fancy burgers

Burgers are all the rage. They have been for me for years, because yes, they are my favorite food. But I'm very particular about my burgers. I like a simple one with quality meat (grass-fed Angus is my preferred), onions (raw, grilled, or caramelized), lettuce, tomato, and some sort of sauce (not too much, just a touch to mingle with the juice from the burger to lubricate the whole experience). Notice I did not include cheese.

The restaurant burger rage is all about making it fancy. Putting all sorts of stuff on it. I just had the Umami Burger finally. I had been to the Los Feliz Umami months ago for their happy-hour only $5 Smash burger, which is closer to my kind of burger (though it does have house-made? American cheese) with caramelized onions. I went back tonight, craving a burger, and deciding between the Smash and the Umami. I decided to go with the Kombo #1 with the Umami burger, fries, and house Nakhor beer ($15, $2.50 savings over individual prices). The burger is seasoned with the umami fifth taste stuff that I barely understand. Then on top there were caramelized onions and shiitake mushrooms, oven-dried tomatoes (which I couldn't taste), and a fried crepe of Parmesan, which totally overpowered the whole thing. But then again, I think Parmesan cheese tastes like a fart. I'm standing by that. The burger wasn't bad, it was just too much going on. The brioche bun was very good and the fries were exceptionally crisp (the way I like them). The garlic aoli dip for the fries was good, but it's no Oinkster aoli. The texture was a little rubbery, in fact. Next time I want a local, quick-fix high quality burger, I'll go with the Smash. The gentleman sitting next me had it and it smelled a lot better than mine did.

Another fancy burger people go nuts over that I just had to try was Father's Office. I went to the Culver City post nearly two months ago so forgive my memory. Again, another fancy-ass burger loaded with so much you can't taste it all. And this place will not let you substitute or remove. I can understand the no substitution bit, but the fact that they won't remove anything at your request is going a bit overboard. Another excellent brioche bun and perfectly crisp fries with tasty aoli. On this burger I do remember there was blue cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, and possibly mushrooms. There could be something else, but like I said, you couldn't taste it. I swear I never tasted the bacon.

They are gourmet burgers to be sure, but just not my thing.

penelope

Today, Andrew and I saw Penelope at The Landmark (the chain's poor man's Arclight), partly because we both think James McAvoy is really hot. Oh man, he didn't disappoint (as if he could; the man is even sexier in person). Plus, the theater had costumes from Atonement on display. Andrew actually took a photo of McAvoy's tux from the film with his phone! Also on display is the green dress Keira Knightley wears (reason enough for the film to deserve best costume design, but of course it lost). I'm happy to report that the dress didn't look nearly as amazing on the mannequin, so props to Knightley! (I can't believe I just typed "props.")

Anyway, I highly recommend Penelope. It's visually stunning, the story is heartwarming and positive, it's very funny, and the acting is solid. I don't understand why the film sat on the shelf for two years, but it's well documented that my tastes diverge from Hollywood's and the public's, so who knows.

It may be a while before I can report on my next film-going experience. The next one I want to see is Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, which opens on Friday. But I'm waiting for Allie to arrive in town on the 12th for that one. It feels wrong to miss the opening weekend, but it's a small price to pay to go to the movies with my sister! You know I'm up past my bed time when I start to get sappy like that.

the counterfeiters

I just got back from seeing The Counterfeiters in Encino. It's the Austrian film nominated for an Oscar, and the only nominee for the foreign film category I will have seen going into tomorrow's ceremony (and you bet your ass I'm watching; this is my Super Bowl!). If you remember, I saw the frontrunners for the category (4 Months... and Persepolis) during my winter break movie marathon, but they didn't make the final cut (not even the 8-member shortlist, which I'm fine with too). I think this movie is far superior to both of them anyway.

If you're not familiar with it, it's based on the true story of Jewish inmates in a concentration camp forging the pound sterling and dollar for the losing, bankrupt Nazis. It's the world's largest known counterfeit operation. For the record, I was likely the only person in the theater (which drew a sizeable crowd despite its lack of press on the scale of the two movies I mentioned above) that was born after the events of this film take place. That did not diminish the emotional weight the film bore on me. I cried at several different intervals. It was wholly gripping and depicted a very complex situation and the moral struggles involved in survival under the most inhuman conditions (though the counterfeiters were actually treated really well). Go see it. Even though I haven't seen the other films, I'm routing for this one tomorrow. (And let's face it, concentration camp and WWII movies in general due well at the Oscars.)

be kind rewind

This morning I saw Be Kind Rewind. (I really think there should be some sort of punctuation between "kind" and "rewind," but apparently the filmmakers don't.)

I really enjoyed it. It's hilarious, though I was a bit worried when one of the initial gags (before we even get to the main event) was based on the stupidity of Mos Def. Luckily it passed and he was of course the anchor to Jack Black's wildman (but he wasn't too wild or obnoxious). As a film fanatic, the issues it deals with and the emotions it builds on really worked for me, even though I'm not really connected to any of the movies they remake (or "swede"). Though I now have a craving to watch Ghostbusters, which I haven't seen in years. In the credits I saw something about going to a website to see the swede versions they made, but I can't seem to find it. The official site lets you swede yourself into a movie, but I don't care about that. Anyway, go see the movie. It was surprisingly a bit formulaic despite the offbeat premise, but I don't think that ruins the whole thing.

If you're looking for another movie to see this weekend, maybe I recommend Charlie Barlett. Apparently, I did about nine months ago when I saw an advance screening anticipating its then eminent release. I have no idea what happened during the gestation period. I wonder if they edited it.

charlie wilson's war is funnier than walk hard

Yeah, that title isn't a joke. Of course, is it any surprise that I would find more humor and satisfaction in a historical, political film rather than one that relies too much on the sound of the guy's last name for laughs?

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story just isn't that funny. It's all in the trailer. The main problem with the film is that in its effort to make fun of the silly, trite, boring biopics of musicians, it becomes one with a wink and a nod. John C. Reilly turns in an excellent performance, but that's not enough to redeem the film overall. It's not bad, it just isn't as funny as the trailer would lead you to believe.

My biggest beef with Charlie Wilson's War is the needless use of that stupid framing technique (we start at the end and then immediately go back to the beginning for a linear narrative). Oh please. Can we just get on with it? Luckily, it doesn't dwell there, so it's not that big a deal. I just can't understand why filmmakers continue to use such a dopey technique. Anyway, it's very funny. But it helps if you know stuff about American government, politics, and history. I was, of course, the youngest person in the audience by perhaps a generation. And I think the film does a really good job of relating the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan in the 1980s to the current situation, without being preachy or moralistic (it's pretty straightforward in its depiction of American imperial interests). I think it's rather fortunate that this film was released on the heels of The Kite Runner, though it's hard to say how much the films' audiences overlap (beyond myself). They actually, quite well, illustrate two perspectives of the same series of events. Events too many people probably don't think about, even though the strains of these conflicts are still ongoing.

So the final verdict: see Charlie Wilson's War and save Walk Hard for DVD.

By the way, I didn't make it to The Savages or Lars and the Real Girl this week. I may try for the former tomorrow.

atonement

About every two years I get the urge to read fiction. Last time it was Little Children (before there was buzz about a movie). This time, I bought myself a copy of Atonement because I loved the film so much that I thought I might as well see how good the book is now that I've got some free time. I'll let you know.

But please go see the movie. It was unbelievable. So breathtaking to watch. I saw it last Saturday at trusty old Arclight that had a special Q&A with the director, Joe Wright, and James McAvoy (who wasn't billed to be there). James is hilarious as ever. (Oh yeah, we go way back. Not only have I seen just about all his movies, knew of him before he made a name here, but after the Last King of Scotland screening last year I followed him outside--pure coincidence, I'm not a stalker!). He better win that Golden Globe. Joe, too.

By the way, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is an equally superb film.

mr. bean went on holiday and i forgot to laugh

Riot in the streets if you will, but I will continue to insist that Mr. Bean is not remotely funny. I have never liked Mr. Bean from the bits I've seen made for television, to the first Bean movie, and to the point that I made fun of Allie when she went to see Mr. Bean's Holiday in Lancaster. Then she told me that I should see it just because I'd appreciate the beauty of it; after all, he travels through Paris and the French countryside on his way to Cannes.

I've been bundled up in bed all week with an excruciatingly painful kidney infection, but yet I still decided to watch this dreadful movie via Netflix. Let me tell you, it was like watching a snake fly through the beautiful backdrop of France!

I didn't laugh once. How is this funny? The man is so stupid and so oblivious, yet just about everything he does really hurts someone else. Beyond its lack of amusement to me, I just find it really boring and dumb. I guess I'm just too compassionate to find such stupidity funny or even worth watching. This man should win a Darwin Award, not go on holiday!

you'd think the only thing i ever do is go to afi director's screenings at arclight, wouldn't you?

The title says it all for such a long lull between posts. I don't know why. When you don't feel like blogging, you don't feel like blogging. That doesn't mean I haven't done anything worth blogging about. It's not as if the people who blog multiple times a day have really done anything worth blogging about either. I balance the blogosphere, I guess.

At any rate, I returned a little bit ago from an AFI Director's Screening of Gone Baby Gone directed and co-written by Ben Affleck and starring Casey Affleck (and a whole lot of other famous people...and the dude who played Taggart in the first two Beverly Hills Cop movies...I guess he had the sense to stay out of the last one).

Anyway, I totally wasn't expecting to be impressed by it. Let's face it, the trailer makes it look like pretty standard (read: mediocre) fare. And unlike most people, abducted child stories don't pull on my heartstrings that much (no, I don't think they're good, but come on, it's a total ploy to get you to cry and care and blah blah blah...it's a movie!). Let's just say the trailer doesn't do it justice. It's pretty taught with suspense, plot twists (some you can see coming but the movie doesn't pretend that you can't see them), and plenty of gunfire to make me jump in my seat a few times. Oh and it's funny. Casey Affleck gave an excellent performance, and yes, Ben Affleck can direct.

In the Q&A (no, I didn't spot any celebrity wives, babies, or best friends), the first question came from an older British woman who posed the question "to the director." Ben said that not using his name and addressing him as "the director" made his month! I believe it. He was really humble. Casey was funny and also made reference to his brother's "famous" status in a joking way. You can tell they just sort of take it in stride. It was a pleasant Q&A where I was taken by the participants (Amy Ryan was also there but obviously the attention was on the men) and there wasn't ass-kissing from the audience (maybe a first?). I did think it was a bit cheesey that the moderator asked everyone to stay in his/her seats while the panel exited "because they're already late for something." Come on. We know you don't want the crowd rushing Ben--and that's totally understandable--but why lie about it (or at least deliver the lie better)?

I love these things. They keep giving us $10 giftcards to Arclight, which basically makes the movie free. I still have one from the last one I went to. I also have a small stockpile of miniature Audi roadsters sitting in my apartment. Who wants one?

king of california

I just got back from another installment of AFI's Directors Series at Arclight. Tonight was King of California starring Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood. Neither of them was there for a Q&A (they weren't scheduled, of course), but writer/director Mike Cahill obliged. I really enjoyed the movie. It's funny, it's touching, and it makes you want to believe in silly legends of long-lost gold.

Both Douglas and Wood gave excellent performances. What Douglas can do with his eyes! Especially hidden behind a crazy beard. It's as if he took the playfulness of President Shepherd and gave him a few crazy pills. Priceless.

Go see it (you know, if it makes it to you, it opens in L.A. and New York next Friday).

two days isn't enough

I recently got back from a screening of 2 Days in Paris followed by a Q&A with Julie Delpy and a reception at Hollywood Social (or is it Social Hollywood?). Adam Goldberg was scheduled to participate in the Q&A, but he sent his regrets. My guess is that he caught wind of my seductive intentions and couldn't handle it. Such a shame. He delivered an excellent performance, while being as hot as ever. There's just something about a not-too-hairy Jew covered in random tattoos...

Anyway, the film was excellent. It was everything I had hoped it'd be. I don't think I've laughed so much and so hard in a movie in a really long time. It's very clever, full of quick dialog and neurotic humor--just the way I like it. I'm definitely going to run out and buy the DVD as soon as I can.

Now, you need to run to a theater and see it. Maybe I'll even see it again soon...

But, please, someone--anyone--whisk me away to Paris already! I can't take it anymore.

what was harold like before he met maude?

In high school, he was Charlie Bartlett. He even dug Cat Stevens. Though, before there was Maude, there was a girl his own age (the principal's daughter, noless!).


As snarky as I am, I recommend you see the movie. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Molière

On Thursday I dragged my butt to Westwood to partake in the L.A. Film Festival. I absolutely had to see Molière because of this:


That's a photo Allie took in the Paris Metro so that we wouldn't forget that we saw this poster in every single Metro station when we were there. I think we also saw the trailer in front of the two movies we saw while there. The movie opened in France on January 31. Then when I saw a trailer recently announcing it was an official selection of the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival I had to investigate.

I loved it. It's the Shakespeare in Love for Molière. And that Romain Duris... Oh baby, I'd run away with him even with that hideous mustache and hippie 'do. The movie was clever, amusing, and well acted. I'd call it perfect if it didn't use the past framing the present bit. We don't need to see that he writes plays many years later using the experience we watch in the film. I don't know anything about Molière, but I could tell the movie was supposed to be like one of his plays. That quibble aside, thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended (you know, when it's actually released in this country on some tiny scale).

ratatouille

I can't remember the last time I saw an animated movie in the theater. But there I was--at 10 a.m. this morning in a theater filled with people and their little children--watching the delightful Ratatouille. This is not a kid's movie. The story is probably a bit much for most of them, and its execution through mostly dialog (including Remy's narration) probably leaves them wondering what the hell is going on.* But I loved it! It's clever, it's self-affirming, and it's absolutely beautiful. It looks like Paris and the French-themed music adds to the flair.

I have one major quibble. It's not a fatal flaw, but one that left me scratching my head. Why are two (early, I might add) scenes involving guns in this movie?! In case you didn't realize you were watching an American movie set in Paris, a big ol' shotgun announced that pretty quickly. Seriously, what the hell were they thinking?! Not only is this not very realistic, but my god, do we need to put this stuff in a movie that millions of children are going to watch? Hell, I'm plenty old enough, and I don't want to see that. Trust me, the gun business was not a crucial plot element. Brad Bird, dude, what were you thinking?

The movie left me with a major craving for a baguette and almond croissant (my favorite delights in Paris). Oh, and it made me think of the Trader Joe's ratatouille I haven't had in ages...

Go see it!

* I was surprised by how unproblematic a theater full of children was for me. But the little girl sitting next to me fidgeted like crazy and an hour into the movie told her mother she was bored. She asked at least once for clarification on something that was said quickly. I could see how it would baffle her. But hey, at least they didn't dumb the movie down.

je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime

I just got back from Paris, je t'aime. I loved it! I don't want to say too much about the individual films, because I think that would be a major spoiler. There's a beauty to sitting in a theater just watching a slew of shorts unfold in front of you (but it was all nicely tied together). I will say that some directors stuck to their usual themes and others surprisingly branched out.

I cannot explain my affinity for Paris, but how I love it. The film really showcases the variety of Paris, which we don't usually see on screen. Having been there recently, it only seemed more vivid.

I think it's time to watch Before Sunset. I love that their initial walk is a path that Allie and I took. Sure we saw the movie before we had gone there, but that wasn't why we took that walk. It's just a "coincidence" two film lovers can relate memories to.

I'm in such a good mood. And it's not just Paris that's done that for me.

i want some pie

This morning Andrew and I went to see Waitress. Oh it's so good. I cried, I laughed, I wanted to kill Jeremy Sisto. It's nothing original in its overall form, but it's terribly endearing. It leaves you with hope, a smile, and an unbelievable craving for an assortment of pie.

I've now put all of Adrienne Shelly's other written/directed movies in my Netflix queue. I hope they're this quirky and sweet. It's unbelievable what happened to her.

not even worth the price of admission

As I reported yesterday, I went to see Lucky You today for free. It was unbelievably bad. With writing and directing talent behind the screen and recently pretty decent talent in front of it, you just have to wonder what the hell went wrong. It was the most boring shit you can't even imagine. Every damn cliche in the book. Thank god I watched a few episodes of Celebrity Poker Showdown back when it was all the rage or I wouldn't have had a clue what was happening in the movie. And to top it off, there's even a sequence of Eric Bana playing (speed) golf--for a bet, of course! The acting was atrocious, especially Drew Barrymore's performance. And Bana was perhaps a notch above Hulk days, but his hockey hair was too distracting.

Oh and one of the themes was some sort of pathetic attempt to historicize the momentary popularity of professional poker in 2003. Seriously.

The most exciting part of the movie was when some creepy, middle-aged man entered the theater near the end, stood at the door directly behind my seat, and burped a couple of times.

which is a more unlikely pairing?

Helen Hunt and Martin Sheen or Sharon Stone and William H. Macy? (Or Macy having an affair with Heather Graham?)

I just saw Bobby. Who wasn't in that movie? I'm actually surprised that Charlie Sheen wasn't in it, since pops was, and of course, his brother wrote and directed it.

Just as I had heard, there are too many subplots going on, but the film still works. I didn't actually get bored, which surprised me. And that's quite a feat. I mean, I knew how it was going to end. I have to say the title sucks. It seems to undermine RFK's authority by just calling the movie (meaning him) "Bobby." How about One Night at the Ambassador? (Sounds a bit porny really.) It was surprisingly relevant, and it made me nostalgic for an era I never experienced. Funny, huh?

who's watching you?

I'm long overdue for a blog about The Lives of Others. Just go see it. One of the most powerful movies I've seen in a long time. It's a very conventionally told story, but completely griping. The French could learn something from the Germans with the thrillers that reveal all the information to the audience, that's for sure.

What amazes me is how Germans are able to produce such quality and critical films of a recent era that is sure to have such emotional stock for so many people. And the historian in me has to report that this movie truly shows the power of the archives.

I cried.

the boob tube

I saw The TV Set this afternoon with a whole bunch of other people. That kind of surprised me. Usually when I go to a Laemmle theater, I'm one of the handful of people there, but today there was quite a crowd. Maybe because it's Easter and everything is closed, maybe because it's L.A., and this movie is perhaps only going to really play here.

It was worth the price of admission alone to see the girl whose "cuteness doesn't get in the way of her hotness" tell Jonathan Silverman that she absolutely loved Weekend at Bernie's. Yeah, I did too, when I was ten. But she saw it 50 times! But seriously, I got a kick of the making fun of Silverman because I've always liked him, and we never see him anymore. Justine Bateman is also in the movie, and she hasn't acted in what, 20 years?

The movie was very funny. And watching it, you definitely have the reaction of "this is why there's nothing on TV I like!"

slumber party for one

I don't know what possessed me to rent Sleepover from the library this evening. Actually, it's because Sam Huntington is in it, and well... he's attractive. I'm only about twenty minutes into the movie as I start typing this, but already I think the best has happened. Jane Lynch and Jeff Garlin are Alexa Vega's parents (uh-huh). Steve Carell is some weird neighborhood patrol officer. And I'm watching some stupid movie designed for tweeners where eighth graders have just graduated and can't wait to start high school, because of course, it's going to be the best time they have (as long as they sit at the fountain for lunch). What the hell is wrong with me?

Actually, the best part just happened. The fat girl that Alexa Vega invited to her party after she was insulted by the popular girls just stole her dad's electric car so they can complete the scavenger hunt that includes meeting some guy off some dating site called something like "safedate.com." Ok, something positive just happened. Vega and friends told the fat girl she isn't fat and that there are guys out there who will like her for who she is.

If only I was ten years younger.