Hello happy readers! I’ve been so busy designing my new jewelry line and getting this baby of a business off the ground that I’ve completely neglected the blog for 10 whole days!! Whoa. Time flies, really it does.
Here’s what I’ve been up to:
* designed, crafted and posted the first four in a series of the new Carnivale line of jewelry
* attended a meet and greet with Team MN hosted by Blick Art Supplies in Minnetonka. Thanks, Blick and Thanks to the Minnesota Street Team. I met a bunch of wonderful people there. Looking forward to seeing you all again!
* finally watched Juno. I know nobody asked for a movie review but: Despite all the buzz, I give this a sideways thumb. Sorry everyone, but don’t believe the hype! While the plot was charming (and also dished out very solid advice), I just don’t buy that a teenager wouldn’t be completely freaked out about her pregnancy. Also I can’t buy that any teenager (if I am to be the example here) is THAT self confident. I was a teenage mess, and just can’t relate. The slang was also very annoying (”pork swords”, “my boyfriend is boss”…please…) and there was a certain amount of cult following pretention lurking behind the little “heres the music I like” and “ooh gore films” getting to know you character build up that I found unnecessary and again, annoying. I’ve always found the whole “we’re underground, and therefore cooler than you” thing offputting. The scene in which the stepmother tells off the ultrasound technician scene was obvious and clunky. However, I did find in it a modicum of charm and got a few laughs (whoa, dream big!) and found the boyfriend character utterly charming and believable. So, my conclusion is a sideways thumb. Let’s face it, this movie was NO “Little Miss Sunshine”, it lacked honesty and depth in my opinion. The only moment in the film where I was touched was the scene after Juno had her baby, and wept in her boyfriends arms. This is the only time where the difficulty of her decision was accurately portrayed. One scene. That’s all folks. After watching it, I’m completely baffled as to how an Oscar was awarded to Diablo Cody for the screenplay. I’m no screenwriter, but this movie was not Oscar material, despite my Minnesota bias. Just my opinion. Please don’t hate me if you loved this movie, but I’m highly opinionated when it comes to films and welcome any sparring! Keep it clean though. J
* finally: cleaned, dusted, swept and vacuumed the house which sorely needed it on Sunday. I abhor cleaning but I love when the place sparkles. I feel so organized and powerful when we whip the place into shape, and those brief stays between chaos are refreshing. I can breathe.
To finish, I’ll be announcing the winner of the “Victoriana Earrings” giveaway this evening.
Have a lovely day!
7 Comments
May 20, 2008 at 8:02 am
Oh … you’re finding out about the delicate balance of wearing so many hats! Keep up the great work ~j.
May 20, 2008 at 12:10 pm
You have been busy lol. I agree about a clean and organized space. It’s so uplifting.:)
May 22, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I really enjoyed “Juno” because it was young, raw and fresh. Sure, is film really realistic? I run into this same argument all the time in my own head, completely upset that something is not historically correct or someone isn’t acting “normal”. But, for what “Juno” was, I believe it shouldn’t have been nominated in the top five films along with “No Country for Old Men” and “Atonement”. BUT, with that said, I will say that the screenplay is deserving of an Oscar. I am going to be seeing “Lars and the Real Girl” very soon and I have heard that that is also quite creative. “Michael Clayton” was like so many other legal dramas and its screenplay wasn’t impressive to me, “Ratatouille” was a fun animated adventure and “The Savages” was both witty and sad. But, out of all the ones I have seen, I enjoyed listening to the screenplay of “Juno” the best. I laughed around every turn and found myself thoroughly enjoying all of the characters. So, gloves are off, but I disagree and find Cody very deserving.
May 22, 2008 at 3:10 pm
And, I do agree, it was NO “Little Miss Sunshine” but “Unbreakable” was no “Sixth Sense” but was still a fantastic film! Okay, now the gloves are really off….ding ding!
May 22, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Nat - I agree with you on the “realistic” part. Was “Being John Malkovich” a realistic film, “Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind”…no. Maybe it’s not the reality of the situation for me, but the plot development that takes place in a really really good film that allows me to warm up and connect with the characters and sometimes, even love them. I do like the idea of Juno, and found myself laughing in spots. However, why did the absent mother character get dropped so early on? I thought the cactus thing was funny, a little more sprinkling of this likely extremely painful part of Juno’s life would have developed her character more vividly. But it was just dropped. The whole IDEA of her being pregnant was very sugar coated, and I think it would have gone a long way if Juno would have been a little bit up and down about it, conflicted, upset, anything. She was so indifferent (until the birth) that I just couldn’t fall in love with her. The part about the high school jock that secretly wanted her was completely unnecessary. The father and stepmother characters were woefully underutilized, as was the boyfriend for the majority of the film. I really enjoyed Michael Clayton more, primarily because the actors were fully utilized and fully enmeshed in the roles they were playing. Maybe it’s an issue with direction that I have, not the screenplay! I think the film had great potential, but just fell flat in a few spots. On it’s face. In the mud. On a rainy day. Without a quarter to call home (dating myself…argh). Or an umbrella….
ding ding!
May 24, 2008 at 12:59 am
I saw this movie several months ago and wrote about it. In general I liked it simply because it was entertaining but after reading your review I see it in a totally different way.
This is the problem with so much of television and the movies. I guess I just gave up years ago and now sit back and appreciate “cute” and “shallow”.
I am having the same problem with the Tutors on Showtime at the moment.
Oh well.
June 2, 2008 at 11:11 am
Watch “Into the Wild” … the film that should have been in the top five! Would be interested in reading your review! Have you seen “Once”? What did you think?
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