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bironicWell, now I'm officially on Tumblr. Last night I was browsing the Dustfinger tag I set up after watching Inkheart and got massively spoiled for something in book two. Before I'd had a chance to recover, my eyes skimmed over the next paragraph and I got spoiled for something else in book three. :( Thanks, poster who didn't cut or warn.
I'm really sad about it. Both things seem like plot points that would have aroused a lot of delicious emotion.
The books came in today at the library. I guess we'll see.
.
Meanwhile, in the mini-marathon:
Wimbledon (rewatch)
I remembered this as a non-entity of a movie, which is to say, I didn't remember much about it at all other than "Kirsten Dunst" and "tennis" and "insipid love story." Still accurate, although the viewing experience is for sure more engaging when one has an interest in Paul Bettany, since he is, after all, the main character. It was… a perfectly serviceable romantic comedy. I just wish they hadn't made Kirsten Dunst's character minimize her own major career turn, not to mention her feelings, so she could give all of her attention to him in his final game.
Another thing that was more fun this time around: recognizing Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, James McAvoy and Jon Favreau. McAvoy looked a lot like Shia Labeouf. Full circle: This is how PB & JF met and PB got cast as JARVIS.
Actually, the best part for me was watching the special features. Seeing how a few of the leads got trained by tennis coaches, and how they orchestrated the matches on screen. Hearing about which parts took place during Wimbledon, using real attendees, and which were staged/with extras and dummies. Being amused at the special effects team's pride over the CGI tennis balls, which clearly look like CGI; but they were charming in their enthusiasm.
And most of all, being struck by something Paul Bettany said in the commentary. He's got this really fit physique, right, and they show it off in several scenes, which is enough to make a person envious, or feel other unfun things about themselves. So it was really nice to hear him say, while watching a shot of his low-slung sweats followed by his character going for a run with Kirsten Dunst's, that after lifting weights with two personal trainers and eating boiled chicken six times a day for eight months, now, every time he sees someone with a great body like that, he thinks about how they're in pain. I mean, of course it's not a new sentiment, and you can approach it with schadenfreude or anger or compassion or a sense of hopelessness, but it was nice to hear (again) from a movie star about how difficult it is to attain and maintain a look like that.
ETA: fic rec: Love All by Aramley, Peter/Dieter (heh), sad but lovely
A Beautiful Mind
Eh.
Good acting all around, good story, good to have another sympathetic high-profile depiction of a neuroatypical protagonist on screen in the world. But the whole film was very Hollywood.
Not much to say about it. Paul Bettany's role was minor, and might have been more enjoyable if I hadn't heard about the nature of his character beforehand. It was fun to think about how they partnered up again a couple of years later for Master and Commander, and how this was the movie where PB and Jennifer Connelly met.
Legion
Another run-of-the-mill angels-and-devils-argue-over-God's-plan action movie. Still, it was better than Priest. Perhaps relatedly, Paul Bettany used his own accent instead of a dumb gritty American one. And pressed his mouth to a girl's hair while coaxing her through a (really dumb) delivery. Other points in the movie's favor: Tyrese Gibson, Willa Holland from Tiger Eyes, Dennis Quaid, and… no, that's it. Oh, Doug Jones as a spidery demon.
The only horrific thing in this horror movie was the animatronic baby shown in the special effects featurette. Stringy wet hair and spattered with birthing fluids. *uncanny valley shudder*
Also: Sorry, movie, but Christopher Walken will always be my Gabriel. Well, and Tilda Swinton.
Also enjoyed this clip from Ellen of Paul Bettany, Johnny Depp and Gwyneth Paltrow playing "I Never."
Aaand, I think we're winding down on this whole thing. At the moment, finding out if I can make it through A Knight's Tale. Last time, many years ago, was not a success.
I'm really sad about it. Both things seem like plot points that would have aroused a lot of delicious emotion.
The books came in today at the library. I guess we'll see.
.
Meanwhile, in the mini-marathon:
Wimbledon (rewatch)
I remembered this as a non-entity of a movie, which is to say, I didn't remember much about it at all other than "Kirsten Dunst" and "tennis" and "insipid love story." Still accurate, although the viewing experience is for sure more engaging when one has an interest in Paul Bettany, since he is, after all, the main character. It was… a perfectly serviceable romantic comedy. I just wish they hadn't made Kirsten Dunst's character minimize her own major career turn, not to mention her feelings, so she could give all of her attention to him in his final game.
Another thing that was more fun this time around: recognizing Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, James McAvoy and Jon Favreau. McAvoy looked a lot like Shia Labeouf. Full circle: This is how PB & JF met and PB got cast as JARVIS.
Actually, the best part for me was watching the special features. Seeing how a few of the leads got trained by tennis coaches, and how they orchestrated the matches on screen. Hearing about which parts took place during Wimbledon, using real attendees, and which were staged/with extras and dummies. Being amused at the special effects team's pride over the CGI tennis balls, which clearly look like CGI; but they were charming in their enthusiasm.
And most of all, being struck by something Paul Bettany said in the commentary. He's got this really fit physique, right, and they show it off in several scenes, which is enough to make a person envious, or feel other unfun things about themselves. So it was really nice to hear him say, while watching a shot of his low-slung sweats followed by his character going for a run with Kirsten Dunst's, that after lifting weights with two personal trainers and eating boiled chicken six times a day for eight months, now, every time he sees someone with a great body like that, he thinks about how they're in pain. I mean, of course it's not a new sentiment, and you can approach it with schadenfreude or anger or compassion or a sense of hopelessness, but it was nice to hear (again) from a movie star about how difficult it is to attain and maintain a look like that.
ETA: fic rec: Love All by Aramley, Peter/Dieter (heh), sad but lovely
A Beautiful Mind
Eh.
Good acting all around, good story, good to have another sympathetic high-profile depiction of a neuroatypical protagonist on screen in the world. But the whole film was very Hollywood.
Not much to say about it. Paul Bettany's role was minor, and might have been more enjoyable if I hadn't heard about the nature of his character beforehand. It was fun to think about how they partnered up again a couple of years later for Master and Commander, and how this was the movie where PB and Jennifer Connelly met.
Legion
Another run-of-the-mill angels-and-devils-argue-over-God's-plan action movie. Still, it was better than Priest. Perhaps relatedly, Paul Bettany used his own accent instead of a dumb gritty American one. And pressed his mouth to a girl's hair while coaxing her through a (really dumb) delivery. Other points in the movie's favor: Tyrese Gibson, Willa Holland from Tiger Eyes, Dennis Quaid, and… no, that's it. Oh, Doug Jones as a spidery demon.
The only horrific thing in this horror movie was the animatronic baby shown in the special effects featurette. Stringy wet hair and spattered with birthing fluids. *uncanny valley shudder*
Also: Sorry, movie, but Christopher Walken will always be my Gabriel. Well, and Tilda Swinton.
Also enjoyed this clip from Ellen of Paul Bettany, Johnny Depp and Gwyneth Paltrow playing "I Never."
Aaand, I think we're winding down on this whole thing. At the moment, finding out if I can make it through A Knight's Tale. Last time, many years ago, was not a success.
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