what stephanie does with too much free time

"Are you a fan of Neil LaBute?" The ginger-bearded man asked.
"No, actually, I hate him. I just thought I'd see what his fiction was like. It was $5, and I was bored." I responded as I cocked my head toward Skylight Books--hinting that's where I'd been--before walking into the cinema lobby.
"Yeah, I don't know many women who like him." He replied.

Ah, yes, I bought another book of fiction (short stories, in fact) even though I've only read two chapters in Atonement. I'm finding it harder than I thought it would be to get back into reading fiction. But like I said, it was only $5, and the copy is signed. I figure I might be able to sell it on half.com or something when I'm done and at least break even. I want to see if his short stories are as mean and nasty as his films and stage plays. LaBute is an interesting character. I think he hates women, but yet I heard Terry Gross interview him on Fresh Air and he presents his answers in a way that make you think he's not evening thinking women are the most manipulative, nasty bitches imaginable. But I don't buy it. Yet, I do love his film Possession, which has a hint of manipulation in it, but it's not the focus of the story and the secret revealed actually results in some sort of joy after a century and a half of subversion (of course, he adapted it from a novel...it's his original material that is so objectionable). Anyway, I read one short story while waiting for Margot at the Wedding, and the man was an asshole, not the woman. So, we'll see what happens.

This week is film going week after months of intense stress. On Sunday I saw The Kite Runner, which was very formulaic, but highly enjoyable. Every time I saw the trailer it made me cry. Let me tell you something the trailer doesn't: the movie is almost entirely in Farsi. Now, that doesn't bother me because I watch foreign films all the time and I love the sound of Farsi, but it's very misleading since it was made by Paramount!

Yesterday I saw Juno, which I've been dying to see since it came out. It's very quirky, but it did take me awhile to get used to the way the teens talk. Juno is sharp and irreverent, which I like. Just like in Knocked Up, in the real world, I think these women would have had abortions, but what the hell kind of movie would that make? And Allie can call me a cradle robber all she wants, but Michael Cera is adorable (and welcome at my apartment anytime).

Margot at the Wedding certainly had its comedic moments, but I'm still chewing on it. Margot is such a bitch, but you really can't empathize with any of the characters. It's not unlike The Squid and the Whale but I enjoyed that one more. I think Jack Black stole the movie with his understated performance. I like him when he's not a total over-the-top clown. Be Kind Rewind looks good, too. By the way, I saw a trailer for Juno and Atonement before the movie this afternoon. The Atonement trailer gave me chills, even after I've seen the movie. It's so damn powerful. I want to see it again, but I've cried too much in the last week or so (it's not depression, it's reacting to others' heartache).

Tomorrow I'm likely to see The Savages. I'm taking my car in to have the timing belt replaced so I think I'll take the bus to Arclight while I wait. Thursday I might see Lars and the Real Girl at the $3 cinema at Beverly and Fairfax, since I missed its initial release. But I could wait for DVD too. Friday I have to see Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Oh man, that looks like a hoot!