy hearted food for thought

I have seen (on average) a movie a week this year. I go alone, I review to no one in particular and I enjoy the journey, good or bad of escapism in the form of an empty, dark theatre. Lately, I've watched "Avatar", "Precious", "It's Complicated", "Boys are back", "Twilight", "Every body's Fine" and on and on. I can not compare any of them to "Up in the Air". Jason Reitman (director of Juno) has done it again.

I must say off the bat, it is a sad movie. It is not going to send you bouncing out of the theatre, give you a new lease on life, or make you want to run out and kiss someone. The simple premise is in and of itself depressing: A man travels 320 days a year as a hired-third party that restructures companies and fires people. What makes this movie a gem to me is all the captured emotions, and opposing views on life. Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) the young girl (someone I totally would have recognized in the mirror when I was 22- No joke her wardrobe was created from my closet in 2000-2002) over-confident in the idealism of life plans, love and the pursuit of success coupled with Ryan Bignham( George Clooney's character) unimpressed by companionship and love, make for some huge laughs. So much is spoken between them circumstantially, and in the facial expressions.

What I find even more moving about this movie is the honesty with which the lives are portrayed. The loneliness, and absolute confusion and second-guessing with which we all live our lives. Overall disappointment and the beautiful freedom found when letting go of expectations... Expectations of what we think we need, want and even our expectations of what we think others should want. It is heavy. The side story of Ryan (Clooney) and Alex (Vera Farmiga) starts off sweet and endearing with all the beaming qualities of mature adults choosing singledom over commitment, and ends a little more murky than expected.

It is a little dreary at times, but with every moment you feel sadness creeping over you like a deep fog, something charming happens. Young, Anna Kendrick calls Clooney out as "building a cocoon of self-alienation." Going on to tell him that he builds his life in such a way that makes it impossible for him to ever really get close to anyone, yet when he finds a women insane enough to run the gauntlet of his obnoxious world, and make it to the other side smiling, he doesn't even have the decency to label the relationship as anything better than "casual." "You re a teenager!" She yells.

Even better are the profoundly poignant moments between the college grad and Clooney's love interest. (Farmiga) Youth has a way of being so ignorant and bold at the same time, yet the female-protector comes out and instead of berating Anna on her naivete, she encourages her with honest interpretations of a woman in her mid-30's and the difference between "settling" and choosing what matters more. The screen ruminates with a maternal and compassionate quality from Farmiga. Without it, the movie might not have soared so well.

I'm not even touching base on Clooney's family, the hardship and pain of the people getting fired (which some were cast/edited from a documentary of REAL people recently let go), and the humor that Jason Bateman brings to each scene he is in. Overall the movie isn't a feel good show, but it reminds us of our innate drive to connect with people. It leaves you wistful of the bliss of having so much time ahead of you to waste on pretentious self-goals, and keeps you focused on making the most of what you have and could have now. Clooney's lone-wolf life has some redeeming points...avoiding all the "arguments, negotiations, and endless compromise" of relationships, and the his simple view of "I don't see the value" in marriage and having kids. But, somehow, as self-sufficient and free his life seems, he is underwhelmed. Perhaps, no more than a happily married couple who finds themselves married for 10 years, which is what makes this movie so great and relatable.

Here is the trailer:




See it. ( I did twice.) Its remarkably touching, beautifully written dialogue, giggle worthy, and sure to leave you contemplating what love, life, connection, coupling off and human nature means to you.

PS: Great song from the movie: "Help Yourself" by Sad Brad Smith.

81st Annual Academy Award nominations!

First off,

I have to give it up for the Californians that get up at 5:30 am their time. That is impressive for Hollywood. I have to admit this is one favorite evenings of the year. Coming on February 22, 2009 on ABC.

Now begins that time of year where everyone ( read: I) start going to the theatre at every single chance. Each time I get a babysitter, I usually fore go the relaxation of a mani/pedi, or a hair-blow out, and instead I dress in comfy warm clothes, and go to the movies at strange hours where I share a row or entire theatre with one other person. Last year, I saw everything from "I'm not there" (BOOOOOO) to "Once". So, here we go. Expect tons of reviews, in the next coming weeks.

Below is the list. Unfairly, I didn't post ALL the categories...terrible I know.

Actor in a Leading Role:

Richard Jenkins- The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button-
Mickey Rourke-The Wrestler

Actor in a Supporting Role:

Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr.-Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger-The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon-Revolutionary Road

Actress in a Leading Role:

Anne Hathaway- Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie- Changeling
Melissa Leo- Frozen River
Meryl Streep- Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Actress in a Supporting Role:

Amy Adams Doubt
Penélope Cruz- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis- Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei- The Wrestler

Best Animated Film: Bolt, Kung-Fu Panda, and Wall-E

Achievement in directing:

David Fincher The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard- Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
Stephen Daldry- The Reader
Danny Boyle- Slumdog Millionaire

Best Picture of the year:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt - John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon - Peter Morgan
The Reader - David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire- Simon Beaufoy

Best Original Screenplay:

Frozen River -Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky- Mike Leigh
In Bruges- Martin McDonagh
Milk - Dustin Lance Black
WALL-E - Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter

Get out there, enjoy or hate some movies. There is no doubt this year is full of heavy, sad, and thrilling motion pictures and performances, and if you feel silly, do what I do. Come up with a list of things NOT to do in an empty(or full) theatre. Wooo hooo....

Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona is...

I went to see Vicky Cristina Barcelona last Monday. I have been a long time fan of Woody Allen movies. You might say I have an appreciation for babbling, neurosis, and hidden humor in the awkward moments of unraveling or attempting to be something only to discover (with witnesses) that you are a foibled version of your best projected self.Some how, in all of his movies love and lust and the pursuit of oneself is always sad, tragic and funny all while being smart. This movie was all of those things.

Set in beautiful Barcelona, two close friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) go on holiday for the summer. Early in the trip they discover Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) as an infamous painter, known in the socialite scenes for his torrid failed marriage to Maria Elena(Penelope Cruz). The story takes off on its tumultuous tumbling through the curiosity and push-pull flow of new love, infatuation, and obsession after Juan Antonio proposes a weekend trip to both the girls to see a painting.

He has an aloof and passive seduction that is penetrating. He seems to want the girls very much, but in the same instant could be unfazed by their refusal. At one point he makes a strong argument with a soft voice...(I'm paraphrasing, here): "Life is long, and dull and painful, why not enjoy each other's company with good wine, good food, and good sex?" In that very moment, as a woman, the ideal of it doesn't seem as insane when coming from his sexy lips with such brazen candor and genuine unfiltered desire.

Needless to say the girls accompany him on a whim and the characters build through small scenes that carry much to identify with. Vicky is a grad student who is very New York-astute. She is practical and unemotional. She has a plan, a fiance and good sense of the necessities of relationships rather than the romantic notion of love. Cristina, in stark contrast, is also a student interested in film and and photography. She doesn't like staying in one place for too long, and by her own confession: "I don't know what I want, I just know what I don't want". Her character reminded me of myself at 19 or 20. Taking yourself too seriously, using your sexuality for gain, but never truly knowing what to do with the attention you acquire, therefore, abruptly changing direction to start anew.

Juan Antonio is remarkably hot. I think I blushed in some of the early scenes. His eyes are so open and attentive, yet he carries an aire of calm and control at all times. He is artistic and passionate, but also extremely forthcoming. He woos Vicky with a Spanish guitar player and wine and a meeting with his father, quickly letting her go from his mind due to her imminent future of marriage. Soon, he is in a full live-in relationship with Cristina (who knows nothing of the encounter that her best friend and boyfriend had that one night.). Maria-Elena returns to his house after an emotional breakdown and is taken in by both Cristina and Juan-Antonio. Thus, making the three-part relationship transparent and intriguing. Not in a sexual way, per say, but in the very human and vulnerable situations all lovers struggle with. The "Ex-factor" is dealt with in full-force and honesty. There is an experiment with surrender.

The laughs are consistent but slightly veiled with sadness. All parties in this movie are yearning for something more, wanting to feel with fury. Maria-Elena says: "Only unfulfilled love can be romantic." At first blush, it sounds ridiculous, but as it soaks in, I begin to agree on so many levels. What cannot be, is often what drives passion, desire and idealism....if it has not been proven otherwise...it remains whatever you want it to be.

Penelope Cruz comes into the film in the late stages, fiery and beautifully crafted. She is sullen and intense. Hard and incredibly soft. She lives up to the legend the Juan-Antonio makes of her. Again, his sensitivity to women and hysteria is something I have never seen in life or film before. He accepts tirades and emotions from women as something that "happens" and he manages them with compassion and strength. It is almost something I cannot articulate, you can only feel it (as a woman) when you see it.

I won't give away the major plot twists, but the stand out performers to me are Javier Bardem and his steamy cool and Rebecca Hall in her pinned-up, fight against her own romanticism vs. realism. There were a few scenes that explore the inevitable human nature of misunderstandings and Javier Bardem's character speaks so honestly it is shocking, but more refreshing than the cool blue and stone of the Spanish scenery behind them. He holds nothing back, and plays no games. He speaks directly and even his painful words come out bouncy because his intentions are to communicate, not to hurt. (oh....I would love a Spaniard).

The narrator is a bit annoying at times, sounding like a young Woody Allen. Booby Johansson gets on my nerves with her mimicking of Woody himself, with the over-turned limp palms and the inflection of her voice during her babbling, stuttering whiny scenes at times.

If you are a Woody Allen fan, see it. If you are not, be warned that it might not be your cup of tea, but the acting, story and sardonic tone is worth the ten dollars. I personally think Woody has evolved into a place that is tragically baring the sad truths of love and it's life long quest. I'd say one of his best.

Love is always fleeting. Romance is a fragile idea we are capable of destroying as quickly as we create it, and three is too many for me.

Mamma Mia! will make your heart soar!

I do a lot of things alone, and at the top of my list is seeing movies in a dark theatre by myself. It is a sweet secret of mine to ditch out in the middle of the day to find a seat in an empty theatre. I see what I want, I don't share my snacks, and I revel in the two hours of throw away time to escape to whatever presents itself before me on the big screen.

Going on a date movie is fine. Going during prime evening show isn't. I am aware of my annoyances. I have the nose of a blood hound. I never enjoy smelling that some one has eaten Indian food for dinner, and the sweet smell of gin or beer that seeps through their skin and into my personal space. I am not a fan of those that make their own commentary on the previews, or the relentless man that feels the need to shake his popcorn before EACH bite. So, instead of asking the world to change the idiosyncratic rituals of movie-watching....I go alone.

Yesterday, I ventured into the large stadium theatre to see Mamma Mia! I was a little skeptical. I loathe ABBA music. I have always found it overly depressing, or too disco tacky. Can the movie live up to the celebrational atmosphere of the musical? I flinched at the previews of my dear "Mark Darcy" (Colin Firth) singing on a sailboat. But it delivered...and then some!

From the first sparkling dock-scene on the shores of Greece to the last frame I was bedazzled. Meryl Streep had explained that she did this movie "for her daughters". On a Today Show interview she explained that she took them to see the Broadway show right after 9/11. When they were on their chairs dancing, she knew this show was something special. It showed. Her talents are almost indescribable. She doesn't only sing well, but she infuses the role with a maternity that cannot be manufactured. In her scene with her daughter, "Sophie"(Amanda Seyfried) she sings ABBA's "Slipping through my fingers" while kissing a cut on her leg. Throughout the song, she sits with Sophie on her lap and paints her toenails, bring me to tears in the wistful homage to the invaluable relationship of mother and daughter, or growing up and moving into womanhood.

The full female cast of choreographed dancing and singing to "Dancing Queen" on the dock is so exuberant and playful, I was nearly jumping out of my seat with pride in my femininity and exhilaration. Women throw off their aprons and toss wooden spoons to the ground to join the parade of women gleefully singing to the water. Again, Meryl finds a way to keep it authentic and uncheesy by sprinkling in her impromptu, unabashed dance movies and air-guitar.

The most awe-inspiring scene was when she sang "The Winner takes it all" to Pierce Brosnan. In an uncanny display of her talents she acts out the pain and embarrassment of lost love. The vulnerability in her motions, and facial expressions are enough, but the very fact that she is singing lines and holding notes sends chills. Her emotions permeate the screen and haunt there way into your soul. I had tears running down my neck.

Overall, the movie translates so well into a cinematic vision that I felt a part of it all. It is a movie of motherhood, of standing alone and raising a daughter. It shines with self-sufficiency and female relationships of youth and of maturity. The mystery of who Sophie's father keeps the story rolling at fast pace, and the comedic and sometimes campy tone make it sugary sweet with possibility and Grecian drama.

Whether you loved the musical, or never knew a thing about it beyond the unforgettable posters in NYC, see it. Let yourself go in the quirky, over-the-top whimsical beauty of seeing romance and parenthood play out before you to the tune of ABBA. I can guarantee that if you open yourself up to the light-hearted, well acted two hours, you will leave feeling grateful of your mother, your daughters, your current loves, and lost ones.

It is all a journey, it is all meant to be the way it is, and this movie reminds you of that.

WANTED: "What the f*ck have you done lately?"

Suffice to say Angelina Jolie has been a bit of a secret idol of mine. Typically, when people knock her, (for brad-stealing) or her crazy blood-vile stages, I just look the other way. I have loved her since "Playing by Heart" in 1998. I always drew personal parallels with the "not so girly-attention monger-lost soul-yet-openly-emotional" side of her. Even MORE, now that she has a brood of kids and a UN badge. I will support any movie (and have) that she makes. A far cry (pun-intended) from her last project "A mighty heart" she sizzles with a sawed-off shotgun and a red dodge viper. Ironically, the first car I ever asked for..ha.

Universal's "Wanted" is a melding of a few comic books into one. Maker of "Night Watch", Timur Bekmambetov tells a story of an accountant, Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) who is tragically aware of his apathy, and dismal life... A cheating girlfriend banging his best friend, dead end job, broke... (cue over-identification from almost any man who has ever been 20 something).

Fox (Angelina Jolie) appears on screen like a smokin' hot apparition. The crowed theatre let out their first and audible gasp of palpable awe and excitement to see her. She saves Wesley from a rouge member of the 1,000 year-old assassin fraternity lead by Sloan (Morgan Freeman). The clan was set on earth with their heightened adrenaline-amped fits of killing prowess and ability to curve bullets with the purpose to restore order to the chaos.Within minutes I was wide-eyed and captivated by the sight of Chicago's Carbide & Carbon building as well as the Citadel building, then launching into the car-chase on lower Wacker drive. (later stunts followed on Halsted, the "L" train in the Loop, and scenes in Wrigleyville.)

The movie flew by, dazzled with fight scenes and strange and intriguing "healing wax-baths". One of which is responsible for the the tatoo-covered Angelina Jolie booty shot walking away, sweaty and wrapping a towel around herself. The movie go-ers audibly gasped...again. I realize now, I am not a normal girl. I'm just not. Knife-training in a meat-hanging dungeon, bullets moving in slow-motion while perforating people's foreheads, f-bombs in every frame. I really have X chromosomes, and I am not a fan of many comic-book-made into movie films, nor do I love just any action film, but this one punctured my inner-dirtbag, fight-loving, sailor-mouth, agro-beast.

Somehow, "Wanted" managed to be brutally harsh, foul-mouthed, and good-trashy. Yet, it kept a wiley smile throughout. Perhaps it was narrative from James McAvoy that keeps it relatable. Maybe it was the look that Fox gave Welsley when he nervously screamed that he was "LEAVING!". She raised eye-brows and smirked a smile as if to say: "How cute?...try...its ok..."

Otherwise there are several gaping holes. In order to buy into the looms that control fate (yea, I said looms) and the physics-defying action, you have to bend into the realm of fantasy and let go of the minds need for explanation. By doing so, it is an incredibly steamy, hard-core action ride that left me a little sad, a little proud, and wanting to get a membership at a shooting range.

It has to be said that James McAvoy shed the soft and broken skin of his character in "Atonement" and nailed this role. His acting is one of the very reasons I think this movie could be pulled off. He took the "reluctant bad-ass" character to a whole new level. Mediocrity in a man , yet given a drink of the seductive power of his inner-assassin realized, he was drunk in it, leaving me happy to comply and offer him more sips just to see him grow.

He went from saying: "No, No, I just have a healthy respect for the human condition!" while being repeatedly punched by a fellow "fraternity member" to saying: "I am taking control of my life....What the F*ck have you done lately?"

Good question. Hmmmm.

I love Charlie Bartlett...Movie quotes and more.

Anton Yelchin is a teenage super hero. His acting borders genius, unless, he in fact is precisely like this character.

Move over Rushmore and Igby goes down....Meet Charlie Bartlett! This movie is absolute teenage redemption wih wry wit, genuine angst and misdiagnosis of the teenage human condition.

This movie soared into my heart and managed to identify with all the inner awkward any of us could possibly be in touch with. The bully, the precocious prep, the faking cool kid, the artsy theatre ingenue, the self-esteem lacking slut, and everything in between.

Somehow the delicate, yet candidly intimate navigation of single parenthood between Robert Downey Jr (the Principal) and his daughter and the charmingly frivolous, widowed millionairess filling her voids with wine, tennis and an unnatural (albeit extremely commonplace) boundary-bucking intimacy with her son, played true.

The writers hide nothing with the pill-popping abuse of prescription drugs. Ritalin, Prozac, Adderol, Zoloft, Klonopin, Xanax are just the "majors". Charlie Bartlett runs a pseudo-psychiatric clinic in the boys room, using the stall as a make-shift "confessional" type space.

This movie laughs at the haste to prescribe drugs instead of listen to the normalcy that these adolescents experience while coming of age in the most traumatizing circumstances possible....high school. It makes a poignant and alarming statement. I hope you get it. I did.

Quite perfectly, Curtis Mayfield's "Pusherman" plays during a scene where kids line up for the bathroom to be given their doses. Another sweetly pulled-off moment was when Marlyn, Charlie's mom chimes in a duet of (my favorite) Cat Steven's "If you want to sing out, sing out."

Even the b-story of falling in love on common grounds of childhood wounds and sad-stories is innocently mature and well acted.

Some great quotes:

"I am so excited for us to spend the weekend together...I was thinking we could go wine-tasting. We haven't done that since you were a kid." - Mother to Charlie

"I'm not saying I'm gay. But....what if I'm not attracted to girls at all?" - random boy in stall.

"Oh trust me Doc, bringing psychiatric drugs and teenagers together is like opening a lemonade stand in the dessert."-Charlie Bartlett

"It kinda sucks to have one parent ditch, and have the other one lose their mind...I mean, how can I have a chance to turn out even remotely normal?" -Susan

"There are more important things than being popular." - Principal -Robert Downey Jr.

"Like what?!" - Charlie Bartlett"
"Like what you do with it." - Principal-Robert Downey Jr.

Is it a little over-indulgent in the wise-crackery and seeming self-awareness in teens? Sure. BUT SEE IT. It will make you actually think for a moment...High School was cool.

Being uncool, is cool. Go pass a note. Go be honest and vulnerable. Just be.

Bret Ernst:Roller Rink days of the '80's.

Who doesn't love the skinny chub of Chicagoan Vince Vaughan? I rented his latest DVD release: Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show. I was expecting to laugh out loud constantly, and I laughed, but it was much more documentary than comedy. The poignant stories of the four comedians traveling together for 30 days to 30 cites from Hollywood to Chicago. These men all have something to offer up to the masses to induce laughter and snorts, but this movie showed their softer, more human side.

I was most entertained by Bret Ernst. Ahmed Ahmed was pretty funny. I loved Sebastian Maniscalco for his borderline OCD stories. John O'Brien pissed me off at first, but then you unravel his white-trashy snark, and see that he is a feeling, and self-aware man just trying to get the world to see him as he does-Honestly. Back to Bret. He did a shtick on Roller skating, and I almost peed myself.

He described what it was like to be poor at the roller rink. He explained that the "rich kids" would walk in with their own skates. Speed Skates ( I had white ones with pink wheels). He explained how humiliating it was to stand on line for the "shitty-brown rental skates" that sometimes didn't have shoe strings, and were frayed and gave no ankle support. I WAS DYING.

In the below, he animates how it was to be a boy that couldn't skate, and what it was like to have THAT guy who basically lived there ( and was 30) cross-skate and get all the girls. Take a look:



I COMPLETELY RELATE TO THIS. For the record Bret: If you would have been at the Dairy-Ashford roller rink in Houston between 87-90, I would have come over to the video games to coax you out to the floor. I was no snob, but I did like looking good. I was the girl who went to "Lock-ins" and rotated her speed skate wheels. I couple skated to "Open Arms" by Journey with the boys that stunk of Drakkar and Obession and sweaty moldy shirts.

I would speed skate and race to songs like M/A/R/R/S's "Pump up the Volume" and "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode. Who didn't?! My friends and I would flop our over-curled bang-explosions during "Doubles" races where one of us would squat down, and the other would push. If you were REALLY good, you would push her with one hand, and cross-skate next to her. The best was dance-skating to Soul II Soul's "Back to Life" and AHa's "Take on Me". I was a total show-off. (Are you surprised?)

I learned a lot in those days...how to french kiss, how to be killer at skeet ball, you know..paramount adolescent lessons. I can still smell the cheese pizza, rubber floors and popcorn.

I can still hear Europa...."Da na na -da-na naan-aaa-naaaa....THE FINAL COUNT-DOWN....Da na na da-na-naan-na-naaa..."

Sex AND The City: More than you bargained for...

I assure you now, I am NOT providing any spoilers or details about this movie. (Note: I will load a detailed list of quotes in a few weeks.) Instead, I am merely saying:

"Heart, prepare to have a schizophrenic fit."

In a theatre in Times Square with tons of women from a few different magazines, the buzz of the room was palpable. The moment the theme song began ( also many girl's ring tones) we were committed. To the women of SATC, to the hope that Big would deliver his love, and that we would walk away feeling like we just spent a girls-weekend with the women we have come to love, see ourselves in, and laugh with.


Like I said, I won't give any details....yet. This movie has a strange and beautifully haunting tone of reality. There is some underlying truths of womanhood that reaches into your chest, and holds onto your heart for the entire 2.5hrs.

I laughed hysterically. I "pfft'd" and I cried... I cried a lot, in the most unexpected moments. After exiting the movie we were all ecstatic and moved. Quickly I confessed how many times I found myself trying to wipe tears without anyone seeing. I quipped that I "must be hormonal" but then, one by one, every woman explained her own unique self-identification and emotional reaction. It was evident it had affected all of us, profoundly.


Sex AND the city-the movie was well beyond the realms of a "chick-flick". It was an intricate, interwoven journey through the inherently complex emotions of loving, living and being a woman. No matter who you are, or what your history in love, marriage and life...it hits to the bone.

Don't be frightened, it's not that horrible sad things happen, but life happens, and we witness a an unspoken and deliberate support system of the four women we have come to admire. It's hard not to walk away wondering if you can't do MORE for your friends. (Or run out looking for ones like this)It is a testament to richness and overflow of fulfillment other women can provide in a society where we are all trying to hard to prove we can do ANYTHING. Next time a friend needs you: Listen closer, pay more attention, speak more candidly, love her, make her laugh, go the extra mile, and expect it back.

Prepare to laugh, be inspired and stunned by the 50-odd wardrobe changes...but be prepared to FEEL.

I'm uncomfortable...and that's a good thing.

....Originally posted on Chicago Moms Blog

I have seen a lot of ugly things. I lived in Saudi Arabia for several years (as an Arab girl.) I remember my father letting soldiers use his phone and showers during the Gulf crisis. When I lived in Australia the news was hard to watch, in Copenhagen its outright disturbing. Honestly, sometimes news SHOULD be. At the risk of sounding a little like Tony Robbins during the 90's, I had a strange compulsion to clap and say "Yes! That was uncomfortable, I'm gonna change something!" after seeing a recent movie. Laugh if you must, but It's true for me, particularly when I see disturbing movies.

Time is such a hot commodity in the life of a mother, of anyone really. It is hard to "squander" free time on anything other than a guaranteed good time. A lot of parents think, I'm paying a babysitter, I'm buying $11.00 tickets, and $8.00 popcorn, I damn-well better feel good and laugh. I'm guilty of the thought process too, but I think there is something truly gained by being uncomfortable in the movies. I get the point: "My life is hard enough, I'm tired, I'm _____, so I don't want to come out of a movie upset." But being unhappy with something is one of the great catalysts for change. I notice a lot of us ( not everyone) see less and less of it with so many no-brainier options around us.

I recently watched Lions for Lambs, it only got two stars but it made me uncomfortable. It made me think about my own apathetic behaviors sometimes. My husband even said "All we can do is vote correctly" and then that sparked a conversation. Is that REALLY all we can do? I see on average a movie a week, Its a "thing" with me. Stop-Loss really pissed me off. All the angst and lack of support for returning vets in this country. Other movies that don't necessarily send warm-fuzzies down my spine: Babel, Traffic, Kite-Runner,Crash, Boys Don't Cry, Philadelphia, Kids,The Constant Gardner, Thirteen, etc...I could go on. Each one of them brought terrible, painful, emotions up in me. Sometimes the feelings are fleeting, and sometimes they stick, but it always sets my thought process into a ( in my humble opinion) better priority queue.

I feel the same way about TV, News, conversations. It is OK to be uncomfortable.I don't enjoy realizing I am over-privileged and under-appreciating my right to be so. It is good to see or hear or witness something that evokes a will to make something better for others. Even if the only thing you can do, is be more aware, or more open or listen. I find it fascinating how many people avoid facts, truths, even embellished stories of facts that tell us more about people, things and events that teaches us anything about the state of the human condition, the world around us, and the lives others lead. I spent half of my day today researching ways to volunteer and help returning vets in the Chicago-land area. It's not a huge change, but it is a start. I have nothing but the utmost respect for people who live their lives helping people. Kudos to those who deal with discomfort every day!

It's also overwhelming. Uncovering problems can lead to some pretty deep rabbit holes. That scares me, I'll admit it. One sick and homeless child is just representative of millions that I can't help, but the point for me is that helping who I can is still better than not helping at all.I will never give up my feel-good movies, or TV shows. I'm just learning that watching news and movies that make me feel less entertained and more enlightened might help the world, our children and our perspective shift.

Take a minute, think about the freedoms and luxury we have to CHOOSE not to see or be involved with things that make us uncomfortable....not everyone has that choice.

My skin is buzzing for "Sex AND the City" movie!!!

Ha cha cha. I really don't know what to do with myself until May 30th. The Sex AND the city movie is soon to be the eye and heart candy I have been waiting for. I still remember my best birthday. I was 25. I was alone with a bottle of expensive Pinot/Cab blend and the entire DVD set. I laughed, cried, over-identified, and most of all: I felt like I was not alone in my stumbles through the mine-field of love, sex and the elusive search for myself.

It's a bit grainy (and probably subject to being deleted, until I can find the official version). But...man does it make my tummy tingle and my chest pound in my ears. The India Arie cover of Don Henley's "Heart of the Matter" gets me ready to throw on some sexy heels, a mini-skirt and start spinning with my arms wide open in the sunny streets of SoHo.




I will be crushed if Carrie doesn't end up with Mr Big. I expect full-frontal footage from a Samantha escapade. (Why not? "Forgetting Sarah Marshall did it..)If nothing else, I hope for it to stay true to the characters and being somewhat plausible.

I will leave you with a few of my all-time favorite quotes:

"But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.” (Carrie)

“Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free til they find someone just as wild to run with them.”(Carrie)

"Some people are settling down, some people are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies." (Carrie)

"You men have no idea what we're dealing with down there. Teeth placement, and jaw stress, and suction, and gag reflex, and all the while bobbing up and down, moaning and trying to breathe through our noses. Easy? Honey, they don't call it a job for nothin" (Samantha)

Oddly enough, I think some of my life decisions were swayed or ballooned by this show. Good or bad, I was 20-something and eager to feel a part of the sub-culture of women winding their way to some type of "happily ever after". I have had my belt notches, I have made my mistakes, and I am a fumbling work in progress...but I haven't stopped laughing at myself, and building rich relationships, that has to count for something.

All of this begs the scary question: Am I temporarily more excited about the prospects of these fictional women than of my own present reality?

...Absof*ckinglutely.

AUTISM: The Musical on HBO. Don't miss it!

AUTISM: The Musical is a profoundly engaging documentary following families with children on the Autism spectrum as they prepare for a musical. (They are actually part of the conceptualizing and writing process).As a mother, it both breaks my heart and puffs it up to watch and learn how incredible these children and their parents are. The lens with which the movie shows you the intimate lives of several of the families allows for an honest look at what has too often been a taboo.

I am no expert, I have no psychology degree, I don't even have a school-aged child yet. (she is two) I am absolutely certain someone, somewhere else could describe it all more clinically, from a broader perspective and a deeper general knowledge of the subject matter; but this is how I saw it, this is how it made me feel...

Each of the kids have their own personal challenges, for some it is groups, or articulating original thought in verbal words. In one of the more emotional scenes for me, a young boy self-assess by saying: "Why do I go into my own world? I, I sometimes need friends, friends that can't be mean..." There is an inner conflict of rational self-awareness where he seems to question himself as an outsider and a human kindness that encourages him to be accepting. It was stunning.

Another point in the movie one of the mothers goes into a rightful rant about how she can't make people VALUE her daughter. She says:

"Until these humans are valued, nobody's going to find a cure, nobody's going to take the chemicals out of the vaccines, nobody's gonna make the school system follow the law, nobody's going to make the doctor's follow the law, nobodys going to give us insurance....I can't make them value her."

( um...this was one of the heartbreak moments..)

I felt so compelled to watch the entire thing. Hell, I have watched it three times since it premiered on HBO. I can't NOT watch it when I pass it on the guide. I suggest you don't either. Unfortunately, I think Autism is one of those things people don't really pay attention to unless it falls within a decent degree of separation. That is a shame.

I have a healthy, fully functioning child (I'm sure I didn't say that properly) and I feel nothing but compassion and genuine interest in this. If you have a child, plan on having a child, have a heart beat or breathe air, see the movie, fall in love with these kids and learn that each have an incredibly unique take at it all. It's as if they each absorb the world through different mediums, in different languages and each has his or her own beauty generator. The outcome is an interpretation that they understand and we need to learn, if we would take the time.

It is human, it is real, and it is affecting people ( 1:150). Again, I am no expert. I have no ties to either the movie or the organization. As a mother, as a friend to other mothers, as a human moved beyond description by a 2 hour documentary about kids I will never know, I think in the very least, I can help spread awareness.

Click here to learn more about Autism at Autism Speaks
To learn more about the movie AUTISM:The Musical:
Click Here

(This post is cross-posted at Chicago Moms Blog )

Per usual...I just threw a curve ball. Especially if you got here by recent searches of "Neon nut-thong" or "Anderson mounts Erica". A blog about sex, music, mistakes and all kinds of TV triviality brings you this. I may be a bit nutty, but my heart has to send this sentimental ping of love and help out in the only way I know how. Least we forget, I am infamous for poor timing, irony and ill-matched topics. It is what brings you back.

You never know what you're gonna get. Tonight you get love and Autism. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!

"Shine a Light" Movie: Rolling Stones and Scorsese opens today!

Ahhh....Today is April 4th and what better way to dive into the weekend than with the elusive Mick Jagger rockumentary shot by director Martin Scorsese? I have been a Rolling Stones fan since I can logically remember. I will love just about anything if you put it to a Stones' song. Ending fade away of the pilot episode of Californication with "Cant always get what you want." A nerdy kiss in high-school to the tune of "Wild Horses". I fell in love...I'm just saying, the longevity and the beauty in their music sparks a memory or emotion with just about anyone.

Who doesn't want a backstage viewing of this band? I am gobsmacked at the mere site of Keith Richards. David Edelstein had a pretty incredible description of him in NEW YORK Magazine:

"Keith Richards's survival is a persistent source of wonder:Rock history is full of people who tried to keep pace with him, drug-wise, and did not survive-Brian Jones among them. yet here he stands, looking like Freddy Kruger's gypsy grandmother but alive and ridiculously happy"

Maybe you don't consider yourself a huge Rolling Stones fan ( I wont hold it against you, even though its the first sign we wouldn't get along). However, if you are a fan of creativity and the fantastic meeting of egos, minds and music to put on a show, you might dig it. If you are even slighty entertained by the bizarrely idiosyncratic, perhaps even spastic, behavior of a front man such as Mick Jagger, then you must see it.





"Am I hard enough? Am I tough enough?"....This, from a man that looks like he would blow away if I sneeze on him, yet you believe it. I believe it and we say unequivocally: "Yes."

Go see it.

More quotes from the movie: Definitely, Maybe!!!

All you had to do is ask! Another movie by myself, another list of great quotes just for you!!! I still liked it the second time around. Maybe I'm just a girl that loves the 90's, and snarky fast-talking wit. Every daddy issue was covered in this one...well played. Yet, I laughed and cried. Like Joni Mitchell says: "It's the same release." When it's snowing 4 days before the month of April begins...that's just what I need. Enjoy. I took notes in the dark, so correct me if I am off on anything. I love Ryan Reynolds....

April: “I’m not apathetic. I just don’t think I have to have an opinion about everything.”
Will: “Fine, you are nothing.”

Will: “I shouldn't have read the diary. It’s like Pandora’s hot sexy box.”

April:(after mock proposal) “No, you are asking me to join a group institution that fails as often as it succeeds, for no other reason besides to fulfill some bourgeois notion to fulfill this society’s capitalistic agenda.”

Will: “I’m happy, I’m good.”
April: “Really? Why do I feel like I should hide the razors?

Will: "This song is an excellent cure for the will to live."

Summer: “You look so manly”
Will: “yep. That’s the aim.”

Will: “Whenever I figure out whatever it is I’m supposed to learn from all this, I will write you a letter.”

April: (on relationships) “Forget about the “real” deal. You don’t find it, it finds you…you know, when you are ready for marriage, a mortgage…(other examples)...the person that you are with THEN is the one.

Will: “So, it’s not WHO; it’s WHEN?”

Will: “Your shit is a mess. You’re a mess. You could do anything, anything, and you work in a bookstore. At least I tried; I went out there and tried. As a friend, maybe you should get some help, some life rehab."

April: "Life Rehab?"

Will: "I don’t even know if they do that, but if they do I think you could be a prime candidate.”

What a clever way to slip "hot sexy box" into the script. Love it.

For my full review Click Here

Dan in real life on DVD today. 3.11.08

A few of my favorite things today are: Sunshine, waking up in a good mood, and knowing that Dan in Real life is out on video. A movie about a widower(Steve Carell) with three daughters and the complications of loss, loneliness and making the right human connections with a woman (Juliette Binoche) at the wrong time.

Not sure how the director, Peter Hedges managed to make you feel like you were being hugged by a warm blanket the entire movie, but he did. I am not saying it was the best acting I've ever seen, but it portrays the kind of family structure everyone dreams about when deciding to have one. They play games, they are honest with each other, they are supportive. They all fit into a beautiful beach front home in the east coast, and look good in fisherman sweaters.

It may be somewhat unrealistic, but it hits home. This is the only movie I can think of where there isn't any sunshine in the film, and I still feel fuzzy and lovey all over. The two performed songs in the movie were great ( to me). "Ruthie-Pig face" made me chuckle. It felt ab libbed and mockingly sweet. "Let my love open the door" was uplifting and heart braking for me. I am a sap.

Other movies out today are: No Country for Old Men, Bee Movie and Hitman

Dan Burns: "There's rightness in our wrongness."

Darjeeling Limited Review

I can't describe why I didn't see this movie in the theatre, and now after watching it, I regret not having done that. It's not for everyone, but then again, Wes Anderson is not for everyone. In this movie Darjeeling Limited, he nailed it.

The Whitman brothers, played by Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, and Jason Schwartzman set on a fully-loaded, perfectly planned spiritual journey together. They have not seen each other since their father passed away a year ago. This was my problem....that storyline alone, didn't sell me. Maybe it doesn't sell you, but the movie is so much more than the classic buddy voyage screenplay template.

The three are so similar, and so different it is fascinating to watch. They each have their demons and quirks, and it fuels the plot. Unraveling poetically, one impromptu (or accidental) confession at a time. I connected with them and their pain, and longing and need to make sense of it all. That is what makes it so ironic; both circumstantially and spoken. They are there to appear as if eager to find peace. Their dysfunction is trying so hard to function separately. The raw emotion and humiliation, and attempt to seem "in control" of everything is achingly beautiful. The kind of sad beauty you can only find with family or long friendships.

The cinematography was fantastic. You "got" India, even if only for a few minutes. The direction and acting let you smell it, see it, fear it....all in a matter of simple frames eloquently taking you somewhere else. The use of the color BLUE was amazing. The train itself, the wall in the small village, the night sky at the nunnery. (what? nunnery?) I was in awe.

A few of my favorite moments:
o The constant use of the term: "Do you think we can agree to that?"

o After hearing the message from their mother Owen Wilson's character says: "That sounds like bullshit; she's trying to sell us a vacuum cleaner."

o The three of them throwing rocks at the train. I would do that. ( shoulder shrug) I would.

o The forced attitude for spiritual experience ( that we all seem to have) which is so against the actual meaning behind being in the moment. During the peacock feather debacle when Owen Wilson's character says: "That's not right. (sigh). You guys didn't read the instructions."

o When Owen Wilson's character says: "He's got to be hired back, otherwise I might be a bad person."

o When neither of the other brothers had a reaction after Adrian Brody's character says: "She's angry because I didn't tell her I was coming here." - I laughed out loud. They nodded.

o All the tiny moments when Jason Schwartzman does bizarre things, like smash the Voltaire #6, or throw the flowers at the funeral. Incredibly funny( and easy to miss if you aren't paying attention).

Again, Wes Anderson is genius. In hour 1:21:51, it finally clicked that they were carrying their father's luggage...it is so literal that I didn't notice until then. So clever how that all pans out. What is it about running after a vehicle like a train or a VW bus that is so endearing? And what the heck is the point with Bill Murray?

Okay. Clearly I loved the movie. I should get paid for this. I just spent all my time, and yours talking about this for free. Free love. All'round...It's not for everyone, but it worked for me.

Next time I don't want to talk about cold-prickly subjects like my intimacy issues, or my daughter's friend's malevolence, I will just say:

"Maybe we could express ourselves more fully, if we try it without any words?"

Definitely, Maybe - Absolutely, Hell Yeah.

Let's face it. There have not been many good funny, PLAUSIBLE romantic comedies. I am a hard sell on love and relationships and making it funny. I still believe very few deliver. The eighties and early nineties did much better than most this decade. (4 weddings and a funeral, When Harry met Sally...etc)

I have to say ( and boo as you will) I loved Definitely, Maybe. I did. It was fresh, and well written by Adam Brooks. Ryan Reynolds plays an advertising executive about to finalize a divorce to the mother of his 10-yr old daughter. It then takes a trip down his past relationships. The trailers don't do it justice. It really is about falling in love, poor judgement, and bad timing.

Isla Fisher is particularly great in this movie. She is jaded, and vulnerable and spits retorts, witty takes on marriage, and dry statments of obvious with color and perfect timing. Overall, the charcters don't feel far-fetched. Daddy issues abound, survivalist nature of love and careers, and Ryan Reynold's character even manages to go through a stint of depression and says: "You need some life-rehab or something, I don't even know if they have it..." to Isla's character in a clear moment of psychological projection.

The lines are wry and funny, and so well delivered by Ryan Reynolds. Every woman will find one of the three ladies in question to identify with, if not all of them. I laughed out loud, I smiled inside at some of the more honest moments of awkward timing, and lust being contained. I cried, truly. Yep, I cried ( boo again, feck off). I am the same chick that went to see 300 by herself. You don't even know...

Judge away. I don't care, I will see it again, solely to remember how beautiful and tragic love and being lost can be. I will see it again to bring YOU better quotes that will convince you to see it.

For actual quotes from the movie Click Here

80th Academy Award Winners!

I am so pleased to see that Tilda won the award. She did a fantastic job with the nerves, and the last 3 minutes of the film. The scene in her slip where she practices the speech, the pressure, the feeling of having sold-out and power in equal measure? She brought that across without words. That is acting. It was palpable. Yeah for her. Sure beats winning an award for slapping Denzel Washington!

Other gleeful moments for me: When Glen started his speech with "Tanks!" and John Stewart's comment: "That guy is so arrogant." Loved that, even though he seemed a little impressed with himself on the DVD extras. I put on a sappy-face at Marketa's hopeful gratitude and inspirational speech ( that John gave her a chance to give after the break) Also fist-pumped when Diablo Cody won for screenplay, and on that note, I thought John Stewart's comment: "Enjoy the pay cut" about her transition from stripping to screenwriting was hilarious.

Based on the three songs from Enchanted. I will never, ever see that movie. Never. Sorry...and I watch EVERYTHING.

Anyway, the results in recap are as follows:

Best Motion Picture
WINNER: "No Country for Old Men"

Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role
WINNER: Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood""

Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role
WINNER: Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose"

Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role
WINNER: Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"

Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role
WINNER: Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton"

Achievement In Directing
WINNER: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for "No Country for Old Men"

Adapted Screenplay
WINNER: "No Country for Old Men" by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Original Screenplay
WINNER: "Juno" by Diablo Cody

Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Song)
WINNER: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova for "Falling Slowly" from "Once"

Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Score)
WINNER: Dario Marianelli for "Atonement"

Achievement In Cinematography
WINNER: Robert Elswit for "There Will Be Blood"

Achievement In Film Editing
WINNER: Christopher Rouse for "The Bourne Ultimatum""

Achievement In Costume Design
WINNER: Alexandra Byrne for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"

Ira and Abby Quotes - Loved it!

This little Magnolia film made me smile and giggle in the first two minutes. It stars Chris Messina and Jennifer Westfeldt. It's openly desperate and apathetically sprinkled with self-awareness and the hope to be better. Shot in modern day Manhattan, two people find common ground and fly with the connectivity. Candid, unabashed confessions lead to a strange sense of security.

Who has this NOT happened to ( well sans the marriage, meeting parents thing). But in a small vacuum of time, you find a person who gets you, finishes your sentences and allows your guard to drop like boobies after babies. An urban version of "Before sunrise" with today's neurosis and eager enlightenment. Maybe it says something about me, but this movie was more realistic than 27 dresses. (except that everyone runs into everyone in a city of 8M people).

This movie might be a cinematic portrayal of the downside to "living in the moment". Cynasim has it's place, but it gets put in it's place too. I love it. Its duplicity, its human. Its sad and funny and real. In one breath I think: Why do we couple off again? I need some compelling reasons here, and in the next, I think anything other than love and human behavior wouldnt be worth being part of. Go get it.

Funny quotes:

Receptionist at the gym: I feel like guys don't listen to me now that I'm thin.

Ira: I have a fear of perishables, you know, pets, dairy products, produce anything that dies I don't tend to, ugh....not for me.

Abby: I Oh um...I was just hoping we could have sex everyday. You know, like no matter what, even if we're exhausted or one of us has the flu, or a rash, or you know, guests staying with us, like a pact. Would that be OK with you?
Ira: Yeah, that would be....uh.....YES.

Abby: Gypsy cabs are cabs too
Ira: Yeah, if you wanna die, they don't have meters, or a licence, you could end up in an alley..

Ira: I'm Sorry
Leah ( Ira's ex) : What about the break up message? or about the marrying someone else, after convincing me to stay with you 4 times this year alone, cause you needed time to figure things out, or are you sorry about the...what was it?....intermittent erectile dysfunction? or the countless dinners with your parents, or you know what....don't say anything...cause I should be thanking you.

Abby: You know, who are you supposed to believe? A book or just what feels right?
Ira: Doctor, tell her we can't go around, you now, just feeling good all the time, its just not...(flopping hands)...done.

Ira to therapist: I hate the way you get totally reasonable in a crisis situation. I mean, do you see what Im dealing with here!?

Abby: There was trust stuff, and old stuff, and in the end I just wanted to be with you.

Ira: Maybe marriage is just a fad, with an unusally long lifespan....
Abby: Like bottled water
Ira: or man-sandals...

Great tunes in it:
Rilo Kiley - "portions for foxes" and "capturing moods"
The 88 - "It's all cause of you"
Burnside Project: "One to One"

This movie is morally flexible (Big frown, and pointy finger) but it finds a way to be sweet and sincere about how obnoxious we have gotten. It shows our inabiblity to accept a good thing when it comes "too easy". If life throws you sunshine, don't question it, don't over-analyze. Just sit back, let the tingle of a good-burn take over, and soak it in.

"Good things" rarely last, but waiting for it to stop doesn't make you better, it just makes you someone who didnt enjoy a good thing...

2008 SAG Award Sum up.... Winners: The year of incoherent speeches.

I was so excited to see Actors at an award show. The dresses, the red carpet, the un-rehearsed moments....But there are two things that stuck out: 1.) Hollywood as I knew it is getting older (not a bad thing) but I didn't notice until last night. and 2.) They need to practice speeches more.

Lets start with the results:
Outstanding Perf. by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day Lewis - There will be Blood.
Outstanding Perf. by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Julie Christie - Away from Her
Outstanding Perf. by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries- Queen Latifa
Outstanding Perf.by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries- Kevin Kline
Outstanding Perf. by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Javier Bardem- No Country for Old Men.
Outstanding Perf.by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Ruby Dee- American Gangster
Outstanding Perf. by a Male/Female Actor in a Drama Series:Edie Falco, James Gandolfini
Outstanding Perf. by a Male/Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Tiny Fey, Alec Baldwin
Outstanding Perf. by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: "The Sopranos"
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series: "The Office"

So..Let's talk about the whacky shite that went down...in list form :

1. What the FECK happened when Micky Rooney said that there was a "TIE" for Female in a mini-series?! There wasn't a tie. I am still trying to wrap my head around that. People are getting old.

2. Why do I always get Micky Rourke and Mickey Rooney mixed up? (I'm too young)

3. How old is Tom Selleck? Why does he seem so incapacitated? I'm not joking, Is he ok? There is no way that is what 60 looks like? I'm concerned. OKAY CORRECTION: It was Burt Reynolds. Damnit. I KNEW that. Like Mickey Rourke and Mickey Rooney....Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds. (head hung in shame)

4. Is James Gandolfini just uncomfortable with crowds? or does he hate everyone? I couldnt tell if I should applaud his humilty or push a button to cause a forced blackout screen on him for his lack of gratitude. Things that make you say "Hmm?"

5. Ruby Dee was talking about her book? and laying names out there at panic random. Old. Tilda Swinton got robbed, Cate too. They at least played a role for more than 5 lines!

6. YEAH for The Office! I miss them. I miss Dwight and Michael and Pam...

7. Angelina Jolie is preggers ( maybe twins!)

8. Is it me, or did Tom Cruise seem so nervously angry and suspecting. I used to love him. He freaks me out.

9. Charles Durning's speech was sweet, funny and charming. Especially his openly nonchalant closing: "See you later." It felt so familiar and human. That's always nice.

10. How is it that the best speech came from Javier Bardem, and English is his second language?

I take nothing away from how incredible some of these Actors are at ACTING, but man is it clear, people need writers... It's fun. They make millions, they can take a little criticism on their inability to speak spontaneously under enormous pressure. If I got paid millions of dollars to work for 4 months, Id make it a priority to speak well in public...at the very least of my improvements.

Oh poo poo on you too! I am merely saying what YOU thought. I love them all. I jest. Take a joke. I will be old and bumbling too. Hell, I bumble now.