Okay, so I go a whole month without one blog post and now I make two in one day, but I saw "Dunkirk" and I must say, it was fantastic. Right from the start, it was completely terrifying and shocking and very emotional. The episodic style was so compelling and I felt like Christopher Nolan had put the film together like you were actually there -- it felt confusing and unbelievable and terrible and yet there were lots of really beautiful scenes -- the sweep of the beach and the peacefulness of the little town with all the fliers falling from the sky, fliers that said, "you are surrounded". There isn't much dialogue, but all the actors are terrific and I think it catches both the heroism and the senselessness of all of it. I like that he chose this moment of the war -- not a big victory in battle but a retreat in which all the "little boats" saved the broken army. He captured the navy, the army and the air force and tried to show the nightmares that each faced and even the civilians, with Mark Rylance playing a man who had a small boat that he took to help the cause. I understand that it is a huge hit, even in the United States, and well deserved, I think.
It is fairly easy to make me cry, but I cried throughout the movie and I wondered partway through if I could stand it, because it was so terrifying and emotional. But I was glad I stayed for the end. If you are thinking of seeing a movie, this is the one to go to.
Monday 24 July 2017
Summer's lease hath all too short a date!
Wow! I have been remiss in writing in my blog these days. I see I haven't written for almost a month which might well be a record for me. It isn't that I have been particularly busy, although I have been up to all sorts of things. Here is a bum's rush version of my activities so far this blissful summer holiday. The first week of July, I went away with a couple of other teachers to Mayne Island. We stayed right on the beach and watched the birds and went cycling (gruelling -- lots of hills and I am used to relatively flat cycling at Rocky Point Park) and kayaking (I was concerned about this beforehand, as I am not a swimmer AT ALL, and wondered how I would manage if the kayak tipped over -- I was assured that would not happen {it being quite difficult to tip a sea kayak, I was told} so off we went and it was lovely and I really enjoyed it -- we saw seals and their pups and a variety of sea birds -- until we tipped {we hit the incoming tide!} and had to be RESCUED!!) I got a stellar bruise on both my legs from falling out of the kayak, but was unscathed except for that. (Although the water was super cold, and as we struggled to shore, I wondered how long it takes for hypothermia to kick in.)
I have a big list of "to do's" for the house and have made a good start on all of that. (Boredom alert -- the following paragraph is news for me, but perhaps not interesting to anyone else on the planet.) I got our furnace replaced and have had people come in to measure the floor in our entranceway and tomorrow a man is coming to measure some windows which need to be replaced. Then, I need a new washing machine and a dishwasher. My only real comment on this is that I find it very difficult to have people clumping around in the house, looking underneath things and finding out what a bad housekeeper I am, etc. I don't think I am alone on this. Today, I'm taking my car in for an oil change (fascinating stuff, huh?) and I am going to see "Dunkirk" while I wait for the car. I have heard it is excellent ("Dunkirk", not the car).
I went to see "The Drowsy Chaperone" at Theatre under the Stars in Stanley Park last week. As many of you know, I am not a wildly enthusiastic musical fan, but if you are looking for some good theatre in a beautiful spot, this is really an ideal outing. The show is heaps of fun -- very funny and with lots of great singing and amazing dancing -- and it's CANADIAN (written as a gift for somebody and then suddenly, there it is on Broadway and winning Tony Awards and all sorts of things). I try to see one of the offerings from Theatre Under the Stars every year and I am never disappointed. If you're having guests from out of town, it is really ideal because it combines Stanley Park (which is so iconic, of course) and also some pretty lively entertainment. I was particularly impressed with the tap dancing in this show -- I don't know many kids who are accomplished tap dancers, but everyone in this production seemed to be able to tap up a storm, and it's like Steve Martin used to say about the banjo, you can't be sad when you're tap-dancing (or watching tap dancing!)
My sister is coming next month and we are planning to see "The Winter's Tale" and "Merchant of Venice" at Bard on the Beach. I don't think I have ever seen a production of Merchant of Venice, and so I'm looking hugely forward to that. And of course, to my sister's visit, as well.
I have been attending aquafit classes religiously at the local pool. It is outdoors so while you're aquafitting, you can watch the birds and look at the trees, so it isn't like being stuck in a smelly old pool, which I hate.
Daisy and I have been really enjoying our walks, of course. On the hot days, we go early in the morning (I can't sleep in, even when it's an option) and see all the birds and look at where the tide is and try to avoid other dogs! Then, one of us takes her out in the evening again. She gets very overheated if she tries to go in the middle of the day -- that's when she goes to one of the many creeks in Port Moody where she can lie down in the cold water.
I've seen several older movies which I will review briefly here: "What We Do in the Shadows" is a New Zealand "mockumentary" about these vampire flatmates and their adventures. Quite funny and entertaining, although perhaps a bit gory (not anything too disturbing, though); "A Beautiful Mind" which amazingly I had never seen before. I did not like it. It is about a math genius who struggles with mental illness. I did not like Russell Crowe's performance (I felt like it was soulless), and I did not like the story, which I thought made everything so clear and simple (and I don't think the real guy's life was clear or simple AT ALL). I think this simplification is something that Ron Howard does (he's the director, in case you didn't know), and I am looking for ambiguity, not pat answers, at this point in my life (I can't remember if I have always looked for it, but maybe I have); "Her" with Joaquin Phoenix, about a guy who falls in love with an operating system, played by Scarlett Johannson. I did not like this one either. I read a review that said that the idea of the movie is more interesting than the execution, and I agree with that. I liked the scenes of the Los Angeles skyline and I liked his apartment and the elevator, but I found "Samantha" (the operating system) really irritating and the long shots of Joaquin Phoenix staring did not evoke much in my consciousness. The movie seemed very long and that is not a good sign.
I have been reading a lot, of course. I am presently reading Between Us, by Richard Ford. It is a memoir about his parents and so naturally, it leads one to think of one's own parents. I feel very lucky in that my parents were the people they were. Firstly, they loved my sister and me whole-heartedly (if you think that's true of all parents, think again). Secondly, they were both enthusiastic and lively story-tellers, which I think my sister and I have inherited. They were both very interested in politics and passed that on to us. My mother was the person who taught me to relish the beautiful small things in life -- the things that bring us joy. She taught me to love to read (one of the great loves of my life). She taught me to count my blessings (I have said this before -- I can never feel sorry for myself for long, because I hear my mother's voice in my head saying, "you are so lucky! Think of all the good things in your life!" and there are always many more good things than bad.) She taught me to try to walk in other people's shoes before you judge them. My dad taught me that it is never too late to change (he had an epiphany late in life and it made his whole life better and happier), that you have to stand up for yourself, that you can say what you think, that you can yell what you think, and that people will still like you. That you can change your mind. That you can be forgiven. That it's okay to show people that you love them. (And that it's good to love people.) They were both dear, good people and I think of them every day, even though it has been a long time since they died. And every day I am grateful to them for what they gave me.
That's a nice note to end on, I think. I will report on "Dunkirk" after I see it.
I have a big list of "to do's" for the house and have made a good start on all of that. (Boredom alert -- the following paragraph is news for me, but perhaps not interesting to anyone else on the planet.) I got our furnace replaced and have had people come in to measure the floor in our entranceway and tomorrow a man is coming to measure some windows which need to be replaced. Then, I need a new washing machine and a dishwasher. My only real comment on this is that I find it very difficult to have people clumping around in the house, looking underneath things and finding out what a bad housekeeper I am, etc. I don't think I am alone on this. Today, I'm taking my car in for an oil change (fascinating stuff, huh?) and I am going to see "Dunkirk" while I wait for the car. I have heard it is excellent ("Dunkirk", not the car).
I went to see "The Drowsy Chaperone" at Theatre under the Stars in Stanley Park last week. As many of you know, I am not a wildly enthusiastic musical fan, but if you are looking for some good theatre in a beautiful spot, this is really an ideal outing. The show is heaps of fun -- very funny and with lots of great singing and amazing dancing -- and it's CANADIAN (written as a gift for somebody and then suddenly, there it is on Broadway and winning Tony Awards and all sorts of things). I try to see one of the offerings from Theatre Under the Stars every year and I am never disappointed. If you're having guests from out of town, it is really ideal because it combines Stanley Park (which is so iconic, of course) and also some pretty lively entertainment. I was particularly impressed with the tap dancing in this show -- I don't know many kids who are accomplished tap dancers, but everyone in this production seemed to be able to tap up a storm, and it's like Steve Martin used to say about the banjo, you can't be sad when you're tap-dancing (or watching tap dancing!)
My sister is coming next month and we are planning to see "The Winter's Tale" and "Merchant of Venice" at Bard on the Beach. I don't think I have ever seen a production of Merchant of Venice, and so I'm looking hugely forward to that. And of course, to my sister's visit, as well.
I have been attending aquafit classes religiously at the local pool. It is outdoors so while you're aquafitting, you can watch the birds and look at the trees, so it isn't like being stuck in a smelly old pool, which I hate.
Daisy and I have been really enjoying our walks, of course. On the hot days, we go early in the morning (I can't sleep in, even when it's an option) and see all the birds and look at where the tide is and try to avoid other dogs! Then, one of us takes her out in the evening again. She gets very overheated if she tries to go in the middle of the day -- that's when she goes to one of the many creeks in Port Moody where she can lie down in the cold water.
I've seen several older movies which I will review briefly here: "What We Do in the Shadows" is a New Zealand "mockumentary" about these vampire flatmates and their adventures. Quite funny and entertaining, although perhaps a bit gory (not anything too disturbing, though); "A Beautiful Mind" which amazingly I had never seen before. I did not like it. It is about a math genius who struggles with mental illness. I did not like Russell Crowe's performance (I felt like it was soulless), and I did not like the story, which I thought made everything so clear and simple (and I don't think the real guy's life was clear or simple AT ALL). I think this simplification is something that Ron Howard does (he's the director, in case you didn't know), and I am looking for ambiguity, not pat answers, at this point in my life (I can't remember if I have always looked for it, but maybe I have); "Her" with Joaquin Phoenix, about a guy who falls in love with an operating system, played by Scarlett Johannson. I did not like this one either. I read a review that said that the idea of the movie is more interesting than the execution, and I agree with that. I liked the scenes of the Los Angeles skyline and I liked his apartment and the elevator, but I found "Samantha" (the operating system) really irritating and the long shots of Joaquin Phoenix staring did not evoke much in my consciousness. The movie seemed very long and that is not a good sign.
I have been reading a lot, of course. I am presently reading Between Us, by Richard Ford. It is a memoir about his parents and so naturally, it leads one to think of one's own parents. I feel very lucky in that my parents were the people they were. Firstly, they loved my sister and me whole-heartedly (if you think that's true of all parents, think again). Secondly, they were both enthusiastic and lively story-tellers, which I think my sister and I have inherited. They were both very interested in politics and passed that on to us. My mother was the person who taught me to relish the beautiful small things in life -- the things that bring us joy. She taught me to love to read (one of the great loves of my life). She taught me to count my blessings (I have said this before -- I can never feel sorry for myself for long, because I hear my mother's voice in my head saying, "you are so lucky! Think of all the good things in your life!" and there are always many more good things than bad.) She taught me to try to walk in other people's shoes before you judge them. My dad taught me that it is never too late to change (he had an epiphany late in life and it made his whole life better and happier), that you have to stand up for yourself, that you can say what you think, that you can yell what you think, and that people will still like you. That you can change your mind. That you can be forgiven. That it's okay to show people that you love them. (And that it's good to love people.) They were both dear, good people and I think of them every day, even though it has been a long time since they died. And every day I am grateful to them for what they gave me.
That's a nice note to end on, I think. I will report on "Dunkirk" after I see it.
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