I have blogged numerous times about the movie New York, I Love You and now that I’ve seen it…I kinda wish I didn’t. Not to say that the film was awful, but I will say that I stand behind its 41% rotten RT rating.
So, where to start. The short narratives begin promising enough, with a funny segment with Bradley Cooper in the backseat of the iconic yellow cab. But it quickly looses steam, relying heavily on cliches and the star power of its recognizable cast. Much like an episode of sex in the city, each 5 min ‘story’ includes travel video style footage of the New York skyline, city lights, and multicultural crowds. Not to say that all scenes paying homage to New York were not beautifully done, but the tribute felt contrived, uninspired and touristy-ly voyeuristic. The steady cam interstitinals used to brige each segment didn’t help its case. Even the snip-it stories used to connect the characters and their ‘lives’ together are disasterious…the characters appearing in the narratives of another made me feel like I was choking on a giant cheeseball. Not only was it unnecessary, but it polarized the difference between the much better Paris, je t’aime and its American counterpart. New York, I Love You feels like a muddled product from the Hollywood machine, lacking the je ne sais quois easy spirit of its predicesor. Honestly, who cares if the short stories don’t fit into one clean package, the attempt to connect the stories crushes the POINT of a movie like this, and feels so insincere as the message they force feed you, is that New York is a city of strangers yet ‘we are all connected’. PHONEY! I hate that ‘fake magical’ contrived stuff.
As I have said in my earlier reviews, I enjoyed Paris, je t’aime for its ability to capture the pace and breath of the city. Again, this is somewhere NY, I Love You misses the mark. The shorts feel slow and the bridged sections contrived and chaotic. I get that New York is a bit of both, but somehow in both scenarios the city feels inanimate, and misunderstood. I guess it just goes to show that it isn’t the city that is romantic, but rather the stories that take place in them.
Lastly and most troubling, the short stories irked me. Each ended with a ‘clever’ surprise, in what I felt like an attempt to outsmart the viewers with a ‘fake-deep’ message about love, infatuation, lust, romance…the list goes on. There are however, some bright spots – my favorites featured Orlando Bloom as a struggling musician, Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman as an old married couple, an entertaining bit about a teenage couple at prom, and a funny short with Ethan Hawke and Maggie Q. Aside from these memorable bits, New York I Love You is a pretentious indie film, out of context, a bit overdone, and insincere. I’d say, save your $12 bucks, rent ‘Paris, je t’aime’, or save your dollars for a flight to New York, cause even if this movie seems to have forgotten, there is much to love in the city.
Hi everyone! I have finally gotten around to posting a new youtube video. Hope you like it 🙂 It is my everyday makeup look. Please excuse the awful screen cap (I don’t know how to change it…and the other options for the start photo are even worse! yikes…)
Last night was the perfect ending to a crazy weekend. The day started off bizarre enough. I woke up in a huge fright that it was Monday … and that I was late for work! haha. I must be going crazy! But serves me right for going out wednesday night to saturday night…it really isn’t university anymore…
Anyway, it’s been a wild weekend so it was really great to check out a rather ‘mellow’ show last night. One of my favorite bands, The Phoenix were playing at Sound Academy. I was so bummed out that I missed them this summer. So I got my tickets WAY in advance this time around. Good thing too, the show was sold out again this time around.
They were awesome. Here are some pics from the show. OH and to top it off, Holy F**K opened the show!
And if you aren’t familiar with The Phoenix, you can check our their impromptu busker-style concerts around Paris on Blogtheque.
It has been years since I have written a letter to Santa, but for some reason, today I feel inclined to make a wish list of fun and pretty things that I would LOVE to be on the receiving end of. I don’t expect to get anything on this list, but heres hoping :). Plus, let’s face it, sometimes it’s just fun to make lists (okay, maybe only for me).
The Holidays are really meant to be spent with your closest friends and family. So I guess when it comes down to it, the gifts and pretty things are just a bonus. Nonetheless, I love it all!
YAY! Finally, a date has been set for the movie New York, I Love You for Toronto. I think I have written about this awhile back. And it has already been screened pretty much everywhere…so it’s not even a new movie persay. But check out the trailer below if you haven’t already:
This is a follow up to “Paris, Je T’Aime” which I really enjoyed. I can appreciate that it was a bit hocky at times, as most movies about ‘love’ usually are. I remember my favorite scenes were “Quais de Seine” and “Daubourg Saint-Denis” with Natalie Portman.
I hope “New York, I Love You” is good. This time around, they have Allen Huges, Mira Nair, Natalie Portman, and Brett Ratner directing some of the shorts. There will also be lots of famous faces- Shia LaBeouf, Bradley Cooper, and Orlando Bloom! If I were judging the film based on the trailer alone, my expectations would be super high. But according to the 43% RT rating, I’m thinking otherwise. TOO BAD! I think that because this has become somewhat of a ‘fake deep’ franchise film, as they plan to expand the series to other cities. Nonetheless, it was a film on my anticipated movies 2009. So I will naturally HAVE to see it anyway.
So sorry it has been a long time since I posted. I am really trying to relaunch my blog and portfolio…and hence have been slacking on keeping this one current.
If anyone knows anybody who is good with web stuff let me know! I could use a helping hand getting my page relaunched. Yikes. I am totally struggling.
Anyway, just wanted to post an update about what I have been up to lately. It has been really hard to keep inspired and curious when I am so bogged down with my new full-time job and trying to have any semblance of a ‘social’ life on the side! haha
On that note- I’ve decided to compile a list of songs, movies, and TV shows that help me get through the week. In my humble opinion, there is nothing like the rush you get from a great live show, a new song, movie, or TV show that keeps me buzzin. So here it goes- my top favorite songs, movies, tv shows that really help to keep things fresh!
Florence and the Machine at Mod Club.
1) Florence and the Machine: I just saw them perform last week at the Mod Club. If you haven’t heard of them- they are a British indie band. Toronto was the last stop of the band’s world tour in promotion of their debut album “Lungs”. Check out one of my favorite songs of theirs- Dog Days are Over, below. And wow, does she know how to put on a good show. She rocked out in a wicked black dress contrasted with her fiery ginger locks belting her hits- Rabbit Heart, Drumming Song, Kiss with a First. Her voice is soooo brilliant!!! Just listen to it for yourself-
2) The Phoenix: I know they are pretty much old news in the ‘indie’ circuit (if there even is one). But I always have to give them a shout out. ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ is not only the most awesome CD title (shout out to the classical genius Mozart!), but their hit Listzomania (another shout out to classical musician) is SO wonderfully catchy and sunny that it curbs my road rage for a few minutes every day on my commute to the office. The WHOLE album has the same effect. Some highlights- 1901, Love Like a Sunset, Fences and Girlfriend.
3) Friday Night Lights: I know this isn’t even a band or a song for that matter-but I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show. Two episodes into season 4 and I am already counting down the days till the next episode. Friday Night Lights is based on a book- as well as the 2004 film based on it. It’s about a high school football team, “The Dillan Panthers”, and is set in Texas. This season is a classic underdog story, with new drama and a new team in Odessa Texas- The East Dillan Lions. I don’t want to ruin it for you. Just watch it. And if you aren’t convinced- there is Taylor Kitsch. I rest my case.
4) Shortwave: My sister dragged me to a show last night at The Elmo and I must say that I was pleasantly surpirsed! I always love a good live show and this band had just the right mix of all the music I already love! UK indie pop + Canadian folk feeling rifts a la, Bloc Part+Franz Ferdinand+We are the Take = awesomeness. Their set was high energy and just the right mix of uptempo rockin’ (Revival, Camera Tongue) and sentimental swaying music (Stereo) ! My favorite song of the night was Sid- check it out on their Myspace. Their sound is comfortably familiar to the indie genre, but their live sound was so refined (no out of tune, voice cracking screamo) and the band just seemed to have the right musical chemistry.
5) One Republic: All the right moves- in all the right places. Is probably my favorite pop track of the moment. I can’t help but sing along and bop my head at my desk every time I shuffle my ipod. R.Tedder is the man, what a hit maker. Love it. Always the creates the best mix of falsetto and beat. Plus the music video is really great.
6) Vampire Diaries: I don’t really want to have to justify why this is on the list. I am glad that there is finally an answer to my Buffy craving (pardon the pun). I still miss the dorky quips from Buffy and the ass-kicking, vamp slaying. Basically- if Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV show) and Twilight (the movie) had babies- Vampire Diaries would be it. Entertaining and great escaping content.
7) The September Issue: I haven’t had the time to watch as many movies as I would like. But this one is the last one I saw in theatres. I watched it a few weeks ago at the Hot Docs Film festival in Toronto and really enjoyed it. I love fashion inspired movies and tv shows. Afterall, I did already watch the two coco chanel movies. It just seemed natural to watch the documentary on Vogue as well. It wasn’t as telling as I had hoped, but it was an entertaining glimpse into the often misunderstood fashion industry. I do wish it was a bit more analytical…I mean it is curious how certain ‘looks’ and designers get selected. Fun to watch nonetheless.
Fran at the Travis show...oh and me....
8) Travis: I ALWAYS love them. I had the chance to check out Fran Healey and Andy Dunlop tour at the Mod Club two weeks ago. And they were WONDERFUL (as always). I must have seen them live almost 5 times now… insane I know. But, I think that if there was only one CD that I was allowed to take onto a deserted island with me…it would be one of the early albums from Travis (The Invisible Band or The Man Who). Their music is simple in the best kind of way possible. It makes you feel and think without being pretentious, and they don’t use computerized and digitalized music production. There songs are sooooo wonderfully singable and upbeat that it’s hard not to love it. Fran said it best at the show- “Music is like a bookmark in your life” and I feel like for me, their songs always seem to bring me to all my happiest memories.
9) GLEE: SOOO AMAZING. I must have been playing the Bon Jovi+Usher mash up: It’s my Life + These are My Confessions on repeat since it aired. It is so wonderfully playful, yet dark, and well-written. Quite easily one of the highlights of my week. Every Wednesday I rush to the TV to watched my taped episode. Those kids have some serious pipes. Plus it really does help that it isn’t just High School Musical feel good “Disney” morale lesson kinda show- it is hilariously pointless, yet profoundly deep in the issues that they deal with. Only Glee can make it cool to laugh about a kid in a wheel chair and have a gay Beyonce dancing football player. It is escapist TV at the best. Gimmicky, but honest.
Two Hours Traffic at Lee's Palace
10) Two Hours Traffic: I have blogged about them time and time again, but I can never seem to write about them enough. Their new album Territories was as I mentioned before in an earlier post, a tad disappointing (in comparison to their Flawless album Little Jabs). I think that their album sounded a bit more Joel Plaskett-y than THT…but damn do they put on a great live show. I saw them perform a little while back and it was blood pumping, memory-making good. They sang songs from the Territories and it really helped me appreciate the CD… since I gave the album a fifth, sixth, twentieth listen, it is really growing on me. Just Listen, Weightless One, and Wicked One are my favorites. THT is the best…cute lyrics, great beats, singable hooks, wicked guitar, and my uptempo folky feeling.
That’s all for now folks. Until next time! keep posted I’m aiming to get the new portfolio launched within the month.
I just uploaded my second video on Youtube. check out my channel. OR watch the video below. I hope you enjoy it. Please comment and let me know what products you’d like me to review.
The French film Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky screened at TIFF last night. Knowing a bit about the iconic title characters prior to attending the show I was only slightly disappointed. This film was based on a novel titled Coco & Igor (2002), a fictional spin on the scandalous life of Coco Chanel and her suspected love affair with famous composer Igor Stravinsky. The plot is as follows:
Paris 1913, Coco Chanel is devoted to her work and madly in love with the handsome and very wealthy Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel. At the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Igor Stravinsky premieres his “Rite of Spring”. Coco attends the premiere and is mesmerised. But the revolutionary work is too modern, too radical: the enraged audience boos and jeers. A near-riot ensues. Stravinsky is inconsolable.Seven years later. Now rich, respected and successful, Coco is devastated by Boy Capel’s death. She meets Stravinsky again – a penniless refugee living in exile in Paris after the Russian Revolution. The attraction between them is immediate and electric. Coco becomes Stravinsky’s patron, inviting him and his family to live with her as he writes his next work.
My immediate reaction to the film was largely positive. I loved the cinematography, the wardrobe (of course), the acting, and the music (of course). Nonetheless, this could not deter me from noticing the biggest problem with this film…the plot itself. The director Jan Kounen was present prior to the screening to introduce the film- stating multiple times that this movie was created in eight short months! Surely, English isn’t his first language, but I feel like his disclaimer gave a lot of insight to the reasons parts of the film felt glossed over, missed, and in my humble opinion in need of some tailoring…or refining.
For example, the film begins with Stravinsky’s musical debut which accompanies (in my opinion) SCARY ASS CHOREOGRAPHY AND COSTUMES. I scare easily and creepy dancing mime-like characters just give me the heeby-jeebies. I felt as if this needed to be trimmed down, however, this sequence of dancing, rioting and sheer madness dragged on for almost 30 minutes. Blech! Trim trim trim!!!
On the positive side, I really enjoyed the clever transition used to prepare the viewer from Paris in 1913 and forward seven years. They cleverly used stock footage of old war videos- men on the front lines, people struggling on the streets, bombs flying, men working on the railway etc. There is something about sepia colored anything that gives me the feeling of travelling back in time. It really helped me grasp the time period. But this creative idea might have been more effective if it was used more consistently in the start? Not too sure if that would’ve made it cheesy but just a senseless thought.
How much of this story is true to life beats me. I’ll have to consult some history textbooks and wikipedia later to get the facts. Nonetheless, the story can simply be summed up in those 5 lines I copied and pasted above. The plot left lots to be desired. If it weren’t for the acting chops of Mads Mikkelsen (Igor) and Anna Mouglalis (Coco) the film would’ve been really confusing. Thankfully the chemistry between the two leads was convincing and natural so it was easy to believe their love affair.
To sum up, this movie was an interesting perspective of Coco’s private life, outside of her accomplishments. Though generous, her morals lead her to commit multiple acts of adultery and ultimately ruining Igor’s relationship with his wife and children. This ‘homewrecking’ Coco character is somewhat difficult to watch as there doesn’t seem to be anything to wreck in the relationship between Igor and his wife Katia. In the film there is this one great line where Igor states that his compositions always “start with the piano…to feel the music at [his] fingertips”, Coco smartly replies that she also “starts with the fabric…and hardly sketches”. Maybe the eight month deadline forced this production to film first and think after. The end result fit a bit poorly and sounded as if it needed a bit more tuning. However, it really showed lots of promise and lots of breathtaking beauty. I left the theatre inspired and ready to immerse myself in shopping, classical music, and art.
Vanity Fair celebrity photographs are being exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum next week! Starting September 26, 2009 to January 3, 2010. The exhibit is set to display over 150 iconic celeb photographs from world renowned photographers including Mario Testino and Annie Leibovitz. According to a press release, photos of Cary Grant, Anne Hathaway, Prince William, Madonna and many many more will be featured.
I’ve officially marked this into my calendar. I can’t wait.
These are a few of my favorite things 