Lately, I've been on a bit of an indie movie kick. In addition to "Martha Marcy Mae Marelene" , I also sat through "Like Crazy", starring Felicity Jones & Anton Yelchin.
They seem delightful.
After all of the (studio-induced) buzz, I was pretty psyched to find this one On Demand. Perfect way to spend a quiet Tuesday night. Turns out it was a super, super quiet Tuesday night.
In a nut-shell:
She's British. He's American. They meet in the states. She violates the terms of her visa and therefore cannot stay. Long distance angst ensues.
The good parts:
They're both lovely in their imperfect beauty. I bought the chemistry & the young love bliss.
The not as good parts:
Good god it was boring. All of the forlorn glances. And gratuitous shots of the 2 of them at sunset (apparently the only time dramatic things happen).
Hurry! It's sunset. Time for something romantic to happen.
Let's talk about how in love we are before the sun goes down.
Much like sunsets, our love is not going to last.
A whole lotta nothing goes down. Sometimes that's okay in a little slice-o-life film. But not this one. Nail in the coffin? I found myself resisting the urge to fast forward.
Apologies to the 3 men who read this blog as the following post is not likely to appeal to you (though it should as exfoliating is important!)
I recently started using the Kate Sommerville line of products. You may remember that I was using Rexaline for about 6 months and loving it. Apparently I was the only one using it as they've discontinued the product. So back to the Sephora shelves I ventured, looking for something overpriced with packaging I find appealing.
Based on the above criteria & the fact that celebrities get facials at her spa in LA, I decided to try the Sommerville line, purchasing one of her starter kits.
Look how pretty the girl on the box is!
Overall, I've been disappointed. I rarely breakout, but ever since I started using the daily regimen, my skin has been irritated. It smells good & I really want to like it, but my face is pretty clearly saying "NOPE".
On the upside, the "bonus" product that came in the kit ("ExfoliKate") is the one thing I will continue to use. It's a pretty aggressive exfoliant, so they reco only using it once or twice a week. It works. The day after I use it, people ask me if I just got a facial. So this one I would reco (it is sold separately).
Try to look past the stupid name.
I'm moving onto the Murad line to see how I like it. STAY TUNED.
1) You know how I know a film is good? When I find myself googling reviews after watching it to get other's opinions.
2) This is not a film to watch while doing other things. The edit is a clever back & forth between the protagonist's two worlds - the cult she recently escaped from and the "family" she makes her way back to. Watching her struggle to define what's real and what's not is totally compelling.
3) If you're curious as to how people are lured into a cult, this film will show you. It holds nothing back. It's a sick, sick world that actually exists in modern times.
4) If you like films that wrap up with a pretty bow, this one is not for you. It leaves you feeling as unsettled in the final seconds as it does for the 1 hour & 42 minute run time.
5) Elizabeth Olsen is the one to watch in the infamous family. Sure, her sisters can make clothes & they killed it on "Full House" in 1990, but Elizabeth is the one with the skills. She's a beauty (she eats) & she's supremely watchable.
The following must be said: I may write about this sh!t every week, but good god I would be horrified if I was in the audience watching these idiots rehash their "journeys" while explaining to everyone what they've learned about love.
Smile! We're going to D-listers for another 1.25 minutes!
Before we get into tonight's edition of "Women Studies: The Bottom of the Barrel", let's visit with our buddies from past Bachelor/Bachelorettes at a "mixer" in Vegas. The highlight for me has to be Frank & Ali's reunion. Why? Because Frank burned a DVD for me at work a few weeks back.
He's lovely in person, don't get me wrong, but seeing him on TV is AMAZEBALLS. It's the closest I'll get to watching a reality show starring my coworkers. Anyhoo, this segment is one big trailer for The Bachelor Pad Part 3. Who cares about these has-beens, let's get to tonight's almost has-beens.
To ground everyone in why we're here, let's remember that all of these "ladies" are fighting over a man that looks like an adult cabbage patch kid.
Thanks D-Mudd for the tip.
Yep.
Below you will find a series of my favorite observations:
The ladies whose names we don't know do the bulk of the talking. Maybe they're making up for lost time. Dunno. What I do know is that they're not bright, as in "I can read", but they sure are bright as in "I love the tanning bed".
Blonde 1 just called Blonde 2 a chihuahua (I have to agree with her, but I'm hoping to never hear either one of them speak again).
Emily is rockin' her very best COME HITHER dress, spouting off all kinds of epidemiologist-inspired advice. She finally says the one & only intelligent comment of the night, admitting she would not want to be with someone who would fall for Catalog Model's antics. Amen sista.
Side note: I wish we were hearing more from Jenna Jessica Parker. Remember her?
Dr. Rose tells Kacie B we all fell in love with her. Cut to me screaming at the TV - "NOPE".
As we near the end of The Bachelor: Courtney's Reality School Thesis, we watch the "ladies" play right into her hands. Come on girls! Nothing will make her seem more sympathetic then crying while being berated by 23 idiots whose reliance on non-sequiturs renders them virtually incoherent.
Side note: I'm pretty confident we heard her slip a bit with her "I <sniff sniff> cared about Ben...PAUSE...I care about him still." BOOM. He picks you. You dump him. Called it. A brilliant, brilliant performance worthy of a course at Harvard ala Jay Z's Hip Hop studies.
By the time Ben comes out it feels as if this show has been on for at least 3 hours. All of the "ladies" are throwing themselves at Ben one last time while he sits there looking as oafish as ever. I think my favorite moment has to be the video montage of Courtney & Ben with the picture-in-picture box featuring the audience mouthing things like "she's a terrible person" and "she's the worst".
Next week we wrap this sh!tshow up. I predict Courtney gets the rose & the ring at the end of hour 2 only to announce that they've broken up in the "After The Final Rose" ceremony (hour 3).
In related news, I also predict that Seal will not be there singing "Kissed by a Rose."
Dinner with two of my favorites on Friday night at Antico...
Highly recommend the homemade pastas.
Ventured out to Schaumburg for my first & last Ikea experience. Honestly, I really don't get the appeal. I went for towels & bar stools. Left with a plant that I didn't want, but felt I needed to buy something.
One of their amazing displays.
Sunday I rewarded my early apartment packing with a mani/pedi. My first of 2012.
Real Simple & No New Film.
Pretty crazy stuff, ladies & gentlemen. Pretty sure I'm ready for the first March Monday.
This picture. Apparently this is what he wore to his birthday party.
Really Selena?
This genius dropped a condom on the red carpet of the animated film "The Lorax". I mean, I'm sure he has no trouble with the ladies, but do you really need a condom at an afternoon premiere of an animated film?
High School Musical 4-eva.
She's back. Again. In her most recent "I've got my shit together, I swear" - press tour, Lindsey continues to prove to exactly no one that she's learned from her mistakes. Proof: If she's really in a better place, would she keep her hair like that?
Christina Aguilera is not a good role model. For anything.
When is she going away?
Is someone there with her saying, "yep, this is totally working."??
Come on Angie, really?
Eat something. And stop posing like an asshole.
Here's hoping our celeb friends will keep the good decisions rollin' next week.
Honestly, March is one of my least favorite months. I'm 9021-Over my Winter Wardrobe. It's not quite Spring (which means nothing in Chicago as Spring typically doesn't exist). Plus, it's just loooooong.
This year, in the spirit of positivity, I will focus on the highlights. It's not a particularly nutty month, but there is...
-2 FULL weekends of absolutely nothing planned.
-Bachelor finale at Matt & Rhetta's (WITH SKYLINE).
-A visit from Joyce & Jeff.
-A trip to Ikea. Yes, I have never been & therefore I am oddly excited to take in the horror show.
-March Madness. This is not a huge deal for me, but it is an excuse to eat snacks that require dips.
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