It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

Life is rather strange right now. It's March, which means two months until AP exams (aka two weeks of hell). Morale is definitely running low—everyone around me is feeling the strain of a long year that will only get worse before it gets better. The "snowmaggedon" of last month further exacerbates problems because it has made us so behind in all of our classes. What if we don't even have time to learn everything we need to know before the exams? Blerg... On the positive side, I'm going to states for forensics next weekend. I'm also going to CFLs (the national tournament for the National Catholic Forensic League) in Omaha over Memorial Day weekend, so on the forensics front, life is good. (The CFL is kind of weird. You don't have to be Catholic  and go to a Catholic school to participate. I guess it was just originally for Catholic schools but was later expanded to include other schools.) On the actual life front, life is tough.
Oscars tomorrow! Rootin' for Kathryn Bigelow (first female to win Best Director ever for her jarringly amazing film The Hurt Locker), Jason Reitman (adapted screenplay for the brilliant Up in the Air), and the one, the only MERYL STREEP (best actress...ever!). Sorry my Oscar coverage has been scant this year—no time to sleep, let alone blog about film, but I guess I can sleep when I'm dead.
Trying to stay positive. Life is a constant battle, but I can win if I keep fighting. Or perhaps all of our efforts lead to nothing. After all, Thoreau was right: "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." It's just like trying to find the meaning of life—you never know the answer. Life is a minefield of uncertainty. All this existentialist thinking makes me want to watch Up in the Air and read Kafka's The Metamorphosis and Thoreau's Walden again.
Hope everyone is doing well. Spring is coming soon!

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Quoted

When the last living thing

Has died on account of us,

How poetical it would be

If Earth could say,

In a voice floating up

Perhaps

From the floor

Of the Grand Canyon,

"It is done.

People did not like it here."

~Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

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Gulliver's Cell Phone

If you've read Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, this might bring a chuckle to your face.
[src]

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The Angst-Ridden Inter-Abyss

Today, instead of studying for a test over The Odyssey, I watched PBS Kids with my little brother. An Arthur episode came on. It was the one where D.W. reenacts the story of the Odyssey. I feel adequately prepared. MLIA [src]

Blerg. I'm not a huge fan of those seemingly banal and useless websites devoted to teenage angst (i.e. FML or MLIA), but I sometimes find some clever postings during my occasional visits.

Here's one from yours truly.

Today, I went to school and attended my classes. They were very uneventful, except for AP US History, where we watched a clip of the obnoxious, egotistical Sean Hannity lament the fact that only 1/3 of Americans can identify the Vice President; and lunch, where I discussed Shakespeare with my AP English friends and awkwardly channeled both my strange English teacher and my inner English nerd. I was subsequently a bit embarrassed for sounding like a nerd. MLIA

See what I mean? This is why I think sites like MLIA are just really lame and inane. They're just another way for angst-ridden teenagers to espouse every mundane detail of their lives out into the abyss that is the Internet. But that's what blogs are for too, right? Ever since its inception, I have continually strived to make this blog more than just an routine web diary of an over-stressed, nerdy, peculiar, suburban teenager, but in reality, every blog in the blogosphere is just another "walking shadow, a poor player/That struts and frets his hour upon the stage/And then is heard no more." (Macbeth)
And yes, I'm a nerd for embedding a Shakespeare quote in a sentence on a terribly meager and boring blog. MLIA :)

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Something wicked this way comes...

The Weird Sisters = Macbeth, Harry Potter, and Halloween all rolled into one.

Happy Halloween! 

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Is it really that bad, Oedipus?

Oedipus after gouging his eyes out at the climax of Oedipus the King

We haven't started discussions about the play in English yet, but when we do, I will be sure to bring up this incident. Very unnecessary and inhumane. I'm only halfway through our next assignment, Antigone, and I'm hoping there won't be any removal of body parts at the conclusion. Bring on the Greek plays!
English has always been one of my favorite subjects, but AP English might just be the make or break of my year. I'm barely hanging on to an A right now. On the contrary, my English teacher is probably my new favorite person. He's quite a character: Our class discussions usually involve him going off on a tangent about philosophical ideas and such. We never get very far as a result. He's definitely the first teacher I've had that really seems like the intellectual type. At the very least, he has that kind of vibe in his mannerisms and even in his attire. I think we're going to get along...I hope.

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It's OK! at the bookstore

I was wandering around Borders this afternoon and when I passed the magazine aisle, I saw a man who looked to be in his thirties trying to decide between In Touch Weekly and OK!. Strange. Males, particularly straight males, who read celebrity gossip publications seem like a rarity. Perhaps, he was buying the magazine for his wife/girlfriend/sister/mother/therapist/housekeeper/etc. Maybe he wants to feel in the loop during water cooler discussions at the office about Jon & Kate: The Show We All Love to Hate or the Octomom: Because Jon & Kate Plus Eight Wasn't Enough. ;]
Meanwhile, I thumbed through a few editions of The Best American Nonrequired Reading, complied and edited by the awesome Dave Eggers. I love anthologies like BANR b/c they expose you to a variety of writers and styles. Among the selections featured in the 2007 edition is Conan O'Brien's hilarious commencement speech to the students of Stuyvesant High School in New York City. Lucky bastards. Clearly, being the one of the most prestigious public high schools in America means you can afford to invite late night TV hosts to speak at your graduation. And hold the ceremony at freakin' Lincoln Center. Though I must say, the latter part of his speech is pretty inspirational and truly hits home.
Off to read Oedipus the King for AP English, do Stats homework, and practice the clarinet. The deluge of school has begun.

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This was uncalled for.

If you haven't figured out yet, I'm not a typical teenager. I don't usually mind this and have learned to accept it, but sometimes it just bothers me that I can't get along with other people. Every now and then, I try to join a conversation with acquaintances that I don't know very well but hope to get to know better, and it always backfires, like the other day, when I started talking to a few idiots after overhearing their conversation. They stared at me blankly and subsequently walked away. Geez.
I don't let incidents like these get under my skin, but I always wonder why I can't trust people. Someone can seem like a perfectly kind individual, but who knows if they actually are? We're always hiding something, each and every one of us.
In a unexpected segue, I am currently reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers, easily one of the most innovative books I've ever read. It's hard to describe its style. I mean, it's a memoir, but not in the typical sense. Eggers, who is now a bestselling writer and editor of McSweeney's, candidly recounts the loss of both of his parents to cancer when he was 21 and the responsibility of raising his 8 year old brother afterwards. Yes, it's sad and thought-provoking, but it's surprisingly hilarious. His sardonic and witty satire makes the book very entertaining. Like I mentioned before, it's hard to explain, so read the book to find out what I mean!
The way the book relates to my anecdote is that it comes back to the thing about hiding pieces of yourself. On the outside, it's like we have a protective shell that holds everything in place, while on the inside, we might be on the verge of collapse. But, our "shell" is concealing the breakdown we might be having. Likewise, when someone looks at Dave Eggers, they probably don't see the pain and suffering he carries around. In the book, he briefly alludes to this observation, saying that there were times when he wanted to flaunt his heartbreak in front of people because that's how he wanted to be defined: The Tragic Person. Other times, he wished he could put his personal loss behind him because he didn't want to solely be associated with that. For instance, his family had become somewhat of a legend in the suburban Chicago town where he grew up, and it upset him that people didn't really remember them for anything else.
You can never tell exactly who people are. When people look at me, they might not see an ambitious, pessimistic, stubborn girl who simply wants to fit into society and make sense of the world. They might just see a nerd who tries too hard to be nice.
(An aside: the post title is from the introduction to the book. I find it very fitting since I did not intend to make these connections in this post.)
Blerg, I have nothing else to say. Life is booooooring, but songs like this one always make me feel a little better.

I love John Mayer. :)

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A Culinary Adventure

In honor of Mother's Day, I decided to make crêpes for my mom, despite my meager cooking skills. Using a simple recipe I learned from French class, I managed to make a reasonably tasty brunch. There are many ways to make crêpes, but they can generally be divided into either sweet or savory crêpes. Sweet or savory basically refers to the kind of filling. The recipe I used was for sweet crêpes, or dessert crêpes, as they are called on the recipe.
Mix together:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 T vanilla
2 T melted butter
Now comes the fun part. Pour a small amount of batter into a frying pan (doesn't matter which size, but the smaller the better), just enough to coat the bottom. This is very important, since crêpes are pretty much just thin pancakes. Turn when the sides are brown. This step is easier said than done. It took me a few tries to master the art of flipping these fragile little things, especially due to their thin texture. Using your spatula, you want to scrape the sides of the crêpe all the way around it. Then, carefully lift it up and flip it over. The flipping needs to be a quick and swift motion, so that the sides don't fold over and stick to the rest of the crêpe. Lift it out of the pan when both sides are golden brown.
You can fill your sweet crêpes with many different ingredients. If you like chocolate (who doesn't?), chocolate chips make a great filling when the crêpe is still warm. (Yum, melted chocolate!) But, most people put in fresh fruit, jams, jellies, or preserves, particularly if they're semi-health nuts like me. :) Finally, top it off with some powdered sugar, which I unfortunately lacked today. Bon appétit!
Additionally, I made a colorful salad, part of my dinner. Who knew a lettuce medley, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries (leftovers from the crêpes), almonds, and sunflower seeds would look and taste delicious?
<= Here is my creation, sans the dressing and croutons, which I added later. One of my life goals is to become a decent cook so that when I get out into the real world, I'll be able to survive without depending on others for edible food. So, today was hopefully the beginning of a long and fruitful (no pun intended) culinary journey.
Btw, to all the foodies out there, or if you're just looking for a good read, I recommend Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen. It is clever, witty, and informative. I'm only about 1/3 of the way through it, but I have enjoyed reading it. As far as the movie version is concerned, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams will be perfect for the leading roles.

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Jumping on the bandwagon...

...because it's Friday and I don't want to do my homework. :)
8 things I did yesterday:
1. Went to the dentist for a checkup
2. Watched The Office and 30 Rock (an aside: I think the video I posted the other day is a lot funnier if you actually watch the show and know what's going on. Otherwise, it's kind of odd. But isn't everything on that show odd??! That's why we love it!)
3. Studied the names of body parts in French (And to go along with that, we did the "hokey-pokey", "Simon Says", "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes", and other kiddie songs en français, which became slightly embarrassing.)
4. Sit-ups and push-ups in an effort to exercise more
5. Mass-studied for Chem test
6. Practiced clarinet concerto
7. Read The Namesake
8. Slept. (OK, maybe that doesn't count.)
8 things I'm looking forward to:
1. Forensics banquet at the end of month (senior speeches are always a lot of fun!)
2. Summer @ Columbia - I was accepted, but my parents decided it would be better for me to go to Forensics camp at George Mason this summer. Not a bad choice, and it is still a fine opportunity, but I'm still bummed that I will not be exploring the Big Apple this summer. Also, I committed a lot of time in preparing the application and got accepted, only to give it up. The good news is I can reapply next year.
3. Writing a short story from an idea that has been floating around in my head
4. Family trip to San Francisco this summer (possibly)
5. Volunteering at various places this summer
6. Screenwriting class this summer at my local theatre (trying to develop my interests)
7. Performing my clarinet concerto with my orchestra (albeit majorly nerve-racking)
8. Did I mention summer?
8 things I wish I could do:
1. Compose a song (Even with all of my musical instruction and experience, I don't actually have a lot of creative talent.)
2. Run fast
3. Manage my weight easily
4. Multi-task efficiently
5. Volunteer in an impoverished country to witness real suffering/poverty
6. Have a career that I will completely enjoy (Is it possible?)
7. Be self-confident and get rid of my pessimism (I'm trying.)
8. Fit into society (I'm convinced I will always be an outcast, but who knows? Besides, lots of people achieve greatness from being peculiar. Maybe I just need to embrace my individual differences.)
8 books I want to read:
Dreams from My Father, Barack Obama
Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell
Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri (Well, anything by Jhumpa Lahiri. I love her writing style.)
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, Julie Powell
What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, Dave Eggers
Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote

Blerg, this post is so boring. Need to write something interesting for a change.
P.S.: I apologize if I haven't been around to any of your blogs lately. I will catch up soon!

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If bitch is the new black, then summer must be the new spring.

The weather has been odd lately: kind of chilly, then suddenly humid. I'm not a big fan of abnormal weather or humidity in general, so busy me is not particularly enjoying it.
I haven't been thinking in complete thoughts lately. School has been draining my mind of coherence. The year is winding down, but the work has only increased. Blerg.
The good news is I finally got around to reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, an incredible novel that paints a picture of Afghanistan's tumultuous modern history through the eyes of two generations of women. It effortlessly weaves fact with fiction and was equally as easy to read.
I am currently whipping through another fantastic novel, The Namesake. I can't seem to put the book down, and it has led to some late nights. I suppose it is because, not surprisingly, I can relate to it. The main character, Gogol Ganguli, is a first generation Indian-American struggling to accept his identity and his past. He despises his odd name and tries every effort to sever ties with the rigid traditions of his Indian parents. I see a lot of myself in him.
Lastly for some comic relief (read: procrastination for me), I imagine my fellow "Dunderheads" will greatly enjoy this ingenious video:
Only 3 new Office episodes left this season! (*tear*)
Off to rehearsal. changetheworld360 out.

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George Gray

I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me--
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire--
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.
~From Spoon River Anthology, by Edgar Lee Masters

Spoon River Anthology is an interesting collection of poems where each selection is a statement made by a dead person. Edgar Lee Masters found the inspiration for these epitaphs while walking around in a cemetery of his native Lewistown, Illinois, on the banks of the Spoon River. In English class the other day, we analyzed this particular poem, "George Gray", as a representation of the utmost metaphorical expression, but it also embodies the stark realities of living. The narrator, presumably Mr. Gray, seems remorseful over the results of his life. He regrets his passive existence and his reluctance to stretch his limits and go the distance. He describes the sailboat that adorns his tombstone and feels it does not symbolize the peace of his death but rather the stillness of his life. And then, he addresses the age-old question of finding the purpose of life. The sailboat serves as a metaphor for his potential (living life without inhibitions) and the actuality (not taking charge or moving forward).
This poem struck me because despite its short length, it conveys so much about a theme that all humanity shares: finding the meaning of life. We are all determined to discover the answer to this timeless dilemma. It worries us but guides us in our endeavors. Without that question, it leaves us with no direction, no sense of purpose in life, no reason to persevere. But to grasp that question sometimes requires the inner demons to unleash. It drives us to all kinds of places and states of mind. It scars us emotionally or even physically. It turns some of us into maddening fury and incredible suffering. Essentially, there is a fine line between enjoying the struggles and letting them completely consume us and weaken the spirit.
Life needs movement and progress. Sometimes, fate controls all, but other times, we need to be the enablers, the forces that shake the world. Being passive is simply not an option. But, when do you step out in the open, and when do you hold yourself back? We will always have regrets of not allowing ourselves to move away from familiar things, but how do you overcome them? How can they not affect your choices?
Life without meaning, life without an enigma to solve, life without an unexpected journey; these cannot be. But there always must be limits, but where? What are the roadblocks we ultimately cannot topple? And, how do we find the true meaning of life? These are the endless inquiries of the human race.

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The World Is Flat

I am in the midst of reading The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century, a groundbreaking book by NYT Op/Ed columnist Thomas Friedman. It is a case study of the causes and effects of globalization and our shrinking world. Personally, I'm a fan of Friedman's column: His concise, to-the-point analysis provides much-needed common sense regarding the complicated world in which we live.
In the book, he opens with a few stories about his inspiration for the book. In 2004, he was in India exploring the concept of outsourcing for a documentary series he was doing for The Discovery Channel. He interviewed software specialists who ran companies that did the taxes for American accounting firms and saw that almost every skyscraper in downtown Bangalore was owned by a foreign company: Goldman Sachs, HP, Texas Instruments, etc. When he got back, he came to an astonishing revelation, the world is flat. This idea became the basis for the book. He visited other places where this concept was evident: Tokyo, Dalian, Baghdad, and others. He also discovered "homesourcing", where people can work on a global scale right in the comfort of their own homes.
In the next part of the book, Friedman discusses "The 10 Forces That Flattened the World", ranging from the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the '90's IT era, to outsourcing and offshoring, even steroids. He explains the origins of each "force" and links it to the next. He also divides the history of the world in periods of globalization: Globalization 1.0, from 1492-1800, when the main focus of countries was expansion and exploration, and the world "shrank from a size large to a size medium"; Globalization 2.0, from 1800-2000, when global integration began to take shape, first through the Industrial Revolution and later during the tech boom. Here, the world shrank from a "size medium to a size small". Currently in Globalization 3.0, the world is shrinking even further, from small to tiny. Individuals are able to compete globally. Unlike the past, they don't need companies or governments to help them do that. Also, the playing field is leveling, which Friedman refers to as "flattening". It creates more diversity because everyone in the world can get involved in the game, so to speak.
Finally, the last portion is dedicated to the effects of globalization in different regions of the world. He emphasizes the harrowing challenges the flat world presents, and he makes suggestions as to how we can possibly overcome them.
I highly recommend this fascinating book, largely due to the wealth of information it holds as well as Friedman's easy to understand explanations. I'm hearing that his new follow-up, Hot, Flat, and Crowded, is also very well written, so I should probably check that out after I finish reading this. It focuses on the dire need for a Green Revolution as a result of globalization.
On another note, I unfortunately head back to school tomorrow. Back to reality. :|

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Happy Birthday J.K. Rowling!!!

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling turns 43 today! And since it's her birthday, it is also Harry's birthday, as any fan of the books would know.

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Writer's (Reader's) Block

I am need of new ideas for interesting blog posts. From the beginning, my purpose with this blog was to discuss a variety of topics relating to just about anything. I've covered a lot already. So I'm searching my brain right now.
Hmm...I know this is a bit late, but the Wimbledon men's final on Sunday was spectacular. For those of you not familiar, Wimbledon is one of the four biggest tennis tournaments during the year (the others are the Australian, French, and US Open). Wow, what an intense match! 4 hours and 48 minutes of tennis perfection (longest final in Wimbledon history). Congrats Rafa Nadal!!!!! But kudos to Roger Federer as always for such an incredible match and for being a really good sport about (finally) losing to Nadal on grass. The women's match, although not nearly as long, was very well played by the Williams sisters. Go Venus!
One observation: none of my top 5 most anticipated movies have been released. :( But, The Dark Knight is coming out a week from tomorrow, so that's exciting! In addtion to writer's block, I also have "reader's block". Anyone have any good suggestions for books I would like??? Thank you in advance! Now I will return to catching up on episodes of The Office, Heroes, and 30 Rock. (This is what I do during the summer. I hardly ever have time to watch my favorite TV shows during the year, so I have no choice but to catch up on them now.)

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Random info about today

I'm bored. Here's what I've been doing lately:
Reading A Northern Light.
Summer homework, particularly the Pre-Calc summer packet.
Listening to Coldplay's new album, which is pretty cool. I might post my own review if I get around to it. Favorite tracks: "Viva La Vida", "Violet Hill", "Death and All His Friends", "Cemeteries of London".
Listening to other music, mostly Josh Groban and Coldplay, as usual.
Eagerly awaiting The Dark Knight.
Watching Wimbledon. The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, will play each other in the women's singles final on Saturday. Should be interesting.
Random song of the day (because I feel like posting one): "Amsterdam" by Coldplay from their album A Rush of Blood to the Head. It's a really pretty song about barely hanging on to life, something we all feel everyday. Gotta love Chris Martin's gentle vocals and piano. :)

Happy almost Fourth of July! You guys have any fun plans this weekend? I'm going to a 4th of July party on Saturday and my friend's grad party on Sunday (a bit late for grad parties, but oh well).

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#2---Revolutionary Road

2 posts in one day! Woot!! Part of it's because I kinda want to get this movie countdown over with, but most of it's because I'm procrastinating on studying for tomorrow's Merchant of Venice test, memorizing the mercy speech, and all of the other crap I have to do. Yes, I'm also procrastinating on the Leadership Project Evaluation. (Sorry, Emily...) But oh well. FYI, I finished my Winschel Holiday paper, so that's a positive note for today!!!
Moving on...a little disclaimer: these last two movies on the countdown are two I get pretty spastic over. So beware...I guess??? I might not get The Dark Knight up for a few days due to my busy weekend, but it will be up soon. So, definitely stick around for that.
Numero dos coming your way now: (my poorly developed español skills)

2. Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage, December 19)


My favorite actor + my favorite actress = need I say more? Reason #1 why I'm ridiculously pumped! Back in March 2007, when this project was first announced, needless to say, I literally had a heart attack. To be perfectly honest, I was one of the many people that thought they would never star in a film together again, despite their close friendship and similar careers/acting styles. Well, we were all wrong, but rightly so. OK, whatever.
If you haven't figured it out yet, this is Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet's first collaboration since 1997's megahit Titanic (which happens to be one of my many favorite films), and hopefully the film that earns them both their richly deserved Academy Awards. (Wishful thinking...) As of now, they have a combined total of eight nominations and zero wins. That's right, nada. (Don't get me started on that.)
Anyway, onto the film itself. Revolutionary Road, based on the acclaimed 1961 novel by Richard Yates, is directed by Kate's husband, Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty). Set in 1955, it is a tale of desolation and betrayal in suburbia and the struggle to achieve one's dreams and aspirations; "Distress in Suburbia", in a nutshell. Leo and Kate play Frank and April Wheeler, an ambitious young couple raising their two children in suburban Connecticut. Frank has a fruitless corporate job in New York, while April is an actress wannabe, forced to conform to 1950's society and become a homemaker. The film explores their deteriorating relationship as well as their constant conflict of "angst vs. conformity"; postwar disillusionment: you get the idea. RR also features Oscar winner Kathy Bates (Molly Brown in Titanic) as Mrs. Givings, the Wheelers' perky neighbor/real estate agent, Michael Shannon as her schizophrenic son John, and Zoe Kazan as Frank's secretary Maureen Grube. I'm not really going into specific plot details now, because it gets rather complicated.
I read (well, skimmed) the novel last summer, and while some parts were pretty dry and uneventful, most of it was intriguing and ultimately very haunting. I would definitely recommend it, especially because it helps to get a heads-up on the plot details before you see this film. The ending was particularly thought-provoking, and I'm anxious to see how it is portrayed onscreen by arguably two of the greatest actors of our generation.
All in all, this many layered story and brilliant cast/crew definitely equals major awards bait and excitement. I will be very surprised if this does not receive very many accolades. It has a lot in its favor: acclaimed director, notable cast, including two perennial nominees, and like Doubt, an extremely nuanced plot and intricately developed characters. It also depends on how well-written the screenplay is, but we'll have to wait and see how that turns out. But evidently, there's going to be a lot of focus on the nostalgia, a.k.a. the Leo-Kate reunion of sorts. Expect a lot of bashing from the DiCaprio/Winslet/Titanic haters. Nevertheless, if I'm still blogging by awards season, chances are you will probably hear much more about this film, because it truly deems a lot of attention. And of course, yours truly is ecstatic about it. Fin! (Felt like adding some français there to make up for my poor español, lol.)

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#4---The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

A little reminder: please provide your thoughts, criticisms, and feedback! Take a minute and leave a comment! Thanks for reading...
I could post some political news/critiques, but I want to finish this countdown first. Politics and current events are more of my thing. I might also post my review of The Secret Life of Bees as soon as I finish reading it and write the review. Definitely not going to post much about my screwed-up life, because the point of this blog is: my life is mundane! Therefore, I rant about things not part of my life in particular, basically anything else I can think of. But whatever.
Continuing the countdown...

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount, December 19)


Looking at the two pictures above, one of them is Brad Pitt as the title character Benjamin Button at age 40-ish; the other (with the help of prosthetics and a fat suit, of course) is him at age 60-ish. Both are scenes from the upcoming film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's splendid short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, directed by David Fincher, who last directed Brad in 1999's Fight Club.
First, a little note about the short story. It's short and sweet: only about 40 pages, and tells a simple, but bizarre story about a man who is 80 years old at birth and dies as an infant. Basically, he's aging backwards. You're probably thinking, this is going to be uber-weird. And yes, weird is definitely the correct way to describe the plot. Not much else occurs in the story besides Fitzgerald describing the many challenges Benjamin faces because of his peculiar condition: ridicule, confusion, and at one point, being around the same age as his father. There are very few other characters and subplots in the story.
Because of this, the film will most likely take many liberties with the short story and add in way more characters and plot events. One of these characters is Daisy (a ridiculously pale, but still awesome Cate Blanchett), the love of Benjamin's life. Obviously the challenge is when Daisy ages normally, Benjamin is getting younger. Very problematic indeed.
I'm not too sure what else has been added, but I know the screenplay is probably floating around somewhere online, so check it out if you would like. The fanatics on IMDb Oscar Buzz probably know where to find it. Figures. I do know that this year's Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actress, Tilda Swinton, also has a supporting role in this film, more supporting than Cate's, I think. She plays Elizabeth Abbott, but like I said before, I don't really know what her character does and her relationship to Benjamin. We'll just have to see!
In terms of awards, clearly there are mixed opinions, according to some of the Oscar discussion sites I have gone to. Some say this film will do well with its fine cast, great source material, and respected director. But, others are skeptical because none of David Fincher's films have ever received major awards buzz. Also, the plot might be too bizarre, and Brad Pitt is not the most consistent actor and not a frequent nominee. (According to IMDb, he has only received one previous nomination, for 1995's Twelve Monkeys.) But enough prognosticating, speculating, guessing, etc.! Let's just wait and see...

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#5---Brideshead Revisited

#5 on my countdown of Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2008!

5. Brideshead Revisited (Miramax, July 25)
Trailer:


Directed by Julian Jarrold (Becoming Jane), Brideshead Revisited is a story of one man's dream and the woman destined to stop it from coming true. The main character, Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode), is stationed at the lavish estate of Brideshead during World War II. He remembers the time he spent there earlier in his life, when his friend Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw) resided here with his affluent family. The main portion of the story is told in flashback, describing what occurred when he first visited Brideshead with Sebastian.
Almost immediately after arriving, Brideshead surprises and fascinates Charles. He meets the rest of Sebastian's family, and soon, he becomes romantically attracted to Sebastian's sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell).
Meanwhile, Lady Marchmain (the uber-cool Emma Thompson, one of my favorite actresses!), the powerful matriarch of the family, keeps a close eye on everything occurring and strict control of anything at Brideshead. At first, she is very inviting and eagerly welcomes Charles. But eventually, she realizes he spends much of his time at their estate with her children. She feels this is rather odd and unacceptable, so she plots a plan to get rid of him. According to the novel synopsis, she dislikes Charles because he is not religious. (The Flytes are strict, traditional Catholics.) She quickly becomes aware of Charles' close relationships with both of her children: a solid friendship with Sebastian, and an intimate romance with Julia. Gradually, Lady Marchmain's plot to foil Charles' ambitions(not too sure what they are) unravels with explosive consequences. (I think...not positive about what happens afterwards. Guess we'll have to see it in the film!)
I must say the trailer is very convincing. It really draws the viewer in and tells a sufficient synopsis to excite and make us eager to find out what happens next, as a trailer should do. However, I disagree with its choice of music; it doesn't really fit the film, specifically since it is a period drama. The plot seems very interesting and the characters very distinct. Emma seems kinda sorta badass, in an Emma way. =D
Brideshead Revisited is the first of this year's many literary adaptations. The original novel, written by British author Evelyn Waugh, was published in 1945. It was adapted into a BBC miniseries in 1981, but this is the first silver screen version. In conclusion, this seems like an exciting film, with some newcomers and the uber-cool, uber-classy Emma Thompson. I'm hoping this is Emma's minor comeback; perhaps she might receive an Oscar nod for Supporting Actress, considering the fact that many people think she was snubbed for Love Actually and Stranger than Fiction, both of which were great performances. Anyway, we will have to see come awards season. For now, I leave you with the lovely poster.

More musings...