Getting By, Dreaming Big

This is a blog for me to share my thoughts on my favorite things: books, traveling, food and entertainment!

Monday Bookworms: The Help (17) July 20, 2010

Filed under: Book Reviews,Monday Bookworms,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 7:11 am
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The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

444 pages, @2009

Anyone who is a big reader and talks about books knows that there has been a lot of buzz about The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.  After numerous people read it and told me how good it was, my co-worker Rachelle loaned it to me so that I too could enjoy this “must-read” book.  It did not disappoint.

The Help takes place in the 1960′s in Jackson, Mississippi, as the Civil Rights Movement is gaining momentum.  Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan had just retunred from college at Ole Miss and unlike her counterparts, who are all married and popping out children, desires to be a writer.  She runs in high society and is in bridge club, plays tennis at the local country club, and is the newsletter writer for the Junior League.  She dreams of writing and has sent her resume to numerous outlets all over the country.  She lands a job at the local paper writing the “Miss Myrna column” which answers women’s cleaning questions.  Knowing nothing about cleaning herself she enlists the help of her friend Elizabeth’s maid, Aibileen.  While working with Aibileen she learns about Aibileen’s past and is dying to know the true story of what happened to the maid who raised her (her being Skeeter), Constantine.  Aibileen is hesitant to tell that story.

Then after Aibileen tells Skeeter about a book that her deceased son had started writing about what it was really like for black people to work for white people, Skeeter decides she wants to pick up where he left off.  She asks Aibileen is she can write her story and if Aibileen can get 10-12 additional maids to tell their story so that they can make it into a book.  She runs the idea by an editor in New York and is given a tight deadline.  The only problem is that no one wants to talk.

What makes this book so special is the cast of characters.  While the book is seen through three eyes, Aibileen, Skeeter and Aibileen’s friend Minny who is also a maid, there are many additional memorable characters.  Some that you’ll love and some that you will just hate!  It tells their everyday experiences during the time of writing this book.  From Aibileen and Minny the reader sees the life of a black woman working for a white family, raising their kids, cooking their meals, cleaning their houses, etc.  Even more the reader gets a glimpse into the black community in Jackson - the hardships and the hope.  Through Skeeter the reader sees the life of a wealthy white woman and how working on her book alienates Skeeter from those who have been her friends since the beginning.

This book was so good.  The characters and more importantly the voice of the characters was beautifully written.  You loved these women fiercely and wanted them to succeed.  There are some incredibly sweet moments that brought me to tears and some tense moments that made me so angry.  It’s a book rife with emotion and you will feel it right along with these women.  Stocket has crafted a true gem with The Help and in my opinion this book is not to be missed.

5 Stars

Post in Comments:

Have you read The Help?  What did you think?

 

Foodie Wednesday: Fusilli with Sausage, Cabbage and Tomatoes April 28, 2010

Filed under: Family,Foodie Wednesday,Recipes,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 8:12 pm
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Back when I was a child my brother was a super adventurous eater and my sister and I were super picky!  The poor kid still do this day complains about eating grilled chicken marinated in italian dressing and skillet all the time.  When it was his birthday every year he would ask my mom to make him “Savoy and Cabbage” (at least that’s what we called it when we were little).  Of course my sister and I would only eat the sausage and pasta in Ragu sauce – hahaha!  Well recently I decided I wanted to re-create the meal and see if I liked it in all of it’s glory.  I couldn’t find savoy cabbage but it said you could use red cabbage in place of it.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 1/2lb of Red Cabbage or Savoy Cabbage

10 oz ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper

10 oz sweet Italian suasage, skinned and crumbled

1 lb fusilli

I wish I could give credit to where my mom got this recipe, but as you can see I just have a photocopy of this recipe.  I am by no means claiming that my mom or I came up with it.  You can’t see it but my mom’s notes are all over the page.  They read, “JP, Tim & I loved this dish.  The girls ate plain pasta with sausage.  Tim thought this was an 11.”  I love recipes with mom notes on them, you know those are the good ones.

Directions

In a large frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the cabbage and continue sauteing for 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir well, cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 40 minutes. 

In a small frying pan heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large pot bring 5 qt salted water to a boil.  Add the fusilli and cook until al dente.  Drain the pasta and arrange it on a warm platter.  Pour the cabbage sauce over the pasta and toss well.  Sprinkle with the sausage and serve piping hot.

Viola!  I have to say that as an adult I LOVED this dish (sorry Mom!)  It was savory and delicious.  I bought the fusilli at an Italian market at Chelsea Market.  This dish was incredibly filling so you don’t need much to have a satisfying meal and there was a lot leftover.  It heated up well.  I look forward to cooking this dish again and hopefully using Savoy cabbage next time.

Post in Comments:

Was there a dish your siblings loved that you hated growing up?

 

Monday Bookworms: Olive Kitteridge (9) March 30, 2010

Filed under: Book Reviews,Monday Bookworms,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 12:14 pm
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Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout

270 pages, @2008

Where oh where have I been?  That is a good question.  You know sometimes when you just need a break from life to clear your head?  Well, that’s what I’ve been doing.  I had a stressful two weeks and just needed a break from everything.  I hope you won’t hold it against me.  Anyway, now I’m back, and contemplating a 40 day challenge, so that I blog continuously for 40 days, just to get me back on track.  I’ve got a lot of great blog entries coming up (that’s what happens when you take a 2 week break) so let’s get to it.

Our February (or was it March) book group book, picked by my friend Jen was Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.  I have to say of the 9 books that I’ve read to date (well, I’ve read more, but that I’ve blogged about to date) this is definitely one of my favorites of the year.  While the book is a fictional novel, each chapter is essentially a short story of a character that lives in the small town of Crosby, Maine, where Olive Kitteridge is a teacher.  Each character is somehow related to Olive, whether they were her student, neighbor, husband, son, friend or herself directly, because of that the book reads more like a novel then a book of short stories. 

When discussing what the book was really about we agreed that the following quote from the author summed it up nicely:

“I would hope that my readers feel a sense of awe at the quality of human endurance, at the endurance of love in the face of a variety of difficulties; that the quotidian life is not always easy, and is something worthy of respect.  I would also hope that readers receive a large understanding, or a different understanding, of what it means to be human, than they might have had before.  We suffer from being quick to judge, quick to make excuses for ourselves and others, and I would like the reader to feel that we are all, more or less, in a similar state as we love and disappoint one another, and that we try, most of us, as best we can, and that to fail and succeed is what we do.”

This book was certainly not an uplifting story as it dealt with betrayal, deception, lies and how while on the outside someone’s life may appear picture perfect, that isn’t always the case.  It dealt with personal insecurity as a person (mother, daughter, friend, husband, son, neighbor, etc).  It also dealt with how people handle their own mortality and that of their spouse, parent and/or child.  I felt the book was very relatable.  However, it’s not something I would recommend to people in their 50′s and 60′s because it might hit “too close” to home. 

Overall, I thought it was masterfully written, subtle yet poignant, with incredibly strong characters.  While it is not uplifting, if you ever marvel at the resiliency of human beings, you’ll have a warm spot in your heart by the end for Olive and some of the her neighbors in Crosby, Maine.  I thought that this book blew Strout’s other book that I recently read, Amy & Isabelle, out of the water.  She has definitely improved as a writer.

4 1/2 stars

 

Post in Comments:

What is your favorite book by Elizabeth Strout?  And if you read Olive Kitteridge, what did you think of it?

 

Tuesday Travels: Medieval Times February 26, 2010

Filed under: NYC Experiences,Tuesday Travels,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 3:30 pm
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Our friends Tiffany & Gary suggested we do something to go out and celebrate my bday (the big 3-1 eek!)  So I of course suggested something that’s been on my list “to-do” since we moved back to the NYC area – Medieval Times!  I know, I know, do adults really go there, YES we do.  I remembered it being so fun from high school and Jon had never been so I wanted him to have the experience.

We found great buy one get one free coupons so we were able to get tickets for $30 per person instead of the regular $60 per person.  We met at the Port Authority for Gary & Tiffany’s first venture on NJ Transit via bus and took the 192 to Lyndhurst.  The bus drops you off just 2-3 blocks from Medieval Times so it’s a nice conveinent way to get there if you don’t have a car.  We were a little early so we got adult beverages and took in the main hall before they let us in to our seats.

It’s stadium style seating with a long wooden table going across.  Your ticket includes 2 hours of rousing medieval entertainment as well as a 3-course meal.  Alcohol is a separate charge.  We specifically requested to be in the Green Knight section, because he’s the “Evil Knight”!  This is hands down the best (and probably rowdiest) section.  We were definitely cheering louder than any other section for our knight.  It was awesome.

The meal includes:  tomato soup with a garlic breadstick, chicken, a spare-rib, half a baked potato, an apple pie, coffee, water & soda.  Not bad for $30.  The food is actually R.E.A.L.L.Y. good.  I know you wouldn’t think that given the venue but what you get is so simple, they can’t really mess it up.  It was delish.  Most importantly you have to eat with your hands.  There was no silverware back in Medieval Times.  The entertainment is slow to start, they set up the story, there is a falcon that flies through the crowd, the horses prance, the knights are introduced, etc.  They try to keep it simple while you’re eating.  The second hour is really when it picks up!  They have tests of skill and jousting and each knight takes on another until one knight is left standing and victorious.  It was definitely cheesy but it was also FUN!  We had a great time cheering for the green knight.

Here is Tiffany and I with the green knight after the show!  Our knight unfortunately did not win the night we were there but he was the 2nd to last one standing, which was fun.  All in all, I wouldn’t pay $60 to go but for $30 it was a fun evening out in NJ. 

Post in Comments:

Have you ever been to Medieval Times?  What did you think?

 

Entertainment Thursday: Up in the Air February 5, 2010

Filed under: Entertainment Thursdays,Movie Reviews,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 4:56 pm
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That’s right, you guessed it, Oscar cramming continues!  Last weekend, we went to go see Up in the Air, one of the Oscar nominated pictures.  I had very low expectations for this, I wasn’t particularly interested in it by the previews, and I don’t know too many people who have seen it who were pumping it up for me.  I have to say I was kind of blown away.  Don’t you love that, when you walk in to a theater, not sure of what to expect, and you leave pleasantly surprised with your experience.

George Clooney, plays Ryan Bingham, a high level executive at a firm that is brought in to struggling companies to lay off their employees.  He travels 300+ days out of the year, and prides himself on his travel efficiency.  Early on in the film two things happen, he begins a flirty relationship with Alex, a woman who travels almost as much as he does.  They connect as they compare their “travel cards”.  In addition, Natalie Keener, an upcoming 20-something just out of college, has joined Ryan’s firm and she has big ideas as to how they can save money on overhead by conducting their business via video conferencing.  Ryan’s life is simultaneously turned upside down as he finds himself in a relationship (with Alex) that he enjoys so much he considers possibly giving up his non-commital bachelor ways and at the same time his lifestyle (which defines him) is being threatened.

To be honest, I thought this was George Clooney’s most poignant film yet.  It touched on a lot of issues:

1) – Being laid off and how helpless that feels in many instances.  You watch these testimonials of people who are upset, depressed, not-understanding, of what is going on as they get laid off.  Thinking of all of the American’s who have gone through this in the past year, made it sometimes hard to watch.

2) – Technological Connections vs. Personal Connections.  I felt this movie really delved into a lot of the generational issues that are arising as technology moves at such a fast pace changing the way that people forge or maintain relationships.  Ryan is so non-commital, constantly on the move, doesn’t really have a home, has no real relationshp with his family, and is not in a committed relationship with a woman; yet the thing that he fights for most in his job is this need to be there for these people as he fires them.  He feels that the connection they make with the employees as they let them go is really important and isn’t something that can be done via video conferencing.  It kind of goes against everything he is to his core.  In his personal life he doesn’t have a lot of personal connections, yet in his job, he feels that that the personal connections he forges are what make him so good at what he does.

I found this particular thread really interesting, as it really stood out to me how my generation and even those after me use technology (twitter, blogs, facebook, email, text messaging, instant messaging) to keep in touch and forge personal connections.  Are we losing those personal connections that the generations before us had?  If so, how then is community defined?  Are we all moving communities to an online, virtual world instead of sitting out on stoops and swapping stories in person or are we balancing those two worlds and combinging them in a positive way?  This is something I find very interesting.  Anyway, this is feeling like a tangent….back to the movie now.

3 – Generational Aspects.  This kind of ties into what I was getting at with my 2nd point, but taking it even further, I thought it was really interesting in this one particular scene where 20-something Natalie is talking to 30 or 40-something Alex & Ryan about love and relationships and just how different the perspective is at 23 vs. say 42. 

All in all I thought this was a very subtle, deftly crafted movie that tackles some very large issues in very subtle ways.  They built the story with just the right momentum that it never felt forced or cheesy but rather just right.  It was also very real, no nice tied up ending leaving everyone feeling happy, it was tough to swallow.  I’m one of those people who wants things to be tied up nicely in movies usually, maybe it’s because we know that in real life, that’s unrealistic and we all just want a little hope.  However, it was refreshing to see these characters, that became real people, have to deal with the realistic ways of the world just like everyone else. 

George Clooney was stellar as Ryan Bingham, but Anna Kendrick really stole the show.  In my opinion, it was a breakout performance for her.

I don’t think it’s a movie you need to rush out and see in the theaters, but rent it one day, with no expectations (and no need for a pick me up, becuase this movie certainly won’t provide you that) you might find that you too are pleasantly surprised.

4 1/2 stars

Post in Comments:

What were your thoughts on Up in the Air?  What is your favorite George Clooney movie?

 

Foodie Wednesday: White Bean Dip with Pita Chips January 20, 2010

Filed under: Foodie Wednesday,Giada,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 6:37 pm
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A couple of months ago my friend Shion posted on her blog about a Giada recipe that she recently tried.  This was a recipe in the cookbook I’m cooking my way through so I knew I had to try it!  I made it that very weekend for a dinner we were having at our apartment with friend’s of ours.  It was good but I knew it could be better.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips (adapted from Giada’s recipe)

Igredients

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic

Lemon Juice from 1/2 to a whole lemon (depending on how much you like lemon!)

1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons

2 tablespoons of Italian parsley leaves

Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

6 pitas

Dried Oregano

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the beans garlic lemon juice, and parsley in your food processor.  Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  While pulsing, slowly pour the olive oil in so that it smooths out the mixture.  Transfer to a small bowl. 

I usually have to add more lemon (I start with 1/2 a lemon and then add more depending on what it needs).  I also add quite a bit of salt.  Maybe those are just the flavors I like, but I always end up adding more.  The first time I made this I thought there was too much parsley flavor.  That’s why I cut it down to only about 2 tablespoons.  You can always add more if you feel it is needed.

Cut each pita into small wedges.  Arrange the wedges on a large baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray.  Take a bakery brush and brush each pita with a small amount of olive oil until they are covered.  Sprinkle (liberally!!!) with the oregano, sea salt and pepper.  I go crazy with the oregano because that is really what adds all the flavor to these pita chips!

Viola, the final product!  I’ve made these for Thanksgiving, my cookie swap, Christmas Eve and I know this is a recipe I will make again, and again and again.  You know why, because it’s so easy, it’s simple, the ingredients are ingredients you would mostly have in your house already, and it is delicious.  These things do not stay on the table long.  You got to hustle if you want to enjoy them in my house!

Post in Comments:

When you make pita chips how do you make them?

 

Tuesday Travels II: Annapolis January 20, 2010

Filed under: Music,Presidents,Tuesday Travels,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 6:23 pm
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As I stated yesterday, to make up for my lack of posting last week, I’m doing double posts this week.  I’m hoping I can stay ahead of the game though because I’m heading to Florida Thursday morning where I will not have internet access.  Since I have a couple of posts to write tonight and schedule for later this week I’m going to get right to it.

A couple of months ago Jon, me, his brother Matty and his wife Karen decided to venture down to Annapolis for New Year’s Eve.  Annapolis for New Year’s you say…well we were going to see our favorite band…The Pat McGee Band.  So we booked our hotel rooms for a three night stay and met up at the Baltimore airport on Wednesday, December 30th.  I had never been to Annapolis before so I was super excited to explore a new place.

We checked into our hotel and got situated before  heading out to explore.  We started off with lunch at Ram’s Head Tavern.  This is a huge music venue in Annapolis.  We all had a really good lunch.  Jon enjoyed a beer sampler with his turkey burger and I tried black bean soup for the first time – LOVED IT!  I know, I’m so adventurous – hahaha!  Then we basically walked around Annapolis, saw the State House, grabbed some coffee, saw the waterfront, bought an ornament for our tree, got the lay of the land.

Then we got all dressed up for our night on the town, but before that, we headed out to Sandy Point Park and drove through the “Lights on the Bay” display.  Lights on the Bay is a display of about 60 Christmas lights displays.  You wind your way through the park on a guided “trail”.  Some of the light displays were pretty traditional, but some were pretty cool (moving lights – love it!).  After that we took the “heated” golf cart from our hotel to Osteria 177 our fancy dinner for NYE but a night early so we could really enjoy it.  We had an amazing meal, we lingered over wine, enjoyed our appetizers, entrees and desserts and our waiter was fantastic.  We were seriously the last people to leave the restaurant, everything in Annapolis closes much earlier than NYC.  After dinner we decided to do a “pub crawl” of sorts.

We started out at Treaty or Paris, a bar/restaurant that Grammy Lorraine & Coley recommended to us.  Their bar was awesome; exposed brick, little nooks, old wood tables.  We had a drink there but since we were pretty much the only people in there we decided to move on to Sly Fox.  Sly Fox is located in the Cellar of the historic Reynolds Tavern.  It was a pretty fun place, there were a ton of people out having a good time.  We ran into some PMBer’s and enjoyed a couple of pints and ”Mr. Scarf Guy” was created before we moved on to our last destination Ram’s Head Tavern (again!)  After that we called it a night.

We started out our 2nd day in Annapolis with a short run (2-2.5 miles).  It was sleeting and a little slippery but we managed to make our way.  After a great breakfast we headed over to the Naval Academy only to find that there were no tours that day.  So we made our way around the Academy and just kind of explored on our own.  Then we headed to the State House to see where George Washington resigned his military commission after the Revolutionary War.  Being the history buff that I am (especially when it comes to our Presidents I just couldn’t miss out on this!)  Then is was time for Karen and I to enjoy manicures back at the hotel spa before our evening out.  We had paraffin wax treatment on our hands and it was divine. 

Then the craziness ensued.  Like I stated before, we were there to see the Pat McGee Band’s New Year’s Even concert.  Our tickets included appetizers and open bar.  We got there at 8PM and started enjoying the atmosphere and some drinks before the concert started.  While we were a little disappointed that the full band wasn’t there (Chardy & Brian we missed you), it was still an incredible show.

So incredibly that we danced the night away until 1AM in the morning, when it was clearly time to hit the sack!  In between sets, the dj was jammin’ some fun tunes to dance too, which I really really enjoyed!  I let it loose on the dance floor for sure!  New Year’s Day was spent mostly lounging, we went for a short short run, had breakfast and then spent most of the day napping, watching football and walking around town one last time.  Not much was open but I did manage to enjoy to ice cream:)

All in all it was a great trip, with great memories, and it was fun to spend it with family! 

Post in Comments:

Have you ever been to Annapolis?

 

Foodie Wednesday: Cookie Swap Recap December 17, 2009

Filed under: Chocolate,Foodie Wednesday,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 2:58 am
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Every year around the Holidays I host my Annual Cookie Swap!  I started this tradition in Boston (I can’t really remember what inspired me to do it) and when I moved to NYC I kept it up.  This year was the 3rd NYC Cookie Swap (hard to believe that I’ve been here for 3 years – gosh, time flies!)  This is one of my favorite days of the year, all of my girlfriends in one place, enjoying holiday music, holiday treats, wine and fun conversation.  This year we had about 11 people in attendance.  People really bring it to the Cookie Swap, all the goodies were so delicious.

Pictured above are:  Christine’s Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips and Rachelle’s M&M Cookies.

Pictured above are:  Kate’s Oohey-Gooey Special K Bars, Christina’s Walnut Cups, and Alison’s Andes Mint Cookies.

Pictured above:  Shion’s Russian Tea Cakes and her Chocolate Bark and Christina’s Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars.

Pictured above:  Jen’s Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Chips, My Assorted Bon Bons (Red Velvet with Dark Chocolate, Oreo with Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter with Milk Chocolate) and Kate’s (my lil’ sis) Mint Brownies!

All of the cookies were so delicious and so different!  It was a great night and thank you to all who came and brought your yummy treats to share.  I thoroughly enjoyed them all and enjoyed the leftovers (as did Jon’s officemates).  I already can’t wait for Cookie Swap 2010!

I’ll be sharing my appetizer recipes & perhaps some bon bon recipes in future Foodie Wednesday posts! 

Post in Comments:

What is your favorite holiday treat?  I have too many:  Bon Bons (of course), Carrot Pineapple Bread, Jeanne’s Mint Brownies (Matty I’ll be battling you out for those on Xmas) and Chocolate Bark!

 

Entertainment Thursdays: Where the Wild Things Are November 12, 2009

Filed under: Entertainment Thursdays,Movie Reviews,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 11:26 pm
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where-the-wild-things-are-posterWhere the Wild Things Are

 

Once I saw the preview for this movie, I was counting down the days to see it!  I have strong memories as a child of the book Where the Wild Things Are.  I was intrigued to see the book brought to life on the big screen.  I have to say it didn’t disappoint, rather it blew me away.

 

For those of you that don’t know the book essentially Max is a child who is wild.  He makes a rumpus and gets in trouble and is sent to his room.  While in his room he sails away to a magical land that is home to the Wild Things.  The Wild Things make him king and he rules their land.  After some time there he realizes that he just wants to be home.  Upon returning home dinner is waiting for him in his room.

 

The movie took the book one step (or a couple of steps further).  Max is a child from a broken home.  His sister is at an age where she would rather be with her friends then her kid brother and his mom is a single working mother trying to raise her family, date, and keep her job.  Max feels forgotten, frustrated, misunderstood, and is unable to communicate everything he is feeling.  After a particularly tough night he “runs away” to the land of the Wild Things.

 

For me just seeing the Wild Things live on the screen was amazing.  I almost cried I was so excited.  This movie was so many things, raw, emotional, subtle, yet powerful, and just beautiful! 

 

Spike Jonze masterfully created the world of a child.  The struggles of not understanding the grown up world, of wanting to be loved and to be the center of attention, and the imagination of a child and how they process everything around them.  The way that he had the Wild Things represent different aspects of Max’s family life was incredibly powerful and subtle all at the same time.  We saw Max go from this young boy who appreciated his freedom from his family and relished living the Wild Life of the Wild Things, to a confused young boy who wasn’t sure how to handle all of the complicated relationships among the Wild Things and just wanted to return to the comfort of having someone care for him instead of the responsibility of caring for everyong else. 

 

One thing that brought the movie together in the perfect way was the soundtrack.  Spike Jonze partnered with Karen O of the “Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs” and she brought on a children’s choir.  The soundtrack brought a lot of the emotion to the screen.  We of course bought it and when I listen to it sometimes it makes me want to just run shrieking and waving my arms through a snowy field.  It brings you back to memories of childhood and makes you want to just let loose.

 

I would be surprised if come Oscar time this movie doesn’t win Best Original Soundtrack, Best Costuming and Best Special Effects (how did they get the Wild Things to come to life???)

 

Overall, I would rate this 5 stars!  It is definitely a movie worth seeing in my opinion.

 

Post in Comments:

Did you see Where the Wild Things Are?  What were your thoughts?

 

Entertainment Thursday: Movie Premiere of New York, I Love You! October 15, 2009

Filed under: Entertainment Thursdays,Movie Reviews,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 12:19 am
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The Ziegfield Theater

The Ziegfeld Theater

 Tuesday, upon coming back to work, I received a call from my Uncle Joe who works just a couple of blocks from me.  We do lunch every now and again and hadn’t had lunch in awhile so I was excited to hear from him, but he was calling with an even better invite.  He had an extra ticket to the movie premiere of New York, I Love You.  At first I was like, “oh I have book group and drinks with a friend”.  Then it hit me, “Beth, you are being invited to a movie premier, as in before the movie opens, this is a unique opportunity, jump on it!”  So I told him I’d get back to him by noon and got in touch with peeps to let them know I had a change of plans for that evening.

Movie Poster for New York, I Love You

Movie Poster for New York, I Love You

 I met my Joe at the Ziegfeld Theater on West 54th Street around 7PM.  The line was incredibly long to get in, but thankfully Joe knew the guy running the event so we bypassed the line.  We went into the theater around 7:30PM and their was popcorn, water and soda for everyone attending.  The theater was beautiful!  It reminded me of a Broadway theater when I walked in as opposed to a movie theater.  There was a curtain in front of the screen (all very dramatic).  We were in the 2nd row to the right of the screen, they were great seats.

Uncle Joe & Me!

Uncle Joe & Me!

The movie started between 8-8:30PM.  I wasn’t sure what to expect because usually when you have that many star studded actors in a movie (ie: He’s Just Not That Into You) it gets panned because people think there is just too much going on.  Two of the producers spoke before the movie started.  One of the producers was the Producer for Paris, Je T’aime.  I wish I had seen that movie before I saw New York, I Love You.  The producer said that when he made Paris, Je T’aime he planned to make a whole series of “I Love You” movies and after Paris he couldn’t think of a better city to base a movie in then NYC. 
The movie is “a book of short stories more than a novel”.  That’s the best way to describe it.  There are 11 shorts and one segment that weaves in and out of the shorts.  Each of the 11 shorts had different writers, directors and actors.  Can you say you love a book of short stories when you love some stories more than others?  I think so, if the stories that win you over are strong enough.  The three strongest storylines in my opinion were:  1) The Prom Story, 2) The Chris Cooper and Robin Wright Penn story and 3) the Cloris Leachman story.  I won’t get into what they were about, because I don’t want to spoil the movie, but they were definitely my 3 clear favorites. 
The overall theme was about love:  new love, infatuated love, family love, old love, love from afar, haunted love, love unknown, etc.  I love love, so the theme was right up my alley.  I especially love love in the context of marriage so some stories stood out to me in that way more than others.  It was also about love of a place!  In this instance New York City.  Since I live in NYC I enjoyed seeing all the spots where they filmed, and seeing my apartment building 3 times (woot!), and just appreciating the idiosyncrasies of NYC….ahhh…this crazy city that I love.
While I wouldn’t say you need to run out and see this movie in the theaters, I would definitely say it would be worth renting, worth seeing! 
Overall rating:  3.5 stars!
Post in Comments:
Have you seen Paris, je T’aime?  If so, what was your favorite love story from that set of shorts?